Mix Tape Monday – Volume 2

Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. I thought it would be a fun exercise to look back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listen to today.

Volume 2 picks up in early 1990 and takes us through early summer, book-ended  by Roxette hits and featuring another steady stream of hair metal and pop, with a little rap and R&B thrown in for flavor.

Side A

Roxette – Dangerous

Roxette’s big hit was taped off the radio from American Top 40.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 3/26/2011

Skid Row – Youth Gone Wild

An out of sequence hit taped off of the cassette.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 7/22/2011

Biz Markie – Just A Friend

The huge hit was taped off the radio station formerly known as Z95.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 1/29/2011

Motley Crue – Without You

The big ballad from the Crue was another hit taped off of American Top 40.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 5/31/2011

Aerosmith – What It Takes

Aerosmtih’s smash hit was yet another tune taped from the good folks at American Top 40.

iTunes stats: 8 plays, most recently on 8/15/2011

MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This

Rap’s first huge crossover hit was taped from Z95.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 12/14/2010

Aerosmith – Rag Doll

Another hit out of time, taped off of Scott’s cassette.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 5/12/2011

Side B

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30 Day Music Challenge Day 19 – A Song From Your Favorite Album

At one point, this was definately my favorite song from my favorite album.  Not sure if either holds true today, but I’ll give it the nod for longevity’s sake, at least.  I remember freshman year biology during the 88-89 school year, where we would debate whether Hysteria or Pyromania was the better Def Leppard album.  You can probably guess what side I supported.  7 of the albums 12 songs were released as singles, with another 2 getting at least some airplay locally on pop radio.  Of course, Pour Some Sugar On Me was the biggest of them all, spending 73 days as the number 1 requested song on Dial MTV before being retired.

Mix Tape Monday – Volume 1

Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. I thought it would be a fun exercise to look back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listen to today.

Volume 1 again, was started in 1989 when I was a sophomore and stretches to early 1990, and features a steady stream of hair metal, with a smattering of pop, rap and dance thrown in for good measure.

Side A

Warrant – Heaven

The massive hit that put Warrant on the map was taped off the radio, most likely from Z95.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 9/17/2011

Young MC – Bust A Move

Young MC’s one hit was taped from the cassingle.

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 8/4/2011

New Kids Got Run Over By A Reindeer

Not a real song, but a bit from what I believe was the Welch & Woody morning show on Z95.

Bon Jovi – You Give Love A Bad Name

The first “out of sequence” song was taped from my sister’s cassette.

iTunes stats: 5 plays 5/11/2011

B-52s –  Love Shack

Surprisingly, despite coming from the radio, it is the full version of the song, not the radio edit, unlike the MP3 I have today.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 6/29/2011

Paula Abdul – The Way That You Love Me

One of the lesser hits from Abdul’s debut was taped from my sister’s cassette.

iTunes stats: 0 plays

Richard Marx – Right Here Waiting

Marx’s smash hit is another Z95 radio entry.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 8/31/2008

Side B

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30 Day Music Challenge Day 18 – A Song That You Wish You Heard On The Radio

I can honestly say that I have heard Tegan & Sara more often on episodes of Grey’s Anatomy than on terrestrial radio.  I had Sirius for over half a decade before I came across them on one of its stations.  This is a problem when talented musicians, ones whom I was already acquainted with and was seeking them out, couldn’t be found.  Anyway, for this topic, I chose a song from their third album, which I literally burned into my old car’s CD changer from playing so often.  Seriously, whenever I tried to put another disc in that same position, it couldn’t be read.

30 Day Music Challenge Day 16 – A Song That You Used To Love But Now Hate

Not the song, so much, as the band.  At some point, Billy Corgan started to take himself just a little too seriously and it just killed any goodwill I had towards the Smashing Pumpkins and their previous output.  It started with his rants against pop music when kids decided they would rather listen to Britney Spears than whatever crap album he had out at the time, continued to his inserting himself into the final episode of The Bozo Show, and culminated with his singing of the 7th inning stretch at game 7 of the 2003 NLCS, saying that even if the Cubs lost the game, everyone would still love them.

Snowplow Shuffle

Another snowstorm has hit.  Here’s the soundtrack that got me through clearing the driveway both yesterday afternoon and this morning.

 

Loser (LP Version) Beck Loser 1/20/2012 4:00 PM
Smells Like Teen Spirit Tori Amos Crucify 1/20/2012 4:04 PM
Sunny Came Home Shawn Colvin A Few Small Repairs 1/20/2012 4:08 PM
The Taste Oblivion Sweatpants USA 1/20/2012 4:12 PM
Buffy Theme Nerf Herder Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Album 1/20/2012 4:13 PM
Finish What Ya Started Van Halen The Best Of Both Worlds [Disc 1] 1/20/2012 4:17 PM
Everlong (Acoustic Version) Foo Fighters Greatest Hits 1/20/2012 4:22 PM
C’mon And Get My Love Cathy Dennis featuring D-Mob Move to This 1/20/2012 4:25 PM
Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) Mötley Crüe Motley Crue Greatest Hits 1/20/2012 4:30 PM
The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite R.E.M. Automatic For The People 1/21/2012 9:19 AM
Oh Yeah Yello Stella 1/21/2012 9:22 AM
Walking After You Foo Fighters The Colour And The Shape 1/21/2012 9:27 AM
I Want You Back The Jackson 5 Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 1/21/2012 9:30 AM
True Colors Cyndi Lauper True Colors 1/21/2012 9:34 AM

Small break to get a new snowblower.

Everything Zen Bush Sixteen Stone 1/21/2012 10:41 AM
Life’s A Happy Song Finale The Muppets The Muppets 1/21/2012 10:43 AM
This Is Love PJ Harvey Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back 1/21/2012 10:47 AM
Mr. Bass Man Floyd & Scooter Muppet Hits 1/21/2012 10:49 AM
Downtown Tegan and Sara So Jealous 1/21/2012 10:54 AM