Tag / Rod Stewart

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Fifty Years Of Music – 1994

Fifty years ago, I made my first appeared on the Earth.  In celebration, we are going to take a look at the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for each year of my life and see what songs resonated with me at the time and if they continue to do so to this day.

We continue our look back at the music of my lifetime with 1994, the year I settled on a major, finished my second year of college, started my third year, and turned 20.   Only 57 songs on the Hot 100 remain familiar to me today, with 42 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#97: Haddaway – What Is Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The debut single from the singer managed to make the year-end charts two years running despite peaking at #11 in the fall of 1993.

#95: General Public – I’ll Take You There
iTunes stats: N/A

Featured in the film Threesome, this cover of the classic by The Staple Singers reached #22 on the Hot 100.

#92: Melissa Etheridge – I’m the Only One
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The lead single from Etheridge’s fourth studio album, it was re-released following the success of Come to My Window and managed to surpass it, hitting #8.

#91: Bon Jovi – Always
iTunes stats: 2 plays

The requisite new song added to the greatest hits album, it became the band’s eleventh, and final, top ten hit, topping out at #4.

#89: The Four Seasons – December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)
iTunes stats: 27 plays

This remix spent 27 weeks on the chart, matching its original run across 1975 and 1976, and peaked at #14.

#85: Ini Kamoze – Here Comes the Hotstepper
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending two weeks at #1 in December of 1994, it was the only single from the Jamaican artist to break into the Top 40.

#82: Queen Latifah – U.N.I.T.Y.
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Confronting the disrespect of women in society and slurs against women in hip-hop culture, the song remains Latifah’s biggest pop hit, reaching #23.

#77: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Mary Jane’s Last Dance
iTunes stats: 32 plays

Petty’s first Top 20 hit since 1989, it topped out at #13 on the Hot 100 and topped the Album Rock Tracks chart for two weeks.

#76: Culture Beat – Mr. Vain
iTunes stats: 13 plays

The German group’s only single to chart in the US, it went to #17.

#72: Aerosmith – Amazing
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Featuring backing vocals from Don Henley, the track peaked at #3 on the Album Rock Tracks chart and #24 on the Hot 100.

#68: Aerosmith – Crazy
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Accompanied by a video featuring Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler, this last single from Get a Grip reached #17.

#65: 69 Boyz – Tootsee Roll
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The group’s debut single, it became the only one to crack the Top 30, topping out at #8.

#63: Real McCoy – Another Night
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The German group’s first single to chart in the US, it went all the way to #3, where it spent a record-setting eleven non-consecutive weeks.

#62: Snoop Doggy Dogg – What’s My Name?
iTunes stats: 57 plays

The first solo outing from the west coast rapper, it peaked at #8

#61: 2Pac – Keep Ya Head Up
iTunes stats: 19 plays

Focusing on black womanhood, the rap track reached #12.

#60: Jodeci – Cry for You
iTunes stats: 19 plays

Topping out at #15 on the Hot 100, the lead single from the group’s sophomore album sat atop both the R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart and the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart.

#59: Warren G – This D.J.
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The second single from the rapper’s debut album, it was his second straight top ten hit, going to #9.

#55: Domino – Getto Jam
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The rapper’s debut single became his one and only top ten hit, peaking at #7.

#54: Bruce Springsteen – Streets of Philadelphia
iTunes stats: N/A

Recorded for the soundtrack to Philadelphia, it reached #9, becoming Springsteen’s twelfth and final top ten hit.

#52: Snoop Doggy Dogg – Gin and Juice
iTunes stats: 49 plays

Nominated for a Grammy, the second solo single from Snoop went to #8.

#51: Gin Blossoms – Found Out About You
iTunes stats: 23 plays

Originally written in the mid-80s by the band’s former guitarist, it peaked at #25.

#50: Beck – Loser
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Beck’s first single to chart on any major chart, it reached #10 in April and was named one of the 500 best pop songs of all time by Billboard magazine.

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Fifty Years Of Music – 1993

Fifty years ago, I made my first appeared on the Earth.  In celebration, we are going to take a look at the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for each year of my life and see what songs resonated with me at the time and if they continue to do so to this day.

We continue our look back at the music of my lifetime with 1993, the year I completed my first year of college, started my second year of college, moved out of my childhood home, and turned 19, in that order.  My musical landscape was continuing to change, as I navigated the different music I was exposed to between the middle of Indiana and the Chicagoland area.  A whopping 86 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with 51 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#100: Def Leppard – Two Steps Behind
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Featured on the soundtrack to Last Action Hero, the acoustic ballad peaked at #12 on the Hot 100.

#97: Tony! Toni! Toné! – Anniversary
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #10, it was the second single from the group’s third studio album.

#96: Sting – If I Ever Lost My Faith in You
iTunes stats: N/A

Topping out at #17, the track earned Sting a Grammy in 1994.

#95: Gin Blossoms – Hey Jealousy
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Written by the band’s former guitarist, who was fired before their breakthrough album was released, it went to #25 on the Hot 100.

#94: Aerosmith – Livin’ on the Edge
iTunes stats: 21 plays

The lead single from the group’s eleventh album, which I bought in a midnight release at the Musicland that would eventually become a bar off of Purdue’s campus, it peaked at #18

#93: Green Jelly – Three Little Pigs
iTunes stats: 27 plays

Spending 20 weeks on the chart, the sole hit from the band, originally called Green Jellö before a lawsuit forced them to change their name, reached #17 in June.

#92: Joey Lawrence – Nothing My Love Can’t Fix
iTunes stats: N/A

The first, and most successful, single from the Blossom star, it topped out at #19.

#91: Tears for Fears – Break It Down Again
iTunes stats: 23 plays

The group’s first hit since 1989, it peaked at #25 and became their final track to enter the Top 40.

#90: Rod Stewart – Reason to Believe
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally released by Stewart in 1971, this live version, from his Unplugged appearance, reached #18.

#87: Sting – Fields of Gold
iTunes stats: N/A

Released in June, it hit #23 on the Hot 100.

#83: Michael Bolton – To Love Somebody
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally released by the Bee Gees in 1967, Michael Bolton took his version to #11.

#82: Haddaway – What is Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The sole hit from the Trinidadian-German singer, it topped out at #11.

#81: Digable Planets – Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
iTunes stats: 25 plays

Peaking at #15 in March, it remains the group’s lone Top 40 single.

#80: The Heights – How Do You Talk to an Angel
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Spending the two weeks at the top of the charts between the record-breaking runs of Boyz II Men and Whitney Houston, it also finished at #59 in 1992’s year-end chart.

#78: Ice Cube – It Was a Good Day
iTunes stats: 43 plays

Ice Cube’s highest charting single, it peaked at #15 on the Hot 100.

#77: Inner Circle – Sweat (A La La La La Long)
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Released in July of 1992, it eventually worked its way up to #16.

#76: Restless Heart – When She Cries
iTunes stats: N/A

A crossover hit for the country band, it reached #9 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and #11 on the Hot 100.

#75: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Boom! Shake the Room
iTunes stats: 24 plays

The final Top 40 hit before the duo split, it peaked at #13.

#74: Janet Jackson – Again
iTunes stats: N/A

Included in her film Poetic Justice, this third single from Jackson’s fifth studio album topped the charts for two weeks in December of 1993.

#69: Inner Circle – Bad Boys
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The theme song to the television show Cops, it was first recorded in 1987 and finally released as a single in 1993, reaching #8 and giving the group their only top ten hit.

#68: Jeremy Jordan – The Right Kind of Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from the Beverly Hills 90210 soundtrack, it topped out at #14.

#67: Madonna – Rain
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Released in July, it hit #14 on the Hot 100.

#65: Cypress Hill – Insane in the Brain
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The lead single from the group’s sophomore album, it topped the Rap charts while peaking at #19 on the Hot 100.

#64: Zhané – Hey Mr. D.J.
iTunes stats: N/A

The debut single from the group became their first top ten hit, reaching #6.

#63: Positive K – I Got a Man
iTunes stats: 22 plays

The lone Top 40 hit of the rapper’s career, it hit #14 in March.

#62: TLC – What About Your Friends
iTunes stats: 27 plays

The third straight top ten single from their debut album, it topped out at #7.

#61: Ugly Kid Joe – Cats in the Cradle
iTunes stats: 16 plays

The highest charting single of the band’s career, this cover of the Harry Chapin classic peaked at #6.

#60: Aerosmith – Cryin’
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Released in June, the first single of their Alicia Silverstone trilogy reached #12.

#58: Mary J. Blige – Real Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The first top ten hit for the singer, it topped out at #7 on the Hot 100.

#57: Bon Jovi – Bed of Roses
iTunes stats: 20 plays

Hitting #10 on the Hot 100, the single was released in January.

#53: Dr. Dre – Dre Day
iTunes stats: 31 plays

The second single from Dr. Dre’s debut solo album, this Eazy-E diss track peaked at #8 in June.

#52: Prince and the New Power Generation – 7
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Released in late 1992, the song reached, of course, #7.

#51: Ace of Base – All That She Wants
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The first single released from their North American debut; it went all the way to #2.

#50: 4 Non Blondes – What’s Up?
iTunes stats: 28 plays

The band’s lone single to crack the Hot 100, it hit #14.

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by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1991

Fifty years ago, I made my first appeared on the Earth.  In celebration, we are going to take a look at the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for each year of my life and see what songs resonated with me at the time and if they continue to do so to this day.

We continue our look back at the music of my lifetime with 1991, the year I broke up with my first girlfriend, finished my junior year of high school, started my senior year, and got my first job.  Z95 flipped to Hot 94.7 before going away altogether and a new rock station, 103.5 The Blaze, entered the Chicago radio scene, providing the majority of the soundtrack of that year.  At 82 songs, we have broken past 80% of the Hot 100 that remain familiar to me today for the first time, with 62 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#100: R.E.M. – Shiny Happy People
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Teaming up with Kate Pierson of the B-52’s, the group notched their fourth and final top ten hit, peaking at #10.

#98: Salt-N-Pepa – Do You Want Me
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The third single from the group’s third studio album, it reached #21 on the Hot 100.

#96: Warrant – I Saw Red
iTunes stats: 11 plays

Peaking at #10, it was the band’s final Top 40 hit.

#95: George Michael – Freedom! ’90
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Thanks in part to a video directed by David Fincher and featuring, among others, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and Cindy Crawford, reaching #8 and spending twelve weeks in the Top 40 across 1990 and 1991.

#94: Naughty by Nature – O.P.P.
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Ranked in 2023 as the 96th best pop song of all time by Billboard, it hit #6 on the Hot 100.

#91: Deee-Lite – Groove is in the Heart
iTunes stats: N/A

The debut single from the dance group, it peaked at #4, becoming their lone Top 40 hit.

#90: INXS – Disappear
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The Australian band’s seventh and final top ten hit, it reached #8 on the Hot 100.

#89: Gerardo – Rico Suave
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Ranked as the ninth greatest one-hit wonder of all time by VH1 and the 37th worst song ever by Blender, it topped out at #7.

#88: Black Box – Strike It Up
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Hitting #8, the group once again used un-credited vocals from Martha Wash, leading to an out-of-court settlement.

#87: Cathy Dennis – Just Another Dream
iTunes stats: 21 plays

First released in the UK in 1989 to little fanfare, a remixed version hit the Hot 100 in January of 1991, peaking at #9 the following month.

#86: Aaron Neville – Everybody Plays the Fool
iTunes stats: N/A

First recorded by The Main Ingredient in 1972, this cover spent 20 weeks on the charts, topping out at #8.

#84: Tara Kemp – Piece of My Heart
iTunes stats: N/A

Her second consecutive top ten hit, it reached #7 and was her final Top 40 single.

#82: Queensrÿche – Silent Lucidity
iTunes stats: 22 plays

The band’s only charting single in the US, it peaked at #9.

#81: Tevin Campbell – Round and Round
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Featured on the Graffiti Bridge soundtrack and produced by Prince, the solo debut from the teen singer reached #12 on the Hot 100.

#79: Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Originally released in July of 1989, it became a top ten hit after being featured in Wild at Heart, eventually hitting #6.

#78: Poison – Something to Believe In
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The final top ten hit from the band, it peaked at #4

#75: Seal – Crazy
iTunes stats: 16 plays

The first big hit for the English singer-songwriter, it spent 19 weeks on the Hot 100, topping out at #7.

#74: Cathy Dennis – Too Many Walls
iTunes stats: N/A

The fourth and final top ten of Dennis’ recording career, it reached #8 on the Hot 100 and two weeks atop the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.

#73: Tesla – Signs
iTunes stats: 14 plays

Recorded live for the group’s acoustic album, it hit #8, becoming their second top ten hit.

#72: UB40 – Here I Am (Come and Take Me)
iTunes stats: 23 plays

Peaking at #7, this cover of the 1973 Al Green hit was the second single from the British reggae-pop band’s ninth studio album.

#71: UB40 – The Way You Do the Things You Do
iTunes stats: 16 plays

A hit in four consecutive decades by four different artists, this was the highest charting version, cracking the top ten at #6.

#69: Mariah Carey – Love Takes Time
iTunes stats: N/A

The second consecutive year end chart appearance for this tune, which spent three weeks atop the Hot 100 in November of 1990 and ranked as the 76th biggest hit of that year as well.

#68: Styx – Show Me the Way
iTunes stats: 13 plays

Their first top ten hit since 1983, it peaked at #3, becoming the band’s eighth and final top ten single and giving them at least one in three straight decades.

#67: Heavy D and the Boyz – Now That We Found Love
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Originally recorded by the O’Jays, Heavy D and the Boyz reached #11 on the Hot 100.

#66: Prince & the New Power Generation – Cream
iTunes stats: 14 plays

Spending two weeks atop the charts in early November, it became the final #1 single of Prince’s career.

#64: LL Cool J – Around the Way Girl
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The first top ten hit in LL’s career, it topped out at #9.

#63: Enigma – Sadness (Part I)
iTunes stats: N/A

Mixing Gregorian chants with a drum beat, it somehow reached #5 on the Hot 100.

#62: Michael Bolton – Time, Love and Tenderness
iTunes stats: N/A

The title track from Bolton’s seventh studio album, it peaked at #7, giving Bolton his fifth top ten single.

#61: The KLF – 3 a.m. Eternal
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Found on the group’s fourth and final album, it reached #5 on the Hot 100.

#60: Hi-Five – I Can’t Wait Another Minute
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The group’s second consecutive top ten hit, it topped out at #8.

#57: Vanilla Ice – Play That Funky Music
iTunes stats: 9 plays

Originally the first track released by Vanilla Ice, it was reissued with new lyrics following the success of Ice Ice Baby, peaking at #4.

#56: Nelson – After the Rain
iTunes stats: 27 plays

The second release from the grandsons of Ozzie & Harriet, it reached #6, becoming their second and final top ten hit.

#55: Bonnie Raitt – Something to Talk About
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Raitt’s only top ten hit, it topped out at #5 on both the Hot 100 and the Adult Contemporary chart.

#53: DNA featuring Suzanne Vega – Tom’s Diner
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Originally released by Vega in 1984, it was remixed by two British producers and released in 1990, reaching #5 on the Hot 100 and becoming one of the few singles in Billboard history to crack the top ten on both the Modern Rock Tracks chart and the Hot R&B Singles chart.

#52: Divinyls – I Touch Myself
iTunes stats: 40 plays

This ode to female masturbation was the group’s first single to chart in the US, peaking at #2.

#51: C+C Music Factory – Things That Make You Go Hmmm…
iTunes stats: 21 plays

The third single from the group’s debut album, it hit #4 on the Hot 100.

#50: Rod Stewart – Rhythm of My Heart
iTunes stats: N/A

Covered by Stewart for his sixteenth album, it reached #5.

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by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1990

Fifty years ago, I made my first appeared on the Earth.  In celebration, we are going to take a look at the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for each year of my life and see what songs resonated with me at the time and if they continue to do so to this day.

We continue our look back at the music of my lifetime with 1990, the year I finished my sophomore year of high school, started my junior year, turned 16 and got my driver’s license, and, oh yeah, found myself with my first girlfriend.  These songs formed the soundtrack of my high school years and continue to be some of my favorites.  A full 70 of the Hot 100 are still familiar to me now, with a whopping 50 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99: Mellow Man Ace – Mentirosa
iTunes stats: 17 plays

The lone single from the Cuban rapper, it spent 24 weeks on the chart, peaking at #14.

#96: Mötley Crüe – Without You
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Reaching #8 on the Hot 100, the song is said to be about drummer Tommy Lee’s relationship with Heather Locklear.

#94: Biz Markie – Just A Friend
iTunes stats: 39 plays

Markie’s highest charting single, it topped out at #9.

#91: Aerosmith – What It Takes
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Written with Desmond Child, it peaked at #9.

#88: Michael Bolton – When I’m Back on My Feet Again
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #7 in August, the song was Bolton’s third top ten hit.

#86: Paula Abdul – (It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Originally released as the second single from Abdul’s debut album in 1988 to little success, it was re-released in the fall of 1989 and rose to #3.

#85: D Mob with Cathy Dennis – C’mon and Get My Love
iTunes stats: 21 plays

The song that introduced Cathy Dennis to the public, it just cracked the top ten.

#82: Billy Joel – I Go to Extremes
iTunes stats: N/A

The second single from Joel’s eleventh studio album, the song just missed the top five, peaking at #6

#81: Black Box – Everybody Everybody
iTunes stats: N/A

Featuring uncredited vocals by Martha Wash, the song reached #8 on the Hot 100.

#78: The B-52’s – Love Shack
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Making the year-end charts for the second consecutive year, the 47th biggest hit of 1989 spent 27 total weeks on the chart.

#76: Mariah Carey – Love Takes Time
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending three weeks at #1 in November, the second single from Carey was her second straight chart topper.

#75: Faith No More – Epic
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Ranked as the 30th greatest metal song of all time by VH1, it was the band’s breakthrough hit, reaching #9.

#73: Technotronic featuring Ya Kid K – Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Released in January of 1990, it rose to #7.

#72: Skid Row – I Remember You
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The New Jersey band’s second and final top ten hits, peaking at #6.

#70: Go West – King of Wishful Thinking
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Featured on the Pretty Woman soundtrack, the track reached #8 on the Hot 100.

#66: Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Released in February, the song became the group’s highest charting single in the US, topping out at #8 in July.

#64: Tom Petty – Free Fallin’
iTunes stats: 34 plays

The highest and longest charting hit of Petty’s career, it peaked at #7, becoming his third and final top ten hit.

#63: Taylor Dayne – I’ll Be Your Shelter
iTunes stats: 6 plays

Reaching #4 on the Hot 100, the song, released in March, was written by Diane Warren and remains Dayne’s final top ten hit.

#62: Digital Underground – The Humpty Dance
iTunes stats: 43 plays

The group’s first Top 40 hit, it topped out at #11.

#61: Aerosmith – Janie’s Got a Gun
iTunes stats: 37 plays

Hitting #4 on the Hot 100, the song earned the group a Grammy award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

#59: Janet Jackson – Black Cat
iTunes stats: 12 plays

The sixth single from Jackson’s fourth studio album spent a single week atop the Hot 100 at the end of October.

#56: Phil Collins – I Wish It Would Rain Down
iTunes stats: N/A

Featuring guitar work from Eric Clapton, Collins reached #3 on the Hot 100 with this track.

#55: MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The first rap song to be nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammys, it peaked at #8 on the Hot 100.

#52: Michael Bolton – How Can We Be Lovers
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #3, Bolton co-wrote this tune with both Diane Warren and Desmond Child.

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by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1982

Fifty years ago, I made my first appeared on the Earth.  In celebration, we are going to take a look at the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for each year of my life and see what songs resonated with me at the time and if they continue to do so to this day.

We continue our look back at the music of my lifetime with 1982, the year I moved from second to third grade and turned 8.  Given my late-October birthday.  Songs from movies would be the only ones I knew from their original release.  Only 29 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with 20 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#96: Loverboy – Working for the Weekend
iTunes stats: N/A

The first single from the group’s second album, it topped out at #29 but was eventually ranked #100 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s.

#91: Kim Wilde – Kids in America
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Released a year earlier in the UK, this first single from Wilde peaked at #25 on the Hot 100 despite heavy radio play and acclaim on MTV.

#88: Van Halen – Oh, Pretty Woman
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Intended as a non-album single before the band went on a planned hiatus, it became their second Top 20 hit, reaching #12.

#87: The Go-Go’s – Vacation
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Peaking at #8, the song was the group’s second, and final, top ten hit.

#79: The Police – Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Originally written for a 1976 demo, the tune topped out at #3 on the Hot 100.

#78: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – Crimson and Clover
iTunes stats: 10 plays

This cover of the Tommy James and the Shondells hit from 1968 reached #7 on the chart, the band’s second-highest charting single.

#75: Laura Branigan – Gloria
iTunes stats: 13 plays

Originally written and recorded as an Italian love song in 1979, Branigan’s reworking of the tune spent three weeks at #2 late in 1982.

#73: Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
iTunes stats: 143 plays

Peaking at #8 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #9 on the Hot 100, the song gained a second life in the 21st century thanks to, among others, the final episode of The Sopranos and, locally, its use by the 2005 World Series Champion Chicago White Sox.

#68: Jackson Browne – Somebody’s Baby
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Recorded for the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack, the song reached #7, becoming Browne’s highest charting hit and his final top ten.

#63: The Go-Go’s – Our Lips Are Sealed
iTunes stats: 17 plays

The band’s debut single, it peaked at #20, but spent 30 weeks on the Hot 100.

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by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1979

Fifty years ago, I made my first appeared on the Earth.  In celebration, we are going to take a look at the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for each year of my life and see what songs resonated with me at the time and if they continue to do so to this day.

We continue our look back at the music of my lifetime with 1979, the year I started kindergarten and turned five.  I still have no knowledge of these songs from their original release, but we are starting to get to an era where the songs would become some of my favorites.  Only 16 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with just five of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#95: Van Halen – Dance the Night Away
iTunes stats: 7 plays

Thought to be the only track written explicitly for the group’s second album, the track peaked at #15 on the Hot 100.

#92: Robert Palmer – Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Originally recorded by Moon Martin the year prior, the cover version from Palmer reached #14 on the charts.

#81: Electric Light Orchestra – Don’t Bring Me Down
iTunes stats: N/A

Perhaps best known for the misheard lyric of “Bruce” following the title line, the track is the band’s highest charting hit in the US.

#78: Earth, Wind & Fire – September
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #8, the song has become an Internet meme in the 21st century, becoming popular every year in September as we approach the 21st.

#53: Sister Sledge – We Are Family
iTunes stats: 14 plays

Chosen by Willie Stargell to be the official theme song of the 1979 Pirates on their way to a World Series title, the track topped out at #2 on the Hot 100.

#48: Village People – In the Navy
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s final top 10 hit, it reached #3 on the charts.

#40: Kenny Rogers – The Gambler
iTunes stats: N/A

A crossover hit that reached the top of both the Hot 100 and the country charts, the song earned Rogers a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1980.

#34: Cheap Trick – I Want You to Want Me
iTunes stats: 30 plays

After the original release from 1977 failed to chart, a rockier live version released eleven months later cracked the top 10, peaking at #7.

#31: Peaches & Herb – Shake Your Groove Thing
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s first charting single since 1971, it spent 22 weeks on the charts, topping out at #5.

#9: Anita Ward – Ring My Bell
iTunes stats: N/A

Sampled by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince in 1991, the song, which reached the top of the charts, was Ward’s only major hit.

#8: Village People – Y.M.C.A.
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #2, the song has long been used at Wrigley Field when the opposing team makes their first mid-inning pitching change.

#6: Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive
iTunes stats: N/A

Released in October of 1978, the anthem spent three non-consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100 in 1979.

#5: Peaches & Herb – Reunited
iTunes stats: N/A

A huge crossover smash, it spent four weeks at #1 on both the R&B singles chart and the Hot 100 chart.

#4: Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?
iTunes stats: N/A

Ranked at #301 in Rolling Stone’s 2004 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, it spent four weeks atop the charts in February of 1979.

#3: Chic – Le Freak
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s third single, it became their first #1 on both the Hot 100 and the R&B charts.

#1: The Knack – My Sharona
iTunes stats: 34 plays

The band’s debut single, it spent six weeks at the top of the charts in the summer of 1979.

by admin

Tuesday Afternoon Commute

With the temperature finally breaking 50 degrees, it was time to roll the windows down, crank the volume up, and enjoy some music on the long drive home.

Salvation Rancid Let’s Go 3/10/2015 4:07 PM
Go Speed Racer Go Sponge Saturday Morning Cartoons’ Greatest Hits 3/10/2015 4:10 PM
I Wanna Sex You Up Color Me Badd C.M.B. 3/10/2015 4:14 PM
Let It Be The Beatles Let It Be [2009 Stereo Remaster] 3/10/2015 4:18 PM
Walking on Sunshine Katrina & The Waves Katrina & The Waves 3/10/2015 4:22 PM
The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) Banana Splits Here Come The Banana Splits 3/10/2015 4:24 PM
Clarissa Explains It All Tee Vee Toons TV’s Hits Vol. 7: Cable Ready 3/10/2015 4:24 PM
The Gay Pride Parade Patton Oswalt Feelin’ Kinda Patton 3/10/2015 4:26 PM
Wings Tee Vee Toons TV’s Hits Vol. 7: Cable Ready 3/10/2015 4:27 PM
Glorified G Pearl Jam Vs. 3/10/2015 4:30 PM
Cream Prince & The New Power Generation Diamonds And Pearls 3/10/2015 4:34 PM
When All Is Said And Done, I Am Lonely And Miserable And Barely Able To Mask My Contempt For The Audience As I Trot Out The Same Sorry Act I’ve Been Doing Since The Mid-Eighties! David Cross It’s Not Funny 3/10/2015 4:43 PM
Cult Of Personality Continue reading →
by admin

Goodbye, iPhone 4S – Music Edition

A little more than a week ago, I upgraded my phone from the iPhone 4S to the newly released iPhone 5S.  The biggest difference, aside from a slightly bigger screen, is the jump from 3G (or 4G, if you believe AT&T’s hype) to LTE.  I had the 4S for a little under 2 years, and in that time, we traveled the world together (well, at least going back to the UK) and have listened to a lot of podcasts and music. Here is every song (all 2079 of them) I’ve listened to on the phone, with some (ok, very little) bonus commentary.  Godspeed.

 

Let’s Go-Go-Go White Sox Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers 33
He’s a Pirate Klaus Badelt Pirates of the Caribbean (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) 32
Take Me Out To The Ballgame Harry Caray 31
Thunderstruck AC/DC The Razors Edge 31
Gordon Beckham Intro 29
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye Steam Billboard’s Top Rock ‘n’ Roll Hits: 1969 29
Don’t Stop Believin’ Journey Journey’s Greatest Hits 27
sox05_montage 27
We Are The Champions Queen Queen: Greatest Hits I & II 27
Your Love The Outfield Play Deep 27
2008 White Sox Central Division Champs Montage Chris Tannehill WSCR 670 The Score 25
Take Me Out To The Ballgame Nancy Faust 25
Harvester Of Sorrow Metallica …And Justice For All 20

You would hope that these numbers would have been higher, but this past season’s miserable performance by the White Sox has put the songs on their playlist out of mind more often than not.

Cannonball The Breeders The First 1000 Years- Rock 19
Man Or Muppet Jason Segel The Muppets 15
It’s Time For Our Song Miss Piggy The Muppets 14
Get Out There And Help Those Guys Jason Segel The Muppets 13
Main Title LOST Soundtrack LOST Soundtrack 13
Are You A Man Or A Muppet? Amy Adams The Muppets 12
How Charming, A Finale Uncle Deadly The Muppets 12
I’m On A Boat (ft. T-Pain) The Lonely Island Incredibad 12
Down At The Ole Barbershop Kermit The Muppets 11
Me and Drugs David Cross Bigger and Blackerer 11
The Antichrist Howard Stern Private Parts: The Album 11
Continue reading →