Tag / VH1

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Mix Tape Monday – Hair Bands 2

After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended. That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

In addition to the occasional series of CDs I had burned in order to keep abreast of new music, I had created a bunch of genre-specific mixes that could be used both in the car and at the gym. This week we will take a look at the second disc covering the world of hair bands.  Because even though the calendar said it was the early 21st century, one edition of spandex and hair spray infused rock and roll would not suffice. So, without further ado, I bring you Hair Bands, volume 2.

Firehouse – When I Look In Your Eyes

The last hit for Firehouse hit #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1992.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 4/22/2011

Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart

Nikki Six wrote the song about his overdose where he was declared clinically dead before 2 adrenaline shots to the heart brought him back to life.

iTunes stats: 11 plays, most recently on 2/15/2013

Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne – Close My Eyes Forever

The duet with Ozzy peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

iTunes stats: 8 plays, most recently on 8/14/2012

Skid Row – 18 And Life

Named the 60th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 12/15/2012

Slaughter – Fly To The Angels

The second release by Slaughter peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 12/3/2012

Warrant – Sometimes She Cries

The fourth single from Warrant’s debut album charted at #11 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 6/16/2012

White Lion – Wait

Released on June 1, 1987, but did not make waves until MTV began airing the video in January 1988, pushing the single to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 7/21/2010

Bon Jovi – Never Say Goodbye

Left off the North American release of the band’s first greatest hits package.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 11/17/2012

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Mix Tape Monday – Cool Tracks

After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended. That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

In addition to the occasional series of CDs I had burned in order to keep abreast of new music, I had created a bunch of genre-specific mixes that could be used both in the car and at the gym. This week we will take a look at the first disc covering the world of 60s and 70s rock music. This CD was kind of a counterpart to the ballads disc we covered a few weeks back, with most of the songs coming from the same era but with a decidedly harder bent.  So, without further ado, I bring you Cool Tracks, volume 1.

Paul McCartney & Wings – Live And Let Die

Became the first James Bond theme song to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 3/19/2013

Blood Sweat & Tears – Spinning Wheel

Nominated for three Grammy Awards at the 1970 ceremony, it won for Best Instrumental Arrangement.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 3/22/2013

Warren Zevon – Werewolves Of London

BBC Radio 2 listeners rated it as having the best opening line in a song.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 7/5/2011

Chicago – 25 Or 6 To 4

The song was released as a single in June of 1970, climbing to number 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 6/17/2010

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Purple Haze

Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number 17 in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and also at number 2 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 5/29/2009

Jefferson Airplane – Somebody To Love

Originally recorded by 1960s folk rock band The Great Society, featuring Grace Slick’s brother-in-law.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 7/6/2011

Patti Smith – Because The Night

Originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen during sessions for his Darkness on the Edge of Town album, he was not satisfied with it so the song was passed to the Patti Smith Group, who were working in the studio next door.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 11/9/2012

Ohio Players – Love Rollercoaster

Urban legend says that the scream heard in the background belonged to a woman being murdered at the studio.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 3/24/2011

Five Man Electrical Band – Signs

The song was released during an era of social and political change, and its lyrics carry themes of intolerance and exclusion.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 3/11/2013

Janis Joplin – Piece Of My Heart

Originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967 as a romantic love song.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 12/27/2012

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Mix Tape Mon…er, Tuesday – Female Alt Rock

After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended. That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

In addition to the occasional series of CDs I had burned in order to keep abreast of new music, I had created a bunch of genre-specific mixes that could be used both in the car and at the gym. This week we will take a look at the first disc covering the world of alternative music created by females, or at least female fronted bands.  The 1990s were a great time for alternative music on the radio, especially that created by women.  As the decade came to an end, so did the welcoming arms of radio, as the trends moved towards nu-metal and its ilk.  So, without further ado, I bring you Female Alt Rock, volume 1.

Belly – Feed The Tree

The song ranked #24 on VH1’s 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 90s, much to the chagrin of their follow-up single Gepetto.

iTunes stats: 11 plays, most recently on 9/7/2011

Republica – Ready To Go

4 different versions of this song were released and charted in the UK from 1996 to 2010.

iTunes stats: 9 plays, most recently on 4/1/2013

Garbage – #1 Crush

Originally the B-side to the Vow single, the song was re-mixed for the William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet soundtrack and spent 4 weeks atop the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 8/15/2011

Goops – Build Me Up Buttercup

After being featured on the soundtrack to Mallrats, the video features Jay and Silent Bob.

iTunes stats: 16 plays, most recently on 7/30/2012

Frente! – Labour Of Love

The Australian alt-folk group peaked at #9 on the Modern Rock charts with their second, and final, US hit.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 4/20/2012

10,000 Maniacs – Because The Night

This cover of the Patti Smith hit from the groups MTV Unplugged appearance gave them their first Top 40 hit, reaching #11.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 3/26/2013

K’s Choice – Not An Addict

The third single from the Belgian band’s second album.

iTunes stats: 11 plays, most recently on 3/31/2012

Garbage – Alien Sex Fiend

This song was the B-side to Stupid Girl.

iTunes stats: Never played

Veruca Salt – My Sharona

This cover of The Knacks greatest hit was the B-side to the Victrola single.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 9/23/2012

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Mix Tape Monday – Rap

After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended. That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

In addition to the occassional series of CDs I had burned in order to keep abreast of new music, I had created a bunch of genre-specific mixes that could be used both in the car and at the gym. This week we will take a look at the first disc covering the world of rap and hip hop music, both current at the time and spanning back to the 1980s.  I now bring you Rap, volume 1.

Eve featuring Gwen Stefani – Let Me Blow Your Mind

The team-up won the first Grammy Award Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and took home the 2001 MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 9/21/2012

2Pac – Keep Ya Head Up

The song, considered by many to be one of the deepest rap songs ever made, topped the U.S. Rap chart, the Hip Hop/R&B chart and the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 8/16/2011

Maestro – Table Dance

An ode to the black man having a good time at the local gentleman’s club.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 9/1/2011

Cypress Hill – Insane In The Brain

The song, a diss song aimed at Chubb Rock, was a surprise crossover hit, reaching #19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

iTunes stats: Never played

Afroman – Because I Got High

Picked out of obscurity by Kevin Smith for inclusion on the Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back soundtrack

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 7/30/2012

NWA – Fuck Tha Police

Ranked #417 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, despite not having been released as a single.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 10/23/2012

Warren G – Regulate

The breakout single for both Warren G and Nate Dogg, the track appears on both the soundtrack to the film Above the Rim and Warren G.’s debut album.

iTunes stats: 16 plays, most recently on 1/28/2013

Biz Markie – Just A Friend

Ranked 81st on VH1’s 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders in 2000, and later as number 100 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop in 2008.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 4/1/2012

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Mix Tape Monday – Hair Bands

After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended. That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

In addition to the occassional series of CDs I had burned in order to keep abreast of new music, I had created a bunch of genre-specific mixes that could be used both in the car and at the gym.  This week we will take a look at the first disc covering the rock music of the 1980s that was defined more by the amount of hair spray and spandex employed by the bands than by their musicianship or talent.  I now bring you Hair Bands, volume 1.

Alice Cooper – Poison

While Alice Cooper is mostly thought of as an artist of the 70s, he did have a comeback with this song in 1989, which became his biggest US hit.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 6/12/2012

Damn Yankees – High Enough

The supergroup, featuring Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, and Ted Nugent, formed in 1989 and hit big thanks to this ballad.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 5/30/2012

Danzig – Mother

Glenn Danzig’s band recorded this song for their first album in 1988, but it didn’t become a hit until 1993.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 4/23/2012

Firehouse – Love Of A Lifetime

At the 1992 American Music Awards, FireHouse beat out Nirvana and Alice In Chains for Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 9/6/2011

Great White – Once Bitten, Twice Shy

A cover of the minor Ian Hunter hit turned into gold for Great White, peaking at No.5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 9/6/2012

Lita Ford – Kiss Me Deadly

After several commercial failures following her break from The Runaways, Ford recorded a more radio-friendly album in 1988 and hit it big.  VH1 named this song as the 76th greatest hard rock song of all time.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 12/11/2012

Living Colour – Cult Of Personality

The first single from their debut album, it reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 andwon the Grammy award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1989.

iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 7/14/2012

Motley Crue – Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)

The fourth single from Motley Crue’s fifth album peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

iTunes stats: 19 plays, most recently on 6/2/2012

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