Tag / Patti Smith

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Fifty Years Of Music – 1978

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 1978, the year I turned four.  I still have no knowledge of these songs from their original release, but, because of the heavy influence of movie soundtracks, these include some of my earliest musical memories.  Only 19 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with only eight of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#74: Barry Manilow – Copacabana
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The third single from Manilow’s fifth studio album, the song was inspired by a visit to the Copacabana Hotel in Rio.

#72: Patti Smith Group – Because the Night
iTunes stats: 27 plays

Written by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith, the song, which first became known to me thanks to the 90s cover by 10,000 Maniacs, peaked at #13 on the charts.

#71: Crystal Gayle – Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
iTunes stats: N/A

Released in June of 1977, Gayle won the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance the following year.

#69: John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John – Summer Nights
iTunes stats: 24 plays

A duet from the film Grease, it was released in August 1978 as the fourth single from the movie’s soundtrack and reached #5 on the Hot 100.

#56: Styx – Come Sail Away
iTunes stats: 39 plays

The tune, which peaked at #8 in January of 1978, was used as the walk-in music for former White Sox pitcher Chris Sale.

#54: The Trammps – Disco Inferno
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally released at the tail end of 1976, it reached the top of the Dance Club Songs charts in early 1977 but had limited mainstream success until it was re-released in 1978, after being included on Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

#39: Kansas – Dust in the Wind
iTunes stats: N/A

The band’s only single to enter the top ten in the US, the song peaked at #6 in late April of 1978.

#36: Foreigner – Hot Blooded
iTunes stats: N/A

Certified Platinum by the RIAA, the song reached #3 on the Hot 100 chart in September of 1978.

#35: Olivia Newton-John – Hopelessly Devoted to You
iTunes stats: N/A

Nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar, the single from the Grease soundtrack reached #3 on the Hot 100, #7 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and #20 on the country chart.

#32: ABBA – Take a Chance on Me
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The track reached #3 on the charts and was certified Gold by RIAA.

#26: Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street
iTunes stats: N/A

Known for its saxophone riff, the song first came to my attention thanks to its song parody from the Howard Stern Show.

#25: Queen – We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions
iTunes stats: 22 plays/135 plays

The A and B sides to the 1977 single, the two songs, usually played together both on the radio and in concert, peaked at #4.

#17: Billy Joel – Just the Way You Are
iTunes stats: N/A

Released in early November of 1977, the track, which earned Joel two Grammy awards, topped out at #3, becoming his first US Top 10 hit.

#13: John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John – You’re the One That I Want
iTunes stats: 16 plays

The second single from the Grease soundtrack, the song reached the top of the charts and remains one of the best-selling singles of all time.

#11: Frankie Valli – Grease
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The theme from the Grease soundtrack, the song is one of four written specifically for the film and did not come from the stage production.

#10: Commodores – Three Times a Lady
iTunes stats: N/A

Often played before one of my high school religion classes, the song, written by Lionel Richie, became the group’s first #1 hit.

#4: Bee Gess – Stayin’ Alive
iTunes stats: N/A

The second single from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, the track spent four weeks atop the Hot 100 chart in February of 1978.

#3: Debby Boone – You Light Up My Life
iTunes stats: N/A

Recorded over a pre-existing instrumental track, the song became the biggest single of the decade, setting a new record with ten weeks at #1.

#2: Bee Gees – Night Fever
iTunes stats: N/A

Another track from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, it spent eight weeks atop the charts and thirteen weeks overall in the top 10.

 

 

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Yet Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 12

33 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would eventually become 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.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes for the fourth time and see how, or if, the soundtrack of my youth still resonates in today’s digital world and how much has changed over the past four years.

Both Def Leppard and Guns ‘N Roses make their final appearance on this entry.  By 1993, alternative music had taken over the rock world and these two stalwarts from the 80s were holding on in similar ways: both had released long-awaited albums during my senior year of high school and both followed those up quickly with either an album of covers (GnR) or a compilation of B-sides (Def Leppard).  Both made their first appearance, back to back, on Volume 5 and each ended up with seven tracks overall on these tapes.

From this point on, there are no more entries from 80s rock bands.  No more Poison.  No more Bon Jovi.  No more Slaughter or Great White.  And no more Def Leppard or Guns ‘N Roses.  Following volume 12, which covers the summer of 1993 and into the fall and my sophomore year of college, my tastes turned towards the alternative, with hip hop and the occasional pure pop song still making an appearance.

Side A

10,000 Maniacs – Because The Night
iTunes stats: 34 plays, most recently on 7/5/2022

The Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith written hit, from the group’s MTV Unplugged appearance which was Natalie Merchant’s swan song with the group, picked up just four plays over the past four years.

Cracker – Low
iTunes stats: 38 plays, most recently on 2/26/2022

The first single from Kerosene Hat, which reached #3 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, picked up six listens in the last four years.

Def Leppard – Miss You In A Heartbeat
iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 3/1/2022

Just four new plays for the final US top 40 hit for the band, which peaked at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Cher w/ Beavis & Butthead – I Got You Babe
iTunes stats: 38 plays, most recently on 7/9/2022

Cher’s threesome with the animated duo, from the hit film Beavis & Butthead Do America, earned a small four play increase over these past four years.

Guns N’ Roses – Estranged
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 9/8/2022

The nearly 9 1/2 minute opus, which hit #16 on the Mainstream Rock chart, picked up five new listens over the past four years.

Lemonheads – Into Your Arms
iTunes stats: 29 plays, most recently on 12/23/2021

The only Lemonheads track to appear on the Billboard chart, peaking at #67, the tune added ten additional plays over the last four years.

Side B

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iTunes Top 200: #170

itunes_image4 years ago, we last counted down the Top 200 songs in my iTunes library. Since my iTunes stats are still intact, across multiple PCs, iPods, iPads, and iPhones, I figured it was time to take another look at my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2020.

We kick things off today with the first ten songs tied for 170th place with 30 plays apiece since my stats began in late 2007.

#170: 10,000 Maniacs – Because The Night
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 10/22/2018
Previous ranking: #65

A precipitous drop for this cover of the Patti Smith classic from the band’s MTV Unplugged appearance, which garnered a mere 8 new listens over the past 4 years.  It also appears on Volume 12 of my mix tapes.

#170: Young MC – Bust A Move
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 10/27/2019
Previous ranking: #96

Another big drop, thanks to a mere 10 listens over the past 4 years, for this Grammy winning hit, which also appeared on Volume 1 of my mix tapes.

#170: Weezer – Buddy Holly
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 11/12/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

Released on what would have been Buddy Holly’s 58th birthday, the big breakthrough hit for Weezer, which scored 4 MTV Video Music Awards in 1995, pushes the 25 year old song into the Top 200.

#170: Terror Squad Ft. Fat Joe (Aka Joey Crack) & Remy – Lean Back
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 8/19/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

A strong debut for the one hit wonders who spent three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 charts in August of 2004.

#170: Tegan and Sara – Speak Slow
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 7/8/2019
Previous ranking: #79

The live version of the song, from the 5 Songs Live from the Phoenix EP, drops nearly 100 slots.

#170: Stone Temple Pilots – Dancing Days
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iTunes Top 200: #65 – 79

itunes_image3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 songs in my iTunes library. Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact. So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2016.

Today, we finish off the remaining songs tied for 79th with 21 listens and start the group of songs tied for 65th with 22 listens since 2007.

#79: The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer – Under Your Spell
iTunes stats: 21 plays, most recently on 12/11/2015
Previous ranking: #76

Amber Benson performs the song which writer Joss Whedon called “pornography” and “probably the dirtiest lyric I’ve ever written, but also very, very beautiful”.

#79: The Beatles – Eight Days A Week
iTunes stats: 21 plays, most recently on 7/21/2015
Previous ranking: #76

Although it was a huge hit in America, the group did not think highly of the song and they never performed it live.

#65: 10,000 Maniacs – Because The Night
iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 8/4/2015
Previous ranking: #76

This cover of the Patti Smith classic from the band’s MTV Unplugged appearance also appeared on Volume 12 of my mix tapes.

#65: The Wonders – That Thing You Do
iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 7/9/2015
Previous ranking: #96

The theme song from the 1996 movie of the same name, about a band that hits it big in the 60s before disintegrating before they can record a follow up.

#65: Weezer – Dope Nose
iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 10/5/2015
Previous ranking: #41

The first single from the band’s 4th studio album.

#65: Toad The Wet Sprocket – Walk On The Ocean
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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
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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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Friday’s Tunes

Between the commute to work, a lunch time trip to Best Buy to pick up some essential office supplies, CD burning, and the commute home with a stop off at the Weber Grill for dinner, I spent a lot of time in the car on Friday listening to music. Here’s the selection that helped get me through the day.

Hash Pipe Weezer Weezer (Green Album) 11/9/2012 6:52 AM
Time Bomb Rancid …And Out Come The Wolves 11/9/2012 6:54 AM
Help! The Beatles Help! [2009 Stereo Remaster] 11/9/2012 6:57 AM
The Mustard The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Once More, With Feeling 11/9/2012 6:58 AM
REALLY Silly Religious Crazies. I Mean, Double, Triple Crazy!! David Cross Bigger and Blackerer 11/9/2012 11:39 AM
If I Had $1000000 Barenaked Ladies All Their Greatest Hits 1991-2001 11/9/2012 11:44 AM
Page Off Intro / Theme From 30 Rock / Kenneth Chokes Jeff Richmond 30 Rock Original TV Soundtrack 11/9/2012 11:44 AM
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