Author: ifmyalbumscouldtalk

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all! I thought about writing about romantic songs, but that’s such a cliche. So, I decided to turn my back on the Valentine’s Day theme altogether and turn to an important Black History Month topic. I wanted to pay respect to all of the great music that African-Americans and blacks from the rest of the world have given us. During the late 70s and early 80s much was done through radio playlists to separate black and white artists. Simply put, white artists played rock, and black artists played R&B, which was complete bunk.

Most of us all know the importance that black musicians have played in the development of early rock & roll, in addition to the music’s move toward rock music and beyond. Many of us continue to hold Ray Charles, James Brown, Fats Domino, Little Richard and Chuck Betty as some of the important pioneers of 50s rock & roll. We should acknowledge all of the great blues artists whose influence became more apparent as the 60s progressed. Motown songs were the cover songs of choice for many of the white English bands to cut their teeth on. On the early Beatles album, you will find that the Fab Four covered many Motown songs. And, on the other hand, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton/Jeff Beck/Jimmy Page looked for records to American Blues artists, who were black, on which to base their modern sounds.

Today, I would like to pay tribute to some of my favorite, and I hate to write it this way, all-black rock bands, as well as my favorite integrated bands. Personally, I never really thought of these bands and artists as black, white, red, brown, purple or yellow. Yet to say that I am racially blind is false. But, to say that I only see people who happen to be different colors is true. I will NEVER know or understand the struggles of my non-white friends, but I was given the gift of empathy, which means to me that I must treat everyone with equal respect.

Okay, enough of my effort to help race relations. Allow me to naively list my favorite black artists who play rock music.

1. Bad Brains – This highly influential 80s punk/hardcore was recently nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. One day, I hope…
2. Ben Harper
3. Benjamin Booker – The latest guitar god.
4. Bo Diddley
5. Bob Marley & the Wailers
6. Body Count – Ice-T’s controversial hardcore band.
7. Curtis Mayfield – NO ONE SHOULD EVER FORGET THIS SOUL MAN OF THE 60s AND 70s. Can you hear me now?
8. Death – Most of us recognize these guys’ Detroit proto-punk brethren: The Stooges and MC5. So how, this all black punk band was buried by time but recently rediscovered.
9. Don Letts – This London native did more to put punk rock on the map than nearly anyone else. Plus, his 80s dreads were nearly as big as his body, which makes him cool in my back.
10. Fishbone – This all-black band came up at the same time as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Both bands fused funk, rock, blues and pop into a great exciting sound. The difference was that Fishbone never broke through, which I always felt was a racist thing because they are awesome.
11. Funkadelic – This band started as George Clinton’s acid rock persona of his Parliament band, though by the end of the 70s you could hear very little difference between the two.
12. Garland Jeffreys – This guy was compared to Bruce Springsteen when he first arrived on the scene.
13. Gary Clark, Jr. – The Stevie Ray Vaughn of the millennials.
14. Gnarls Barkley
15. Howlin’ Wolf
16. Ike & Tina Turner
17. Joan Armatrading – In the late 70s and early 80s, it was so unusual to hear a black man playing rock music, let alone a black woman. She was part of the first wave of strong women who preferred to rock out.
18. John Lee Hooker
19. Labelle – This trio of strong female personalities was much more than their “Lady Marmalade” hit song., though
20. Lenny Kravitz
21. Living Colour – Guitarist Vernon Reid was bringing back visions of Hendrix to fans in the 80s and 90s.
22. Mykki Blanco – This black woman is new on the corner of Rock & Roll.
23. N.E.R.D. – Anyone remember Pharrell Williams’ funk/rock band from the early part of the 21st century. Too bad he has.
24. Pure Hell – Pure Black metal in the new century though it’s NOT black metal that they play.
25. Richie Havens
26. Robert Johnson
27. The Isley Brothers
28. Thundercat – The Stanley Clark jazz bassist of the new century never backs away from musical challenges, like playing rock on his latest solo album or rap music on Kendrick Lamar’s two most recent releases.
29. Tracy Chapman
30. WZRD – If Pharrell could do it, then so could Kid Cudi. Or at least Cudi thought he could.

Now, how ’bout a taste of my favorite interracial bands. The list is MUCH longer!

1. 24-7 Spyz – An English punk band from the 70s and 80s.
2. 3^rd Bass – This Hip Hop band was popular in the late 80s.
3. Alabama Shakes
4. Alice in Chains (current line-up)
5. Apollonia 6
6. Bloc Party – One of my favorite Gang of Four-influenced bands to pop up in the 2000s.
7. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
8. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
9. Culture Club
10. Cypress Hill
11. Dave Matthews Band
12. dc talk
13. Dead Kennedys
14. Doobie Brothers
15. Fine Young Cannibals
16. Fitz & the Tantrums
17. Foo Fighters
18. Funboy Three – Three former members of the ska band The Specials broke away to write an enduring pop ditty called “Our Lips Are Sealed”. Unfortunately, that song broke The Go-Go’s to the world and not Fun Boy Three.
19. General Public – The English Beat broke into two bands in the mid-80s: the more successful Fine Young Cannibals and this brilliant pop/rock band.
20. Germs – One of the original members of the LA hardcore scene.
21. Guns N’ Roses – Slash, baby!
22. Haircut 100 – Anyone remember this new wave band from the early 80s?
23. Hootie & the Blowfish
24. Hot Chocolate – This English pop/rock outfit had a couple of hits in the 70s, most famously “You Sexy Thing”.
25. Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsy – Jimi’s short-lived second line-up.
26. Jimi Hendrix Experience
27. KC & the Sunshine Band – After Chic, they are my next favorite disco band.
28. King’s X – These guys were kind of a cross between Rush, Triumph and Kansas, but I’m not sure what that tells you?
29. Little Feat – This 70s jam band has been forgotten to time, otherwise they’d be in the RRHOF.
30. Love – They took off where with folk rock where the Byrds had left off when that band started leaning toward country rock.
31. Massive Attack – Remember Trip Hop that originated in the UK in the 90s? No? Then, check out this duo.
32. Nirvana – Became interracial when the trio added guitarist Pat Smear for their last album and tour.
33. Paul Butterfield Blues Band
34. Prince & the New Power Generation
35. Prince & the Revolution
36. Prince & Third Eye Girl
37. Rage Against the Machine – Tom Morrello is a guitar god!
38. Robert Randolph & the Family Band – If Stevie Wonder fronted a R&B-based jam band while playing a steel pedal guitar, for a touch of gospel, you would nearly get this band.
39. Rufus
40. Run the Jewels – My newest rap group obsession is an interracial duo consisting of rap stars Killer Mike and El-P.
41. Santana
42. Sepultura – South American metal gods.
43. Sevendust – Part of that alternative-based goth metal groups from around the turn of the century.
44. Sly & the Family Stone
45. Suicidal Tendencies – 80s alternative metal gods.
46. The Allman Brothers
47. The Average White Band
48. The Busboys – These guys played music similar in sound to the J. Geils Band. You can hear them in the first Ghostbusters movie (“The Boys Are Back in Town”). I still have their great debut album.
49. The Chambers Brothers – Another 60s band that you might remember some of their songs that have been used in commercials.
50. The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy – A political rap group that gave us Michael Franti.
51. The Electric Flag – This was the original hard rock/jazz/big band band, predating Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago.
52. The English Beat – The great UK ska band from the original 70/80s Two Tone wave.
53. The Family – Prince’s post-Time protege band.
54. The Funk Brothers – I am not kidding you when I tell you that Motown’s session band was an interracial group.
55. The Rolling Stones (current line-up)
56. The Selecter – Another Two Tone ska band.
57. The Specials – The most popular of the Two Tone groups until they imploded two years later.
58. The Spin Doctors – “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”
59. The Time
60. The Wrecking Crew – These West Coast session hot shots played on all kinds of
61. Thin Lizzy – I LOVE THIS BAND! PLEASE BUY THEIR MUSIC!
62. Thompson Twins
63. Tom Tom Club
64. Tower of Power
65. TV on the Radio – I have heard them referred to as America’s Radiohead. Personally, I prefer TV on the Radio, but that’s just me.
66. UB40
67. Vanity 6
68. Village People
69. War
70. X-Ray Spex  – Only during the 70s punk era in the UK could a band be fronted by a young black female. Then again, only one band could write tough songs from a female’s perspective.

Yes, this list is a bit daunting. Still, it is conversation starter. One last thing: this topic was to shed light on blacks in rock music, not to patronize my black friends. I hope you found it interesting, if nothing else. Peace to you all!

Last night’s Grammy Awards Show got me to reminiscing about those shows from the Seventies, when it appeared that the musicians had been served a meal AND an endless flow of drinks. Because of that, you never knew what kind of speech would be given. Personally, I miss Stevie Wonder’s speeches where he thanked all of God’s children for the inspiration for his song or album that had one. His speeches would last like what seemed like tens of minutes before the officials could pull him off the stage. Then came Guns N’ Roses’ fantastic drink and high-influence thank you speeches on the American Musical Awards in 1988 or 1989. Between those, and probably Yoko Ono’s tear-filled thank yous for hers and John Lennon’s last album ‘Double Fantasy’ for winning the Album of the Year in 1981 whose speech was cut off by many local stations. All of these and more incidences led to time limits on those thank you speeches and five-to-ten-second delay that the channels run to keep our tender ears from hearing foul language. So, we are missing out on these great moments now.

Now, the nominees for the awards were sort of boring to me, but the performances were entertaining, with a couple even transcendent. I loved the pairing of Alicia Keys & Maren Morris pairing; those two might consider actually recording together. It was fun for this old guy to see Prince’s greatest proteges, The Time, perform truncated versions of “Jungle Love” and “The Bird”. Of course, I love the rock and roll chaos of A Tribe Called Quest’s performance. And, the Metallica/Lady Gaga match-up was more fun than we have gotten at one of these shows in years. Beyoncé’s act was just plain strange. I just couldn’t get the image of Keenan Thompson and Tracy Morgan acting like her twins in utero the night before on Saturday Night Live. The funniest thing I heard last night was what my wife said to me about her music. My wife thinks it would be hilarious to hear some rapping in the middle of one of her songs. Now, that’s something to contemplate.

Anyway, in honor of last night’s Grammy Awards Show, I am giving to you My Top 25 Stevie Wonder Songs, since he always seemed to be winning awards during the those shows in the Seventies.

25. “Happy Birthday” (1981). Was a hit in the UK. This was written in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. back when people were pressing the US government for a holiday in his honor.

24. “Part-Time Lover” (1985). When I heard this song, I knew his magic had been used up.

23. “We Can Work It Out” (1971). Only Stevie Wonder could take one of my favorite Beatles’ song and turn it into a Motown standard.

22. “Ebony and Ivory” with Paul McCartney (1982). Yes, the metaphor was tired, and so seemed the duo’s performance, but their hearts were in the correct place during the early days of the Reagan era.

21. “Send One Your Love” (1979). Yes, the album from which this song comes IS dopey. Still, the tune remains one of Stevie’s finest ballads.

20. “Do I Do” (1982). In 1982, Stevie released something of a double album greatest hits collection. At the end of each side of the two albums had a new song, and this light funk number was one of them.

19. “Blowin’ in the Wind” (1966). Stevie takes Bob Dylan to church and changes this song into a gospel song.

18. “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” (1965). Stevie took the Motown sound as far as he could. He was ready to take over the creative reigns for his music.

17. “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” (1970). That transition from Stevie as part of the Motown factory to being his own self-contained music production company.

16. “Living for the City” (1973). Now, we are getting to hear the benefits of allowing Stevie to run loose within a studio on the album from which this funky song with sociological lyrics.

15. “Fingertips” (1963). Hello music lovers! This is Little Stevie Wonder, and he’s only 12 years old. And he can sing like that? And blow that harp too? Yes, he’s our newest musical genius.

14. “Skeletons” (1987). Here is Stevie embracing hip hop into his repertoire, and he doesn’t miss a beat either.

13. “You Haven’t Done Nothin'” (1974). Stevie was at his creative peak between the years of 1972 through 1980, as this funky single proves.

12. “I Ain’t Gonna Stand for It” (1980). This underappreciated slice of rhythm & country was just a minor hit in 1980/1981. Still, the song displays two thing about Mr. Wonder. First, he is a genius at melding these two genres that had drifted far apart, and to predict the direction in which country music would move 30 years later.

11. “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (1973). Just to prove he could battle the Carpenters on equal ground, Stevie Wonder releases this timeless display of love.

10. “I Wish” (1976). This beautiful cut comes from his classic double album Songs in the Key of Life. It will always remind me of my youthful optimism.

9. “I Was Made to Love Her” (1967). This is Stevie at his Motown machine’s best.

8. “Boogie on Reggae Woman” (1974). Few had heard of reggae or Bob Marley before this song. But, Stevie was finding inspiration everywhere for his seemingly insatiable musical appetite.

7. “For Once in My Life” (1968). Stevie shows his growth as a musician as he fits in with Sly & the Family Stone.

6. “My Cherie Amour” (1969). That’s right! Stevie melts women’s hearts all over the world with this song.

5. “Superstition” (1972). Originally written for guitar god Jeff Beck for his band to perform. But, Stevie was creatively antsy and recorded the definitive version himself. And what a great funk/rock song he made here.

4. “Sir Duke” (1977). This salute to Duke Ellington displays Stevie flexing his musical muscles by now amalgamating big band, pop, rock, soul and a tincture of disco into this brilliant song.

3. “That Girl” (1982). This slinky make-out song was the last truly great Stevie Wonder song ever released.

2. “Higher Ground” (1973). I cannot hear this song and not think of the ABA-playing Julius “Dr. J” Erving showing all of his moves in that old Converse basketball shoes commercial as this thick slice of George Clinton-style funk plays on. The whole thing just reeks cool.

1. “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” (1980). Stevie Wonder goes back to the Bob Marley well for an even better tribute to the reggae legend who was dying at the time from cancer. Stevie turned up the bass on this one to make a timeless work of art.

Stevie Wonder played a huge role in my musical life, but I did not fully appreciate it until I got in college. Nevertheless, the Grammys will never be the same as when he was showing us a sanitized version of rap in his seemingly endless acceptance speeches. Everything Stevie Wonder did was always iconic, plain and simple.

Wake up everyone! It’s Friday. We are on the cusp of another weekend. Sports-wise, there is no football, but plenty of basketball, as the college teams are trying to begin their push toward the tournament, March Madness. The biggest thing this weekend will be the Grammys, Sunday, on CBS. I usually spend the program on Facebook making snarky remarks about the show, winners, clothing, music, whatever makes me feel better about myself.

Well, enough about the Grammy Awards Show, let’s get going with My Top 20 Jackson Songs! I’m sure you have been wanting this countdown, so here we go!

20. The Jackson 5 – “ABC” (1970 – ABC). At the time this song was released, the J5 were riding high with several consecutive number one songs, including this one.

19. Michael Jackson – “Ben” (1972 – Ben). Here was the first clue that Michael had a creepy song, as he sang this song about a rat with so much emotion.

18. The Jackson 5 – “The Love You Save” (1970 – ABC). Here is another J5 song that was part of the original number one streak that started their career.

17. MJ with Siedah Garrett – “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” (1987 – Bad). Michael wrote this song with the hopes of singing a duet with Barbra Streisand. He ended up sharing the song with an up-and-coming Siedah Garrett, from whom I haven’t heard much ever since.

16. Janet Jackson – “Runaway” (1995 – Design of a Decade). You never know what kind of song you will get when an artist tacks a song or two on their latest greatest hits. In the case of this song, we got a classic.

15. MJ – “Remember the Time”/”Come Together” (1992 – Dangerous). This double-sided hit was a great pairing.

14. MJ – “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” (1979 – Off the Wall). This is where the adult version of Micheal Jackson started. Which meant he was leaving his brothers behind.

13. MJ – “Beat It” (1983 – Thriller). Although many dance/disco songs had guitar solos, none of them featured Eddie Van Halen, who was the Guitar God of the moment.

12. JJ – “Doesn’t Really Matter” (2001 – All for You). This album was the last great Janet Jackson album. You can still hear the Janet magic in every song.

11. The Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” (1969 – Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5). This is the song that started the whole Jackson phenomenon off. To this day, this song sounds very bit as urgent as it did when it was released.

10. MJ – “Rock with You” (1979 – Rock with You). This is Michael’s first great make-out record. And, it was performed long before we found out how strange he was.

9. JJ – “Again” (1993 – janet.). Janet did go through a stage where she was titling her songs with single, monosyllabic words, but how great were they all?

8. The Jackson 5 – “I’ll Be There” (1970 – Third Album). What a great ballad! And the brothers cut this during their initial streak of number one hits.

7. MJ – “Black or White” (1991 – Dangerous). This song was Michael’s largest statement on race relations ever. Side note: anyone remember who knocked Dangerous from the top spot on Billboard‘s Top 200 Chart? Nirvana’s Nevermind.

6. JJ – “Together Again” (1997 – The Velvet Rope). This is Janet’s big hit from her soft porn hit album, The Velvet Rope.

5. Paul McCartney & MJ – “Say Say Say” (1983 – Pipes of Peace). This song was recorded during the same sessions that resulted in that schlock classic “The Girl Is Mine”. This song, however, was saved for the next McCartney album. And thank goodness that it was, because that was the only good song on that album. Think about what would have happened if the songs had been switched on albums. Thriller would have sold another 5-10 million copies, and Pipes of Peace would have been completely forgotten over time.

4. MJ – “Billie Jean” (1983 – Thriller). This song changed everything. First, supposedly, the video got other black artists’ videos on MTV. Next, it blew Thriller into the stratosphere. Finally, when Mike performed this song on the Motown 25 TV show, he gave us “The Moonwalk”. And, did you know that this song hit #1?

3. MJ – “You Are Not Alone” (1995 – HIStory). Unfortunately, this was MJ’s last gasp of true greatness. Still, what a beautiful way to end one of the greatest runs of songwriting in rock history.

2. JJ – “All for You” (2001 – All for You). Can you believe Janet has the second biggest selling single ever? If this is a surprise, guess what? No one should have underestimated the Jacksons’ youngest sister.

1. JJ – “That’s the Way Love Goes” (1993 – janet.) That’s right! Janet Jackson has the biggest selling song of the Jackson Family. Timing had everything to do with this. This fantastic song was released at the beginning of the “Go-Go Nineties”. Think about this: how many copies of Thriller would have been sold if it have been released in the 90s? Honestly, who cares, but the 90s were a great decade for music sales.

And, that’s the Top 100 Songs by the Jackson Family. I was every bit as surprised to find out that Janet had the top two best-selling songs of the family. I think that list should go a long way to proving that she belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, joining Michael and her other brothers. Hey Hall! Make It Happen!

Welcome to Day 4 of my countdown of the Top 100 Songs by Members of the Jackson Family. Since we are now beginning the Top 40 portion today, please try to read this with Casey Kasem’s voice in your head. The only thing is that I am leaving out a long distance dedication. Sorry! So, on with the countdown.

40. Michael Jackson – “In the Closet” (1992 – Dangerous). Yeah, I’m surprised how high this one was ranked by vfmusic.com.

39. The Jackson 5 – “Never Can Say Goodbye” (1971 – Maybe Tomorrow). That’s right! The J5 did the original version, in ballad form, of a song that Gloria Gaynor made into one of the first Top 10 disco songs.

38. Janet Jackson – “What Have You Done for Me Lately” (1986 – Control). This is the song that ignited Janet’s career with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as her producers. Miss Jackson, welcome to the Minneapolis sound. It’s a match made in heaven.

37. JJ – “Someone to Call My Lover” (2001 – All for You). Sure, we are on the backside of Janet’s career, but she still can pull off a good pop/R&B song like this one.

36. MJ – “Man in the Mirror” (1988 – Bad). So, lyrically speaking, this song sounds like Michael’s most personal confessions. Then, we find out that this song was written by Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard. Personally, I was a little disappointed that Michael was not capable of this kind of personal reflection. Still, it’s a great song no matter who wrote it.

35. JJ – “I Get Lonely” (1998 – The Velvet Rope). Here is Janet’s “Let’s Get It On” in the age of Prince.

34. MJ – “Dirty Diana” (1988 – Bad). This is Bad‘s attempt at “Beat It”, with the guitar solo performed by Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens. I wonder what this song would have sounded like if Michael had used Dave Mustaine, Scott Ian or one of the other thrash metal guitarists for this solo?

33. JJ – “Let’s Wait Awhile” (1987 – Control). Here’s an ode to maintaining one’s virginity. That’s all I’m gonna say about that.

32. JJ – “When I Think of You” (1987 – Control). This is Janet’s pure pop song and first number one. The video is an endearing Eighties relic.

31. JJ – “Miss You Much” (1989 – Rhythm Nation 1814). This is by far my favorite Janet song. I just cannot believe it is ranked so low!

30. JJ – “If” (1993 – janet.). Janet’s janet. album was so full of hits that I think the company kept running songs out to the radio stations hoping to boost album sales. It was all so easy back in the Nineties.

29. Luther Vandross & JJ – “The Best Things in Life Are Free” (1992 – Mo’ Money OST). Who knew that the big cuddly balladeer could be so much fun trading lyrics with Miss Jackson to a playful pop/dance beat, yet this seemingly mismatched duo pulled off one of the more fun songs of 1992.

28. MJ – “Got to Be There” (1971 – Got to Be There). That’s correct! Michael was on the soul side of bubblegum music back in the early 70s, and this little heartfelt ode to puppy love proves it.

27. JJ – “Escapade” (1990 – Rhythm Nation 1814). This may truly be Janet’s most fun video to watch, but only because the song is so endearing.

26. JJ – “Anytime, Anyplace” (1994 – janet.) Yet, another big hit song from Janet’s third LP done with Jam and Lewis.

25. MJ – “Bad” (1987 – Bad). So, remember “Weird Al” Yankovic’s parody of this song called “Fat”. My older son was two at the time, but he was with my wife and mother-in-law at a store in my wife’s hometown. Of course, this large woman passed by the trio, and my son begins to sing, “Because I’m fat! Shaamar! I’m fat!” Needless to say, my wife yanked him out of the store in total embarrassment. It wouldn’t be the last story like this that my boys went off script to write on their own.

24. MJ – “The Way You Make Me Feel” (1987 – Bad). Who’s idea was it to turn Michael into a stalker of a beautiful woman for the video? Like his ever-changing facial features wasn’t creepy enough, Mike’s best dance move for 1987 was to grab his crotch and do a couple Rocky Horror Picture Show pelvic thrusts around the young woman. And, yes, the song is great!

23. MJ & Paul McCartney – “The Girl Is Mine” (1982 – Thriller). This piece of pop schlock was released first from Thriller. I honestly wanted until I heard “Billie Jean” BEFORE buying this album. The song should have been re-titled “Your Beatles Songs Are Mine”, after Mike took Paul’s advice to buy rights to songs.

22. MJ – “Rockin’ Robin” (1972 – Got to Be There). Yet another song from Michael’s bubblegum era. Still, there’s a certain charming innocence in the song.

21. MJ & JJ – “Scream” (1995 – HIStory). This is the only song the two siblings ever recorded and released. It never really lived up to it’s expectations.

That’s 80 songs down and 20 to go. Tomorrow we will finish this whole thing off. So, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.

It’s Hump Day! Those three words were magical in college. Most of the time, Wednesday meant basketball intramurals night. My dorm never really had try outs for their different teams, so when I was a scrawny 5’11”, 150 lbs freshman, I was never taken too seriously. So, I bid my time that first year with one guy I knew from another school and four other scrubs. After proving my worth, I quickly jumped up to the C team. During an all-day tournament, my team got ousted in two games, but I had averaged nearly 30 points a game. Anyway, the A lost one of their guys to an injury, so they quickly picked me up.

Now, the A team had two starting football players, one a 6’8″ offensive lineman and the other a very athletic 6’5″, 250 lb defensive end. Now, when you play with horses like that, all you have to do is two things: dump the ball down to them, and find the open spot around the perimeter for a jumper. Easy enough. In this game, we were playing the defending campus champions. Needless to say, the other team had NO scouting report on me, leaving me open all day long. So, I lit them up for 33 points, to go along with the big fellas’ 22 and 15 points as we trounced the Lambda Chi team by 20 points.

In the championship game, we met up with a team that was stacked with two former Ball State players and a couple of highly regarded high school players. We lost that game by 4 points, but this time the defense made me work for my points, so I got to use my shot-fake and drive. I finished with 13 points and 14 assists to the big guys. But we were no match for them. They, by the way, was my last organized basketball game, and it was on a Wednesday. Which always meant that “Thirsty Thursday” was just around the corner! AND, Thursday were fun for ALL!!!

Some of the songs on this portion of the countdown remind me of Hump Day in the dorm, getting ready to play basketball. In my early days of high school basketball, I would listen to AC/DC, Ted Nugent or Aerosmith. Once I figured out that funk and soul music truly held the rhythm of the basketball, I completely changed my pregame music to funk, rap and R&B. And, over night those earworms seemed to help me stay within the game a little bit better. And, needless to say, The Jacksons’ and Michael’s music were part of the pregame ritual. So, let’s continue on with the middle portion of our countdown: numbers 41-60.

60. Michael Jackson with Justin Timberlake – “Love Never Felt So Good” (2014 – Xscape). This song is from Michael’s second posthumous release. LA Reid took a demo, gave it a 21st century sheen and got Timberlake to record his vocals after the fact. Still, the song holds up to Michael’s catalog and is a great addition.

59. The Jacksons – “Show You the Way to Go” (1977 – Goin’ Places). This single is from the boys’ uneven sophomore release.

58. Herb Alpert with Janet Jackson, Bell Biv Devoe & Ralph Tresvant – “Diamonds” (1987 – Keep Your Eyes on Me). Okay, so Herb Alpert is the “A” in A&M Records and is a great trumpet player. So, he grabs some of his hot young acts to help put him back in the Hot 100 Singles Chart with this great song.

57. MJ – “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” (1984 – Thriller). Easily the best dance/party song on Thriller is famous for it’s African-sounding nonsense lyrics. The dance floor was ALWAYS full when this song was played.

56. MJ – “You Rock My World” (2001 – Invincible). An okay song from a mediocre album.

55. The Jacksons w/Mick Jagger – “State of Shock” (1984 – Victory). The long-awaited first single from the big reunion tour. The song was never as good as it should have been, but not really as bad as people make out to be.

54. MJ – “She’s Out of My Life” (1980 – Off the Wall). The best part of this song? Eddie Murphy’s comedy bit about Michael crying at the end of the song. “Tito, get me a tissue.”

53. Janet Jackson – “You Want This” (1994 – janet.). Yet another hit from Miss Jackson’s most successful album.

52. JJ – “Alright” (1990 – Rhythm Nation 1814). What a fun song! I cannot believe this song stalled at #4.

51. MJ – “Thriller” (1983 – Thriller). The song from the greatest video ever only got to #4. Maybe, if the record company released the song at the peak of that video’s popularity, the song would have gone to the top of chart. Instead, the song is finally released as a single nearly six months after the video’s popularity had waned.

50. JJ – “Nasty” (1986 – Control). “My name ain’t baby. It’s Miss Jackson, if you’re nasty!”

49. Jermaine Jackson – “Let’s Get Serious” (1980 – Let’s Get Serious). This is Jermaine’s most successful song of all-time…and it’s only #49 on this chart.

48. JJ – “Rhythm Nation” (1989 – Rhythm Nation 1814). We all need a little 1984/Metropolis themes integrated into a highly militaristic choreographed dance routines.

47. The Jacksons – “Dancing Machine” (1974 – Dancing Machine). This song represents the beginning of the adult Jacksons upon their signing with Epic Records, which means the Jackson 5 moniker had been put to rest.

46. JJ – “Come Back to Me” (1990 – Rhythm Nation 1814). Sure, Janet hit the big time with Control, but she became the Janet Jackson we know today with Rhythm Nation 1814. Plus, this song is sooooo good.

45. JJ – “Black Cat” (1990 – Rhythm Nation 1814). So, if Rhythm Nation 1814 is the closest album Janet will have to being Thriller, then “Black Cat” is her “Beat It”, including a hot guitar solo.

44. MJ – “Will You Be There” (1993 – Dangerous). Seriously, Michael, were you just trying to prove that you were the “King of Pop” by releasing yet another song from Dangerous.

43. The Jacksons – “Shack Your Body (Down to the Ground)” (1978 – Destiny). This is easily the best song ever done by The Jacksons. Still makes me want to dance to this day.

42. The Jackson 5 – “Mama’s Pearl” (1971 – Third Album). I had honestly forgotten about this gem until I started compiling this list.

41. JJ – “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” (1990 – Rhythm Nation 1814). Does anyone else remember being shocked when we saw Janet dressed down in jeans and a tight “wife beater”? Couple this video with the one for “The Pleasure Principle”, and you KNOW how sexy Janet is.

What a way to end today’s list with one of Janet’s sexier videos. I continue to develop a greater appreciation for the talent well this family was able to drink from.

Hi all! I hope the rush of Tom Brady’s Super Bowl comeback (begrudgingly here – I’m a Colts fan!), Saturday Night Live‘s brilliant performances, 18 Executive Orders signed by our new President and a third straight weekend of marching protests. I know my head is spinning. So, when I get sociological sensory overload, I always go back to my “Music Room” and, my apologies to MC5, “Kick out the jams!”

I am certain many of you do the same thing: find refuge from the world by hiding in a world of our own design, listening to music under our control, possibly reading books/magazines of our own choice. That room represents the freedom that we all wish to have. And no law or Presidential decree should take away from that, regardless of the “pie in the sky” promised outcomes from said law.

So, let’s check out the research that I completed last week about the greatest musical family from Indiana…er…the world (?)…uh…the universe(?). Whatever! Let’s see what I discovered about the Jackson family’s single chart action on Billboard‘s Hot 100 Singles Chart over the years. Today, I am tackling #61-80.

80. Michael Jackson – “They Don’t Care About Us” (1996 – HIStory). Who else could write an existential song about one’s marriage except for Michael. It’s songs like this one that make us all wonder if the child molestation charges/rumors were true.

79. MJ – “Jam” (1992 – Dangerous). This was back in the days of the first Olympic basketball Dream Team, with the other “MJ” of the time, Michael Jordan, decided to shoot some hoops with the singing genius MJ. The highlights of the video for the song were Jordan’s soaring dunks. I guess no one wanted video of Larry Bird’s creaky back “jump” shot.

78. MJ – “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” (1983 – Thriller). This song was the lowest performing song of the singles from Thriller. To me, this was a great pop song. I prefer to think this song is about the pretty young coeds just entering college at the time, and not for some other group of young things.

77. Jermaine Jackson – “Daddy’s Home” (1972 – Jermaine). Sorry, Jermaine, this song is nothing but a shlock-fest.

76. MJ – “Another Part of Me” (1988 – Bad). Of all the great singles released from the Bad LP, this is the one I never can remember was a single.

75. MJ – “Human Nature” (1984 – Thriller). What a great slow dance/make-out song! ‘Nuff said. [Microphone drop].

74. The Jackson 5 – “Looking Through the Windows” (1972 – Looking Through the Window). A song that sounded so innocent at the time, now just sounds creepy. Take it away!!!

73. The Jacksons – “Lovely One” (1980 – Triumph). First off, I was shocked that this song ranked so low. And, finally, doesn’t this song sound like a dry run for Michael’s next solo, which ended up to be Thriller.

72. MJ – “One Day in Your Life” (1981 – One Day in Your Life). This “sucky” song comes from Motown’s first vault raid of Michael’s and his brothers’ earlier rejected songs. Sorry Motown! You all ready released their best songs.

71. MJ – “Blood on the Dance Floor” (1997 – Blood on the Dance Floor). Was anyone fooled by Michael’s attempt to make some “gangsta pop music?” Me neither!

70. Jermaine Jackson – “Do What You Do” (1984 – Jermaine Jackson). All of the Jacksons were riding Michael’s long Thriller coattails. This really isn’t a bad song.

69. MJ – “Earth Song” (1995 – HIStory). Michael was becoming very concerned about the health of Mother Earth, and many of his song signaled this. Not only was he trying to save Planet Earth or the rain forests, but he was also freeing Willy.

68. MJ – “Who Is It” (1992 – Dangerous). Is it just me, or did the label release ALL of the songs from this album.

67. Janet Jackson – “State of the World” (1991 – Rhythm Nation 1814). It’s almost like Janet and Michael were playing some form of musical poker, with Janet saying, “I’ll match your ‘Man in the Mirror’ and raise you a ‘State of the World’.” Oh, Janet! Michael’s just getting started.

66. The Jacksons – “Enjoy Yourself” (1976 – The Jacksons). The brothers proved they could write their own stuff on this song.

65. MJ – “Off the Wall” (1980 – Off the Wall). This song set a quaint record back in the day as Michael scored his FOURTH Top 10 hit off of one album. He will change everything with his Bad album.

64. MJ – “Heal the World” (1992 – Dangerous). Welcome back to our Janet vs Michael Jackson’s Battle of the Socially-Conscious Songs, as Michael ups the ante with this song.

63. JJ – “Because of Love” (1994 – janet.). Well, here’s the first song from Janet’s best album, janet. Yes, her hot streak is about to end, but what a battle she and her brother waged for the better part of a decade.

62. MJ – “Smooth Criminal” (1988 – Bad). C’mon! Forget that stupid cover version of this song by Alien Ant Farm, because this song was Michael’s most muscular song to date, including “Beat It”.

61. JJ – “Control” (1986 – Control). This was the song that Janet used to signal to her family that she was going to exert her independence. Or, in other words, stand down Joseph!

Can you believe that some of these songs are not in the family’s Top 10, let alone the Top 50? Other artists would kill for hits like any of these first 40 that I have listed, yet they have all been created by the offspring of two parents. Mind-boggling thought.

I can’t believe that it is February 6, that the Super Bowl is over, and that we are moving into the last month of boys’ high school and men’s college basketball seasons (no offense to the ladies, because I really was a varsity assistant coach at the first school where I taught in the 90s). This coming Sunday, I will be making my annual snarky Grammy comments on Facebook for reasons unbeknownst to me. I just do it. I guess its my way of making up for KISS’ Destroyer album not getting nominated for Album of the Year in 1976 (I really don’t keep many grudges, but this one I do).

So, in keeping with Black History Month, I thought it would be kind of fun, though it turned out being daunting, to list the Top 100 Songs from Members of the Jackson Family, to honor Michael’s daughter, Paris, for her first Rolling Stone cover pic. The Jacksons are the most successful family in music history during the rock era. Their were nine children born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson, originally of Gary, Indiana. A tenth child died after birth. The first surprising fact is that I discovered that ALL nine Jackson kids have scored gold records. Rebbie, Jermaine, La Toya, Michael and Janet have all earned individual gold records, while Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael and Randy earned gold records as part of either the Jackson 5, while on Motown, or the Jacksons, while signed to Epic Records.

After consulting one of my favorite music websites, http://www.vfmusic.com, I compiled a Top 100 list for the Jackson Family’s hit songs. I did a little juggling to allow La Toya to join the fun, but I didn’t want to leave out the one true rebel of the family with one of her hit dance songs that was released in the wake of Michael’s overpowering of the music industry in 1984. After Michael crushed the world with Thriller, even La Toya, the future Playboy model of the family, got a singing contract. Now, this whole week is in celebration of the rock era’s first family of music: The Jacksons. Let’s begin the countdown of the Top 100 Songs by Members of the Jackson Family.

100. La Toya Jackson – “Heart Don’t Lie” (1984). When this song peaked at #56 on the Hot 100, La Toya became the final Jackson to actually rack up enough sales of this single to earn a gold record. This record proves how long and strong Michael’s coattails were back then.

99. Rebbie Jackson – “Centipede” (1984). Arguably, the sister with the best voice, Michael stepped in to write, produce and sing back-up on this great and former Dance Chart #1 record that propelled the eldest Jackson sibling to her only gold record. It had to be Jackson fatigue in 1984 that kept this song from being a bigger hit.

98. The Jackson 5 – “Little Pretty One” (1972). Didn’t they perform this song on their Saturday morning cartoon? If not, they missed the perfect vehicle for this tune.

97. Jermaine Jackson – “I Think It’s Love” (1986). Back in the mid-70s, when the rest of his brothers left Motown for Epic, he remained loyal to Motown. Why? Because he had just married Motown owner Berry Gordy Jr.’s daughter. Oops! He didn’t perform with his brothers until the ill-fate Victory Tour of 1984.

96. Jermaine – “Dynamite!” (1984). Never understood why this song was so popular with a title/chorus using a word made popular in the mid-70s by Jimmy Walker’s character on the TV show Good Times. Maybe that word made the song more timeless than I realized.

95. Michael Jackson – “Farewell My Summer Love” (1984). So, when Thriller blew up and there was talk of ALL of the Jackson men joining forces on a summer of 1984 tour, Motown must have felt they deserve a cut from this money train since they had originally discovered and nurtured this talent. So, Motown cleaned out this Michael Jackson vault, cleaned up this demo, and released this turd of a record on to the public hungry for anything Michael.

94. Jermaine – “Let Me Tickle You Fancy” (1982). This song is almost likeable.

93. The Jacksons – “This Place Hotel” (1980). No where in the lyrics of this song does the title come up! In fact, the chorus mentions a “Heartbreak Hotel”, but the label thought this song would be confused with Elvis Presley’s song of the same name. In the words of Dr. Evil, “Riiiiiiight.”

92. The Jacksons – “Torture” (1984). Yes, this song WAS torture to listen to. By then, everyone knew Michael was saving his best material for his albums. So, Jackie had to come up with this song.

91. The Jacksons – “Blame It on the Boogie” (1978). This song is so much fun to dance to. But, it is not a good pop song, since it has no real chorus. Too bad.

90. Janet Jackson – “Son of a Gun” (2001). Not really one of Janet’s better songs. Also, it was one of the first indications that Janet was losing her hot touch with music.

89. The Jacksons – “Can You Feel It” (1980). See what I said for #92, because it works here too.

88. Michael – “One More Chance” (2003). The new song on Michael’s Number Ones album was not a keeper.

87. Michael – “Give in to Me” (1993). Was Michael trying to set a record at the time to release ANOTHER song from Dangerous?

86. Michael – “Butterflies” (2001). I think all of the child molestation charges were affecting his music, because 80s Michael would have buried this piece of smelly crap in his backyard then. Or, had The Jacksons record it.

85. Janet – “Go Deep” (1998). Janet told us that her The Velvet Rope album was the equivalent of Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On. If this song is any indication, the comparison is wrong. Maybe, she should have given this song to her brothers for them to do.

84. The Jackson 5 – “Sugar Daddy” (1971). This song reminds me of the bubblegum music era. So, were the boys singing about the candy of the same name or La Toya’s future hubby? You make the call.

83. Janet – “Got It ‘Til It’s Gone” (1997). Another ill-advised song from her The Velvet Rope album.

82. Janet Jackson with Nelly – “Call on Me” (2006). Wasn’t this really a Nelly song to begin with? Oh, who cares?!?! Nelly AND Janet were creatively spent by this song.

81. Janet – “The Pleasure Principle” (1987) #14. I LOVE this song! I can’t believe it wasn’t a bigger hit since the video showed a svelte Miss Jackson “practicing” her Paula Abdul-choreographed dance moves in a studio by her lonesome self. Still dig this song!

Well, ladies and gentlemen, we are at the end of today’s first 20 songs in My Top 100 Songs of the Jackson Family. I am not sure that a family as large as this one is as talented as this family. I would go out on a limb to state that no other family can match this one for their mental health issues, though sometimes I feel like I am a whole Jackson family rolled up into one crazy head. But, that’s another blog…NOT!

As a former teacher and coach, I really tried to overlook the color, nationality and/or creed of my students and athletes. For the most part, I feel like I was successful in reaching students as important individuals to my life. Since this is Black History Month, I got to thinking back to three situations that occurred to me with students that told me that I must be reaching them as people and not members of a race, country or religion.

The first situation happened during the next-to-last year of my teaching career. For the last six years of teaching, I taught mostly Honors Chemistry classes, which consisted of the strongest students the school had to offer in every sophomore class. In this particular class, we were finished with our final, and everyone was quietly talking. Now, I used to describe these classes as my United Nations classes since the kids were from all kinds of varying backgrounds. Anyway, the students were excited about Winter Break, when one of them innocently asked a Muslim boy what he did on Christmas. The boys quickly and dryly retorted, “Sleep.” He looked at me, and we started laughing like crazy.

The next circumstance happened once again right before Winter Break in that same school’s Honors Chemistry class. This time, one of my young lady Muslim students quietly came up to me at the end of class and handed me two candy canes, slightly bowed toward me and walked out of the classroom. I did not know what to think. Here, this young lady was giving me two candy canes, which have not only implications of Christmas, but also Christian overtones. After asking a couple of colleagues about their thoughts of the situation, they concluded that the young woman was showing both me and my religious belief the same respect that I had shown her all semester long. That action still brings tears to my eyes to this day.

Finally, back in 2004, when I was teaching at a different school, this time in an Integrated Chemistry and Physics class, a small group of young African American kids named me an Honorary African-American for the month of February that year. The girl who spoke for the group said it was because I didn’t really treat them any different from the other kids and that they trusted and respected me. All I could say was “Thank you”, as my eyes filled with tears.

So, since I was once named an Honorary African-American, I thought I would list my 25 Favorite Black Musicians of All-Time since it is Black History Month. Like I always told my students, once they had me as a teacher, they would always be honorary children in my family. Some of them I am still friends with them to this day, while the rest I wonder about all the time. Well, here’s my list, with my favorite album and song by each artist.

25. R. Kelly. Sure, the man had some problems in his past, but one things for certain: he’s THE R&B man of the 90s and beyond. 12 Play. “I Believe I Can Fly”.

24. 2pac. The man was, and still is, THE best emcee of all-time. Greatest Hits. “Changes”.

23. Mariah Carey. One of the greatest voices of all-time, Mariah has been a hit factory over the years. Daydream. “Fantasy”.

22. Lionel Richie/Commodores. I get it why Lionel felt he had to go solo, but how much more killer would have his solo stuff have sounded when played by the Commodores? Can’t Slow Down. “Easy”.

21. Janet Jackson. C’mon now! Put her into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame all ready! She has had nearly the same number of Top 40 hits as Michael and more than her other siblings, including the Jackson 5/Jacksons. Rhythm Nation 1814. “That’s the Way Love Goes”.

20. Smokey Robinson/Miracles. Smokey was named by Bob Dylan as the greatest poet of our generation. High praise from a Nobel Prize Laurette. A Quiet Storm. “Tears of a Clown”.

19. Chic. I won’t yell at the RRHOF about them again. We are talking about the funkiest, jazz-infused, rock-influenced disco band of all-time. Nile Rodgers Presents the Chic Organization: Up All Night. “Good Times”.

18. Whitney Houston. What a shame about Miss Houston. She had the purest voice ever, with just the right amount of sass to make her heads above the rest. Whitney Houston. “I Will Always Love You”.

17. The Isley Brothers. These guys have had hits in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s AND 2000s! Easily the most adaptable band to the current trends of the day, but for my money, it’s their early- to mid-70s output that defines them. 3+3. “That Lady”.

16. Earth, Wind & Fire. I just watched a video of a concert of theirs from 1980. There were musicians moving all around the stage, yet they sounded so tight. The brought the spiritual funk to us. Gratitude. “September”.

15. Sly & the Family Stone. This racially-integrated band from the Bay Area took the funk to the rock world seamlessly. Go watch the movie Woodstock to see how they ruled the weekend. Greatest Hits. “I Want to Take You Higher”.

14. The Temptations. THE Motown vocal band with the sharpest moves, the Temps transcended the times with their impeccable tunes. Anthology. “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”.

13. Little Richard. The original androgynous rocker scared the parents of teens who loved his music. I think it’s a crime that Pat Boone stole his songs and removed the soul from them in order to sell them to sanitized white kids.

12. Diana Ross/Supremes. Look up a list of the group’s hits, then Miss Ross’ list, and tell me they don’t belong here. The Motown Collection. “Stop! In the Name of Love”.

11. George Clinton/Parliament/Funkadelic/Bootsy’s Rubber Band/Parlet/Brides of Funkenstein/Horny Horns/etc. During the 70s, no one could touch Clinton’s musical empire. Parliament initially held down the funk, while Funkadelic did the rock. After a while, it became unclear which band was playing as they began to overlap in sound. Still, they took the funk to places that others have yet to discover. One Nation Under a Groove. “Atomic Dog”.

10. Bob Marley. Where would reggae be without Bob Marley? It wouldn’t be the music it is today. Legend. “One Love”.

9. Marvin Gaye. This was the man who changed how Motown dealt with their talent. Finally, the label began to allow their artists some autonomy. This change in philosophy paid off immediately with Gaye and Stevie Wonder. What’s Going On. “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”.

8. Ray Charles. Brother Ray brought together the worlds of blues, country and gospel into a new sound that we now call rock & roll. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. “Hit the Road Jack”.

7. Aretha Franklin. The diva of all divas, Franklin brought powerhouse gospel vocal power to her R&B hits. 30 Greatest Hits. “Respect”.

6. James Brown. The Hardest Working Man in Show Business. The Godfather of Soul. Soul Brother #1. Regardless of your preference of a nickname for Mr. Brown, the man invented the whole funk language that influenced the work of Sly & the Family Stone; Earth, Wind & Fire; George Clinton’s musical empire and all of the Hip Hop nation. Star Time. “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud”.

5. Chuck Berry. During an 18-month period of time in the mid- to late-50s, Chuck Berry wrote all of his most influential songs that were the basis of the Beach Boys’ early surf hits and of the complete career of the Rolling Stones. Twenty-Eight Greats. “Johnny B. Goode”.

4. Jimi Hendrix. With and without the Experience, Hendrix completely changed the sound and use of the electric guitar. He died WAY too young. Everyone from George Clinton’s Parliafunkadelicment Thang through Living Colour and Fishbone to The Roots and Gary Clark Jr. are still trying to unravel his secrets. Electric Ladyland. “All Along the Watchtower”.

3. Stevie Wonder. Along with Marvin Gaye, Wonder successfully fought Motown for creative control over his music. And, if you though Stevie’s 60s music was a revelation, then how would you describe his 70s output when all things musical were under HIS control? That was rhetorical. Songs in the Key of Life. “Higher Ground”.

2. Michael Jackson. With his brothers, Michael was terrific. But, on his own, he was simply transcendent. He made the music world of the 80s colorblind in that everything that follow his Thriller album needed to be giving him thanks for their pop sound. Thriller. “Billie Jean”.

1. Prince. Really, I could have switched Michael and Prince and been happy. BUT, Prince was so creative throughout his life that it was difficult to fully digest his latest project before he was releasing a totally new one. But when one focuses on the years of 1982 through 1989, NO ONE was creating as much truly great music as His Royal Badness. The only thing, he followed up those years with another burst of creativity from 1992 to 1996 that many of us are just warming up to. Prince could play nearly any instrument with session player proficiency, write songs in all genres, record a choir of his own vocals in perfect harmony, dance as well as James Brown or Michael Jackson AND wail on a guitar like a blues or metal god. He was the total package in that skinny little body. Unfortunately, he and Michael both left us too soon. Sign ‘o’ the Times. “When Doves Cry”.

At this time, I would like to apologize to Otis Redding, Afrika Bambaataa, Lenny Kravitz, Living Colour, Fishbone, the Busboys, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, The Notorious B.I.G., Chaka Khan (with or without Rufus), Tina Turner (with or without Ike), OutKast, the Four Tops, Jimmy Cliff, Rick James, Peter Tosh, among the countless others who I have left off this imperfect list. But, this is what is perversely fun about making these lists – seeing who I left off. Here’s to all the black artists who have made my musical listening experiences that much more enjoyable over the years.

Yesterday was pain pump refill day. The procedure itself is not too bad, but the total time of the trip is dependent upon how quickly Dr. D is taking to refill those patients in front of me on the schedule, which there were only two. But, he told me the first patient was difficult for him to “hit” the small port on her. Yet, he still got the jump done, as well as another man’s and my pump. So, after an hour of “sitting”, more like pacing, in my room, it was time for the return trip to Pendleton, so my wife can get on with her day, and I can adjust to the dosage change.

Anyway, I suffer from ADHD, which might not be a surprise at all to my friends, family and former students and athletes. That condition may have been the basis of my success as a track coach, which I always likened that coaching job to being the ringmaster of a circus. So, it will affect my music tastes from moment to moment. Let’s see, just two weeks ago I was all about rap music, and thinking, “Screw rock music!” Now, I went through a quick run on arena rock, which no longer takes too long since I’ve been in a relationship with that type of music for 41 years. Anyway, today, I dip my toes into some of the music that was a reaction against many of the arena rock bands and their influential groups, like the Zep, The Who and all of the others that were popular in the mid-70s in the US.

In 1976, we began to hear records from the punk bands who had been playing at the CBGB’s leading up to their signings. In 1975, Patti Smith started things off with the released of her Horses album, followed by the eponymous titled Ramones debut album and by the poppier band on that scene, Blondie, with their self-titled debut LP. And, we were off to the races with the largest, most influential music scene of the mid-70s through the early 80s. Ironically, the band that was considered by those of the NYC punk scene thought Blondie was the weakest band, but they proved to be the most successful.

Today, I present to you my Top 20 Favorite Songs by Blondie or Debbie Harry. Here’s a toast to the kitschy pop/rock that Blondie, and more specifically Deborah Harry, created. Dare I say that Deborah Harry paved the way for Madonna, Janet Jackson and all of the posers from the late 80s onward? Lady Gaga definitely carries Harry’s DNA.

20. “In the Flesh” (1976 – Blondie). One of the songs off the band’s debut album that hooked me during my middle school days.

19. “I Want That Man” (1989 – Def, Dumb & Blonde). This cut of late-80s electronic dance music from Harry’s third solo album displays her ability to sound natural all forms of music.

18. “The Hardest Part” (1979 – Eat to the Beat). Just when you think Blondie has forgotten their punk roots, they release this song on their fourth album.

17. “Sunday Girl” (1978 – Parallel Lines). The thing that made Blondie so intriguing was their love of early-60s girl groups like the Ronettes and the Shangri-La’s. This song in particular conjures up memories of that era.

16. “(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence Dear” (1977 – Plastic Letters). I have always been attracted to this song, but I’m not sure why. Is it a straight up love song, or, more disturbingly, is it a stalker song? Either way, it’s still a great 60s girl group pastiche.

15. “Rip Her to Shreds” (1976 – Blondie). Yet another song that Blondie perfected early on that can be taken successfully on many different levels.

14. “Feel the Spin” (1985 – Krush Groove OST). Blondie was well-respected in the NYC underground art scene. The band shared a mutual respect with the rap artists of the era. Thus, here is a Deborah Harry solo track of electronic funk placed in the middle of a hip hop soundtrack album. And, her song fits in perfectly. No surprise there!

13. “French Kissin'” (1986 – Rockbird). This solo Debbie song would have been better served by a Blondie reunion. Regardless, it’s a fantastic song.

12. “Island of Lost Souls” (1982 – The Hunter). This song comes from the last album Blondie would record for another 17 years. This arrived just as MTV was hitting the Midwest, so the song could have had been a bigger hit if they had recorded a more charming video. However, the tensions within the band, along with guitarist, and Debbie’s long-time boyfriend, Chris Stein’s poor health made this a swansong of sorts. Still, I loved the Caribbean touch.

11. “Maria” (1999 – No Exit). THE comeback! Too bad the USA did not warm up to it because the public missed out on a genuinely great pop song. The more brilliant people of the UK sent the song to Number One on their pop chart.

10. “The Tide Is High” (1980 – Autoamerican). Sure, the album was uneven. But, there is no denying that this reggae tune was just what was ordered for us during the winter of 1980-81.

9. “Backfired” (1981 – Koo Koo). The first song from Harry’s first album that was produced by the Chic Organization (Nile Rodgers AND Bernard Edwards, the capitalized “AND” is for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame that Chic was more than Rodgers!). When Harry goes flat-out disco, she is at her best.

8. “Call Me” (1980 – American Gigolo OST). This was the song that dominated radio in central Indiana, so I kind of forgot what a great song this was, and what a great producer Giorgio Moroder was for Blondie, though I have heard this was more of a Debbie Harry solo project than a Blondie song. This may have been the straw that broke up the band.

7. “One Way or Another” (1978 – Parallel Lines). This great rocker of a song is timeless. Need I say more?

6. “Union City Blue” (1979 – Eat to the Beat). I never understood why the singles off this album never took off. This song is another great rocker that the band killed on Saturday Night Live during the season premiere of that ill-fate fifth season during 1979-80.

5. “Hanging on the Telephone” (1978 – Parallel Lines). Did you know this song is a remake of a song by the short-lived power pop band The Nerves. In Blondie’s hands, it goes from a sugary power pop song into a muscular, full-blown rocking classic.

4. “Dreaming” (1979 – Eat to the Beat). Another rocking song from Blondie’s underappreciated fourth album. The song still sounds fresh today.

3. “Atomic” (1979 – Eat to the Beat). Identity crisis in the band? After the success of their ironic disco song, “Heart of Glass”, the year before, some band members began to flex their love of dancing music (Harry, Stein and drummer Clem Burke).

2. “Heart of Glass” (1978 – Parallel Lines). The song that blew the band wide open to the world began as a humble song of irony entitled “The Disco Song”. Producer Mike Chapman loved the song so much that he convinced the band to cut it for real. And the rest, they say, is history.

1. “Rapture” (1980 – Autoamerican). I honestly have loved this song from the beginning and have never gotten enough of it. I don’t know, but when the rap starts, I’m hooked.

That’s my salute to Blondie and their lead singer, the incomparable Deborah Harry. Long live Blondie!

I know that most critics around the world are not too pleased with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees over the past several years. Yes, there has not been enough women and artists of color being inducted (Really?!?! No Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, Rick James, the Spinners, Zapp, LL Cool J, Eric B & Rakim, Pat Benatar, The Runaways, to list just a few???). But, personally, I have enjoyed seeing some of my favorite bands of my youth, most of whom were NOT critical darlings during their initial runs as artists, like KISS, Rush, Deep Purple, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Yes, Steve Miller and now Journey. Finally, that music of seemingly faceless bands (go ahead and name ALL of the musicians who have played in each of these bands. Impossible, I know!). Back in the late Seventies and early Eighties, these types of bands were lumped together under the banner of “arena rock”, “corporate rock” or “dad rock”.

Sure, these bands all shared a sound that originated with art rock and hard rock, but they all shared a love of melody. So, instead of using a jangling guitar, these bands used near-metal guitar solos that had been sweetened to fit within the constraints of a pop song. If that formula sounds vaguely familiar, it should since hair or glam metal used the same repertoire. So when did arena rock begin to infatuate the American youth?

The first inklings of a newer type of hard rock was bubbling up in the early Seventies in the form of Alice Cooper, Jethro Tull, Chicago and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. But, the sound did not kick into gear until the release of Boston’s eponymous titled debut album on August 25, 1976. After that, the labels were in search of bands with a similar sound to Boston. After Boston’s success, we started hearing great music by journeymen artists such as Peter Frampton, Kansas, REO Speedwagon and Head East. Like new bands were popping up like Foreigner, and other experienced bands, like Styx, REO and Journey, went through line-up changes that lead to bigger success. And, the sound was off to the races.

The quality of this type of music peaked in the late-70s, but the commercial success peaked in 1981, as the following artists had number one albums and big hit songs: REO Speedwagon, Styx, Foreigner, Journey and Pat Benatar. Other bands began to narrow their sounds to fit this genre which resulted in successful albums for Rush, the Moody Blues, Stevie Nicks and Billy Squier.

As the years pass on, more and more of these artists are being better appreciated now that they were back in those heady days of big album and single sales and concert receipts. These artists are in constant rotation on classic rock radio all over the world. I think we will continue to see more and more of these artists being recognized by the RRHOF and younger critics as the years pass. Here’s to Journey getting in the RRHOF! Next up Styx, Pat Benatar and/or Foreigner?