Uncategorized – Page 4 – If My Records Could Talk

Christmas 2022: My 200 Favorite Modern Christmas Songs

Sometimes, I really do wish I had been born in the UK as opposed to Indiana, especially when it comes to music. I feel as though my British brethren and I share a similar taste in modern music. As interesting as some aspects of American life can seem, I never got to experience the punk scene in London, John Peel’s outstanding work on the Beeb, Top of the Pops, and the Christmas battle for a #1 song. I remember early on, reading Billboard’s international charts as a youngster. Whenever I got the UK chart, I became intrigued by the names of artists along with various song titles, just trying to “hear” what those elusive songs sounded like.

As I got older, I learned to order British singles. Additionally, I was able to obtain the country’s finest music journalism, especially the New Musical Express. NME and Melody Maker were fine additions to Creem and Rolling Stone for my sources of musical knowledge. So, when it comes to my tastes in modern Christmas music, I becomes a real Anglophile. And, of course, my age does influence my tastes.

I hope you enjoy this list. And, keep you eyes open on Amazon Music for the playlist of this countdown. It will keep your Christmas party going for days. Peace to all of you!

Bubbling Under the Top 200

210. Elmo & Patsy – “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” (1979)

209. Buck Owens – “Daddy Looked a Lot like Santa” (1965)

208. John Denver – “Christmas for Cowboys” (1975)

207. The Killers ft. Toni Halliday – “Great Big Sled” (2006)

206. José Feliciano – “Feliz Navidad” (1970)

205. The Singing Dogs – “Jingle Bells” (1955)

204. Justin Bieber – “Mistletoe” (2011)

203. Mud – “Lonely This Christmas” (1974)

202. *NSYNC – “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” (1998)

201. Ana Gasteyer – “Sugar and Booze” (2019)

The Top 200 Christmas Songs of All-Time

New Kids on the Block – “Funky, Funky Xmas” (1989)

199. Spike Jones & His City Slickers – “All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)” (1948)

198. Bob Marley – “White Christmas” (1965)

197. The Isley Brothers – “Special Gift” (1996)

196. Mike Love ft. Hanson – “Finally, It’s Christmas” (2018)

195. Sara Bareilles – “Love Is Christmas” (2013)

194. Gene Autry – “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1949)

193. She & Him – “Christmas Waltz” (2011)

192. Rufus Wainwright & Sharon Van Etten – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (2012)

191. Pentatonix – “Carol of the Bells” (2014)

190. Relient K – “12 Days of Christmas” (2003)

189. Sheryl Crow – “Merry Christmas Baby” (2008)

188. Vanessa Williams – “What Child Is This?” (1992)

187. Josh Groban – “Silent Night” (2007)

186. Frankie Goes to Hollywood – “The Power of Love” (1984)

185. Ella Fitzgerald – “The Secret of Christmas” (1959)

184. Pistol Annies – “Snow Globe” (2021)

183. Oasis – “Merry Christmas Everybody” (2002)

182. Louis Armstrong – “Cool Yule” (1953)

181. Lake Street Dive – “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” (2017)

180. Glee Cast – “We Need a Little Christmas” (2010)

179. The Royal Guardsmen – “Snoopy’s Christmas” (1967)

178. Marvin Gaye – “Purple Snowflakes” (1964)

177. Owl City – “Kiss Me Babe, It’s Christmas Time” (2014)

176. The Wombats – “Is This Christmas?” (2007)

175. Lady Gaga ft. Space Cowboy – “Christmas Tree” (2010)

174. Sia – “Snowman (Slowed Down Version)” (2021)

173. Otis Redding – “Merry Christmas Baby” (1967)

172. Faith Hill – “Where Are You Christmas” (2000)

171. Ramones – “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” (1989)

170. Smokey Robinson ft. The Dap-Kings – “You’re My Present” (2017)

169. Merle Haggard – “If We Make It Through Christmas” (1973)

168. They Might Be Giants – “Santa’s Beard” (1988)

167. Destiny’s Child – “8 Days of Christmas (2001)

166. Taylor Swift – “Last Christmas” (2007)

165. The Drifters – “White Christmas” (1954)

164. Grace Potter – “Christmas Moon” (2017)

163. Bob Rivers – “I Am Santa Claus” (1993)

162. Tyler, The Creator – “I Am the Grinch” (2018)

161. Phoebe Bridgers – “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (2020)

160. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – “Little Drummer Boy” (1981)

159. Eels – “Christmas Is Going to the Dogs” (2000)

158. Morris Day – “Cooler Than Santa Claus” (2020)

157. The Smashing Pumpkins – “Christmastime” (1997)

156. Chuck Berry – “Run Rudolph Run” (1958)

155. Dan + Shay – “Holiday Party” (2022)

154. Booker T. & the MG’s – “Winter Wonderland” (1966)

153. Michael Bublé – “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas” (2012)

152. Hanson – “Finally, It’s Christmas” (2017)

151. The Ventures – “Sleigh Ride” (1965)

150. Weezer – “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” (2008)

149. Eric Clapton – “For Love on Christmas Day” (2018)

148. Third Day – “What Child Is This?” (2006)

147. Albert Hammond Jr. – “The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot” (2017)

146. The Pretenders – “2000 Miles” (1983)

145. The Treacherous Three – “Santa’s Rap” (1984)

144. Bing Crosby – “White Christmas” (1942)

143. Death Cab for Cutie – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (2004)

142. Carrie Underwood – “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (2007)

141. The Chipmunks – “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” (1959)

140. St. Paul & the Broken Bones – “Zat You Santa Claus” (2018)

139. MercyMe – “Do You Hear What I Hear?” (2015)

138. Canned Heat – “Christmas Blues” (1968)

137. The Empty Hearts – “It’s Christmastime” (2016)

136. Frank Sinatra – “Jingle Bells” (1948)

135. Carla Thomas – “Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas” (1963)

134. Zooey Deschanel w/Leon Redbone – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (2003)

133. James Brown – “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto” (1968)

132. Dusty Springfield – “O Holy Child” (1964)

131. The Shoes – “This Christmas” (1991)

130. TLC – “Sleigh Ride” (1992)

129. Luther Vandross – “The Christmas Song” (1992)

128. Stevie Nicks – “Silent Night” (1987)

127. Nat King Cole – “The Christmas Song” (1946)

126. Aretha Franklin – “O Christmas Tree” (1992)

125. Willie Nelson – “Pretty Paper” (1979)

124. The Donnas – “Up on the Housetop” (2017)

123. Sia – “Candy Cane Lane” (2017)

122. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – “Ain’t No Chimneys in the Projects” (2011)

121. Burl Ives – “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (1965)

120. Megan Trainor ft. Earth, Wind & Fire – “Holidays” (2020)

119. The Supremes – “Silver Bells” (1965)

118. Marshall Crenshaw – “(It’s Going to Be A) Lonely Christmas” (2006)

117. Dropkick Murphys – “The Season’s Upon Us” (2012)

116. The Three Wisemen (aka XTC) – “Thank You for Christmas” (1983)

115. Johnny Mathis – “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas” (1986)

114. Manchester Orchestra – “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (2020)

113. Carrie Underwood – “Stretchy Pants” (2021)

112. My Chemical Romance – “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (2004)

111. Train – “Shake Up Christmas” (2009)

110. Elvis Presley – “Blue Christmas” (1957)

109. Bob Dylan – “Must Be Santa” (2009)

108. JET – “Back Door Santa” (2003)

107. Dolly Parton – “Hard Candy Christmas” (1982)

106. Rod Stewart w/Dolly Parton – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (2004)

105. Coldplay – “Christmas Lights” (2010)

104. William Bell – “Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday” (1967)

103. The Darkness – “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells Ring)” (2003)

102. CeeLo Green ft. Disney’s The Muppets – “All I Need Is Love” (2012)

101. Chicago – “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (1998)

100. The Temptations – “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1970)

99. Lizzo – “Someday at Christmas” (2022)

98. Charles Brown – “Please Come Home for Christmas” (1960)

97. The Monkees – “Unwrap You at Christmas” (2018)

96. Sammy Davis Jr. – “Sweet Gingerbread Man” (1972)

95. Khruangbin – “Christmas Time Is Here” (2018)

94. The Staple Singers – “Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas” (1972)

93. Clarence Carter – “Back Door Santa” (1969)

92. Jonas Brothers – “Like It’s Christmas” (2019)

91. Boyz II Men – “Silent Night” (1993)

90. Charly Bliss – “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (2017)

89. OneRepublic – “Christmas Without You” (2011)

88. Sufjan Stevens – “Come On! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance” (2006)

87. Kylie Minogue ft. James Cordon – “Only You” (2015)

86. Cocteau Twins – “Frosty the Snowman” (1993)

85. Bob & Doug McKenzie – “Twelve Days of Christmas” (1981)

84. Squeeze – “Christmas Day” (1979)

83. Norah Jones – “Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones)” (2021)

82. Kai Danzberg – “If Santa” (2018)

81. Bobby Womack – “Christmas Ain’t Christmas” (1999)

80. Al Green – “The First Noel” (1990)

79. Tuxedo – “Wonderful Christmastime” (2014)

78. Foo Fighters – “Run Rudolph Run” (2020)

77. Bebe Rexha – “Count on Christmas” (2017)

76. Tevin Campbell – “O Holy Night” (1992)

75. The Carpenters – “Merry Christmas Darling” (1970)

74. The Beach Boys – “Little Saint Nick” (1964)

73. Willie Nelson – “Christmas Blues” (1979)

72. Mary J. Blige – “Last Christmas” (1994)

71. Kelly Clarkson – “Christmas Isn’t Canceled (Just You)” (2021)

70. Ray Charles – “That Spirit of Christmas” (1985)

69. Ariana Grande – “Santa Tell Me” (2014)

68. Neon Trees – “Wish List” (2010)

67. Vince Guaraldi Trio – “Christmas Time Is Here (Vocals)” (1965)

66. Leona Lewis – “One More Sleep” (2013)

65. Fun. – “Sleigh Ride” (2012)

64. Hootie & the Blowfish – “The Christmas Song” (1997)

63. Cheech & Chong – “Santa Claus and His Old Lady” (1971)

62. Ed Sheeran & Elton John – “Merry Christmas” (2021)

61. Prince – “Another Lonely Christmas” (1984)

60. Queen – “Thank God It’s Christmas” (1984)

59. Jackson 5 – “Frosty the Snowman” (1970)

58. Stevie Wonder – “What Christmas Means to Me” (1967)

57. Gwen Stefani ft. Blake Shelton – “You Make It Feel Like Christmas” (2017)

56. Cheap Trick – “Merry Christmas Darlings” (2017)

55. Extreme – “Christmas Time Again” (1992)

54. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – “Christmas All Over Again” (1992)

53. The Shins – “Wonderful Christmastime” (2012)

52. Taylor Swift – “Christmas Tree Farm (Old Timey Version)” (2021)

51. Kurtis Blow – “Christmas Rappin'” (1980)

50. Katy Perry – “Cozy Little Christmas” (2022)

49. The Emotions – “What Do the Lonely Do at Christmas?” (1977)

48. Bryan Adams – “Reggae Christmas” (1984)

47. The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl – “Fairytale of New York” (1988)

46. Madonna – “Santa Baby” (1987)

45. Greg Lake – “I Believe in Father Christmas” (1975)

44. The Band of Merrymakers – “A Very Merry Medley” (2015)

43. Whitney Houston – “Joy to the World” (1996)

42. Vince Vance & the Valiants – “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (1989)

41. Otis Redding – “White Christmas” (1968)

40. Kacey Musgraves ft. Leon Bridges – Present Without a Bow” (2016)

39. Andy Williams – “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (1963)

38. Joni Mitchell – “River” (1971)

37. Slade – “Merry Christmas Everybody” (1973)

36. Eurythmics – “Winter Wonderland” (1987)

35. Fitz & the Tantrums – “Santa Stole My Lady” (2010)

34. Darlene Love – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (1963)

33. Whitney Houston – “Do You Hear What I Hear?” (1987)

32. Kacey Musgraves & Lana Del Rey – “Please Come Home for Christmas” (2019)

31. Wizzard – “I Wish Everyday Could Be Christmas” (1973)

30. Darlene Love – “All Alone on Christmas” (1992)

29. Bobby Helms – “Jingle Bell Rock” (1957)

28. Eagles – “Please Come Home for Christmas” (1978)

27. Brenda Lee – “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (1958)

26. Stevie Wonder – “Some Day at Christmas” (1967)

25. Donny Hathaway – “This Christmas” (1970)

24. The Regrettes – “A Marshmallow World” (2016)

23. Kenny Loggins – “Celebrate Me Home” (1977)

22. Dan Fogelberg – “Same Old Lang Syne” (1980)

21. U2 – “I Believe in Father Christmas” (2021)

20. The Pretenders – “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (1987)

19. Bing Crosby & David Bowie – “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” (1977)

18. Run-D.M.C. – “Christmas in Hollis” (1987)

17. Vince Guaraldi Trio – “Linus and Lucy” (1965)

16. John Lennon & Yoko Ono – “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” (1971)

15. The Kinks – “Father Christmas” (1977)

14. Harry Simeone Chorale – “Little Drummer Boy” (1958)

13. Band Aid – “Do They Know It’s Christmas” (1984)

12. The Ronettes – “Sleigh Ride” (1963)

11. Wham! – “Last Christmas” (1984)

10. U2 – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (1987)

9. Paul McCartney – “Wonderful Christmastime” (1979)

8. John Mellencamp – “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” (1987)

7. Daryl Hall & John Oates – “Jingle Bell Rock” (1980)

6. Mariah Carey – “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (1994)

5. Billy Squier – “Christmas Is the Time to Say ‘I Love You'” (1981)

4. Elton John – “Step into Christmas” (1974)

3. The Band – “Christmas Must Be Tonight” (1975)

2. The Waitresses – “Christmas Wrapping” (1982)

1. Bruce Springsteen – “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (1975)

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Happy Holidays! Peace.

My Predictions for the RRHoF Class of 2023 Nominees

To be honest, I really didn’t give a crap about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame until around the turn of the century, mainly because that when many of the artists with whom I grow up were becoming eligible and even inducted. Then, in the summer of 2001, we finally took a family vacation of sorts to Cedar Point so the boys could do the thrill rides, then visit the RRHoF. On that visit, the family had a great time, plus we stumbled across a concert being held on the main floor of the museum to be broadcast by MTV. The group was a little-known Australian garage band that my older son was playing that summer called The Vines.

Of course, we bought tickets to take the boys for the recording of this concert. A little behind the scene notes about the recording of a televised concert. The crowd shots that are interspersed during a concert are recorded at the beginning of the show as the crowd listened to pre-recorded music. So, if they wanted the crowd reaction to the latest hit songs, the television recorded those reactions ahead of time while the crowd listened to the studio version of said song.

During the course of the videoing of the crowd, my boys made their way to the front of the crowd. But, instead, those Midwestern boys did not play for the cameras. In their cases, they stood cooly and bobbed their heads lightly to the music. When the broadcast happened some time later, during the crowd shots, there would be young people seemingly grabbing for the artist on stage, while my guys stood behind them with their arms crossed, seemingly unimpressed. At one time, we had the program DVR-ed and laugh every time we replayed it.

Needless to say, our experience at the RRHoF was awesome. Since that they, either the boys and I or my wife and I have gone back there a couple more times. As a matter of fact, I plan to take everyone, including the grandkids, there in a couple of years, when the youngest will remember it.

As frustrating as the RRHoF nomination and induction process is, and that topic could last a week. But, instead of bitching and complaining right now, I am going to focus on which 16 artists from my list of 100 deserving rock artists. I know how annoying this list may be to the rockers in my life (Curt Martin, Josh Brown), but I also know that others will appreciate it due to previous discussions (Kim Gill, Mark Kline). My predictions do not necessarily coincide with my personal tastes and wants. No, I try to predict those artists who may actually end up on the list of nominees for the Class of 2023. The official list of nominees for the Class of 2023 will be announced shortly after the new year.

As much as I want The Jam and Weezer to be nominated and inducted, under the current system, they will not be on that list next month. Since former-MTV executive John Sykes has taken over the leadership of the Hall, the classes have been the some of the largest and most diverse of any classes since the first five years of the induction ceremonies. That much we know. We also can surmise from previous nominee lists and induction classes, that diversity has been assembled in order to maximize the TV broadcast of the induction ceremony, whether its being held in NYC, LA or Cleveland, or another place the Hall may decide to take it in the future.

With that said, here are my nominee predictions for the Class of 2023.

Destiny’s Child – Are they really deserving of a first year of eligibility nomination and induction? I don’t think so. But, NEVER, and I mean NEVER, underestimate the power of Beyoncé and her hubby, Hall of Famer Jaÿ-Z. I can see a Destiny’s Child reunion becoming a huge ratings grabber as one of the first groups from the lives of Millennials, doing for the Hall Induction Ceremony what a previous reunion did for the Super Bowl a few years ago.

DEVO – Last year when they were nominated, Cleveland was hosting the induction ceremony. Since DEVO hails from nearby Akron, many thought this would be the band’s year. Even the city of Akron jumped on the DEVO-for-the-Hall promotion, the leaders had the city “beautified” with flower pot energizer hats popping up all over.

Dionne Warwick – The smoothest of smooth 60s soul singers, Dionne Warwick is the missing voice in the Hall for the full overview of powerful female vocalists. Everyone’s favorite Twitter user will be nominated once again.

George Michael – The man who at one time rivaled both Michael Jackson and Madonna as the world’s most famous pop star has been never been nominated. Can you believe that? There has been a swelling of support for Michael, after the late great Taylor Hawkins threw George some love during the Foo Fighters induction. Look for one of the voices of my generation to finally get nominated.

Iron Maiden – This year’s token metal nod will go to Iron Maiden. The are the preeminent metal band not yet in the Hall. Although Judas Priest technically got in the Hall via the Musical Excellence route, Maiden’s fans will come out in full force to make sure their boys get in as performers.

Kate Bush – There has NEVER been a time in rock history in which Kate Bush has been more popular in the States than right now, thanks to the inclusion of “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” in the most recent season of Stranger Things. The use of that song in the show pushed the song to #3, way higher than it claimed way back in 1985. I think the momentum is there for Ms. Bush.

Mariah Carey – The voice of Generation X should be a shoo-in at some point. Slowly, we will begin to see more and more divas finding their way into the Hall. Plus, we need the Queen of Christmas in the Hall.

New York Dolls – Will someone please elect these guys, along with MC5, who will get a rest from the nomination process this year, for induction into the RRHoF? Their Todd Rundgren-produced debut is a punk rock classic.

Oasis – Basketball realized it was an international commodity long before American fans did. The same goes with Rock and Roll. Oh sure, any artist who makes it over in the States will be rock stars forever. Maybe, the Hall needs to begin to recognize that there are many fantastic and influential artists who never hit big in the States, such as The Jam, Fela Kuti, The Stone Roses, blur, etc. Oasis were gods in the UK, but they did have some success here too.

OutKast – No artist has been mentioned as much as OutKast as the Hall’s biggest snub, though you could include Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Eric B. & Rakim, Nas and De La Soul. Rap is very under-represented in the Hall compared to its influence and commercial power. And, OutKast, the first rap artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2004 (Speakerboxxx/The Love Below), would take the biggest rap name left on the board.

Rage Against the Machine – It seems like Rage is nominated every year, but shouldn’t they be? They were one of the first acts to straddle the metal, rap and alternative worlds while maintaining a leftist agenda. And they were popular? Hell, yeah!

Rufus ft. Chaka Khan – Something has got to give. Either induct the whole original band that had Chaka Khan, the missing diva between Aretha and Whitney, or just Chaka herself. I’m truly getting tired that one version or the other has yet to be inducted. Make it happen!

Soundgarden – The third artist of the Big Four of Grunge, Soundgarden has found themselves to be nominated and the skipped. I can’t remember if this is a skip year or not. Just induct them so we can to move on to others.

Tears for Fears – Here’s another early MTV band finally getting recognized for their 80s portion of their career, much like Duran Duran and Eurythmics this year. This is overdue, but the band could not have planned a better comeback than to release an excellent album in 2022, The Tipping Point. We all know how well-received the two 80s MTV acts with their induction ceremony performances. Tears for Fears could only enhance the video years of rock in the Hall.

The B-52’s – I knew something was changing in popular music while in high school just by watching the gradual change from art-oriented Boomer artists to a new weird thing called new wave and punk. First, it was Patti Smith, then came Talking Heads, DEVO and Blondie. And, by the time The B-52’s arrived, the change was happening, and I knew my college years were going to be awesome. The B-52’s put Athens, Georgia on the rock map and opened the door for some many others to walk through, such as Wall of Voodoo, The Go-Go’s and most notably R.E.M.

Willie Nelson – After all the goodwill spread by Dolly Parton’s induction just six weeks ago may have allowed some of the greatest classic country acts to be recognized. And the man with the biggest resumé, most far-reaching influence and most rock & roll of the bunch, Willie Nelson should be nominated. Like Dolly before him, Willie is such a beloved musical figure that he would be a shoo-in to win the fan vote.

And, of those on my nominee list, I believe the RRHoF would inducted the following artists: Destiny’s Child, DEVO, George Michael, Iron Maiden, Kate Bush, Mariah Carey, OutKast and Willie Nelson. That class would make for one helluva TV show, and we all know how ratings drive these things. Then, MC5 and New York Dolls would be inducted for Musical Excellence. Personally, I feel like this whole list should be inducted and let’s move on to the next bunch. I am just tired of all the deserving artists out there who have yet to have been inducted. It’s beyond silly now.

100 Artists Who Could Be Nominated for RRHoF’s Class of 2023

Ever since I became part of a coterie of armchair music critics, actual respected musical scholars and critics loosely known as “The Hall Watchers,” my predictions of which artists might find their names on the upcoming ballot has been requested by some friends, some colleagues and some Twitter dude that might be writing some kind of article based upon each Watcher’s guesses. Many of these people will make a list that bends toward their own biases; whereas, I actually attempt to take the temperature of a few of the people who have connections within the Hall’s Nominating Committee, while using my gut to make my predictions.

Since I have not written in a while, I thought I would jump back into the blogosphere by sharing my thought process behind determining my list. So, allow this small disclaimer that once you enter my head, there might not be any turning back as my thought process is a little unique. Perhaps the biggest thing I tried to ascertain is the underlying pattern in a set of data. Often times, that pattern is not readily noticed but shows itself if you look deep enough. As I peruse the opinions of my colleagues, especially those with Hall Nominating Committee connections, I begin to see names that seem to be repeating. Often, that gives you a road map to figuring out not so much whom I want nominated (If that were my direction, I’d list The Jam and Hüsker Dü every year.) but who the experts believe are “hot.”

To begin with, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nomination Committee will meet sometime shortly after the New Year and will come up with a list of 16 artists who will compromise the ballot for that year’s class of inductees. Remember there are several artists from each year’s ballot that still have not been inducted. To the Watchers, we believe that the Nomination Committee has done a disservice to many deserving artists by restricting the number of performers to five inducted each year for most of the Nineties and 21st Century, at least until recently. So, now, we have all kinds of people and bands still awaiting their moments, with tons unfortunately no longer with us. If the Hall had stuck to ten inductees each year, this log jam would not be here. Someone in charge must have thought rock & roll was something akin to classical music as a genre only for the intellectual, when most of those inducted and awaiting induction were all working class folks or, at best, middle class people. Rock & roll has ALWAYS been democratic in nature: for everyone, no matter your age, nationality, religious creed, color of your skin, social status, gender, sexual orientation, yada, yada, yada.

At least since former MTV executive John Sykes took over the reigns of the Hall, Induction classes have been larger, mainly in the low double digits. More attention is now being paid to the movers and shakers behind the scenes, be they lawyers or producers, managers or session players, iconic musicians or DJs, these people are correctly being recognized. Personally, I would love to see music journalists, photographers and critics begin to be recognized for their crucial contributions to the spread of this music throughout the past three generations of kids all around the world.

First off, the names in the Class of 2022 was pretty diverse. Those who were inducted at the ceremony held a little more than a month ago were Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Judas Priest, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon. Classes with eight inductees is not too bad; hell, the classes were limited to five or six just a scant five years ago. Yet, I believe it would be more exciting if there were ten performer inductees, along with five more contributors. And, technically, just like Kraftwerk the year before, Judas Priest was inducted for Musical Excellence. I know it’s a simple technicality, but both bands deserve induction on merit alone.

Unfortunately, there are only 16 spots in a Nomination class, with approximately half of them getting to be inducted. Those nominated last year who were not inducted are Beck, Kate Bush, DEVO, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls, A Tribe Called Quest and Dionne Warwick. With those eight acts, I refer to my own running list of 100 “snubbed” artists, after I have removed names who were inducted in the previous class and added new names either from a list of newly eligible artists or my bigger list of eligible artists. Once I have my list of 100 Possible Nominees, I go around the inter-web, searching various sites on the Google Machine for some expert predictions. Additionally, I look to see which eligible artist have been recently trending on social media and on search engines.

After that waste of time, I begin to see a pattern, or at least I believe that I am recognizing a trend of names who seem to be cropping up on expert lists and social media. With that information, along with my personally ranked list, I whittled my names down to 16. Over the years since I began this blog, I have been hitting just a whisker under 80%, which if I were a professional basketball player, my free throw percentage would be around this number, possibly making me a professional basketball player.

Today, I am going to give you my list of 100 artist, all of whom I feel should be immediately inducted into the Hall of Fame. And, I do have my list of 16 artists who I feel will be on the Committee’s list early 2023. Here are my 100 artist who are eligible for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. I am listing the artists in alphabetical order. I would like to get your opinion as to who would be on your list, as well as who you think will be on my list.

In the meantime, here’s my list of possible nominees.

1. A Tribe Called Quest – One of the original rap bands to apply funky jazz samples to hip hop motifs for a new, yet natural rap language.

2. Afrika Bambaataa – The man is not only a DJ innovator, but a social peace maker. Oh, yeah, this guy found the connection between new wave and hip hop through the electronic beats of Kraftwerk.

3. Alanis Morissette – This former Canadian teen star became a voice for Gen X women everywhere with her American debut. She tapped into a new feminist take on alternative music.

4. Alice in Chains – The Seattle scene of the late 80s and early 90s was home to a punk rock/Black Sabbath hybrid called grunge. Alice in Chains just happened to be part of the “Big 4 of Grunge.” Two of those bands have been inducted (Nirvana and Pearl Jam), with the others fighting to get in (AIC and Soundgarden).

5. Barry White – The man with the sexiest pillow talk/croon of the disco era has yet to be inducted.

6. Beck – The one-time poster child of the 90s Alternative Nation has grown to become one of rock’s most accomplished chameleons.

7. Big Star – This short-lived and snake-bitten power pop band rivals the much vaunted Velvet Underground for the scope of their influence without any kind of commercial success during their heyday.

8. Björk – Arguably Iceland’s biggest export, Björk has been a very interesting and innovative electronica artist since leaving the cult fave Sugarcubes for solo notoriety and fame.

9. Black Eyed Peas – I’m not totally sold on this band’s place in the Hall, but they did create a whole subgenre of hip hop with their pop take on the hip hop group with a powerful female singer (Fergie). Oh, and I’m sorry Pepsi, Will.I.Am is NOT the voice of a generation, in the same breath (or commercial) with a young Bob Dylan.

10. Black Flag – One of the big names of the L.A. hardcore punk scene, Black Flag helped innovate the Gen X alternative rock tours in a van and were part of the West Coast’s coterie of terrific alt.rock bands (Dead Kennedys, X, The Germs, Minutemen, Camper Van Beethoven, The Go-Go’s, Fear and so many others of the era).

11. Blue Öyster Cult – Are they AOR, heavy metal or some forerunner to alt.rock? The answer is that they were a little bit of everything listed, and perhaps a little more. BOC have become very overlooked in the past 20 years.

12. Boston – The band who popularized the AOR sound, paving the way for Foreigner, Styx, REO Speedwagon and Journey. Their first, eponymous album remains one of the three biggest-selling debuts in rock history.

13. Brian Eno – Eno is in the Hall as a member of Roxy Music, but his stellar solo work, in addition to his production work (most significantly with U2), makes him Hall-worthy.

14. Buzzcocks – One of the bigger punk bands, who with The Jam, spearheaded a more pop-oriented take on the London punk sound, which directly led to the 90s and 2000s pop punk explosion as the 20th century turned into the 21st century.

15. Carpenters – Snicker if you want, but the Carpenters’ music is much deeper than the soft rock sound the help create. Their melancholy sound resonates with the younger listeners more and more as I get older.

16. Cher – One of the first huge divas reigned over the pop scene first as one-half of the married couple folk rockers-turned-television variety show stars, then magnificently on her own. Remember, this woman had Top 10 pop hits in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and today!

17. Chic – Member Nile Rodgers induction for Musical Excellence not-withstanding, the WHOLE coterie needs to be honored since the band was not just Rodgers’ brilliant guitar. They were the best, hottest and most innovative disco/rock/jazz band ever.

18. Cyndi Lauper – Anyone else besides me thought that Cyndi was going to be bigger than Madonna? Anyone? Well, of course, I was wrong, yet Cyndi continues to amaze the world with her talent.

19. Daft Punk – This innovative French electronic dance duo is in their first year of eligibility for the Hall. These guys updated the 70s disco sound for Millennials, while being accessible to Boomers and X-ers.

20. De La Soul – Along with A Tribe Called Quest, this hip hop crew proved that the rap soundscape was not just for funkateers and party people. Who knew that the music of Hall & Oates and Steely Dan could be the basis of music blasting out of 80s Jeep’s Kraco speakers.

21. Dead Kennedys – If The Clash and Crass led the UK political left-wing, then the Dead Kennedys were those two bands’ American counterparts. But, the Brits never possessed the Kennedy’s sly sense of humor that made the medicine go down easier.

22. Destiny’s Child – Yes, The Supremes of the turn of the century really ARE eligible this year! That one makes me feel old. Do NOT be surprised if they are nominated as proof of the power of the husband/wife duo of Jay-Z and Beyoncé.

23. DEVO – In high school, the guys of my high school chemistry class discovered DEVO on Saturday Night Live, finally realizing what I had been saying for weeks: This band is a rock band for nerds. This was not just a rock band but a lifestyle.

24. Diana Ross – Diana Ross is NOT in the Hall?!?! It’s true! Now that Tina Turner and Stevie Nicks have been inducted a second time each, thus acknowledging their contributions as solo artists. Therefore, it behooves the Hall to honor one of music’s greatest divas.

25. Dick Dale – My older son and I differ on this one. His argument is valid. Does the Baseball Hall of Fame acknowledge the inventor of the curveball? However, we KNOW how Dick Dale influenced the sounds and guitar techniques that have been used by guitarists throughout the history of rock & roll.

26. Dionne Warwick – Everyone’s favorite Twitter grandparent has been nominated the past two years. She represents that smooth side of R&B, which has been as underrepresented as heavy metal and hip hop.

27. Dr. Dre – Arguably, the wealthiest man on this list, who not only was inducted as a member of N.W.A, Dre is a highly successful artist and producer AND one of the founders of Beats headphones and the rest of the line. This dude is a heavy hitter who deserves recognition outside of the group, along with Ice Cube and Eazy-E.

28. Eric B. & Rakim – If there were no Rakim, arguably the greatest MC of all time, we can forget about nearly every hip hop who followed, from A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul to Eminem and Kendrick Lamar. This man totally changed rap from party time to a form of jazz.

29. Fela Kuti – Many of you see this name and go, “Who?!?!” Well, this man is the Bob Marley of African-oriented funk. His 70s era music’s influence is ever-expanding, going from the world music of the 80s to the hip hop beats of today. His presence is so big that the continent of Africa helped Fela win the fan’s vote two years ago.

30. Foreigner – Many of my rocker friends who have a narrow definition of who constitutes rock are shocked to discover that Foreigner, one of the biggest rock names of the 70s and 80s, is NOT in the Rock Hall. I thought that after Journey was inducted, that Foreigner would not be far behind.

31. George Michael – Many were caught off guard when the late great Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins immediately began to list names of artists deserving induction including George Michael. Yes, Michael was a teen idol during his Wham! days, but he was always a great serious solo artist who could battle Michael Jackson on the pop charts while topping the King of Pop on the dance floor. His induction is long overdue.

32. Gram Parsons – Gram Parsons, along with Neil Young, became something of a hipster’s name drop in the 90s, especially with the burgeoning Americana scene. Then, in the Aughts, he was nominated for the Hall, leading many to believe that his time was coming. Then, poof! his name disappeared. Yes, the Eagles took his country-rock hybrid and added some pop and R&B to the sound to make millions, but Parsons started the whole country rock sound. Now, he is recognized by the current Americana artists as a god and muse.

33. Hüsker Dü – Let me say it right now: without Hüsker Dü, and later the Pixies, grunge would sound much less distorted and lack any kind of pop sensibility. They arose out of the same alternative/college rock scene that spawned R.E.M., Minutemen, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Camper Van Beethoven, The Replacements, Meat Puppets and so on, who were all part of the foundation of alternative rock in the 90s and beyond.

34. Iron Maiden – After Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Judas Priest and Rainbow all built the foundation, Iron Maiden showed up and accepted the baton to carry the sound well into the 80s, 90s and today. Maiden may be the quintessential metal band and enough is enough! Stop the metal bias!

35. Jane’s Addiction – Are they metal? Are they alternative? Are they hard rock? Are they hippie revivalists? Are they art rockers? The answer to all of the question is a resounding “Yes!” when talking about Jane’s Addiction. Then, if you throw in their influence on the alternative nation’s tour of the traveling Lollapalooza festival, then you have a band that has a solid resumé for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

36. Jethro Tull – Yet, another band who the general rock fan cannot believe is NOT in the Hall of Fame. While I am not a huge fan of the Tull, I do recognize their influence on my favorite form of music, as well as their status with progressive (prog) rock and classic rock fans. Full disclosure, I do love the song “Aqualung” and own the album of the same name.

37. John Coltrane – Yes, Coltrane is a jazz musician. But, his stamp continues to be found in modern rock and roll music to this very day. Let’s face it, if Miles Davis has a place in the RRHoF, then John Coltrane should as well.

38. John Prine – Considered by many to be the greatest songwriter ever, John Prine is still not am inducted member of the Hall. Although he is mainly a brilliant folk artist, his influence has been felt by country, rock and even rap with both his music and his lyrics. Since there is room for Laura Nyro, then there’s room for Prine. Plus, the man released one of his finest LPs shortly before he died, following Warren Zevon and Johnny Cash who both did the same thing/

39. Johnny Burnette & the Rock ‘N Roll Trio – One of the founding fathers of rock and roll, these men have been long overlooked and deserve induction.

40. Joy Division/New Order – Joy Division has become of the biggest bands from the UK’s original post-punk scene. Unfortunately, lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide on the eve of the band’s US Tour. Initially, the remaining trio turned inward, then added keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, changed their name to New Order and then brought synthpop to dancefloors around the world. Much like The Small Faces and The Faces or Parliament and Funkadelic, you cannot separate the histories of the two bands without diminishing the other. If you listen to both bands’ catalogs, you will hear today’s music everywhere.

41. Kate Bush – For the past few years, Kate Bush has been nominated for induction, while being met with a collective “Who?” from most Americans. Then, suddenly, thanks to the current season of the Netflix show Stranger Things, a 37-year-old song by Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” er-entered Billlboard’s Hot 100, only to outperform its previous 1985 run (peaked at #30) by charting at #3 in 2022. This is the hottest Bush, commercially speaking, has been in the States ever.

42. King Crimson – If you like some prog rock but generally find it a little pretentious and Pollyanna-ish, then the dark themes and menacing music of King Crimson has been made for you. See they tackled the darkness, Crimson deserves induction into the RRHoF.

43. Kool & the Gang – Whether this band is giving us the funk or some smooth R&B sounds, the only American band to participate on Band Aid, Kool & the Gang should be immortalized in the Hall.

44. Kurtis Blow – Yes, the Sugarhill Gang had the first rap hit. But, it was Kurtis Blow who showed the world this new genre’s album potential. Plus, Blow was the first hip hop sex symbol. Blow’s absence in the Hall would be akin to Elvis being left out as well. No Blow in music, no hip hop replacing rock as the music of youth.

45. Link Wray – If you love the power chord sounds of The Who and AC/DC, then you need to thank this man, Link Wray. This Native American is the guitarist who invented this heavy guitar sound which has dominated rock ever since his first hit, the iconic “Rumble.”

46. Little Feat – After leaving Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, Lowell George put together this long-forgotten band to play his version of southern-fried, blues-based rock and roll. Perhaps, Little Feat is not held in the same esteem as Lynyrd Skynyrd because the band members were not good ol’ Southern boys, which is a shame because these guys were hot both in the studio and on stage.

47. Los Lobos – Minorities are sorely underrepresented in the Hall, especially those of Hispanic descent. Then, you throw in that these guys were commercially successful in the 80s and critically acclaimed THROUGHOUT their career. They are way more than their old #1 hit, the remake of the Richie Valens hit “La Bamba.”

48. Mariah Carey – So, the idea of a diva has been a role that women have accepted throughout time. When it comes to modern rock, after the women of the blues, jazz and country, we had Aretha Franklin, followed by Chaka Khan, Cher, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston and, then in 1990, came the next in line, Mariah Carey. Before she became the Queen of Christmas, Mariah was a dominant force on the pop, dance and R&B charts, racking up a stunning 19 #1 hits. Now that Whitney has been inducted, it’s time for Chaka AND Mariah to be added.

49. Mary J. Blige – By the mid-90s, Mariah was the current diva of the moment, becoming the first diva to have rappers integrated into her hits. Then, Mary J. Blige showed up, possessing a big voice just a step below Mariah’s range, but Blige was a woman of the streets, specifically those in the ghetto. That gave her street cred, so she became the first diva who grew totally immersed in a hip hop world. That explains why she was better equipped to straddle both worlds effortless. Yet, Ms. Blige is an artist for the ages.

50. Mary Wells – I cannot believe that the woman who kept Motown afloat in the early years of the label has still not been inducted. What’s up with that?

51. MC5 – Ladies and gentlemen, Detroit is NOT just Motown. In the late-60s, it was the birthplace of a sound that would come to be known as punk rock. So far, The Stooges, with Iggy Pop, and Alice Cooper (the original band and its lead singer who later took on the name Alice Cooper) were the two-thirds of the city’s big three. MC5 is the third that needs to be honored.

52. Missy Elliott – For a decade that ran from the mid-90s and early-Aughts, one person’s name seemed to be on every Top 10 either as a writer, producer or performer, and that woman’s name was Missy Elliott. During that ten-year period or so, she could do no wrong and appeared to be a Hall shoo-in. Then, she took a hiatus. Now, she appears to begin her wait this year.

53. Mötley Crüe – After Van Halen inadvertently started the glam (hair) metal era of the 80s, the next big thing in the genre was Mötley Crüe, who brought the bubblegum version of metal to the masses. The Crüe walked a fine line between rock rebels and caricatures of the rock lifestyle, often bouncing back and forth between the two extremes. But, if KISS can be inducted, then you gotta acknowledge the Crüe.

54. Motörhead – At the time, the thought of marrying the speed of punk with the virtuosity and loudness of metal bordered on sacrilege. Then came Motörhead came along and made it seem natural. Is Motörhead really metal? Personally, I don’t think so. But, they were the fastest hard rock band around. They are the evolutionary reason thrash metal started.

55. Nas – Until Jaÿ-Z showed consistency across many releases, many thought Nas would become the voice of NYC and East Coast rap. But, right after dropping his all-world debut, Illmatic, he was surpassed by Jigga. Still, Nas remains held in high regard to this day.

56. New York Dolls – When Glam rock was killing it in the UK, the States never really jumped on the bandwagon. Still, the New York Dolls thought they be the first truly American glam band. And, in response, America yawned. Yet, those who purchased that Todd Rundgren-produced self-titled debut album, they seemed to all start the punk bands who flood CBGB and Max’s Kansas City.

57. Oasis – By the 90s, grunge was all the rage over in the States. But, in the UK, who had experienced its own punk revolution in society back in 1977, teens were looking for something else. Then along came some homegrown bands who seemed to Americans to be power pop but with a very English point of view, much like marrying The Beatles/The Who/The Jam/The Kinks music with Kinks’ Ray Davies keen lyrics depicting everyday British life. The press called the music Britpop, and Oasis was the scene’s biggest export. They were able to translate to the American artist.

58. OutKast – The premiere rap duo of the Nineties and into the Aughts, this Atlanta-based hip hop group showed their allegiance to George Clinton’s Parliafunkadelicment Thang in their music and not being afraid to integrate rock, soul and Motown into the mix as it suited them.

59. Ozzy Osbourne – Seriously, how can the man who was fired from Sabbath and left for a dead career be left out of the Hall. Ozzy personifies metal, plain and simple. Hell, even his guitarist and songwriting partner is in the RRHoF through Musical Excellence, so let’s put aside the stupid bias toward metal and inducted the man himself.

60. Patsy Cline – Now that Dolly Parton has finally been inducted, it’s time for her musical forebearer, Patsy Cline, to receive the honor as well. I know that she’s a country singer, but her attitude, career, life and influence all scream, “Rock and roll!”

61. Paul Revere & the Raiders – According to my mom, Paul Revere & the Raiders were unofficially my favorite band (She would spin tales of me dancing in my playpen whenever the band’s music would play on the radio or TV.). Before they started wearing those stupid colonial outfits, The Raiders were a fantastic and exciting garage rock band from Seattle. Then, Dick Clark got ahold of them and pivoted them into becoming the greatest real live bubblegum band.

62. Phish – I understand that to most fans out there, the Dave Matthews Band is the jam band of the present, ascending to the mantle upon the death of Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia. But, hold on a minute! There is one better jam band, and that is Vermont’s Phish. Where DMB tends to sound the same throughout their albums, Phish is very accomplished and diverse. One Halloween, they are covering the Velvet Underground or Talking Heads, the next one they take on The Rolling Stones or Little Feat. Regardless, these guys rise to the occasion. The only time I saw them, they performed what Phish-heads happen to believe is one of the band’s top 15 live performances ever. They remain my favorite jam band to this day.

63. Pixies – I have read extensively about Kurt Cobain’s many influences, running the gamut from The Beatles to Cheap Trick to Hüsker Dü, but none provided the whole “loud-quiet-loud” dynamic with which Nirvana became known than Pixies. If they had come of age in the early-90s, they would be considered gods. However, they peaked in the late-80s, so they are held in esteem as godfathers of alternative music.

64. Queens of the Stone Age – By the late-90s, alternative rock and metal seemed to be mutating in a multitude of directions. So, it should not have been a big surprise when a band finally turned up the Sabbath sludge and slowed down the pace as if they had been smoking weed all day long. Thus, QOTSA invented stoner rock, paving the way for a band like Mastodon. Of course, if they are ever inducted, will they include Dave Grohl in the lineup? The man only played on the band’s biggest selling album, Songs for the Deaf, and played with the band on their subsequent tour.

65. Rage Against the Machine – Okay, Faith No More beat them to the rap/metal combo, but Rage perfected it, especially when you throw in guitarist Tom Morello’s ability to make his guitar into his very own DJ turntable. The band lived up to their sonic assault with some of rock’s most incendiary anti-capitalist lyrics. This band could incite a riot with their explosive sound alone. Throw in their lyrics, and I am moved to join them in the revolution.

66. Raspberries – Back in the early-70s, rock was either heavy (Sabbath, Zeppelin) or prog (Yes, Tull, ELP), yet no one was sounding like The Beatles, except for Badfinger. So, when four knuckleheads from Cleveland decided to marry the melodic sound of The Beatles with the power of early Who or Kinks, the press labeled them as bubblegum music. But what these critics seemed to miss is what the little girls understand: cute boys who make them dance are preferable to dirty hippies singing about trolls. Raspberries were responsible for punk, new wave and power pop when all those pre-teens grew up. Today, the band is held up by the Ramones, Springsteen, The Cars, The Bangles and power poppers everywhere as the geniuses that they were.

67. Rick James – I’m Rick James, bitch! Sure, that’s Dave Chappelle’s bit, but it’s true. James claims that Prince stole his schtick, don’t believe it. Rick James was as much about rock as funk, but his bass lines were always thicker and juicier than the Purple One’s. James had us dancing back in the late-70s and early-80s, and NO ONE should ever forget that! This man was a genius.

68. Rufus featuring Chaka Khan – For me, the voices of a generation begins with Billie Holliday, runs through Aretha Franklin and then is handed off to Chaka Khan. Enough is enough! At this point, I don’t care whether Rufus gets in with her or not, just stop nominating her and induct her. Wait a second! I do care! Rufus should be inducted too!

69. Sade – Was there a man on Earth who wasn’t in love with Sade back in the 80s? The cool thing is that the music seemed to be an extension of her looks and personality. All of it was cool, smooth and sultry. And whenever she releases another album, I guarantee it will debut in the Top 10, as all of her other albums have done no matter the time it takes to produce one.

70. Salt-N-Pepa – Some people just don’t understand how the Rock & ROLL Hall of Fame can induct rap, R&B and dance artists, but remember they all bring the ROLL to rock & ROLL. So, the stage is set to induct the most successful and influential all-female rap group of all-time. They broke through the machismo and discriminatory practices of hip hop in order to pave the road for Missy Elliott, Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion and a whole slew of women MCs.

71. Sleater-Kinney – When discussing female innovators, Sleater-Kinney needs to be included. They popped up in the 90s, and they pop/alternative/punk/grunge blend caught collective ears of alternative nation and hipsters every where not just for their brilliant songwriting but their influential musicianship as well. In a perfect world, SK would be shoo-ins.

72. Sonic Youth – Yet another of the 80s godfathers and godmother of the 90s alternative nation. These three men and a woman began as a NYC art noise band but ended up as one of alternative rock’s most important bands. They are long overdue their induction.

73. Soundgarden – Speaking of being long overdue on their induction, may I present Soundgarden, one of Seattle’s Big Four grunge bands. Their run of late-80s and 90s albums of Ultramega OK, Badmotorfinger and Superunknown did as much for the advancement of grunge and alternative music as any other band.

74. Sting – The former lead singer of The Police has had an interesting solo career. He started off with a bang in the 80s, maintained the momentum through most of the 90s and, then, in the 21st century went into full-blown experimental mode, all while maintaining his sterling reputation. He should follow Stevie Nicks into the Hall as members of immortal groups and having an influential solo career.

75. Styx – If you want to fully represent the AOR sound with some of the best artists, then Styx is your group. At one time in my high school years of the late-70s/early-80s, Styx was reported to be the biggest album-selling artist of all. People of my age group tend to only agree on three bands: Journey, Foreigner and Styx.

76. Supertramp – This band was not quite prog, not quite AOR and not quite pure pop. Still, whatever their musical combination was, it was popular with my age group. While Breakfast in America was their biggest seller, please check out Crime of the Century and Even in the Quietest Moments for proof of the strength of their resumé.

77. Tears for Fears – Tears for Fears began as a synthpop band, but subtly transitioned into one of the 80s finest pop/rock bands with big selling albums and singles. Couple their past with their unexpected and surprisingly comeback this year with the release of their excellent album The Tipping Point, the time seems right for their nomination.

78. Television – Of all the bands from the original CBGB punk scene in NYC, Television is the biggest band with all the critical praise still on the outside looking in at the Hall. They have been long overdue for the honor. Television was the jam band of the punk era, if they can even be described in that manner.

79. The B-52’s – The B-52’s have been huge with the Hall Watchers for years. The band started the whole Athens, Georgia, scene in the late-70s that R.E.M. came from. This band brought the party back to rock music which was sorely missing in the waning days of disco and the ascension of new wave. After The B-52’s danced their way through the door, Duran Duran, The Human League and every other artist dress in 60s kitsch with strange haircuts followed. New wave had the perfect visual for the early days of MTV, and The B-52’s were one of the first. They sure had my high school abuzz after their appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1980.

80. The Bangles – With The Go-Go’s inducted, people looking for another all-female band turned their attention to The Bangles. While The Go-Go’s came from the LA punk scene, The Bangles were a product of a much different and more musically diverse Paisley Underground scene in LA. The Bangles drew inspiration from The Beatles, but also from The Zombies, Buffalo Springfield, Love and other bands who arose during the psychedelic pop days of the late-60s. While the band’s musicianship was impeccable, their super power was the classic lineup’s four-part harmonies.

81. The Carter Family – The pre-eminent country/hillbilly family needs induction for their influence alone. But, remember Johnny Cash’s wife, June Carter Cash, played an important role in JC’s earlier comeback, flexing her rock & roll muscles in “Ring of Fire,” which she co-wrote. But, her parents, grandparents and siblings all combined to write and record some of country music’s most important music, many of which were recorded by rock artists from many eras.

82. The J. Geils Band – This Boston R&B-based rock & roll party band made some noise throughout the 70s, but it wasn’t until the band incorporated some new wave flourishes on their Love Stinks and Freeze-Frame albums that they reached the commercial mountaintop. Their concerts were legendary for their party atmosphere and ability to rock. Some even go as far as to say The J. Geils Band, on a good night, could rival Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band in both band’s heydays. I don’t know if it’s true, but their live albums indicate Geils was awfully good in concert.

83. The Jam – In the original London punk scene, there were the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Jam. Of the three, The Jam became the biggest band in the UK, while only achieving cult status here in the States. The Jam was my favorite punk band for a couple of reasons. First, they never neglected an R&B influence, much like the early days of The Who. Second, and perhaps most important, The Jam had the best singer/songwriter of the lot in Paul Weller. The Rock Hall needs to recognize that America does NOT have the final say on greatness. Sometimes, the Brits are correct.

84. The Marvelettes – All of the big selling 60s artists of Motown are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, except for Mary Wells and this group. How can the singing group that gave us “Please Mr. Postman” be left out of the Hall for so long?

85. The Monkees – For kids of the 70s, Saturdays were the days we watched The Monkees reruns. So why on Earth would my age group and younger not think The Monkees belong in the RRHoF? They were our Beatles. Who cares that they didn’t write their own hits?!?! Hell, Elvis didn’t! Put in The Monkees BEFORE Mickey and Mike leave us!

86. The Pointer Sisters – Recently, I was listening to The Pointer Sisters big breakout album from 1983 Break Out and realized that I had been underselling these women for way too long. They had spectacular vocals and chose fantastic songs to record. And, you can pick out their influences everywhere on that album alone. Personally, I’m going to do a deeper dive into their catalog.

87. The Replacements – The Replacements were one of my favorite bands from the mid-80s. When Paul Westerberg was on lyrically, no one compared to him. Add to it The Mats sloppy way of playing, and you got one of the loosest, wildest, craziest rock bands on the planet. You cannot over-sell their whole catalog at all. The band was just that good. I remember an article in a rock magazine stating that The Mats were to R.E.M. as The Kinks were to The Beatles. I think the author hit the nail on the head.

88. The Runaways – By the mid-70s, society was crying for an all-woman rock band. Unfortunately, Fanny didn’t strike a nerve earlier in that decade. Then, in 1976, a group of all underage teenage girls were put together by rock impresario (and local pervert) Kim Fowley. These girls could play a glam/punk/metal hodge podge of rock, included future Hall of Fame Joan Jett, future metal goddess Lita Ford, future actress Cheri Curie, future Jeopardy champion Jackie (Fuchs) Fox and drummer supreme Sandy West. Although The Runaways did not make an immediate commercial dent, over the years their influence has reached nearly every female artist over the years.

89. The Shangri-La’s – When punk and new wave first popped up, it seemed as though every female artist/musician were patterning their look and sound after these tough NYC women. They had the hits, while those songs continue to influence future generations of female rockers.

90. The Smashing Pumpkins – Coming out of Chicago as the city’s answer to Seattle’s grunge movement, Billy Corgan and his Smashing Pumpkins are not jumping off from Black Sabbath and punk but rather taking the sonic assault of Boston and Cheap Trick and funneling it through some new wave and some punk. Their magnum opus Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and their more streamlined Siamese Dream are two of the 90s greatest albums.

91. The Smiths – In the USA, we had our jangle jingled in the 80s by R.E.M., but in Britain, the kids where getting their jangle fix from The Smiths. If you draw a line of the quintessential British artists beginning with The Beatles extending to The Who then The Kinks and the glam rockers up to The Jam, the next stop would be The Smiths before the ascension of The Stone Roses and Britpop.

92. The Spinners – In the 70s and early-80s, The Spinners were the finest vocal group could combined the best qualities of soul’s history from Detroit, New York, Memphis and Philadelphia. Their enshrinement has be so very long overdue.

93. Thin Lizzy – Between the reigns of Van Morrison and U2 as Ireland’s best rockers, there was a band that combined the street-wise lyrics of Springsteen with the hard rock of Boston that appealed to heartland rockers, AOR fans and metalheads across the world who briefly filled the void. That band was Thin Lizzy, a band led by a black lead singer and bassist that, when the band was at its strongest and most influential, sported a 1,2- lead guitar punch of Scott Gorman and Gary Moore which influenced bands like Judas Priest, Def Leppard and Iron Maiden to all follow down a similar road with utilizing multiple lead guitarists.

94. Tommy James & the Shondells – Say what you will about Tommy James and his backing band, their influence has stretched through the ages. Boomers considered the group a bubblegum band, but younger Boomers and Gen X-ers all wanted to be them. From the punk rock of Ramones and The Runaways to the hits of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (“Crimson and Clover”), teenage pop princess Tiffany (“I Think We’re Alone Now”) and Billy Idol (“Mony, Mony”) all expressed their love of Tommy James. This band is now considered to be the quintessential pop/rock band of the late-60s.

95. War – One of the great bands from East LA, War was a multicultural band with the musical versatility be able to verve from funk to rock to jazz to pop with no regard to anything but their muse. Yes, the band members were white, black and Latino, but that’s not the story. No, War’s story is there musical diversity and virtuosity. Yet, another band who’s induction is long overdue.

96. Warren Zevon – I honestly thought that Warren Zevon was one of those artists who were held in such high esteem that he was be a shoo-in for induction within three years of his untimely death in 2003. Yet, here we are on the cusp of the 20th anniversary of his passing, and Zevon still remains uninducted. That is a travesty. Zevon is so very much more than “Werewolves of London,” or any of the songs that Linda Ronstadt covered. The man was a brilliant acerbic satirist within the confines of a rock star.

97. Weezer – I refer to Weezer as the Cheap Trick of the 90s. Hear me out. Both play melodic songs dressed up with hard rock guitars. Also, both tend to be lumped into the power pop label at one time or another but are much more than that definition. Weezer has created some of the greatest pop/rock songs of the late-20th and early-21st centuries. I just hope that Weezer doesn’t have to wait as long as Cheap Trick did to be inducted.

98. “Weird Al” Yankovic – Over the years, many comedians have embraced a rock & roll or hip hop attitude and brought it to their art. From Cheech & Chong to Eddie Murphy to Sam Kinison to Dave Chappelle all have been called rock stars of comedy. But, there is one who works within the musical medium at such a high level that nearly every hitmaker hopes that “Weird Al” Yankovic parodies the artists’ hits. And to do this at such a high level as “Weird Al” has since the early-80s, his longevity only enhances his argument. As a matter of fact, Al’s last album, Mandatory Fun (released in 2014), debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart.

99. Willie Nelson – Asked any musical star still alive today who their favorite and most important country artist is, they all would say either Dolly Parton or Willie Nelson. Now that Dolly has been inducted, it is now Willie’s moment. He is such a beloved artist, that he has created albums full of reggae and Great American Songbook standards. His attitude and career arc have been influential for three generations of rock, pop and hip hop artists.

100. Wu-Tang Clan – How can rap’s greatest coterie of artists still not be in the Hall? What’s up with that? Everyone who is a music fan knows how important Wu-Tang Clan has been for all of rock & roll, not just hip hop. Plus, any group that has Ol’ Dirty Bastard (ODB) should be inducted on that fact alone. I think we all know that RZA is a genius.

Who would be your 16 nominees from this list? Let me know below. I will let you know who I am predicting to be on this upcoming nomination list for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023. See y’all later! Peace and love.

Halloween 2022: 150 Spook-tacular Songs for Your Holiday Playlist

I am not sure if what I am going to say is true or not, but I believe that Halloween did not begin to gain steam as a major holiday until the people who grew up in the 1970s became adults. If you use rock and roll music as a focal point, most songs in the Fifties and Sixties were of the novelty variety while “scary” movies were mainly cheaply made B-movies, outside of the great Alfred Hitchcock films.

But. when the Seventies rolled around, more and more kids were trick-or-treating in their suburban neighborhoods (literally hundreds of kids were out in mine), so my generation of musicians, especially those in the late-70s, embraced the irony of 60s-novelty chic, which meant Halloween became not only a big night of parties, but also a month of songs, artists and films all catering to the celebration of the holiday. Look, the Halloween, Friday the Thirteenth and Nightmare on Elm Street movie franchises got their starts in the late-70s and early-80s. Bands like Black Sabbath and the whole metal genre joined in the fun by embracing the darkness with a tongue-in-cheek wink. Out in LA, the town’s punk scene seemed to wrap themselves in the macabre behind the music of the Misfits, while down similar bands popped up throughout the world at the same time taking their cues from those B-movies such as The Cramps. And, during my college days, every Halloween had a major party of which I attended, be it off-campus or at my fraternity house, with costumes being mandatory.

So, when my generation began to have children, we, as parents, raised the ante even more. Slowly, trick-or-treating and parties led to huge yard displays and decorations that dominate today’s Halloween. And, since Halloween parties all need music, as forty more years have passed since my first college Halloween party. Nowadays, the music is much more than “Thriller” interspersed with Alvin & the Chipmunks doing “Witch Doctor” and Sheb Wooley’s “The Purple People Eater,” among others.

Now, we have all kinds of music available, one could hold a dance with only Halloween-themed music. Or, at least, we now have many songs whose titles make sense within the Halloween context. Personally, I like a keep a playlist of any song that has a title, subject matter and/or place in a horror movie’s soundtrack. From that huge playlist, I can then pull out more appropriate songs for the crowd of the party where my music will be played.

But, for today’s blog, I have chosen my 150 favorite songs that I have used in Halloween playlists over the years. From those suggestions, you can make your own. If you are providing the tunes for a party of junior high, high school, college or post-college twenty-something people, then hit the dance tunes had but intersperse some non-Halloween tunes to keep the dance floor full. If your party is full of the over-40 crowd, dancing is not important, so stick to the Halloween music, mix the genres liberally and hit shuffle. My suggestion is that you should have at least four hours of music for the old fogies, while you might need six or seven hours of tunes for the yunguns. One other thing you should add is a smattering of short Halloween sound effects, just to break up the music or play it over the top to enhance those said tunes during prolonged instrumental sections.

Those a few suggestions for any budding DJ/playlist master. The biggest thing will always be to know your crowd. That dictates what you play. “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” might be a great choice for a Boomer or Gen X party but will fall flat with most Millennials and Gen Y-ers.

So, with all that pontificating over, here are my personal favorite Halloween songs. If you have any suggestions of songs not on my list, please pass them on to me. I am not omniscient. The songs are listed in alphabetical order of the artists’ names.

AC/DC – “Highway to Hell”
Alice Cooper – “Feed My Frankenstein”
Alice Cooper – “Welcome to My Nightmare”
Andrew Gold – “Spooky, Scary Skeletons”
Annie Lennox – “Love Song for a Vampire”
Atlanta Rhythm Section – “Spooky”
Bauhaus – “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”
Beyoncé – “Haunted”
Billie Eilish – “bury a friend”
Billy Idol – “Eyes Without a Face”
Black Sabbath – “Black Sabbath”
Blue Öyster Cult – “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”
Bobby “Boris” Pickett & the Crypt Kickers Five – “Monster Mash”
Bow Wow Wow – “I Want Candy”
Britney Spears – “Toxic”
Cat Power – “Werewolf”
Cerrone – “Supernature”
Charlie Daniels Band – “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”
Cliff Richard – “Devil Woman”
Concrete Blonde – “Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)”
Cream – “Strange Brew”
Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Bad Moon Rising”
Danzig – “Mother”
Daryl Hall & John Oates – “Maneater”
Dave Edmunds – “The Creature from the Black Lagoon”
David Bowie – “Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)”
Dead Kennedys – “Halloween”
Depeche Mode – “Strangelove”
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince – “A Nightmare on My Street”
Duran Duran – “Hungry Like the Wolf”
Dusty Springfield – “Spooky”
Eagles – “Witchy Woman”
Echo & the Bunnymen – “The Killing Moon”
Edgar Winter Group – “Frankenstein”
Electric Light Orchestra – “Evil Woman”
Elvis Presley – “(You’re The) Devil in Disguise”
Eminem ft. Rihanna – “The Monster”
Fall Out Boy – “Uma Thurman”
Fifth Harmony – “I’m in Love with a Monster”
Frank Sinatra – “Witchcraft”
Fred Schneider & the Shake Society – “Monster”
Gorillaz – “Dracula”
Halsey – “Nightmare”
Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora – “Black Widow”
Imagine Dragons – “Demons”
INXS – “The Devil Inside”
Iron Maiden – “Fear of the Dark”
John Carpenter – “Halloween Theme”
John Zacherle “The Cool Ghoul” – “Dinner with Drac”
Johnny Cash – “The Man Comes Around”
Joy Division – “Dead Souls”
Kanye West ft. Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross & Bon Iver – “Monster”
Kate Bush – “Waking the Witch”
Katy Perry ft. Kanye West – “E.T.”
Kesha – “Cannibal”
King Harvest – “Dancing in the Moonlight”
Kristin Hersch – “Your Ghost”
Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein – “Stranger Things Theme”
Lady Gaga – “Monster”
Lana Del Rey – “Season of the Witch”
Louis Armstrong – “The Skeleton in the Closet”
Luniz ft. Michael Marshall – “I Put 5 on It”
Marilyn Manson – “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”
Marilyn Manson – “Tainted Love”
Meat Loaf – “Bat Out of Hell”
Metallica – “Enter Sandman”
Michael Jackson – “Thriller”
Mike Oldfield – “Tubular Bells Pt. 1”
Ministry – “Everyday Is Like Halloween”
Misfits – “Halloween”
Misfits – “Skulls”
Misfits – “Vampira”
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels – “Devil with a Blue Dress”
Mötley Crüe – “Shout at the Devil”
Motor City Soundtrack – “Pulp Fiction”
Mudhoney – “Halloween”
Muse – “You Make It Feel Like Halloween”
Nelly Furtado – “Maneater”
New Order – “Elegia”
New York Dolls – “Frankenstein”
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – “Red Right Hand”
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – “The Mercy Seat”
Nine Inch Nails – “Dead Souls”
No Doubt – “Spiderwebs”
Oingo Boingo – “Dead Man’s Party”
OutKast ft. Kesha – “Dracula’s Wedding”
Ozzy Osbourne – “Bark at the Moon”
Ozzy Osbourne – “Mr. Crowley”
P!nk – “Funhouse”
Peter Gabriel – “Intruder”
Phoebe Bridgers – “Halloween”
Queens of the Stone Age – “Burn the Witch”
Radiohead – “Creep”
Ramones – “Pet Semetary”
Ray Parker Jr. – “Ghostbusters”
Redbone – “Witch Queen of New Orleans”
Richard O’Brien, et. al. (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) – “Time Warp”
Rick James – “Super Freak”
Rihanna – “Disturbia”
Rob Zombie – “Dragula”
Rockwell – “Somebody’s Watching Me”
Santana – “Black Magic Woman”
Santana – “Evil Ways”
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – “I Put a Spell on You”
Screaming Lord Sutch – “Jack the Ripper”
Selena Gomez ft. marshmello – “Wolves”
Shakira – “She Wolf”
Sheb Wooley – “The Purple People Eater”
Sinéad O’Connor – “I Am Stretched on Your Grave”
Siouxsie & the Banshees – “Halloween”
Siouxsie & the Banshees – “Spellbound”
Squirrel Nut Zippers – “Hell”
Steve Miller Band – “Abracadabra”
Stevie Wonder – “Superstition”
Talking Heads – “Psycho Killer”
Taylor Swift – “Haunted”
Tegan & Sara – “Walking with a Ghost”
The B-52’s – “Devil in My Car”
The Beatles – “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”
The Birthday Party – “Release the Bats”
The Black Keys – “Howlin’ for You”
The Citizens of Halloween (A Nightmare Before Christmas) – “This Is Halloween”
The Clovers – “Love Potion #9”
The Cramps – “Creature from the Black Leather Lagoon”
The Cramps – “I Was a Teenage Werewolf”
The Cranberries – “Zombie”
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown – “Fire”
The Cure – “A Forest”
The Cure – “Lullaby”
The Doors – “People Are Strange”
The Dream Syndicate – “Halloween”
The Human League – “Seconds”
The Lovin’ Spoonful – “Do You Believe in Magic?”
The Psychedelic Furs – “The Ghost in You”
The Rolling Stones – “Sympathy for the Devil”
The Smiths – “Cemetery Gates”
The Specials – “Ghost Town”
The Who – “Boris the Spider”
twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
Type O Negative – “All Hallows Eve”
Van Halen – “Running with the Devil”
Van Morrison – “Moondance”
Vic Mizzy – “The Addams Family Theme”
Vince Guaraldi Trio – “The Great Pumpkin Waltz”
Violent Femmes – “Country Death Song”
Warren Zevon – “Werewolves of London”
White Zombie – “I’m Your Boogie Man”
Whodini – “The Freaks Come Out at Night”
XTC – “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Heads Will Roll

50 (Or Is It 54) Greatest Hits Albums You Gotta Own

Greatest Hits albums have been around since the beginning of the whole recorded album era. These compilations of an artist’s most popular music is an efficient way. If properly arranged, these albums will have every hit by the artist up to that point in which the album was made. Plus, the record company may also throw in some prime deep cuts.

Aerosmith during their “hazy” 70s phase.

Yet, for whatever reason, record companies, or the artist themselves, may choose to throw in a remix or live version of a popular song or two in the place of the version that was the hit. Or, some hits may be completely left off the package in favor of some lame deep cut or a newly recorded song or two. When this happens, the fans become very frustrated, making them cynical about all greatest hits albums.

John Mellencamp on ‘American Bandstand’ in 1982 when he was still John Cougar.

Now, back in the Nineties, when CDs were the ruling medium, these packages became a popular way for Boomers to replace their love of an artist without breaking the bank. Additionally, Gen X-ers and Millennials both found this compilations enticing. So, as vinyl made a comeback, those “best of” collections became the “go-to” album for many artists for Generation Z.

Perhaps, these types of albums should be the way most people go when beginning a music collection. You could truly have a nice collection based mainly on these compilations, then interspersing albums of your choosing.

Of all the greatest hits packages that have been running around over the years, I have chosen compilations by 50 artists, though there are four artists who have two essential collections worth owning. What follows is my unranked list of greatest hits albums that would make a pretty solid collection basis.

ABBA – Gold: Greatest Hits (1992)
Aerosmith – Greatest Hits (1980)
Al Green – Greatest Hits (1975)
Bee Gees – The Ultimate Bee Gees (2009)
Billy Joel – Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2 (1985)
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Legend (1984)
Chic – The Very Best of Chic (2000)
Chicago – The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning (2002)
Chuck Berry – The Great Twenty-Eight (1982)
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – So Far… (1974)
Daryl Hall & John Oates – The Very Best of Daryl Hall & John Oates (2001)
David Bowie – Best of Bowie (2002)
Def Leppard – Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits 1980-1995 (1995)
Donna Summer – Endless Summer: Donna Summer’s Greatest Hits (1995)
Duran Duran – Greatest (1998)
Eagles – Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 (1976)
Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970-2002 (2002)
Elvis Presley – ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits (2002)
Green Day – International Superhits (2001)
James Brown – 20 All-Time Greatest Hits (1991)
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Smash Hits (1969)
John Mellencamp – Words & Music: John Mellencamp’s Greatest Hits (2004)
Johnny Cash – The Legend of Johnny Cash (2005)
Journey – Greatest Hits (1988)
Kate Bush – The Whole Story (1986)
Leonard Cohen – Greatest Hits (1975)
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gold & Platinum (1979)
Madonna – The Immaculate Collection (1990)
Neil Young – Decade (1977)
New Order – Substance 1987 (1987)
Nirvana – Nirvana (2002)
Ozzy Osbourne – The Ozzman Cometh: Greatest Hits (2002)
Queen – Greatest Hits (1994)/Greatest Hits II (1991)
R.E.M. – Eponymous (1988)/In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1989-2003 (2003)
Sade – The Essential Sade (2014)
Sly & the Family Stone – The Essential Sly & the Family Stone (2002)
Stevie Wonder – The Definitive Collection (2002)
The Band – Greatest Hits (2000)
The Beach Boys – Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys (2003)
The Beatles – 1962-1966 [“Red Album”]/1967-1970 [“Blue Album”] (1971)
The Cars – Greatest Hits (1985)
The Cure – Staring at the Sea: The Singles (1986)/Galore: The Singles 1987-1997 (1997)
The Jam – Snap! (1983)
The Monkees – The Best of The Monkees (2003)
The Rolling Stones – Hot Rocks 1964-1971 (1972)
The Smiths – The Sound of The Smiths (2008)
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Greatest Hits (1993)
U2 – The Best of 1980-1990 (1998)
Van Halen – Best of Both Worlds (2004)

Although a few artists like Pink Floyd, The Who and Bruce Springsteen have excellent compilations available, I still feel like their studio albums better represent their artistry than these watered down sets. Plus, there are many other artists who have excellent compilations. Major artists like Pearl Jam and Tina Turner have great collections too, as do some more obscure bands like Buzzcocks and Siouxsie & the Banshees have excellent sets as well.

My Bangles Top 40

It seems that 2022 has been the year for rekindling college friendships. I have been in contact with a few fraternity brothers after our 2017 reunion, but it was the people with whom I had an everyday life in the dormitory that I have been catching up with lately. First, over the summer, a good college friend from the coterie of people of around 30 contacted me. We met during the summer for a lunch and had a great time getting caught up. Brian Gough, who himself has been the midst of doing a tour around to meet up with the college crew, inspired me to do the same.

Following that, I contacted two men who live only 22 MINUTES from me, and after 30 years of not seeing each other, Steve Lepper and Ron Lawson brought their wives over to the Keller homestead. The evening lasted a good four hours that was filled with many great stories of the knuckleheaded things we did back in our “prime.” We laughed so loud and often that we had to be irritating to my neighbors, but, honestly, I did not care. These men played an important part in my developmental years. We all had ventured to Houston for a spring break during my freshman year. Plus, Ron and I had been roommates during our sophomore year, though we both acknowledge that we were much better friends outside of our room than in it together. But that was part of the growing experience as well. The weekend was great for our souls, as our wives all agreed that our stories kept them in stitches.

Next, we have got to get Tim Hubbart back up here for a weekend or longer. Tim was a major part of my life as he was my Little Brother in our fraternity, part of the dormitory gang AND a fellow microbiology major with me. Many of you may be developing sympathy for that man, but keep in mind that he chose to split a Domino’s pepperoni and mushroom pizza with me nearly every Friday I worked from 1 in the afternoon to 6 that evening cleaning the cafeteria floors during my freshman year. Now, that’s a loyal friend!

Also, we have to get my old roommate and partner-in-crime Bruce Rueter back in the mix. He and I pushed each other to new heights of debauchery as friends our sophomore year and roommates our junior year. He was a Physical Therapy major, so you’d think our room would have been a den of study and academics. Alas, no, the reality is that he was the smartest person I ever knew, and neither of us had a penchant for study. But, we could sure fake people into thinking we were studying. Plus, we held some of the most epic and dynamic dormitory parties ever. And, why a blind eye was turned on us remains a mystery to this very day. [Note: I DO know why, but I will save that story for another blog entry when it fits. Or doesn’t. You know my writing by now.]

Now, our group was not a men’s club. We were all-inclusive, as the women had to have strong personalities and smart mouths to deal with us. Recently, one has popped back into our lives from Facebook is Jenny Butler. Jenny was kind of the innocent mother-hen who overlooked our shenanigans and became the person who was most often pranked. Then there was Dawn English, who was a couple years ahead of me in high school, who could cut a guy down with the sharpest wit. Dawn may have been 5-foot nothing but her personality could fill the room with her biting sarcasm. That’s why she was perfect for the group.

There are just way too many people to list in one entry that were part of the group. I was blessed to have met all of them in the dormitory complex in which we lived. The crazy thing is that we all became successful as adults. We helped each other navigate that crazy time in your life as you transition for children to adults. Yes, we’ve all been battered and bruised, but we came out wiser. No, we did not face a war together, so we weren’t collectively dealing with those ramifications. But, we survived even though Saturday Night Live was at its worst, though Eddie Murphy was our hero. Still, the music of the day continues to resonate across the generations, which is both sad and cool. It’s sad to me because I thought rock music would continue to dominate in some form (Wait a second! You keep saying hip hop is the new rock & roll! Yes, it is. But, it’s not the big culturally binding thing in young people’s lives as it had once been.) It’s cool since my grandkids seem to love Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen music.

So, what’s this got to do with the Bangles? Well, they women did appear on the scene in 1981, first as The Bangs. But, some New Jersey band threatened a lawsuit, so Susanna Hoffs and the Peterson sisters, Vickie and Debbi, along with original bassist Annette Zalinskas changed their name to the Bangles and released an excellent EP entitled Bangles. That’s when I first heard the band. I loved their punky take on the Sixties musical icons of the “three Bs,” Beatles, Byrds and Buffalo Springfield. Immediately, I noticed that the first three women (Hoffs and the Petersons) sang in beautiful harmonies. But, those three felt that Annette needed to be replaced. Once they hired former Runaways bassist/singer Michael Steele, the classic lineup was set. What Steele brought to the group, besides her excellent bass lines, was a fourth part to the band’s harmonies, making their vocals pop in their songs.

By the time 1984 rolled around, I had discovered The Go-Go’s, R.E.M. and a bunch of other bands that shared either a punky sound or a jangly guitar sound. So, when the Bangles released their first full-length album, All Over the Place, I knew I found a group to follow because of their punky jangle with their Mamas and Papas-like harmonies. And when a band has gems like “Going Down to Liverpool” and “Hero Takes a Fall,” you just know they have the goods.

By the time 1986, the musical landscape was ready for a group like the Bangles, who combined the musical chops, the right songs, the vocal harmonies and the telegenic looks to become big musical stars. Yet, it was a little pop gem written by the hottest artist at the time named Prince, though the songwriting was credited to “Christopher,” “Manic Monday” had some tells in the lyrics that gave away Prince’s involvement. After that song took the band to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, the Bangles were ready to ascend to the top. And ascend they did.

After a great four-year run of hits, the Bangles imploded over people kept pulling Susanna Hoffs out as the lead singer. She became something of a Katherine Hepburn of the Eighties, and it must have been a pretty heady thing for her to receive all of the attention. That struggle led to the band to break up until after the women either got married and had children or got their solo careers out of their systems. But as the Nineties waned, the women were finally pulled back together to record a song for the second Austin Powers film. After that, the group stayed together, recorded an excellent but sadly overlooked album called Doll Revolution, toured, then went on hiatus from which Michael Steele would never return.

Fast forward to 2011, the original trio of women reunited to record a great album of new material entitled Sweetheart of the Sun. The album was produced by power pop great Matthew Sweet, who allowed the Bangles’ sound to be roughed up a bit, removing the Eighties production gloss that often kept the band from gaining the male following that is often crucial to a band’s longevity. Still, if you have ever seen or heard this band live, you know how hard they rock.

Now, the Bangles do go out on the road for small tours. The crazy thing is that Annette Zilinskas has rejoined the lineup, holding down the bass work on a little Record Store Day special album release called 3×4, with The Dream Syndicate, The Three O’Clock and Rain Parade, all four part of the LA scene called The Paisley Underground. On the album, three of the bands recorded songs by the fourth band. The cool thing was The Bangles outshined the other bands with their great takes on cover songs. Unfortunately, those three songs remain the last new recordings we have heard from The Bangles.

As I have stated before, I believe The Bangles deserve to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The sad part is that their music is only found on classic pop hits stations, when they deserve to be added to classic alternative and rock station playlists. If you don’t believe, here is a list of 40 of their songs to prove my point for both cases.

40. “That’s What You Always Say” (3×4, 2018)

39. “He’s Got a Secret” (All Over the Place, 1984)

38. “Under a Cloud” (Sweetheart of the Sun, 2011)

37. “I Got Nothing” (The Goonies OST, 1985)

36. “Ride the Rid” (Doll Revolution, 2003)

35. “Talking in My Sleep” (3×4, 2018)

34. “Get the Girl” (More Songs from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me OST, 1999)

33. “I Will Take Care of You” (Doll Revolution, 2003)

32. “The Rain Song” (Doll Revolution, 2003)

31. “How Is the Air Up There?” (Bangles EP, 1982)

30. “More Than Meets the Eye” (All Over the Place, 1984)

29. “I’ll Set You Free” (Everything, 1988)

28. “Let It Go” (Different Light, 1986)

27. “James” (All Over the Place, 1984)

26. “Jet Fighter” (3×4, 2018)

25. “I’m in Line” (Bangles EP, 1982)

24. “Everything I Wanted” (Greatest Hits, 1990)

23. “Be with You” (Everything, 1988)

22. “What I Meant to Say” (B-side “Eternal Flame,” 1988)

21. “Where Were You When I Needed You” (B-side “Hero Takes a Fall,” 1984)

20. “Not Like You” (Different Light, 1986)

19. “Live” (All Over the Place, 1984)

18. “Anna Lee” (Sweetheart of the Sun, 2011)

17. “Something That You Said” (Doll Revolution, 2003)

16. “Walking Down Your Street” (Different Light, 1986)

15. “The Real World” (Bangles EP, 1982)

14. “Walk Like an Egyptian” (Different Light, 1986)

13. “Getting Out of Hand” (single by The Bangs, 1981)

12. “Dover Beach” (All Over the Place, 1984)

11. “In Your Room” (Everything, 1988)

10. “Standing in the Hallway” (Different Light, 1986). Maybe the subject matter hasn’t aged all that well, but the power pop setting is eternal.

9. “Going Down to Liverpool” (All Over the Place, 1984). This is the sound of a young band finding their footing. It is a Kimberly Rew song, of Katrina & the Waves fame. The Bangles bring the song alive and make it their own.

8. “If She Knew What She Wants” (Different Light, 1986). A Jules Sheer gem that was overlooked on his album. Once again, the Bangles spread a little of the magic dust over it and record the definitive version of the song. Once again, I think its their vocals that makes even more special.

7. “Tear Off Your Own Head (It’s a Doll Revolution)” (Doll Revolution, 2003). The definitive version of an Elvis Costello song that everyone should hear! This is the true identity of the band.

6. “Eternal Flame” (Everything, 1988). So, I know Vickie has issues with this song, but when I heard it I immediately recognized that the ladies had created a Beatles song that was worthy of either Rubber Soul or Revolver. That’s some high praise.

5. “Manic Monday” (Different Light, 1986). If you’ve heard Prince’s take on this song he wrote, you know it’s a good song. But, in the Bangles’ hands, it becomes a pop masterpiece. I love the way the Bangles make the music swirl. Plus, their vocals are the secret ingredient.

4. “Following” (Different Light, 1986). This Michael Steele song is a folkish tune worthy of CSNY. Still, it is simply magical in the Bangles’ hands.

3. “Hero Takes a Fall” (All Over the Place, 1984). Here is the greatest song written by the band. Hands down! This is a rock classic.

2. “September Gurls” (Different Light, 1986). This song is one of my favorite Big Star songs, wonderfully written and sung from a man’s point of view. Yet, something magical when the Bangles play and sing it from a woman’s perspective that simply makes the song transcendent.

1. “Hazy Shade of Winter” (Less Than Zero OST, 1987). This Simon & Garfunkel song is the definitive Bangles recording. The ladies laid the hammer down and pummeled this version into history. Perfect vocals, showcasing EVERY Bangle’s beautiful solo voices buttressed by their harmonies. Debbi Peterson is just abusing the drums with power and finesse, while Michael Steele’s bass runs are mind-melding. Yet, Vickie Peterson becomes a guitar hero with her playing throughout the song. These woman do NOT get enough credit for their playing and arranging.

See? The Bangles belong in the RRHOF, on rock radio AND, dammit, immortalized as Funko Pops!

Here’s to Taylor Hawkins: My Foo Fighters Top 40

I can’t believe that the last time that rock music had a cogent and important movement which emanated from primarily one city (Seattle) was around 30 years ago! Seriously?!?! Yep, it’s been over 30 years now since the Big Four of grunge and a bunch of alternative music personalities momentarily lit up the rock world. If you are an older Gen X person as I am according to more recent timelines, the number of decades which have passed is staggering since many of us remember when people labelled this music in the Eighties as college rock or modern rock.

Looking back to that time of the early- to mid-Nineties, I remember my having the CDs by such alternative luminaries in my CD players as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, The Offspring, Liz Phair, Alanis Morissette, among many others. It was a very heady five year period of time when some of the best music of the moment was also its most popular. But, when looking back at that brief list, I find it surprising that only two of those artists have continued with their lineup and sound relatively intact, Pearl Jam and Green Day. Alanis and Liz both were in a more pop direction, while Nirvana, Alice, Soundgarden and STP all lost their distinctive lead singers to mental health issues. The Offspring keeps trudging onward, though at a much reduced profile. And, finally, the Pumpkins became lead singer and guitarist Billy Corgan’s vehicle, with its original lineup jettisoned shortly after the big success arrived.

Some may say that grunge ended with the death of Nirvana’s visionary leader Kurt Cobain, and I would agree that the commercial appeal of most grunge music did become passé in Kurt’s death. But, Cobain’s suicide also signified the end of the “anti-rock star,” an artist who shunned the spotlight often thrust upon the rock personalities from the beginning of the musical form in the Fifties. Oddly, though, was the end of Nirvana allowed one member to stake his claim to the title of rock’s LAST rock star. Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl would eventually put down his drumsticks, pick up a guitar and grow into one of rock last and truly charismatic frontmen.

I have memories of my high school students at the time being intrigued by the possibility of Grohl carrying the torch for Nirvana music. While Grohl kept the sonic nature of Nirvana’s music intact, he took a more mainstream, nearly classic rock, approach to his music all the while celebrating his punk roots. Plus, Grohl, under the moniker Foo Fighters, created a sound that actually combined everything in which a Gen X-er would have grown up listening to. In fact, Grohl has said that every one of his Nirvana drum introductions was nicked from the Gap Band, Chic or some other funk band of the Seventies and Eighties (yet another reason why R&B and rap artists are welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame).

So, what humbly began as a Dave Grohl solo project without his name being initially attached, Foo Fighters morphed and evolved into rock’s truly great band still standing. Remember, the other two bands left standing with the Foos are Pearl Jam and Green Day. Pearl Jam continues to do great work while packing arenas around the world; yet, the band continues to take something of the anti-rock star approach with their stardom. And, Green Day has lost their edge over the past decade with some middling albums released during that time. All that proves is that has got to be difficult for a punk band to continue to grow artistically.

So, that leaves the Foos, who have become much beloved by fans not simply for their music, but their chemistry on and off the stage and in and out of the studio. In the nearly three decades since Cobain’s passing, Grohl has established himself as a legendary musician by playing both live and in the studio with such rock icons as Tom Petty and The Queens of the Stone Age. And the man’s kindness to fans and critics alike has been inspiring as well, which has built up massive amounts of good will throughout the world.

Hell, the Foos were nice even when they were protesting people of a crazy church who were picketing a venue the day of a Foos concert. And how did the band protest back? By playing disco music, of course. The video of this moment went viral in 2021 as artists were emerging from the pandemic quarantine, only making the band that much more loveable.

Then, we all were shocked to learn that the band’s terrific drummer Taylor Hawkins had died after a concert. The band was shocked, and the rock world mourned. In all honesty, I had not seen as large of an outpouring of emotion that Hawkins’ death elicited since Kurt Cobain’s in 1994. Of course, I did not know the man. But, every time I watched a video in which he was performing, he looked like he was having the time of his life. I understand that the musicians of Foo Fighters have something of a brotherhood feeling between them, often referring themselves a big family, including the wives and children. So, I am certain that Hawkins’ death hit the group like a sledgehammer.

However, the tribute concert to the drummer held early this month in September helped with the healing process. It was appropriate when Taylor Hawkins’ sixteen-year-old son Shane stole the show with his emotional drumming during the band’s signature number “My Hero.” After that performance, many have speculated that Shane would join the band, but I suspect that void will eventually be filled by someone with more seasoning whose personality fits in with the band. The drummer who manned the skins for most of the Foos set was the son of legendary Queen drummer Roger Taylor whose name is Rufus Taylor. If Rufus grows into just half of the drumming entertainer that he father is, the Foos will be in great hands.

By the way, there will be another tribute concert later this month. The first one took place in Wembley Stadium in London, while the next one will take place at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. I understand why the concert will be in LA but wouldn’t it have been cooler if the concert would have been held in a huge outdoor stadium, such as in Dallas or even in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy. Why do I say those? Mainly because the locations are centrally located in the country. I’m just saying.

I know it has taken me a while to get this entry together, I feel that it made a much better read than the moment I heard the news about Taylor Hawkins. When I write emotionally, I tend to make more stupid mistakes than I normally do.

Enough is enough! Let’s do a countdown of my 40 favorite songs by Foo Fighters.

40. “Saint Cecilia” (Saint Cecilia EP, 2015)

39. “Erase/Replace” (Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, 2007)

38. “Statues” (Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, 2007)

37. “Shadow Dancing” (Hail Satin! – Dee Gees, 2021)

36. “Another Round” (In Your Honor, 2005)

35. “DOA” (In Your Honor, 2005)

34. “Bridge Burning” (Wasting Light, 2011)

33. “The Last Song” (In Your Honor, 2005)

32. “Hey Johnny Park” (The Colour and the Shape, 1997)

31. “Cold Day in the Sun” (In Your Honor, 2005)

30. “My Poor Brain” (The Colour and the Shape, 1997)

29. “I Am a River” (Sonic Rivers, 2014)

28. “La Dee Da” (Concrete and Gold, 2017)

27. “Night Fever” (Hail Satin! – Dee Gees, 2021)

26. “Run Rudolph Run” (single, 2021)

25. “Home” (Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, 2007)

24. “Medicine at Midnight” (Medicine at Midnight, 2021)

23. “Next Year” (There Is Nothing Else to Learn, 1999)

22. “In Your Honor” (In Your Honor, 2005)

21. “Waiting on a War” (Medicine at Midnight, 2021)

20. “Cheer Up, Boys (Your Makeup Is Running” (Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, 2007)

19. “Resolve” (In Your Honor, 2005)

18. “You Should Be Dancing” (Hail Satin – Dee Gees, 2021)

17. “Generator” (There Is Nothing Else to Learn, 1999)

16. “Making a Fire” (Mark Ronson Re-Version, 2021)

15. “The Line” (Concrete and Gold, 2017)

14. “Congregation” (Sonic Highways, 2014)

13. “Long Road to Ruin” (Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, 2007)

12. “Breakout” (There Is Nothing Else to Learn, 1999)

11. “Monkey Wrench” (The Colour and the Shape, 1997)

10. “Run” (Concrete and Gold, 2017). This song is an example of the Foo Fighters doing a Led Zeppelin-plays-Wings type of number. It is melodic, heavy and 90s classic rock all rolled up into one 21st century version of power pop.

9. “Big Me” (Foo Fighters, 1995). One of the first songs released by the band from their eponymous debut album, “Big Me” may be more recognizable for its humorous video than this updated power pop sound. “Big Me” showed that this band should NEVER be confused with Nirvana.

8. “Shame Shame” (Medicine at Midnight, 2021). “Shame Shame” defies the Foos’ usual blueprint for a song since the band shuns the wall of guitar distortion for a tune which shows the band’s true versatility by building this one upon a throbbing, thundering bass. This song is vastly underrated by most Foo fans because of this show of musical maturity.

7. “All My Life” (One by One, 2002). This blistering song is arguably the Foos’ most aggressive tune in their catalog. Yet, it still stands proud in an anthemic setlist for which the band has become known.

6. “Best of You” (In Your Honor, 2005). “Best of You” is yet another stadium anthem, yet this one is more of a tender song lyrically speaking. It’s a mini-“Stairway,” or at least a Foos’ “Under the Bridge.”

5. “Everlong” (The Colour and the Shape, 1997). Arguably, this is the band’s most recognizable song. It is a patented Dave Grohl arena anthem.

4. “The Pretender” (Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, 2007). “The Pretenders begins as if it were a ballad, only to switch to a burner by the second verse. I think really got this method from listening to Kiss.

3. “Learn to Fly” (There Is Nothing Else to Learn, 1999). This song shows what happens when the Foos turn down the distortion and nearly jangle out – they make a power pop hit. Now, if Dave Grohl had only used a Rickenbacker…

2. “Times Like These” (One by One, 2002). Although I much prefer the quieter opening version the Foos have been using as of late in their shows, this song is still very strong in its studio form. The live version simply changes the song to make it much more dramatic, allowing it to become something of a “Here I Go Again”-type of power ballad.

1. “My Hero” (The Colour and the Shape, 1997). This arena rattler is a perfect mix of Nineties grunge power and Seventies power pop. The lyrics, the music and the ready-made sing-along nature of the chorus all push this song into anthem-hood, making it a song for the ages. This song was first used to perfection in the MTV-produced Nineties coming-of-age football story Varsity Blues. My older son used to jokingly sing this song to his young brother when the younger one became a football quarterback, making a comedic nod to the aforementioned film.

Billy Joel Reminded Me Just How Good He Is

Man, this summer has kicked my ass. Between fun things like family vacations and gatherings, little trips here and there, the main bathroom getting a long overdue make-over, my body sending periodic signals to my brain that, no, it cannot be pushed like in my younger days, hearing the sad news of the passing of friends and/or their parents in addition to worrying about my dad’s and step-parents’ health, it has been a bitch of a summer. So, unfortunately, I had to push my writing aside until things began to settle down a bit. Honestly, they probably aren’t, but I have some time to squeeze in a little blog entry.

Unfortunately, I am worried that I can no longer truly enjoy a concert. Since April, I have been fortunate to see Elton John one last time, Billy Joel for the first time (more on that in a bit) in addition to performances by the likes of Jackson Browne, Barenaked Ladies/Gin Blossoms/Toad the Wet Sprocket and Chicago/Brian Wilson. In all honesty, I really only felt like Billy Joel and Elton John were good this year. Oh, sure, the Gin Blossoms were fine, but you get outside of their first album and a couple of follow up hits, well, their set ends up a little thin. Barenaked Ladies surprised me with an unsuspected depth of musical talent, but, once again, outside of their handful of hits, they are not my cup of tea. And I have always been in awe of Jackson Browne’s songwriting talent over the decades, but his show is a little too heavy on ballads for my rocker heart.

Oh, and most disappointingly, Chicago and God bless him Brian Wilson were awful. Back in 2018, Chicago had a well-oiled lineup that was brilliant. Unfortunately, their current lineup left much to be desired. And, I knew things might be in peril when the great Brian Wilson was lead to his piano while using a walker. I really couldn’t tell if he was playing, while his crack background singers all attempted to pick up his weak voice. I honestly felt sorry for the man thinking he needed to perform in his condition. I am a huge Brian Wilson fan and was heartbroken to see him trotted out like this. It seems like the pandemic took a huge toll on many of our heritage acts. However, I do have tickets for Bruce Springsteen next spring, so hope springs eternal. I guess witnessing the musical heroes of my youth each face their mortalities, it leaves me facing mine as well.

Over the summer, I lost a woman who played an important role in my post-parents’ divorce life, Aretta Dunwiddie. It seems as though from the summer before my sixth grade year in school until graduation from high school, I was done at the Dunwiddies’ house hanging out with their two daughters who were around my age. Aretta, along with his husband Dick, provided me another set of parents during those six years. Although I never saw Aretta and Dick much after my college days as they moved to Florida, they played a big role in the my development, if nothing else but providing me a safe place to hang out and getaway from the stress of home. I have been fortunate in that I had my parents, I have the Dunwiddies and, at school and during track and cross country, I had Dwayne and Imy Rhule stepping in to influence my life. Now that Aretta has joined Mom in the Great Beyond, I am simply happy that Aretta is no longer suffering and thank her again for her love and guidance.

As I mentioned earlier, I did get to see Billy Joel this summer. Back in June, the wifey and I made a trip to South Bend, Indiana, to meet up with two-thirds of the women in our wedding party who both live nearby to relive a little college together at Billy Joel’s appearance at Notre Dame Stadium. Of course, all of us being modest Ball State graduates, we sat in the upper deck across the football field from the stage. However, since we directly in line with the stage, the seats really did not seem too bad. Plus, the excellent sound system broke down the distance.

Billy Joel, despite his age and his hard-living life early on, was in great shape, performing a solid set of hit songs and great deep cuts that are fan favorites. Plus, one of his background singers, Crystal Taliefero, a former member of John Mellencamp’s groundbreaking Eighties band and a Hoosier from Gary, Indiana, and Indiana University, got a HUGE ovation for her homecoming of sorts. Crystal has become an important utility player in the industry with her Olympian ability to play the saxophone, keyboards, percussion and vibes in addition to her unparalleled vocals. In a band of super-talented musicians and vocalists, Ms. Taliefero stood out, except for the songwriting, showmanship, musicianship and vocals of the guy who signs her paycheck.

To be perfectly honest, I had forgotten just how good Billy Joel’s music truly is. His last studio album, River of Dreams, left me disillusioned, so I kind of just let his albums gather dust, only occasionally pulling out his first greatest hits compilation. In the aftermath of his performance, I have been on a small journey through his pop catalogue. Sorry, Mr. Joel, I simply am not going to evaluate your ventures into classical music for I am not your target audience for such an endeavor.

After spending the summer rediscovering the joy in Billy Joel’s music, I have developed a Top 40 list of his songs. And here is the list.

40. “The Longest Time” (An Innocent Man, 1983)

39. “Keeping the Faith” (An Innocent Man, 1983)

38. “All About Soul” (River of Dreams, 1993)

37. “Honesty” (52nd Street, 1978)

36. “Prelude/Angry Young Man” (Turnstiles, 1976)

35. “Don’t Ask Me Why” (Glass Houses, 1980)

34. “Goodnight Saigon” (The Nylon Curtain, 1982)

33. “Summer, Highland Falls” (Turnstiles, 1976)

32. “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (Storm Front, 1989)

31. “Modern Woman” (The Bridge, 1986)

30. “Allentown” (The Nylon Curtain, 1982)

29. “Big Shot” (52nd Street, 1978)

28. “The Ballad of Billy the Kid” (Piano Man, 1973)

27. “Zanzibar” (52nd Street, 1978)

26. “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” (The Stranger, 1977)

25. “The River of Dreams” (River of Dreams, 1993)

24. “A Matter of Trust” (The Bridge, 1986)

23. “I Go to Extremes” (Storm Front, 1989)

22. “Just the Way You Are” (The Stranger, 1977)

21. “Pressure” (The Nylon Curtain, 1982)

20. “Tell Her About It” (An Innocent Man, 1983). By the summer of 1983, it seems the influence of the classic Motown sound of the Sixties could be heard everywhere. Elvis Costello, new wavers like Culture Club and ABC and Elton John were all hitting the airwaves with songs under the direct influence of that Sound of Young America. So, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Billy Joel, arguably America’s greatest songwriter of songs influenced by the sounds of Sixties pop would release a single that would have fit perfectly on that legendary album.

19. “It’s Still Rock & Roll to Me” (Glass Houses, 1980). Can you believe that Billy Joel was NOT a critic’s favorite back at the beginning of his heyday? It’s true. Allegedly, Billy was so pissed that punk artists with half of his songwriting talent were getting great reviews while his music was being panned by the Boomer rock critics of the day. So, he came out with a whole album dipped in the new wave/power pop sound of the day that simply enhanced his angry young man persona of the day. This is the perfect partner of The Rolling Stones’ “It’s Only Rock & Roll” for the best songs celebrating the music of our youth.

18. “Uptown Girl” (An Innocent Man, 1983). An Innocent Man was Joel’s love note to Sixties pop sounds. This one might be his most iconic song of the Eighties. Contrary to common belief, this song was NOT written about Christie Brinkley. At the time, Joel was being chased by two of the more well-known models of the Eighties, Brinkley and a much young Elle MacPherson. This song is actually an ode to the young lady whom Billy did not choose, Ms. MacPherson.

17. “My Life” (52nd Street, 1978). Remember when Tom Hanks was on a sitcom called Bosom Buddies? This song that personifies every teenager’s angst at one time or another was the theme to that great comedy show. Sure, the song sounds like something of a Broadway tune, but it’s that schmaltziness that making the song so much more powerful than a run-of-the-mill rock song.

16. “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” (Songs in the Attic, 1981). Songs in the Attic was an excellent exercise in breathing new life into some fantastic old songs from Joel’s early albums of his pre-fame days. Suddenly, these wonderful songs came to life in the live setting instead of being bogged down by the cheap production of the original recording. This song is an excellent example as it pops on this album.

15. “She’s Always a Woman” (The Stranger, 1977). Some women might believe this song is misogynistic, while I believe it portrays women as men see them. Regardless, this is a great song. I think we all can agree on that.

14. “New York State of Mind” (Turnstiles, 1976). Along with Jay-z and Alicia Key’s “Empire State of Mind” and, of course, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” you have one of the great theme songs of the Big Apple.

13. “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” (Songs in the Attic, 1981). Billy’s mid-Seventies sci-fi apocalypse ode to the end of New York City just pops in the live setting making this version much more lively than its studio predecessor. Plus, the song’s so much more fun with the audience’s reaction to various lines.

12. “Vienna” (The Stranger, 1977). This epic, show-stealing ballad from Billy’s first big hit album continues to be one of his concert highlights, as well as one my wife’s favorites. It is simply wonderful in its grandeur.

11. “An Innocent Man” (An Innocent Man, 1983). The title song from Joel’s most successful studio album is a wonderful vocal performance from the Piano Man. And when he hits that penultimate high note, you know you are hearing greatness, especially during a concert. This is the type of performance that separates the great ones from the also-rans.

10. “You May Be Right” (Glass Houses, 1980). In most settings, I am naturally an introvert. But, put me in a crowd “needing” to entertained, I become a “paid” extrovert. Thus, this song was hung on me by some friends who caught me during one of my manic episodes in high school. By the way, I would NEVER drive under the influence of any substance or drive a motorcycle under any weather condition, but I AM guilty of the rest, so maybe those folks were correct after all. Who knows?

9. “The Entertainer” (Streetlife Serenade, 1974). This song truly transcends the quality of most of the material on this forgettable album. It is something of a mission statement for Billy Joel’s whole career.

8. “She’s Got a Way” (Songs in the Attic, 1981). In its original form, this song falls a little flat. But, put it in Joel’s setlist, and the song blossoms into an ode to any man’s wife. There is always that one person who walks through your life that has a way to cut through all of your barriers. This song explains it perfectly regardless of the feminine pronoun used. The sentiment works no matter the perspective and orientation.

7. “Sometimes a Fantasy” (Glass Houses, 1980). What does it say about me that I prefer the “pervy” side of Billy Joel? Yet, I find this so humorous. Billy proves all of us have a dirty mind. To this day, I don’t understand why this song wasn’t a big hit and played every day on Classic Rock radio.

6. “Only the Good Die Young” (The Stranger, 1977). Here we go again! Billy the Perv is back attempting to woo a young lady into teenage lust-athon. What high school guy hasn’t been there? Seemingly, some of us longer than others.

5. “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” (The Stranger, 1977). I think Joel might be at his best when telling the stories of lovers in peril. The lyrical setting is set and the ending seems so obvious to everyone but the characters. If nothing else, the song teaches us that we should become more self-aware before entering into a relationship since the relationship will not always just bring out our best but our worst as well. But the whole cautionary tale is told to perfection.

4. “The Stranger” (The Stranger, 1977). I have always been drawn to songs about the dark side of ourselves. I mean from little onward, I have been fascinated by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde types of stories. Hell, my favorite Elton John song is “Someone Saved My Life Tonight,” about Elton contemplating suicide. So, why shouldn’t I love a Billy Joel song describing how we mask our inner demons to make our outer selves more palatable to our families and friends.

3. “Piano Man” (Piano Man, 1973). Of course, this song is listed near or at the top of lists of Billy Joel’s greatest songs. I mean, his nickname is derived from this autobiographical song of Billy’s struggle to become the man he described in his song “The Entertainer.” But what sets this song apart from the competition is the vivid lyrics describing every character that grabbed his attention during those early days as a barroom performer. This is his most iconic song.

2. “Captain Jack” (Songs in the Attic, 1981). This song is Billy Joel perfectly describing what life is like for a teenage boy during high school and early college, you know, the years leading up to turning 21. Remember, Joel’s lyrical strength is how he accurately describes his characters and how they interact. Now, Captain Jack is not an actual character but a euphemism for a private action popular with teenage boys. So, Joel is describing the boredom of a typical teenage boy’s life on an average boring day. That is what makes the song so powerful and not the little perverted ditty about diddling.

1. “Leave a Tender Moment Alone” (An Innocent Man, 1983). Wait a second! What? A failed single from An Innocent Man? What kind of crap am I feeding you? Hear me out. This is Billy’s finest love song. The sentiment is something most guys can relate to. When confronting our emotions surrounding a budding relationship with someone, most of us attempt to turn to humor or some stupid story rather than enjoy the vulnerable moment with your new significant other. It’s as if Billy’s telling us guys to shut up and live in the moment. The song is also a throw-back to those Motown ballads from the Sixties with a harmonica solo straight from the Stevie Wonder playbook. This is a beautiful reminder to men to be vulnerable early on in their budding relationships so they will grow into a beautiful team. Easier said than done.

My 500 Favorite Albums of All Time, Day 19 – The Top 10

The day has finally arrived. The day in which I list MY 10 favorite albums of all time. This was purely an exercise in fun and self-indulgence. Over the course of this countdown, I have listed many well-known albums and artists. But, I may have also introduced some of you to some unknown artists and albums, or at least some overlooked albums by the terrific music of the past and present. The purpose of such a venture was totally to inform and entertain.

Of course, Millennials and Gen Z-ers will be disappointed not to see many of their favorites. And, that’s okay. Boomers may also be disappointed by the very same prospect. But as a person who is listed as both a late-Boomer AND an early-Gen X-er, I have an obligation to stay true to my wheelhouse. Therefore, my true focus will always be those years covering my middle school, high school and college years, let’s say from 1974 through 1989. But, by now, that should be obvious, and I make no apologies.

I also make no apologies for my lack of diversity in my selections. If I were listing my favorite singles, then the music pallet would be all over the place. However, I am mainly a follower of alternative music, from punk to 90s alternative nation, with disco, funk and AOR thrown in for good measure.

Many of you may know which albums are in my Top 10, but you probably have no idea what the order is. But, if you have followed me for any length of time, whether on this blog, Twitter, Facebook or have crossed my path in life, you will not be surprised by my top pick, and many of the others will not surprise you either.

So, let’s finish this thing off! Buckle up!

10. Prince – 1999 (1982). Although I was made a fan of Prince way back in 1979, I did not become obsessed with the man’s music until his breakout year of 1982. Within a month or so of Michael Jackson’s Thriller being released, another important artist of the 80s released what would become his commercial breakthrough album. I was home for Thanksgiving Break, and it was Black Friday. I went shopping for Christmas presents. Since I was single and in college, this spree would not last long. Once the presents had been purchased, I turned my attention to the local record store, where I purchased three albums that day: Thriller, Funkadelic’s One Nation Under a Groove and 1999. I had loved Prince’s first four albums, but 1999 blew it all away. As a matter of fact, 1999 completely rewrote my musical tastes over the course of two albums. Prince had unleashed upon us a musical vision that remained untapped after mental illness took Sly Stone out of the rock game. When I say that I could play Sides 1 and 2 of Record 1 of 1999 and have the dance floor burning is no hyperbole. And that’s only FIVE songs! Plus, Side 2, consisting of “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” and “D.M.S.R.” may be the hottest dance combo ever released. But, Prince’s artistry showed its muscles on the second record as we got ballads, dance cuts and some rock that only scratched at the surface of Prince’s brilliance which had yet to be unleashed.

9. R.E.M. – Murmur (1983). So much was happening musically in the early 80s that it got to be a daunting task to attempt to stay abreast with it all. After reading a couple of early reviews about this debut album from a new band who refused to sign with any major corporations piqued my interest. But to say I was NOT prepared for the aural assault that my ears took when I put the needle into the groove on this album is a major understatement. Much like 1999 did to me a scant nine months earlier, Murmur rewrote my musical tastes. Finally, I was experiencing music on two levels. First, these guys in the band had come of age with the same music I did just by the way they sounded on this album. It’s all there, from bubblegum and punk to classic rock and power pop. Second, and perhaps more importantly, these guys (Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe) just might have become the first important rock from my age group, and that was exciting to many of my peers. You knew R.E.M. were from the South by their sound without being an obvious Lynyrd Skynyrd knock-off. Instead, they filtered that gothic approach through a Velvet Underground/Patti Smith soundscape to construct a sound that launch a thousand imitators (starting with 10,000 Maniacs and running through Counting Crows, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Hootie & the Blowfish). And, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

8. Talking Heads – Remain in Light (1980). You know it! I am a big fan of The Heads! Like I’ve said many times before, it started with their appearance on SNL and only grew as I got older. But, this album, the band’s third collaboration with producer Brian Eno, was arguably the first commercially successful rock album to integrate world musical sounds into the band’s off-kilter pop songs. Talking Heads were in the first wave of punk rock from NYC’s CBGBs scene to knock on the mainstream. So, by 1979, the band were being coaxed by Eno to expand their funk sound. He and lead singer/songwriter David Byrne got interested in African rhythms they were discovering from a multitude of sources and sought to incorporate them into The Heads’ music. Reluctantly at first, the other three (bassist Tina Weymouth, drummer (and husband of Tina) Chris Frantz and keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Jerry Harrison) joined in with the experiment. Quickly, the band called in musicians from the disparate likes of former sidemen from Parliament/Funkadelic, jazz artists, David Bowie, African artists and Frank Zappa. The mixture made for madhouse recording sessions until the final result was heard by band members. To say the experiment was a success is an understatement. Simultaneously, Talking Heads opened up America to the musical sounds from around the world, avant garde guitar sounds, and a new kind of funk that would take the hip hop world a decade to catch up. To this day, I cannot think of another album I’d rather listen to while cruising through the back roads of my hometown on a summer night with the windows rolled down.

7. Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A. (1984). The Summer of 1984 will never be duplicated. That summer was awesome for so many reasons. The music was fantastic as it was stuffed full of songs and albums by the likes of Prince & the Revolution, Duran Duran, Cyndi Lauper, The Jacksons, Tina Turner, ZZ Top, Van Halen, Hüsker Dü, etc. The Olympics were fun that summer. The Detroit Tigers were making a run on baseball history. The NBA gave us what we had been waiting to happen for five years: Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers were in the Finals, and it was magnificent. And, most importantly, I met my wife. Yet, there were two albums that defined the 80s were released that summer, Purple Rain and Born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. became The Boss’s biggest selling album with a carload of hit songs. This album was the culmination of a decade of prep work being completed at a very high quality, then being amalgamated into this very moment. The success was based upon the excellent quality of singles, from the synth rock confection of “Dancing in the Dark” to the anthemic title song to the sexually yearning “I’m on Fire,” mixed the perplexingly unreleased “Bobby Jean” (arguably the best song on the album) and concert pleaser “I’m Going Down.” This album was a run through of everything Bruce had done on each of his previous albums and spit-shined to a glistening 80s sheen.

6. Queen – A Night at the Opera (1975). For some reason that I will NEVER understand, the Baby Boomer rock critics hated Queen. I remember reading review after review and article after article with the writer editorializing his or her venom toward Queen. So, it has been left to my age and younger to rewrite history to reflect the truth. And the truth is Queen was the most daring band ever. Sure, that means the four members had over-sized egos, but I have one as well. These guys were not your run-of-the-mill working class blokes. The greatest frontman ever Freddie Mercury studied art in university, while drummer Roger Taylor studied dentistry, bassist John Deacon electrical engineering and guitarist Brian May astrophysics. So, maybe it was due to their intelligence. Maybe it was their musical talent. Maybe it was because everything else was simple to them in life that they should not have any limitations on their musical ideas. Personally, my obsession with this band began in 1974 with their “Killer Queen” single. But, it was “Bohemian Rhapsody” that pushed my love for Queen to full-tilt. Sure. But , The Beatles did many mind-blowing things musically before their breakup (the rhythm of “Eleanor Rigby” being based solely upon strings or the whole “A Day in the Life” come to mind), as well as all that prog rock stuff could be quite compelling at times (“Roundabout”? Are you kidding me? Or “I’ve Seen All Good People”? Shit!). But Queen took it all to whole new level. Then, there’s the rest of the album. Hard rock kiss-off with “Death on Two Legs.” Sexual innuendo on “I’m in Love with My Car.” An extraordinarily beautiful ballad “Love of My Life.” And the pop perfection of “You’re My Best Friend.” Queen honestly began their rock reign on A Night at the Opera, one perfectly executed album that was exquisitely produced. Queen is King!

5. R.E.M. – Automatic for the People (1992). Here is the most recent album in my top 10, and it just turned 30 years old this year. What can I tell you? I’m a geezer. Regardless, Automatic for the People was the moment in which R.E.M. completely transformed for cult heroes into major label rock gods. No longer were these the cute alterna-boys on the block, but now were men with true musical chops and a new lyrical maturity that all came to light under the direction of producer Scott Litt. This led to the band’s finest album, with its sole being a wistful instrumental called “Nightswimming.” The seriousness of the band’s stances concerning AIDS, women’s reproductive rights, the LGBT+ community and a slew of other liberal causes were popping up everywhere by now, especially with mental health being directly addressed on “Everybody Hurts.” This band was serious and so were most of their music. Still, the boys from Athens, Georgia, had a playful side, as displayed on the eternally silly yet musically brilliant “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite.” This is the perfect R.E.M. album.

4. Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run (1975). I will always remember the first time I heard The Boss’s signature song. It was about a week after Thanksgiving, and my family were decorating the Christmas tree, for, in retrospect, turned out to be our last Christmas as a unit. Still, I had the huge family room console television/stereo system tuned to the local play of Casey Kasem’s American Top 40. Somewhere in the 20s, Casey introduced this new song by a man who just had his picture on the covers of Newsweek AND Time magazines the exact same week. As “Born to Run” blasted from the stereo speakers, I slowly became mesmerized by the sound of true rock & roll being sent down Mt. Olympus for this mere mortal to hear for that glorious three-to-four minutes of pure nirvana. I dutifully wrote down the title and artist on my list of the complete Top 40 that I did every week from middle school until I graduated from high school. But, that day I was struck by lightning in the form of “Born to Run.” I wasn’t burned, but my heart did palpitate a bit. When I regained my bearings, I noted that I HAD to own this album. When I did finally add it to my collection I discovered one of the few perfect albums ever recorded. From the iconic opening strands of “Thunder Road” to the closing of the epic “Jungleland,” Bruce takes the listener through the romantic possibilities that life holds for a young man on the verge of adulthood. The album made me anxious to begin my own journey outside of my childhood home, albeit my story would begin in a dormitory on the Ball State campus. And, through the whole passage of time, this album was my life’s soundtrack. Plus, who else could influence a young man to quote some lyrics in his wedding vows? Only The Boss could have such a hold.

3. Prince & the Revolution – Purple Rain (1984). Here’s the other classic album from the magical Summer of 1984. This album represents the culmination of the pop perfection of the first stage of the funk/rock Prince sound, known back in the day as the Minneapolis Sound (Vanity/Apollonia 6, The Time, Sheila E., The Family, Jill Jones, etc.). I remember telling anyone that would listen to me that this album was the Sgt. Pepper of our era. And I think that assessment continues to hold up today. It was at once experimental yet accessible, funky yet very hard rock, psychedelic but still 80s pop. It was so diverse that it had a Bob Seger-esque finale in Prince’s now trademark title song. After I initially listened to Side 1, I had to excitedly go on a three-mile run before I flipped that damn album to play Side 2. Then, I did that and got further blown away that it left me emotionally depleted. I knew right away I was listening to not just a classic album but one for the ages. From the preacher sermon opening of “Let’s Go Crazy” to the open-chord ending of “Purple Rain,” the album is stuffed with all the stuff that initially made Prince so great. Little did we all realize how quickly he would jettison that style to explore more diverse and complicated takes on his rock/funk world than anyone could imagine. This wasn’t the ending at all. In fact, it was just the beginning. It also taught us that you can only be the “IT” person for so long and that star burns out. The legacy begins when the initial fire subsides. Prince actually assumed his throne AFTER Purple Rain ran its course.

2. Prince – Sign ‘o’ the Times (1987). I don’t think there is another artist in rock history that could make so many classic multi-record albums as Prince. A quick rundown shows 1999, Emancipation, Crystal Ball (though technically its a compilation of great songs from The Vault), Graffiti Bridge, not to mention nearly all of his CD-era albums, along with this one, Sign ‘o’ the Times. This album has only grown in stature in my eyes as the years pass. Prince covers so much ground that it is nearly impossible to list everything he did on here. The title song was not Prince’s first political take (“Ronnie Talk to Russia” immediately comes to mind), but Prince did tackle some unusual topics and sounds. He went new wave on “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man,” flipped gender identity on its head with his Camille recordings but none more than with “I Wish I Was Your Girlfriend,” and tackled children’s songs with “Starfish and Coffee.” Then, he teamed up with Scottish pop singer and all-time babe Sheena Easton with the sly sexual tease “U Got the Look.” But, through all the funk, rock, jazz and other displays of prowess, the cornerstone of this tour de force is “The Cross,” in which Prince directly discusses his pre-Jehovah’s Witness conversion spirituality. It was the emotional high point of the album and many of his concerts. Allow me to say that the version to own is the 13-vinyl record box set since it includes many of the outtakes that could have been released on rumored versions of this release known as Crystal Ball (a triple album version) and Camille (a single album with vocals that had been electronically altered to make Prince sound androgynous to feminine). Additionally, many of the songs would have also ended up on the notoriously shelved follow-up known as The Black Album, which got a CD release in the 90s and has been on the bootleg market on vinyl for decades. Prince recorded so much material in this era that The Estate could be releasing music long after I am gone.

1. The Clash – London Calling (1979). This is the one album that affected me more than any other, London Calling by UK punk gods The Clash. By the time this album was being recorded, The Clash were generally considered to be the best punk band, possibly with The Jam, as the best band from the London punk scene. Over the three or so years of their existence, the band actually became quite proficient with their instruments, especially after they replace drummer Terry (Tory) Chimes (Crimes) with percussionist-extraordinaire Topper Headon. Suddenly, bassist Paul Simonon became a greatest bass player, while co-leaders Mick Jones and Joe Strummer both became great songwriters and guitar players. All of this meant the boys were ready to move on from the punk beginnings to something that transcended rock music. The hype sticker on this album read, “By the Only Band That Matters,” well, you had better believe it.

The album begins with a call to arms on “London Calling.” Immediately, you knew the guys were not fooling around and were taking no prisoners. Throughout the album the foursome displays a musical dexterity that few possess. They show that as a band, no one could surpass them by covering a 50s-era song (“Brand New Cadillac”), doing a faux-Bobby Darin (“Jimmy Jazz”) and even a little disco-rock a la Blondie (“Lost in the Supermarket”). But, for all the styles covered, the band decided to all yet a 19th song to the lineup without giving that song any listing on the cover OR the label. The song, arguably the best on album and the US hit single, “Train in Vain (Stand by Me)”. This song ironically is the closest the band got to a power pop anthem since their cover of the Bobby Fuller Four classic “I Fought the Law” a few years earlier.

Basically, The Clash, for a brief moment, proved they really were the only band that mattered. For, in essence, they made their case on this double album of no filler, all killer songs. Only Prince could come close to doing what The Clash did on London Calling. It’s a shame that Joe didn’t follow Mick’s vision into the rock/hip hop hybrid he was envisioning at the time, because if the band had pulled it off, they would have set the musical idea in motion a whole half decade BEFORE the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Faith No More got recognition for such a thing. Then, maybe they would have handled Topper’s heroin problems better. And, maybe Joe wouldn’t have fired Mick and Topper and tried to go backwards into a dying punk scene. And, maybe having The Clash would have stymied U2’s ascension to rock stardom. And, maybe, just maybe, monkeys would have flown out of my butt.

My 500 Favorite Albums of All Time, Day 18, #11-20

Word of advice to everyone out there: NEVER change the code to your house right before you leave on vacation without testing the code. Someone very close to me did just that, while giving my wife and me the honor of watching our granddog (Oops! I didn’t give it away, did I?). So, I go over to said house owned by a very close acquaintance to hang out there while demolition takes place in our bathroom. So, I loaded up the dogs, mine and our granddog, to take them to the granddog’s house. After getting there, I had to go back to my house due to a worker needing my presence.

Upon returning to the vacationers’ house, the codes would not work. A couple of hours later, a locksmith arrived to get me back into the house in order to take out three extremely stressed dogs for a walk. The best part of the walk? Running into a neighbor who has been taking care of the mail. That person has been stacking the mail in the garage (that code works!) yet was also unable to get either the old or new codes to work on the front door. By the way, neither worked on the utility door that connects the garage to the house. Needless to say, it has been a very interesting morning.

Now that I have caught my breath, let’s get the next-to-last blog on this topic rolling.

20. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (1971). Marvin Gaye completely changed the games of soul/R&B and Motown in one quick swoop when he released What’s Going On. Most strikingly, Marvin’s lyrics directly lamented the plight of inner city black men in society and its subsequent breakdown. He was questioning why so many poor black men were being sent over to Vietnam just to be killed. While the lyrics were raging against the machine, Marvin’s music was going to a whole new level. Not only was Marvin influenced by the psychedelic rock, funk and Southern-fried Stax soul of the day, he was equally smitten with the jazz fusion and world music of the day. All of this made for a musical brew that broke new ground including its ongoing influence on hip hop. To say What’s Going On was ahead of its time while being of its time really doesn’t give the album the justice it deserves.

19. Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque (1991). Teenage Fanclub’s sophomore LP answers the unasked question, “What would Big Star sound like if they came of age in the early 90s?” But, since Big Star really didn’t have a roadmap, they needed themselves before ever becoming TF. Oh, those time-traveling limitations are a bitch. Anyway, these four Scotsmen obviously grew up listening to Big Star because they used their albums as the jumping off point, adding more feedback that was the rage in the early-90s. Teenage Fanclub bridges the gap between the sweet sounds of power pop, indie rock/alternative rock and some shoegaze/grunge thrown in for good measure, But, it’s those oh so sweet melodic hooks that pull you in. SPIN magazine got it correct when they named this album Album of the Year in 1991, beating out Nirvana’s Nevermind.

18. The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (1966). When The Beatles released Rubber Soul, Brian Wilson took note and got to work in the studio, eschewing touring. When the boys got back into the studio, Mike Love was taken aback by the maturity and sophistication of the music that Brian had written, recorded and produced. Love felt that Brian was indulging his muse, not understanding the full-influence of this left turn away from the pop/rock sound The Beach Boys had found success with. Calling the songs on this album “teenage symphonies to God,” Brian threw down the gauntlet that made Paul McCartney take note, which caused The Beatles to respond with Sgt. Pepper. But, no one, and I mean absolutely NO ONE had the vocal prowess of The Beach Boys. And, that’s what truly made this album an absolute masterpiece that rivals almost anything written by Mozart and Beethoven.

17. Big Star – #1 Record (1972). There were a loosely associated coterie of knuckleheads spread out across the world who all longed for the days of the original Beatles sound while longing to punch the music up a bit with the rawness of the early Who songs. This was the beginning of power pop behind the visions of Badfinger, Raspberries and Big Star. But, it was the star-crossed Big Star whose sound has outlasted the rest of the original practitioners of power pop. This quartet debuted with this ironically titled album #1 Record with nothing but bad luck, as the label totally fumbled the promotion and push behind the band. But, the reputation of the band, as well as this album, grew over the next 50 years, influencing everyone from REM to Matthew Sweet to The Bangles to Teenage Fanclub. Big Star is much like The Velvet Underground whose influence is much greater than the sales during its time. Yet, the people who bought their albums probably all started bands. Look for Big Star to be inducted in the the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the next decade.

16. The Cars – The Cars (1978). Few albums had the impact during its time like this eponymous titled debut album by The Cars. I remember reading all about the album in Creem and Rolling Stone, among others. However, it took months for the album to catch on with radio and the album-buying public. But, when they all finally acquiesced, the music was everywhere and has remained so ever since. The album plays like a greatest hits compilation. Now, this can be said about many albums, but few albums actually hold up to the weightiness of those words like The Cars. After nearly 45 years since its release, this album continues to hold up.

15. R.E.M. – Lifes Rich Pageant (1986). When word got out upon the release of this album that R.E.M. had John Mellencamp producer Don Gehman working with the band at Mellencamp’s studio, many began to cry, “Sellout!” However, all Gehman did was to get the band’s playing focused and to bring singer Michael Stipe’s vocals to the forefront of the song’s mixes. Gehman’s true production brilliance comes in someone finally making studio R.E.M. sound like live-in-a-club R.E.M. To me, this album tends to get lost in the midst of a brilliant run of terrific albums, with many turning to Murmur, Reckoning, Document, Green, Out of Time, Automatic for the People and New Adventures in Hi Fi as the band’s best. Just know that I will lead the fight for this album as one of the band’s greatest releases ever.

14. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (1997). Ready for some irony? This album was released and super-popular with the world during the very moment my parents’ divorce was taking place. So, for the longest time, this album agonizingly accurate portrayal of my family’s life. But, as I grew up, I noticed a tenderness to the lyrics of Rumours that ran contrary to my mom’s venom toward my dad. Once I got that, Rumours‘ stature began to grow exponentially in my view. The music is impeccable, as is the production and everyone’s singing and playing. However, if there is a more soulful bass player than John McVie, please point that player to me because I feel like McVie is a very underrated player.

13. U2 – The Joshua Tree (1987). I cannot believe that this album did not make my Top 10. This is the album I expected the band to make after seeing their transcendent Live Aid set that was topped only by Queen. I had been following U2 from the beginning so I knew their trajectory and was just waiting for these four Dubliners to put everything together. When The Joshua Tree was finally released in the spring of 1987, I knew immediately upon the first listen that I had greatness on my turntable. From the opening “noise” of “Where the Streets Have No Name” through the standout singles “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” all the way to the closing of “Trip Through Your Wires,” you knew that the band had grown as musicians and songwriters while learning to texture their music with sounds from their instruments with the help of their producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno. The band’s grand vision of the saving grace of rock music reached a pinnacle in which they could not take any further. But, before U2 remade their sound, they conquered the world, for the first time, with this triumphant album.

12. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). When the Floyd debuted in 1967, they were a blues-based band drenched in psychedelia because of the songwriting of then-leader/songwriter Syd Barrett. Then, Barrett developed a LSD-induced psychosis, which caused the band to replace him with guitarist/singer David Gilmore. It took the band a few years to work out their direction and hierarchy, but everything came together as bassist Roger Waters began to exert his leadership on this very album, a journey through the fragile state of the human mind. The musicianship is impeccable, and the production was years ahead of its time. But, it was the songwriting that went to the next level, making this album one of the all time greatest.

11. The Style Council – My Ever Changing Moods (1984). In 1982, Paul Weller disbanded The Jam, much to the chagrin of millions of fans in the UK. Then, he partnered up with keyboardist Mick Talbot, with the intention of the duo writing songs to be performed with an ever-revolving cast of musicians. Their intention was to dive head first into the R&B/jazz-side of the mod life that Weller had explored from the rock side in The Jam. Still, these men dove into their music, to create a unique blend of R&B, jazz, pop and Europop that was both sophisticated and commercial. Plus, the group, which grew to include drummer Steve White and background singer Dee C. Lee, quickly gelled to give us this mix of love songs and left-leaning political thought as a reaction against the evils that beset the working class during the age of Thatcher and Reagan. It was the perfect album at the perfect time, as I was searching for something that reminded me of the early 70s soul that I listened to on the radio with lyrics that reflected the 80s. All in all, The Style Council solidified my love of Paul Weller’s career.

Next time, it’s the Top 10! Peace.

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