This is a series of posts that will talk about my favorite songs by the rock band Chicago. See if you agree with any of these!
“Introduction” by Chicago, written by guitarist Terry Kath, opens the band’s debut album Chicago Transit Authority, released on 04-28-1969, and serves as a sweeping mission statement for the group’s ambitious fusion of rock, jazz, blues, and horn-driven orchestration; running over six minutes.
This is a series of posts that will talk about some of my favorite songs by 10cc. See if you agree with any of these!
“Rubber Bullets” is a 1973 single by the English art-rock/pop quartet 10cc, written and produced by members Lol Creme, Kevin Godley, and Graham Gouldman and issued from their self-titled debut album; it exists in multiple versions — the album cut runs over five minutes while shorter single and U.S. radio edits trim that down — and the track’s quirky instrumentation
This “Stand Out Single” reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in February 1974.
Dolly Parton’s single “Jolene” / “Love, You’re So Beautiful Tonight” was released on October 15, 1973, by RCA Victor, and it quickly became one of the defining records not only of her career but of modern country music. “Jolene,” written solely by Parton, was produced by Bob Ferguson and served as the title track of her 1974 album Jolene.
In foreign markets, “Outa-Space” was released as either the A or B side with “The Bus”
“Outa-Space” by Billy Preston stands as one of the defining instrumental singles of the early 1970s and a pivotal moment in his emergence as a major solo star. Co-written by Preston and Joe Greene, the track was recorded in 1971 and included on his album I Wrote a Simple Song, released on A&M Records. Built around a hypnotic clavinet riff run through a wah-wah pedal,
This is a series of posts that will talk about my favorite songs with female vocals. See if you agree with any of these!
“Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” is a 1941 World War II–era jump blues/swing novelty song written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince and introduced by The Andrews Sisters in the Abbott and Costello film Buck Privates, with the trio’s tight harmonies and upbeat, horn-driven arrangement capturing a fictional story about a top boogie-woogie trumpet player
This is a series of posts that will talk about some of my favorite Alternative Rock songs. See if you agree with any of these!
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana was written by band members Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl and released on September 10, 1991, as the lead single from their second album, Nevermind; produced by Butch Vig, the track emerged from a loud-quiet-loud dynamic inspired in part by the Pixies and was built around
This is a series of posts that will talk about some of my favorite songs by Power Pop bands. See if you agree with any of these!
“Shine a Light” is an upbeat indie-pop/psychedelic pop song by the American band The Apples in Stereo, written by the band’s primary songwriter Robert Schneider and appearing as track 4 on their 1997 album Tone Soul Evolution; its bright, jangly production and simple, affectionate lyrics about going outside, seeing someone special, and letting light and optimism in
Star Baby, flashy little shiny little two-timin’ mama
Star Baby, shiny little flashy little lovin’ machine
The Canadian rock band The Guess Who originated in the fertile but geographically isolated music scene of Winnipeg, Manitoba, during the early 1960s. Like many young North American groups of the period, the musicians were deeply influenced by early rock
Breathe deep the gathering gloom
Watch lights fade from every room
Bedsitter people look back and lament
Another day’s useless energy spent
The Moody Blues were formed in Birmingham, England, in 1964, emerging from the fertile Midlands beat scene that had already produced The Spencer Davis Group and other rhythm-and-blues-inflected acts. Originally conceived as a harmony-driven R&B band, the group took its name from the Duke Ellington composition “Mood Indigo,” reflecting both their jazz awareness and their desire for a slightly more sophisticated image than many contemporaries.
These are songs that contain word “clothes” in their lyrics.
“Underneath Your Clothes” is a lush power-ballad by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her fifth studio album Laundry Service (released as a single in early 2002), written by Shakira and longtime collaborator Lester Mendez, and produced by both of them; it showcases a blend of pop and soft rock with Beatles-style brass touches and an
