This “Stand Out Single” was a double-sided hit!
The single “Down on the Corner” / “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, released in September 1969, stands as one of the most striking examples in popular music of a 45 rpm record whose A- and B-sides both achieved enduring cultural importance. Issued during the band’s extraordinarily prolific year that also produced the album Willy and the Poor Boys,
This “Stand Out Single” was written by singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and originally performed by Roger Miller.
The song “Me and Bobby McGee” stands as one of the most enduring compositions of late-1960s American popular music, written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, and first recorded in 1969 by Roger Miller. Its origin has become part of music lore, with Foster suggesting the title and the name “Bobby McKee,” inspired by a secretary,
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.
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 my favorite songs with screams. See if you agree with any of these!
“Child in Time” is a monumental song by Deep Purple, written by all five members of the Mark II lineup—Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice—and first released on the 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock; inspired in part by “Bombay Calling” by It’s a Beautiful Day, the band transformed it into a 10-minute anti-war epic that showcases
These are songs that contain “radio” in their lyrics.
“Mexican Radio” is a 1982 song by Wall of Voodoo from their second album Call of the West, released as a single in 1983. It was written by Stan Ridgway (lyrics) and Marc Moreland (music). The song was inspired by the band members’ drives to rehearsal in Los Angeles, during which they’d tune into powerful Mexican “border blaster”
This is a series of posts that will talk about my favorite songs that mention celebrities either in the title or lyrics. See if you agree with any of these!
“Buddy Holly” is a 1994 song by Weezer, written by frontman Rivers Cuomo, and released as the second single from their debut album, Weezer (The Blue Album); the track blends power pop and alternative rock with playful lyrics that reference pop culture, most notably name-dropping 1950s rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly and actress Mary Tyler Moore,
This is a series of posts that will talk about my favorite songs by Elton John. In Part one I picked “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”, “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)”, “Crocodile Rock”, “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”, “Burn Down the Mission”, and “Border Song”. See if you agree with any of these!
“Grey Seal” is a song by Elton John, with lyrics by his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin, first recorded in 1970 as the B-side to the single “Rock and Roll Madonna,” and later re-recorded in 1973 for John’s seminal double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, where it became the definitive version, featuring fuller production,
This “Stand Out Single” was the first for The Monkees!
“Last Train to Clarksville” / “Take a Giant Step” was the debut single by The Monkees, released on August 16, 1966, just weeks before their television show premiered on NBC. The single was issued by Colgems Records (catalog number 1001), with “Last Train to Clarksville” as the A-side and “Take a Giant Step” as the B-side.
Prince left behind a vast legacy that transcended genre, race, and convention.
Prince Rogers Nelson, known mononymously as Prince, was born on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His parents, John L. Nelson and Mattie Della Shaw, were both musically inclined—his father a jazz pianist and songwriter, his mother a jazz singer. This musical environment deeply influenced Prince from an early age.
