I make lists.
I read books.
I like clothes, food, music, my fur babies, travel, and loads of other stuff too.
I may write about any or all of these things.
We (Jana and Erin) told you last month, as we looked at the music from the Men of the '80s, that we are unable to come up with any kind of sensible length of a playlist in the '80s unless we broke it down for you. There will be more to come because we will take a look at groups, and hairbands will probably get their own list too. So, you've probably figured out what today is all about...well, the title kinda gave it away...that's right...it's time for "The Ladies of the Eighties!"
Awwwww the '80s...when the ladies (and the guys) used Aquanet so our bangs could reach heights never seen before. Spandex was king. So were shoulder pads and blue eyeliner. We saw Janet Jackson step out from behind the shadows of her famous brothers. We saw her choreographer, Paula Abdul, step out from Janet's shadow and become a pop star too. Cyndi Lauper just wanted us to have fun. Madonna wanted to feel like a virgin. We had artists with established careers shine on the radio and in the movies (Dolly and Cher.) The ladies danced, they sang, some yielded guitars, and most of them kicked ass. Erin's note: Before we hit you with our list, I have to give Jana props. She came up with this ultimate playlist. I just added a few touches to finesse it. I wouldn't have picked all the songs that she did, but as I looked at the total list, I thought she pretty much nailed it. As always, some of our picks are obvious ones and others are hidden gems. We hope you enjoy!
Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody Madonna - Dress You Up Stevie Nicks - Edge of Seventeen Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time Janet Jackson - What Have You Done for Me Lately Paula Abdul - Cold Hearted Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot AND Invincible (okay, yes, we normally try to limit ourselves to only one song per artist, but Jana felt strongly about her choice, and Erin did as well, and Pat Benatar is awesome, so, yes, she gets two.)
Dolly Parton - 9 to 5 (our mutual love of Dolly continues to shine) Irene Cara - Flashdance...What a Feeling Alannah Myles - Black Velvet Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart (always reminding Jana of "Old School") Toni Basil - Mickey Juice Newton - Angel of the Morning Kim Wilde - You Keep Me Hangin' On
Donna Summer - She Works Hard for the Money (Jana's love for Donna almost rivals her love for Dolly...almost.) Belinda Carlisle - Heaven is a Place on Earth (don't worry, the Go-Go's will be represented in our groups post) Taylor Dayne - Tell It to My Heart (the original Taylor) Joan Jett - I Hate Myself for Loving You Cher - If I Could Turn Back Time
Lita Ford - Kiss Me Deadly Sheena Easton - Morning Train Debbie Gibson - Electric Youth Tiffany - Could've Been (fun fact: Jana's first concert ever was Tiffany and New Kids on the Block.......another fun fact: Erin forgot this song existed, but when listening to it for this playlist sang almost every lyric. How do our minds remember song lyrics like that?!) Laura Branigan - Solitaire Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
Now, it's your turn. Tell us your favorite song(s) by The Ladies of the Eighties!
A lot happened in the 70s. Some of it good, some of it bad, some of it in the middle. However, most notable is the fact that this is the decade in which Erin and I were both born! Yay for 70s babies! Granted I have approximately zero memories and I don't think Erin's are that clear but still. WE WERE THERE.
You know what else was there? Great music. The dawn of punk, the dawn of rap, the abomination of disco, the big sounds of arena rock and so much more. In fact, this was the most difficult playlist we've put together because we seriously didn't know where to stop. This is actually our biggest playlist at 39 songs (and that's with leaving off a lot) and we've linked to the whole list at the bottom, with our favorites highlighted below.
Enjoy!
"Closer to the Heart"--Rush. As you all know, this is Jana's favorite band. Picking one song was a challenge but this one was selected specifically because of the poignancy and significance and relevance to the current state of politics in the US. (ex., "And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start. To mold a new reality. Closer to the heart.")
"Dream On"--Aerosmith. There are A LOT of 70s Aerosmith songs that I (Erin) love, but the quintessential song that still gives me goosebumps that still has a powerful message "Dream until your dreams come true" is this one.
"Prelude/Angry Young Man"--Billy Joel. Like Rush and Aerosmith, HOW DO YOU PICK JUST ONE?! Well, you pick one with his incredible piano playing that's also fun to sing along to and one you never, ever tire of hearing.
"Dance the Night Away"--Van Halen. Again, A LOT, because I'm (Erin) a DLR fan over Van Hager fan and this one started my love of "rock music that you can dance to".
"Who Are You?"--The Who. So, it's one of my parents' favorite stories to tell about me (Jana) and how I used to walk around at the age of 3 or 4 singing this song. Specifically, the "who? who?" part, like a fucking owl. Also fun to know is that they say "who the fuck are you" in the song so it's pretty evident where my love of that particular word comes from.
"Crazy on You"--Heart. Heart Those fucking Wilson sisters broke so many glass ceilings proving that women rock just as hard as men (we actually have a whole badass women playlist. The Wilson sisters are on it. Obviously).
"Bat Out of Hell"--Meatloaf. I (Jana) probably should have picked Paradise by the Dashboard Light because it's one of my all time favorite songs but this one is like the opening line from The Martian. It's unforgettable and makes a statement you never forget.
"Strutter"--KISS. So many Kiss songs are more well known, but I love this little gem of a song. Fun fact: my Paul Stanley doll was my (Erin) favorite doll as a kid for a while.
"Bohemian Rhapsody"--Queen. Arguably one of the greatest songs ever written. It is still original and unique 40+ years later. Fun fact: It's the only song that was a duplicate from both of our lists. Another fun fact: I (Jana) think of Wayne's World when I hear it. Every. Single. Time.
"Already Gone"--Eagles. I've (Erin) explained the significance before, but I'll say it again - after living in a turbulent relationship, getting married at 19 (with no business doing so), I packed up my white Honda Civic at the age of almost-21 and left that asshole. When I pulled out of the drive-way, I opened the sunroof, and this song started. Tears streamed down my face as I sang it at the top of my lungs. It is "my victory song".
"Horse with No Name"--America. My (Jana) victory song is not from the 70s but here's another embarrassing story about me instead. I called this the camel song for years. No real clue why. Just did.
"Hot Child in the City"--Nick Gilder. You know how some random memories from childhood are still so vivid? I (Erin) have a vivid memory of standing on my swing on our backyard swing set singing the song aloud for all the neighbors to hear. (Jana's note: glad to know I wasn't the only weird ass child).
"Good Hearted Woman"--Willie Nelson. He IS Texas to me (Erin)
Okay, so now that you have the highlights, here's the whole list. Let us know what songs from the 70s
you enjoy and we should add!
This month, Erin and Jana are paying tribute to the music of the 1960s. The era of JFK, MLK, Vietnam, Woodstock, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the beginning of the War on Poverty and a whole bunch of other landmark events for America.
Also, music. So much music.
It was quite difficult for me (Jana) to pick a handful of songs from this decade but Erin had a slew of them which I'm sure is telling but I'm not sure what it tells other than while I'm tuned in (hahaha for my bad pun) to history, the music of the decade isn't high on my list. But I did pull a few to compliment Erin's and so without further rambling, here's our picks from the beginning of the decade to the end. Chronological order FTW! But there might be a couple of missing years. Specifically, 65. And OMG, was it difficult to pick a just few from 64. Choices are hard, y'all.
Have a listen to all the songs below! Also, please let us know what some of your favorite 60s songs are!
Please Mr. Postman--The Marvelettes
Runaround Sue--Dion (Jana's fun fact: This is one of my favorite songs. Maybe ever)
Crying--Roy Orbison
Twist and Shout--The Isley Brothers
Surfin' USA--The Beach Boys (anyone else ONLY think of Teen Wolf when they hear this song? No? Just me?--Jana; Erin's note: I've never seen Teen Wolf. Don't judge me.)
Louie Louie--The Kingsmen (why shouldn't Animal House be fully represented here? Also the 80s movie Coupe de Ville. Anyone else know what I'm talking about?--Jana)
Baby I Need Your Lovin'--The Four Tops
Can't Buy Me Love--The Beatles (HOLY HELL DO THE 80s MOVIES REFERENCES NEED TO STOP!!!--Jana)
Leader of the Pack--The Shangri-Las (Erin's fun fact: In 8th grade, a group of us lip-synched to this song in the talent show. Think "Lip Sync Battle", low rent '80s style...or '60s style.)
God Only Knows--The Beach Boys
Paint it Black--The Rolling Stones
Light My Fire--The Doors
Brown Eyed Girl--Van Morrison (THE anthem for every brown eyed girl on the planet)
Think--Aretha Franklin
Born to Be Wild--Steppenwolf
Fortunate Son--Credence Clearwater Revival
I Want You Back--Jackson 5 (For a fun dance to this song, watch..well, save yourself the whole movie and just see if you can find the scene from Clerks 2)
Come Together--The Beatles
Ramble On--Led Zeppelin
(Erin's note: I was going to add Suspicious Minds by Elvis to the list. I tried to do it. I got interrupted. I erased the whole post somehow. Had to pull the html from Jana and reformat again. Nothing is getting added. Just know that I really, really like Suspicious Minds too.)
Did you miss our post about 1950s music? Check it out here. Want to hear what we have to say about 1970s music? Come back the last Thursday of November.
By now, most of you know of and are possibly participating in Alyssa's "Back to Blogging" link-up. I've been enjoying what I've been reading, and I've been enjoying the challenge of the prompts.
Surprisingly, this prompt has/had me stumped:
1. Three (or however many you choose) songs that define your life and why
I love music. I love live music. I love listening to music, finding new music, feeling music, reading about music, and talking about music (as evidenced by my monthly playlist posts with Jana as well as other music posts on this blog.) So, why did this one stump me? Because I was overwhelmed with all the songs I love and why I love them. To ask myself what songs "define" my life...well, that's just tough, but a question I've been trying to tackle.
It's My Life by Bon Jovi - My love for Bon Jovi began in 1984, and it never waned, but it was solidified and stamped into my personal history with the 2000 release of "It's My Life". It bridged hair band '80s rockers with an updated, polished, new millennium band. It bridged generations of fans; some discovered this band for the first time with this song. It bridged teenage Erin with adult Erin; I was 11 years old when I first set sight and heard the sounds of Bon Jovi, and I was 27 when this song hit the airwaves. The simplicity of the statement "It's my life, it's now or never, I ain't gonna live forever" is strong and powerful for me.
Just a Girl by No Doubt - It was 1995, and I was 22 years old when this song was released. Already, I'd experienced a serious relationship with a very controlling man who wanted to mold me and fit me into his definition of what I should look like, how I should think, and what I should be when I grew up. That very year, I was ending that relationship with this person. No Doubt exploded onto my scene, and I was instantly in awe of Gwen. Gwen's tongue-in-cheek lyrics of "I'm just a girl, little ol' me" and singing "I've had it up to here" was my jam. It's exactly what I needed to hear at the time. It's still my jam. And, I'm still in awe of Gwen. She is creative and ambitious. She is a girly-girl who hangs with the guys. She is open, honest, and vulnerable (through her lyrics), but she is not scared to be strong and in-your-face. All of these traits are lovely little traits for "just a girl."
Slide by Goo Goo Dolls - Okay. You may think this is a weird choice. Basically, the song is about wanting "to wake up where you are". I choose to believe it's a love song of sort. So, why is this a song that defines my life? Well, I have loved and still love all things Goo Goo Dolls. But, it's this lyric: "What you feel is what you are and what you are is beautiful" that gets me every.single.time. It has served as a reminder to me at those times that I am feeling really, really ugly (both physically and emotionally) to strive to FEEL beautiful, so I can BE beautiful. Again, I don't just focus on the physicality that the world "beautiful" can signify. I focus on the beauty within as well. Even more so. How much does this lyric mean to me? Enough to get it tattooed on me permanently.
Scars by Papa Roach - This one. This one I've sung at the top of my lungs through tears more times that I can count. It is a song that embodies what I love about live music: people of all ages, all backgrounds, all ethnicities, religions, genders, identities, coming together to sing a song while squished together, swaying together, sweating together, hands and voices raised, because I've been in many Papa Roach live show pits experiencing this. I can relate to every.single.word of this song, but this is significant for me: "I can't help you fix yourself, but at least I can say I tried, I'm sorry but I gotta move on with my own life." Eventually, I realized after spending so many years thinking I needed to "fix" someone else, what I really needed to do was focus on my own self-worth, well-being, and happiness.
Take Tomorrow (One Day at a Time) by Butch Walker - If you've read any of my posts talking about music, chances are you've heard that there's this musician named Butch Walker that I love. I mean it. I love this man. This is from the album that made me fall in love with this man (yes, I was a fan before this album, but this album is when I fell in love.) This song closes the album and the sentiment is one that speaks to me to this day. "Give me all your fear, throw it all away, think of all the good things, no matter what they say, we'll take tomorrow, baby, yeah, one day at a time."
Worth mentioning: Any song by Willie Nelson. I am instantly taken to Texas when I hear Willie Nelson. I think of my dad. I think of road trips. I think of Lone Star and Shiner Bock beer. I think of honky tonks. I think of bluebonnets. I think of a man that is a legend and an icon who is unconventional and unapologetically himself. He isn't the best looking. Not at all. He isn't the best singer. Nope. But, he is Willie, and he embodies Texas.
Last Thursday of the month means it's time for another playlist with Jana and Erin. Although June is our birthday month and we could have done birthday themed songs, we opted for something a little darker because let's face it, that makes way more sense.
You know the saying "a wolf in sheep's clothing" and how it means something sinister disguised as something sweet and cute? Well, that's essentially the theme of this month's playlist except we're calling it "Catchy Songs About Fucked Up Things".
We actually had to whittle the list down, and I'm sure we could do a part 2, but for now, we'll just go with these 12:
"Make it Stop (September's Children)" by Rise Against. Jana had actually mentioned this song to me pre-Pulse shooting because this song makes me tear up every time I listen to it, particularly when they list some of the kids--CHILDREN--who've committed suicide because of being gay. Post-Pulse, it's even more poignant and a necessary inclusion.
"Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People. School shooting song. We shouldn't even still be talking about school or any type of mass shootings but that's another topic for another time.
"Fade to Black" by Metallica. This one's about death and suicidal feelings.
"Last Resort" by Papa Roach. Also about death and suicide. Jana says that's enough on this topic for now so we'll move to something else.
"Mr. Brownstone" by Guns N Roses. Drugs! This one's about drugs. We struggled between using this one or "Dr. Feelgood" by Motley Crue so we're mentioning the latter to sneak it into the post anyway. #sorrynotsorry
"Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind. Another song about drugs. Meth this time, instead of cocaine or heroin. Not sure that we're moving up or down but at least it's not death.
"Under the Bridge" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Also drugs but also about loneliness and desperation and isolation because of drugs.
"Crawling" by Linkin Park. Another one about the battle with substance abuse, drawing on Chester Bennington's own experiences.
"Jeremy" by Pearl Jam. This is the first song I (Jana) was consciously aware of the lyrics and the meaning and having it impact me. Suzanne Vega's "Luka" should have that honor but I was only 10 at the time of the song's release so I didn't pick up on it right away (I actually believe it's one of the most heartwrenching songs ever). We're showing the video for "Jeremy" instead of just the song because Erin feels that it's the most impactful video ever made.
(Erin's note: This song is TWENTY-FIVE years old and what is depicted in this video is still happening in schools and classrooms today. I'm pretty sure Pearl Jam didn't expect the song to be as relevant today as when it was recorded.)
"Wrong Way" by Sublime. A nice song about child prostitution. Maybe also a little child abuse. Bradley Nowell was masterful at writing awesome songs about fucked up things (see: "Santeria", "April 29, 1992", "Date Rape") and who knows what else he could have done. Sadly, he's a member of the 27 Club so we'll never know.
"Face Down" by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. This one's about domestic violence. It's more obvious in subject matter than some of the others, and the band has done a lot of stuff for domestic violence prevention in the years since.
"Manhattan Project" by Rush. Pretty obvious what this is about. It's not as dark as some of the others so I (Jana) thought it was a fitting way to end the list. Also a good way to finally get Rush on one of these playlists.
Honorable mentions: "Goodbye Earl" by the Dixie Chicks (murder, domestic violence), "Never Again" by Nickelback (domestic violence), "Janie's Got a Gun" by Aerosmith (child abuse, murder), "Me and a Gun" by Tori Amos (rape), "Hurt" by NIN (so many things), "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Warrant (murder with a not so thinly veiled racist title), "Coming Undone" by Korn (mental health issues), "Adam's Song" by Blink 182 (teen suicide). It's a really long list.
What are some of your favorite songs about fucked up things?
It's that time again, the last Thursday of the month, the time that Jana and Erin bring you a playlist that usually has a theme with a twist. With the realization that we've been losing a lot of musical icons in recent times, we were inspired to bring you this post: favorite songs by (now) dead people.
*This is a long one. We make no apologies. We culled. We swear we did.
The plane crashes: Buddy Holly (Peggy Sue) - It's been called "Rock's First Tragedy" and "The Day That Music Died" when a plane crashed in snowy Iowa February 1959. It carried Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, and one of Jana's faves, Buddy Holly.
Stevie Ray Vaughan (Pride & Joy) - A bronze statue overlooks Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas to honor the loss of this guitar virtuoso and Texas son, another plane crash casualty (this one happening in 1990).
Lynyrd Skynyrd (Free Bird) - In 1977, three members perished in a plane crash carrying band members of this Southern Rock band. Most everyone knows "Sweet Home Alabama" and possibly have heard someone from a crowd yell "Free Bird!"...but when I listen to the opening lyrics "If I leave here tomorrow, will you still remember me?"...well, damn, considering how the man singing those lyrics died, it gives me chills every time.
The drink:
AC/DC - original lead singer, Bon Scott (T.N.T.) - I, Erin, have a personal story. My 8 year old stepson's favorite band is AC/DC. He can identify a song when it comes on the radio within a few notes. My husband and I had our first conversation about the dangers of too much alcohol with this 8 year old kid by telling him the history and untimely death of Bon Scott. In honor of my stepkid, here's his favorite AC/DC song.
Def Leppard - original lead guitarist and songwriter, Steve Clark (Armageddon It) - You could not be our age and not have some memory associated with a Def Leppard song. They were "that" big for a time period. In 1991, the height of their fame and popularity (#1 albums, sold out stadium tours), Steve Clark died of alcohol poisoning. The last album that he played fully on was their highest selling album of all time (25 million+), and Armageddon It is Jana's favorite song. (He's the one with the most bleached-blonde hair playing guitar.)
Warrant - lead singer, songwriter, Jani Lane (I Saw Red) - From Erin: this one hurt. I loved Warrant. I saw Warrant's last performance together with Jani singing in 2008. It was a trainwreck due to Jani's addiction. Some various documentary footage of Jani makes me almost cry. He is bloated and red-faced. His depression is palpable. He died alone in a hotel room from years of alcohol abuse. This is one of the all-time best power ballads. (Jani, I promise I won't remember you just as "the Cherry Pie guy".)
The drugs, oh, the drugs:
Janis Joplin (Piece of My Heart because we think we've already used Me & My Bobby McGee on a previous post) - One of the members of the infamous "27" club, musicians that died at the young age of 27. She could sing like she had balls and party as hard as the guys, but suffered because of it. Her cause of death was listed as heroin and alcohol.
The Doors - lead singer, songwriter, wearer of leather pants like no one's business, Jim Morrison (although other members have passed too)...(Break on Through) - Another 27 club member; some aren't fans of the psychedelic rock that The Doors produced. We are. Pretty sure we'd been crazy dancing groupies at the Whisky-a-go-go if we were in our late teens/early 20s in the late '60s.
Blind Melon - lead vocals and songwriter, Shannon Hoon (No Rain) - This band didn't have much time to reach a lot of success, but if you were alive pre-1995, listened to music, and/or watched MTV...you knew this song. Hoon, like several others on this list, died on his tour bus due to a drug overdose.
Sublime - lead vocals and guitar, Bradley Nowell (Santeria) - Ska punk? From us? Sure. We have eclectic tastes. Sadly, Bradley didn't get to experience the height of his recognition (due to his heroin overdose in 1996) as most of Sublime's biggest hits came posthumously.
Drowning Pool - lead singer, Dave Williams (Bodies) - Another tour bus tragedy. Officially, cause of death is due to an "undiagnosed heart condition"; unofficially, all that cocaine didn't help that unhealthy heart keep pumping.
Alice in Chains - lead vocalist, Layne Staley and bassist, Mike Starr (Rooster) - Not one, but two deaths by drug overdose. So many songs to choose. Jana had to choose. Erin just couldn't. They are all too good. Their songs, although labeled "grunge", are timeless rock music.
Stone Temple Pilots (and Velvet Revolver) - lead vocals and songwriter, Scott Weiland (Sex Type Thing) - From Erin: Out of all the artists listed, this is the one that has taken my money again and again. I've seen him live more times that I can count with STP, VR, and solo. I own his book. His ex-wife's too. I own many albums. STP "Core" still ranks as one of my all-time favorite albums ever. Scott's addiction was often in the media and in his lyrics. It was no surprise that he was found dead on a tour bus after a recent relapse. Terribly sad, but no surprise.
Violence:
Run DMC - dj, cut creator, mixer Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell(It's Tricky) - From Erin: In the world of hip hop and untimely deaths, Biggie Smalls and Tupac are the most mentioned. Run DMC was the first rap album (cassette, although my brother did own the vinyl record) that I owned. The fact that a southern suburban white girl knew every word to many of their songs is testament to the musical influence they had. When he was murdered, I was sad. Still am.
Pantera/Damageplan - lead guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott - No song attached; we had one in last month's post, but we still thought we'd share that time that Erin visited his grave outside Dallas, Texas. Shot dead by a Pantera "fan" at a concert with his new group Damageplan while his brother watched from the drum kit.
Mental illness, drugs, and violence: INXS - lead singer and lyricist, Michael Hutchence (Never Tear Us Apart) - He was dreamy to look at and to listen to, but he was battling some heavy demons. They caught up with Michael in 1997. His death was ruled by an Australian coroner as a "suicide while depressed under the influence of drugs and alcohol". His loss is still strongly felt in Australia. INXS Greatest Hits still regularly spends time in the top 10 of Australian sales charts.
Nirvana- lead singer and songwriter, Kurt Cobain (In Bloom) - A death that will be examined until music stops playing. A sufferer from reportedly various diagnoses of mental illness (severe ADHD, depression, and bipolar disorder), Kurt Cobain self-medicated by abusing hardcore drugs. Ultimately, this combination took his life which was ruled a suicide.
Complications from AIDS:
RATT - guitarist Robbin Crosby (Round and Round) - Predictably, a hair band musician is on a list of ours. Robbin's story is just heartbreaking about the perils of living the glamourized rock 'n' roll lifestyle. He was friends with his bandmates. Friends with other band members on the scene. (Nikki Sixx has frequently talked about their friendship.) Groupies don't have a bad word to say about him. Until the drugs took over. He was a heroin addict. He had a lot of unprotected sex. He was HIV positive and ultimately died from a heroin overdose while battling pneumonia as a complication of AIDS. (He's the super big blonde guy playing guitar.)
N.W.A. and solo rapper - Eric "Eazy E" Wright (Boyz in the Hood) - We have our East Coast representation from Jam Master Jay, and now West Coast legend, Eazy E. He was diagnosed and publicly announced in 1995. One month later he died from complications of AIDS.
Of course.........
Queen - singer, songwriter, genius, Freddie Mercury (Somebody to Love) - One of the greatest vocalists to ever perform rock 'n' roll. There are not enough words to describe this guy. The music he left behind does all the talking needed.
Cancer sucks:
Beastie Boys - vocals, songwriter, keyboard, and bass, Adam "MCA" Yauch (You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party) - After his diagnosis, he announced his cancer was "very treatable". That cancer, she's a bitch. Sadly, she's been known to take down some of the best, like this hip hop legend and humanitarian.
Cause of death unknown (so far):
Prince - musician of a thousand instruments, singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, snazzy dresser, His Purple Highness, and more - He wasn't one that supported sharing his videos on youtube, but take a look at this display of talent right here playing a purple acoustic guitar.
And the list could go on for days...so, tell us who we missed. We know we left many on the edit floor. What is your favorite song by a (now) dead person?
It's that time again, the last Thursday of the month, the time that Jana and Erin bring you a playlist that usually has a theme with a twist. This month, we are talking about songs from '80s movies. Yep, this playlist is as fun as it sounds. There are a few obvious choices and a few hidden gems. Take a look/listen and walk down memory lane with us. Or, for some of you who weren't born yet, here's a history lesson.
Fame (1980) - I Sing the Body Electric by the Cast of Fame - Fun fact: this is also the name of a Walt Whitman poem
Urban Cowboy (1980) - Love the World Away by Kenny Rogers - My Texas roots started showing, and this was probably the most difficult soundtrack to choose a favorite song for me.
9 to 5 (1980) - 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton - We both love Dolly; this was a given.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) - Somebody's Baby by Jackson Browne - The song playing when Stacy is going to lose her virginity to an older man...statutory rape is never good, but this song is.
Easy Money (1983) - Easy Money by Billy Joel - A Rodney Dangerfield movie from the '80s was going to be represented; "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack almost made the list too.
Valley Girl (1983) - I Melt with You by Modern English - A humming sing-a-long is good stuff ... if you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to listen to the song.
Eddie and the Cruisers (1983) - On the Dark Side by John Cafferty - Damn, this song is soooo good. Damn, the lead actor of this movie was soooo hot.
Flashdance (1983) - What a Feeling by Irene Cara - This song still gets regular airplay. That's the testament of a good song.
Footloose (1984) - I'm Free by Kenny Loggins - We had to consult each other for this choice. Too many songs on the Footloose soundtrack to choose from, but you can't pass up the moment that Ren dances around the factory performing a high bar routine.
Purple Rain (1984) - Jungle Love by The Time - Arguably, the best soundtrack of the '80s (or all-time), but why not a Prince song? Apparently, Prince doesn't do spotify.
Against All Odds (1984) - Against All Odds by Phil Collins - Pretty sure I've never seen this movie, but this power ballad of song is awesome.
Streets of Fire (1984) - I Can Dream About You by Dan Hartman - The movie was advertised as "A Rock & Roll Fable". Of course, we are going to have a song from such a movie.
St. Elmo's Fire (1985) - St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) by John Parr - This song is still in heavy rotation on Australian radio, as it should be.
The Breakfast Club (1985) - Don't You Forget About Me by Simple Minds - The timeless and definitive teen movie from the '80s is represented by a timeless song.
The Goonies (1985) - The Goonies R Good Enough by Cyndi Lauper - Gosh, this lady sure can sing some fun songs. A fun song for a fun movie.
The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) - Invincible by Pat Benatar - Jana mentioned this song, and Erin sang it for the next 3 days. Friends, listen to this song.
Vision Quest (1985) - Crazy for You by Madonna - A song from the days that Madonna made entertaining music.
Pretty in Pink (1986) - If You Leave by OMD - The song is a reminder of a classic '80s teen movie moment (the girl runs to the boy at prom leaving her best friend behind); you can't hear this song and not think of that movie scene.
Dirty Dancing (1987) - She's Like the Wind by Patrick Swayze - That's right. Patrick Swayze sings a song on this soundtrack, and it is wonderful.
The Lost Boys (1987) - Good Times by INXS with Jimmy Barnes - Americans don't know Jimmy Barnes, but Australians sure do. When the quintessential Australian band teamed with an iconic Aussie voice, they made a fantastic song.
Disorderlies (1987) - Edge of a Broken Heart by Bon Jovi - Duh. I had a say in this playlist. Bon Jovi is represented...but y'all, this song is really, really good. Promise!
Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (1987) - Dream Warriors by Dokken - Duh. Jana and Erin created this playlist. Hair bands are represented. Plus, an '80s teen horror movie needed to be represented.
Say Anything (1989) - In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel - John Cusack holding a boombox over his head to profess his love for a girl. Classic '80s moment.
What song(s) did we miss? We know there's more because we knowingly left off so many. Tell us your favorites.
It's Friday. Friday is about favorites (in bloggerland). My favorite band of all time is Bon Jovi. I haven't done a Friday Favorites in a very long time. So, here you have it.
It is entirely possible that the only person who will truly enjoy this post is Ericka, (although Jenn encouraged me to write it). It's taken months to write. My love for Bon Jovi started in 1984. That's 32 years of love. 32 years of music and songs. 32 years of stories to share. I still didn't share them all. I culled songs and stories. I swear I did. But, this post is still a lengthy one. No apologies. (except, I apologize to the songs and stories that I cut but still mean a lot to me...sorry Bad Name, I still love you.)
I fully expect most of you to skip and/or skim over this post. It breaks my heart a little to know that, but I'll be a realist.
These are the Bon Jovi songs that have shaped me. My personal playlist. I don't always pick the obvious choices because my personal faves are not always the obvious songs. But, these are mine. Condensed.
3 songs to have the biggest impact:
Livin' on a Prayer - It is tattooed on my foot; It can be heard in bars, sports stadiums, movies, television shows, classic rock radio stations, and more. It is the one song that anyone who knows that Bon Jovi as a band exists, knows this song.
Wanted Dead or Alive - If you've ever been to a karaoke bar, you've heard this song. I've told this story here before, but I'll tell it again. Milton Keynes, England 2006; I cried real tears watching 60,000+ Bon Jovi fans sing this aloud at the top of their lungs during an encore.
It's My Life - My personal anthem that I'm happy to share as an anthem with others; the song that showed Bon Jovi's career was not going to be only that 80s hair band; they were going to continue to put out hits, albums, and have hugely successful tours.
3 favourite ballads (I have a whole playlist of ballads, so picking three was just laughable, but here they are):
Always - The epitome of a Bon Jovi ballad; I have sang this song in stadiums, in my car, in my shower; I have sang this song through tears and through smiles. Jovi fan or not, if you don't think this is a good song, well, I'm not sure we can be friends.
I Want You - A much lesser known ballad than I'll Be There For You or Bed of Roses, but it's a personal fave that remains so this day, 24 years after I first heard it.
All About Lovin' You - Not all Jovi fans like this song, but I do, and this is my playlist.
3 favourite songs that break my heart:
Lie to Me - With lyrics like "if you don't love me, lie to me"...this one hurts. I've gone back to this one numerous times during numerous heartaches.
Only Lonely - Another one that I'm going to guess is relatively unknown for most reading this, but again, these lyrics have been felt by me in my life, and I've sung them, crying real, painful tears: "Only lonely -- I can't stop hurting you -- Only lonely -- but I can't stop loving you -- Only lonely -- so tell me babe, how much pain can you take before your heart breaks?"
This Ain't a Love Song - A break-up song that is really a love song with lyrics that are trying to tell you/convince himself that it isn't.
3 songs that tell the best stories:
Blood on Blood
These Days
Just Older (even though someone had spotify erred in typing the title Just Order)
3 hidden gems:
Hearts Breaking Even
Edge of a Broken Heart
I Am
3 songs from the 2000s (and later ), were released as singles and should have been bigger hits:
Hook Me Up
Superman Tonight
Have a Nice Day
3 songs that always make me dance:
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Bad Medicine
Blame It on the Love of Rock 'n' Roll
3 songs that are fun live:
Raise Your Hands - My mother took 4 junior high girls (including me) to see a Bon Jovi concert; my mother made up her own choreography to this song; I still do that same little dance during the chorus whenever I see this song played live.
Who Says You Can't Go Home - If you've ever been lucky enough to experience a Bon Jovi concert, you know Jon loves to lead the crowd in synchronized jazz hand movements; this song has the perfect "it's alright, it's alright" lyrics in the song for just such a moment.
Keep The Faith - When Jon picks up the maracas, you know the bass is kicking in and there will be booty shaking.
3 moments personally significant for me:
She Don't Know Me - I know exactly where I was (my friend's house) when I saw this video on MTV; I fell in love and never fell out of love.
Lay Your Hands on Me - Jon sang to me; I was on the second row during the Crush tour, he looked directly at me, shook a jazz hand my direction, raised his eyebrows and winked as he sang "I'll lay my hands on youuuuu"; I cried.
Hallelujah - Without a doubt, the most spine-tingling, goosebump-producing moment in all of my concert going experiences; Sydney, the Circle tour, I was in The Circle; I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life, and I was at this concert solo; Bon Jovi cover's Leonard Cohen's song; the sky opened up and poured down rain; it was beautiful, amazing moment. This shot is from that show:
3 songs to enjoy on a Saturday night:
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Saturday Nights Gave Me Sunday Mornings
Never Say Goodbye - No, "Saturday" isn't in the title, but I spent many, many a Saturday nights in high school cruising around listening to this song and making memories like the song details.
photo by David Bergman
3 personal faves that didn't hit any categories but can't be left off my playlist:
Born to Be My Baby
Wild in the Streets
In These Arms - I can never pick one favourite Bon Jovi song. Never. But. If I was forced at gunpoint to choose, this would probably be the one.
Okay...if you stayed with me this long...tell me your 3 favourite Bon Jovi songs (Ericka...you can tell me more). Or tell me if I convinced you to listen to any of these songs. Or just tell me anything. I'll just be impressed that you stuck with me.
Most pictures were pulled from notoldjustolder.tumblr.com
It's that time again, the last Thursday of the month, the time that Jana and Erin bring you a playlist that usually has a theme with a twist. This month, we are talking about songs that may surprise you to find out we are fans.
If you ask either of us about our favorite music, we are going to tell you that we are rock chicks, rock 'n' roll fans through and through. Then, we come up with lists like this, and we realize that we actually have quite eclectic tastes, and we assume others should know this already.
But, let's share ten songs that we love, and they may surprise you:
Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis - (from Erin) - It's pretty obvious that she is heavily influenced by Mariah Carey, and both Jana and I despise Mariah Carey music...but I likethis song so much that it is on my work playlist, and I hear it probably four or five times a day.
When you think of Jana and Erin's favorite music, young boy bands are probably not what you assume is going to be represented. But. Here's two songs that we love:
Me and My Broken Heart by Rixton
Perfect by One Direction
Battle Scars by Guy Sebastian & Lupe Fiasco - Guy Sebastian was Australian Idol's first winner (before Erin lived in Australia and now the show is defunct); we know nothing about Lupe Fiasco, but this is a catchy little tune.
Everyday by Buddy Holly - Actually, Jana said "(p)retty much anything by Buddy Holly. I fucking love him." So, Everyday it is. He is considered a pioneer of rock'n'roll, so it may not be that surprising after all. But, 1950s rock is not exactly what you'd expect from us.
Lose Yourself by Eminem - Rap. Rap isn't something you'd necessarily expect from us either, but damn, this is a solid song.
Ride Wit Me by Nelly - What? More rap? Some of these crossover rap songs make it into the pop charts because they are just too catchy to look past. Nelly figured that out with a number of his songs. Jana and Erin are guilty for falling for some of those catchy-pop ploys.
It may not surprise you for Erin to list a country song, after all, she's from Texas. But, Long Island native/Delaware dwelling Jana naming a super-twang-infused country song? That should surprise you... Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares) by Travis Tritt
Hollywood by Michael Buble - He's cheesy, and his music is not at the top of most of our playlists. But, hey, we like what we like, and won't feel guilty about it.
Womanizer by Britney Spears - Pop princesses are not on our regular listening rotation, for the most part. But, dang, sometimes they grab you and won't let go...even if you want to let them go, they stay in your head, they make you dance and sing along, and well, that's just what this song does.
What songs would we be surprised that you love? Are you surprised by any of these??
I like to live tweet awards shows. It helped me find my little blog sis,Kati Rose, (we realized yesterday was our one year anniversary as big/little sis because our bond formed over last year's Grammys). I couldn't live tweet the Grammys this year (silly timezone differences). But, I did take a look (from my work computer) at live tweets during the show.
Last night, I watched a delayed recording. This is my personal opinion, my own recap, and my own thoughts about the Grammys 2016. According to me...without reading other recaps (besides the live tweets yesterday)...I emailed these thoughts to Kati, then I thought "what the hell, I'll post it on the blog too."
Taylor Swiftopens - I really don't want to hate on Taylor. I'm happy for the success of someone who works hard, writes her own music, gets criticized and ridiculed (by some) and revered by others. But. She's NOT that great of a singer. She's a performer. A songwriter. She's beautiful and stylish. Not that great of a singer. But I saw a lot of people compliment her singing. Maybe, it's just me. AND. I don't like body shaming anyone. But, I want to feed Taylor 10 cheeseburgers and 3 deep dish pizzas.
Now, I may get some things out of order from here. I'm going off the cuff by memory.
There were tributes...and this is what I thought about those -
Lionel Richiewas honoured with a Music Cares recognition. It began withJohn Legendon the piano singing "Easy". I kinda wish it would have stayed with John Legend. A quality that he has and shares with Lionel is he makes it feel effortless. More joined him to sing more of Lionel's songs.Demi Lovatocan sing. She looked stunning. But, I felt she was putting in a lot of effort to prove that she can sing. Luke Bryan - well, I know he has a lot of country fans. I appreciate that they were trying to mix up the genres to show that Lionel influenced many. And, they had to workMeghan Trainor in because she won a grammy later. Tyresesinging "Brick House" seemed to be the song the audience had the most fun dancing and singing along. But, like I said, I kinda wish it would have just been a shorter medley with just John Legend performing...and then Lionel joining him. Dave Grohland his red solo cup dancing to "All Night Long" was indeed awesome.
The much talked about tribute toDavid Bowie. Here's where I wish they'd brought in the cross genres/cross generation of performers. Giving it all toLady Gaga...well, I didn't agree with that choice. Her performances of "Fashion" and "Fame" were outstanding, and I liked the choice to look androgynous. But, overall, I felt it was too much Gaga again trying too hard to prove she is an uber talent. My opinion...Bowie's brilliance is that he crossed so-many-boundaries. Gaga does too. But, I wanted more. I wanted performances from more artists that he influenced.Nile Rodgerswas a nice touch.
BB King - brilliant. So much musicianship on stage at once, and I think it didn't connect with the audience as well as it connected with me. I wantBonnie Raitt's jacket.
Glenn Frey - perfect for the man honored. Get the currentEaglestogether, sing a song that is quintessential Glenn Frey Eagles, "Take It Easy". Sing in perfect harmonies with perfect sound quality. Only mishap was Jackson Browneand some lyrics, but I'll let that slide. It's not his song.
Lemmy of Motorhead - Yes. I'm biased. I like rock music. That is my music of choice.Joe Perryis one of my all-time favourite guitarists.Duff McKaganis one of my all-time favourite bassists.Johnny Deppcontinues to surprise people with his talents and coolness. I likeMatt Sorum (the drummer). Here's where rock fans may not agree with me, butAlice Cooperisn't my choice for this somewhat supergroup. I don't know what their intentions are. If they are just guys who enjoy getting together and jamming - fine. But, if they want more mass appeal, they need a more appealing vocalist. Alice Cooper is great at what he does - his shock rock extravaganza. But, his vocals weren't great at this. I think they only scanned the face of one audience member(Bruno Mars), and he was pretty blank-faced.
Kendrick Lamarwas the one that had my tweeter feed going wild from someone calling it crap to others calling it brilliant. So, you know, I've got two cents. Actually, I've got more. I've got ten cents. Maybe even a quarter about this topic.
I feel like I need to admit that I am completely totally without-a-doubt out-of-touch with the rap world of today. I am aware of artists that are having success. But, I don't know their songs. I don't know their stories. I admit ignorance. I wasn't always this way. Rap has never been my top genre of choice. But, when I was in junior high, high school, college, I owned a lot of the more popular rap albums (because that was a time we bought full albums/cassettes/cds; not just singles). I owned and saw in concert Run DMC, LL Cool J, and Beastie Boys. I owned NWA, Dr Dre, and Snoop Dogg. I owned Houdini and Kool Moe Dee. I owned and saw the more pop, than rap works of MC Hammer and DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. I even saw Public Enemy in concert. They were looked at as highly protagonistic at the time. So, I did own and see my share of rap music.
As I got older, my rap fandom fell away. Call it age. Tastes change. My way of listening to music changed. I just don't listen to current rap anymore. So, that leads to Kendrick Lamar. I am aware that he is popular and successful, but until this Grammy performance, I'd never heard a song of his in its entirety (although I think his performance consisted of a couple of his songs).
First...did anyone else notice that he rapped with a feature artist coming in to sing a catchy pop chorus? He didn't have any other rapper friends join him. He rapped solid, straight, and I can't even imagine the vocal chords and stomach muscles that it takes to do that but these guys (and gals) don't get credit for that. Next...the blend of a saxophone jazz player with spoken word with African tribal sounds with r&b and modern hip-hop music is a pretty magnificent way of blending his influences with his own artistry. That's right I said artistry. It seems to me, he freshly blends the old and new. He is provocative. He forced a reaction. He is seemingly eloquent and articulate (although I admit that I didn't understand many of the lyrics, I imagine many of his fans do). I applaud his performance. Will I go out and buy his music? No. It's not my kind of music anymore. But the high school girl in me who liked a little rap now and then would've probably bought it.
Now...James Bayand Tori Kelly...pretty much everyone watching the Grammys on my twitter feed agreed that this was an amazing performance. And, it was. Because this is the kind of music I listen to, I will buy some Tori Kelly (I already own some James Bay.) A beautiful blend of voices, guitars, and good-looking people (c'mon, I'm not going to lie. It doesn't hurt.) Performance of the night.
Adele. What happened with her production team? The sound was terrible. The lighting was terrible. You know Adele was dropping some f-bombs after she got off the stage.
Bieber. I didn't need his acoustic solo performance of "Love Yourself". I like that song, but I'd rather it done like it was recorded. A fun pop song. If I'm going to talk about Bieber, I can't help myself, I have to talk about him on the red carpet with his little brother. Stop the adorableness!
I'm staring at the computer trying to remember any other performance...I guess that means they weren't memorable enough for this recap. No disrespect.
I questioned why the Song of the Year and the Record of the Year weren't asked to perform. (Ed Sheeran "Thinking Out Loud" &Mark Ronsonwith Bruno Mars"Uptown Funk") I mean, those are two BIG awards of the night/year, yet they are chosen to perform?
I was happy with the wins for Song of the Year (Thinking out Loud) and Record of the Year (Uptown Funk).
I applaud Taylorfor using her win/platform to give a "classy" fuck you to Kanye douchebag West. If you don't know the back story to this, get it somewhere else, because I'm not posting that douchebag's lyrics here. Taylor said in her acceptance speech for album of the year:
"I want to say to all the young women out there, there will be people along the way who will try to undercut your success," she said. "Or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame. But if you just focus on the work … you will look around and you will know that it was you and the people who love you that put you there. That will be the greatest moment."
