This post has been sitting in draft for over three years. It was by far our oldest draft.
The song, however, is too good to stay in draft forever.
Andy Gibb, the younger brother of the Bee Gees, passed away in 1988 at the age of 30. He was 19 when this was released and 18 when he recorded it. Written and co-produced by his brother Barry, the song features Joe Walsh of the Eagles on guitar and a clear Barry background vocal. The song was Grammy-nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male (which it lost to a James Taylor song).
Andy Gibb himself recieved a Best New Artist nomination in 1978 on the strength of this song - another award he lost, this to Debby Boone (which we get. "You Light Up My Life" was the biggest theft of a hit song of all time and NO, Kasey Cisyk was NOT nominated, and that's not really Boone's fault, which we already said here.). The song spent 16 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 - a record at the time - and four non-contiguous weeks on top of the charts. He was also a frequent subject of the covers and centerfolds of the teen magazines of the time, like Tiger Beat. He was the Johnathan Taylor Thomas or whoever the kids like nowadays of his time.
Unfortunately, with his fame came the temptations of drug use - which he defeated, but not before they damaged his heart. He passed away of natural causes in 1988, while attempting a comeback, and his huge voice, which impressed most who heard it, is missed.
It's been said it is nearly impossible to follow up a gigantic hit debut single with anything nearly as successful.
Kris Kross had a monstrous debut single with "Jump" and faced the nearly impossible. They followed it up with a top 20 worldwide hit that got a ton of airplay and sold more than a half million copies. They did it not simply by wearing their pants backwards, but by dropping dope rhymes written by Jermaine Dupri, who also produced their track.
The Daddy Mac and the late Mac Daddy had skills. They were better at dropping rhymes than people twice their ages (they were 12 when they recorded this). They brought pride to Atlanta, and their music, even their second single, endures to this day.
They were 12 when they recorded this, but they didn't stay 12, and their voices changed, and, as can be seen by this video, they didn't change at the same times. One Chris had his deeper voice already here - but the other didn't really.
On June 12, 1977, Victoria's Secret was founded by Roy Raymond and his wife, Gaye, in Delaware. The first store was opened in Palo Alto, California. The Victoria in the name is a reference to Queen Victoria (because her undergarments would be classy, right?).
In 1982, the Raymonds sold Victoria's Secret to Leslie Wexner, founder of both Bath & Body Works and clothing company The Limited.
Leslie Wexner is a dude.
From Ohio.
Who, by the way, was a friend and associate of Jeffrey Epstein (who didn't kill himself) and the subject of an not-so-complimentary documentary on Hulu, Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons.
Victoria's Secret is one of the few retail chains that has been the subject of scolarly research, but they probably wish they weren't. For example, in a 2008 article sponsored by the University of Waterloo and authored by Erin J. Strahan, Adèle Lafrance, Anne E. Wilson, Nicole Ethier, Steven J. Spencer, and Mark P. Zanna, they state, ""Women's body dissatisfaction is influenced by socio-cultural norms for ideal appearance that are pervasive in society and particularly directed at women." Their study was quite interesting. Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental or control condition. In the control condition,
participants viewed four neutral commercials containing
no people. In the experimental condition, participants viewed the same four neutral
advertisements intermixed with two additional commercials conveying sociocultural norms. One commercial
featured supermodels wearing Victoria’s Secret bras, and
the other featured a very thin, attractive woman promoting Dove soap. Their clear conclusion, based on their study, was that "[e]xposure to societal messages that reflect the socio-cultural norm for ideal appearance has a negative effect on women."
The article was titled "Victoria's Dirty Secret: How Sociocultural Norms Influence Adolescent Girls and Women" and yes. I read it. You can, too.
So, fast forward to 2022. 3rd Place finisher on American Idol Jaclyn Miskanic, known professionally as Jax, co-wrote a song that was rather critical of body image projection by companies like Victoria's Secret. She made a lot of solid points about Victoria's Secret - Roy Raymond wasn't from Ohio, but a lot of their modern marketing sure was made up by a dude from Ohio - and it was Les Wexner who was Jax's clear target.
Her larger target, of course, was the culture, not a brand. It resonated, becoming a top 40 US hit in the summer of 2022, and also charting worldwide. That is no surprise - the song is catchy and witty.
Flash mobs featuring the song popped up in front of Victoria's Secret stores everywhere. This one, led by Jax herself, may be my favorite.
Of course, Victoria's Secret has tried to do damage control caused by the song, praising Jax for raising these issues, and has distanced themselves as far from Les Wexner as possible, but the damage is done. And by damage, I mean their sales are up since this song came out. That's true. They dipped slighty year over year in the 4th quarter of 2022, but, really, this song was a net positive for them.
Well, that something that I would call "subjective" but Billboard Magazine has other ideas. In 2011, they named today's song, "Endless Love", a song written for a movie of the same name starring Brooke Shields, as the greatest duet ever recorded.
They've got a pretty solid case. Penned by Lionel Richie, it ended up being the biggest hit of his career. It was also the biggest hit of Diana Ross's career, and it wasn't close in either case. In a time before SoundScan, this song spent nine weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100, and surpassed "Wake Up, Little Susie" by the Everly Brothers as the biggest hit by a duet in the rock era i.e. post-1955, spending six MONTHS on the charts.
It was even a bigger hit than the movie, which was a modest but not blockbuster hit. The song was a blockbuster. It was nominated for the 1981 Oscar, losing to "Arthur's Theme" - but it was nominated from a movie that was nominated for six Golden Raspberries (none for the music), which is kind of like the opposite of the Oscars. Richie was also part of a nomination for the 1982 Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media - losing to the team from Raiders of the Lost Ark, which, admittedly, deserved it even though it didn't have a love theme.
The song is a monster, a ballad of epic proportions, a love song sung from both sides. At the time, it was the most successful soundtrack single ever (The Bodyguardput that to rest). There aren't enough superlatives for this song, which is a powerful duet showcasing two huge voices.
It is, of course, Lionel's song, and he has rerecorded it a couple of times. Most notably, he recorded it in 2011 with country music superstar and noteworthy Canadian Shania Twain - and ended up turning it into an adult contemporary hit.
I'm not going to be able to do this blog forever. Let's all be honest. I'm nowhere near done, but sometime, I have to slow down.
I wanted to make sure I didn't forget this song before I did that. This song was released soon before this blog started, and got a free US distribution in 2011 on iTunes, soon after we started. I am embarrased to say I didn't know the song or artist name.
One day, a few weeks ago, I got this song stuck in my head. So it became my goal - my mission - to figure out what this song was called and post about it. Clearly, I was successful.
"Young Blood' was a big hit for The Naked and Famous, a 2-piece electronic band from New Zealand that relocated to Los Angeles after the success of this song and its follow-up single. Their success hasn't been as stratospheric as this song, but it hasn't been non-existent, either.
This is the story of an RIAA Gold-certified song with a long shelf life.
In 2010, Ohio duo The Black Keys released an album called Brothers. It had the best cover artwork.
I wonder who made this album or what it's called.
That album also won a Grammy. So did this album packaging. That's a true story.
They released three singles off that album. The first was a minor hit, making it to the Billboard Hot 100 and achieving Gold status - a notation celebrating 500,000 sales of the single by the Recording Industry Association of America (the aforementioned RIAA) in late 2011.
That song was, of course, called "Tighten Up" - itself a Grammy-winning song - and was not this song. In fact, none of the three singles was this song.
This song was the leading track on the Brothers album but not released to radio as a single. And, in 2010 and 2011, since singles (mostly digital at this point) got radio airplay, and that was what determined song longevity, as well as chart performance, that was that.
Two years later, that was different. Billboard put less weight on single sales - no longer making a physical single a requirement - and more on streaming, with YouTube streams and others including the song being included in the charts. This means that songs could hang around longer, and different songs could get attention.
In late 2014, Electronic Arts released their yearly version of their NBA video game. This game was NBA2K15 and it was a hit.
I figured at this point, you'd want to see the Dunk of the Year from that game.
Yes, this song featured prominently on that soundtrack, and videos from that game got shared to YouTube, which means this song got listens, which translated to listens on services like Spotify and iTunes, which led to sales of the single.
In 2019, "Everlasting Light" was finally certified gold (a year after "Tighten Up" was certified platinum) and remains a fan favorite song.
Let's talk about this song. It's a bluesy three-chord masterpiece, with a lot of fuzzy guitar. But what is the song about? Some people think it's a love song, and I can see that intepretation. I see it differently. I point you to Isaiah 60:19
The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
The song is about God. In fact, many of the songs on Brothers were clearly about the band's faith.
However you see the song and its meaning, it's an absolute masterpiece.
In 2013, Demi Lovato would release what would be a top 10 single - "Heart Attack". Scott WROTE about this song in 2013.
In 2015, Demi Lovato would release what would be a top 11 single - "Cool For The Summer". I WROTE about this song in 2015.
I have to say, in the spirit of Wicked Guilty Pleasures, I love both of these songs. We could have just as easily based this blog over our mutual appreciation of Demi Lovato as we could have over Ashlee Simpson.
Fast forward to 2022. In anticipation of changing styles, Demi held a funeral for her pop career.
That does not mean that she forgets all her old music, though. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of one of her biggest hits - "Heart Attack" - Demi rerecorded and rereleased it, in her new style.
I have to say, it works. Clearly, you can hear the song's old style, but also, you can hear a new reading of the lyrics, sung by someone who, in 2023, has a lot more life experience. In 2013, she was 20, a kid with a Disney career and not much life experience. Now, she's 30, and she's had some struggles - in love, with drugs (she famously overdosed in 2018 and I'm quite thankful she pulled through), and in life. She's singing from a different point of view now. She, quite literally, has HAD a heart attack. And it is, in many ways, a better song for it.
So, why rerecord ANOTHER song on its not-as-momentous 8th anniversary?
The rock version of "Cool For The Summer" was released on May 25, 2023 - just in time for Memorial Day and the summer season. Having already expressed a desire to rerecord this song in a rock format for her last album, Holy Fvck, she finally did it - and as a song that pop-rocked in its original version, I didn't have high expectations that this would be better. Or that she'd still be whispering "don't tell your mother" in a rock style.
Holy Fvck, this song absolutely rocks. The synthesizers from the original are gone and replaced with fuzzy guitars. I was completely blown away by this. It's a mature take by an adult on a matureish song sung by a not-quite-adult.
By the way, I was right. She changed the lyrics to "Go tell your mother", which is a more mature lyric.
Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte (with Donna Summer herself) wrote AND produced this disco classic. It helped cement Moroder's status as the King of Disco and Summer's as its Queen.
The song is pretty much a synth loop with simple vocals and a bangin' bassline, which seems pretty standard, but it was about a decade ahead of its time from a musical standpoint. The combination made for a huge hit, hitting top 10 charts worldwide throughout 1977 and playing in clubs for decades after disco "died".
The song, in a remixed version, would once again be a chart hit in Europe in 1995 following the release of a remix by Rollo and Sister Bliss, with rerecorded vocals by Summer. Remember that I said that the song was a decade ahead of its time. Here, nearly two decades later, it still sounded modern and in-place.
In a prior post, I mentioned that Kim Petras had a cancelled album, and once that happened, she started leaking the music from that album.
Since I posted that, Petras won a couple of Grammys for her collaboration with Sam Smith, "Unholy".
The single she released between "Future Starts Now" and "Unholy" was a song about her tits.
Yeah. I said it. "Coconuts", in this song, do not refer to the tree fruit known for its white flesh and creamy milk. There's no tree mentioned at all. She is very much encouraging you to take a look at her margarita-tas.
There are a ton of double-entendre jokes made throughout this song, which is super dirty - but because of the rapid-fire jokes, I felt sharing the lyric video was wisest.
CeCe Peniston's debut single was released in September 1991, ahead of her debut album. It would go on to become her biggest hit by far, becoming a top 5 hit in the US and topping charts worldwide.
Not only was it Peniston's first single, it was the first song she ever wrote, starting as a poem she had written. While it was her biggest hit by far, it was far from her only hit, as she had a run of top 30 hits that followed this megahit.
The song is an upbeat delight, and you should enjoy it.
We're talking about this song in 2023, still, more than thirty years after its release. Surely, there must be something that kept the song in our collective consciousness that is appropriate for June 1st.
June is Pride Month, a month where we celebrate LGBTQ+ pride. I'll talk more about WHY it's June later in the month, but know that this is a month where festivals and parades pop up around the world.
So, why this song?
In 1994, there was a groundbreaking movie released out of Australia. That movie was called The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The movie follows three drag queens as they drive a bus across Australia to Alice Springs and a huge booking. 1) I cannot recommend this movie enough. 2) This song features prominently in an emotional climax in the movie, as our heroes perform to this song in Alice Springs. On the strength of that scene, and the iconic nature of the movie in the gay community, this song has become something of an anthem.
Anyway, here's the scene.
Penniston has embraced her biggest hit's status as iconic song and her expanded audience. Here she is performing the song at 2018 Vegas Pride.
Hello, fellow pleasure-seekers! Today, we dive headfirst into the scandalously seductive world of Berlin's provocative hit song, "Sex (I'm A)." Buckle up and get ready to embrace your guiltiest of pleasures!
Berlin's "Sex (I'm A)" burst onto the scene in 1983, immediately raising eyebrows and temperatures alike. This audacious track, with its bold and risqué lyrics, left listeners blushing and gasping for breath. It's the musical equivalent of a secret rendezvous in a dimly lit alley—raw, daring, and oh-so-naughty!
At the helm of Berlin's tantalizing tunes is the charismatic and sultry Terri Nunn, the voice and heart of Berlin. Nunn's seductive vocals and uninhibited performance style turn up the heat, ensuring this song etches itself into the guilty pleasure hall of fame. Her ability to exude both vulnerability and fierce confidence makes us weak in the knees.
Can we talk about these lyrics for a second?! "Sex (I'm A)" tantalizes with innuendos and cheeky wordplay that would make even the most composed individual blush like a schoolgirl. With lines like "I'm a push and a shove in your thighs," Berlin masterfully combines sensuality and suggestive wordplay that leave little to the imagination. In an era of post-Sexual Revolution conservative norms and whispered desires, these lyrics broke through the chains of societal restraints. "Sex (I'm A)" challenged the status quo, bringing sexual liberation to the forefront. By doing so, the song inspired countless conversations, pushing boundaries, and leaving a lasting impact on pop culture's perception of sexuality.
Despite its titillating subject matter and radio bans, "Sex (I'm A)" skyrocketed up the charts, taking the music world by storm. The song reached #62 on the Billboard Hot 100, on limited airplay. Berlin's audacity paid off, as audiences eagerly embraced the unabashed celebration of passion and desire.
Now, let's talk about the video. Bathed in sultry red hues, it features Terri Nunn seducing the camera, leaving viewers both scandalized and spellbound. With its provocative imagery and bold cinematography, the "Sex (I'm A)" music video further solidified Berlin's status as pioneers of sensual visual storytelling.
So, enjoy this bold, adventurous, groundbreaking song.
Remember that week in the 1990's when we all listened to Gregorian chants?
Today, we explore the mystery of our collective quirky musical preferences to unravel the enigma surrounding the iconic song, "Sadeness (Part I)" by Enigma.
Enigma is a musical project of Michael Cretu, with a revolving roster of supporting artists. This song sampled Michael's then-wife, Sandra (a pop star in her own right), singing some French vocals, as well as some James Brown drum beats and a 1974 chant by Gregorian monks.
That magical combination was a top 5 hit in 1991.
Gregorian chants made the pop charts in the United States.
Yep, as many times as I say that, it doesn't seem real.
So, let's address that.
While traditionally associated with religious ceremonies, Enigma fearlessly incorporated these sacred vocal arrangements into their sensual soundscape. Imagine finding yourself torn between spiritual reflection and seductive daydreams. It's a musical rollercoaster that leaves you wondering, "Can I pray and dance at the same time?"
Yes.
The song ended up being groundbreaking, with other artists daring to blend classical music with modern beats to create something new. But nothing beats the original.
Many of you have probably seen the The Super Mario Bros. Movie. I have. It's the highest grossing movie of 2023 so far.
Jack Black voices the villian, Bowser. Bowser's motivation in the film is his love for Princess Peach, who rules over the Toad Kingdom. This love ballad features prominently in the movie, and has become something of a hit in its own right, even hitting the Billboard Hot 100 and other charts around the world.
It is intentionally performed in the style of a ridiculous, over-the-top ballad. This video, featuring animation from the movie, is one of two for the song.
The other, of course, features Jack Black doing Boswer-inspired cosplay.
Admit it - you almost forgot this song existed, didn't you?
Well, released in 1998, "Crush" swiftly climbed the music charts, reaching remarkable heights around the world. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, solidifying Jennifer Paige's status as a rising star. The song's success was not limited to the United States but also spread across Europe, where it topped the charts in countries like Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Her status as a rising star would be short lived. This, her debut single, would be her only charting hit in the United States (although she continued to hit the UK charts).
That doesn't make it a bad song. It just makes her a one-hit wonder. And that's OK. Few songs can boast the kind of international recognition that "Crush" received. It garnered extensive radio airplay and commercial success in countries like Germany, Sweden, Norway, and many others. Are bad songs worldwide hits? Certainly (although we love them, too).
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And this is not a bad song. "Crush" seamlessly blended elements of pop, dance, and a touch of R&B, showcasing Jennifer Paige's versatility as an artist. This fusion of genres played a significant role in the song's widespread appeal, captivating listeners from diverse musical backgrounds and preferences.
In 1985, Canadian hitmaker Bryan Adams wrote a song and released a single with R&B legend and resurgent superstar Tina Turner. When reflecting on it with Songfacts in 2009, Adams considered this experience as one of the most memorable of his career.
Working with Tina Turner was amazing. I used to go to see her in the clubs when I was in my late teens/early 20s before she hit the big time. It was incredible to watch her. Amazingly when we toured together years later, I never saw Tina walk through a performance, she always put on a great show, and was gracious and grateful to her audience.It was such a privilege to have sung with her, especially since I was only 24 at the time.
I was not a huge fan of Byran Adams growing up (I appreciate what he did a lot more now), but this song always broke through for me. The song takes a different slant on heartbreak - and talks about moving on because, you know, it's only love, yeah, and that's all. I appreciated both the interesting lyrics and the dynamic interaction between Adams and Turner.
I'm really breaking a lot of protocols here by publishing a cover on this blog and not Totally Covered, by posting for a second time in a day, and by not billing the late Ike Turner here - this song was by Ike and Tina Turner. .
But this was Tina's song. And she has passed away at age 83. It's her voice we're missing today.
She also did a solo version of the song, but we're getting there.
She reinvented John Fogarty's song - shooting it back into the top 10 in the US and winning a Grammy (Best R&B Performance By A Group) for the performance in the process. This is truly one of the greatest covers of all time, and also a great song in its own right, regardless of songwriter. This would be her first of twelve Grammys, which includes a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and three Grammy Hall of Fame awards, one of them for this song (separate from the CCR version, which ALSO recieved a Grammy Hall of Fame award).
In 1993, a biographical movie about Tina Turner called What's Love Got To Do With It was released. She rerecorded this song herself, without Ike (who didn't exactly get a glowing treatment in the movie, as he was famously abusive). This version was a hit in Europe in 2010 after a performance by a contenstant on the TV show X Factor.
Anna Mae Bullock had a good, long life and a career that started in her late teens, but she was still performing until she was 70. Her last tour was in 2009 - and here she is, performing this song on that tour, and bringing just as much energy in 2009 as she did in 1971.
Tina Turner was a classic, groundbreaking voice, and she will be deeply and sorely missed.
We gave FouKi credit for a song by Jay Scøtt. FouKi, in that case, was the guest star. THIS version, written by Jay Scøtt, came first, and was a quiet tribute to a lost love.
Indeed, Jay Scøtt is a Quebecois treasure, and we apologize for the disrespect. Here is his best-known song, which is frequently sung in this household.
Yep, the song that Eminem uses as an intro to "Without Me" is a real song, by a real guy signed to his real record label with a real name of Obie Trice.
No gimmicks.
Discovered in his hometown Detroit by rap collective D12, they brought him to fellow Detroit native son Marshall Mathers - initals M and M (just say that out loud if you don't get it) - who signed him to Shady Records.
This song, Obie Trice's debut, appeared on the soundtrack to the movie 8 Mile. I guess that's a pretty good introduction to the world - an Oscar nominated movie, of course. He had a good career, and does still make music, but legal issues of late have gotten in the way of more output - his latest single was released in 2019.
Still, we've got "Rap Name" and it's a pretty excellent song in the freestyle rap style.
I remember the first time I saw this video on MTV and wondered to myself "what the hell am I watching?"
The answer is, I was watching an avant-garde group remix their previous single, "Beat Box", and throw some various Yes and Andrews Sisters samples in there. What came out the other side was a interesting piece of music unlike anything anyone had ever seen prior. I can honestly say this song and this video shaped a lot of my musical tastes for decades to come.
That unusual metallic sound you hear repeatedly in the song is the sound of a Volkswagen Golf, restarting. That's not a joke or a typo. It's really a car restarting, and poorly.
This was the first of three videos made of the song, and has been described as a young girl in punk garb hanging out with Huey Lewis and the News in an abandoned train yard destroying musical instruments.
So, this isn't the type of song you expect to see performed live. And, yet, it has been. Many times. This particular performance was from a 2004 benefit concert in tribute to musician, producer and songwriter (who was credited on this track because of the Yes samples) Trevor Horn - and was performed by Anne Dudley (credited as Art of Noise, even though her bandmates did not perform), Trevor Horn and members of his band, The Buggles. It is fantastic.
Here's a more contemporary performance featuring the full band actually showing their faces (something they did not tend to do) for the most part. This performance is from 1986..
An artist from Montreal with a non-English letter in her first name, which is really a stage name? With whom we've passed into the "overposting" area?
No, not that one. This is only the 3rd Rêve post we've pulled out here. And the first one outside of March. Mostly, this is because we didn't have anything written for today and we stole a post from next March - but also, this song is in our heavy rotation right now.
This one. Without listening to the song, I would think this was a tribute to the classic three-finger salute used to restart a PC. The song, co-written by Rêve with Banx & Ranx, uses that as a metaphor for ignoring the drama that can come with going to the club. On the surface, it might sound a little like a mean girl song, but the reality is, it's about having fun and keeping the negativity away.
It may have been more mean girl-y if not for the great delivery of the 2023 Juno Award winning Rêve, who combines a pretty great repetitive bass with a beat that the kids love to dance to with a shockingly huge voice.
I don't really need to post anything more than that, do I? Adam Young said it way better than I ever could.
He also released this, the first single from that album, that day. It's very much an Owl City song, painting a beautiful picture and including a keytar solo. The female vocalist you hear is frequent collaborator and Carly Rae Jepsen live stand-in Breanne Düren, a fabulous musician in her own right.
What happens when three high school friends from San Diego form a band?
You get indie rock gold, that's what happens. And this single, their 2020 debut, was a bellwether to bigger and better things - including a lot of investment by Hollywood Records, who have been advertising the hell out of them on their streaming media platforms of late.
This song was a minor alternative radio hit in 2019, and they've only gotten bigger from there. Their look is a little different than you might expect from big rock stars, but I think that's the point - they're making music that resonates with regular people, and not just aesthetes.
The indie emotion shines even brighter when they perform the song live.
What other Awkafina is there? Geez, we're not talking about water here. No, we're talking about the Golden Globe Best Supporting Vag Actress winner.
No, we're talking about Awkafina's vagina today. You know, her vagina is fifty times better than a penis.
You will be laughing straight through this incredibly politically incorrect song, which, believe it or not, put Nora Lum from Queens on the map - you can draw a straight line from this song right to her voice role in The Little Mermaid - but at the same time, you're going to be hearing this beat in your head all day.
