News is hitting the Pat DiNizio, lead singer of the most excellent band The Smithereens, has died. He was 62. To me, The Smithereens were always a super cool band that bridged various gaps. They didn’t fit into standard 80s rock or pop radio, yet they weren’t a truly college rock band like R.E.M. Their music had strong elements of 60s pop (thanks to DiNizio’s obsession with The Beatles), and gritty, blue-collar, bar-band rock. They were smart yet accessible. A hell of a band that made a ton of great songs in their prime.

This week’s Friday Playlist will be a little different than normal, so I’ll share this video in honor of DiNizio today. I always have a hard time picking a favorite Smithereens song, but this is always at or near the top of the list.