Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 109
Chart Week: January 7, 1978 Song: “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” – Crystal Gayle Chart Position: #16, 22nd week on the chart. Peaked at #2 for three weeks in November/December 1977. What is the first American Top 40 show I remember listening to? If you know me, you understand that I wish I could identify that broadcast to…
Friday Playlist
Still not back in a normal music groove yet, so today you get one of my occasional, fun, “let Spotify spit some random tunes out and make a playlist from them” deals. “Spin The Bottle” – The Juliana Hatfield Three What a great blast from the early Nineties. “Needle” – Middle Kids Even their “mediocre” songs from overlooked EPs sound…
Stats
As usual for the first post of the New Year, here are the artists I listened to most over the past 365, errr, 366 days. As you might expect, when Pearl Jam puts out a new album that is really good and also perform in Indy, they end up dominating. Pearl Jam – 725 Middle Kids – 274 The War…
Favorite Songs of 2024
It’s taken a little longer than normal – I am almost certain this is the latest in the calendar year I’ve ever posted it – but at last I can reveal my 20 favorite songs of the year. This year I’ve had the the least enthusiasm I can recall about the process.[1] Usually I’ll dive into the songs in mid-fall…
Friday Playlist, Part 2
For part two, the annual review of my favorite songs of the past 20 years. Remember there have been ties for #1 a few years, thus the extra tracks. Also don’t forget that these lists remain static once published. There are several songs I would replace with others if I re-evaluated their years today. Flags fly forever, and favorite songs…
Friday Playlist, Part 1
As promised, two different playlists and two videos for the last Friday before Christmas. We begin with the 11 songs that just missed making my Favorite Songs of 2024. That list isn’t completely done – I just moved a couple songs around before I started typing this – but the songs are locked in. Here are the remnants, presented in…
Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 108
Chart Week: December 13, 1980 Song: “(Just Like) Starting Over” – John Lennon Chart Position: #4, 7th week on the chart. Peaked at #1 for five weeks across December and January. This entry is less about a specific song than an extraordinary moment in American Top 40 history. And an opportunity for me to revisit a lost piece of writing…
Friday Playlist
Doing things a little different the next couple weeks. Today I’m going to share some new, indie rock, Christmas-y tracks I’ve discovered this year. Next week will be a double playlist of both the songs that just missed my Favorite Songs of the Year list, and a review of the #1 songs of each year I’ve made those lists. Plus,…
Friday Playlist
I’m behind my normal schedule, but my annual December shift in music has begun. More holiday music and reviewing my favorite songs of the year than listening to new tunes. Which means this is a last-minute collection, rushed a bit as I have to get a kid to an early appointment before school. “Ceiling Fan” – Swapmeet While not taking…
Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 107
Chart Week: December 6, 1976 Song: “More Than A Feeling” – Boston Chart Position: #9, 12th week on the chart. Peaked at #5 the week of December 25. A perfect song. I could end this post there and it would be enough. Why waste your and my time cranking out a thousand or so words breaking down the how and…