868. You've Got Another Thing Comin' by Judas Priest (1982)

"You've Got Another Thing Comin'" is Judas Priest's only song to chart in America. This makes sense since Americans tend to be more independent and individualistic than their Euro counterparts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RRoCkncvYo

869. Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum (1967)

What is the most played song in the U.K. over the last 75 years? "Whiter Shade of Pale"

Who knew?

The title came from something Keith Reed overheard at a party. Apparently, someone was getting sick and was told "You've turned a whiter shade of pale." The band added a little Bach and created the hit. The song is apparently about sex even though the Bach makes it sound rather solemn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb3iPP-tHdA

870. Gypsy Road by Cinderella (1988)

Cinderella scored a minor hit with "Gypsy Road." Although they are lumped with hair metal, Cinderella was more blues based, but you wouldn't know it with this hit...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j7E7pvLxmI

871. Suddenly Last Summer by the Motels (1983)

"Suddenly Last Summer" is the only Motels song to hit #1. Martha Davis claims the song came about while she thought of an ice cream truck making the last rounds before disappearing for the winter. An ice cream truck makes an appearance in the video. The song recounts how some events seem to take forever until they are long gone...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9Ox-lGm-wA

872. Ashes to Ashes by David Bowie (1980)

"Ashes to Ashes" helped David Bowie wrap "up the seventies." The song reflects Bowie's experiences throughout the decade and features an appearance from Major Tom. While looking back at the previous decade, Bowie's video looked ahead to the golden age of MTV. Bowie was a natural to the video music medium as "Ashes to Ashes" demonstrates.

Note to younger readers: Once upon a time, MTV played music...

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMThz7eQ6K0

Turn on the Radio by Reba McEntire

#1 on the country charts this week...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF1dQgE8BmE

White Christmas by Bing Crosby (1941)

The greatest selling single of all time. Should be no surprise as soldiers were shipping off to the Far East and Europe. Crosby performed it for the first time on Christmas Day 1941 and recorded the song in May 29, 1942.  In October, it hit #1 and stayed there into 1943. Crosby's single has sold over 50 million copies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aShUFAG_WgM

Run Rudolph Run! by Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, et al

Chuck Berry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCTeXUkTFwQ

Keith Richards:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym62kKIydo8&feature=related

Brian Setzer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGirb_wgkcw&feature=related

Bryan Adams:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX9XAIxnvRU

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by U2

One of my favorite Xmas Songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiSPNaQNGOY&feature=related

Original by Darlene Love:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV8x7H3DD8Y

2011 Rock n Roll Hall of Fame: Dr. John

Here's Dr. John...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JESFMO1Hl4M

and his webpage...

http://www.drjohn.org/

Firework by Katy Perry (2010)

#1 this week...Katy Perry's back again...what a year she has had.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJuMBdaqIw

873. Sword of Damocles by Lou Reed (1992)

Lou Reed experienced the loss of two friends and dealt with his grief by creating the concept album Magic and Loss. Reed always examined the dark side of life, but the cancer deaths of his friends brought forth a new creative outlet. Instead of drug abuse, street life, and sex, Reed examined mortality in his own way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q4lMRv9b9A

874. Only Happy When It Rains by Garbage (1996)

"Only Happy When It Rains" broke Garbage internationally. The main character enjoys being depressed. Lead singer Shirley Manson considers it an example of Scottish humor. She is from Scotland where it rains constantly. However, the song also represents another example of 1990s musical themes. Unlike the 80s which was party central, 90s acts sang of depression.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aWcXlG1sgY

875. Dancing Barefoot by Patti Smith (1979)

Patti Smith investigates the complexities of human attraction. It's an extremely personal song which sets it apart from the plastic disco sound of the period. It is very human while at the same time primal.

Studio Version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRWSy3RhW0w

Live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjQimIWClEw

876. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen (1975)

It took three weeks to record "Bohemian Rhapsody." Freddie Mercury pieced together a sad pop song with opera to create something completely original. The lyrics include Arabic references which may be a nod to Mercury's parents who were into Zoroastrianism. When invited to play Top of the Pops, the band filmed a video for the song because it was too complex to play live. It helped usher in the music video golden age which blossomed in the early eighties. "Bohemian Rhapsody" experienced a second life when it appeared in the 1992 movie Wayne's World. The movie spawned a second video which interjected movie clips into the original video. The Wayne's World phenomenon coincided with Mercury's death at the end of 1991.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ

877. Desolation Row by Bob Dylan (1965)

Dylan claimed "Desolation Row" is a minstrel song inspired by white performers dressed in black face that he saw as a child. Some believe it was also inspired by Jack Kerouac's Desolation Angels and perhaps Steinbeck's Cannery Row. The characters in the song are accused of rape and were subsequently lynched. My Chemical Romance covered the song for The Watchmen soundtrack.

http://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?p=desolation+row+bob+dylan

Hey, Soul Sister by Train

#1 download for 2010!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVpv8-5XWOI

878. And She Was by The Talking Heads (1985)

David Byrne claims "And She Was" is about a girl he knew that was into LSD. Apparently, the girl used to take the hallucinogen in a field next to a Yoo-Hoo drink factory. It definitely explains the lyrics!





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgSVTdAtNYE

879. Misery by Soul Asylum (1995)

Soul Asylum hit the big time in the early 90s with the album Grave Dancer's Union. Their followup did not fair as well. However, they did score a top 20 hit with "Misery." The song really reflected the times. If you want to know about teens and twenty-somethings in 1995, listen to this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLQ2TIul8pI

Happy Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon (1971)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb2YSAVHmIE

880. Levon by Elton John (1971)

The character for this song was named after Levon Helm of the Band. The song contains some of my favorite lyrics. "He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas Day when the New York Times said God is dead and the war's begun Alvin Tostig has a son today." That's gold.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vke6sYTxgJA

The Party's Over by Willie Nelson (1967)

For Don Meredith...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsTAUs_h_uY

Raise Your Glass by Pink

#1 this week...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjVNlG5cZyQ

881. Crush With Eyeliner by R.E.M. (1995)

"Crush With Eyeliner" was inspired by the New York Dolls. Michael Stipe wanted a song that was "over the top" and "sleazy." The work is on the Monster album. The band joked about selling out after its release. However, it may have been a case of the mainstream coming to R.E.M. rather than R.E.M. going mainstream!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycvJHQUqU1M

882. Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley (1994)

Jeff Buckley recorded the best known cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Despite being released in 1994, it did not chart until 2006. By that point, Buckley was long gone. He died in a swimming accident in 1997.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8AWFf7EAc4

883. White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane (1967)

Grace Slick's parents read Alice in Wonderland to her as a child. The fairy tale remained vivid in her consciousness as she grew up. When Slick went into music, she brought that memory with her and compared the story to the effects of hallucinatory drugs her generation experimented with. As such, "White Rabbit" is laced with drug references in the guise of the original Alice in Wonderland adventures. To me, the song indicates a loss of innocence that sometimes occurs when people try to hold on to their childhood and grow up at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WANNqr-vcx0