Apple Music 100 Best Albums

Express Yourself

I checked out the Apple Music 100 Best Albums list. Often, I’m fascinated by various musical rosters, but not as a gauge of their “rightness.”It’s rather interesting in terms of how I align with the gestalt of the times, or more likely, fail to. Let others kvetch how Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall belonged on the list rather than some 21st-century album I don’t recall.

31 albums were released since 2000, sending some folks into a tizzy. Whatever. I own but two of them, #8, Back To Black by Amy Winehouse (2006) and #15, 21 by Adele (2011). A handful of the others, including Arctic Monkeys and, of course, Taylor Swift, are familiar.

Of the 23 albums from the 1990s, I own five.  There’s #1, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill (1998); #9, Nevermind by Nirvana (1991); #12, OK Computer by Radiohead (1997); #31, Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette (1995); and #58, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory by Oasis (1995).

The 1970s are represented by 18 albums, 17 of which I own. Only #71, Trans-Europe Express by Kraftwerk is not in my collection.

I don’t have three of the ten albums from the 1960s. Not in the collection: #54, A Love Supreme by John Coltrane (1965); #60, the eponymous The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967); and #88, I Put A Spell On You by Nina Simone (1965), though I have at least four of her albums.

I own all one of the albums from the 1950s, #25, Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis.

1980s

This leaves the 1980s, which is closest to 50/50. And I figure I’ll pick a song from each one.

#2, Thriller by Michael Jackson (1982), YES. I believe it was constitutionally mandated that we own this album in the day. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’

#4, Purple Rain by Prince (1984), YES, and I saw the movie at the time. I Would Die 4 U

#34  It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy (1989), YES. Bring The Noise

#42 Control by Janet Jackson (1986), YES, and I saw Janet live in 2018 at SPAC. What Have You Done For Me Lately

#43 Remain In Light by Talking Heads (1980), YES, and I saw the group live in 1983 at SPAC. Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)

#48, Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boys (1989), NO. Shadrach

#49, The Joshua Tree by U2 (1987), YES. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

#50, Hounds of Love – Kate Bush (1985), NO. Or I don’t think so. When some of my friends were getting rid of their vinyl, they’d give some of it to me, and I have a vague recollection of this entering my collection. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) which went #3 pop on the 2022 Billboard chart.

And more

#51, Sign o’ the Times by Prince (1987), YES.  Starfish and Coffee, which I watched Prince sing on The Muppet Show.

#52, Appetite for Destruction by Guns ‘N’ Roses (1987), NO. Sweet Child O’ Mine

#56, Disintegration by The Cure (1989), NO.  Pictures Of You

#65, 3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul (1989), NO. Me Myself and I

#66, The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths (1986). NO. I Know It’s Over

#69, Master Of Puppets, Metallica (1986), NO. Master Of Puppets

#70, Straight Outta Compton, N.W.A. (1988), NO. Express Yourself, which borrows heavily from Express Yourself by Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd. Street Rhythm Band (1970)

#77, Like A Prayer by Madonna (1989), YES. Express Yourself

#90, Back In Black (1980), YES.  Back In Black

So that’s 9 (or 10) out of 17 in the 1980s, and 41 (or 42)  out of the 100. BTW, I own some other  Kate Bush,  Guns ‘N’ Roses, Cure, and De La Soul albums, as well as two by Morrissey of The Smiths.

#1 hits of 1954: rock and roll is coming

The voice of Tony the Tiger

Here are the #1 hits of 1954. Even though I was an infant when these came out, some of them are familiar because they got heavily played on oldies stations.

Sidebar: one of the rare times I REALLY feel old is when I hear music of the 1990s described as “oldies.”

All of these songs were gold records except This Ole House. There are 65 weeks of #1 songs because of competing Billboard charts.

Little Things Mean A Lot – Kitty Kallen (Decca), nine weeks at #1

Sh-Boom – The Crew Cuts (Mercury), nine weeks at #1. The Crew Cuts was a white Canadian group. From A Century of Pop Music by Joel Whitburn: Sh-Boom was originally “a song by the R&B group The Chords.” The Chords’ version (Cat) went to #5 pop and #2 for two weeks RB that year. “The subsequent influx of R&B songs covered by white artists such as Pat Boone and Gale Storm introduced R&B to the mass audience and left white teens hungry for more.” I’ve heard both versions.

Wanted – Perry Como with Hugo Winterhalter’s orchestra and chorus (RCA Victor), eight weeks at #1

Oh! My Papa (O Mein Papa) – Eddie Fisher with Hugo Winterhalter’s orchestra and chorus (RCA Victor), eight weeks at #1. I remember this song, which I found schmaltzy.

Make Love To Me! – Jo Stafford with Paul Weston and his orchestra (Columbia), seven weeks at #1

Mr. Sandman – The Chordettes (Cadence), seven weeks at #1. The “yes?” is spoken by Archie Bleyer, Cadence’s founder and the orchestra leader on the recording. It’s a song I already linked to this year. A Reddit post says it’s “the best unintentionally creepy song,” which I’m not feeling.

George Clooney’s aunt

Hey There – Rosemary Clooney with Buddy Cole and his orchestra (Columbia), six weeks at #1. The song is from the Broadway musical The Pajama Game. I remember that first line after the intro.

Secret Love– Doris Day with the orchestra conducted by Ray Heindorf (Columbia), four weeks at #1. From the Warner Brothers picture, Calamity Jane, in which she starred. The IMDb states she recorded the song in one take.

This Ole House – Rosemary Clooney with Buddy Cole and his orchestra (Columbia), three weeks at #1. I always liked this song, especially the featured bass vocals by the wonderful Thurl Ravenscroft.

I Need You Now – Eddie Fisher with Hugo Winterhalter’s orchestra (RCA Victor), three weeks at #1

Three Coins In The Fountain – Four Aces featuring Al Alberts (Decca), one week at #1. Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn wrote the title song from the 20th Century film.

May rambling: medical bill

the Kremlin’s most useful idiots

Created with the Imgflip Meme Generator

I’m a Former Surgeon General and I Couldn’t Believe My $10k Medical Bill — Everyone must be able to access necessary care without fear of financial ruin

FTC chair: AI models could violate antitrust laws

Opioid Settlements and Corn: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Moscow Tools. As Vladimir Putin continues his gritty reboot of the Soviet Union, he’s getting a surprising amount of help from the party once led by Reagan. In this new special, Klepper speaks to foreign affairs experts, possible Russian assets, and the Prime Minister of Russia’s neighbor, Estonia, to find out whether Republicans have become the Kremlin’s most useful idiots.

Ron DeSantis rings in ‘Freedom Summer’ by banning rainbows

Dabney Coleman, Who Built a Career Out of Playing Jerks, Dies at 92. I was a fan of 9 to 5; Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman;  Tootsie; and especially Buffalo Bill

Richard Sherman, Oscar-winning songwriter of ‘Mary Poppins,’ Dies at 95

Bill Walton, UCLA and Hall of Fame NBA Player, and self-described Luckiest Guy in the World,  Who Became a Star Broadcaster, Dies at 71 from cancer

Morgan Spurlock, Director of ‘Super Size Me,’ Dies at 53 from cancer

America’s Most Trusted News Anchors Are…

Mayday: The race to find four children who survived a plane crash deep in the Amazon

Me, My Wife, and 3 Amigos, who happen to be former Presidents

Italian teenage computer wizard set to become the first saint of the Millennial generation

Definition: mamihlapinatapai, Yahgan for “a look that without words is shared by two people who want to initiate something, but that neither will start”

Now I Know

How One of America’s Largest Malls Avoids Scary Utility Bills and When the Coca-Cola Company Failed Math and History and Another Brick In (?) The Road and The Mystery of Pia Farrenkopf and Why it May Be Okay to Drop Beavers from Airplanes and Gone in Sixty Seconds and Stars And Stripes and Run For Your Lives

Telephonic irritation

Beverwyck is an independent living facility in a suburb of Albany, NY. Several folks from my church live there, as does my MIL. It’s a nice enough place.

When I receive a phone call from there, the caller ID usually says Trinity Health. That’s a little weird, though they are related.

What’s problematic, however,  is when I telephone a Beverwyck unit, as often as not, I reach the automated switchboard, with no way to reach who I was trying to call. This has been going on for months, at least.

This became an issue when one of my MIL’s relatives tried to call her, got the recording, and feared something was wrong. They texted me and I assured them that, yes, it’s just their stupid phone system.

If I HAD to reach my MIL, I could call the Beverwyck security office. That seems a drastic response just to say hi. Beverwyck, PLEASE fix the damn phone system.

MUSIC

FORTY-FIVE!– A Randy Rainbow Song Parody

Coverville 1488: Going Black and Blue with The Black Keys and Weezer’s First Album and 1489: Cover Stories for Jewel and The Smiths

Black Coffee – Peggy Lee

Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II

Shark-Shark – John Cale

For What It’s Worth – Hootie & The Blowfish (2024)

Delphinium Blue – Cassandra Jenkins

Willow soundtrack suite by James Horner

Dreadlock Holiday – 10CC

Pull the Rope – Ibibio Sound Machine
Just The Way You Are –  Billy Joel and Marlee Matlin visit Oscar on Sesame Street

I Want To Hold Your Hand –  MonaLisa Twins

Wildflowers– Tom Petty

Get Smart – Melbourne Ska Orchestra

Java Jive – the Ink Spots

Little Green – Peter Sprague featuring Aubrey Johnson

Dancing Queen – ABBA

Tighten Up – Archie Bell & The Drells. Its placement here concerns our choir director tightening up a music stand. 

‘My songs spread like herpes’: why did satirical genius Tom Lehrer swap worldwide fame for obscurity?

Play my compact discs

World Development Information Day

disk_discs_compact_Way back in 2007, I posted how I play my compact discs. In general, they’re tied to an artist’s birthday, or in the case of classical albums, composer’s natal day.

By the way, when I am refiling my CDs, I don’t bother with details such as chronology. So next time I play my Beatles, it might be Sgt. Pepper, followed by Help, Abbey Road, and A Hard Day’s Night.

But what about those other albums, compilations, and the like? Some are by genre, others by record label. I have a system. But now, because I FORGET, I need to codify it.

JANUARY: Cadence Records because Julius LaRosa’s birthday was the 2nd, and Arthur Godfrey fired him for being not grateful enough

FEBRUARY: soul, rhythm and blues, rap for Black History Month, including the Atlantic R&B, but excluding Motown and Stax

Movie soundtracks if Oscars are in the month; otherwise, in March

Buddah Records, because the late Melanie Safka’s birthday was the 3rd, and I LOVE Lay Down

Louisiana/New Orleans music, two weeks before Ash Wednesday because of Mardi Gras

MARCH: Baseball, on Opening Day

APRIL -Jazz because it’s Jazz Appreciation Month. Lionel Hampton, Herbie Hancock, Ella, and the Duke were all born that month. I need to remember the Atlantic jazz albums

MAY: bluegrass for Worldwide Bluegrass Music Month.

JUNE: Original cast albums, Broadway, and others in honor of the Tony Awards. The original Jesus Christ Superstar album I play then 

Blues, including Atlantic and Alligator, for African American Music Appreciation Month

Apple -Paul McCartney’s birthday  is the 18th

The second half

JULY: Stax Records. Jim Stewart, born on the 29th, was the label’s co-founder. He’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but shamefully, his sister and co-founder, Estelle Axton, is not

SEPTEMBER: folk music in honor of my father, whose birthday was the 26th

OCTOBER: reggae in honor of Peter Tosh’s birthday, which was the 19th  

World music for United Nations Day and World Development Information Day, both of which are on the 24th

NOVEMBER: Motown. Label founder Berry Gordy’s birthday is the 28th 

DECEMBER: Christmas albums; I’m now willing to start on Thanksgiving, but NO EARLIER

Red, Hot, and Blue – the original album was released on December 1

If I’m going to own all of this physical music, I need a methodology for playing them.   

Songs: All Night Long

or All Nite Long

In response to a query, I’ve checked Joel Whitburn’s Top Pop Singles, 1955-2018, and discovered several songs entitled All Night Long, which are not covers but are said to be distinctly different. I found two more in Whitburn’s Pop Memories, 1890-1954.

I’ve never heard of most of them.

Ada Jones and Billy Murray, #7 in 1913

Faith Evans, #9 in 1999, was also #3 RB for two weeks. The track features Puff Daddy and samples “I Hear Music In The Streets” by Unlimited Touch.

Joe Walsh, #19 in 1980

Rusty Bryant, #25 in 1954; “This rockin’ ‘live’-sounding performance of the famous Jimmy Forrest tune by jazz saxman Bryant was first issued in 1953 on the Carolyn label under the title ‘Nite Train,’ but was later picked up by Dot and retitled ‘All Nite Long’ for their 1954 reissue.” This song is familiar. 

Sandy Nelson, #75 in 1962. Also familiar.

Billy Squier, #75 in 1984. Co-produced by Jim Steinman

Jo Stafford, #99 in 1956

Mary Jane Girls, #101 in 1983

Rainbow, #110 in 1980

Demi Lovato, #124 in 2011

Jerry Lee Lewis, classic in 1957

Motown

The best-known version is more accurately called All Night Long (All Night)

Lionel Richie, #1 in 1983. It went from #14 to #7 on October 15, then to #5, #3, and #2. Then, it switched places with Islands In The Stream by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton on November 12, staying at #1  until it was supplanted by Say Say Say by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. It remained in the Top 10 through the January 7, 1984 charts.  

Arthur wrote about this song last year, from which I shall purloin the following:

“The official music video was produced by Mike Nesmith (formerly of The Monkees and an extensive solo career.) It was directed by American film director Bob Rafelson who was also a creator of The Monkees TV series….

“All Night Long (All Night)” reached Number One in Australia, Number One in Canada (Platinum), 4 in New Zealand, 2 in the UK (Platinum), and Number One on the USA’s “Billboard Hot 100” [for four weeks], “Hot Black Singles” [for seven weeks], and “Adult Contemporary” [for four weeks] charts, as well as Number One on Cash Box “Top 100”; it was certified Gold in the USA.

Then there is the spelling variation on the theme, All Nite Long, none of which received much chart action on the pop, country, RB, or AC charts.

Billy Vaughn, #102 in 1959. This IS the same tune as the Rusty Bryant song!

Robert Parker, #113 in 1959

A.L.T., #121 in 1994 – parental advisory

There are also at least four songs called All Night, an All Nite, and an  All Nite (Don’t Stop).

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