Playlist for 2/18

James Brandon Lewis - Jesup Wagon

Randy Travis - First Impressions (Live 1986)

Keith Whitley - Hard Act to Follow

Lenny Kaye Presents Lightning Striking - Various

Weeknd -  Dawn FM

Burial - Antidawn

Elvis Costello - Boy Named If

Dells - One Step Closer

Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes - Music for Saxofone & Bass Guitar

Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes - Music for Saxofone & Bass Guitar More Songs

Carole King & James Taylor: Just Call Out My Name (2022 Documentary)

Janet Jackson (2022 Documentary)

My Podcast Appearance Discussing Country & Rock Hall

 Once again I was a guest on Nick Bambach's Rock In Retrospect Podcast. This time I appeared with the great Country music (among other genres) writer David Cantwell.  Lots of ground covered in 90 minutes. It's a topic that I've yet to hear on any other podcast.

Rock In Retrospect: Country Music in the Rock Hall

Music List A Month (February): Best R&B Songs of the 80's

 Another Poll I voted in back in 2017.  Rules: vote for up to 100 R&B tracks.  The only catch in this poll was that voters had a set list of songs to choose from.  I think this turned out pretty well, as the 80's were another great decade for R&B.

1.  Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
2.  Prince - When Doves Cry
3.  Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing
4.  Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It
5.  Teddy Pendergrass - Love T.K.O.
6.  Cameo - Word Up
7.  Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
8.  Gregory Abbott - Shake You Down
9.  Whitney Houston - How Will I Know
10. Gap Band - Burn Rubber
11. Kool & The Gang - Too Hot
12. Janet Jackson - When I Think Of You
13. Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots
14. Rick James - Super Freak
15. Zapp - More Bounce To The Ounce
16. Whispers - And The Beat Goes On
17. George Benson - Give Me The Night
18. Brothers Johnson - Stomp
19. S.O.S. Band - Just Be Good To Me
20. Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody
21. Terence Trent D'Arby - Wishing Well
22. Lionel Richie - Hello
23. Mtume - Juicy Fruit
24. Isley Brothers - Between The Sheets
25. Herbie Hancock - Rockit
26. Junior - Mama Used To Say
27. Jermaine Stewart - We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off
28. Prince - Kiss
29. Cherrelle & Alexander O'Neal - Saturday Love
30. Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen
31. Hall & Oates - I Can't Go For That
32. Diana Ross - Upside Down
33. Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
34. Rene & Angela - Your Smile
35. Loose Ends - Hangin' On A String
36. DeBarge - I Like It
37. Aretha Franklin - Freeway of Love
38. Irene Cara - Flashdance
39. Gap Band - Outstanding
40. Michael McDonald - I Keep Forgettin'
41. Grover Washington Jr./Bill Withers - Just The Two Of Us
42. Stevie Wonder - Master Blaster
43. Raydio - Woman Needs Love
44. Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove
45. Pointer Sisters - He's So Shy
46. Chaka Khan - I Feel For You
47. Taana Gardner - Heartbeat
48. Commodores - Nightshift
49. ZZ Hill - Cheating In The Next Room
50. Soul II Soul - Back To Life
51. Guy - I Like
52. George Michael - Father Figure
53. Timex Social Club - Rumors
54. Oran "Juice" Jones - Rain
55. Bobby Brown - My Prerogative
56. Stephanie Mills - Never Knew Love Like This Before
57. Keith Sweat - I Want Her
58. Maze feat. Frankie Beverly - Joy and Pain
59. Pasadenas - Tribute
60. Ready For The World - Oh Sheila
61. Time - Jungle Love
62. Deniece Williams - Let's Hear It For The Boy
63. Prince - Little Red Corvette
64. Dazz Band - Let It Whip
65. Janet Jackson - What Have You Done For Me Lately
66. Whispers - Rock Steady
67. Shalamar - Night To Remember
68. Luther Vandross - Give Me The Reason
69. Manhattans - Shining Star
70. Donna Summer - She Works Hard For The Money
71. Sheila E. - Glamorous Life
72. Lakeside - Fantastic Voyage
73. Jennifer Holliday - And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going
74. Quincy Jones - Secret Garden
75. Inner City - Good Life
76. Patti Austin & James Ingram - Baby Come To Me
77. Bobby Womack - If You Think You're Lonely Now
78. Evelyn "Champagne" King - Love Come Down
79. Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue
80. Shannon - Let The Music Play
81. George Clinton - Atomic Dog
82. Teena Marie - I Need Your Lovin'
83. Nu Shooz - I Can't Wait
84. Freddie Jackson - You Are My Lady
85. D-Train - You're The One For Me
86. Lisa Stansfield - All Around The World
87. Womack & Womack - Baby I'm Scared Of You
88. Smokey Robinson - Being With You
89. Tom Tom Club - Genius Of Love
90. Sade - Smooth Operator
91. Ashford & Simpson - Solid
92. New Edition - Mr. Telephone Man
93. Anita Baker - Caught Up In The Rapture
94. Deele - Two Occasions
95. Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - I Wonder If I Take You Home
96. Simply Red - Holding Back The Years
97. Shirley Murdock - As We Lay
98. Klymaxx - I Miss You
99. Whitney Houston - You Give Good Love
100. Gavin Christopher - One Step Closer To You

Favorite Love Songs

All of these Valentine's Day type tracks have meant something to me at some point in my life.

If you want to find out what other songs I'm adding, then check out my Spotify playlist
A Not On Every Best Love Songs Ever Playlist

Al Green - Sha-La-La
Alexander O'Neal - If You Were Here Tonight
Atlantic Starr - Send For Me
Aretha Franklin - Day Dreaming
Barry White - Can't Get Enough
Bill Withers - Lovely Day
Boz Scaggs -  We're All Alone
Bread - Make It With You
Con Funk Shun - Love's Train
Daryl Hall & John Oates - One On One
DeBarge - All This Love
Earth, Wind & Fire - Love's Holiday
Ella Fitzgerald - I Concentrate On You
ELO - Strange Magic
Elvis Presley - Fame and Fortune
Flamingos - I Only Have Eyes For You
Frank Sinatra - You Make Me Feel So Young
Gap Band - Yearning For Your Love
Gladys Knight & The Pips - You're The Best Thing That's Ever Happened To Me
Gregory Abbott - Shake You Down
Isley Brothers - Voyage to Atlantis
Janet Jackson - Let's Wait Awhile
Jackie Wilson - To Be Loved
Jason Isbell - If We Were Vampires
Jimmy LaFave - Into Your Life
Joni Mitchell - Case of You
L.T.D.  - Love Ballad
Luther Vandross - If Only For One Night
Major Harris - Love Won't Let Me Wait
Manhattans - Shining Star
Marvin Gaye - After The Dance
Maxwell - Whenever, Wherever, Whatever
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - I Wanna Thank You
Merle Haggard - That's The Way Love Goes
Michael Jackson - Lady In My Life
Neil Young - Harvest Moon
Norman Connors - You Are My Starship
O'Jays - Lovin' You
Patti LaBelle - Love, Need and Want You
Peabo Bryson - I'm So Into You
Prince  - Adore
Randy Travis - Forever and Ever, Amen
Ray, Goodman & Brown - Special Lady
Rene & Angela - Your Smile
Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway - Closer I Get To You
Rodney Crowell - After All This Time
Rose Royce - Wishing On A Star
Roxy Music - Avalon
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan - Sweet Thing
Sam Cooke - Nothing Can Change This Love
Smokey Robinson - Quiet Storm
Spinners - Could It Be I'm Falling In Love
Stevie Wonder - You and I
Stylistics - I'm Stone In Love With You
T-Connection - Best of My Love
Teddy Pendergrass & Stephanie Mills - Feel The Fire
Terence Trent D'Arby - Let's Go Forward
Tom Jones - Move Closer
Tony! Toni! Tone! -  Anniversary
Whispers - Lady
Willie Nelson - Moonlight In Vermont

Playlist for 2/10

Golden Gate Groove: Sound of Philadelphia in San Francisco 1973 - Various

Summer Walker - Still Over It

Cleo Sol - Mother

L'Rain - Fatigue

Jon Savage's 77-79 Symbols Crashing Everywhere - Various

Harry Nilsson In Concert 1971

Harry Nilsson In Concert: A Little Touch of Schmilsson In The Night 1973

2022 Grammy Awards

John Mellencamp - Strictly A One-Eyed Jack

Acts Missing A Greatest Hits Album (Updated 2022)

Updated October 2022

 "Unlike proper albums, which typically have some measure of artistic pretense about them, a greatest hits compilation exists purely as a commercial proposition: all the hits in one place, perfect for casual listeners and newbies. The worst of them feel like hastily tossed-together cash grabs, but the best are so well curated in presenting a fertile period of a career that they are arguably an artist's definitive work — Madonna's The Immaculate Collection, Bob Marley and the Wailers' Legend, Squeeze's Singles 45's & Under, ABBA's Gold and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Greatest Hits all immediately come to mind. The format is a gift to artists who are better at producing singles than coherent album statements, and for cash-strapped consumers who can't go from zero to completist for any given pop star who sparks their interest." - NPR's Matthew Perpetua (7/24/19)

Up until the 2010's, you could always count on a current hitmaker to release a Greatest Hits/Anthology/Compilation album. There were still hold outs.  From the 80's, Metallica and AC/DC have never released a compilation.  From the 90's? Beck, Phish. Sure, European labels continue to release compilations on acts that came before the 1990's.  But the streaming era has ended the need for listeners to seek out a hits album.  Even in the case of Metallica & AC/DC, you can now stream a playlist of their most popular songs. Spotify has This Is & Essentials playlists for most acts.

Record companies love Greatest Hits albums.  An easy way to repackage old songs into a one-stop shop for fans and casual record buyers.  There was a reason so many were released around Christmas time.  

My own record collection is full of Greatest Hits albums.  Even by acts that produced classic albums.  But it has been a few years since I added a 2000 era acts' greatest hits to my collection.  

Below are some of my picks.  I've also included acts that were popular before the streaming age. And acts that have Greatest Hits sets, but whose last anthologies were years ago (e.g.Willie Nelson).  

AC/DC

Adele

Animal Collective
Anthony Hamilton

Arcade Fire

Ariana Grande

Avett Brothers

Beck

Beyonce

Black Keys

Bruno Mars

Chills

Coldplay

Daft Punk

Damon Albarn (a compilation of all his Blur side project bands)

Dawes

Drake

Ed Sheeran
Eric Church

Fall Out Boy
Florida Georgia Line

Fountains of Wayne & Adam Schlesinger (music outside of FOW)

Frank Ocean

Gillian Welch

Jason Aldean

Jason Isbell

Jenny Lewis

John Prine (post 00’s)

Kanye West

Katy Perry

Kings of Leon

Lady A (Lady Antebellum)

Lady Gaga

Lana Del Rey
Ledisi

Lil Wayne

Little Big Town

Lori McKenna

Lucinda Williams

Luke Bryan

Mandy Barnett

Mavericks (post 00’s)

Mayer Hawthorne (including Tuxedo)

Maxwell

Mekons

Miranda Lambert

Missy Elliot

Metallica

My Morning Jacket

National

New Pornographers
One Direction

Phish

Rancid

Raphael Saadiq

Rilo Kiley

Robyn

Shins

Steve Earle (post 90's material)

Stoney Edwards

Taylor Swift

TV On The Radio

Vampire Weekend

Van Hunt

Willie Nelson (post 00's)

Playlist for 2/3

Michael Nesmith - Loose Salute

Michael Nesmith - Magnetic South

Come To The Sunshine Radio Show (Michael Nesmith Tribute)

Dion - Runaround Sue

Dion - Lovers Who Wander

Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger

Caetano Veloso - Meu Coco

Ronnie Spector  - This Is (Spotify)

Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

Under the Volcano (2021 Documentary) 

2022 Rock Hall Nominee Predictions

Lots of Rock Hall Watchers picking the same names, and rightly so, because figuring out year two of the John Sykes era is a tough one.  When I look over my picks, the only name I feel confident will get on the ballot is a FYE. After that? Who knows? The last two years there have been 16 nominees, so that’s where I will land for 2022. 

B-52’s - Two out of the last 3 years with Devo on the ballot, it might be time to try another legendary New Wave band. 

Beck - Still hard to pin down how this Alt-Rock icon has been bypassed since first eligible in 2019. He’s got the hits, the acclaim, even a damn Grammy Album of the Year. Maybe this is his year. 

Chaka Khan - Not much else to say.  This would be her 8th total nomination (4 solo, 4 Rufus), and this has to be the year something happens.  Whether Musical Excellence, Early Influence or she gets voted in. 

Cher - After Tina Turner got her solo nod, talk turned to what other female icon from a previous group/duo could get in.  Most of the talk has turned to Cher or Diana Ross. I think Cher would be a FYN.

Dionne Warwick - Waves of nostalgia greeted Dionne's first nomination last year. But it wasn't enough.  No doubt seen as too Pop by some voters, she was sadly passed over. I'm predicting a return, but not totally convinced she'll be back this year. 

Duran Duran - It did seem like they were everywhere in 2021. Especially since they put out a new album last year. Would be a populist choice, something the Hall has embraced fully over the years.

Eminem - Among the newly eligibles, he has to be the only sure shot. 

Iron Maiden -  Go ahead take your pick, Iron Maiden or Judas Priest. I have a hunch they did better than Priest with voters. 

Kate Bush - Back on the ballot last year, this would be her 3rd nomination.  One of those "bigger in the U.K. than in America" artists that has NomCom support.  

Kool & the Gang -  How about the  Commodores or maybe even the return of War?  Or even worse, none of the above, which is what the NomCom has been giving us when it comes to R&B bands.  Lionel Richie inducted Clarence Avant last year. And one NomCommer said the Commodores were discussed at their meeting in 2021. But maybe it’s time for Kool & the Gang. A hit-making, long-running staple of many radio formats. 

Mariah Carey - Having tried Mary J. Blige last year, now seems the right time to nominate Carey. 

Monkees - Michael Nesmith's death resulted in a lot of sentimental pieces that reminded people how important the Monkees were to a lot of artists.  If Nesmith's death can't stir the NomCom, then nothing will. 

New York Dolls - A 20 year gap between nominations meant that few knew they were nominated in 2001, which led some to believe that they would get in last year.  Should be enough for a return slot. 

Pat Benatar - We all know the story.  But still a shock that she was bypassed in 2020, and even worse, not nominated last year.  Has to be back this year, right?

Rage Against the Machine - A 3X nominee ('18, '19, '21), I still find the fact that they haven't gotten inducted an interesting snub.  Morello is a well-liked music biz figure nowadays.  Not on a level as the ubiquitous Dave Grohl, but a step below. Guessing many current inductees know little about Rage outside of Morello.

Soundgarden - Nominated in 2020 but not last year.  This would most likely be a Tom Morello choice.