RIP Ozzy Osbourne

  One of my worst Rock Hall inductee predictions occurred last year when I didn't pick Ozzy Osbourne to be a 2024 inductee.  

This is what I wrote in my inductee predictions post last year:

"Of all the nominees, this is the one that stumped me the most. Here we have a good test of the metal bias that many accuse voters of having.  Ozzy is a household name. Is that enough?"

  I regretted my choice the minute I posted my predictions.  And sure enough Ozzy got in on his first try as a solo artist.  No, I wasn't wrong about the voters' bias against metal.  But I failed to grasp that Ozzy transcended the metal genre, with an assist from the early 00's reality show.  And yes I was aware that it took Black Sabbath a ridiculous 8 tries from 1997-2006 to get voted into the Hall.  But Ozzy was a household name who was beloved by so many of his fellow artists.  And his death shows that he had a cross musical genre appeal not just with music fans but musicians too.  

  Admittedly, I was late to embrace the metal genre.  Most of my life I listened to all genres of music, but missed some until my 20's and 30's.  Prog was one genre.  But metal was a big one.  Luckily, I became friends with a guitarist for a Bay Area metal band who turned me on to all sorts of metal acts.  Black Sabbath were one of them.  Sure I always knew who there were and heard their most popular songs.  But I never listened to their first albums.  The ones that basically invented heavy metal as we know it today.  Because of MTV, I also knew Ozzy's solo career more than Sabbath's music.  I liked quite a few of his solo songs (especially 1986's "Shot In The Dark", a MTV staple that year). 

  Ozzy was a character that only the power of Rock and Roll could have created.  Luckily he had a sense of humor about him.  The Prince of Darkness was often lighthearted.  That's how I'll remember him.  "Paranoid" is immortal, heavy metal will never die and Ozzy was its leader for nearly 60 years and forever.  

Tom's Top Jazz Artists of All-Time

Updated July 2025

Abbey Lincoln 

Ahmad Jamal

Al Di Meola

Al Jarreau

Albert Ayler

Alice Coltrane

Andrew Hill

Anita O’Day

Anthony Braxton

Art Blakey

Art Pepper

Art Tatum

Artie Shaw

Ben Webster

Benny Carter

Benny Golson

Benny Goodman

Bessie Smith

Betty Carter

Bill Evans

Billie Holiday

Billy Cobham

Billy Eckstein

Billy Strayhorn

Blossom Dearie 

Bob James

Bobby McFerrin 

Branford Marsalis

Brecker Brothers (Michael & Randy)

Bud Powell

Buddy Rich

Cab Calloway

Cannonball Adderley

Carla Bley

Carmen McCrae

Cecil Taylor

Cecile McLorin Salvant

Charles Lloyd

Charles Mingus

Charlie Christian

Charlie Haden

Charlie Parker

Chet Baker

Chick Corea

Chick Webb

Christian McBride

Chuck Mangione

Clark Terry

Clifford Brown

Coleman Hawkins

Count Basie

Crusaders

Dave Brubeck

David Murray

Dexter Gordon

Diana Krall

Dianne Reeves 

Dinah Washington 

Dizzy Gillespie

Django Reinhardt

Don Cherry

Donald Byrd

Duke Ellington

Earl Hines

Earl Klugh

Ella Fitzgerald

Elvin Jones

Eric Dolphy

Erroll Garner

Fats Waller

Fletcher Henderson

Frank Sinatra

Freddie Hubbard

Gene Krupa

George Benson

Gerry Mulligan

Gil Evans

Gregory Porter

Grover Washington Jr. 

Hank Jones

Harvey Mason

Herbie Hancock

Horace Silver

Jack Teagarden

Jackie McLean

Jaco Pastorius

James Blood Ulmer

James Carter

James Moody

Jan Hammer

Jason Moran

Jelly Roll Morton

Jimmy Rushing

Jimmy Smith

J.J. Johnson

Joe Henderson

Joe Sample

Joe Williams 

Joe Zawinul

John Coltrane

John Lewis

John McLaughlin

Johnny Hartman

Johnny Hodges

Julie London

June Christy

Keith Jarrett

Kenny Barron

King Oliver

Kurt Elling

Larry Carlton

Lee Konitz

Lee Morgan

Lee Ritenour

Lester Young

Lionel Hampton

Louis Armstrong

Mahavishnu Orchestra

Mark Murphy

Mary Lou Williams

Max Roach

McCoy Tyner

Mel Torme 

Miles Davis

Milt Hinton

Milt Jackson

Modern Jazz Quartet

Mose Allison

Nancy Wilson 

Nat King Cole

Nathan East

Nina Simone

Oscar Brown Jr. 

Oscar Peterson

Pat Metheny

Paul Desmond

Peggy Lee

Pharoah Sanders

Ornette Coleman

Quincy Jones

Rahsaan Roland Kirk

Ray Brown

Ray Charles

Red Norvo

Return to Forever

Ron Carter

Roy Eldridge

Roy Haynes

Sarah Vaughan

Shirley Horn 

Sidney Bechet

Sonny Rollins

Sonny Sharrock

Sonny Stitt

Stan Getz

Stan Kenton

Stanley Clarke

Sun Ra

Thad Jones

Thelonious Monk

Tony Bennett

Tony Williams

Vijay Iyer

Wayne Shorter

Weather Report

Wes Montgomery

Wilton Felder

Woody Shaw

Wynton Kelly

Wynton Marsalis

Top 10 Films of 21st Century (So far)

   I was one of those who filled out a top 10 readers poll ballot for the NY Times' Top Films of the 21st Century (so far).  Needless, to say this was an extremely tough ballot to fill out.  Once I hit send on my Top 10, I realized how many great films I missed.  Animated ones that I should have listed.  I needed this ballot to be a top 20.  But the picks I made below are all great films.  Many I still watch today when they appear on various cable channels.  

Here's a link to my top films of all time.  It's a fluid list.  I'm still catching up on films from the past that are new to me.  Tom's Top Films of All Time.

Ranking: Songs from Lucinda Williams - s/t (1988)

  It took Lucinda Williams 8 years to come up with her second album of original material.  And what a stunner it is.  My favorite album of hers because it includes my favorite song of hers, "Side of the Road". It's also an album that was mined for great covers by others: "Passionate Kisses". "Changed the Locks". Car Wheels On A Gravel Road often gets mentioned as the ultimate Lucinda album.  No doubt it's a great one too, but I have to give the edge to this 1988 one.

1.  Side of the Road

2.  Passionate Kisses

3.  Changed the Locks

4.  I Just Wanted To See You So Bad

5.  Crescent City

6.  Price to Pay

7.  The Night's Too Long

8.  I Asked For Water

9.  Big Red Sun Blues

10.  Like A Rose

11.  Am I Too Blue

12.  Abandoned

Playlist for 7/12

Jesse Welles - Middle

Eric Church - Evangeline vs. the Machine

Springsteen's Country - Various (Ace)

Smokey Robinson - What The World Needs Now

Heart of Gold: Songs of Neil Young - Various 

Julien Baker & Torres - Send A Prayer My Way

Maggie & Terre Roche - Seductive Reasoning

Brian D'Addario - Till the Morning

Pulp - More

Songs About Letters/Mail

I worked 35 years for the USPS, and the #1 song mentioned most by customers regarding letters was Elvis Presley's "Return to Sender". Hundreds, thousands?  That's how many times someone would sing or mention that song when giving back a letter from someone who didn't live at their address.
Over the years, I (and some other music-minded colleagues) would try to name other Postal related songs.  Below are list of the most popular ones mixed with some of my other less popular faves.

Box Full of Letters - Wilco
Care of Cell 44 - Zombies
Death Letter Blues - Son House

Faded Letter - Saintones

He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones

Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh - Allan Sherman

Hey, Western Union Man - Jerry Butler
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter - Billy Williams

I Burned Your Letters - Jackie & the Starlites

In Your Letter -  REO Speedwagon

Key’s In The Mailbox - Freddie Hart 

Letter of Your Love - Markels
Letters - Leonard Cohen
Letter to Elise - The Cure
Letter to Me - Brad Paisley

Letter to Myself - Chi-Lites

Letter to You - Bruce Springsteen 

Letter Never Sent - REM

Lonesome For A Letter - Sanford Clark 
Love Letter - Bonnie Raitt

Love Letters - Ketty Lester

Mailbox Blues - Slim Harpo

Mailman - Leon Payne

Mailman Blues - Lloyd Price

Mailman Bring Me No More Blues - Lefty Frizzell

No Mail Blues - Memphis Slim
Please Mr. Postman - Marvelettes
Please Read the Letter - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

P.S. I Love You - Beatles
Return to Sender - Elvis Presley

Rock and Roll Love Letter - Bay City Rollers

Roll Over Beethoven - Chuck Berry
Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder

Soldier's Last. Letter -  Ernest Tubb
Strawberry Letter 23 - Brothers Johnson
Take A Letter Maria - R.B. Greaves

Teardrops On Your Letter - Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
Tear-Stained Letter - Richard Thompson

The Letter - Box Tops 

The Letter - Medallions 

Twistin' Postman - Marvelettes

Western Union - Five Americans

Why Don't You Write Me - The Jacks

Write Me A Letter - Ravens 
You Wear It Well - Rod Stewart

Poll: May 1983 Songs

  Latest poll I voted in are songs from May 1983.  36 songs were voted on.  1983 was the warm-up for CHR's great comeback of 1984.  The British New Wave was just hitting the U.S. shores.  

Pop Radio Gold

"Billie Jean", Michael Jackson : 1
"Little Red Corvette", Prince : 2
"Beat It", Michael Jackson : 3
"Flashdance...What A Feeling", Irene Cara : 4
"Between The Sheets", Isley Brothers : 5
"Hungry Like The Wolf", Duran Duran : 6
"Electric Avenue", Eddy Grant : 7
"Let's Dance", David Bowie : 8
"Come On Eileen", Dexy's Midnight Runners : 9
"Even Now", Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band : 10
"All This Love", DeBarge : 11
"One On One", Daryl Hall & John Oates : 12
"Photograph", Def Leppard : 13
"Jeopardy", Greg Kihn Band : 14
"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)", Journey : 15
"Do You Really Want To Hurt Me", Culture Club : 16
"Time (Clock Of The Heart)", Culture Club : 17
"Affair Of The Heart", Rick Springfield : 18
"Faithfully", Journey : 19
"She's A Beauty", Tubes : 20
"Rio", Duran Duran : 21
"Family Man", Daryl Hall & John Oates : 22
"She Blinded Me With Science", Thomas Dolby : 23
"Der Kommissar", After The Fire : 24
"Mr. Roboto", Styx : 25
"My Love", Lionel Richie : 26
"Overkill", Men At Work : 27
"Candy Girl", New Edition : 28
"It Might Be You (Theme From "Tootsie")", Stephen Bishop : 29
"Mornin'", (Al) Jarreau : 30
"Always Something There To Remind Me", Naked Eyes : 31
"Straight From The Heart", Bryan Adams : 32
"I Won't Hold You Back", Toto : 33
"Solitaire", Laura Branigan : 34
"We've Got Tonight", Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton : 35
"Don't Let It End", Styx : 36

Tom’s Top Albums of 1975

Abba - s/t

AC/DC - TNT

Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic

Al Green - Is Love

Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare

Allen Toussaint - Southern Nights

Amazing Rhythm Aces - Stacked Deck

Average White Band - Cut The Cake

Bad Company -Straight Shooter

Band - Northern Lights-Southern Cross

Barry White - Just Another Way To Say I Love You

Bee Gees - Main Course

Black Sabbath - Sabotage

Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks

Bob Dylan/The Band - Basement Tapes

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Live

Bob Seger - Beautiful Loser

Bobby Bare - Hard Time Hungrys

Bonnie Raitt - Home Plate

Brian Eno - Another Green World

Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run

Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey

Charley Pride - Charley

Charlie Rich - Everytime You Touch Me

Chicago - VIII

Commodores - Caught In the Act

Curtis Mayfield - There's No Place Like America

David Allan Coe- Once Upon A Rhyme 

David Bowie - Young Americans

Dictators - Go Girl Crazy

Dolly Parton - Bargain Store

Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby

Doobie Brothers - Stampede

Eagles - One Of These Nights

Earth, Wind & Fire - Gratitude

Earth, Wind & Fire - That's The Way of the World
Emmylou Harris - Pieces of the Sky

Gary Stewart - Out of Hand

George Jones - Memories Of Us

Glen Campbell - Rhinestone Cowboy

ELO - Face The Music

Elton John - Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy

Elton John - Rock of the Westies

Elvis Presley - Promised Land

Elvis Presley - Today

Emmylou Harris - Elite Hotel

Fleetwood Mac - s/t

Foghat - Fool For The City

Freddy Fender - Before The Next Teardrop Falls

Freddy Fender - Are You Ready for Freddy

Funkadelic - Let's Take It To The Stage

Gary Stewart - Out Of Hand 

Gene Watson - Love In The Hot Afternoon

Grateful Dead - Blues for Allah

Grover Washington Jr. - Mister Magic

Grover Washington Jr. - Feels So Good

Guy Clark - Old No. 1

Hank Williams Jr. & Friends - s/t 

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - To Be True

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Wake Up Everybody

Heart - Dreamboat Annie 

Hot Chocolate - s/t

Isley Brothers - Heat Is On

James Talley - Got No Bread, No Milk, No Money

James Taylor - Gorilla

Janis Ian - Between the Lines

J.D. Crowe and the New South - s/t

Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow

Jefferson Starship - Red Octopus

Jethro Tull - Minstrel In The Gallery

Joan Baez - Diamonds & Rust

John Denver - Windsong

John Denver - An Evening With

John Lennon - Rock 'n' Roll

John Prine - Common Sense

Johnny Cash - Look at Them Beans

Johnny Rodriguez - Just Get Up and Close the Door 

Joni Mitchell - Hissing of Summer Lawns

KC & The Sunshine Band - s/t

Keith Jarrett - Koln Concert

Kiss - Alive

Kool & The Gang - Spirit of the Boogie

Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Linda Ronstadt - Prisoner In Disguise

Little Feat - Last Record Album 

Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty - Feelins'

Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby 

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Nuthin' Fancy

Marshall Tucker Band - Searchin' For A Rainbow

Merle Haggard - Keep Movin' On

Meters - Sissy Strut

Michael Jackson - Forever Michael

Miles Davis - Agharta

Minnie Riperton - Adventures in Paradise

Miracles - City of Angels

Natalie Cole - Inseparable

Nazareth - Hair of the Dog

Neil Sedaka - Hungry Years

Neil Sedaka - Sedaka's Back

Neil Young - Tonight's The Night

Neil Young - Zuma

Nils Lofgren - s/t

Ohio Players - Honey

O'Jays - Survival

O'Jays - Family Reunion

Olivia Newton-John - Have You Never Been Mellow

Parliament - Chocolate City

Parliament - Mothership Connction

Patti Smith - Horses

Paul McCartney - Venus & Mars

Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

Queen - A Day At The Races

Quincy Jones - Mellow Madness

Richard & Linda Thompson - Pour Down Like Silver

Richard Pryor - Is It Something I Said

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - s/t

Roberta Flack - Feel Like Makin' Love

Rocky Horror Picture Show - Soundtrack

Rod Stewart - Atlantic Crossing

Roxy Music - Siren

Rufus featuring Chaka Khan - s/t

Rush - Fly by Night

Sammi Smith -  Today I Started Loving You Again 

Shirley and Company - Shame Shame Shame

Smokey Robinson - A Quiet Storn

Spinners - Pick of the Litter 

Spinners - Live 

Steely Dan - Katy Lied

Supertramp - Crisis? What Crisis?

10CC - Original Soundtrack

Tanya Tucker - s/t

Tavares - In The City

Temptations - A Song For You

Thin Lizzy - Fighting

Tony Bennett & Bill Evans - Album

Toots and the Maytals - Funky Kingston

Trammps - s/t

War - Why Can't We Be Friends

Waylon Jennings - Dreamin' My Dreams

Who - Who By Numbers

Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger

ZZ Top - Fandango

Playlist for 7/1

Pub Rock Rhythm 'N' Grooves: Classic Cuts & Rarities 74-82  (Strawberry box set)

Motor City is Burning: A Michigan Anthology 65-72 (Grapefruit box set)

Patsy Cline - Lost Recordings 54-63

Danny & Dusty - Lost Weekend

Bon Iver - Sable, Fable

Steve Hackett - Voyage of the Acolyte

Bruce Springsteen - Land of Hope & Dreams

Rush - Fly By Night

Latimore - III

Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson - What Did the Blackbirds Say to the Crow