Ranking: Songs from From Elvis In Memphis (69)

   Part of the Elvis comeback that began with the December 1968 TV special, From Elvis In Memphis is a high point in his discography.  Recorded in early 1969 (released in June that year) at Chip Moman's studio it showcases an Elvis fully engaged.  Moman was co-Producer and the album uses his house band known as the Memphis Boys. 

Sessions so good that not even the two best songs from them, "Suspicious Minds" and "Kentucky Rain" made the album tracklist.  Released as lone singles later on. The sad part is that Elvis never used Moman again on any recording (no thanks to Colonel Parker), but what we have here is some of the best Pop/Rock/Country/Soul sessions ever recorded.  The King was back.

1.  Long Black Limousine

2.  In The Ghetto

3.  Only The Strong Survive

4.  True Love Travels On A Gravel Road

5.  I'll Hold You In My Heart

6.  After Loving You

7.  Gentle On My Mind

8.  Any Day Now

9.  It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'

10.  Wearin' That Loved On Look

11.  Power Of My Love

12.  I'm Movin' On

Playlist for 8/15

American Power Pop 1980-89 - Various (Cherry Red Box set)

Matt Berninger - Get Sunk

Hailey Whitters - Corn Queen

North Mississippi Allstars - Still Shakin'

Terry Reid - s/t

Terry Reid - River

Johnny Rodriguez - You Can Say That Again

Johnny Rodriguez - Introducing

Johnny Rodriguez - All I Ever Meant To Do Was Sing

Johnny Rodriguez - My Third Album

Becoming Led Zeppelin (Documentary) 

Ranking the Greatest Musical Years of My Life

   I was born in 1964.  The first music I remember hearing came out of my sister's room by way of the radio and her records.  I often say that the first record I remember hearing was the Beatles' "Eight Days A Week" in 1965.  My sister was such a huge Beatles fan at that time that their music and albums are forever etched in my musical memory bank.

  For this list, I decided to rank my Top 10 musical years with a short explanation as to why it was so important in my musical life.

1.  1965-69   (First songs I remember hearing from the radio and records)

2.  1976 (Became addicted to American Top 40.  And discovered FM radio)

3.  1986 (Met my wife and many songs from this era are just special to me)

4.  1983 (MTV takes off and I become addicted to this new medium called music videos)

5.  1975 (In the Summer I move back to the U.S. after living in Germany for 4 years.  That summer was an ear-opener of newly listened to radio stations)

6.  1970-71 (AM Top 40 radio is king in my young world)

7.  1984 (The rebirth of CHR)

8.  1974 (This is the year I first start to really pay attention to AT40 and the different genres that charted)

9.  1991/92 (These are the 2 years I become a fan of Americana music thanks to the great, local radio station KPIG-FM)

10.  1979 (Disco begins to fade away, replaced by the New Wave sound of England (and U.S. acts too)

Poll: Top 20 Albums/Singles of 1985

Latest poll I voted on were the top 20 albums/singles of 1985.  Of all the albums I'm kicking myself for missing, the Indestructible Beat of Soweto is at the top.  Probably missed it since it was a compilation and I didn't vote for greatest hits albums.  Would have been my #3 album of the year. Having to only list 20 albums was brutal, but also hard when it came to singles. So many great albums/singles I had to cut. Oh well, next time.  

1985 Albums/Singles Poll

1.  John Mellencamp - Scarecrow

2.  Sam Cooke - Live at the Harlem Square Club

3.  Luther Vandross - The Night I Fell In Love
4.  Lone Justice - s/t
5.  Willie Nelson - Me & Paul
6.  Don Henley - Building the Perfect Beast
7.  Mekons - Fear & Whiskey
8.  Rosanne Cash - Rhythm and Romance
9.  Phil Collins - No Jacket Required
10.  Talking Heads - Little Creatures
11.  Replacements - Tim. 
12.  Blasters - Hard Line
13.  Tears for Fears - Songs From the Big Chair

14.  Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen   
15.  Jesus and the Mary Chain - Psychocandy
16.  Pogues - Rum Sodomy and the Lash
17.  Rene & Angela - Street Called Desire
18.  Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
19.  Prince - Around the World In A Day  
20.  REM -  Fables of the Reconstruction

1.  Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is 2.  Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World 3.  Prince - Raspberry Beret 4.  Don Henley - Boys of Summer 5.  Commodores - Nightshift 6.  Bangles - If She Knew What She Wants 7.  Madonna - Into the Groove 8.  Lone Justice - Ways To Be Wicked 9.  Wham - Everything She Wants 10.  Smiths - How Soon Is Now 11. Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill 12. Debarge - Rhythm of the NIght 13. Loose Ends - Hangin’ On A String 14. Artists United Against Apartheid - Sun City 15. Bryan Adams - Heaven 16. Katrina and the Waves - Walking on Sunshine 17. Kool & The Gang - Fresh 18. Talking Heads - And She Was 19. Paul Young - Everytime You Go Away  20. USA for Africa - We Are The World

Tom’s Top Albums of 1985

Alabama - 40 Hour Week

Albert Collins/Robert Cray/Johnny Copeland - Showdown

Aretha Franklin - Who's Zoomin' Who

Artists United Against Apartheid - Sun City - Various

Beverly Hills Cop - Soundtrack - Various

Bill Withers - Watching You Watching Me

Blasters - Hard Line

Bryan Ferry - Boys and Girls

Commodores - Nightshift

Dan Fogelberg - High Country Snows

Danny & Dusty - Lost Weekend

Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms

Don Henley - Building the Perfect Beast

Emmylou Harris - Ballad of Sally Rose

Eurythmics - Be Yourself Tonight

Fela Kuti - Army Arrangement

Freddie Jackson - Rock Me Tonight

George Benson - 20/20

George Jones - Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes

George Strait - Something Special

Green on Red - Gas Food Lodging

Heart - s/t

Highwayman - Willie Nelson/Waylon Jennings/Johnny Cash/Kris Kristofferson

Husker Du - Flip Your Wig

Husker Du- New Day Rising

INXS - Listen Like Thieves

Jason & The Scorchers - Lost & Found

Jesus and the Mary Chain - Psychocandy

John Anderson - Tokyo, Oklahoma

John Fogerty - Centerfield

John Mellencamp - Scarecrow

Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

Katrina & the Waves - s/t

LL Cool J - Radio

Lone Justice - s/t

Lonnie Mack - Strike Like Lightning

Lost In The Stars: Music of Kurt Weill

Luther Vandross - Night I Fell In Love

Marshall Crenshaw - Downtown

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - Can't Stop The Love

Mekons - Fear and Whiskey

Merle Haggard - Kern River

Mike & The Mechanics - s/t

Minutemen - 3 Way Tie For Last

New Edition - All for Love

New Order - Low Life

Phil Collins - No Jacket Required

Pogues - Rum Sodomy and the Lash

Prefab Sprout - Two Wheels Good

Prince - Around the Word In A Day

Reba McEntire - Have I Got A Deal For You

REM - Fables of the Reconstruction

Rene & Angela - Street Called Desire

Replacements - Tim

Richard Thompson - Across A Crowded Room

Robert Cray - False Accusations

Robert Palmer - Riptide

Rosanne Cash - Rhythm and Romance

Run DMC - King of Rock

Sade - Promise

Sam Cooke - Live at the Harlem Square Club

Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche '85

Simple Minds - Once Upon A Time

Simply Red - Picture Book

Skeeter Davis & NRBQ - She Sings They Play

Smiths - Meat Is Murder

Steve Arrington - Dancin' In The Key Of Life

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Soul to Soul

Stevie Wonder - In Square Circle

Sting - Dream of the Blue Turtles

Talking Heads - Little Creatures

Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair

Teddy Pendergrass - Workin' It Back

Tom Jones - Tender Loving Care

Tom Petty - Southern Accents 

Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

USA For Africa - We Are The World - Various

Van Morrison - A Sense of Wonder

Velvet Underground - VU

Weird Al Yankovic - Dare To Be Stupid

Whitney Houston - s/t

Willie Nelson - Me and Paul

Willie Nelson & Hank Snow - Brand On My Heart

ZZ Top - Afterburner

 

Poll: June 1973 Songs

   Latest poll I voted on was for June 1973.  I was living in Germany at the time, but American Top 40 kept me up to date with the latest hits.

Pop Radio Gold

"Reeling In The Years", Steely Dan : 1
"Stuck In The Middle With You", Stealers Wheel : 2
"Behind Closed Doors", Charlie Rich : 3
"Daniel", Elton John : 4
"I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby", Barry White : 5
"Drift Away", Dobie Gray : 6
"Right Place, Wrong Time", Dr. John : 7
"One Of A Kind (Love Affair)", Spinners : 8
"Smoke On The Water", Deep Purple : 9
"Let's Pretend", Raspberries : 10
"Soul Makossa", Manu Dibango : 11
"Will It Go Round In Circles", Billy Preston : 12
"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)", George Harrison : 13
"Little Willy", Sweet : 14
"You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", Stevie Wonder : 15
"Frankenstein", Edgar Winter Group : 16
"Steamroller Blues", Elvis Presley : 17
"Natural High", Bloodstone : 18
"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", Jim Croce : 19
"Long Train Runnin'", Doobie Brothers : 20
"Give It To Me", J. Geils Band : 21
"Kodachrome", Paul Simon : 22
"You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)", Stylistics : 23
"My Love", Paul McCartney & Wings : 24
"Hocus Pocus", Focus : 25
"Wildflower", Skylark : 26
"I'm Doin' Fine Now", New York City : 27
"Yesterday Once More", Carpenters : 28
"Shambala", Three Dog Night : 29
"Funky Worm", Ohio Players : 30
"Leaving Me", Independents : 31
"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", Bette Midler : 32
"Daddy Could Swear, I Declare", Gladys Knight & the Pips : 33
"Thinking Of You", Loggins & Messina : 34
"Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree", Dawn featuring Tony Orlando : 35
"Pillow Talk", Sylvia : 36
"And I Love You So ", Perry Como : 37
"Playground In My Mind", Clint Holmes : 38

Playlist for 8/1

The Gamble & Huff Songbook - Various (Ace) 

Soul 66 - Various (Cherry Red)

Maren Morris - Dreamsicle

I'm With Her - Wild and Clear and Blue

Ray Charles - What'd I Say

Tune-Yards - Better Dreaming 

Robert Forster - Strawberries

Pee-Wee as Himself (2025 Pee-Wee Herman Documentary)