PlayIist for 11/1

Sunny Sweeney -Rhinestone Requiem

Rodney Crowell - Airline Highway

Buddy Guy - Ain't Done With The Blues

Anthony Braxton - For Alto

Alex G - Headlights

John Fogerty - Legacy

Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left

Ryan Davis - New Threats from the Soul

Rush - Power Windows

Rush - Signals

Lilith Fair (2025 Documentary)

Greatest Halloween Songs (2025 Edition)

 Greatest Halloween Songs (2025 Edition)

1.  Thriller - Michael Jackson
2.  Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett
3.  I Put A Spell On You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
4.  Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.
5.  (Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult          
6.  Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon
7.  Haunted House - Jumpin' Gene Simmons
8.  Time Warp - Rocky Horror Cast
9.  Theme From "Halloween" - John Carpenter
10.  Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield
11.   Nightmare On My Street - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
12.  Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell
13.  Season of the Witch - Donovan
14.  Spooky, Scary Skeletons - Andrew Gold
15.  Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley
16.  Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus
17.  Dinner With Drac - John Zacherle "Cool Ghoul"

18.  Theme from "Twilight Zone" - Jerry Goldsmith
19   Theme From "Psycho" - Bernard Herrmann
20.  Hell's Bells - AC/DC
21.  I Was A Teenage Werewolf - Cramps
22.  What's He Building In There? - Tom Waits
23.  Lucifer - Alan Parsons Project
24.  Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo 
25.  Theme From "Psycho" - Bernard Herrmann
26.  Toccata and Fugue in D Minor -   Bach
27.  Theme From "Addams Family" - Vic Mizzy
28.  In The Hall of the Mountain King - Edvard Grieg
29.  I Walked With A Zombie - Roky Erickson
30.  Theme From "Munsters: - Jack Marshall
31.  Nature Trail To Hell - Weird Al Yankovic
32.  Dream Within A Dream/Raven - Alan Parsons Project
33.  Witch Queen of New Orleans - Redbone
34.  (Ghost) Riders In The Sky - Johnny Cash
35.  Spooky - Classics IV
36.  Welcome To My Nightmare - Alice Cooper
37.  Dinner With Drac - John Zacherle "Cool Ghoul"
38.  Fire On High - ELO
39.  Surfin' Dead - Cramps
40.  Halloween - Misfits
41.  In The Hall Of The Mountain King - ELO
42.  Lucifer - Alan Parsons Project
43.  Jack the Ripper - Screaming Lord Sutch
44.  Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
45.  Goo Goo Muck - Ronnie Cook
46.  Knoxville Girl - Louvin Brothers
47.  Witchy Woman - Eagles
48.  Devil Woman - Cliff Richard
49. Halloween - Siouxsie & the Banshees
50. Night of the Vampire - Roky Erickson
51. Unquiet Grave - Gryphon
52. Dragula - Rob Zombie
53. Heartbreak Hotel - Jacksons
54. Spooktacular Finale - Spike Jones
55. Whistlin' Past The Graveyard - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
55. Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden
56. Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
57. Spooky - George Barnes
58. Pet Sematary - Ramones
59. Theme From The X-Files - Mark Snow
60. 'Til The Following Night - Screaming Lord Sutch
61. Shadow Knows - Coasters
62. Blob - Five Blobs
62. Creep - Three Suns

63. Supernature - Cerrone

64. Werewolf - Barry Dransfield

65. Downbound Train - Chuck Berry

66. Bo Meets The Monster - Bo Diddley

67. Twilight Zone - Golden Earring

68. Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson

69. Everyday Is Halloween - Ministry

70. Boris the Spider - Who

71.  Marie Laveau - Bobby Bare

72. Scary Monsters - David Bowie

73. Careful With the Axe Eugene - Pink Floyd

74. Race With The Devil - Gene Vincent

75. The Witch - Sonics

76. Zombie Zoo - Tom Petty

77. Black Widow - Alice Cooper

78. You're Dead - Norma Tanega 

79. This Is Halloween - Danny Elfman 

Poll: September 1977 Songs

 September 1977.  American Top 40. Soul Train. American Bandstand. AM Top 40 radio stations. Peak years for all these for me.  33 songs were voted on this time.

Pop Radio Gold

"I Feel Love", Donna Summer : 1
"Easy", Commodores : 2
"Best Of My Love", Emotions : 3
"Brick House", Commodores : 4
"Strawberry Letter 23", Brothers Johnson : 5
"I Just Want To Be Your Everything", Andy Gibb : 6
"Cold As Ice", Foreigner : 7
"Keep It Comin' Love", KC & the Sunshine Band : 8
"Boogie Nights", Heatwave : 9
"Barracuda", Heart : 10
"Don't Stop", Fleetwood Mac : 11
"Black Betty", Ram Jam : 12
"Give A Little Bit", Supertramp : 13
"Nobody Does It Better", Carly Simon : 14
"Telephone Line", Electric Light Orchestra : 15
"Smoke From A Distant Fire", Sanford/Townsend Band : 16
"Way Down ", Elvis Presley : 17
"On And On", Stephen Bishop : 18
"Whatcha Gonna Do?", Pablo Cruise : 19
"Float On", Floaters : 20
"Just A Song Before I Go", Crosby, Stills & Nash : 21
"Swayin' To The Music (Slow Dancin')", Johnny Rivers : 22
"That's Rock 'N' Roll", Shaun Cassidy : 23
"Jungle Love", Steve Miller Band : 24
"Handy Man", James Taylor : 25
"(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher And Higher", Rita Coolidge : 26
"Star Wars (Main Title)", London Symphony Orchestra : 27
"Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band", Meco : 28
"You Light Up My Life", Debby Boone : 29
"You Made Me Believe In Magic", Bay City Rollers : 30
"How Much Love", Leo Sayer : 31
"Don't Worry Baby", B.J. Thomas : 32
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)", Peter Frampton : 33

Tom's Top TV Shows Of All Time

Updated January 2026

30 Rock

60 Minutes

A Different World

Adam-12

Addams Family

Alice

All Creatures Great & Small (2020’s)

All In The Family

Amazing Race

American Bandstand

American Idol

Andor

Andy Griffith Show

Angels in America

Arrested Development

Arsenio Hall Show 

Bad Sisters 

Band of Brothers 

Baretta

Barnaby Jones

Barney Miller

Baseball (Ken Burns)

Batman

Ben Stiller Show

Better Things

Beverly Hillbillies

Bewitched

Bionic Woman

Black Mirror

Blackadder

Bob Newhart Show

Bonanza

Brady Bunch

Breaking Bad

Broadchurch

Candid Camera

Cannon

Carol Burnett Show

Chappelle's Show

Charlie's Angels 

Cheers

Chernobyl

Chico and the Man 

Columbo

Cosby Show

Country Music (Ken Burns)

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Danny Thomas Show 

Deadwood

Dean Martin Show

Derry Girls 

Dick Cavett Show 

Dick Van Dyke Show

Diff'rent Strokes

Documentary Now

Donny & Marie

Dopesick

Dragnet

Ed Sullivan Show

Eight Is Enough

Emergency 

Enlightened 

ER

Ernie Kovacs Show

Facts of Life

Family Feud

Family Affair (60's)

Family Ties

Fawlty Towers

Fleabag

Flintstones

Flip Wilson Show

Frasier

Freaks and Geeks

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Friday Night Lights

Friends 

Game of Thrones

Get Smart

Ghost & Mrs. Muir

Gilligan's Island

Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour

Gomer Pyle USMC

Gomorrah

Good Times

Grantchester 

Greatest American Hero 

Green Acres 

Green Hornet

Gunsmoke

Happy Days

Happy Valley

Harry O  

Hawaii Five-O  (70's)

Hawaii Five-O (2010’s)

Hee Haw

Here's Lucy

High Chaparral

Hill Street Blues

Hogan's Heroes

Home Improvement

Honeymooners

I Dream of Jeannie

I Love Lucy

I Spy

In Living Color

Ironside

Jack Benny Program

Jackie Gleason Show

Jazz (Ken Burns)

Jeffersons

Jeopardy

Jetsons

John Adams 

Johnny Cash Show

Justified

Key & Peele

Kojak

Larry Sanders Show

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Late Show with David Letterman

Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Laugh-In

Laverne & Shirley

Little House On The Prairie

Lonesome Dove

Longmire

Lost

Lou Grant

Louie

Love, American Style

Love Boat

Luther

M*A*S*H

Mad Men

Magnum P.I. (80's)

Mandalorian 

Marcus Welby MD

Mare of Easttown

Mary Tyler Moore Show

Match Game

Maude

McCloud 

Merv Griffin Show

Miami Vice

Miss Scarlett

Mister Ed 

Mission:Impossible

Mod Squad

Monkees

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Moonlighting

Mork & Mindy

Mr Inbetween

Munsters

Muppet Show

My Three Sons

Mystery Science Theater 3000

New Girl

Newhart

Normal People

Northern Exposure

NYPD Blue

Odd Couple

One Day At A Time (70's)

Orange Is The New Black

Outlander

P-Valley

Pachinko

Parks and Recreation

Partridge Family

Pee-Wee's Playhouse

Phil Silvers Show

Poldark (2010’s)

Police Squad

Police Woman

Portlandia

Pose

Price Is Right

Rat Patrol

Rectify

Red Skelton Hour

Rhoda

Righteous Gemstones

Rockford Files

Room 222

Roots

Roseanne

Route 66

SCTV

Sanford and Son

Saturday Night Live

Seinfeld

Sesame Street

Shameless 

Sherlock

Shogun (80’s)

Shogun (2020’s)

Shrinking 

Siskel & Ebert

Simpsons

Six Million Dollar Man

Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

Soap

Solid Gold

Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour

Sopranos

Soul Train

Star Trek

Starsky & Hutch

Streets of San Francisco

Tattletales 

Taxi

Ted Lasso

That Girl

The A-Team

The Bear

The Chi

The Civil War (Ken Burns)

The Dust Bowl (Ken Burns)

The Fugitive

The Gilded Age

The Killing (US)

The Last of Us

The Lucy Show

The Mindy Project 

The Nanny

The Night of

The Office (U.K.)

The Office (U.S.)

The Pacific

The Queen’s Gambit

The Shield

The Vietnam War. (Ken Burns)

The Voice

The Wire

This Is Tom Jones

Thorn Birds 

Three's Company

Tonight Show with Johnny Carson

Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

True Blood

Twilight Zone

Twin Peaks

Unforgotten

V 

WKRP In Cincinnati

Walking Dead

Wanted: Dead or Alive 

Watchmen

Welcome Back, Kotter

What We Do In The Shadows 

What's Happening

When They See Us

White Lotus

White Shadow 

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

Wild Wild West 

Winds of War

Wonder Years (80's)

X-Files

Your Show of Shows

Playlist for 10/18

Mary Halvorson - About Ghosts

Patricia Brennan - Breaking Stretch

Trisha Yearwood - The Mirror

Cam - All Things Light

CMAT - Euro-Country

Margo Price - Hard Headed Woman

Tyler Childers - Snipe Hunter 

Hayes Carll - We’re Only Human 

Cody Jinks - In My Blood

Sabrina Carpenter - Man's Best Friend

Taylor Swift - Life of A Showgirl

Olivia Dean - Art of Loving

Hives - Forever Forever the Hives

Ranking: Songs from Pretenders - s/t (80)

  The Pretenders debut album is one I took a chance on when it was released.  All I heard was "Brass In Pocket" and all I read was a review in Rolling Stone.  I didn't always take chances on records being good at 16 years of age. But something that day in the record store pushed me to buy it.  And to this day I'm proud to say that it was one of my greatest purchases.  

  The album is one of the best debut albums ever.  And it introduced a major talent in Chrissie Hynde.  Everything great about her is on this record.  She swaggers, she's sexy, she's got hooks lined up for days in her songs.

  And I was there from the debut album to what became of the Pretenders.  They deserved all their success.

1.  Brass In Pocket

2.  Mystery Achievement

3.  Kid

4.  Stop Your Sobbing

5.  Precious

6.  Tattooed Love Boys

7.  Up The Neck

8.  Private Life

9.  The Phone Call

10.  Lovers of Today

11.  The Wait

12.  Space Invader

  

Playlist for 10/10

Kim Richey - s/t

Patty Griffin - Crown of Roses

Millie Jackson - It's Over

Mariah Carey - Here For It All

Nashville Bluegrass Band - Unleashed 

Whiskeytown - Faithless Street

Waco Brothers - To the Last Dead Cowboy

Robbie Fulks - Now Then

Tom's Top Albums of 2005

Amadou & Miriam - Dimanche a Bamako

Anthony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now

Anthony Hamilton - Ain’t Nobody Worryin’

Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll

Beck - Guero 

Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

Brad Paisley - Time Well Wasted

Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning

Bruce Springsteen - Devils & Dust

Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts

Coldplay - X&Y

Common - Be 

Daft Punk - Human After All

Damian Marley - Welcome to Jamrock

Danger Doom - Mouse and the Mask

Dwight Yoakam - Blame the Vain

Faith Hill - Fireflies

Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine

Fountains of Wayne - Out Of State Plates

Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better

Gary Allan - Tough All Over

Go-Betweens - Oceans Apart 

Gorilla - Demon Days

Hold Steady - Separation Society

James McMurtry - Childish Things

Jamie Lidell - Multiply

Junior Senior - Hey Hey My My Yo Yo

Kaiser Chiefs - Employment

Kathleen Edwards - Back To Me

LCD Soundsystem - s/t

Little Big Town - Road To Here

Madonna - Confessions On A Dance Floor

Mariah Carey - Emancipation of Mimi

Merle Haggard - Chicago Wind

MIA - Arular

Michael Buble - It's Time

Miranda Lambert - Kerosene

My Morning Jacket - Z

New Pornographers - New Cinema

Paul McCartney - Chaos and Creation in the Backyard

Robyn - s/t

Rolling Stones - A Bigger Bang

Shakira - Oral Fixation Vol. 2

Sharon Jones - Naturally

Spoon - Gimme Fiction

Stevie Wonder - A Time To Love

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan

Willie Nelson - Countryman

Ranking the Big (8) 1950's Rock 'n' Rollers

  Here's an interesting poll I voted on: ranking the big 6, Mt. Rushmore if you will, of 1950's Rock 'n' Roll.  The initial poll only had 6 names.  Missing from the poll was Fats Domino, so I've added him to the list.  And I added Bo Diddley too.  Arguments could be made for other Rockers of the decade, but these 8 seem the strongest.  My rankings are kind of ridiculous.  All 8 were phenomenal.  So, I decided to go with who I've played the most in my lifetime.   

1.  Elvis Presley

2.  Chuck Berry

3.  Little Richard

4.  Buddy Holly

5.  Fats Domino

6.  Jerry Lee Lewis

7.  Everly Brothers

8.  Bo Diddley

Playlist for 10/3

Elvis Presley - Sunset Boulevard (box set)

Taj Mahal/Keb Mo - Room on the Porch

Ashley Monroe - Tennessee Lightning

Amanda Shires - Nobody's Girl

Kesha - s/t

Paul Carrack - Country Side Vol. 1

Jonathan Richman - Only Frozen Sky Anyway

Durand Jones - Flowers

Addison Rae - Addison 

Sunday Best (Documentary) 

Devo (Documentary)

A Grammy Salute to Earth, Wind & Fire (TV Special)

Poll: August 1963 Songs

  The latest poll I voted on was for songs from August 1963.  A year before I was born, but I recognized most of these.  42 songs were listed. 

Pop Radio Gold

"Ring Of Fire", Johnny Cash : 1
"Wipe Out", Surfaris : 2
"Fingertips, Part 2", Little Stevie Wonder : 3
"Surf City", Jan & Dean : 4
"Heat Wave", Martha & the Vandellas : 5
"Surfer Girl", Beach Boys : 6
"Just One Look", Doris Troy : 7
"(You're The) Devil In Disguise", Elvis Presley : 8
"Pride And Joy", Marvin Gaye : 9
"Blue Velvet", Bobby Vinton : 10
"My Boyfriend's Back", Angels : 11
"The Monkey Time", Major Lance : 12
"Then He Kissed Me", Crystals : 13
"I (Who Have Nothing)", Ben E. King : 14
"Sukiyaki", Kyu Sakamoto : 15
"Detroit City", Bobby Bare : 16
"Cry Baby", Garnet Mimms & the Enchanters : 17
"Sally, Go 'Round The Roses", Jaynetts : 18
"Abilene", George Hamilton IV : 19
"Hey, Girl", Freddie Scott : 20
"So Much In Love", Tymes : 21
"Easier Said Than Done", Essex : 22
"Judy's Turn To Cry", Lesley Gore : 23
"Memphis", Lonnie Mack : 24
"Denise", Randy & the Rainbows : 25
"If I Had A Hammer", Trini Lopez : 26
"Candy Girl", 4 Seasons : 27
"Mockingbird", Inez Foxx (& Charlie Foxx) : 28
"Danke Schoen", Wayne Newton : 29
"Blowin' In The Wind", Peter, Paul & Mary : 30
"Frankie And Johnny", Sam Cooke : 31
"Blue On Blue", Bobby Vinton : 32
"Green, Green", New Christy Minstrels : 33
"Not Me", Orlons : 34
"Hopeless", Andy Williams : 35
"More", Kai Winding & His Orchestra : 36
"Till Then", Classics : 37
"Painted, Tainted Rose", Al Martino : 38
"Why Don't You Believe Me", Duprees : 39
"Make The World Go Away", Timi Yuro : 40
"Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter From Camp)", Allan Sherman : 41
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport", Rolf Harris : 42

Playlist for 9/17

Bruce Springsteen - Lost Albums (box set) 

Barbra Streisand - Partners Vol. 2

Sheila Jordan - Portrait of Sheila

Willi Carlisle - Winged Victory

Lorde - Virgin

Charley Pride - Cover Story

Buddy Guy - Ain't Done With the Blues

Bob Stanley presents Chip Shop Pop - Various (Ace)

Billy Joel And So It Goes (2025 Documentary)

Ranking: Songs from Beatles - Rubber Soul (65)

   Released at the end of 1965, Rubber Soul just might be my favorite Beatles album.  It's hard to pick just one, but this album has stuck with me throughout my life. This is the album the group moved forward with different sounds and some lyrical twists.  

  I'm ranking the UK version which has 14 tracks.  The US version had 12 songs.  But the UK version is stronger all around. 

1.  In My Life

2.  Norwegian Wood

3.  Drive My Car

4.  If I Needed Someone

5.  You Won't See Me

6.  Nowhere Man

7.  Michelle

8.  I'm Looking Through You

9.  Run For Your Life

10.  Think For Yourself

11.  The Word

12.  Girl

13.  Wait

14.  What Goes On 

Poll: July 1971 Songs

  The latest poll I voted on was for songs from July 1971.  A month earlier we moved to Mannheim, Germany from North Carolina.  My Army Dad got stationed in Germany.  Even at 7 years old I was starting to hear songs that would stay with me for a lifetime.  AT40, which was on in Germany, helped.  

"It's Too Late", Carole King : 1
"Rainy Days And Mondays", Carpenters : 2
"It Don't Come Easy", Ringo Starr : 3
"Take Me Home, Country Roads", John Denver (with Fat City) : 4
"Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", Marvin Gaye : 5
"Wild Horses", Rolling Stones : 6
"I Feel The Earth Move", Carole King : 7
"Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again", Fortunes : 8
"How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", Bee Gees : 9
"Brown Sugar", Rolling Stones : 10
"Want Ads", Honey Cone : 11
"Treat Her Like A Lady", Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose : 12
"That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be", Carly Simon : 13
"When You're Hot, You're Hot", Jerry Reed : 14
"Mr. Big Stuff", Jean Knight : 15
"Beginnings", Chicago : 16
"Funky Nassau", Beginning Of The End : 17
"Never Ending Song Of Love", Delaney & Bonnie & Friends : 18
"Sooner Or Later", Grass Roots : 19
"Hot Pants (She Got To Use...)", James Brown : 20
"Don't Pull Your Love", Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds : 21
"You've Got A Friend", James Taylor : 22
"She's Not Just Another Woman", 8th Day : 23
"Don't Knock My Love", Wilson Pickett : 24
"Draggin' The Line", Tommy James : 25
"I'll Meet You Halfway", Partridge Family : 26
"Signs", Five Man Electrical Band : 27
"Colour My World", Chicago : 28
"Bring The Boys Home", Freda Payne : 29
"You've Got A Friend", Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway : 30
"Indian Reservation (The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian)", Raiders : 31
"Sweet And Innocent", Donny Osmond : 32
"Double Lovin'", Osmonds : 33
"Nathan Jones", Supremes : 34
"K-Jee", Nite-Liters : 35
"Spanish Harlem", Aretha Franklin : 36
"Love The One You're With", Isley Brothers : 37
"I Don't Want To Do Wrong", Gladys Knight & the Pips : 38
"Sweet Hitch-hiker", Creedence Clearwater Revival : 39
"Summer Sand", Dawn : 40
"Puppet Man", Tom Jones : 41
"What The World Needs Now Is Love/Abraham, Martin & John", Tom Clay (with the Blackberries) : 42

Pop Radio Gold

Tom’s Top Albums of 1995

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

Beatles - Anthology 1 

Bjork - Post

Bonnie Raitt - Road Tested

Cassandra Wilson - New Moon Daughter 

D'Angelo - Brown Sugar

Dwight Yoakam - Gone

Elastica - s/t

Elliott Smith - s/t

Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball

Elton John - Made In England

Foo Fighters - s/t

Garbage  - s/t

Garth Brooks - Fresh Horses

Green Day - Insomniac

Guy Clark - Dublin Blues 

Highwaymen - Road Goes On Forever

Joan Osborne - Relish

John Prine - Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings 

Kirsty MacColl - Galore

Mariah Carey - Daydream 

Martina McBride - Wild Angels

Mavericks - Music For All Occasions

Michael Jackson -  History

Moby - Everything Is Wrong 

Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily

No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom

Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory

Pavement - Wowee Zowee

PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love

PM Dawn - Jesus Wept

Prince - Gold Experience 

Pulp - Different Class

Radiohead - The Bends

Ramones - It’s Alive

Rancid - And Out Come the Wolves

Randy Newman - Faust

Selena - Dreaming of You

Shania Twain - Woman In Me

Simply Red - Life

Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Son Volt - Trace 

Sonny Landreth- South of I-10

Steve Earle - Train A Comin’

Stevie Wonder - Conversation Peace

Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix 

Tricky - Maxinquaye

Trisha Yearwood - Thinkin' About You

Waiting to Exhale - Various (Soundtrack)

Playlist for 9/1

Doobie Brothers - Walk This Road

Van Morrison - Remembering Now

Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Sings Walkin' and Talkin'

S.G. Goodman - Planting By the Signs

Wet Leg - Moisturizer 

Haim - I Quit

Grace Potter - Medicine

Neil Young - Talkin To The Trees

James McMurtry - Black Dog and the Wandering Boy

Lukas Nelson - American Romance

Kelsey Waldon - Every Ghost

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