Back in the Napster/Limewire days of my youth I was pretty into burning CDs. Just like our parents had mixtapes we had mix CD's/CD mixes (can't remember what the proper term was). The only problem was that there were restrictions at just about every turn
In the pre-iTunes days you needed software in order to burn a CD and in most cases you had to pay for it. There was no way that I was going to pay for burning capibility, so I once searched around and downloaded the trial version of some CD burning software. The catch was that I could only put 10 songs on a CD and I could only burn 10 CDs. This severely limited my song choices, so I had to really think about what songs were the most deserving to be a part of my mixes. I didn't have any room to waste. I couldn't make any rash decisions if I happened to hear a song that I liked 2-3 times. I had to make sure that I would still like it a month or two down the road.
When I finally reached the point where I had unlimited CD burning capibility I soon realized that the next restriction was the amount of space that blank CDs could hold. Some could only hold 70 minutes, others could hold 80, and oddly enough there were some that could hold 74 minutes. This usually limited my mixes to roughly 17 songs, which was a lot more than the 10 I was used to, but it was still a restriction.
Through the years I've made countless mix CD's (My mom bought me 100 blank CDs before I left for college) and there have been plenty of songs that have ended up on multiple mixes. Because of this slight overlap I've always thought about making what I would consider to be the ultimate mix CD.
Now, of course, I've never gotten around to making the ultimate mix, but for some reason the thought occurred to me the other day.
I decided to limit myself to 15 songs and here's what I came up with. I haven't actually made the CD, but if I do the songs would appear in this order.
*After reading through this list feel free to never respect my opinion on music ever again. I won't be offended.
1.) U2- City of Blinding Lights- On my highly acclaimed radio show in college we primarily played rock music, but also had a Rap/Hip Hop pick and Girly pick of the week. My buddy from home wanted me to add a U2 pick of the week and this was the first song that he recommended.
2.) Foo Fighters- Everlong- Do songs ever make you think of a specific time in your life? Well for me, this song makes me think of the Spring when I was in 7th grade.
3.) Guns N' Roses- Sweet Child o' Mine- Quite possibly my favorite song of all time.
4.) The White Stripes- Seven Nation Army- No other song gets me more pumped up for athletic competition.
5.) AC/DC- Thunderstruck- This is a close second.
6.) The Who- Baba O'Riley- The 1:13 musical lead up is just fantastic.
7.) Van Halen- Why Can't This Be Love?- I probably could have picked 3-4 Van Halen songs, but this one is my favorite.
8.) Foreigner- I Want to Know What Love Is- My #1 love song had to be included.
9.) Bruce Springsteen- Brilliant Disguise- A little bit off the map in terms of Bruce songs, but I can't get enough of this one.
10.) Green Day- When I Come Around- Track #10 on Dookie was a no brainer to be Track #10 on my ultimate mix.
11.) Billy Joel- Scenes From an Italian Restaurant- "A bottle of white, a bottle of red."
12.) Tupac- Changes- I'm not embarassed to know virtually every word in this song.
13.) Arcade Fire- We Used to Wait- My #1 song from 2010. It will probably be the first song to get booted from the mix if I realize that I forgot about a song that I love.
14.) Third Eye Blind- How's it Going to Be?- I can't say it better than lead vocalist Stephan Jenkins, "It deals with a question that we ask ourselves whenever a relationship ends: What does that mean? What it means is that you are no longer intimate, and the transition from friends to acquaintances is a brutal one. Because it reminds us, I think, of all the things ending. 'How's it gonna be/When you don't know me?' There's not an answer to that question."
15.) Kanye West- Family Business- Say what you want about Kanye, but this song is awesome.
"I woke up early this mornin' with a new state of mind
A creative way to rhyme without usin' knives and guns
Keep your nose out the sky, keep your heart to God
And keep your face to the risin' sun"
Songs that just missed the cut (in alphabetical order by artist):
.38 Special- Caught Up in You
AC/DC- You Shook Me All Night Long
Billy Joel- Allentown
Blink 182- Going Away to College
Bone Thugs 'N Harmony- Tha Crossroads
Brand New- Failure by Design
Bruce Springsteen- Glory Days
Cathy Richardson- Here Come the Irish
Def Leppard- Photograph
Fabolous- This is My Party
Foreigner- Jukebox Hero
Glenn Frey- The Heat is On
Green Day- Good Riddance
Green Day- Waiting
Led Zeppelin- Stairway to Heaven
Metallica- Enter Sandman
Nirvana- Come As You Are
The Offspring- The Kids Aren't Alright
Phil Collins- In the Air Tonight
Puff Daddy feat. Faith Evans- I'll Be Missing You
Red Hot Chili Peppers- Under the Bridge
REO Speedwagon- Keep on Loving You
U2- Where the Streets Have No Name
Van Halen- Can't Stop Lovin' You
The Who- You Better You Bet
I'm sure I forgot at least 25 others. Feel free to let me know what songs I missed.
Showing posts with label Billy Joel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Billy Joel. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
He's Gone Country
So I watched the movie Country Strong starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw last night and I really enjoyed it. For the first time since Walk the Line I’m seriously tempted to go out and buy the soundtrack. In the interest of full disclosure I should tell you that I used to be a country music hater, but now I can’t get enough. There’s just a certain level of authenticity to the lyrics that adds a little something else.
Aside from watching Country Strong, country music has also been on my mind of late because it’s summer time. For whatever reason Summer and country music just seem to work in tandem with each other. When you think about sipping brewskis at a lake, beach, or what have you I’m guessing that you hear country music playing in the background. I would also argue that most people that I know go to more country music concerts than any other during the summer. In fact, two of the best concerts I’ve ever been to have been country concerts in the summer.
Now like I said, I used to be a country music hater back in high school, so I’m no authority on the genre, but that’s not going to stop me from ranking my top 50 songs. Please take my limited country music experience (roughly 7 years) into consideration before you judge me for including or not including a particular song.
50.) Tim McGraw- Live Like You Were Dying
49.) Toby Keith- Whiskey Girl
48.) Alan Jackson- Livin’ on Love
47.) Brad Paisley- Whiskey Lullaby- You know it’s a country music countdown when two of the first four songs have whiskey in the title.
46.) Lonestar- Class Reunion (That Used to Be Us)
45.) Alan Jackson- Back Where I Come From- When I saw Alan Jackson in Syracuse he played a video montage of all the sights and sounds of the city of hopes and dreams. The Carrier Dome, Syracuse University, the Dinosaur BBQ, etc.
44.) Tim McGraw- Don’t Take the Girl
43.) Keith Urban- Somebody Like You
42.) Jake Owen- Barefoot Blue Jean Night- My favorite of all the country songs out right now.
41.) Rodney Atkins- Farmer’s Daughter
40.) Craig Morgan- Redneck Yacht Club- My friend from Maryland introduced me to this one and he has some serious credibility in the country world as indicated by the Confederate Flag that he hung in his dorm room.
39.) Toby Keith- Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue- Any song with the lyrics “We’ll put a boot in your ass because that’s the American way” should probably be #1.
38.) Carrie Underwood- Undo It- Stop what you’re doing right now and watch the video. You’ll thank me later. PS- If she came out and said that this song was about Tony Romo I’d put it in the Top 10.
37.) Rascall Flatts- These Days
36.) Lonestar- Amazed- This one has wedding song written all over it.
35.) Big and Rich- Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy- I will always associate this song with the World Series of Poker back when it was popular in 2005
34.) Sugarland- Stuck Like Glue
33.) Toby Keith- I Love This Bar- “We got winners, we got losers. Chain smokers and boozers.”
32.) Trisha Yearwood- She’s In Love With the Boy
31.) Miranda Lambert- The House that Built Me
30.) The Charlie Daniels Band- The Devil Went Down to Georgia
29.) Lady Antebellum- Need You Now
28.) Mark Willis- 19 Something- Sort of a country music version of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”
27.) Alan Jackson- Remember When- This song can be quite the tear jerker for an adult looking back at their marriage, children, etc.
26.) Kenny Chesney- Keg in the closet- Collllllleggggggeeeee
25.) Keith Urban- Days Go By
24.) Zac Brown Band- Chicken Fried
23.) Phil Vassar- Six Pack Summer- My friend RJ dubbed this as my anthem for the summer of ’06 because I used to show up everywhere with a 6, 12, or 18 pack.
22.) Taylor Swift- Love Story- You’re a liar if you say that you don’t like this song
21.) Sara Evans- A Real Fine Place to Start- Obviously Track #1 on one of my country CDs.
20.) Buddy Jewell- Sweet Southern Comfort
19.) Chris Young- Voices
18.) Alabama- If You’re Gonna Play in Texas
17.) Rodney Atkins- Watching You
16.) Kenny Chesney- Live Those Songs- “So I’m sitting on a side walk in Fresno.”
15.) Toby Keith- American Soldier- This song will make you feel for our armed service men and women. “I can’t call in sick on Monday when the weekend’s been too long.”
14.) Tim McGraw- Something Like That- For all of you casual country fans this is the BBQ stain song.
13.) Kenny Chesney- The Good Stuff- “He didn’t reach around for the whiskey. He didn’t pour me a beer. His blue eyes kinda went misty. He said, “You can’t find that here.”
12.) Mark Willis- Jacob’s Ladder
11.) Phil Vassar- Just Another Day in Paradise
10.) Garth Brooks- Friends in Low Places- Arguably the most iconic, recognizable country song out there.
9.) Alan Jackson- Drive- Who knew learning how to drive could be such a nostalgic event?
8.) Lonestar- My Front Porch Looking In
7.) David Lee Murphy- Dust on the Bottle
6.) Kenny Chesney- Young- “We were lighting matches just to watch ‘em burn”
5.) Rascal Flatts- Fast Cars and Freedom "Staring at you taking off your makeup, wondering why you even put it on. I know you think you do, but baby you don't need it. I wish you could see what I see when it's gone."
4.) Phil Vassar- In a Real Love
3.) Kenny Chesney- I Go Back- I think about 8 girls I went to college with used the lyrics from this song in either their AIM profiles or as away messages (remember those?) in the summer inbetween our Freshman and Sophomore years. While that would normally be a tell tale sign that I shouldn't like a song I still do. I love that the chorus is about hearing a song that makes you think of a specific time in your life and then Chesney explicitly references Billy Joel's "Only the Good Die Young" as being that song for him.
2.) Alan Jackson- It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere- If I worked 9-5 I think I'd make it a point to listen to this song everyday at some point to help get me through.
1.) Rodney Atkins- These Are My People- This song makes me think of summers in Syracuse with my highschool friends.
Aside from watching Country Strong, country music has also been on my mind of late because it’s summer time. For whatever reason Summer and country music just seem to work in tandem with each other. When you think about sipping brewskis at a lake, beach, or what have you I’m guessing that you hear country music playing in the background. I would also argue that most people that I know go to more country music concerts than any other during the summer. In fact, two of the best concerts I’ve ever been to have been country concerts in the summer.
Now like I said, I used to be a country music hater back in high school, so I’m no authority on the genre, but that’s not going to stop me from ranking my top 50 songs. Please take my limited country music experience (roughly 7 years) into consideration before you judge me for including or not including a particular song.
50.) Tim McGraw- Live Like You Were Dying
49.) Toby Keith- Whiskey Girl
48.) Alan Jackson- Livin’ on Love
47.) Brad Paisley- Whiskey Lullaby- You know it’s a country music countdown when two of the first four songs have whiskey in the title.
46.) Lonestar- Class Reunion (That Used to Be Us)
45.) Alan Jackson- Back Where I Come From- When I saw Alan Jackson in Syracuse he played a video montage of all the sights and sounds of the city of hopes and dreams. The Carrier Dome, Syracuse University, the Dinosaur BBQ, etc.
44.) Tim McGraw- Don’t Take the Girl
43.) Keith Urban- Somebody Like You
42.) Jake Owen- Barefoot Blue Jean Night- My favorite of all the country songs out right now.
41.) Rodney Atkins- Farmer’s Daughter
40.) Craig Morgan- Redneck Yacht Club- My friend from Maryland introduced me to this one and he has some serious credibility in the country world as indicated by the Confederate Flag that he hung in his dorm room.
39.) Toby Keith- Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue- Any song with the lyrics “We’ll put a boot in your ass because that’s the American way” should probably be #1.
38.) Carrie Underwood- Undo It- Stop what you’re doing right now and watch the video. You’ll thank me later. PS- If she came out and said that this song was about Tony Romo I’d put it in the Top 10.
37.) Rascall Flatts- These Days
36.) Lonestar- Amazed- This one has wedding song written all over it.
35.) Big and Rich- Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy- I will always associate this song with the World Series of Poker back when it was popular in 2005
34.) Sugarland- Stuck Like Glue
33.) Toby Keith- I Love This Bar- “We got winners, we got losers. Chain smokers and boozers.”
32.) Trisha Yearwood- She’s In Love With the Boy
31.) Miranda Lambert- The House that Built Me
30.) The Charlie Daniels Band- The Devil Went Down to Georgia
29.) Lady Antebellum- Need You Now
28.) Mark Willis- 19 Something- Sort of a country music version of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”
27.) Alan Jackson- Remember When- This song can be quite the tear jerker for an adult looking back at their marriage, children, etc.
26.) Kenny Chesney- Keg in the closet- Collllllleggggggeeeee
25.) Keith Urban- Days Go By
24.) Zac Brown Band- Chicken Fried
23.) Phil Vassar- Six Pack Summer- My friend RJ dubbed this as my anthem for the summer of ’06 because I used to show up everywhere with a 6, 12, or 18 pack.
22.) Taylor Swift- Love Story- You’re a liar if you say that you don’t like this song
21.) Sara Evans- A Real Fine Place to Start- Obviously Track #1 on one of my country CDs.
20.) Buddy Jewell- Sweet Southern Comfort
19.) Chris Young- Voices
18.) Alabama- If You’re Gonna Play in Texas
17.) Rodney Atkins- Watching You
16.) Kenny Chesney- Live Those Songs- “So I’m sitting on a side walk in Fresno.”
15.) Toby Keith- American Soldier- This song will make you feel for our armed service men and women. “I can’t call in sick on Monday when the weekend’s been too long.”
14.) Tim McGraw- Something Like That- For all of you casual country fans this is the BBQ stain song.
13.) Kenny Chesney- The Good Stuff- “He didn’t reach around for the whiskey. He didn’t pour me a beer. His blue eyes kinda went misty. He said, “You can’t find that here.”
12.) Mark Willis- Jacob’s Ladder
11.) Phil Vassar- Just Another Day in Paradise
10.) Garth Brooks- Friends in Low Places- Arguably the most iconic, recognizable country song out there.
9.) Alan Jackson- Drive- Who knew learning how to drive could be such a nostalgic event?
8.) Lonestar- My Front Porch Looking In
7.) David Lee Murphy- Dust on the Bottle
6.) Kenny Chesney- Young- “We were lighting matches just to watch ‘em burn”
5.) Rascal Flatts- Fast Cars and Freedom "Staring at you taking off your makeup, wondering why you even put it on. I know you think you do, but baby you don't need it. I wish you could see what I see when it's gone."
4.) Phil Vassar- In a Real Love
3.) Kenny Chesney- I Go Back- I think about 8 girls I went to college with used the lyrics from this song in either their AIM profiles or as away messages (remember those?) in the summer inbetween our Freshman and Sophomore years. While that would normally be a tell tale sign that I shouldn't like a song I still do. I love that the chorus is about hearing a song that makes you think of a specific time in your life and then Chesney explicitly references Billy Joel's "Only the Good Die Young" as being that song for him.
2.) Alan Jackson- It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere- If I worked 9-5 I think I'd make it a point to listen to this song everyday at some point to help get me through.
1.) Rodney Atkins- These Are My People- This song makes me think of summers in Syracuse with my highschool friends.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
"It was always burning"
As I've stated countless times, one of my goals in life is to memorize the lyrics to Billy Joel's 1989 hit "We Didn't Start the Fire." Sure the song is on VH1's list of the 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs, but I can't get enough of it.
The lyrics recount many important historical events that took place between 1949 (when Joel was born) and 1989 (when Joel wrote the song). In case you couldn't put two and two together, Billy the Kid is a big history buff. For some reason this notion of chronicling his life speaks to me. As you know, I've seen almost every movie that's been nominated for Best Picture in my lifetime.
Last week as I was driving home from work I decided that it would be a good idea to update Joel's classic hit. I knew that he covered 1949-1989, so I figured that I could write new lyrics based on the events of the past 20 years (1990-2010). I thought that this project would only take a few hours, but I completely misjudged the kind of undertaking that it was. Not only is Joel's tune packed with people, facts, and events, but it's also loaded with half rhymes, full rhymes, and different variations of syllables. So for the past week I've been scouring Wikipedia for significant historical events, counting syllables, and consulting rhyming dictionaries.
I still think that this post needs A LOT of work, but I'm sick and tired of wasting my time on a grueling, voluntary task.
Before we get to my updated version, here's a refresher of the lyrics that Joel wrote more than 20 years ago.
Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio
Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe
Rosenbergs, H-Bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom
Brando, "The King and I", and "The Catcher in the Rye"
Eisenhower, vaccine, England's got a new queen
Marciano, Liberace, Santayana goodbye
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Josef Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc
Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron
Dien Bien Phu Falls, Rock Around the Clock
Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn's got a winning team
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland
Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Khrushchev
Princess Grace, Peyton Place, Trouble in the Suez
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac
Sputnik, Zhou Enlai, Bridge On The River Kwai
Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle, California Baseball,
Starkweather homicide, Children of Thalidomide
Buddy Holly, Ben Hur, Space Monkey, Mafia
Hula Hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go
U2, Syngman Rhee, payola and Kennedy
Chubby Checker, Psycho, Belgians in the Congo
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Hemingway, Eichmann, Stranger in a Strange Land,
Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion
Lawrence of Arabia, British Beatlemania
Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson
Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British Politician sex
J.F.K. blown away, what else do I have to say
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, Terror on the airline
Ayatollah's in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan
Wheel of Fortune, Sally Ride, heavy metal suicide
Foreign debts, homeless Vets, AIDS, Crack, Bernie Goetz
Hypodermics on the shores, China's under martial law
Rock and Roller cola wars, I can't take it anymore
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning since the world's been turning.
We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
It will still burn on, and on, and on, and on...
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire...
And now without futher ado...
Buster Douglas, Motley Crue, John Gotti, Belarus
No apartheid, free Mandela, Windows 3.0
Boris Yelstin, Rodney King, Desert Storm, CNN
Magic Johnson, HIV, Super Nintendo
LA riots, Dan Quayle, Murphy Brown, Real World
Leno, H.W. gags, and the Dream Team reps the flag
Don't ask, don't tell, Hoo-ha, the EU and NAFTA
A Few Good Men, Seles is stabbed, piece of the Aggro-Crag
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
O.J. Simpson, bronco chase, Boyz II Men and Ace of Base
Revolution, Bills still losing, Kurt Cobain dead
ebay, Farrakhan, Oklahoma City bomb
Mid...west....heat...wave, Sandra Bullock sped
Dolly, Deep Blue, Michael Johnson's golden shoes
Derek Jeter, Sheryl Crow, Keyser Soze, Daily Show
Mmm bop, Tony Blair, English Patient, Rachel's hair
Princess Di, Madonna cries, scandal in the white house
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Homeruns hit, Nagano, Michael Jordan, el nino
Seinfeld, He Got Game, Bird to the Hall of Fame
Britney Spears, Y2K, Star Wars I-just ok
rock music gets the blame, Millionaire is our new game
Harry Potter, hanging chads, PS2, Elian's dad
Sydney games, Kim Jong, bubble burst for dot com
Stem cells, 9/11, Google, jingoism
Halle Berry, game on, bankruptcy for Enron
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Russel Crowe, Homeland, search for bombs in the sand
gunman, Clarkson, World Com extinction
Human Genome is complete, Syracuse can not be beat
Iraq, Dan Brown, Martha Stewart locked down
Face-book, Condi Rice, Livestrong bracelets 'cause their nice
John Kerry, flip flopper, Red Sox solve Yankees' stopper
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Writer's strike, Dixie Chicks, prison term for Michael Vick
Mad Men, iphones, gas prices, Juno
Twitter, Spitzer, AIG, hockey moms, GOP
swimming fast and smoking pot, Obama takes top spot
Cash for clunkers, Favre is back, Kobe wins it without Shaq
Michael's late, Jon and Kate, swine, meth, Tiger's mates
Obamacare on the floor, Banking rules without a cure
Jay and Conan late night war, I can't take it anymore
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning since the world's been turning.
We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
It will still burn on, and on, and on, and on...
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire...
My apologies if you couldn't follow some of the rhyming patterns (I tried to spell out how to say/sing some of the lyrics), but you almost need the music to have the words make complete sense. I think the best way to assess my work is to look at it two lines at a time. First read/sing Joel's lyrics (for that part of the song) and then do the same for what I wrote.
That said, here is a year by year explanation of the people, facts, and events that I chose to incorporate in my brief history of the past 20 years.
1990
-Buster Douglas upsets the previously undefeated Mike Tyson on February 11th to become the world heavyweight champion of the world.
-Motley Crue's drummer Tommy Lee is arrested for allegedly exposing his backside during a performance in Augusta, Georgia. He also suffers a mild concussion after falling off of scaffolding above his elevated drum kit during a performance in New Haven, Connecticut.
-John Gotti, a notorious mob boss, is arrested on December 11th.
-Belarus declares its soveirgnty from the USSR on July 27th.
-South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk begins negotiations to end the country's legal form of racial segregation known as apartheid.
-Nelson Mandela was released from Victor Verster Prison on February 11th after more than 27 years in prison.
-Windows 3.0 is released by Microsoft on May 22nd.
1991
-Boris Yelstin is elected President of Russia on June 12th.
-Rodney King is is an African-American who was the subject in a police brutality case involving four white LAPD officers on March 3rd. A bystander, George Holliday, videotaped much of the incident from a distance. The footage showed the LAPD officers repeatedly striking King with their batons. A portion of this footage was aired by news agencies around the world, causing public outrage that raised tensions between the black community and the LAPD.
-Desert Storm is the military response to Sadaam Hussein's invasion and annexation of Kuwait. When economic sanctions proved to be ineffective, George H.W. Bush sent American troops into Kuwait to drive the Iraqis out.
-CNN (Cable News Network), the first network to provide 24 hour television news coverage, received unprecedented popularity because of its coverage of the Persian Gulf War.
-Magic Johnson, the superstar point guard of the Los Angeles Lakers, reveals on November 7th that he has contracted the HIV virus. To that point, HIV had long thought to have been an exclusively homosexual disease. Johnson's announcement was huge in terms of awareness for the sexually transmitted disease.
-Super Nintendo is released in Japan. It is the first 16 bit video game console.
1992
-Riots breakout in Los Angeles on April 29th after the four white LAPD officers accused of beating Rodney King are acquitted. Thousands rioted in the streets for six days after the verdict was announced.
-Dan Quayle, the 44th Vice President, gave a speech to the Commonwealth Club of California on May 19th on the subject of the Los Angeles riots. In this speech, Quayle blamed the violence on a decay of moral values and family structure in American society. In an aside, he cited the single mother title character in the television program Murphy Brown as an example of how popular culture contributes to this "poverty of values", saying: "It doesn't help matters when primetime TV has Murphy Brown — a character who supposedly epitomizes today's intelligent, highly paid, professional woman — mocking the importance of fathers, by bearing a child alone, and calling it just another 'lifestyle choice.'"
-The Real World's first season takes place in New York and debuts on MTV on May 21st. The show would prove to be one of the most successful "reality shows" to date.
-Jay Leno replaces Johnny Carson as the host of The Tonight Show on NBC.
-George H.W. Bush vomits into the lap of Kiichi Miyazawa, the Prime Minister of Japan, during a state dinner in Japan.
-The Dream Team or the 1992 US National Men's Basketball team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The Dream Team was the first US National Team comprised of professionals. The roster consisted of Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, John Stockton, Clyde Drexler, Chris Mullin, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Christian Laetner, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Scottie Pippen.
1993
-Don't ask, don't tell is a military policy enacted by Bill Clinton in order to prevent the "witch-hunting" of secretly gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members or applicants, while absolutely barring "openly" gay or bisexual people from joining the military, and expelling those already serving.
-Al Pacino won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of the retired, blind, and drunk Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade. Slade's signature phrase is "Hoo-ha!"
-EU, or the European Union, is an economic and political union of (now) 27 countries.
-NAFTA, or the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement, is formed between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The agreement creates a trading bloc (free of tariffs) between the three nations.
-A Few Good Men is a military courtroom drama that stars Tom Cruse, Kevin Bacon, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore. Jack Nicholson gets absolutely hosed by the Academy when he doesn't win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Colonel Nathan Jessep.
-Monica Seles, the world's #1 female tennis player, is stabbed in the shoulder during a match in Germany by a crazed fan of rival Steffi Graf.
-Global Guts is a popular Nickelodeon game show where teens compete in physical activities. The winner of each show is awarded a piece of the Aggro Crag, the mountain that the participants had to climb as the final event.
1994
-O.J. Simpson, the NFL Hall of Fame running back and successful actor, is charged with the murder of his wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. After refusing to turn himself in, Simpson was the subject of a low speed police chase while driving his white Ford Bronco. The chase was televised by all of the major networks.
-Boyz II Men's, a popular R&B group, "I'll Make Love to You" is the #3 song on the 1994 Billboard Hot 100 chart.
-Ace of Base, a Swedish pop band, has 3 songs in the 1994 Billboard Hot 100 chart. #1 The Sign, #9 All That She Wants, and #10 Don't Turn Around.
-The Republican Revolution is what the Republican party dubbed their success in the 1994 midterm elections in which they took control of the majority of Congress for the first time in over 40 years. Newt Gingrich, Rep. Georgia, becomes the Speaker of the House and the most popularized figure of the movement. Bob Dole, Sen. Kansas, becomes the Senate majority leader.
-The Buffalo Bills lose their fourth straight Superbowl. This time it's a 30-13 loss at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.
-Kurt Cobain, the lead singer and guitarist of the popular grunge band Nirvana, is found dead in an apparent suicide (a shotgun blow to the head) on April 8th.
1995
-eBay, the American company that runs an auction website, forms on September 5th.
-Louis Farrakhan is the national representative of the religious organization known as the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan is the lead advocate for black nationalist interests and helped organize the million man march in Washington D.C. on October 16th.
-Oklahoma City Bombing is a bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that claimed the lives of 168 innocent Americans and injured 680 others. The men behind the terrorist plot are Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.
-A midwest heatwave took the lives of approximately 700 people in Chicago in a 5 day stretch.
Chicago's daily low and high in 1995:
July 11: 73-90 °F (23-32 °C)
July 12: 76-98 °F (24-37 °C)
July 13: 81-106 °F (27-41 °C)
July 14: 84-102 °F (29-39 °C)
July 15: 77-99 °F (25-37 °C)
-Speed is a film starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Reeves plays an LAPD officer who hops onto a bus that will explode if it fails to continue moving above 50 miles per hour. Bullock, in her breakout role, plays the passenger on the bus that gets behind the wheel when the driver is shot. The film won 2 Academy Awards in 1995.
1996
-Dolly is the name given to the first mammal ever cloned. She is a sheep who was "born" on July 2nd and lived to the age of six.
-"Deep Blue" is the name of a chess playing computer developed by IBM that Russian Gary Kasparov beat in February.
-Michael Johnson is the American sprinter who won gold in the 400m and 200m at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. During the competiton Johnson wore a custom-designed pair of golden-colored Nike racing spikes made with Zytel, causing him to be nicknamed "The Man With the Golden Shoes."
-Derek Jeter helps lead the New York Yankees to their first World Series since 1978, beating the Atlanta Braves 4 games to 2.
-Sheryl Crow's self titled album is banned from Wal-Mart stores because of the lyric "Watch out sister, watch out brother/watch our children while they kill each other/with a gun they bought at Wal-Mart Discount Stores".
-The Usual Suspects is a criminal, mystery movie in which Kevin Spacey won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Verbal Kint...and Keyser Soze.
-The Daily Show begins on Comedy Central on July 21st with Craig Kilborn as the host.
1997
-MMM bop is the debut single by pop band Hanson. It becomes one of the biggest debut singles of all time, reaching #1 in 27 countries.
-Tony Blair becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on May 2nd.
-The English Patient wins the Oscar for Best Picture.
-The Rachel is the name given to a popular haircut worn by women during the '90s. The look got it's name from the hairstyle worn by Jennifer Aniston's character Rachel Green in the TV sitcom Friends.
-Princess Diana of Wales dies in an automobile accident in Paris.
-Madonna releases hit single "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
-President Clinton is accused of having "sexual relations" with 22-year-old white house intern Monica Lewinsky.
1998
-Mark McGwire of the St.Louis Cardinals and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs chase and break Roger Maris' single season homerun record.
-Nagano hosts the Winter Olympics.
-Michael Jordan retires for the second time after winning his sixth NBA Championship with the Chicago Bulls.
-El Nino is an invasion of warm water into the surface of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Peru and Ecuador every four to seven years that causes changes in local and regional climate. The most severe of these occurrences took place between 1997-98.
-Seinfeld, the popular NBC sitcome, airs it's final episode on May 14th.
-He Got Game is a Spike Lee joint starring Denzel Washington and NBA superstar Ray Allen.
-Larry Bird is enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachuesetts.
1999
-Britney Spears bursts onto the pop music scene with her debut single "...Baby One More Time"
-Y2K is the name given to a computer related scare at the turn of the millenium. In computer programs, the practice of representing the year with two digits becomes problematic with logical error(s) arising upon "rollover" from x99 to x00. This caused some date-related processing to operate incorrectly for dates and times on and after January 1, 2000 and on other critical dates which were billed "event horizons". Without corrective action, it was suggested that long-working systems would break down when the "...97, 98, 99, 00..." ascending numbering assumption suddenly became invalid. Companies and organizations worldwide checked, fixed, and upgraded their computer systems.
-Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is released by writer/director George Lucas and receives mixed reviews.
-The Columbine massacre is partially blamed on the hard rock music of Marilyn Manson.
-Who Wants to be a Millionaire is a game show that debuts on ABC with Regis Philbin as the host.
2000
-Harry Potter is the title character of a popular book series written by British author J.K. Rowling.
-Hanging chads were the subject of the controversial election results in Florida.
-PlayStation2, the best selling video game console to date, is released by Sony.
-Elian Gonzalez is the subject of an immigration/custody battle between the U.S. and Cuba. Gonzalez is ultimately returned to Cuba to be with his father in June.
-Sydney hosts the Summer Olympics. The Untited States leads the medal count, although sprinter Marion Jones won 3 golds and 2 bronzes, which have since been taken back.
-Kim Jong il is the controversial leader of North Korea who has been in power since 1994.
-The dot come bubble peaks on March 10th (the NASDAQ hits 5,048.62) and eventually starts to tank for a multitude of reasons.
2001
-Stem cell research is restricted to those cells that already exist by President Bush.
-9/11 is the date of the most devasting terrorist attack on American soil. Terrorist hijack four airplanes, fly two of them into the World Trade Center's twin towers, one into the Pentagon, and one is overtaken and crashes in a Pennsylvania field. The death total reaches nearly 3,000.
-Google, the internet search engine, increases in popularity and starts acquiring other companies to improve its brand.
-Jingoism refers to the overly nationalistic feeling expressed by Americans after the 9/11 attacks.
-Halle Berry stars in the film Monster's Ball, a role that would win her an Academy Award for Best Actress (the first African American woman to win the award).
-The NFL/MLB return to action after 9/11.
-Enron's books are revealed to have been cooked. The energy company eventually files for bankruptcy and many of their top executive face jail time.
2002
-Russel Crowe appears as the lead actor in back to back Best Picture winners (Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind). He won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Gladiator.
-The Homeland Security Act creates the Department of Homeland Security. The Act includes many of the organizations under which the powers of the USA PATRIOT Act are exercised. Among other things, it creates the new cabinet-level position of Secretary of Homeland Security.
-WMD's become a hot topic as the UN investigates into whether or not Iraq has them.
-Washington D.C. Sniper John Allen Muhammad killed at least 10 innocent people in early October before getting arrested on the 24th.
-American Idol, a popular television show singing competition, debuts on FOX. Kelly Clarkson is the Season One winner.
-World Com, an American telecommunications company, files chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The largest filing in history.
2003
-The Human Genome Project is completed 13 years after it began in 1990. The goal was to determine the sequence of chemical base pairs which make up DNA and to identify and map the approximately 20,000–25,000 genes of the human genome from both a physical and functional standpoint.
-Syracuse University wins the 2003 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship behind the outstanding play of freshmen Carmelo Anthony and Gerry McNamara.
-The Iraq War begins on March 20th when coalition forces invade the Persian Gulf.
-Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is published and quickly becomes a best seller.
-Martha Stewart, a famous magazine editor, TV Host, and author, is indicted for insider trading and obstruction of justice. She would go on to spend five months in a federal prison in West Virginia.
2004
-Facebook, the social network site, launches and quickly finds a massive following.
-Condeleezza Rice is nominated to become Secretary of State by President Bush on November 16th.
-Livestrong bracelets are launched as a fundraising measure for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. They quickly become very popular.
-John Kerry receives the Democratic nomination to run for president. During the campaign, he was pegged as a flip-flopper by Republicans for his stance on the War in Iraq. When speaking about a military appropriations bill Kerry said, "I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it."
-The Boston Red Sox are on the brink of elimination, down 3-0 in the ALCS and trailing the Yankees 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th inning in Game 4 before scoring a run against Mariano Rivera to tie the game and eventually winning the game in extra innings. They would go on to win the next three games to win the series (the first team to come back from a 3-0 series defecit) and advance to the World Series where they swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first title in 86 years.
2007
-The Writer's Guild of America goes on strike on November 5th and demands more compensation for their work. During the strike, many televisions shows are put on hold as new episodes can't air until the writer's write them. The strike is stopped on February 10th of 2008.
-The Dixie Chicks collected 5 awards at the Grammy's including Record, Album, and Song of the year.
-Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick pleads guilty to felony charges of operating a dog fighting ring in August. He is sentenced to serve 23 months in federal prison.
-Mad Men, a television drama set in the 1960's premieres on AMC on July 19th.
-iphones, a cell phone/ipod hybrid, is unveiled by Apple CEO Steve Jobbs.
-Record high gas prices plague the nation in the summer of 2007 with prices in some areas topping $4 a gallon.
-Juno is a comedy/drama film starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, and Jennifer Garner. The film receives 4 Academy Award nominations, winning one.
2008
-Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers.
-Eliot Spitzer, the governor of New York, resigns after he is linked to a prostitution ring. The affadavit famously refers to the governor as "Client-9".
-A global financial crisis starts to take shape as the U.S. housing, banking,insurance, and auto industries start to collapse. Hot terms describing the crisis are "bailouts", "too big too fail", and "stimulus package".
-Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, is chosen as John McCain's running mate in the 2008 presidential election. Palin creates a lot of buzz for the GOP with her good looks and everyday language.
-Michael Phelps swims for 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics (setting 7 new world records in the process) and is later photographed hitting a bong while visiting South Carolina University.
-Barack Obama is elected as the 44th president of the United States of America.
2009
-Cash for clunkers is a domestic program intended to encourage Americans to purchase new cars in an attempt to stimulate the economy.
-Brett Favre, the future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, returns to the NFL, this time as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
-Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Orlando Magic to win the NBA Championship. It is the first title for Bryant without Shaquille O'Neal as his teammate.
-Michael Jackson, the pop icon, dies after suffering cardiac arrest on June 25th.
-Jon and Kate Gosselin are consistently a topic on the tabloids after their highly publicized divorce.
-A swine flu outbreak in humans is declared a public health emergency of international concern.
-Crystal meth is a psychoactive stimulant drug that increases alertness and energy, and in high doses can induce euphoria, enhance self esteem, and increase sexual pleasure. It has become increasingly popular in the United States in the 2000s.
-Tiger Woods crashes his Denali into a fire hydrant on November 27th and is taken to the hospital. Shortly thereafter details of Woods' ramped infidelity start to surface.
2010
-The Health Care Reform Bill causes a heated national debate. A new faction of conservatives, known as the Tea Party Movement, ardently oppose the bill which they call "Obamacare". Eventually the bill passes both the House (without a vote?) and the Senate and is signed into law.
-Regulation of the financial industry appears to be the next challenge that President Obama plans to tackle. The call for reform has been expedited in the wake of the SEC charging Goldman Sachs with knowingly selling people investments that were designed to fail.
-Jay Leno kicks Conan O'Brien to the curb and re-assumes his position as the host of The Tonight Show after his 10 p.m. show flops as bad as Vlade Divac.
The lyrics recount many important historical events that took place between 1949 (when Joel was born) and 1989 (when Joel wrote the song). In case you couldn't put two and two together, Billy the Kid is a big history buff. For some reason this notion of chronicling his life speaks to me. As you know, I've seen almost every movie that's been nominated for Best Picture in my lifetime.
Last week as I was driving home from work I decided that it would be a good idea to update Joel's classic hit. I knew that he covered 1949-1989, so I figured that I could write new lyrics based on the events of the past 20 years (1990-2010). I thought that this project would only take a few hours, but I completely misjudged the kind of undertaking that it was. Not only is Joel's tune packed with people, facts, and events, but it's also loaded with half rhymes, full rhymes, and different variations of syllables. So for the past week I've been scouring Wikipedia for significant historical events, counting syllables, and consulting rhyming dictionaries.
I still think that this post needs A LOT of work, but I'm sick and tired of wasting my time on a grueling, voluntary task.
Before we get to my updated version, here's a refresher of the lyrics that Joel wrote more than 20 years ago.
Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio
Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe
Rosenbergs, H-Bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom
Brando, "The King and I", and "The Catcher in the Rye"
Eisenhower, vaccine, England's got a new queen
Marciano, Liberace, Santayana goodbye
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Josef Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc
Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron
Dien Bien Phu Falls, Rock Around the Clock
Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn's got a winning team
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland
Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Khrushchev
Princess Grace, Peyton Place, Trouble in the Suez
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac
Sputnik, Zhou Enlai, Bridge On The River Kwai
Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle, California Baseball,
Starkweather homicide, Children of Thalidomide
Buddy Holly, Ben Hur, Space Monkey, Mafia
Hula Hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go
U2, Syngman Rhee, payola and Kennedy
Chubby Checker, Psycho, Belgians in the Congo
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Hemingway, Eichmann, Stranger in a Strange Land,
Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion
Lawrence of Arabia, British Beatlemania
Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson
Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British Politician sex
J.F.K. blown away, what else do I have to say
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, Terror on the airline
Ayatollah's in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan
Wheel of Fortune, Sally Ride, heavy metal suicide
Foreign debts, homeless Vets, AIDS, Crack, Bernie Goetz
Hypodermics on the shores, China's under martial law
Rock and Roller cola wars, I can't take it anymore
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning since the world's been turning.
We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
It will still burn on, and on, and on, and on...
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire...
And now without futher ado...
Buster Douglas, Motley Crue, John Gotti, Belarus
No apartheid, free Mandela, Windows 3.0
Boris Yelstin, Rodney King, Desert Storm, CNN
Magic Johnson, HIV, Super Nintendo
LA riots, Dan Quayle, Murphy Brown, Real World
Leno, H.W. gags, and the Dream Team reps the flag
Don't ask, don't tell, Hoo-ha, the EU and NAFTA
A Few Good Men, Seles is stabbed, piece of the Aggro-Crag
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
O.J. Simpson, bronco chase, Boyz II Men and Ace of Base
Revolution, Bills still losing, Kurt Cobain dead
ebay, Farrakhan, Oklahoma City bomb
Mid...west....heat...wave, Sandra Bullock sped
Dolly, Deep Blue, Michael Johnson's golden shoes
Derek Jeter, Sheryl Crow, Keyser Soze, Daily Show
Mmm bop, Tony Blair, English Patient, Rachel's hair
Princess Di, Madonna cries, scandal in the white house
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Homeruns hit, Nagano, Michael Jordan, el nino
Seinfeld, He Got Game, Bird to the Hall of Fame
Britney Spears, Y2K, Star Wars I-just ok
rock music gets the blame, Millionaire is our new game
Harry Potter, hanging chads, PS2, Elian's dad
Sydney games, Kim Jong, bubble burst for dot com
Stem cells, 9/11, Google, jingoism
Halle Berry, game on, bankruptcy for Enron
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Russel Crowe, Homeland, search for bombs in the sand
gunman, Clarkson, World Com extinction
Human Genome is complete, Syracuse can not be beat
Iraq, Dan Brown, Martha Stewart locked down
Face-book, Condi Rice, Livestrong bracelets 'cause their nice
John Kerry, flip flopper, Red Sox solve Yankees' stopper
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Writer's strike, Dixie Chicks, prison term for Michael Vick
Mad Men, iphones, gas prices, Juno
Twitter, Spitzer, AIG, hockey moms, GOP
swimming fast and smoking pot, Obama takes top spot
Cash for clunkers, Favre is back, Kobe wins it without Shaq
Michael's late, Jon and Kate, swine, meth, Tiger's mates
Obamacare on the floor, Banking rules without a cure
Jay and Conan late night war, I can't take it anymore
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning since the world's been turning.
We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
It will still burn on, and on, and on, and on...
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire...
My apologies if you couldn't follow some of the rhyming patterns (I tried to spell out how to say/sing some of the lyrics), but you almost need the music to have the words make complete sense. I think the best way to assess my work is to look at it two lines at a time. First read/sing Joel's lyrics (for that part of the song) and then do the same for what I wrote.
That said, here is a year by year explanation of the people, facts, and events that I chose to incorporate in my brief history of the past 20 years.
1990
-Buster Douglas upsets the previously undefeated Mike Tyson on February 11th to become the world heavyweight champion of the world.
-Motley Crue's drummer Tommy Lee is arrested for allegedly exposing his backside during a performance in Augusta, Georgia. He also suffers a mild concussion after falling off of scaffolding above his elevated drum kit during a performance in New Haven, Connecticut.
-John Gotti, a notorious mob boss, is arrested on December 11th.
-Belarus declares its soveirgnty from the USSR on July 27th.
-South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk begins negotiations to end the country's legal form of racial segregation known as apartheid.
-Nelson Mandela was released from Victor Verster Prison on February 11th after more than 27 years in prison.
-Windows 3.0 is released by Microsoft on May 22nd.
1991
-Boris Yelstin is elected President of Russia on June 12th.
-Rodney King is is an African-American who was the subject in a police brutality case involving four white LAPD officers on March 3rd. A bystander, George Holliday, videotaped much of the incident from a distance. The footage showed the LAPD officers repeatedly striking King with their batons. A portion of this footage was aired by news agencies around the world, causing public outrage that raised tensions between the black community and the LAPD.
-Desert Storm is the military response to Sadaam Hussein's invasion and annexation of Kuwait. When economic sanctions proved to be ineffective, George H.W. Bush sent American troops into Kuwait to drive the Iraqis out.
-CNN (Cable News Network), the first network to provide 24 hour television news coverage, received unprecedented popularity because of its coverage of the Persian Gulf War.
-Magic Johnson, the superstar point guard of the Los Angeles Lakers, reveals on November 7th that he has contracted the HIV virus. To that point, HIV had long thought to have been an exclusively homosexual disease. Johnson's announcement was huge in terms of awareness for the sexually transmitted disease.
-Super Nintendo is released in Japan. It is the first 16 bit video game console.
1992
-Riots breakout in Los Angeles on April 29th after the four white LAPD officers accused of beating Rodney King are acquitted. Thousands rioted in the streets for six days after the verdict was announced.
-Dan Quayle, the 44th Vice President, gave a speech to the Commonwealth Club of California on May 19th on the subject of the Los Angeles riots. In this speech, Quayle blamed the violence on a decay of moral values and family structure in American society. In an aside, he cited the single mother title character in the television program Murphy Brown as an example of how popular culture contributes to this "poverty of values", saying: "It doesn't help matters when primetime TV has Murphy Brown — a character who supposedly epitomizes today's intelligent, highly paid, professional woman — mocking the importance of fathers, by bearing a child alone, and calling it just another 'lifestyle choice.'"
-The Real World's first season takes place in New York and debuts on MTV on May 21st. The show would prove to be one of the most successful "reality shows" to date.
-Jay Leno replaces Johnny Carson as the host of The Tonight Show on NBC.
-George H.W. Bush vomits into the lap of Kiichi Miyazawa, the Prime Minister of Japan, during a state dinner in Japan.
-The Dream Team or the 1992 US National Men's Basketball team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The Dream Team was the first US National Team comprised of professionals. The roster consisted of Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, John Stockton, Clyde Drexler, Chris Mullin, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Christian Laetner, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Scottie Pippen.
1993
-Don't ask, don't tell is a military policy enacted by Bill Clinton in order to prevent the "witch-hunting" of secretly gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members or applicants, while absolutely barring "openly" gay or bisexual people from joining the military, and expelling those already serving.
-Al Pacino won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of the retired, blind, and drunk Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade. Slade's signature phrase is "Hoo-ha!"
-EU, or the European Union, is an economic and political union of (now) 27 countries.
-NAFTA, or the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement, is formed between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The agreement creates a trading bloc (free of tariffs) between the three nations.
-A Few Good Men is a military courtroom drama that stars Tom Cruse, Kevin Bacon, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore. Jack Nicholson gets absolutely hosed by the Academy when he doesn't win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Colonel Nathan Jessep.
-Monica Seles, the world's #1 female tennis player, is stabbed in the shoulder during a match in Germany by a crazed fan of rival Steffi Graf.
-Global Guts is a popular Nickelodeon game show where teens compete in physical activities. The winner of each show is awarded a piece of the Aggro Crag, the mountain that the participants had to climb as the final event.
1994
-O.J. Simpson, the NFL Hall of Fame running back and successful actor, is charged with the murder of his wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. After refusing to turn himself in, Simpson was the subject of a low speed police chase while driving his white Ford Bronco. The chase was televised by all of the major networks.
-Boyz II Men's, a popular R&B group, "I'll Make Love to You" is the #3 song on the 1994 Billboard Hot 100 chart.
-Ace of Base, a Swedish pop band, has 3 songs in the 1994 Billboard Hot 100 chart. #1 The Sign, #9 All That She Wants, and #10 Don't Turn Around.
-The Republican Revolution is what the Republican party dubbed their success in the 1994 midterm elections in which they took control of the majority of Congress for the first time in over 40 years. Newt Gingrich, Rep. Georgia, becomes the Speaker of the House and the most popularized figure of the movement. Bob Dole, Sen. Kansas, becomes the Senate majority leader.
-The Buffalo Bills lose their fourth straight Superbowl. This time it's a 30-13 loss at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.
-Kurt Cobain, the lead singer and guitarist of the popular grunge band Nirvana, is found dead in an apparent suicide (a shotgun blow to the head) on April 8th.
1995
-eBay, the American company that runs an auction website, forms on September 5th.
-Louis Farrakhan is the national representative of the religious organization known as the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan is the lead advocate for black nationalist interests and helped organize the million man march in Washington D.C. on October 16th.
-Oklahoma City Bombing is a bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that claimed the lives of 168 innocent Americans and injured 680 others. The men behind the terrorist plot are Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.
-A midwest heatwave took the lives of approximately 700 people in Chicago in a 5 day stretch.
Chicago's daily low and high in 1995:
July 11: 73-90 °F (23-32 °C)
July 12: 76-98 °F (24-37 °C)
July 13: 81-106 °F (27-41 °C)
July 14: 84-102 °F (29-39 °C)
July 15: 77-99 °F (25-37 °C)
-Speed is a film starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Reeves plays an LAPD officer who hops onto a bus that will explode if it fails to continue moving above 50 miles per hour. Bullock, in her breakout role, plays the passenger on the bus that gets behind the wheel when the driver is shot. The film won 2 Academy Awards in 1995.
1996
-Dolly is the name given to the first mammal ever cloned. She is a sheep who was "born" on July 2nd and lived to the age of six.
-"Deep Blue" is the name of a chess playing computer developed by IBM that Russian Gary Kasparov beat in February.
-Michael Johnson is the American sprinter who won gold in the 400m and 200m at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. During the competiton Johnson wore a custom-designed pair of golden-colored Nike racing spikes made with Zytel, causing him to be nicknamed "The Man With the Golden Shoes."
-Derek Jeter helps lead the New York Yankees to their first World Series since 1978, beating the Atlanta Braves 4 games to 2.
-Sheryl Crow's self titled album is banned from Wal-Mart stores because of the lyric "Watch out sister, watch out brother/watch our children while they kill each other/with a gun they bought at Wal-Mart Discount Stores".
-The Usual Suspects is a criminal, mystery movie in which Kevin Spacey won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Verbal Kint...and Keyser Soze.
-The Daily Show begins on Comedy Central on July 21st with Craig Kilborn as the host.
1997
-MMM bop is the debut single by pop band Hanson. It becomes one of the biggest debut singles of all time, reaching #1 in 27 countries.
-Tony Blair becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on May 2nd.
-The English Patient wins the Oscar for Best Picture.
-The Rachel is the name given to a popular haircut worn by women during the '90s. The look got it's name from the hairstyle worn by Jennifer Aniston's character Rachel Green in the TV sitcom Friends.
-Princess Diana of Wales dies in an automobile accident in Paris.
-Madonna releases hit single "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
-President Clinton is accused of having "sexual relations" with 22-year-old white house intern Monica Lewinsky.
1998
-Mark McGwire of the St.Louis Cardinals and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs chase and break Roger Maris' single season homerun record.
-Nagano hosts the Winter Olympics.
-Michael Jordan retires for the second time after winning his sixth NBA Championship with the Chicago Bulls.
-El Nino is an invasion of warm water into the surface of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Peru and Ecuador every four to seven years that causes changes in local and regional climate. The most severe of these occurrences took place between 1997-98.
-Seinfeld, the popular NBC sitcome, airs it's final episode on May 14th.
-He Got Game is a Spike Lee joint starring Denzel Washington and NBA superstar Ray Allen.
-Larry Bird is enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachuesetts.
1999
-Britney Spears bursts onto the pop music scene with her debut single "...Baby One More Time"
-Y2K is the name given to a computer related scare at the turn of the millenium. In computer programs, the practice of representing the year with two digits becomes problematic with logical error(s) arising upon "rollover" from x99 to x00. This caused some date-related processing to operate incorrectly for dates and times on and after January 1, 2000 and on other critical dates which were billed "event horizons". Without corrective action, it was suggested that long-working systems would break down when the "...97, 98, 99, 00..." ascending numbering assumption suddenly became invalid. Companies and organizations worldwide checked, fixed, and upgraded their computer systems.
-Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is released by writer/director George Lucas and receives mixed reviews.
-The Columbine massacre is partially blamed on the hard rock music of Marilyn Manson.
-Who Wants to be a Millionaire is a game show that debuts on ABC with Regis Philbin as the host.
2000
-Harry Potter is the title character of a popular book series written by British author J.K. Rowling.
-Hanging chads were the subject of the controversial election results in Florida.
-PlayStation2, the best selling video game console to date, is released by Sony.
-Elian Gonzalez is the subject of an immigration/custody battle between the U.S. and Cuba. Gonzalez is ultimately returned to Cuba to be with his father in June.
-Sydney hosts the Summer Olympics. The Untited States leads the medal count, although sprinter Marion Jones won 3 golds and 2 bronzes, which have since been taken back.
-Kim Jong il is the controversial leader of North Korea who has been in power since 1994.
-The dot come bubble peaks on March 10th (the NASDAQ hits 5,048.62) and eventually starts to tank for a multitude of reasons.
2001
-Stem cell research is restricted to those cells that already exist by President Bush.
-9/11 is the date of the most devasting terrorist attack on American soil. Terrorist hijack four airplanes, fly two of them into the World Trade Center's twin towers, one into the Pentagon, and one is overtaken and crashes in a Pennsylvania field. The death total reaches nearly 3,000.
-Google, the internet search engine, increases in popularity and starts acquiring other companies to improve its brand.
-Jingoism refers to the overly nationalistic feeling expressed by Americans after the 9/11 attacks.
-Halle Berry stars in the film Monster's Ball, a role that would win her an Academy Award for Best Actress (the first African American woman to win the award).
-The NFL/MLB return to action after 9/11.
-Enron's books are revealed to have been cooked. The energy company eventually files for bankruptcy and many of their top executive face jail time.
2002
-Russel Crowe appears as the lead actor in back to back Best Picture winners (Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind). He won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Gladiator.
-The Homeland Security Act creates the Department of Homeland Security. The Act includes many of the organizations under which the powers of the USA PATRIOT Act are exercised. Among other things, it creates the new cabinet-level position of Secretary of Homeland Security.
-WMD's become a hot topic as the UN investigates into whether or not Iraq has them.
-Washington D.C. Sniper John Allen Muhammad killed at least 10 innocent people in early October before getting arrested on the 24th.
-American Idol, a popular television show singing competition, debuts on FOX. Kelly Clarkson is the Season One winner.
-World Com, an American telecommunications company, files chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The largest filing in history.
2003
-The Human Genome Project is completed 13 years after it began in 1990. The goal was to determine the sequence of chemical base pairs which make up DNA and to identify and map the approximately 20,000–25,000 genes of the human genome from both a physical and functional standpoint.
-Syracuse University wins the 2003 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship behind the outstanding play of freshmen Carmelo Anthony and Gerry McNamara.
-The Iraq War begins on March 20th when coalition forces invade the Persian Gulf.
-Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is published and quickly becomes a best seller.
-Martha Stewart, a famous magazine editor, TV Host, and author, is indicted for insider trading and obstruction of justice. She would go on to spend five months in a federal prison in West Virginia.
2004
-Facebook, the social network site, launches and quickly finds a massive following.
-Condeleezza Rice is nominated to become Secretary of State by President Bush on November 16th.
-Livestrong bracelets are launched as a fundraising measure for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. They quickly become very popular.
-John Kerry receives the Democratic nomination to run for president. During the campaign, he was pegged as a flip-flopper by Republicans for his stance on the War in Iraq. When speaking about a military appropriations bill Kerry said, "I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it."
-The Boston Red Sox are on the brink of elimination, down 3-0 in the ALCS and trailing the Yankees 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th inning in Game 4 before scoring a run against Mariano Rivera to tie the game and eventually winning the game in extra innings. They would go on to win the next three games to win the series (the first team to come back from a 3-0 series defecit) and advance to the World Series where they swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first title in 86 years.
2007
-The Writer's Guild of America goes on strike on November 5th and demands more compensation for their work. During the strike, many televisions shows are put on hold as new episodes can't air until the writer's write them. The strike is stopped on February 10th of 2008.
-The Dixie Chicks collected 5 awards at the Grammy's including Record, Album, and Song of the year.
-Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick pleads guilty to felony charges of operating a dog fighting ring in August. He is sentenced to serve 23 months in federal prison.
-Mad Men, a television drama set in the 1960's premieres on AMC on July 19th.
-iphones, a cell phone/ipod hybrid, is unveiled by Apple CEO Steve Jobbs.
-Record high gas prices plague the nation in the summer of 2007 with prices in some areas topping $4 a gallon.
-Juno is a comedy/drama film starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, and Jennifer Garner. The film receives 4 Academy Award nominations, winning one.
2008
-Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers.
-Eliot Spitzer, the governor of New York, resigns after he is linked to a prostitution ring. The affadavit famously refers to the governor as "Client-9".
-A global financial crisis starts to take shape as the U.S. housing, banking,insurance, and auto industries start to collapse. Hot terms describing the crisis are "bailouts", "too big too fail", and "stimulus package".
-Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, is chosen as John McCain's running mate in the 2008 presidential election. Palin creates a lot of buzz for the GOP with her good looks and everyday language.
-Michael Phelps swims for 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics (setting 7 new world records in the process) and is later photographed hitting a bong while visiting South Carolina University.
-Barack Obama is elected as the 44th president of the United States of America.
2009
-Cash for clunkers is a domestic program intended to encourage Americans to purchase new cars in an attempt to stimulate the economy.
-Brett Favre, the future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, returns to the NFL, this time as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
-Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Orlando Magic to win the NBA Championship. It is the first title for Bryant without Shaquille O'Neal as his teammate.
-Michael Jackson, the pop icon, dies after suffering cardiac arrest on June 25th.
-Jon and Kate Gosselin are consistently a topic on the tabloids after their highly publicized divorce.
-A swine flu outbreak in humans is declared a public health emergency of international concern.
-Crystal meth is a psychoactive stimulant drug that increases alertness and energy, and in high doses can induce euphoria, enhance self esteem, and increase sexual pleasure. It has become increasingly popular in the United States in the 2000s.
-Tiger Woods crashes his Denali into a fire hydrant on November 27th and is taken to the hospital. Shortly thereafter details of Woods' ramped infidelity start to surface.
2010
-The Health Care Reform Bill causes a heated national debate. A new faction of conservatives, known as the Tea Party Movement, ardently oppose the bill which they call "Obamacare". Eventually the bill passes both the House (without a vote?) and the Senate and is signed into law.
-Regulation of the financial industry appears to be the next challenge that President Obama plans to tackle. The call for reform has been expedited in the wake of the SEC charging Goldman Sachs with knowingly selling people investments that were designed to fail.
-Jay Leno kicks Conan O'Brien to the curb and re-assumes his position as the host of The Tonight Show after his 10 p.m. show flops as bad as Vlade Divac.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Top 10 Albums
Recently on a pop culture blog that I frequent readers were encouraged to send in their top 10 desert island albums. The idea being that if you were stranded on a desert island and you could have 10 albums there with you what would they be? This of course assumes that there's a cd player somewhere on the island, which is about as far fetched as the entire stranded on a desert island notion. Basically readers were asked to send in a list of their top 10 albums. When I started to think of what I would put in my top 10 I realized that we don't really appreciate or even think in terms of albums in our age of file sharing, illegal downloading, and the iTunes store. Now maybe I'm way off and it's just me and my somewhat distant relationship with the world of music (I've only purchased 2 CD's in 2009). I do read/skim Rolling Stone every month though.
Either way, I went ahead and compiled a list of my top 10 albums, but I did so according to a few rules.
1.) I must already own at least half of the albums on my list.
2.) Greatest Hits albums are allowed, but only ones that are contained to a single disc.
(in no particular order)
1.) Dookie (1994) by Green Day
Favorite Tracks: 7.) Basket Case, 10.) When I Come Around
Synopsis: Although I hesistate to call them my favorite band, I own more Green Day CD's (4) than any other artist/band. I loved Dookie as a 13 year old and I still love it now, a decade later. I mean, with a name like Dookie how can I not? This is one of those albums that you can listen to from start to finish over and over. It's short (only 39:46), but packed with that pure punk/rebel edge that Green Day is known for.
2.) Complete Greatest Hits (2002) by Foreigner
Favorite Tracks: 14.) Jukebox Hero, 15.) I Want to Know What Love Is
Synopsis: Foreigner is the first of two British rock bands on this list that have more hits than you initially realize. I'm fairly confident that you have all heard at least 6 of the songs on this album at some time in your lives.
I've been told that one of my friends from college used to get into a personal trance before high school hockey games whenever he heard "Jukebox Hero" like one of Elaine's boyfriends in a Seinfeld episode did when he heard The Eagles hit "Desperado".
3.) U218 Singles (2006) by U2
Favorite Tracks: 3.) Pride (In the Name of Love), 9.) Where the Streets Have No Name, 11.) Sunday Bloody Sunday
Synopis: U2 has released some very good studio albums, but none of them have enough of my favorite songs, so I had to opt for U218, which is a greatest hits type compilation. Back in college a friend and I had a radio show for about a year and a half. We mainly played rock, punk, and alternative music, but we also played a "Rap/Hip Hop Pick of the Week" and a "Girly Pick of the Week". One of our 10 listeners (my brother) seemingly requested "Sunday Bloody Sunday" every week, so during our second year on the air we started a "U2 Pick of the Week". It worked out well for a while but eventually the show folded and I think it's fair to say that Thursday afternoons on WVOF were never the same.
4.) Best of Volume I (1996) by Van Halen
Favorite Tracks: 9.) Why Can't This Be Love, 13.) Right Now, 14.) Can't Stop Lovin' You
Synopsis: If Van Halen doesn't get your blood flowing I don't know what will. I'm not much of a concert goer, but Van Halen currently sits atop my list of bands I wan't to see live. Fun fact- the song "Right Now" is featured on my high school lacrosse team's highlight videos from both my junior and senior years and I coincidentally score a goal on both videos just as the song picks up.
Although the album is called Best of Volume I, there is no Best of Volume II.
5.) Back in Black (1980) by AC/DC
Favorite Tracks: 1.) Hells Bells, 7.) You Shook Me All Night Long
Synopsis: Is there any doubt that AC/DC is the greatest thing ever to come out of the country/continent of Australia? Although I try to avoid being mainstream (it's the second best-selling album of all time, trailing only Thriller), this CD was too good to leave off of my list. "Hells Bells" gets me all sorts of fired up in that calm/intense kind of way.
6.) Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980-1995) (1995) by Def Leppard
Favorite Tracks: 2.) Photograph, 6.) Animal
Synopsis- The second British band that has more hit songs that you initially think. I bought this CD back in January and it's definitely in the running for my best purchase of the year. This album is like a movie that you see once and sort of enjoy, but when you see it for a 2nd and 3rd time you start ranting and raving about how good it is.
7.) Street Dreams (2003) by Fabolous
Favorite Tracks: 2.) Not Give A Fuck, 10.) This Is My Party, 17.) Throw Back
Synopsis: Let me just say that I am by no means an advocate of this genre of music, nor do I keep up with who has beef with who, etc., but I do enjoy me some rap every once in a while. I'm probably the whitest kid you know, but everyone needs a little variety from time to time. I particularly enjoy "Throw Back" because of the references to all of the sports franchises, mascots, and athletes.
Having this album on my list also fulfills my rap quota and while I'm on the topic of quotas/other genres of music I should have you know that I did not add a Country album to the list, but it wasn't for lack of trying. I wanted to add an Alan Jackson album (whoa, alliteration), but none of his greatest hits albums contained "It's 5 o'clock Somewhere" and this was a dealbreaker for me.
Other rap/hip hop albums that I own:
1.) The Black Album (2003) by Jay-Z
2.) 2001 (1999) by Dr. Dre
3.) The Eminem Show (2002) by Eminem
4.) Real Talk (2004) by Fabolous
5.) We Are The Streets (2000) by The LOX
6.) Graduation (2007) by Kanye West
7.) Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003) by OutKast (does this one even count?)
8.) Greatest Hits (1995) by Bruce Springsteen
Favorite Tracks: 2.) Thunder Road, 4.) The River, 10.) Glory Days
Synopsis: Although I despise the state of New Jersey (mainly for the parkways that turn into expressways that turn into turnpikes that turn back into parkways), I've got to give it up for The Boss. Springsteen's performance at this year's Superbowl was one of the few halftime shows that I have ever looked forward to, let alone watched. Seriously, he is the epitome of Americana.
Bruce is also one of the only artists whose music attracts both fathers and sons. In fact I don't think any of my friends have ever told me that they were going to a non-Bruce concert with their dad. One of my friends even claims that his dad never gave him "the talk", but he instead told him to listen to "The River". Funny thing is, I believe him.
9.) Piano Man: The Very Best of Billy Joel (2004) by Billy Joel
Favorite Tracks: 1.) Tell Her About It, 12.) Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
Synopsis: The album cover might prevent me from ever actually buying it, but that's okay because I have a few Billy Joel mixes that I've made over the years. Billy has so many hit songs that it's hard for him to put them all on one CD (most of his compilations have multiple discs), but this one has enough of my favorites to make my list. I was actually surprised to see a CD that included "Uptown Girl" (a song that he no longer performs live), "We Didn't Start the Fire", and "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant".
It also should be noted that this album contains two potential wedding songs in "She's Got a Way" and "Just the Way You Are" if I ever decide to get married.
10.) Third Eye Blind (1997) by Third Eye Blind
Favorite Tracks: 6.) How's It Going to Be, 8.) Burning Man
Synopsis: I used to have a 12 song playlist on my iPod of all Third Eye Blind songs that I would fall asleep to every night during my sophomore year of college. In fact, Third Eye Blind sort of has that college, alternative rock sound that I think many of us can relate to. Their music, even though it's borderline pop sometimes, seems to speak directly to the issues that we all faced while growing up.
Either way, I went ahead and compiled a list of my top 10 albums, but I did so according to a few rules.
1.) I must already own at least half of the albums on my list.
2.) Greatest Hits albums are allowed, but only ones that are contained to a single disc.
(in no particular order)
1.) Dookie (1994) by Green Day
Favorite Tracks: 7.) Basket Case, 10.) When I Come Around
Synopsis: Although I hesistate to call them my favorite band, I own more Green Day CD's (4) than any other artist/band. I loved Dookie as a 13 year old and I still love it now, a decade later. I mean, with a name like Dookie how can I not? This is one of those albums that you can listen to from start to finish over and over. It's short (only 39:46), but packed with that pure punk/rebel edge that Green Day is known for.
2.) Complete Greatest Hits (2002) by Foreigner
Favorite Tracks: 14.) Jukebox Hero, 15.) I Want to Know What Love Is
Synopsis: Foreigner is the first of two British rock bands on this list that have more hits than you initially realize. I'm fairly confident that you have all heard at least 6 of the songs on this album at some time in your lives.
I've been told that one of my friends from college used to get into a personal trance before high school hockey games whenever he heard "Jukebox Hero" like one of Elaine's boyfriends in a Seinfeld episode did when he heard The Eagles hit "Desperado".
3.) U218 Singles (2006) by U2
Favorite Tracks: 3.) Pride (In the Name of Love), 9.) Where the Streets Have No Name, 11.) Sunday Bloody Sunday
Synopis: U2 has released some very good studio albums, but none of them have enough of my favorite songs, so I had to opt for U218, which is a greatest hits type compilation. Back in college a friend and I had a radio show for about a year and a half. We mainly played rock, punk, and alternative music, but we also played a "Rap/Hip Hop Pick of the Week" and a "Girly Pick of the Week". One of our 10 listeners (my brother) seemingly requested "Sunday Bloody Sunday" every week, so during our second year on the air we started a "U2 Pick of the Week". It worked out well for a while but eventually the show folded and I think it's fair to say that Thursday afternoons on WVOF were never the same.
4.) Best of Volume I (1996) by Van Halen
Favorite Tracks: 9.) Why Can't This Be Love, 13.) Right Now, 14.) Can't Stop Lovin' You
Synopsis: If Van Halen doesn't get your blood flowing I don't know what will. I'm not much of a concert goer, but Van Halen currently sits atop my list of bands I wan't to see live. Fun fact- the song "Right Now" is featured on my high school lacrosse team's highlight videos from both my junior and senior years and I coincidentally score a goal on both videos just as the song picks up.
Although the album is called Best of Volume I, there is no Best of Volume II.
5.) Back in Black (1980) by AC/DC
Favorite Tracks: 1.) Hells Bells, 7.) You Shook Me All Night Long
Synopsis: Is there any doubt that AC/DC is the greatest thing ever to come out of the country/continent of Australia? Although I try to avoid being mainstream (it's the second best-selling album of all time, trailing only Thriller), this CD was too good to leave off of my list. "Hells Bells" gets me all sorts of fired up in that calm/intense kind of way.
6.) Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980-1995) (1995) by Def Leppard
Favorite Tracks: 2.) Photograph, 6.) Animal
Synopsis- The second British band that has more hit songs that you initially think. I bought this CD back in January and it's definitely in the running for my best purchase of the year. This album is like a movie that you see once and sort of enjoy, but when you see it for a 2nd and 3rd time you start ranting and raving about how good it is.
7.) Street Dreams (2003) by Fabolous
Favorite Tracks: 2.) Not Give A Fuck, 10.) This Is My Party, 17.) Throw Back
Synopsis: Let me just say that I am by no means an advocate of this genre of music, nor do I keep up with who has beef with who, etc., but I do enjoy me some rap every once in a while. I'm probably the whitest kid you know, but everyone needs a little variety from time to time. I particularly enjoy "Throw Back" because of the references to all of the sports franchises, mascots, and athletes.
Having this album on my list also fulfills my rap quota and while I'm on the topic of quotas/other genres of music I should have you know that I did not add a Country album to the list, but it wasn't for lack of trying. I wanted to add an Alan Jackson album (whoa, alliteration), but none of his greatest hits albums contained "It's 5 o'clock Somewhere" and this was a dealbreaker for me.
Other rap/hip hop albums that I own:
1.) The Black Album (2003) by Jay-Z
2.) 2001 (1999) by Dr. Dre
3.) The Eminem Show (2002) by Eminem
4.) Real Talk (2004) by Fabolous
5.) We Are The Streets (2000) by The LOX
6.) Graduation (2007) by Kanye West
7.) Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003) by OutKast (does this one even count?)
8.) Greatest Hits (1995) by Bruce Springsteen
Favorite Tracks: 2.) Thunder Road, 4.) The River, 10.) Glory Days
Synopsis: Although I despise the state of New Jersey (mainly for the parkways that turn into expressways that turn into turnpikes that turn back into parkways), I've got to give it up for The Boss. Springsteen's performance at this year's Superbowl was one of the few halftime shows that I have ever looked forward to, let alone watched. Seriously, he is the epitome of Americana.
Bruce is also one of the only artists whose music attracts both fathers and sons. In fact I don't think any of my friends have ever told me that they were going to a non-Bruce concert with their dad. One of my friends even claims that his dad never gave him "the talk", but he instead told him to listen to "The River". Funny thing is, I believe him.
9.) Piano Man: The Very Best of Billy Joel (2004) by Billy Joel
Favorite Tracks: 1.) Tell Her About It, 12.) Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
Synopsis: The album cover might prevent me from ever actually buying it, but that's okay because I have a few Billy Joel mixes that I've made over the years. Billy has so many hit songs that it's hard for him to put them all on one CD (most of his compilations have multiple discs), but this one has enough of my favorites to make my list. I was actually surprised to see a CD that included "Uptown Girl" (a song that he no longer performs live), "We Didn't Start the Fire", and "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant".
It also should be noted that this album contains two potential wedding songs in "She's Got a Way" and "Just the Way You Are" if I ever decide to get married.
10.) Third Eye Blind (1997) by Third Eye Blind
Favorite Tracks: 6.) How's It Going to Be, 8.) Burning Man
Synopsis: I used to have a 12 song playlist on my iPod of all Third Eye Blind songs that I would fall asleep to every night during my sophomore year of college. In fact, Third Eye Blind sort of has that college, alternative rock sound that I think many of us can relate to. Their music, even though it's borderline pop sometimes, seems to speak directly to the issues that we all faced while growing up.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Say What? Karaoke
http://www.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/top-10-karaoke-songs-for-guys.html
First and foremost I would like to apologize for whatever connection I just made to the former MTV hit show and it's lard infested troll of a host Dave Holmes for the title that I chose for this post. The mere thought and subsequent mental image of that grotesque chunker is not the sort of appeal that I aim to promote and for that I express my sincerest apology.
Now when it comes to Karaoke, one's song selection is about 75% of the battle. It is crucial to pick a song that the majority of your audience is familiar with. Most of them should be able to sing the chorus and be impressed by the fact that you know the words in all of the verses. Keep in mind that this 'advice' is coming from someone that once performed a duet to "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis with a man who's voice box was more battered than Jenna Jameson's vagina.
That being said, let's break down ask men's top 10.
10.) Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen- My only problem with this song being on the list is that it's at #10 and not #1. It reminds me of the time that one of my friends wore an American Flag to a bar (this was by no means an isolated incident). A patron that was standing next to me asked, "Why is your friend wearing the American flag?" To which I naturally replied, "Why aren't you?"
9.) You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC- Definitely a very good song, and worthy of being on this list, but I can definitely see some creep show picking this song and staring directly at a foxy broad the entire time he is on stage.
8.) (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones- A perfect song to choose if you're looking to to pick up the 46 year old tattooed biker chick sitting at the bar wearing a leather vest and a skull necklace. Don't get me wrong, it's a classic song, but I think it's run is over. It's kind of like the athlete that won't retire, or that was great for a while and now their career is over, but they continue to play because of who they once were. ( Ex- Ken Griffey Jr)
7.) Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond- Never in American history have we celebrated pedophilia so enthusiastically. In a 2007 interview, Neil Diamond admitted that he wrote the song about Caroline Kennedy (JFK's daughter). She was 11 at the time of its release. "Touching you, touching me" What a sick fuck.
6.) Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi- This is one of those songs that you would pick if you had a below average voice, great stage presence, and were going for crowd participation points, which is why its right up my alley. In fact, I'd probably be doing the Happy Gilmore dance with the microphone cord in between my legs for the first 45 seconds.
5.) Sweet Home Alabame by Lynyrd Skynard- For those of you that don't know, and I'm assuming that it's a bunch of you, Lynyrd Skynrd is the name of a band- not a person. In fact, they named the band after their gym teacher Leonard Skinner who wouldn't allow them to have long hair, which reminds me of another quasi-famous gym teacher. Mr. Heyman.
In regards to the song. I think it's overplayed and overdone. The only redeeming quality for me is in the beginning when they say "turn it up".
4.) Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks- Now this is a classic karaoke tune because it's really all about getting sloshed with your asshole friends, which quite frankly, is what most people do at karaoke bars.
3.) Cecilia by Simon and Garfunkel- A great song, but I'm not so sure how I feel about it cracking the top 3, let alone the top 10. This is a fringe karaoke song for me, but I think enough people are familiar enough with the lyrics to pull it off.
2.) Don't Stop Believing by Journey- It's not necessary to fade to black after this one, because most people that give it a go are well into their blackouts. This really is a great pick though, because it's slow enough to get the crowd involved and most people think they know all the words.
1.) Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf- Had this song not been #1, I would have said that it was the most underrated Karaoke song out there for the members of the PEN 15 club. I should admit that I'm a little partial to this song because a handful of my friends call me "the wild man", but only because of what Svedka does to me.
Now all in all, this top 10 wasn't too bad, but they left off two absolute gems. The first of which needs no explanation.
I'm a Real American by Rick Derringer
The second of course being, We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel. Think about it. Everyone knows the chorus, but nobody in their right mind knows the verses. Now I have made a commitment to memorize the entire song and so far I am doing quite well.
Thanks to Greg in Trumbull, CT for the link. (For those of you that know him, yes, he is still alive and well)
First and foremost I would like to apologize for whatever connection I just made to the former MTV hit show and it's lard infested troll of a host Dave Holmes for the title that I chose for this post. The mere thought and subsequent mental image of that grotesque chunker is not the sort of appeal that I aim to promote and for that I express my sincerest apology.
Now when it comes to Karaoke, one's song selection is about 75% of the battle. It is crucial to pick a song that the majority of your audience is familiar with. Most of them should be able to sing the chorus and be impressed by the fact that you know the words in all of the verses. Keep in mind that this 'advice' is coming from someone that once performed a duet to "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis with a man who's voice box was more battered than Jenna Jameson's vagina.
That being said, let's break down ask men's top 10.
10.) Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen- My only problem with this song being on the list is that it's at #10 and not #1. It reminds me of the time that one of my friends wore an American Flag to a bar (this was by no means an isolated incident). A patron that was standing next to me asked, "Why is your friend wearing the American flag?" To which I naturally replied, "Why aren't you?"
9.) You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC- Definitely a very good song, and worthy of being on this list, but I can definitely see some creep show picking this song and staring directly at a foxy broad the entire time he is on stage.
8.) (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones- A perfect song to choose if you're looking to to pick up the 46 year old tattooed biker chick sitting at the bar wearing a leather vest and a skull necklace. Don't get me wrong, it's a classic song, but I think it's run is over. It's kind of like the athlete that won't retire, or that was great for a while and now their career is over, but they continue to play because of who they once were. ( Ex- Ken Griffey Jr)
7.) Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond- Never in American history have we celebrated pedophilia so enthusiastically. In a 2007 interview, Neil Diamond admitted that he wrote the song about Caroline Kennedy (JFK's daughter). She was 11 at the time of its release. "Touching you, touching me" What a sick fuck.
6.) Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi- This is one of those songs that you would pick if you had a below average voice, great stage presence, and were going for crowd participation points, which is why its right up my alley. In fact, I'd probably be doing the Happy Gilmore dance with the microphone cord in between my legs for the first 45 seconds.
5.) Sweet Home Alabame by Lynyrd Skynard- For those of you that don't know, and I'm assuming that it's a bunch of you, Lynyrd Skynrd is the name of a band- not a person. In fact, they named the band after their gym teacher Leonard Skinner who wouldn't allow them to have long hair, which reminds me of another quasi-famous gym teacher. Mr. Heyman.
In regards to the song. I think it's overplayed and overdone. The only redeeming quality for me is in the beginning when they say "turn it up".
4.) Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks- Now this is a classic karaoke tune because it's really all about getting sloshed with your asshole friends, which quite frankly, is what most people do at karaoke bars.
3.) Cecilia by Simon and Garfunkel- A great song, but I'm not so sure how I feel about it cracking the top 3, let alone the top 10. This is a fringe karaoke song for me, but I think enough people are familiar enough with the lyrics to pull it off.
2.) Don't Stop Believing by Journey- It's not necessary to fade to black after this one, because most people that give it a go are well into their blackouts. This really is a great pick though, because it's slow enough to get the crowd involved and most people think they know all the words.
1.) Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf- Had this song not been #1, I would have said that it was the most underrated Karaoke song out there for the members of the PEN 15 club. I should admit that I'm a little partial to this song because a handful of my friends call me "the wild man", but only because of what Svedka does to me.
Now all in all, this top 10 wasn't too bad, but they left off two absolute gems. The first of which needs no explanation.
I'm a Real American by Rick Derringer
The second of course being, We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel. Think about it. Everyone knows the chorus, but nobody in their right mind knows the verses. Now I have made a commitment to memorize the entire song and so far I am doing quite well.
Thanks to Greg in Trumbull, CT for the link. (For those of you that know him, yes, he is still alive and well)
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