My prediction – this will be the worse Popular music decade in my lifetime.
DJ Earworm just dropped his latest annual edit:
… “World Go Boom,” combines 25 of the year’s most-successful pop songs from artists such as Adele, Britney Spears, Foster the People, Lady Gaga, LMFAO, Maroon 5, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna. …
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
… pretty lame, I’d say.
What was the great Pop hit of 2011? … Adele?
(via Mashable)
PR firm SimplyZesty manages to cram the evolution of digital distribution into a punchy three-minute video. Starting in 1970, the video tracks the rise of digital sales, the fall of vinyl, piracy and major milestones like Michael Jackson’s video for “Billie Jean” and the most expensive guitar ever sold (a Fender Stratocaster for $2.7 million). …
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
In Idaho I’ve been listening to Hot 96.9FM.
Their playlist is about 9 songs long. I hear those few songs played less than an hour apart.
There are no DJs. And even the songs selected don’t have many musicians. It’s vocal supplemented with computer.
Marvin’s Room by Drake is a very interesting pop song. But the music video is so awful, I don’t link it.
Lighters by Eminem, Bruno Mars & Royce da 5’9″ has a lousy video, too. But I believe the song is a prototype for the rest of the decade.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube (profane version)
“Lighters” is an alternative hip hop song with influences of pop music.
The formula is simple. Get a catchy pop song started. Add rap for edge.
I do love the urban doggerel:
… Now his career’s
Lebron’s jersey in 20 years …
I’ll predict now that this decade will be considered even duller than the 1980s.
I don’t begrudge giving Steve Jobs a big chunk of my limited income. But why can’t Apple design decent wireless headphones?
Yeesh.
I may be driven to try these – Outdoor Technology Bluetooth Tags
($70 – $80)
Making Bluetooth headsets “cool” is the mission of Outdoor Technology, a southern California-based active sports and lifestyle accessories maker. To this end, they have unveiled OT Tags, their stereo Bluetooth headsets which function like conventional one-ear “business” headsets but look like and are music headphones in the earbud style — mating the style of wired headphones to the convenience of wireless. …
Click PLAY or watch a review on YouTube.
Looks like my iPod touch is compatible. But it not, I can make it so with a $30 Bluetooth Transmitter.
Clarence Clemons, the legendary saxophonist in the E Street Band who played alongside Bruce Springsteen for the past 40 years, died on June 18th from complications from a stroke. He was 69.
From Eric Meola’s 1975 photo session with Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons in Manhattan.
… the boat.
For me, Radar Love by Dutch band Golden Earring.
Though that song was released 1973, the band was still touring arenas in 2006.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
You can watch a version from the 1970s on LiveLeak.
Radar-Love.net lists more than 300 cover versions, by artists including U2, R.E.M., Blue Man Group, James Last, Bryan Adams, Def Leppard, White Lion, Crowded House.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio …
It’s pretty cool. I am impressed.
… The main criticism of the Hall of Fame is that the nomination process is controlled by a few individuals who are not musicians, such as founder Jann Wenner …
Jann always hated my University Archies tribute band. It had something to do with our name: “Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame“.
You won’t find us on the List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.
Arrived at the “mistake by the lake” today, my first trip.
To celebrate …
… a rock song by Ian Hunter from his 1979 album You’re Never Alone with a Schizophrenic. The song is seen as a de facto anthem in Cleveland, Ohio.
Click PLAY or watch Ian Hunter on YouTube.
The song was inspired in part by the songwriter’s desire to counteract the poor reputation of a city for which he had some affection. Hunter states on his web site, “the inspiration for ‘Cleveland Rocks’ goes back to the old days when people used to make fun of Cleveland. Cleveland was ‘uncool’ and LA and NYC were ‘cool’. I didn’t see it that way. Lotta heart in Cleveland.” …
Of course it gained a lot of popularity when used as a theme song for the Drew Carey Show.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
I’ve been a fan of Ian Hunter dating back to Mott the Hoople Live (1974).
