- Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd: Though “Dark Side of the Moon”, and “The Wall” are undoubtedly the groups most iconic albums, die-hard fans often rank “Wish You Were Here” above them as the band’s finest work.
- Aja – Steely Dan: Despite being generally revered by Rock critics, Steely Dan’s albums are rarely mentioned amongst the all-time greats. Arguably, “Aja” stands out as being one of the bands most cohesive projects. Decades later, it sounds even better than when it was first released.
- Reggatta de Blanc – The Police: While “Outlandos d’Amour” was a great introduction to this talented trio, it was “Reggatta de Blanc” which provided the first glimpse of the band’s spectacular potential. It was a leap forward in style, songwriting, musicianship and production.
- Frontiers – Journey: On the heels of the phenomenally successful “Escape” album, the band released this gem, which combined the best of that previous record with a heavier, more rock based sound. While the former could be considered a pop record, with some rock underpinnings, the later was more of a rock record, with pop sensibilities.
- Bad Company – Bad Company: Formed from the remains of successful bands, “Free”, “Mott the Hoople” and “King Crimson”, Bad Company came out firing on all cylinders for their debut record. Though this album contained numerous rock radio staples (e.g. Bad Company, Can’t Get Enough, Ready for Love, Movin’ On) and featured one of rock music’s best vocalists (Paul Rodgers), it is rarely acknowledged amongst rock’s elite records.
- In Utero – Nirvana: There is no denying the massive impact the bands, “Nevermind” album had on the music industry, but in some ways that story has obscured the brilliance of their latter work. With “In Utero” the band began to show its range, both musically and emotionally. Tragically, their story was cut short before we got to see how far they could take it.
- One of These Nights – The Eagles: The extraordinary success of 1976’s “Hotel California” didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. 1975’s “One of These Nights” was a number one album, featuring three top ten smashes, “One of These Nights”, “Take it to the Limit” and “Lyin’ Eyes”, which were each sung by a different lead vocalist. Few records or groups have ever managed such a feat.
- Pieces of Eight – Styx: The dynamic tension between Dennis DeYoung’s over the top pension for musical theater, and Tommy Shaw/James Young’s hard rock dreams came into perfect balance for the album, “The Grand Illusion” and on its breakout single, “Come Sail Away”. But on the follow-up record, “Pieces of Eight” it was the duo of Shaw & Young who got to be the rock band they’d always wanted to be. Unfortunately, the phenomenal success of the single, “Babe” from their next album, “Cornerstone” brought DeYoung back to the forefront, and marked the beginning of the end of the band’s straight ahead rock sound.
- Love Over Gold – Dire Straits: Though it was not their best selling or highest charting album, “Love Over Gold” may be the band’s most artistically ambitious work. The plaintive “Love Over Gold”, the haunting “Private Investigations”, and the sprawling, “Telegraph Road” create a soundscape that rivals the film scores that Mark Knopfler would eventually become famous for.
- Houses of the Holy – Led Zeppelin: Though Led Zeppelin I, II & IV are most often featured on critics “best of” lists, “Houses of the Holy” features some of the bands strongest and most original work (e.g. The Rain Song, No Quarter, Over the Hills and Far Away, D’yer Mak’er).
Posts Tagged ‘Nirvana’
10 Underrated Classics
Posted in Entertainment/Music/Sports, tagged Aja, Bad Company, Dire Straits, Frontiers, Houses of the Holy, In Utero, Journey, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, One of These Nights, Pieces of Eight, Pink Floyd, Reggatta de Blanc, Steely Dan, Styx, The Police, Wish You Were Here on March 30, 2021| 2 Comments »
10 Surprising Singles
Posted in Entertainment/Music/Sports, Lists, tagged Because the Night, Bing Crosby, Bohemian Rhapsody, Cantaloop, David Bowie, Detroit Rock City, Fleetwood Mac, Frankie Valli, Freddie Mercury, Grace Slick, Jane, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Kiss, Marty Balin, Nevermind, Nirvana, Owner of a Lonely Heart, Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy, Queen, Smells Like Teen Spirit, The Four Seasons, The Patti Smith Group, Tusk, Us3, Yes on January 25, 2015| Leave a Comment »
- Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen: Lead singer, Freddie Mercury was an unprecedented showman, and his unique persona made its mark on all of the band’s music; but this epic recording stands alone in its innovation and originality. Even decades later, with all of the advances in music technology, there is nothing like it.
- December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) – The Four Seasons: Also known as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, their string of 1960‘s hits made them one of the most successful vocal groups of all-time, eventually propelling them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And while the signature falsetto of lead singer Frankie Valli was at the forefront of almost every big hit, it was drummer Gerry Polci who sang lead on this 1975 hit, which went on to become the group’s biggest selling single.
- Owner of a Lonely Heart – Yes: Through ten albums, and more than a decade, art rock band “Yes” habitually produced 8 -10 minute opuses that didn’t fit well into the pop radio format. But all of that changed with the 1983 release of the album “90125”. This pop music gem went on to become the band’s one and only #1 single.
- Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana: In the early nineties there was nothing on pop radio that sounded remotely like Nirvana’s brand of rock, which was ultimately dubbed, “grunge”. Even their record company was caught completely off guard by the meteoric rise of the band, their single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, and its corresponding album, “Nevermind”.
- Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) – Us3: This Jazz/Hip-Hop fusion from 1993 was revolutionary for it’s day, and it’s mass appeal helped drive the Rap/Hip-Hop genre from the fringe of popular music to the heart of popular culture.
- Beth – Kiss: By the mid-seventies, the band, “Kiss” had risen to stardom on the strength of their spectacular stage shows, and their hard rock sound. In keeping with what had brought them success, the band released the single, “Detroit Rock City” in 1976. But to the surprise of everyone associated with the band, it was the B-side of that record, the ballad, “Beth”, that went on to become one of the groups most successful songs.
- Jane – Jefferson Starship: Founding member, Paul Kantner, and his band, had a string of soft rock hits (e.g. Miracles, With Your Love, Count on Me) following their transition from the original “Jefferson Airplane” lineup. But with the 1978 departure of lead singers, Grace Slick, and Marty Balin, they found themselves at yet another crossroad. Then, the addition of “Fooled Around & Fell in Love” singer, Mickey Thomas, and a new harder rock sound, propelled their surprising 1979 single, “Jane” up the charts; beginning a new chapter in the bands long and diverse history.
- Tusk – Fleetwood Mac: Following up on the phenomenal success of the classic album “Rumours”, with its four top ten singles, was a daunting task. But the 1979 album, “Tusk” provided twenty new songs to choose from. Of those, the unusual title track seemed to be the least likely candidate for release as a single. Nonetheless, this pop music oddity reached the top ten later that year.
- Because the Night – The Patti Smith Group: Nothing in Patti Smith’s eclectic artistic history would have indicated that a Top 40 record was anywhere in her future, but her reworking of this Bruce Springsteen composition ruled the airwaves upon its 1978 release.
- Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy – Bing Crosby & David Bowie: In what had to be one of the most unlikely pairings in pop music history, 1940’s crooner Bing Crosby, and 1970’s glam rocker David Bowie teamed for this Christmas medley, which was included as a part of Crosby’s 1977 television Christmas special.
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