The 31 Songs of Rocktober Part Two: 1989-1998

Rocktober: it's the most wonderful, earsplitting time of the year. After Part One: 1979-1988, we're continuing to celebrate with another 10 of an eventual 31 hits—one for each of the last 31 years.

So grab your Strat and your leather codpiece as we get ready to turn it up to 11.

1989: "Dr. Feelgood" - Motley Crue
While I would never elevate a band like Poison or Cinderella into a position of representing a year, Motley Crue has enough musical cred to hold down a spot on the list. While "Dr. Feelgood" definitely rocks, this is also kind of a "Lifetime Achievement" award. Plus, one or more members of the band may have actually worn a leather codpiece, always a plus.

Runners Up: "Paradise City" - Guns N' Roses; "One" - Metallica; "Runnin' Down a Dream" - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers; "Fire Woman" - The Cult; "A Girl Like You" - The Smithereens; "Once Bitten Twice Shy" - Great White; "Higher Ground" - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Now here's the video that will make you feel alright ...


1990: "Epic" - Faith No More
Before a tidal wave of plaid shirts and distorted guitars took over rock n' roll in 1991, Faith No More pounded out their epic Epic. While the video managed to soak the band in a man-made monsoon, there apparently wasn't enough water left for a poor goldfish left flopping around on the floor, raising the ire of animal rights groups. However, the band claimed the fish was shot in slow motion, and was safely returned to its bowl. And that may in fact be true given the fish's provenance: it was allegedly either stolen from—or given as a gift by—Bjork (depending on which version of the legend you believe).

Runners Up: "Blaze of Glory" - Bon Jovi; "Black Velvet" - Alannah Miles; "Cherry Pie" - Warrant

Let's check out the famous fish and the song ...


1991: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
Honestly, never really been a fan of this grunge anthem, or grunge in general (though I have a bit of soft spot for Soundgarden). But obviously this song signaled a huge shift in rock n' roll, including the mainstreaming of so-called "alternative" music. And yes, Nevermind really hit big in 1992, but this single was released in September of 1991.

Runners Up: "Enter Sandman" - Metallica; "Moneytalks" - AC/DC; "Alive" - Pearl Jam; "Give It Away" - Red Hot Chili Peppers; "Jesus Built My Hotrod" - Ministry

Here purportedly is the first live performance of Nirvana's signature song ...


1992: "Remedy" - Black Crowes
Since I didn't want to go back to back with Nirvana, and I've never cared for Pearl Jam, the Black Crowes win '92 by default. But I'm so unexcited by this pick, I'm not even going to look up any info about it. It's sung by that really skinny guy who was married to Kate Hudson.

Runners Up: "Come As You Are" - Nirvana; "Rest In Peace" - Extreme; "Evenflow" - Pearl Jam; "Let's Get Rocked" - Def Leppard; "Life Is A Highway" - Tom Cochrane

I suppose in keeping with the format, I should show some video. At least I can embed the actual music video. Hurray.


1993: "Are You Gonna Go My Way?" - Lenny Kravitz
Ah, now here's a song worth getting excited about. This is another of my all time favorites, with a great riff and a cool video (which, of course, EMI won't let me embed). This was one of the first CDs that I bought (post cassette tape and pre-mp3). VH1 had it as #78 on their "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s," but I would likely have gone at least 30 or 40 places higher.

Runners Up: "Plush" - Stone Temple Pilots; "Livin' On The Edge" - Aerosmith; "Stick It Out" - Rush; "Pride and Joy" - Coverdale & Page

I got to got to know, are you gonna watch the video?


1994: "Vaseline" - Stone Temple Pilots
I came very close to declaring this a tie between this song and "Black Hole Sun." But that seemed too much of a cop out. But a tough call, especially given that both STP and Soundgarden both had two great songs this year (see "Runners Up" below). I'm just glad they got to write and record this song in between Scott Weiland's many stints in rehab.

Runners Up: "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden; "Spoonman" - Soundgarden; "Daughter" - Pearl Jam; "Interstate Love Song" - Stone Temple Pilots; "Cannonball" - Breeders

Before you go blind and this video is out of reach, give it a look.


1995: "More Human Than Human" - White Zombie
I had actually awarded this year to the Smashing Pumpkins before I discovered that this was the year Rob and friends put out this extremely hard-rockin' song. Is it as "cerebral" as "Bullet With Butterfly Wings?" Nope. But when you listen, you just want to keep turning it up ... and up ... and up—until your windows shatter and the bass puts you into cardiac arrest.

Runners Up: "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" - Smashing Pumpkins; "J.A.R." - Green Day; "If I Wanted To" - Melissa Etheridge; "Better Man" - Pearl Jam

Haven't you always thought this song would go great with an ultra-violent anime about vampire hunters? Hey, so did someone who was posting to YouTube! (I said "ultra-violent," right? Consider yourself warned.)


1996: "Machinehead" - Bush
Another year that I'm fairly ambivalent about. I did get married in June of '96, and maybe the fact that our DJ played "Celebrate" despite our explicit instructions not to soured me on music for the whole year. But, hey, somebody's gotta win, so why not Mr. Stefani and company?

Runners Up: "Santa Monica" - Everclear; "Trippin' On A Whole In A Paper Heart" - Stone Temple Pilots; "In The Meantime" - Spacehog; "Stinkfist" - Tool

I've got a video for Machinehead, it's better than the rest (except for the real one, which I'm not allowed to embed).


1997: "Song 2" - Blur
Woohoo! This not very imaginatively titled hit from Blur squeaked out a win over the Foos and the Bosstones (technically ska?). One of the things I like about this song is how compact it is, at right about two minutes even. A little rock nugget. Reminds me of when I went to see the Ramones, who packed about 73 songs into a 90-minute set.

Runners Up: "The Impression That I Get" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones; "Everlong" - Foo Fighters; "Pink" - Aerosmith; "Gone Away" - The Offspring

Now get your head checked by a jumbo jet and check out the video of this live performance at Wembley Arena.


1998: "Fly Away" - Lenny Kravitz
Hey, a repeat winner! Honestly, nothing really jumped out at me this year. Well, musically. 1998 saw the birth of my first child, so maybe that's why I wasn't paying as much attention. I was already retuning my ear for the Wiggles and Barney.

Runners Up: "Given To Fly" - Pearl Jam; "Blue on Black" - Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band; "Turn The Page" - Metallica; "Psycho Circus" - Kiss; "Most High" - Jimmy Page & Robert Plant

Well, I leave you and Part Two with Lenny rockin' Rio ...

The 31 Songs of Rocktober Part One: 1979-1988

31 days hath Rocktober, and what better way to celebrate than by providing a most-excellent example of rock 'n' roll for each and every one of them. To add a level of temporal confusion and complexity, I'm picking one song from each of the last 31 years.

And we're not going to play the whole "What's rock 'n' roll?" game. It's gotta have lots of guitars and drums, the more and louder the better. While not mandatory, long hair and leather apparel definitely are worth bonus points.

I believe I'll be able to track down video for each song, though the helpful folks at the record labels have decreed that virtually every official music video can't be embeddable, so most songs will be live performances.

Now, if you can answer "yes" to the musical question "ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?!!!" we'll begin.

1979: "My Sharona" - The Knack
Well, we're certainly off to a great start, with one of rock's most recognizable riffs. If lead singer and guitarist Doug Fieger and Wikipedia are to be believed, a Ms. Sharona Alperin was the little pretty one, pretty one, who made his motor run, motor run.

Runners Up: "I Want You To Want Me" - Cheap Trick; "Renegade" - Styx; "I Was Made For Lovin' You" - Kiss

Here are Doug and the boys live from Carnegie Hall with what ended up as the #1 song on Billboard's Pop Singles Chart for '79.


1980: "Heartbreaker" - Pat Benatar
As you can see from the runners up below, there were a lot of very strong contenders this year. But I'm going to go a little more "pop" and recognize the five feet and 95 pounds of rock 'n' roll fury formerly known as Patricia Andrzejewski.

Runners Up: "Refugee" - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers; "Ace of Spades" - Motorhead; "You Shook Me All Night Long" - AC/DC; "Crazy Train" - Ozzy Osbourne; "And The Cradle Will Rock" - Van Halen

Watch and see why you don't mess around with Ms. Benatar, no-no-no!


1981: "Back In Black" - AC/DC
Was there really any question for this year? (Okay, it did pain me not to go with "Tom Sawyer".) But you can't argue with another of rock's most recognizable riffs kicking off a tune that VH1 ranked as the fifth greatest hard rock song of all time and that Rolling Stone ranked number 29 on "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time."

Runners Up: "Tom Sawyer" - Rush; "Another One Bites The Dust" - Queen; "The Stroke" - Billy Squier; "Start Me Up" - Rolling Stones

Now, without further ado, show us what you got Angus.


1982: "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Hard to pass on a title like that. And America found it hard to pass on the song (segue!), as it finished the year as the #2 hit on Billboard's Top 100. And here's a little piece of trivia that at least I didn't know: a pre-Blackheart-backed Ms. Jett first recorded this song two years earlier with two members of the Sex Pistols, Steve Jones and Paul Cook.

Runners Up: "Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey; "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" - Judas Priest; "Juke Box Hero" - Foreigner; "Run to the Hills" - Iron Maiden; "White Wedding" - Billy Idol

Now let's put another dime in the jukebox, baby ...


1983: "Twilight Zone" - Golden Earring
Also (erroneously) known as "When The Bullet Hits The Bone," this song did reach #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart. But, along with the band's other big hit, "Radar Love," it's also proven to be an enduring radio track that has aged much better than, say, "Cum On Feel the Noize."

Runners Up: "Gimme All Your Lovin'" - ZZ Top; "Cum On Feel the Noize" - Quiet Riot; "Photograph" - Def Leppard; "Bark at the Moon" - Ozzy Osbourne

So, what time is it? It's two a.m. (it's two a.m.) ...


1984: "Rock You Like A Hurricane" - Scorpions
Speaking of songs that don't age particularly well ... Actually, I think "Rock You Like A Hurricane" perfectly encapsulates the somewhat cheesy hard rocking sounds of the mid-80s (Ratt, Poison, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, etc.). And I say "danke" to the boys from Hanover for showing us that not all hard rockin' music from Germany is that really scary death metal.

Runners Up: "Jump" - Van Halen; "Owner of a Lonely Heart" - Yes; "Legs" - ZZ Top; "Rebel Yell" - Billy Idol; "We're Not Gonna Take It" - Twisted Sister; "I Can't Drive 55" - Sammy Hagar

C'mon, c'mon' c'mon, let's watch a live performance.


1985: "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult
While not nearly as big a hit as any of the runners up, "She Sells Sanctuary" has always been a personal favorite of mine, and so I'll invoke blogger's privilege. It's one of those songs I forget how much I enjoy until it comes up in my iTunes playlist, I (rarely) hear it on the radio, or it shows up somewhere unexpected, like the movie Layer Cake.

Runners Up: "Money For Nothing" - Dire Straits; "Some Like It Hot" - Power Station; "Smokin' in the Boys Room" - Motley Crue

Let's enjoy it together, shall we?


1986: "You Give Love A Bad Name" - Bon Jovi
Bit of a sparse year for hard-rockin' hits, as you can tell by this selection and the runners up (John Cougar Mellenkamp?). Though I suppose the list would be a little longer if I didn't refuse to acknowledge Van Halen as a band after Diamond Dave left. Anyway, this isn't a bad song by the boys from Jersey.

Runners Up: "R.O.C.K. in the USA" - John Cougar Mellenkamp; "Addicted to Love" - Robert Palmer; "Tuff Enuff" - Fabulous Thunderbirds

You're shot through the heart and this song's to blame ...


1987: "Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns N' Roses
Love 'em or hate 'em, there was no question GNR was a rock and roll band when they exploded onto the scene, with all the drama, destruction, and volume that entailed. You couldn't ignore Axl Rose's voice, or Slash's guitar. "Welcome to the Jungle" was actually the first song that Axl and Slash wrote together. And as a title and a song, it certainly was a fitting announcement of their debut.

Runners Up: "Pour Some Sugar On Me" - Def Leppard; "Girls, Girls, Girls" - Motley Crue; "Love Removal Machine" - The Cult; "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" - Georgia Satellites

Watch this and it will bring you to your n-n-n-n-n-n-n-knees ...


1988: "Cult of Personality" - Living Color
Since I already gave GNR 1987, there really wasn't another contender for this year other than Living Color's biggest hit. Given that it won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance the next year, I guess I'm not alone in that opinion.

Runners Up: "Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses; "I Hate Myself for Loving You" - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts; "Beds Are Burning" - Midnight Oil

Here are Corey, Vernon and the rest of the guys from another classic bit of late-80s culture: the Arsenio Hall Show.


Tune in next week as we spin the stax o' wax of Rocktober hits from 1989-1998.

One Love, Many Artists: Playing For Change "Remix"

"Peace Through Music" is a goal that may be a little ... optimistic (to be charitable), but it can produce some cool results, as evidenced by the video "remixes" produced by the "Playing For Change" initiative. "Stand By Me" is the one with 10,000,000+ YouTube hits, but I actually prefer the one below for "One Love."

One thing I found curious: while the filmmakers got to India and Nepal, they seem to have run out of money (and/or air miles), since the Asia of the Pacific Rim is noticeably absent.

Top 10 Break-Up Songs Of All Time

NOTE: Videos have been updated (as of o5/o1/09) after some of the originals were no longer available.

You know them. You love them. Not in a "wow, this is an awesome song" kind of way, but more in a "wow, this song makes me feel awful, and right now that's perfect" kind of way. When your heart has been broken, their maudlin melodies, schmaltzy lyrics, and often overwrought performances are somehow just right.

One thing you'll quickly notice about this list is that it's based on songs from back when I was getting dumped, which was most of the eighties ... and the first part of the nineties. So you kids looking for your James Blunts and Jeff Buckleys are out of luck.

I got the idea for this list after listening to "Break-Up" on This American Life, and in particular the part of the show featuring writer Starlee Kine and her much more entertaining take on break-up songs, including her effort to write her own. I highly recommend listening to it, which you can at the link above as long as your plug-ins work better than mine seem to be.

Back to the whole "maudlin/overwrought" thing. There are limits. You'll find no Celine Dion or Michael Bolton here. And yes Whitney, I hear you wailing away back there. But no matter how many syllables you can get out of the "I" in "I Will Always Love You," you ain't gonna make my list.

I also think the best break-up songs are primarily "pop" songs. For instance, I'm a big fan of "Haunted When The Minutes Drag" by Love and Rockets, but I wouldn't say it's a classic break-up song.

You are free of course to disagree with any or all of these opinions. You'll just be wrong. Now grab your hanky and your memories and away we go ...

10. All Out Of Love - Air Supply (1980)

Boohooiest Lyrics:
There's no easy way, it gets harder each day
Please love me or I'll be gone, I'll be gone ...

Air Supply's entire catalog seems filled with very weepy songs. Maybe there's a lot more heartache down under than I remember from the Crocodile Dundee movies. I recall from another Australian band's songs of the same era that the women glow and the men plunder, so there does seem ample opportunity for romance and conflict.

Give it a listen (and a look) here, since the persnickety poster refuses to let me embed the video.


9. Hard Habit To Break - Chicago (1984)

Boohooiest Lyrics:
You dont know what ya got until its gone
And I found out just a little too late.

Chicago and lead singer Peter Cetera also had quite a few tearjerkers. Like who can forget "I Wasn't the One (Who Said Goodbye)," Pete's duet with Agnetha Faltskog (better known as the blond one from ABBA)? Still, I think this one tops them all.

*NOTE: This was one of the videos on this list the knuckleheads at Warner Brothers music forced YouTube to take down. So this is a poor quality live version. It was the only one I could find that still have Peter Cetera singing (since that's the real "Chicago").




8. Love Theme From St. Elmo's Fire/For Just A Moment - David Foster (1985)

Boohooiest Lyrics:
Time goes on
People touch and then they're gone
And you and I
Will never love again
Like we did then ...

"What? A love theme?" you ask, quite perplexed. And yes, on the surface it does seem an odd choice. But if you've ever heard the somewhat-rare vocal version with lyrics like those above, you'll get the full bittersweet vibe only hinted at by the wailing saxophone in the more common instrumental version. As a vaguely interesting side note, many years after first hearing the vocal version, I actually met the male vocalist, Donny Gerrard, who was working on some jingles for the ad agency I was working at.

Sadly, due to some pesky copyright issues, the original video I had up here was taken down. So now you'll have to settle for hearing the instrumental version over some of the final scenes of the movie. The song kicks in about 4:40.




7. Love Hurts - Nazareth (1975)

Boohooiest Lyrics:
I know it isn't true
Love is just a lie made to make you blue ...

This song was already "classic rock" by the time I could start identifying with it, but even though I'm generally not a fan of the rock ballad (particularly the dreaded "power ballad"), the purity of this one gets it on the list: "Love hurts. Love scars. Love wounds, and mars." Ouch.

While the Nazareth version is generally thought of as the "definitive" version (with Roy Orbison a strong second), it was first recorded by the Everley brothers back in 1960. Since then, everyone from Joan Jett and Cher to Pat Boone and Rod Stewart have taken a shot at it.



6. Pictures of You - The Cure (1989)

Boohooiest Lyrics:
There was nothing in the world that I ever wanted more
than to feel you deep in my heart ...

I suppose this technically strays outside the "pop" category that I had said was a requirement earlier. But Robert Smith was just made to sing break-up songs. Not just the voice, but the added anguish that comes into play when his mascara starts to run. Even on "Friday I'm In Love" he sounds more at home during the song's mid-week "Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too."




5. Every Breath You Take - The Police (1983)

Boohooiest Lyrics:
I look around, but it's you I can't replace
I feel so cold, and I long for your embrace
I keep crying baby, baby please ...

There's more than a bit of obsession in this song, something that's often a common component of many breakups (not mine, of course, despite what those restraining orders may imply). Sting says of the song: "I didn't realise at the time how sinister it is. I think I was thinking of "Big Brother," surveillance and control." But he wrote it during the breakup of his first marriage, so it definitely qualifies. It also has this cool black and white video, which definitely fits the break-up mood. At least the black part.

Thanks to the wishes of the Universal Music Group, I can't embed the video, but at least they'll let me link to it.


4. All I Want Is You - U2 (1989)

Boohooiest Lyrics:
All the promises we break
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you ...

Really a tossup for me between this song and "With Or Without You." "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" and "One" are also legitimate U2-created contenders. I suppose you could make the argument that this song is more about unrequited love than a break-up, especially if you watch the Fellini-esque video here (Again with the "Embedding Disabled." Grrr).

On a side note, this song actually made its highest chart appearance in 1994, when it was re-released as a single after appearing on the soundtrack for "Reality Bites." Which was really the nineties version of the aforementioned St. Elmo's Fire. But with Stiller/Ryder/Hawke/Zellweger instead of Lowe/Moore/Estevez/Sheedy. And as a side note to this side note, in my opinion, both are inferior to 1992's "Singles" in the beautiful twenty-somethings in-and-out-of-love genre.

3. Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor (1990)

Boohooiest Lyrics:
Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling
Tell me baby, where did I go wrong?

As you can tell by the pre-text messaging spelling of the title, this song was written by His Royal Purple Lowness, Prince. In fact, he originally had it recorded by a funk band called "The Family" in 1985. But Sinead made it heartbreakingly her own–and a huge hit–five years later. In fact this year VH1 ranked it #1 on their "Final Countdown - Top 50 Heartbreakers."

In this particular video, Sinead's close-up loses some of its power due to Spanish subtitles, but this is the only version I could find with the original audio. Apparently there's some pesky Prince-inspired copyright issue.




2. I Can't Make You Love Me - Bonnie Raitt (1991)

Boohooiest Lyrics:
Here in the dark, in these lonely hours
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power
But you won't, no you won't
'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't ...

When I looked at lists of break-up songs that other people had composed (there's nothing new under the sun, and certainly not on the Internet), there wasn't a lot of agreement. But this song appeared on the most lists by far.

Mike Reid, who wrote the song along with Allen Shamblin, said that he was inspired to write it after reading about a man who was arrested for drunkenly shooting at his girlfriend's car. Asked if he'd learned anything by the judge, the man replied: "I learned, Your Honor, that you can't make a woman love you if she don't." And by the way, that man was not me. As far as you know.

No doubt this song came to mind when Bonnie was divorcing Danny Noonan. Here's a video of her performing it since the original video is one of the few that don't appear to be on YouTube.



1. Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) - Phil Collins (1984)

Boohooiest Lyrics:
I wish I could just make you turn around,
turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you,
so many reasons why
You're the only one who really knew me at all ...

This actually makes the second list of mine that Phil Collins has topped, as readers of my Top Miami Vice Guest Stars: Musicians post will no doubt recall.

I've always thought of this as the ultimate break-up song, something that received independent confirmation in the "This American Life" story mentioned above. Starlee Kine actually interviewed Phil, and he talked about how he wrote this song as his first marriage was crashing and burning. He said that he really thought that if his wife heard this song, she'd come back to him (she didn't). And often that's another way that break-up songs make us feel: like if our ex could just hear the song; if they could just know the way we really feel, everything would be okay. Of course, as in Phil's case, that almost never happens, no matter how many times we stand outside our ex's window holding a boom box over our heads (okay, that was "In Your Eyes," not really a break-up song, but still). And you know what? Even if it takes a few months, or even a few years, we eventually learn that we're okay–and usually better off–without them.

Anyway, with my Dr. Phil moment over, I leave you with the song. Unfortunately, once again Warner Music Group has decided to deny you the original music video. And so you'll have to make due with a heartfelt live performance by Phil. Enjoy.

NWA: "Help" The Police

Think it's Tuesday? Wrong! It's NWA Day. So sit back and learn how it goes down in the hood (more or less).

A Little of This, A Little of That: Thru-You YouTube Mash-ups

I'm a big fan of mash-ups (also known as "bootlegs," especially to my occasional European readers), but mostly limit my downloads to tunes featuring mixes of known songs and artists. Ophir Kutiel, aka Kutiman, has taken a different approach. He's painstakenly stitched together pieces of audio (and their accompanying video) from various YouTube clips to create entire new songs. A lot of work, but pretty cool results.

Check out "The Mother of All Funk Chords":



Via Mashuptown.com

Somewhere, Jan Hammer Is Crying - 80s Synth Medley

Bravo to these young lads for putting together this medley of songs from the 80s, which, I'm guessing, they weren't even alive for.

But a few electronic nits to pick (and I don't just mean the fact that they used a video camera from the 80s). I guess they were going fairly "poppy," so I'll forgive their lack of Depeche Mode, New Order, Psychedelic Furs, etc. But no "She Blinded Me With Science?"

And what could be more 80s than the theme to Miami Vice? A travesty, I tell you! Almost as grievous as this injustice.



Of course, true 80s music aficionados will have already checked out my list of "Top 10 80s Bands." Though, judging by my traffic numbers, there are actually only about nine of you. But I salute you!

Via BuzzFeed

Her Morning Elegance - Oren Lavie: Definitely A Hard Days Night

Nice to see in today's age of digital effects something relatively simple (which is not to say easy to do) can stand out. Plus the dreamy visuals definitely complement the chilled out feel of the song. I commend you, Oren Lavie, whomever you are.

Break Out Your 8-Ball Jackets and Your High Top Fades

I'd love to mockingly laugh along at this fellow's poor taste in early 90s rap, but I'm afraid my paying good money to see "House Party" at the theater disqualifies me.

Mark Gromley: Rock God

I've never been a fan of the "power ballad." Though I'm strangely drawn to the song (or at least the video) for "Without You" from Mark Gromley. Actually, I'm not sure it's a power ballad, or really what it is.

And while I appreciate Mr. Gromley's effort (if not his charisma), I have to say I'm a little creeped out by the video's presenter, who also looks to be the video's producer. I'm sensing a scam whereby Mr. Gromley paid Mr. Katt several thousand dollars to make him a star. Though now, despite his cable access beginnings, he's on his way.

It's A David Lee Roth Runnin' With The Devil Soundboard Aaaaahaaaawhoooaayeeeahhhh!

Until I checked out this awesome David Lee Roth soundboard, I never realized how few actual English words were in Van Halen's "Runnin' With The Devil."

And after you give a listen, I dare you to try and make the case that Sammy Hagar could have come close to making these ... sounds. To say nothing of Diamond Dave's leg kicks.

Via BuzzFeed

Rap Album Covers In Lego, Yo!

I was away over the weekend, so instead of the 1 millionth person to post this, I'm now the 10 millionth. But since I'm often posting things for my own amusement anyway (and I mean that literally, nothing like seeing "zero" visits), I figured it was worth a post.

I especially appreciate the inclusion of so many old school covers in addition to the young fellas with the droopy drawers.

Via BuzzFeed

Cheese Upon Cheese - Full House Does Ace of Base

John Stamos's "Joey" directing an all teen girl band version of "The Sign"? Boy, it doesn't get much more early-90s cheesy than that.

The Greatest Music Video Ever Made. Ever.

Imagine if Fabio and Celine Dion had a baby, with George Michael as the godfather. Then imagine that demon spawn grew up dreaming of creating the ultimate music video. One with knights and castles, pirates and dragons, vampire vixens and lots and lots of explosions. And imagine he finally got to do it. With about a tenth of the budget he really needed. That will give you some idea of the awesomeness that is "Shine On Me" by Chris Dane Owens.

I'm having a hard time believing this is real and not some parody/viral. But I want to believe. Now, without further ado ... The Crusade Begins!

Stack the Memory to the Sky - Sniper Twins/Computer Friends

Get your geek on with some phat beats.

Dude Knows That Song Backwards

Takes about half the video before you'll see (and hear) what he's really up to, but it's pretty cool (hint: he's not singing opera).

Invention of Lou Begabot Officially Kicks Off Apocolypse

Just in time for Halloween, this may be the most frightening thing that I have ever seen. Forget Skynet becoming self-aware and launching preemptive nuclear strikes, this is the robot that must be destroyed––BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

Hip Hop Sampling 101

The title of this article is actually 8 Most Over-used Samples In Hip Hop History, but given that most of the tracks are "old school," you don't hear them over and over again these days like you did back in the day. It's a good overview of the most popular samples, and shows that it wasn't all James Brown (though there was a whole lot of The Hardest Working Man In Show Business).

This piece also reminded me how much I used to like De La Soul. Remember?

"Stayin' Alive" Can Actually Help You Stay Alive

Pay attention: this song could save your life:



According to an article in Wired, it turns out this Bee Gees classic's 103 beats per minute is almost spot on the right number of chest compressions per minute for effective CPR.

Ironically, another song that also contains the appropriate rhythm is Mariah Carey's "Heartbreaker."

Via Make The Logo Bigger

Google Maps: Album Cover View

This "Album Atlas" is a cool way to see exactly where various album covers were photographed. It's just one of the many entertaining uses of Google Maps beyond using Street View to try and catch a glimpse of your ex-girlfriend outside her house. Um, or so I've heard. It's not like I would be at all interested in exactly whose blue BMW is parked behind a certain someone's Jetta in that certain someone's driveway or anything. Nope, not me.

At any rate, there are well over a hundred albums and map locations so far. You can even add your own. Just use your best judgment. You may find it hard to believe, but most people won't care where they shot Rob and Fab for the cover of "Girl You Know It's True."

Via The Presurfer