The 11 Best Songs By Bullet For My Valentine

I don't know why but a lot of friends think I should be a Bullet For My Valentine fan.  I like metal but I don't listen to it that much.  Maybe it's because I like Metallica. That's the way they try to sell me on it...they claim BFMV is this generation's Metallica.  I guess they're right if they mean to say that they're an emo version of Metallica.  I guess it could be worse.  They could be an American Idol vesion of Metallica. 

The band actually has moments.  At times I found their b-sides and bonus tracks more enjoyable than the actual album tracks.  Especially the acoustic versions of their songs and the covers.  Check out their version of Robert Tepper's No Easy Way Out (theme song from Rocky 4) or Metallica's Creeping Death.

Here are the 11 best songs by Bullet For My Valentine:

1.  Tears Don't Fall (The Poison)
2.  Eye of the Storm (Scream Aim Fire)
3.  Hearts Burst Into Fire (Scream Aim Fire)
4.  No Easy Way Out (Scream Aim Fire Deluxe version)
5.  The End (The Poison)
6.  Last To Know (Scream Aim Fire)
7.  Take It Out On Me (Scream Aim Fire)
8.  Cries In Vain (The Poison)
9.  Her Voice Resides (The Poison)
10.  Ashes of the Innocent (Scream Aim Fire Deluxe version)
11.  Creeping Death (Scream Aim Fire Deluxe version)

Buy Bullet For My Valentine's new album, Fever...now!

The 11 Best Songs By Sparklehorse

Yesterday I went to Disneyland with my kids.  After the usual morning of the fancy new Disney rides, equipped with the newest technology...we found our way to the "Captain EO tribute."  I was surprised how good the show was.  Better than I remembered.  Maybe it's nostalgia.  Maybe it's sympathy.  Or maybe it's that making a great ride isn't about wowing your audience...but entertaining them.

I know I'm late on the Mark Linkous passing.  But I didn't feel right jumping into a list as quick as I could.  Wanted to give it time.  Give Sparklehorse a re-listen.  Mark Linkous was never someone who relished in wowing his audience.  But he certainly knew how to entertain them.  He will be missed.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Sparklehorse:

1.  Piano Fire (It's A Wonderful Life)
2.  Painbirds (Good Morning Spider)
3.  Sick of Goodbyes (Good Morning Spider)
4.  Getting It Wrong (Dreamt For Light Years)
5.  Apple Bed (It's A Wonderful Life)
6.  Sad & Beautiful World (Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot)
7.  See of Teeth  (It's A Wonderful Life)
8.  Comfort Me (It's A Wonderful Life)
9.  Return To Me (Dreamt For Light Years)
10.  Pig (Good Morning Spider)
11.  Someday I Will Treat You Good (Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot)

Buy Sparklehorse albums.

The 111 Best Unreleased, Shelved, Lost Albums

Recently I tried to find a comprehensive list of all the unreleased, shelved, lost albums.  It was almost impossible.  Most sites just had partial lists...missing many albums.  Some lists hadn't been updated in years.  Some lists only included albums that were pure speculation.  I wanted to create a big list that included as much as I could find.  Of course, since I had to make the list 111 albums, I decided to combine release by a single artist.  You should still get the idea.

Some of these albums were mildly released by the artists, in the form of demo tapes, but never had a proper release.  Some of the albums were shelved and have leaked (I have noted where this has happened).  Other albums featured tracks that would go on to be on new albums.  And some of the albums are only rumor and supposedly exist...we hope.  There is a huge list of Death Row releases that are supposedly sitting in the vaults somewhere...most of these are based on speculation and very few are known to actually exist.  That's not to say they aren't real...there's just no telling what is real at this point.

This is probably not everything...so if I'm missing something let me know!!...there's no reason I can't make a Part 2.

The 111 Best Unreleased, Shelved, Lost Albums:

1. 311 - Unity - first album (leaked)

2. 50 Cent – Power of A Dollar - first album (leaked)
3. Adam Ant – Persuasion - shelved
4. Atmosphere – Strictly Leakage - fan only internet giveaway (leaked)
5. Bad Radio – Tower Records/What The Funk Demos - Eddie Vedder's first band (leaked)
6. Bad Religion – Limited Edition - promo compilation of B-sides (leaked)
7. The Beach Boys – Smile - unreleased/unfinished follow-up to Pet Sounds
8. The Beastie Boys – Country Mike’s Greatest Hits - joke album made for friends (leaked)
9. The Beatles – Sessions - compilation of famous outtakes (scrapped)
10. The Beatles – A Toot and a Snore - last McCartney/Lennon studio session (leaked)
11. Beck – Modern Guilt (Acoustic) - internet video release (leaked)
12. Beck’s Record Club – Oar, Songs of Leonard Cohen, Velvet Underground, & Kick - Beck's cover album project.  4 albums all shown with video (leaked)
13. Ben Lee – Sings Against Me! New Wave - internet fan release (leaked)
14. Boise Cover Band (Doug Martsch) – Boise Cover Band - tour only (leaked)
15. Boston – Mother’s Milk - first production sessions (few tracks have emerged)
16. Brian Eno – My Squelchy Life - abandoned by Brian (some tracks have been used on other albums)
17. Brian Wilson – Adult child, Sweet Insanity - 2 lost albums abandoned
18. Bruce Springsteen – Ties That Bind - Original concept prior to The River. (some songs made it to other albums)
19. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska (Electric version) - myth only
20. Buffalo Springfield - Stampede - shelved by label
21. Butthole Surfers – After The Astronaut - shelved by label (leaked)
22. Cake – Live at the Crystal Palace - shelved by label
23. Nick Cannon - Stages - abandoned by Nick
24. Chicago – Stone of Sisyphus - rejected by label
25. Crust Brothers – Marquee Mark - Stephen Malkmus side-project (leaked)
26. Cybernauts (Def Leppard) - Live - self-released by band for limited mail order only (leaked)
27. Danger Mouse – The Grey Album - infamous mash-up album (leaked)
28. Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse – Dark Side of the Soul - shelved by label (leaked)
29. Dave Grohl/Foo Fighters – Pocketwatch - cassette only demo release (leaked)
30. Dave Mathews – Lillywhite Sessions - abandoned sessions (leaked)
31. David Bowie – Toy - shelved album
32. Dead Kennedys – 1978 Demos - rejected session
33. Dennis Wilson – Bamboo - shelved by label
34. Dixie Chicks – Thank Heavens For Dale Evans, Little Ol’ Cowgirl, Shouldn’t Have Told You That - 3 early demo albums prior to Natalie joining band (leaked)
35. Djali Zwan – Spun Soundtrack - Zwan's 2nd album was a soundtrack - shelved (leaked)
36. Dr. Dre & Ice Cube – Helter Skelter - lost in Death Row vaults
37. Duff McKagan’s Loaded – Dark Days - shelved by label (leaked)
38. Duran Duran - Reportage - abandoned follow-up to Astronaut
39. Eminem - Infinite - first album demo only release (leaked)
40. Foxy Brown – Ill Na Na 2 – The Fever - shelved (leaked)
41. Green Day – Cigarettes and Valentines - stolen from band
42. Hittman – Murda Weapon - shelved by label (leaked)
43. Ian McCullough/Johnny Marr - Untitled - abandonned by Ian and Johnny
44. Jewel (folk) – Save The Linoleum - first album promo (leaked)
45. Jewell (hip-hop) – Women To Women - shelved by Death Row
46. Jimi Hendrix – Black Gold - 4-track session with Jimi and a guitar (rumor)
47. John Fogerty – Hoodoo - shelved by label (leaked)
48. Johnette Napolitano – Sound of A Woman - shelved by label (leaked)
49. Juliana Hatfield – God’s Foot - shelved by label (leaked)
50. Jungle Brothers – Crazy Wisdom Masters - shelved (leaked)
51. Katy Perry – Katy Perry (A) - first album (leaked)
52. Korn – Korn Kovers - Korn covers their idols - abandonned
53. Kraftwerk – Technopop - early album shelved (leaked)
54. Lady of Rage - Eargasm - locked in Death Row vault
55. Large Professor – The LP - shelved (leaked)
56. Left Eye – N.I.N.A. - lost in vaults after her death (leaked)
57. Live (Public Affection) – Death of a Dictionary - first demo album (leaked)
58. Manchester Orchestra – Nobody Sings Anymore - first album shelved (leaked)
59. Mary Lou Lord – Real, TSWL (To Sir With Love) - 2 first self-released albums (leaked)
60. Master – 1985 Album - landmark thrash metal album shelved (leaked)
61. MC Hammer & 2 Pac – Too Tight - yes, this is real.  lost in Death Row Vault (leaked)
62. Metallica – The Presido Album - abandoned 2001 album (partially leaked)
63. Mic Jagger and the Red Devils – Checkin’ Up On My Baby - shelved (leaked)
64. Monty Python – Hastily Cobbled Together For A Fast Buck - shelved (leaked)
65. Mountain Goats – Hail and Farewell, Gothenburg - shelved (leaked)
66. Neil Young – Chrome Dreams, Home Grown - 2 albums abandoned by Neil (many songs ended up on later albums)
67. Nate Dogg – Nate Dogg - lost in Death Row Vault
68. Nickelback - Hesher - first self-released album
69. Oasis – MTV Unplugged - abandonned with Liam refused to sing (leaked)
70. ODB – A Son Unique - posthumous release on hold (leaked)
71. Okkervil River – Golden Opportunities - rareties album fan only internet release (leaked)
72. On A Friday (Radiohead) - Demos - early Radiohead tracks (leaked)
73. Peter Gabriel – I/O - abandoned by Peter
74. Petey Pablo – Same Eyez on Me - Lost in Death Row Vault (leaked)
75. Pink Floyd – Household Objects - rumored album by band using only utensils
76. Prefab Sprout – Michael Jackson: Behind The Veil, Zorro The Fox, Princess Diana Opera, Earth: The Story So Far - 4 albums shelved by Patty McAloon
77. Prince – Crystal Ball (1986), Black Album, Camille, Dream Factory - 4 abandonned albums (many tracks ended up on other albums)
78. Q-Tip – Open - shelved by label (leaked)
79. Quicksand – Untitled 3rd Album - 1998 album abandoned by band (leaked)
80. Ray Davies – 80 Days - shelved by label
81. Rilo Kiley – The Initial Friend - first self-released album(leaked)
82. Rival Schools - II - shelved album (leaked)
83. Ryan Adams – Suicide Handbook, 48 Hours, Destroyer, Elizabethtown Demos, Pinkheart Sessions - 4 albums abandoned by Ryan (leaked)
84. Ryan Adams – Darkbreaker, Black Hole, The Strokes’ Is This It - rumored to exist
85. RZA – The Cure - shelved
86. Seal - Togetherland - shelved by label (leaked)
87. Shaquille O’Neal – Superfriends - shelved by label
88. Sisqo – Unreleased Album - abandonned by Sisqo
89. Smashing Pumpkins – Reel Time Demos - first sessions (leaked)
90. Snoop Dogg – Smokefest - limited album for friends (leaked)
91. Snoop Dogg – Doggumentary - lost Death Row album (leaked)
92. Soundgarden – B-Sides - follow-up to A-sides (many songs previously released)
93. Space – Love You More than Football - shelved by label
94. Stalk-Forrest Group – St. Cecila - Blue Oyster Cult's psychadelic album (leaked)
95. Tha Dogg Pound – Dogg Sh*t - lost in Death Row vault
96. The Strokes – Live in London - shelved by label (leaked)
97. TGT (Tank, Ginuwine, Tyrese) – TGT The Album - abandoned by rappers
98. Trey Anastasio – The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday - early solo album (leaked)
99. Triple Fast Action – T3FA - giveaway by lead singer Wes Kidd (leaked)
100. Tupac/Makaveli – One Nation - lost in Death Row Vault.
101. Tupac & Outlawz – War Wounds - Lost in Death Row Vault
102. Weezer – Songs From The Black Hole - abandonned by Rivers
103. Whiskeytown – Freightwhaler, Those Weren’t the Days, Fucker - 3 unused sessions (leaked)
104. The Who - Lifehouse - Pete's baby - many songs went on to be other albums
105. Wicked Lester (KISS) – Wicked Lester - Kiss' first album (leaked)
106. Tapeworm (Trent Reznor/Maynard Keenan) – The Tapeworm Project - abandoned by artists
107. The The – Gun Sluts - shelved by label (leaked)
108. Tori Amos – Y Cant Tori Read - shelved by label (leaked)
109. Xero (Linkin Park) - Xero - first album (leaked)
110. Zack de la Rocha – Solo Album - shelved by label in lieu of Rage reunion
111. Ziggy Marley – Children Playing – shelved – partially leaked

Happy hunting!!!

11 Ways to Save The Music Industry

Yesterday, I stood in line for Record Store Day. It was the first time I waited in line to buy a new music release in almost a decade. But I was excited to be there. I wanted to buy the exclusive releases by Great Lake Swimmers, Tegan & Sara, and Weezer. But they were gone by the time I got to the front. They sold out! When was the last time that happened. I ended up getting David Bazan, Cage The Elephant, and Subpop 20...which were not at the top of my list but all turned out to be quality releases. I made 3 impulse buys just because I was there. I got caught up in the moment.


This week, the new Rolling Stone did an article on the 40 most exciting things about rock music today. Record Store Day was not on the list. And honestly...it should have been the number one. The music industry is looking for ways to increase sales...and this is annually been a huge hit, selling out all the releases.


The music industry isn't dead...you can still save it. Here are some ideas how...


1. Less is more part 1 - Too many artists. There are way too many artists out there today to keep track of everyone. Instead of the cream rising to the top, you get a bunch of middling vanilla aritsts who all sound the same. It waters down the radio. When you have too many bland artists out there, people stop listening.
2. Less is more part 2 - Too many cooks. Too many studio heads get their hands wet in band's production of music, spoiling the final product. Let the artist decide what sounds good. It's their work...and people notice when it sounds fake.
3. Less is more part 3 - Production. The over-production on music has to stop. It's emotionless and stale. When Marvin Gaye sang, it meant something. When Beyonce sings...I have no idea what she's singing about or do I care. That's not that she's a bad singer at all...I actually think she's quite good and entertaining. But her songs aren't personal. They're for show. And there's nothing wrong with that...but when every artist is doing it. Then the audience gets bored.
4. Teen Agnst has paid off well - Teens love music their parents hate. Dark, moody, angry. That sells. My parents hated Guns N Roses, Metallica, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Cure, Eminem, Nine Inch Nails. Those are artists that changed music. They connected with the youth. They had/have long standing careers. People want to see barriers broken down. They want lines to be crossed. Think Sex Pistols, NWA, Black Sabbath...or even Prince. These were not the least offensive artists out there...they challenged the norm. Adam Lambert being too gay for the Early Show is not daring...it's old news. David Bowie was all over that 30 years ago. Music today is unoffensive...My parents like the Black Eyed Peas. What does that say about the state of today's music? And they wonder why sales are down.
5. Personalize the music - 90% of the songs on the radio are emotionless. They are songs written by other people for the artist to perform. There's no connection. Why did Eminem's music sell? Because he told stories about his life. Michael Jackson told stories about his life. GNR, Tupac, NWA, The Cure, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan told personal tales about life. People enjoy that. It makes them feel connected to an artist...it makes them follow them to the end of the earth. Not just until their albums start to falter.
6. More exclusives - People love getting things that no one else has. It makes them feel special. We need more exclusive editions. Albums featuring demos, studio sessions, b-sides, unreleased tracks. Then do something unthinkable. Make it a limited edition. Make them hard to get. Make the fans fight to get them. Think of albums like baseball cards. A baseball card is a piece of cardboard with a baseball players picture and stats. You can get all that information for free on the internet...but people still pay hundreds of dollars for these cards. To stir excitement over music...create a frenzy. Give fans a chance to get something that no one else has and they will flock for the chance to get it.
7. Bring back MTV - As a teen/college kid, MTV was on 24-7. We weren't watching it for the shows...we had it on because it was a visual jukebox. It set the mood. It gave us a chance to hear new bands we would have never heard of. And we heard them over...and over...and over...and over until we liked the music that we never thought we would like. During MTV's heyday...albums sales were at their peak. Since MTV has turned into the Hills/Real World network...albums sales have slipped. Could it be that kids are no longer exposed to new bands as much as they used to be?
8. Cut American Idol loose - Kris Allen's new album is the lowest selling American Idol winner's album...ever. Adam Lambert barely clocked in at 500K records. The hype is over. People are tired of karoake singers. Time to move on.
9. Be Different - Stop releasing so many bands who sound like another band just because the other band is popular. How Pearl Jam knock-offs are still around? How many Green Day knock-offs? People want things that are new and original. Not the same old stuff. They may buy the same old stuff on impulse...but it never lasts. Remember Candlebox? They sold 3 million copies of their album...where are they now?
10. Stop blaming the internet - Even industry experts estimate the internet has affected only about 20% of overall record sales. But the industry is down 50%. The internet isn't the only one to blame. So what else is it? Maybe the music you're putting out just sucks. You ever think of that? Stop blaming others...blame yourselves first. Then see how that goes.
11. Record Store Day should be once a month...not once a year. People were lined up outside records stores for hours before they opened. People still love music. Record Store Day has excited music lovers...why not ride that wave?



Long live the album!

The 11 Most Exciting Record Store Day Releases

This Saturday, the world (yes, the world) celebrates one of the greatest institutions: The Record Store. Record Stores across the country are taking part in the annual celebration by featuring over 100 exclusive releases that will only be available at independent record stores. And these are minor garage bands, some of the releases are from the biggest names in music. Here's a shortlist of some of the bands releasing material on Saturday: Beastie Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Elvis Costello, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Sonic Youth, Weezer and dozens of others. This is event is a big deal. Find the nearest store to you and let's keep the Record Store alive!

Here's a track from the Iron & Wine live concert I picked up last year.

Jezebel

Here Are the 11 Most Exciting Releases for Record Store Day 2010:

1. Rolling Stones 7" (featuring 2 unreleased tracks from the Exile Sessions)
2. Jimi Hendrix 12" (Live at Clark University)
3. Elvis Costello 7" (Live at Hollywood High)
4. Beastie Boys 12" (Super Surprise - most likely tracks from the new album)
5. Elvis Presley 7" (re-issue of That's Alright Mama/Blue Moon)
6. R.E.M. 12" (Re-issue of Chronic Town)
7. Drive By Truckers 7' (featuring 2 unreleased songs)
8. LCD Soundsystem 12" (featuring new music)
9. Great Lake Swimmers CD (Acoustic versions of Lost Channels)
10. Of Montreal 7" (featuring 2 new tracks)
11. Weezer - Happy Record Store Day CD (featuring new tracks with Kenny G)

Check out Record Store Day Locations near you and the COMPLETE LIST of releases.

The Unknown: Beck's Record Club (featuring MGMT) - Songs Of Leonard Cohen

This weekend my wife got in a fight with her best friend over text message. What was the fight about?...one of them didn't understand what the other said in her text. Then she, misinterpreted it...and instead of calling and figuring it all out...they preceded to snap back-and-forth at each other in text over their cellphones, whipping each other into a frenzy. At one point, my wife said she would never talk to her friend ever again. All over a misread text. Things are better now...they are BFFs again...but it just goes to show...though technology has changed our lives...we still go through all the same shit.

Here is Beck's Record Club (featuring MGMT) - Songs of Leonard Cohen

1. Suzanne
2. Master Song
3. Winter Lady
4. Stranger Song
5. Sisters of Mercy
6. So Long Marianne
7. Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye
8. Stories of the Street
9. Teachers
10. One of Us Cannot Be Wrong

Buy MGMT's new album, Congratulations...now!!!

The Next Best 11 Doors Songs:

Doing a top songs list by the Doors list would be pointless. Everyone knows the best songs by the Doors: Break on Through, Light My Fire, People are Strange, etc. I would just be telling you what you already know. So, instead, I'm digging deep in the Doors catalogue for the hidden gems. The rules for this list were such: no songs released as singles (B-sides are okay) and no songs that were featured on any of the Greatest Hits albums (and there have been quite a few). The result is a pretty solid list of songs that any band today would be jealous of.

Here are the Next Best 11 Doors Songs:

1. Ship Of Fools (Morrison Hotel)
2. Queen of the Highway (Morrison Hotel)
3. Take It As It Comes (The Doors)
4. Who Scared You (The Soft Parade B-Side)
5. The Soft Parade (The Soft Parade)
6. I Looked At You (The Doors)
7. Yes, The River Knows (Waiting For The Sun)
8. Maggie M'Gill (Morrison Hotel)
9. Unhappy Girl (Strange Days)
10. Hyacinth House (LA Woman)
11. Been Down So Long (LA Woman)

Buy the Soundtrack to the new Doors film (When You're Strange featuring the sexy Johnny Depp) now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Fatboy Slim

Getting excited about the collegiate womens' championship game is like getting excited for a new Fatboy Slim record. Sure, there's some great play. And the women are surely talented. And watching UConn win 78 in a row is certainly impressive. So why is it at the end of the game...I just really don't care?

It's same with Fatboy Slim. He's talented. He's got a couple good songs. And hearing a 2 disc dance opera about Imelda Marcos is certainly impressive. So why is it when I'm done listening...I just don't care.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Fatboy Slim:

1. Right Here, Right Now (You've Come a Long Way Baby)

2. Song For Lindy (Better Living Through Chemistry)

3. North West Three (Palookaville)

4. Gangster Trippin (You've Come A Long Way Baby)

5. Praise You (You've Come A Long Way Baby)

6. Going Out Of My Head (Better Living Through Chemistry)

7. Put It Back Together (Palookaville)

8. Rockafellar Skank (You've Come A Long Way Baby)

9. Everybody Needs A 303 (Better Living Through Chemistry)

10. The Journey (Palookaville)

11. Bird of Pray (Sunset) - (Halfway Between The Gutter and the Stars)

Buy David Byrne & Fatboy Slim's new dance opera....Here Lies Love...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Slash's Snakepit

This weekend we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ with Easter. And what Easter activity exemplifies the teachings of JC more than anything? That's right, a hunt for chocolate eggs that were hidden by a magic bunny.

I took my little girls to the local park for a city-sponsored egg hunt. My littlest one is only 18-months old...so the city had a special egg hunt for the toddlers. The only kids allowed were 2 and under. And the parents were told they could accompany the kids...but the parents were told over and over not to pick up the eggs themselves. The kids were to do it on their own. Now here's a question for everyone playing along at home. What percentage of parents listened? If you said 0...you win.

That's right...not one parent listened. Every one of them was ruthless. My 18-month-old daughter was literally flattened by a woman so large she had smaller woman orbiting her. This humongous lady was filling her daughter's basket to the rim. And her daughter couldn't even walk. She probably didn't even have all her teeth. What the heck is she going to do with 50 eggs filled with candy that can't even chew. The amount of greed exhibited on the grass that day goes against every teaching the JC ever uttered. How pissed must he be? The guy literally comes back from the dead to save our souls...and this is how we pay him back. I feel bad for the guy...and I'm Jewish.

The $5 store is stocked with tons of great new stuff, including my favorite jazz album of all time. Duke Ellington's Money Jungle. If you buy one jazz album in your life...buy this one. Also, new albums from Surfer Blood, Ludacris, Alice in Chains, JJ, White Hinterland, and he Besnard Lakes.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Slash's Snakepit:

1. Been There Lately (Ain't Life Grand)

2. Beggars and Hangers-On (It's Five O'Clock Somewhere)

3. Neither Can I (It's Five O'Clock Somewhere)

4. Be The Ball (It's Five O'Clock Somewhere)

5. Landslide (Ain't Life Grand)

6. The Alien (Ain't Life Grand)

7. Back and Forth Again (It's Five O'Clock Somewhere)

8. Speed Parade (Ain't Life Grand)

9. I Hate Everybody (It's Five O'Clock Somewhere)

10. Life's Sweet Drug (Ain't Life Grand)

11. Take It Away (It's Five O'Clock Somewhere)

Buy Slash's new solo album (Slash) now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Big Star

I know I'm a couple weeks behind on this news. I was out of town...and wanted to give it some time before jumping on the bandwagon.

Alex Chilton may be more famous for being the name of a Replacements song rather than the lead singer of the 70s rock band, Big Star. A band whose infamy was bigger than their fame or fortune. Despite being praised by the likes of R.E.M., The Replacements, Elliott Smith, and Beck...Big Star was better known by musicians than by the people who listened to music. In fact, when TV producers selected a Big Star song (In the Street) to be the the theme song to the sit-com, That 70s Show, they chose to have the song re-recorded by Cheap Trick over using the original track. Like many obscure influential artists before him, Alex's gift to the world of music can be felt more than heard.

What I think is most profound about Alex's death is that it occured the same week as the 2010 induction to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. An institution that has inducted those Alex has influenced...but never recognized his contributions. Maybe it was the knowledge that ABBA was getting in before him is what killed him...

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Big Star:

1. Thirteen (Number 1 Record)
2. I'm In Love With A Girl (Radio City)
3. September Gurls (Radio City)
4. Thank You Friends (Third/Sister Lovers)
5. My Life Is Right (Number 1 Record)
6. Holocaust (Third/Sister Lovers)
7. Kangaroo (Third/Sister Lovers)
8. You Get What You Deserve (Radio City)
9. In the Street (Number One Record)
10. Til The End Of The Day (Third/Sister Lovers)
11. The Ballad of Goodo (Number 1 Record)

Buy Big Star's albums here.