The 11 Best Songs By The Monkees

The Monkees were never taken seriously as musicians but the music they made was universally loved.  When they debuted, many of their peers considered them a joke.  They were a watered down knock-off of Beatlemania.  A cheap magician's trick on the American public.  Five decades later, the joke's on everyone else.  The Monkees may not be the greatest rock n roll band...they may not even crack the top 100...200...maybe even 500.  But the one thing they are is iconic.  And that's something very few bands have ever achieved.

Davy Jones RIP

Here are 11 Best Songs By The Monkees:

1. Daydream Believer (The Monkees)
2. Hold On Girl (More of the Monkees)
3. Last Train To Clarksville (The Monkees)
4. For Pete's Sake (Headquarters)
5. Let's Dance On  (The Monkees)
6. I'm A Believer (More of the Monkees)
7. Valleri (The Birds, the Bees, and the Monkees)
8. Randy Scouse Git (Headquarters)
9. Porpoise Song (Head)
10. I'm Not Your Stepping Stone (More of the Monkees)
11. Pleasant Valley Sunday (Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.)

Buy music by the Monkees...now!

The 11 Best Songs By Cursive

I've been slow on the draw this month...but it's not my fault.  I blame the lack of quality music from our rock n roll vets. Outside of Van Halen...February has been a slow month for artists with solid resumes.  There have been some strong releases which I promise to get to at the end of the week for an early 2012 recap, but there haven't a lot great releases by experienced artists.  I'm not sure why Jan-Mar tend to be the dumping grounds for music.  I would think with a new year, labels would be vying for setting the stage for a new sound.  Right now...Van Halen is owning it!  A band who has been dormant for almost 30 years is now the big dog on campus.  It didn't matter that their album came out in February.  It only mattered that it came out.  Like they said in the movie Sideways, it isn't the day you decide to drink the nice bottle of wine that makes it important.  The day you drink the wine is what makes the day important.  Music should be the same.  It's not the release date that matters...only that the album is being released.

The 11 Best Songs By Cursive:

1. Rise Up! Rise Up! (Happy Hollow)
2. Some Red Handed Slight of Hand (The Ugly Organ)
3. Dorothy At Forty (Happy Hollow)
4. The Recluse (The Ugly Organ)
5. The Martyr (Domestica)
6. In The Now (Mama, I'm Swollen)
7. Sierra (The Ugly Organ)
8. Into The Fold  (Happy Hollow)
9. Art Is Hard (The Ugly Organ)
10. The Great Decay (Burst and Bloom)
11. We Built This City (A.V. Under Cover)

Buy Cursive's I Am Gemini...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Slayer

This past weekend was the Hollywood rock stars' excuse to throw lavish parties...better known to us common  people as the Grammys.  Probably the least credible award show on the planet but strangely over the past few years, it's become the most watchable of all the award shows.  Since they've stopped giving out awards during the telecast and focused more on filling the show with plenty of live performances, it's been surprisingly watchable.  Also, they've stopped catering to the 14-year-old American Idol audience.  With the Beach Boys, Glen Campbell, Tony Bennett, and Paul McCartney it was an odd irony that the Grammys focused so much on saluting the music industry's rock n roll roots while it still seemed stuck nominating current popular albums over truly ground breaking material.  The Foo Fighters and Bon Iver getting huge nods was pretty cool.  And did anyone notice that Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse got nominated for best rap song?  I get Adele's huge sweep of the awards...even though I think the album is a bit overrated.  When Arcade Fire won last year...I thought Grammy might have seen the light.  But when the announcements came out this year and Kanye's album was not nominated so they could ensure that subpar albums by Rihanna and Lady Gaga got noticed, I once again lost faith...at least in the Grammys...but not in music.  Dave Grohl saved that show.  Dave might be single handedly bringing rock back.  He's the only one who got a standing ovation for his speech.  He's the only person that performed THREE TIMES.  And he did it all wearing a Slayer t-shirt.  Long Live Dave Grohl!

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Slayer:

1. Season in the Abyss (Seasons In the Abyss)
2. Raining Blood (Reign In Blood)
3. Angel of Death (Reign In Blood)
4. The Antichrist (Show No Mercy)
5. Chemical Warfare (Haunting The Chapel EP)
6. South of Heaven (South of Heaven)
7. Silent Scream (South of Heaven)
8. Hell Awaits (Hell Awaits)
9. War Ensemble (Seasons In the Abyss)
10. Black Magic (Show No Mercy)
11. Ghosts of War (South of Heaven)

Buy Slayer Albums now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Whitney Houston

I honestly have to say I was never a fan.  But I did respect her.  The woman could sing.  I also can't deny her impact on music and society.  But because of my lack of knowledge on the subject...I had to call in an expert opinion to give a true fan's perspective.  Thanks to Sonny for the list.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Whitney Houston:

1. Step By Step (The Preacher's Wife)
2. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Whitney)
3. I Will Always Love You (The Bodyguard)
4. How Will I Know  (Whitney Houston)
5. Saving All My Love For You  (Whitney Houston)
6. I Have Nothing  (The Bodyguard)
7. Greatest Love Of All (Whitney Houston)
8. Take Good Care of My Heart  (Whitney Houston)
9. All The Man I Need (I'm Your Baby Tonight)
10. Hold Me  (Whitney Houston)
11. You Give Good Love (Whitney Houston)

Buy Whitney Houston's albums...now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Van Halen (DLR Era)

Hell has frozen over.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Van Halen:

1. Panama (1984)
2. Unchained (Fair Warning)
3. Hot For Teacher (1984)
4. Dance the Night Away (Van Halen II)
5. You Really Got Me (Van Halen)
6. Jump (1984)
7. Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love (Van Halen)
8. Women In Love (Van Halen II)
9. I'll Wait (1984)
10. Little Guitars (Diver Down)
11. Jamie's Cryin' (Van Halen)

Buy the new Van Halen album, A Different Kind of Truth...now!!!

Rush Day (2-1-12): The 12 Best Songs By Rush of the 70s

Thirty-five years into their epic ground-breaking career Rush is still not in the rock n roll Hall of Fame.  Whoever thought when we reached Rush Day (2-1-12) four decades after the release of their album, 2112, that Rush would not only still be working men...not only would they still be a spirit of radio to be reckoned with...but that would still not have received the Limelight they deserve from the rock n roll community.  There's really no excuse, especially when bands like Donovan, Dr. John, John Melloncamp and ABBA are getting in before them.  Nothing wrong with these other bands...but more influential than Rush?  Really?

This spring a new Rush album is coming...but until then...let's take a look back at their first decade of work before we celebrate the next one.

Happy Rush Day!

Here are the 12 Best Songs By Rush of the 70s:

1. Anthem (Fly By Night)
2. A Passage To Bangkok  (2112)
3. 2112 (2112)
4. Working Man  (Rush)
5. Closer To the Heart (A Farewell To Kings)
6. Finding My Way  (Rush)
7. Fly By Night  (Fly By Night)
8. La Villa Strangiato  (Hemispheres)
9. The Twilight Zone  (2112)
10. Hemispheres (Hemispheres)
11. A Farewell To Kings (A Farewell To Kings)
12. Here Again (Rush)

Buy Rush stuff here!