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February 22, 2006
Come On Feel (and hear) The Noize
Courtesy of Pete, here's a little exercise that pretty much cured me of my belief that modern popular music absolutely sucks when compared to the top 40 songs of my youth. It cured me because I realized that the top 40 has pretty much always sucked, and that as a nation we have the musical tastes of neanderthals. (Although a second look at the charts does show a dramatic drop-off in the presence of even tolerable songs after about 1991, so things seem to have gone from bad to worse.)
This little site will tell you what song was #1 on the Billboard Top 40 charts the day you were born... and obviously every year after that.
The #1 song in the country the day I was born was something called "This Guy's In Love With You," by Herb Alpert. Great. A trumpet player trying his hand at singing a sleepy would-be ballad was the top song on the charts? Rock and roll, baby! It got no better -- on my 1st birthday, #1 was the love theme from Romeo and Juliet, by Henry Mancini. Geez, why don't we just get the freaking Ray Conniff Singers in here and put the entire world to sleep?
My first decade of life saw birthdays marked by crap like ""Song Sung Blue" by Neil Diamond, "Love Will Keep Us Together" by The Captain & Tennille, Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney & Wings, and "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward. Things got no better in the 80s, with such sludge as "Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder, "The Reflex" by Duran Duran, "On My Own" by Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald, and "Baby Don't Forget My Number" by Milli Vanilli. The 90s were characterized by slop from the New Kids on the Block, All-4-One, Jennifer Lopez, and freaking Puff Daddy.
Pop music sucks nowadays, it's very true; nothing that appeals to anyone over the age of 14 has hit #1 in at least 15 years. But looking at these lists will convince you that pop music has sucked since its inception. So the questions to you, faithful readers, are: 1) What song was #1 the day you were born? 2) What song's presence on your list of birthday #1s makes you break out in the most painful hives? and 3) Are there any songs on your list that you actually like? (I am 37, and I counted all of 4 on my list that I even like... so my hopes for you are not high.)
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Comments
August 22, 1956 (Same as Paul Molitor)
Day I was born: Hound Dog/Don't be Cruel by Elvis
Hives: Having my Baby by Paul Anka 1974
Macarena by Los Del Rio 1996
I like: Swinging on a Star by Bing Crosby 1944
Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley 1955
The Loco-motion by Little Eva 1962
I Got You, Babe by Sonny and Cher 1965
Ode to Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry 1967
My Sharona by The Knack 1979
Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr 1984
The Power of Love by Huey Lewis 1985
Some of my likes are a bit weird -- ok, very weird. But they a few of them remind me of certain times. My wife and I used to sing Swinging on a Star to our kids when they were very small.
Posted by: Scott at February 22, 2006 11:27 AM
Everyone's blogging this today, I swear. Mine is "Brand New Key." Ugh. Does make me think of Rollergirl though.
Just last night Hawk & I were watching VH1 Classic and there was a back-to-back of Duran Duran's "Girls On Film" and a snippet from a recent concert of "Wild Boys" (the whole concert will be on Friday -- set your TiVo).
I say this as a former Duranie but one who can recognize the inherant silliness in that statement: Say what you will about Duran Duran, that they were fluff or style w/o substance or pop crap or whatever but they wrote their own songs, played their own music and made interesting videos. Where is today's Duran Duran? There's some rock sprinkled here and there but a real *pop* band? I'm open to suggestions...
Posted by: eden at February 22, 2006 12:43 PM
I was born October 16, 1975.
#1 on that day: "Bad Blood" by Neil Sedaka. Oh Lord, does that suck.
On my 1st bd: "Disco Duck (Part 1)"...ha!
"Macarena" also gave me hives, being at #1 on my 21st birthday.
Unfortunately, I was not born three years earlier, when Chuck Berry's "My Ding-a-ling" was topping the charts. Now that's an entertaining song. In fact, if I'd been born nearly any year from two to nineteen years previously, the song would have been pretty damn cool. The only conclusion, I guess, is that my conception brought down Top 40 music. So there you have it. Blame me.
Posted by: Jill at February 22, 2006 01:13 PM
Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison was #1 on the day I was born. Hey, I like this list!
Posted by: Nancy at February 22, 2006 05:28 PM
"(They Long To Be) Close To You" by the Carpenters was #1 the day I was born. It is a true pop song. Songs that were #1 on my b-day that I like were "One of These Nights" by the Eagles, "Miss You" by the Rolling Stones, "Shout" by Tears for Fears, "When Doves Cry" by Prince, "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, and "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield. I also like "You've Got A Friend" performed by James Taylor (but written by Carol King)and "Annie's Song" by John Denver. Since 1985 all the songs on this list have been crap although I will admit "Baby's Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-lot isn't too bad.
One interesting note is that the "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy & Faith Evans featuring 112 sampled "Every Breath You Take" also #1 that day 14 years ealier. I miss The Police.
Posted by: Hawk at February 23, 2006 12:57 AM
EEEEEW OH MY GOD EEEEEEEW I'm "I think we're alone now by Tiffany"
had my parents had me a year earlier then at least I would have been Boston but dammit EW!
Posted by: Sarah at February 23, 2006 11:24 AM
I do blame you, Jill. You are personally and solely responsible for the sorry state of pop in this country. What WILL we do about that?
Hawk, I miss the Police too.
Sarah... Tiffany. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!
Posted by: Curmudgeon at February 23, 2006 11:55 AM
Do not sleep on Herb Alpert.
Posted by: ML at February 23, 2006 07:30 PM
"The Morning After" by Maureen McGovern
This explains a lot.
Posted by: SoberInTheCity at February 23, 2006 11:10 PM
Late as usual. My date of birth was marked by:
1950 ... "Goodnight Irene" by Gordon Jenkins & the Weavers
Hey! Pete Seeger! I'll take that.
Posted by: Linkmeister at February 25, 2006 02:37 PM
June 5, 1967
1967 ... "Respect" by Aretha Franklin
1968 ... "Mrs. Robinson" by Simon & Garfunkel
1969 ... "Get Back" by The Beatles
Obviously a good start and probably why I'm such a fan of '60s music.
1980 (became a teenager)- Funkytown, oh yeah baby!!
1988 (turned 21) One More Cry..oh well....
Overall, not a bad list for me!
Posted by: Larry at February 28, 2006 04:06 PM
