For the past two decades with Destiny’s Child and as a massive solo star, Beyoncé has remained a relevant force in the music industry. Today she’s released Homecoming on Netflix. This concert documentary chronicles her already iconic pair of shows at Coachella last year.
I’m a fan and today’s attention centered on Queen Bey got me thinking… what’s my all-time favorite tracks from her solo career? The choices span from six albums and they’re all represented here.
So here we are with my personal top 10 fiercest songs from Beyoncé…
10. “Sorry” from Lemonade (2016)
9. “Freakum Dress” from B–Day (2006)
8. “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” from IAm… SashaFierce (2008)
7. “Hold Up” from Lemonade (2016)
6. “Drunk in Love” featuring Jay-Z from Beyoncé (2013)
5. “Me, Myself, and I” from DangerouslyinLove (2003)
4. “Flawless” from Beyoncé (2013)
3. “Irreplaceable” from B–Day (2006)
2. “Love on Top” from 4 (2011)
1. “Crazy in Love” featuring Jay-Z from DangerouslyinLove (2003)
It’s reached my personal top 5 for my all-time 25 favorite songs by Sir Elton John. It’s been a fun trip down memory lane with this fantastic artist and I’m already thinking about which performer/band I’ll do next!
If you missed numbers 25-6 of my Elton entries, you can find them here:
We’ve reached the top 10 of my personal top 25 songs by the amazing Elton John, who is embarking on a lengthy retirement tour. If you missed my posts listing numbers 25-11, you can find them right here:
Continuing on with my personal top 25 Elton John tracks of all time, we arrive at day 3 and numbers 15-11 on my list. If you missed my previous posts encompassing my 25-16 picks, you can find them here:
This blog has been so inundated with film festival and Oscar Watch coverage in the last couple of weeks. So I’ve decided to switch it over to the rare musical posts with my latest personal top 25 songs for one of my very favorite artists… Sir Elton John.
As you may have read, Sir Elton is embarking on what he’s terming his retirement tour (one that’s supposed to last three years). Coming up with a top 25 here wasn’t easy so let’s get this out-of-the-way… among the hits not included:
“Daniel”
“Candle in the Wind”
“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”
“Little Jeannie”
“Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”
All fine songs, for sure. Yet this man has over 30 albums and a lot to choose from. I’ll post five entries each day and we start with numbers 25-21:
25. “The Bitch Is Back” from Caribou (1974)
24. “I Think I’m Going to Kill Myself” from Honky Chateau (1972)
23. “Shine On Through” from A Single Man (1978)
22. “Crocodile Rock” from Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player (1973)
21. “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” from Breaking Hearts (1984)
Today on the blog, I’m paying a little respect to the legendary Aretha Franklin. Here is the Queen of Soul performing “Think” in a classic scene from 1980’s TheBluesBrothers. RIP.
As I do each summer on the blog, I’m giving you the top 10 seasonal ditties from 10, 20, and 30 years ago as tabulated by Billboard. I’ve already covered 1988 and 1998 and if you missed them, here ya go:
We now move to one decade ago. As with past posts, I’m ranking each song on a scale of 1 (summer bummer) to 10 (summer classic) and letting you know whether or not said track is on my Apple Music. Let’s get to it…
10. “Dangerous” by Kardinal Offishall feat. Akon
This reggae tinged hip hop effort represents the biggest hit for Canada’s Offishall with an assist from Akon. It’s adequate though not particularly memorable.
My Rating: 6
Is It On My Apple Music? No
9. “Leavin'” by Jesse McCartney
This is the biggest hit from the second most famous McCartney in pop music. It gives exposure to G5 planes and is rather disposable, but pleasant enough.
My Rating: 6
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
8. “Disturbia” by Rihanna
Now we’re talking. She’s got tons of hits, but I find the dance groove of “Disturbia” to be among Rihanna’s very best.
My Rating: 9 and a half
Is It On My Apple Music?: Yes
7. “Pocketful of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield
The Emma Stone pic Easy A had a whole sequence about how she couldn’t stand this pop confection by English artist Bedingfield and then found herself loving it and listening to it incessantly. I wouldn’t go that far, but it is annoyingly catchy.
My Rating: 6
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
6. “Forever” by Chris Brown
These were better times for Mr. Brown as this techno sounding dance smash serves as one of his musical highlights.
My Rating: 7
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
5. “Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis
This one was pretty inescapable in summer 2008 with solid vocals from Brit singer Lewis. It’s co-produced by none other than Jesse McCartney.
My Rating: 7 and a half
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
4. “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay
Sorry Coldplay haters, but I find this string heavy work to be pretty darn terrific. It earns its place as one of their signature tunes.
My Rating: 9 and a half
Is It On My Apple Music?: Yes
3. “Lollipop” by Lil Wayne feat. Static Major
Lil Wayne was all the rage ten years ago yet I actually find this auto-tune monster hit to have lost some luster. Still, it’s his biggest selling single.
My Rating: 6 and a half
Is It On My Apple Music?: Yes
2. “Take a Bow” by Rihanna
How about a round of applause for more fine work from Rihanna. This ballad stands as one of her best. Co-produced by Ne-Yo.
My Rating: 9
Is It On My Apple Music?: Yes
1. “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry
The song that turned Perry into a superstar, the lyrics certainly caught the attention of many. It’s a well-crafted pop track for sure. It’s not her greatest song, but it serves as an impressive breakout point for a career still roaring.
My Rating: 8
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
And there you have it! The summers of 1988, 1998, and 2008 are covered! I look forward to next summer when 1989, 1999, and 2009 are on deck…
Each summer on the blog, I recount the top 10 summer hits from 30, 20, and 10 years ago. Last week was 1988 and the sounds of three decades ago. If you missed it, you can find it here:
Today we move to 1998 and the tunes burning up our CD players (if we were lucky enough to have one in our car) 20 years ago. As with previous posts, I rank each track from 1 (summer bummer) to 10 (summer smash) and reveal the most important truth: is said song on my Apple Music?
Let’s get to it!
10. “All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo
We start off quite well with this ballad from K-Ci and JoJo, who originally rose to fame with the R&B group Jodeci. It’s schmaltzy, yes, but in the best way and it gets the job done with the singers expert vocal performances.
My Ranking: 9 and a half
Is It On My Apple Music?: Yes
9. “Crush” by Jennifer Paige
I must confess to having no recollection of this track when I saw it was #9. Listening to it again, it’s a pleasant enough ditty from the one-hit wonder. That said, it’s also rather forgettable.
My Ranking: 6
It Is On My Apple Music?: No
8. “Make It Hot” by Nicole featuring Missy Elliot and Mocha
Timbaland was mostly busy around this time stirring up classics for Aaliyah and Missy Elliot. Yet he concocted this gem for Nicole with assists from Elliot and Mocha. It was her only major hit, but it’s a terrific example of its producer’s wizardry behind the boards.
My Rating: 9
Is It On My Apple Music?: Yes
7. “Come with Me” by Puff Daddy featuring Jimmy Page
Combine Puff’s love of sampling with the guitar riffs of Jimmy Page’s “Kashmir” and promoting the summer’s unfortunate Godzilla reboot? You get a hit… albeit one that is just as ultimately disappointing as the film in which it appeared on the soundtrack.
My Rating: 5
Is It On My Apple Music? No
6. “My All” by Mariah Carey
Ms. Carey has certainly had her share of powerful ballads. “My All” is an effective one, though I don’t rank it among her most memorable.
My Rating: 7
Is It On My Apple Music?: Yes (but mostly because I have her greatest hits and don’t listen to this one hardly at all)
5. “Adia” by Sarah MacLachlan
The Canadian singer is now mostly known for causing you tear up during commercials to help dogs, but she had a string of hits including this one. I’ve never been a big fan and this track does little for me, despite her lovely voice.
My Rating: 5 and a half
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
4. “My Way” by Usher
The title track from Usher’s multi-platinum album is a Jermaine Dupri produced banger that spent lots of time being played loudly in my 1987 Ford Thunderbird 20 years ago. Check out Tyrese in the video as well.
My Rating: 9
It Is On My Apple Music?: Yes
3. “Too Close” by Next
An incredibly catchy R&B song from a band that didn’t produce many more hits. This one, however, could still be a massive hit today.
My Rating: 9 and a half
Is It On My Apple Music?: Yes
2. “You’re Still the One” by Shania Twain
Another Canadian crooner had her first major crossover hit with this ballad. It moved Twain out of just being known as a country act to one with serious pop appeal.
My Rating: 8
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
1. “The Boy is Mine” by Brandy & Monica
It’s no “The Girl is Mine” by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, but this mid-tempo pop track paired two of the era’s most successful R&B singers to hugely successful results on the charts. Looking back now, I don’t love it (I could list stronger tracks by both Brandy and Monica) but it’s decent.
My Rating: 7 and a half
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
And there you have it! The sounds of 1998 in the summertime…
Today marks the first official day of summer 2018 and that means some seasonal traditions are back on the blog! For the past few years, I have recounted the top summer tunes from the last 30, 20, and 10 years. It’s a chance to put on our nostalgia goggles and for me to take a look back on if the songs are a summer smash or summer bummer in hindsight. We begin with the tracks of 1988. As in posts from previous summers, I rank each ditty on a scale of 1 (awful) to 10 (classic) and reveal the most important detail of all – whether said song is on my personal Apple Music collection.
In the coming days, we’ll travel to 1998 and 2008. In July, I’ll get to the movie side recounting the top 10 hits, notable pictures, and flops of ’88, ’98, and ’08.
Let’s get to it!
10. “I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love” by Chicago
This group that’s been around for decades scored numerous power ballad smashes in the 1980s. This is… one of them. And it’s not nearly as memorable as many of their others from earlier in the period. That said, it nearly deserves an extra half star for its gloriously cheesy music video.
My Ranking: 5
Is It On My Apple Music: Yes (but only because I have their greatest hits downloaded… I never listen to this one)
9. “I Don’t Wanna Go on with You Like That” by Elton John
Keeping on with the “I Don’t Wanna…” themed hits of three decades ago… ok, so it may not be one of the legend’s classic tunes, but this synth heavy concoction is a well-crafted effort at a time when Elton’s career needed a boost.
My Ranking: 8
Is It On My Apple Music? Yes
8. “Make Me Lose Control” by Eric Carmen
Best known for “Hungry Eyes” from Dirty Dancing, Carmen’s follow-up is a decent sing-along in the car with the windows down experience.
My Ranking: 7
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
7. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns n Roses
One of the signature tracks from the band with its unmistakable guitar riff to start it off, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is part of our DNA now. That said, there are certainly songs from GnR I would rank higher.
My Ranking: 8 and a half
Is It On My Apple Music?: Yes
6. “Hands to Heaven” by Breathe
The London pop group came and went fairly quickly, but ballad “Hands to Heaven” was their initial smash. Cheesy, sure. Solid chorus – yes.
My Ranking: 6 and a half
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
5. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard
VH-1 ranked it the second best song of the 1980s in a poll and it certainly is the signature tune of the rock group’s career. I wouldn’t go quite that far, but it’s pretty darn iconic. I will, however, confess that the hair bands fad isn’t totally my cup of tea for the most part.
My Ranking: 8 and a half
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
4. “Hold On to the Nights” by Richard Marx
Another rather cheesy power ballad, this was nevertheless a smash from Marx that actually kept Leppard’s “Sugar” from hitting #1.
My Ranking: 6
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
3. “Monkey” by George Michael
The fourth single from his landmark Faith album, this uptempo dance track (with production assistance from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) gets the job done even if it doesn’t quite rank with some other classics from the 1987 multi-platinum effort.
My Ranking: 9
Is It On My Apple Music?: Yes
2. “The Flame” by Cheap Trick
A bit of a comeback single from the Illinois group, it found them traveling down the power ballad lane that dominated this particular summer. It’s fine. I don’t love it. Give me “I Want You To Want Me” any day.
My Ranking: 6 and a half
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
1. “Roll With It” by Steve Winwood
Is it catchy? Sure, but I was surprised to recall just how much of a hit this was. Four weeks at #1 and multiple Grammys, but I find it just perfectly adequate and far from a summer classic.
My Ranking: 7
Is It On My Apple Music?: No
I’ll have 1998 up soon! “I Don’t Wanna” keep you waiting long…
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