Last night was a big night for Beyoncé at the VMA's as she took home the coveted Video Vanguard Award for lifetime achievement in the music industry. The biggest pop star of the day performed an almost 20-minute set of songs from her latest, self-titled album that daughter Blue Ivy seemed to enjoy immensely from daddy Jay Z's lap in the audience, practically stealing the show from mom. Well, since I've posted a couple of songs in recent weeks from that same album, I figured I'd honor Bey by posting one of my favorite tunes of hers from her previous set, the should-have-been-a-big-hit End of Time...
Here's an oldie, but goodie from a staple of the new wave era. The Talking Heads were a foursome of David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison and they burned up the 80's with such classics as Burning Down the House, And She Was, Wild, Wild Life, and this one, which was I remember playing on heavy rotation on MTV's early days. Great song, great band!
Remember this commercial? Yeah, well that was way back when MTV meant what its acronym stood for. I don't think I would recognize the channel anymore if I ever watched it, which I never do. Ah, well, they should have made a new song to replace the Buggles' Video Killed the Radio Star when YouTube took over the video watching market.
Anyway, without MTV, new wave music probably wouldn't have taken off like it did. Some of those videos of the early days were truly a little kooky, but they were fun at the same time. Here's one that you probably don't even know, but I know it only because of MTV and my mom, believe it or not, who for some reason loved this video from one hit (?) wonder Wall of Voodoo:
And who could forget this one, which was a little bit more popular than the previous track? Bow Wow Wow's I Want Candy was a one hit wonder that resonated so much that it was remade, quite sadly, by Aaron Carter. The cheesy production and the even cheesier performance by the band in the vid (buried in the sand, bopping their heads to the music) is so typical of the era. Check out I Want Candy:
Alas, these videos can no longer be watched on good old MTV, but thank goodness for YouTube, DailyMotion, Vimeo and others because now we can watch them whenever we feel like it! Stay tuned to John's World for more New Wave Month.
In a stark contrast to the letter “X” where there was very little to choose from, the letter “W” offers many of my favorites from the world of music, from great songs to great albums and even some fantastic artists. It’s been hard to choose from amongst all of the possibilities, so like I did with the letter “B” on the way down, I’m going to do the same with the letter “W” on the way back up…
W is for so many songs…
W is for ‘Waka Waka’
I posted this one as “Song of the Day” way back on March 2nd and it’s shortly become one of this blog’s hottest posts. I’m including it here because it’s become one of my favorite songs since I first discovered it a few months back because it’s both inspirational and fun. Check out the original post, with the video right here.
You're a good soldier Choosing your battles Pick yourself up And dust yourself off Get back in the saddle…
The pressure is on You feel it But you got it all Believe it
When you fall get up, oh oh If you fall get up, eh eh Tsamina mina zangalewa Cause this is Africa
W is for ‘Walk Away’
‘Walk Away’ is a Donna Summer song off of her classic 1979 album ‘Bad Girls.’ The song has always been one of my favorites and it’s kind of sad, but with a great musical track that’s pure disco through and through. I found solace in the song not long after my recent breakup…
I'm sure that I'll get over you It'll take me a while you see Next time, there won't be no next time Save all my feelings for me
And I’m truly getting there! Check out this great, great song:
W is for ‘Walk This Way’
The year 1986 was a monumental one in the world of music. During that year, popular rap trio Run DMC recorded their own updated version of Aerosmith’s classic rock anthem ‘Walk This Way’ and history was made. The song married the two genres together for the very first time and propelled rap music into the mainstream forevermore. The hit record also became the catalyst for the resurgence of the rock band, whose popularity had been lagging since the turn of the decade. Check out the video for the remake, with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry joining forces with the trio from Hollis, Queens for a fun MTV-style video.
W is for ‘Wannabe’
Who could forget those wacky, funky Brit chicks who rocked the world with their spicy brand of pop ditties back in the 90’s? Check out the Spice Girls’ first big hit, ‘Wannabe’:
Yo, I tell you what I want, What I really, really want...
W is for ‘We Got the Beat’
The Go Go’s were another fabulous girl group from the previous decade and this thumping tune is one of my all time favorites:
W is for ‘We Will Rock You’
Queen is one of the greatest rock bands to ever hit the stage. With so many great songs in their catalog, one can’t help but wonder how many more we’d have had Freddie Mercury not left us so soon. Classics such as ‘We Are the Champions,’ ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘Fat Bottomed Girls,’ ‘You’re My Best Friend,’ and the song that inspired the name of a current pop star, ‘Radio Gaga,’ are but a small portion of the huge legacy this band left behind. This is one of my favorites, a rock anthem that’s so powerful it is still commonly used as rallying cries at sporting events around the globe. Oh, and I used to love that 'News of the World' album cover, too!
W is for ‘When I Grow Up’
We began this post with a song from recent times and we finish just the same. This one, by the funky Pussycat Dolls, still fills up dance floors whenever it’s played. Enjoy 'When I Grow Up':
Now I’ve got a confession, ha ha ha ha
So there you have it. It's been really difficult choosing the songs to include here because there are so many. Perhaps some of the ones I didn't choose will pop up here or there, we'll see. I tried to include songs of different genres and generations so hopefully there's a little something for everybody to enjoy. I certainly had a great time listening to all of these and maybe, just maybe there are some of you out there who enjoyed them all as much as I did. As always, thanks for checking out my blog! Tweet
Today's "Song of the Day" is one I never thought I'd choose. I don't even own the record, the CD, or the MP3 of it, but I remember it clearly from early MTV days. I heard it today while I was in the Kenneth Cole store in Atlantic City and it brought back a lot of memories. It was the first time I'd heard it in years and I really, really enjoyed it, and I remembered all of the words. Isn't it funny how music does that? I mean, there are lyrics to probably thousands of songs tucked away somewhere in my brain and sometimes I'm even astonished at words to songs that I remember.
This song is definitely worthy of the honor, so I share it here for you to enjoy. So take a look and a listen to David Bowie's 'Modern Love':
![Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) [The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Song] {feat. Freshlyground} - Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) [The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Song] {feat. Freshlyground} - Single](http://ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net/images/web/linkmaker/badge_itunes-lrg.gif){kind=icon}
