(Above: Madonna, from the video of the song sitting at #1.) It's just about the end of August, 1986. My friends from my high school class, in most cases, are headed off to their freshmen years of college. I'm not going anywhere; I didn't necessarily make the best choices about college at the end of … Continue reading Summer’s almost over: The Billboard Hot 100, August 23, 1986
1980s
A celestial soundtrack: Music To Watch an Eclipse By, August 21, 2017
(No, she's not on it.) In case you have been avoiding any and all news coverage for the last week, today's the day when a good portion of the United States is plunged into darkness for reasons other than someone saying "Hold my beer while I do this a sec." For the first time since … Continue reading A celestial soundtrack: Music To Watch an Eclipse By, August 21, 2017
Like a bolt of blue: New Order, “Bizarre Love Triangle” (1987)
(Above: Sometimes the simplest cover artwork is the best.) Thirty years ago today, New Order released Substance, a double LP that's probably best known as the album that casual fans know. New Order came to be in 1980 after Joy Division split following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. They're best known for "Blue … Continue reading Like a bolt of blue: New Order, “Bizarre Love Triangle” (1987)
Greatest misses: Gino Vannelli, “Wild Horses” (1987)
(Above: "Do you like my hair?") A few weeks ago I went back over the Billboard charts from the last week of July 1985. The song "Black Cars" was on there, and I promised that if I get back on the air on campus this fall, it's probably to do an 80s show, and I'd … Continue reading Greatest misses: Gino Vannelli, “Wild Horses” (1987)
From a land down under: New Zealand pop, 1980s-1990s
(Above: Some of the 89FM airstaff at a promotion, September, 1994. Of the three station DJs in this photo (L-R Brian Reid, Tim Homer, me), I'm the last one left, which is pretty darned sobering.) I got news Sunday of the sudden, unexpected death of Auckland, NZ radio programmer Tim Homer at the age of … Continue reading From a land down under: New Zealand pop, 1980s-1990s
A frustrated rocker: The Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, August 5, 1989
(Above: Me in my WJTW shirt in the production room of WCFL/Morris, 1990. I do not know why I am wearing it there.) In the summer of 1989 I was just starting to get my legs under me in terms of my radio career. The station I worked for in Joliet, Illinois, WJTW, gave me … Continue reading A frustrated rocker: The Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, August 5, 1989
As I look back now, the summer seemed to last forever: The Billboard Hot 100, July 27, 1985
(Above: me, representing AM radio, circa 1985-86.) In some ways, the Summer of '85 was my last truly carefree summer. I know I've made a similar argument about 1988 in another piece, as that was the last time I had had a summer vacation at all until leaving the world of radio for teaching. But … Continue reading As I look back now, the summer seemed to last forever: The Billboard Hot 100, July 27, 1985
Greatest misses: Midnight Oil, “The Dead Heart” (1988)
(Above: LP cover for Diesel and Dust.) A few days ago I wrote about the process of going through old college airchecks and finding great lost songs - the ones that we played a lot on our college station, WLRA, but didn't seem to get the sort of chart popularity that they should have. I've … Continue reading Greatest misses: Midnight Oil, “The Dead Heart” (1988)
Greatest misses: Mick Jagger, “Throwaway” (1987)
(Above: the 45 sleeve. Remember those?) Now that summer school has ended and the grades are posted (hooray!) I can get back to doing some research. A project that I am very excited about is the WLRA History Project that I began in May. The 50th anniversary of the launch of my college radio station … Continue reading Greatest misses: Mick Jagger, “Throwaway” (1987)
Greatest misses: ‘Til Tuesday, “Coming Up Close” (1987)
(Above: LP cover for Welcome Home, 1987) In the summer of 1985 I got to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for the first time. It was the Southern Accents tour, perhaps now more famous for the concert shirts featuring the Confederate flag on them as "Rebels" was the single the record company was pushing. … Continue reading Greatest misses: ‘Til Tuesday, “Coming Up Close” (1987)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 