Tag: Rock Music

No. 2 “Purple Rain”

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One of Prince’s hit songs from 1984 was “Purple Rain”, now considered a classic. It spent just two weeks at #2 on The Hot 100 behind Wham’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”. I think history feels a bit differently about these two songs now. “Purple Rain” is #18 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It’s also on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Charts, eh?

There are 160 versions of “Purple Rain”, the most recent was released by Dolly Parton in November of 2023.

Also in 1984, Bruce Springsteen’s highest ranking Hot 100 single “Dancing in the Dark” peaked at #2 for four weeks, three of them, interestingly behind “When Doves Fly” by Prince that was his first #1. That Prince song ranked a bit farther down the list at #37 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and it too is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

Speaking of the 500 Greatest Songs list, there are two of the (#2 Billboard) songs I mentioned earlier; “What’s Going On” is ranked at #6 and “Like a Rolling Stone is ranked at #4.

This will wrap up the series on songs that perhaps should have been #1 but make very memorable #2’s. There are at least a dozen more songs I skipped over from the time the Hot 100 began and just up to this song and 1984. For example, Lennon’s “Woman” and Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street” I thought were #1 songs.

For this series on No. 2 I want to give a big thank-you to Top 40 Weekly, an excellent and very accurate resource for charts and as always I make use of https://secondhandsongs.com/.

“Radar Love” (Music I like)

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“Radar Love” was written by Golden Earring band members George Kooymans and Barry Hay. Released in August of 1973.

This song reached #12 in Canada and #10 in the US but it was #1 on their native charts in The Netherlands as well as in Spain. Certainly one of the best “Driving Songs” of all time and I liked it before the term existed and at age 14 it was before I could actually drive a car. The song lyrics name check the legendary Brenda Lee and her “Forgotten Song” titled “Coming on Strong” that reached #77 in 1966. You likely heard that her song “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” hit #1 on Billboard in December, 65 years after it’s release. We should all be “singing her praises”.

There are 48 versions of the song, the best cover is by White Lion from 1989, not to be confused with White Flag who covered it in 1986.

While they posted dozens of hits in the Netherlands, Golden Earring’s only other top 40 (#10) in the US was “Twilight Zone” in 1982.

The 1970’s Part 1- It’s Only Rock and Roll

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“Rock and Roll” was back in 1971, from Led Zeppelin IV.

By the time the 70’s rolled around apparently rock and roll was back in style, by my count there were at least 50 song titles. More than the 50’s and 60’s combined! That’s too many songs to list so I will just highlight some from each year, and there are some great ones!

1970: Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo by Rick Derringer, Rock and Roll Madonna by Elton John, Rock and Roll by The Velvet Underground and Don’t Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll by Jeff Thomas

Jeff Thomas wins the award for best song title!

1971: Beside Zep as noted above, Rock and Roll Stew by Traffic

1972: Rock and Roll Suicide by David Bowie, Rock and Roll Lullaby by BJ Thomas, I’m Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band by The Moody Blues, Rock and Roll Music to the World by Ten Years After.

A song I referenced in post earlier this year was “Play Me a Rock and Roll Song” by Valdy. He wrote it in response to his experience as a Folk Singer, booked to perform at a 1968 Rock Festival. First recorded in 1971, the story line bears a remarkable resemblance to Ricky Nelsons “Garden Party“. Nelsons song was about a bad experience at a Madison Square Garden concert in 1971 and his song was also released in 1972, quite the coincidence!

1973: Rock and Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life) by Kevin Johnson, God Gave Rock and Roll to You by Argent, Rock and Roll Heaven by Climax

Written by Climax band member Johnny Stevenson with Alan O’Day (Undercover Angel). The song is a tribute to well known artists who had died. It did not chart.

1974: Hey Rock ‘N’ Roll – Showaddywaddy, Rock and Roll People by Johnny Winter (written and recorded by John Lennon in 1973 but not released until 1986), Rock and Roll Heaven by The Righteous Brothers (cover)

The Righteous Brothers version would peak at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974

And the namesake of this blog series…”It’s Only Rock’n’Roll (But I Like It)” the lead single from the album of the same name from 1974 by The Rolling Stones.

A note to my WordPress pals, I am taking some time off for a family function so my participation will be sparse at best over the next few days. Read ya later!

“Waiting for a Train” Between a Rock and a Country Place

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“Waiting for a Train” was written and recorded by The Father of Country Music, Jimmie Rodgers in 1928. There are 126 versions of this song and it’s been covered by Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash with The Carter Family and David Allen Coe.

Today I have the Rock duo and twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid known as The Proclaimers. Their cover version was recorded in 1994. You can also find versions by Boz Scaggs and John Sebastian.

Listening to this version just deepens my appreciation for the songs of Jimmy Rodgers. While some of his lyrics reflect a man of his day others are truly timeless. Had he lived longer there would no doubt be hundreds of his songs being recorded, as it is there are covers of 88 songs that he wrote or co-wrote in his short 36 year life. “Waiting for a Train” is his second most recorded, at #1 is *”Mule Skinner Blues” with 114 versions and at #3 is “T For Texas” covered by 66 artists. His frequent collaborator and sister-in-law Elsie McWilliams has been discovered as uncredited on a number of his songs, my favorite is “My Rough and Rowdy Ways” where she did receive a proper co-credit.

*”Mule Skinner” is not what you might think, it is slang for a muleteer or mule driver.