For those who are actually following this and wonder where #63 went, it’s “The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley, which I already discussed at length here. Let’s move on to one of the only artists viewed as being as pretentious as Mr. Henley. Yes, folks, that would be Gordon Sumner, who you know better as Sting. Sting, along with Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, was a member of The Police, who recorded the song you find at #62: “King of Pain”. See how it all ties together?
Anyway, there are quite a few Police songs that I wanted to include in here (Side 1 of “Zenyatta Mondatta” might be my favorite side of an album ever), but “King of Pain” gets the nod because it’s the song that best marries the highbrow intelligence of many of Sting’s lyrics to a simple yet effective pop tune. How effective? I was 7 when this record came out and I loved it despite the fact that I had no bloody idea what The Police were talking about. “There’s a blind man looking for a shadown of doubt”? Whaaa???
Anyway, “Synchronicity” is one of only a handful of albums (I can only think of six) with more than one song on this list, a testament to the legacy The Police left in only five short years of making records. Sting saving the rainforests may have muted their impact somewhat, but these were the records that turned me on to rock music. So let’s temporarily forget about the pompous ass-iness, the tantric sex and the cash-grabbing reunion tour (although they were quite good when I saw them) and remember how damn good this song is.
Here’s a dirty little secret about what’s on my iPod: I, almost exclusively, put singles on it. It’s probably not the most appropriately music-snobby approach, but it serves a couple of purposes. One: it gives me a strict, easy-to-adhere-to criterion for editing down a library of more than 20,000 mp3s (3200 CDs, 400 LPs) to fit onto an 80 gig iPod. The other purpose is that at the times when I’m listening to the iPod – at work, on walks, at the gym – I want some easy – meaning familar – listening.  Now, just because something was a single doesn’t mean it was popular (or if it was, that it still is today), and just because it’s familiar – easy – listening for me, doesn’t mean it is for a whole lot of others, so there’s still plenty of obscure shit to be heard.  And, of course, every rule was made to be broken. Or bent. For instance:
1. “It’s Alright” by Chicago (1986)
Never released as an A-side in its own right, this lively Bill Champlin song about a consolatory one-nighter, which originally appeared on Chicago 18 was certainly worthy.  My first concert (actually my first three) was Chicago touring behind Chicago 18 and I remember this as one of the few new songs the band trotted out between classics like “Saturday in the Park” and “25 or 6 to 4” (which they’d recently re-recorded as 18‘s introductory single). The song was an instant sing-along, even with the older audience, and I always felt it deserved to be a single.  Alas, it merely turned up as the b-side to Chicago 19‘s third single “You’re Not Alone”. As further proof that this song might have been a contender for single consideration, check out this (obviously lip-synced) television performance of the song.
2. “Abracadabra” by The Steve Miller Band (1982)
This was the song that introduced me to the Steve Miller Band. It also came out right around the time that I was really starting to pay attention to the radio (as opposed to playing the hell out of my parent’s records and having my older sister make mix tapes for me from hers). I think it was the number one song the first time I ever listened to Casey Kasem’s weekly Top 40 broadcast. (Incidentally, Chicago was near the top at the same time with their comeback single “Hard to Say I’m Sorry”, the song that introduced me to them.)
3. “Everlasting Love” by Robert Knight (1967)
Not as popular as the early-disco-era version recorded by Carl Carlton (it was also covered by Gloria Estefan in the 90s), Robert Knight’s “Everlasting Love” – a Top 20 hit in its own right – boasts punchier, more accented vocals and a fatter horn arrangement. Otherwise, the two versions are so similar that at a quieter volume, their indistinguishable.
4. “I Saw the Light” by Todd Rundgren (1972)
I like a lot of Todd Rundgren’s work as a performer, as a producer, and as the leader of the band Utopia, but I love very little of it.  I like this song. That is all.
5. “No Other Love” by John Legend (2008)
A nice reggae-tinged song from his fine third album Evolver. Nothing mindblowing here, but the fact that John Legend not only exists, but thrives in today’s AutoTuned pop and R&B marketplace is cause for hope. He did a bit of campaigning for Barack Obama this fall. Maybe the President-elect could invent a cabinet post to appoint John Legend to. Secretary of Soul?
6. “Another World” by Hoodoo Gurus (1989)
One of the great, unsung bands to come out of Australia in the 80s, the Hoodoo Gurus released this adorable, and oh-so-catchy love-song to an extra-terrestrial as the second single of their fabulous 1989 album Magnum Cum Louder. Awesome stuff.
7. “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar (1980)
Last week, I picked up a new compilation from the Numero Group called It’s All Pop, chronicling the brief and disheartening history of a Kansas City indie label called Titan Records. Formed by a couple of friends in the mid-70s, Titan’s complete discography amounted to six (beautifully packaged) 7″ singles, and a label sampler LP.  It’s a fascinating story, with some pretty good music to go with it, but one thing I noticed was that there were no women! Where are all the girls in power-pop (besides in the song titles)? (Actually, one of Titan’s most notable acts was a quartet fromNebraska who called themselves The Boys and dressed themselves in a – err, gender-ambiguous manner. Courage, my friends, courage.) But, oh yeah, Pat Benatar. “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”. You could never fit Pat Benatar’s work into a subgenre as narrowly defined as power-pop, but “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” is the quintessential (girl-)power pop song.
And thank you, Paul, for taking us on a trip through your iPod! I’m jealous because you have more music than me, though. Join us next Sunday when (hopefully) we’ll have another guest take us through their music collection on the Sunday Seven!!!
When I think of what some of the most emotional songs I’ve heard are, I always come back to a song by Lauryn Hill from her solo album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. Though I’ve never been in quite the relationship that she describes, I think to anyone who has been in a really powerful relationship, some of this probably resonates.
It could all be so simple
But you’d rather make it hard
Loving you is like a battle
And we both end up with scars
– Wyclef thought this song was about him. I wonder if Lauryn should’ve redone You’re So Vain. But then again, maybe it is about Wyclef.
– The video is simple, but so is the song. There’s no need to show anything other than Lauryn.
– The line is, “To get some reciprocity” but the way she says it, I always wondered if there was a word ciprocity.
– Sing it Lauryn; “No one loves you more than me, and no one ever will.”
– The “care for me, there for me, cry for me, give to me” part of the song is just awesome.
– The video is nearly ruined by the light show at the end, but we can forgive.
While Lauryn may be as crazy as Michael Jackson nowadays, she created one of the more emotional relationship songs of our time. I blame the Marley dude.
For those who are actually following this and wonder where #63 went, it’s “The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley, which I already discussed at length here. Let’s move on to one of the only artists viewed as being as pretentious as Mr. Henley. Yes, folks, that would be Gordon Sumner, who you know better as Sting. Sting, along with Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, was a member of The Police, who recorded the song you find at #62: “King of Pain”. See how it all ties together?
