web analytics

Pop Rock Nation

Category: People

all-about-musicians-and-the-people-who-help-them-make-music

  • Chart Chat 11/16/08: Rihanna, Snow Patrol, Kanye & More!

    Man, is it hard to get excited about the charts when they change so little from week to week. Here’s what we’ve got going on this week. All charts are listed courtesy of the good folks at Billboard Magazine.

    Top 20 Singles:

    01-Live Your Life (T.I. feat. Rihanna)
    02-Whatever You Like (T.I.)
    03-Hot N Cold (Katy Perry)
    04-Heartless (Kanye West)
    05-If I Were a Boy (Beyonce)
    06-So What (P!nk)
    07-Womanizer (Britney Spears)
    08-Let it Rock (Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil’ Wayne)
    09-I’m Yours (Jason Mraz)
    10-Right Now (Na Na Na) (Akon)
    11-Miss Independent (Ne-Yo)
    12-You Belong with Me (Taylor Swift)
    13-Love Lockdown (Kanye West)
    14-Love Story (Taylor Swift)
    15-Disturbia (Rihanna)
    16-Can’t Believe It (T-Pain feat. Lil’ Wayne)
    17-Mrs. Officer (Lil’ Wayne feat. Bobby Valentino)
    18-Better in Time (Leona Lewis)
    19-Gotta Be Somebody (Nickelback)
    20-Addicted (Saving Abel)

    Top 20 Albums

    01-Twilight Soundtrack (Various Artists)
    02-Black Ice (AC/DC)
    03-High School Musical 3: Senior Year Soundtrack (Various Artists)
    04-Take it to the Limit (Hinder)
    05-Funhouse (P!nk)
    06-Evolver (John Legend)
    07-Paper Trail (T.I.)
    08-Incanto (Andrea Bocelli)
    09-Play (Brad Paisley)
    10-Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (Rascal Flatts)
    11-The Renaissance (Q-Tip)
    12-Death Magnetic (Metallica)
    13-That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy (Toby Keith)
    14-Rock ‘n Roll Jesus (Kid Rock)
    15-Lucky Old Sun (Kenny Chesney)
    16-Jennifer Hudson (Jennifer Hudson)
    17-My Love: the Essential Collection (Celine Dion)
    18-Year of the Gentleman (Ne-Yo)
    19-The Carter III (Lil’ Wayne)
    20-Yo-Yo Ma & Friends: Songs of Joy & Peace (Yo-Yo Ma)

    (more…)

  • Infatueighties # 69: “It’s The End of the World As We Know It”

    What the hell is this song about? Do the members of R.E.M. even know what this song is about? Who knows? All I know is that it’s one of the first (if not the first) song from Athens’ favorite sons that can accurately be called “fun”. It’s also one of the first R.E.M. songs that you can understand most of the words to, as first evidenced by me when I witnessed everyone in Madison Square Garden screaming along at the top of their lungs when Michael Stipe and company closed their show with this song during the Monster tour in 1994.

    “Birthday party/Cheesecake/Jellybeans/boom!”

    Aw, screw it. Here’s the video. It’s one of the best of the decade, as well.

  • Best You’ve Never Heard: Whatever Happens – Michael Jackson

    It would be up to me to add some Michael Jackson to The Best You’ve Never Heard week, since Money Mike didn’t do it.

    (Don’t worry, he probably would’ve, but I called first dibs. He’s still the biggest MJ fan on the planet.)

    In 2001, Michael Jackson released Invincible, his first album in six years since the HIStory double album. After a few listens, there were some definite conclusions. Firstly, Jackson could still sing as shown on some of the ballads like Break Of Dawn, Heaven Can Wait, and Butterflies. Secondly, he was still capable of making terrible song choices. The Lost Children and Cry were terrible songs. But the thing that many people walked away thinking was that Whatever Happens, featuring Carlos Santana on guitar, was the best song (or Butterflies based on your taste) and was a surefire hit single. But what happened is that Sony didn’t support the album and pushed nothing except the initial single and no one outside of the die hard MJ fans got to hear Whatever Happens.

    He gives another smile, tries to understand her side
    To show that he cares, she can’t stay in the room
    She’s consumed with everything that’s been goin’ on
    She says …
    Whatever happens, don’t let go of my hand

    Viewers of American Idol will be familiar with the song because Mario Vasquez performed it in his audition that was shown before the season. He also sang back up vocals on the original track.

    The song starts with an old fashioned instrumental that you’d hear in Westerns as if to say that MJ and Santana were about to draw on each other and a musical explosion was ready to occur. Just walk ten paces.

    It’s Latin flavored, but not too much. Santana plucks the strings ever so delicately which forces MJ to sing with more emotion than you’d think possible.

    Don’t you let go baby! Don’t you let go!

    Lyrically, the song tells a story about a mysterious relationship between a man and a woman. The woman is scared about what they’re doing. The man is trying to make things right. Perfect even. He doesn’t understand that all she wants is just him and that’s all. The conclusion is that whatever happens, don’t let go of my hand. Forever, forever, forever.

    Even though the finale of the song seems a bit corny with two of the greatest artists of our time thanking each other, especially Michael’s, “Thank you Carlos”, which seems like it took 20 takes, but it’s the perfect finish. They go out guns a blazin’. Well, sort of.

    Whatever Happens is the song that would’ve should’ve could’ve, but didn’t. But thankfully for you, you can now find it because I know it’s the best you’ve never heard.

    Photo shared via creative commons

    More on “The Best You’ve Never Heard” week
    The Best You’ve Never Heard..or Have You?: “Shiver” by Coldplay
    The Best You’ve Never Heard: “Hesitate” by The Mysteries of Life
    The Best You’ve Never Heard: “Must Have Been Crazy” by Chicago
    The Best You’ve Never Heard: “Wheel” by John Mayer
    The Best You’ve Never Heard: Introduction