Wednesday, September 29, 2021

John Mellencamp dueted with Bruce Springsteen on “Wasted Days”

Wasted Days

John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen

Writer(s): John Mellencamp (see lyrics here)


Released: September 29, 2021


First Charted: --


Peak: 1 DF


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2.50 video, 3.24 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

“Wasted Days” is the lead single from John Mellencamp’s 25th studio album, Strictly a One-Eyed Jack. More significantly, it marks the first collaboration between him and Bruce Springsteen. The two both launched their careers in the 1970s with their brands of heartland rock. Each experienced major commercial success in the 1980s with multi-platinum selling albums and multiple top-10 hits.

On “Wasted Days,” the “veteran purveyors of blue-collar rock” SF “offer up a jangly, acoustic tune dripping with nostalgia. The country rock-tinged track sees Mellencamp and Springsteen taking turns with lead vocal duties.” UCR “The song’s lush musical arrangement, including mandolin, accordion, drums, bass, acoustic and electric guitars…add warmth and vulnerability.” UCR

Lyrically, the “hearty acoustic stroll” SF is all about vulnerability. It is “bleak and mournful” NPR in its reflection on “making the most of the years, months and minutes we've got left.” NPR “as the singers grapple with lives lived well past middle age.” NPR Mellencamp asks “existential questions such as ‘How many summers still remain/ How many days are lost in vain/ Who’s counting out these last dramatic years/ How many minutes do we have here?’” UD

The song is one of three on which the pair collaborated for the new Mellencamp album. Bruce went to Bloomington, Indiana, to record with him. He said, “I love John a lot. he’s a great songwriter and I have become very close [with him] and had a lot of fun with him.” UD Thom Zimny, who has frequently worked with Springsteen, shot the video for the song in New Jersey in early September 2021. SF


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First posted 2/1/2022; last updated 2/24/2024.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Lou Reed and Velvet Underground: Top 50 Songs

Lou Reed/Velvet Underground

Lou Reed was an experimental rock singer/songwriter born 3/2/1942 in Long Island, NY. He died 10/27/2013. He established himself as “The Godfather of Punk” with art-rock group The Velvet Underground (vocals/guitar: 1965-70). That group is considered the predecessor to alternative rock and punk and one of the most influential rock groups of all-time. The Velvet Underground also included John Cale (vocals/bass/viola: 1965-68), Sterling Morrison (guitar/backing vocals: 1965-70), Maureen Tucker (percussion: 1967-69), Nico (vocals: 1967), Doug Yule (bass/backing vox: 1969-70), and Billy Yule (drums: 70). Their album
Velvet Underground & Nico
(1967) is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of All Time. Reed’s other three albums with the band – White Light/White Heat (1967), The Velvet Underground (1969), Loaded (1970) – all rank in the DMDB’s top 1000 albums of all time.

Reed went solo in 1970. His albums Transformer (1972) and Berlin (1973) rank in the DMDB’s top 1000 albums of all time.


Spotify Podcast:

Check out Dave’s Music Database podcast: Covering Velvet Underground & Nico based on this list. It debuts September 28, 2021 at 7pm CST. Tune in every Tuesday at 7pm for a new episode based on the lists at Dave’s Music Database.

Awards (Velvet Underground):

Awards (Lou Reed):


Top 50 Songs of Lou Reed & Velvet Underground


Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. This list includes songs by Velvet Underground and by Lou Reed as a solo artist. Some songs (such as “Satellite of Love”) are noted as Velvet Underground AND Lou Reed songs because they were initially recorded as demos by VU and later by Reed as full-fledged recordings.

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Walk on the Wild Side (Reed, 1972)

DMDB Top 5%:

2. I’m Waiting for the Man (VU & Nico, 1967)
3. Perfect Day (Reed, 1972)
4. Sweet Jane (VU, 1970)
5. Heroin (VU & Nico, 1967)

DMDB Top 10%:

6. Rock and Roll (VU, 1970)
7. Venus in Furs (VU & Nico, 1967)
8. White Light/White Heat (VU, 1968)

DMDB Top 20%:

9. All Tomorrow’s Parties (VU & Nico, 1967)
10. Pale Blue Eyes (VU, 1969)
11. Satellite of Love (VU/Reed, 1970/1972)
12. Coney Island Baby (Reed, 1975)
13. This Is Your Land (Simple Minds with Reed, 1989)
14. Sister Ray (VU, 1968)
15. Femme Fatale (VU & Nico, 1967)
16. Berlin (Reed, 1972)
17. Dirty Blvd. (Reed, 1989)
18. Vicious (Reed, 1972)
19. New Age (VU, 1970)
20. Caroline Says I (Reed, 1973)

21. Lisa Says (VU/Reed, 1969/1972)
22. Sally Can’t Dance (Reed, 1974)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

23. Sunday Morning (VU & Nico, 1967)
24. I Can’t Stand It (VU/Reed, 1969/1972)
25. After Hours (VU, 1969)
26. Candy Says (VU, 1969)
27. How Do You Think It Feels (Reed, 1973)
28. Kill Your Sons (Reed, 1974)
29. Waves of Fear (Reed, 1982)
30. Sad Song (VU/Reed, 1970/1972)

31. Rock and Roll Heart (Reed, 1976)
32. America (Star Spangled Banner) (Reed, 1980)
33. What Goes On (VU, 1969)
34. Busload of Faith (Reed, 1989)
35. Vicious Circle (Reed, 1976)
36. There She Goes Again (VU & Nico, 1967)
37. Jesus (VU, 1969)
38. Caroline Says II (Reed, 1973)
39. Beginning to See the Light (VU, 1969)
40. What’s Good (Reed, 1992)

41. Temporary Thing (Reed, 1976)
42. Here Comes the Bride (Reed, 1978)
43. Stephanie Says (VU, 1968)
44. Teach the Gifted Children (Reed, 1980)
45. Street Hassle (Reed, 1978)
46. I Love You (VU/Reed, 1970/1972)
47. Who Loves the Sun (VU, 1970)
48. Think It Over (Reed, 1980)
49. I Love You Suzanne (Reed, 1984)
50. There Is No Time (Reed, 1989)


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First posted 3/2/2020; last updated 9/28/2021.

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

The Top 100 Genesis et al Songs

Genesis et al

Top 100 Songs

Progressive-rock group Genesis formed in 1966. Original frontman Peter Gabriel went solo in 1975 and was replaced on vocals by the band’s drummer Phil Collins, who stayed with the group until 1992, maintaining a simultaneous solo career from 1981 on. Guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford formed the side project Mike + the Mechanics in 1985 and keyboardist Tony Banks released solo material along the way. This list focuses on the material they created within and outside of Genesis.

Click here to see other best-of lists from performers and here to see other best-of lists from songwriters and/or producers.

Awards (for Genesis):


Awards (for Phil Collins):


Awards (for Peter Gabriel):


Awards (for Mike + the Mechanics):


Top 100 Songs


Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. This one combines songs by Genesis along with solo material from Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, and Tony Banks as well as Mike Rutherford’s side project Mike + the Mechanics.

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel, 1986)
2. In the Air Tonight (Phil Collins, 1981)
3. Another Day in Paradise (Phil Collins, 1989)
4. Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) (Phil Collins, 1984)
5. In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel, 1986)

DMDB Top 2%:

6. A Groovy Kind of Love (Phil Collins, 1988)
7. Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel, 1977)

DMDB Top 5%:

8. The Living Years (Mike + the Mechanics, 1988)
9. Invisible Touch (Genesis, 1986)
10. Sussudio (Phil Collins, 1985)

11. One More Night (Phil Collins, 1985)
12. Easy Lover (Phil Collins with Philip Bailey, 1984)
13. You’ll Be in My Heart (Phil Collins, 1999)
14. Biko (Peter Gabriel, 1980)
15. Two Hearts (Phil Collins, 1988)
16. Separate Lives (Phil Collins with Marily Martin, 1985)
17. In Too Deep (Genesis, 1986)
18. You Can’t Hurry Love (Phil Collins, 1982)

DMDB Top 10%:

19. Throwing It All Away (Genesis, 1986)
20. Land of Confusion (Genesis, 1986)

21. That’s All (Genesis, 1983)
22. Follow You, Follow Me (Genesis, 1978)
23. Games Without Frontiers (Peter Gabriel, 1980)
24. Mama (Genesis, 1983)
25. Don’t Give Up (Peter Gabriel with Kate Bush, 1986)
26. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight (Genesis, 1986)
27. I Wish It Would Rain Down (Phil Collins, 1989)
28. Shock the Monkey (Peter Gabriel, 1982)
29. Abacab (Genesis, 1981)
30. Hold on My Heart (Genesis, 1991)

31. Silent Running (Mike + the Mechanics, 1985)
32. Misunderstanding (Genesis, 1980)
33. Something Happened on the Way to Heaven (Phil Collins, 1989)
34. No Son of Mine (Genesis, (1991)
35. I Can’t Dance (Genesis, 1991)
36. Steam (Peter Gabriel, 1992)
37. Turn It on Again (Genesis, 1980)
38. Big Time (Peter Gabriel, 1986)
39. All I Need Is a Miracle (Mike + the Mechanics, 1985)
40. Digging in the Dirt (Peter Gabriel, 1992)

41. Take Me Home (Phil Collins, 1985)
42. Jesus He Knows Me (Genesis, 1991)
43. Do You Remember? (Phil Collins, 1989)
44. No Reply at All (Genesis, 1981)

DMDB Top 20%:

45. Both Sides of the Story (Phil Collins, 1993)
46. Man on the Corner (Genesis, 1981)
47. Illegal Alien (Genesis, 1983)
48. Home by the Sea (Genesis, 1983)
49. Don’t Lose My Number (Phil Collins, 1985)
50. I Missed Again (Phil Collins, 1981)

51. Paperlate (Genesis, 1982)
52. Word of Mouth (Mike + the Mechanics, 1991)
53. Everyday (Phil Collins, 1993)
54. Dance into the Light (Phil Collins, 1996)
55. Hero (Phil Collins with David Crosby, 1993)
56. Taken In (Mike + the Mechanics, 1985)
57. Red Rain (Peter Gabriel, 1986)
58. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (Genesis, 1974)
59. Nobody’s Perfect (Mike + the Mechanics, 1988)
60. Taking It All Too Hard (Genesis, 1983)

61. Hang in Long Enough (Phil Collins, 1989)
62. I Know What I Like in Your Wardrobe (Genesis, 1973)
63. The Carpet Crawlers (Genesis, 1974)
64. Summertime (Peter Gabriel, 1994)
65. I Don’t Care Anymore (Phil Collins, 1982)
66. Seeing Is Believing (Mike + the Mechanics, 1988)
67. Shortcut to Somewhere (Tony Banks with Fish, 1986)
68. I Don’t Remember (Peter Gabriel, 1980)
69. Over My Shoulder (Mike + the Mechanics, 1995)
70. Everybody Gets a Second Chance (Mike + the Mechanics, 1991)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

71. I Go Swimming (Peter Gabriel, 1983)
72. Your Own Special Way (Genesis, 1976)
73. Kiss That Frog (Peter Gabriel, 1992)
74. When You’re Falling (Peter Gabriel with Afro-Celt Sound System, 2001)
75. Supper’s Ready (Genesis, 1972)
76. Never a Time (Genesis, 1991)
77. True Colors (Phil Collins, 1998)
78. We Said Hello Goodbye (Phil Collins, 1985)
79. I Have the Touch (Peter Gabriel, 1982)
80. That Voice Again (Peter Gabriel, 1986)

81. Can’t Stop Loving You (Phil Collins, 2002)
82. Domino, Part 1: The Last Domino (Genesis, 1986)
83. Just a Job to Do (Genesis, 1983)
84. Family Snapshot (Peter Gabriel, 1980)
85. Keep It Dark (Genesis, 1981)
86. It’s in Your Eyes (Phil Collins, 1996)
87. It’s Gonna Get Better (Genesis, 1983)
88. Blood of Eden (Peter Gabriel with Sinéad O’Connor, 1992)
89. No Self Control (Peter Gabriel, 1980)
90. Inside Out (Phil Collins, 1985)

91. More Than This (Peter Gabriel, 2002)
92. Lovetown (Peter Gabriel, 1994)
93. Shaking the Tree (Peter Gabriel with Youssou N’Dour, 1989)
94. Duchess (Genesis, 1980)
95. Another Murder of a Day (Tony Banks with Fish, 1991)
96. I Grieve (Peter Gabriel, 1998)
97. Congo (Genesis, 1997)
98. Now That You’re Gone (Mike + the Mechanics, 1999)
99. Nobody Knows (Mike + the Mechanics, 1988)
100. Firth of Fifth (Genesis, 1973)


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First posted 1/31/2012; updated 9/22/2021.