Showing posts with label Chic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chic. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

The Top 100 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Hopefuls

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

Top 100 Snubs

Bashing the Rock Hall has become the quite vogue thing to do. Of course, they have inducted hundreds of deserving artists alongside those who raise many music fans eyebrows. However, fans get outraged this time every year when their favorites get snubbed…yet again.

In the true spirit of Dave’s Music Database, the occasion for a list presented itself. Just who are the biggest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snubs, those acts which fans most think have been overlooked? More than 90 lists were consolidated to create this list of the top 100 overlooked acts which will hopefully someday be enshrined in the Hall. Here we go:

See other Hall of Fames.

1. Motörhead
2. The Smiths
3. Jethro Tull
4. Pixies
5. Boston
6. Devo
7. Sonic Youth
8. Thin Lizzy
9. The Monkees
10. King Crimson

11. New York Dolls
12. Chic
13. Mötley Crüe
14. Emerson, Lake & Palmer
15. The Replacements
16. Styx
17. Jane’s Addiction
18. The Guess Who
19. The B-52’s
20. Dick Dale

21. Three Dog Night
22. Alice in Chains
23. The Scorpions
24. John Coltrane
25. War
26. Slayer
27. Steppenwolf
28. Big Star
29. Brian Eno
30. Björk

31. Harry Nilsson
32. Smashing Pumpkins
33. Diana Ross
34. J. Geils Band
35. Weird Al Yankovic
36. Nick Drake
37. Blue Öyster Cult
38. Grand Funk Railroad
39. Mariah Carey
40. Tommy James & the Shondells

41. INXS
42. Chuck Willis
43. Procol Harum
44. Pantera
45. Barry White
46. Captain Beefheart
47. Jim Croce
48. Megadeth
49. Ted Nugent
50. Mary Wells

51. Ronnie James Dio
52. Ben E. King
53. Connie Francis
54. Love
55. REO Speedwagon
56. The Meters
57. Los Lobos
58. Black Flag
59. Bryan Adams
60. The Dominoes

61. Carpenters
62. Eric B. & Rakim
63. Jan & Dean
64. The Marvelettes
65. Little Feat
66. Meat Loaf
67. Steve Winwood
68. Sting
69. Television
70. The Runaways

71. The Pointer Sisters
72. Tool
73. The Shangri-La’s
74. Beck
75. Bad Brains
76. Faith No More
77. Commodores
78. Joe Tex
79. Patti LaBelle
80. X

81. Afrika Bambaataa
82. De La Soul
83. Toto
84. Mott the Hoople
85. Tears for Fears
86. Johnny Burnette & the Rock ‘n’ Roll Trio
87. Supertramp
88. Kansas
89. Stone Temple Pilots
90. Daft Punk

91. Toots & the Maytals
92. The Sonics
93. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
94. Nas
95. Dead Kennedys
96. Huey Lewis & the News
97. Rick James
98. Alanis Morissette
99. John Prine
100. Snoop Dogg

Resources/Related Links:

First posted 10/11/2011; last updated 4/15/2026.

at 3 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monday, May 10, 2021

The Top 100 Disco Songs of All Time

Disco:

Top 100 Songs

Disco is one of the most-aligned musical genres, ridiculed for its robotic music and simplistic lyrics. However, those who rip on it for being light, trivial music miss the point: that’s what it was designed to be. It was supposed to be fun, party music and wasn’t created with the idea of standing the test of time. However, these songs exemplify how, like it or not, some of these songs have endured.

This list was created by aggregating 40 lists and compilation albums focused on disco. See sources at the bottom of the page. All songs appearing on 3 or more lists were then ranked in order of their overall status in Dave’s Music Database.

Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

1. Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” (1977)
2. Abba “Dancing Queen” (1976)
3. Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive” (1978)
4. Chic “Le Freak” (1978)
5. Blondie “Heart of Glass” (1978)
6. Village People “Y.M.C.A.” (1978)
7. Kool & the Gang “Celebration” (1980)
8. Bee Gees “How Deep Is Your Love” (1977)
9. Sister Sledge “We Are Family” (1979)
10. Queen “Another One Bites the Dust” (1980)

11. Bee Gees “Night Fever” (1977)
12. Wild Cherry “Play That Funky Music” (1976)
13. Michael Jackson “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” (1979)
14. Lipps Inc. “Funkytown” (1980)
15. Diana Ross “Upside Down” (1980)
16. The Sugarhill Gang “Rapper’s Delight” (1979)
17. Chic “Good Times” (1979)
18. Donna Summer “Hot Stuff” (1979)
19. Commodores “Brick House” (1977)
20. The Emotions “Best of My Love” (1977)

21. Rick James “Super Freak” (1981)
22. Andy Gibb “Shadow Dancing” (1978)
23. Rod Stewart “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” (1978)
24. Van McCoy “The Hustle” (1975)
25. Carl Douglas “Kung Fu Fighting” (1974)
26. Donna Summer “I Feel Love” (1977)
27. Earth, Wind & Fire “September” (1978)
28. Andy Gibb “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” (1977)
29. KC & the Sunshine Band “Get Down Tonight” (1975)
30. KC & the Sunshine Band “That’s the Way I Like It” (1975)

31. Thelma Houston “Don’t Leave Me This Way” (1976)
32. George McCrae “Rock Your Baby” (1974)
33. Michael Jackson “Rock with You” (1979)
34. Donna Summer “Bad Girls” (1979)
35. The Rolling Stones “Miss You” (1978)
36. Bee Gees “You Should Be Dancing” (1976)
37. Donna Summer “Last Dance” (1978)
38. The Trammps “Disco Inferno” (1977)
39. The Four Seasons “December 1963 (Oh What a Night)” (1975)
40. The O’Jays “Love Train” (1973)

41. Rose Royce “Car Wash” (1976)
42. Anita Ward “Ring My Bell” (1979)
43. Marvin Gaye “Got to Give It Up” (1977)
44. Barry White “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” (1974)
45. Barry White “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” (1974)
46. LaBelle “Lady Marmalade” (1974)
47. Earth, Wind & Fire “Shining Star” (1975)
48. A Taste of Honey “Boogie Oogie Oogie” (1978)
49. Diana Ross “Love Hangover” (1976)
50. Bee Gees “Jive Talkin’” (1975)

51. Bee Gees “Tragedy” (1979)
52. Patrick Hernandez “Born to Be Alive” (1979)
53. Donna Summer “Love to Love You Baby” (1975)
54. Earth, Wind & Fire “Let’s Groove” (1981)
55. The Hues Corporation “Rock the Boat” (1974)
56. The Weather Girls “It’s Raining Men” (1982)
57. McFadden & Whitehead “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” (1979)
58. Hot Chocolate “You Sexy Thing” (1975)
59. Average White Band “Pick Up the Pieces” (1974)
60. Diana Ross “I’m Coming Out” (1980)

61. Kool & the Gang “Jungle Boogie” (1973)
62. Ohio Players “Love Rollercoaster” (1976)
63. Yvonne Elliman “If I Can’t Have You” (1977)
64. KC & the Sunshine Band “Shake, Shake, Shake, Shake Your Booty” (1976)
65. Vicki Sue Robinson “Turn the Beat Around” (1976)
66. Peaches & Herb “Shake Your Groove Thing” (1978)
67. Love Unlimited Orchestra “Love’s Theme” (1973)
68. Rufus & Chaka Khan “Ain’t Nobody” (1983)
69. Kiss “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” (1979)
70. MFSB with the Three Degrees “T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia)” (1974)

71. The S.O.S. Band “Take Your Time, Do It Right” (1980)
72. Alicia Bridges “I Love the Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)” (1978)
73. Rick James “Give It to Me Baby” (1981)
74. Cheryl Lynn “Got to Be Real” (1978)
75. Kool & the Gang “Get Down on It” (1982)
76. Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions “Boogie Wonderland” (1979)
77. Kool & the Gang “Ladies’ Night” (1979)
78. Silver Convention “Fly Robin Fly” (1975)
79. Meco “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band” (1977)
80. Andrea True Connection “More, More, More” (1976)

81. Leo Sayer “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” (1976)
82. Evelyn “Champagne” King “Shame” (1978)
83. Johnnie Taylor “Disco Lady” (1976)
84. Barry Manilow “Copacabana (At the Copa)” (1978)
85. Donna Summer “MacArthur Park” (1978)
86. Amii Stewart “Knock on Wood” (1979)
87. The Jacksons “Shake Your Body Down to the Ground” (1979)
88. Heatwave “Boogie Nights” (1977)
89. The Miracles “Love Machine” (1975)
90. Gloria Gaynor “Never Can Say Goodbye” (1974)
91. Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes “The Love I Lost” (1972)
92. Candi Staton “Young Hearts Run Free” (1976)
93. Village People “Macho Man” (1978)
94. Tavares “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel” (1976)
95. Lou Rawls “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” (1976)
96. Silver Convention “Get Up and Boogie (That’s Right)” (1976)
97. Village People “In the Navy” (1979)
98. Donna Summer “On the Radio” (1980)
99. Commodores “Lady, You Bring Me Up” (1981)
100. Stephanie Mills “Never Knew Love Like This Before” (1980)

Resources and Related Links:

First posted 6/18/2015; last updated 5/10/2021.

at 4 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, October 9, 2014

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2015 Nominees

image from fox8.com

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2015 nominees on the morning of October 9, 2014. Based on recent years, 6 of these 15 are likely to be voted in and inducted at the ceremony on April 18, 2015. At FutureRockLegends.com, fans could vote for five. Included below are those results (FRL followed by the % of fans who voted for the act). Also, acts which made the DMDB list of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Snubs are noted (DMDB + rank). I’ve listed the 15 nominees in order of what I consider their likelihood of getting in.

  1. Green Day: First year eligible. FRL: 56%
  2. Nine Inch Nails: First year eligible. FRL: 43%
  3. Chic: Eligible since 2003. 9-time nominee. FRL: 21%. DMDB: #45
  4. N.W.A.: Eligible since 2013. 3-time nominee. FRL: 33%
  5. Kraftwerk: Eligible since 1996. 3-time nominee. FRL: 35%. DMDB: #30
  6. Stevie Ray Vaughan: Eligible since 2009. First-time nominee. FRL: 55%. DMDB: #8
  7. Lou Reed: Eligible since 1998. 2-time nominee. FRL: 49%
  8. The Smiths: Eligible since 2009. First-time nominee. FRL: 47%. DMDB: #19
  9. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts: Eligible since 2006. 3-time nominee. FRL: 39%. DMDB: #38
  10. Sting: Eligible since 2008. First-time nominee. FRL: 25%
  11. The Spinners: Eligible since 1987. Second-time nominee. FRL: 18%. DMDB: #98
  12. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band: Eligible since 1989. 4-time nominee. FRL: 10%
  13. War: Eligible since 1997. 3-time nominee. FRL: 23%
  14. The Marvelettes: Eligible since 1987. Second nomination. FRL: 18%
  15. Bill Withers: Eligible since 1997. First-time nominee. FRL: 29%

FlavorWire.com picks Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, Chic, N.W.A., and Kraftwerk. I also think these are the five best bets, although my personal picks would be for The Smiths and Lou Reed to get in over Nine Inch Nails and Chic.

Based on the Hall’s prior record, they want a big name, first-time nominee which makes Green Day a shoe-in. Nine Inch Nails is also a pretty decent bet, although I could see them getting held over for another year. The Smiths, Sting, and Stevie Ray Vaughan are also first-time nominees, although they’ve been eligible previously. SRV probably has the best shot of that batch, although I think all three deserve to be in. Bill Withers also got his first nod, but I think he’s the most unlikely of all 15 nominees to get in and I don’t personally think he’s Hall-worthy.

The Hall also likes to get someone in who they’ve backed for a long time. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Kraftwerk, N.W.A., The Spinners, and War have all garnered at least three nominations. With 9 nominations, the Hall really wants to get Chic in. Personally, I think N.W.A. and Kraftwerk are more deserving, but all three could make the cut. Joan Jett would be the next most likely.

Resources and Related Links:
at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2013 Nominees

image from RockHall.com

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has nominated its class of 2013. Over the next couple months, the Hall’s voting body of roughly 600 musicians, industry types, and journalists will vote to determine which of them will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on April 18, 2013. Here are the 15 nominees:

  • Paul Butterfield Blues Band
  • Chic
  • Deep Purple
  • Heart
  • Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
  • Albert King
  • Kraftwerk
  • The Marvelettes
  • The Meters
  • Randy Newman
  • N.W.A.
  • Procol Harum
  • Public Enemy
  • Rush
  • Donna Summer
You can read about each nominee at RockHallcom. In an interesting move, the Hall has added a way for fans to vote, although their voice will be minimal. Fans can vote at RollingStone.com and the top 5 vote getters will be entered as one of the 600+ ballots. Results will be announced in mid-December.

Rush finally gets long overdue nomination; image from progarchives.com

So who should go in? After last year’s class of nominees was announced, I tapped 39 lists arguing for who deserved inclusion. Based on that list, here’s how this year’s crop ranks:

  1. Rush (2)
  2. Deep Purple (5)
  3. Heart (12)
  4. Kraftwerk (39)
  5. Public Enemy (47)
  6. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (53)
  7. Chic (55)
  8. Procol Harum (81)
  9. Randy Newman (86)
Not ranked: Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Albert King, The Marvelettes, The Meters, N.W.A., and Donna Summer.

As always, there will be plenty of debate regarding who didn’t get nominated – namely, KISS. In another blog post last year, I argued on behalf of KISS, Gram Parsons, Rush, Joy Division, and Deep Purple. I’m grateful that the Hall has listened to me and included two of my suggestions. ;)

Frankly, though, if that top 5 (Rush, Deep Purple, Heart, Kraftwerk, Public Enemy) were this year’s inductees, that would be an awesome class. There’s some nice diversity in terms of genre, race, and gender. We’d have a newbie (Public Enemy) and some long overdue nominees. Don’t hold your breath, though. Based on the Rock Hall’s past trends, I’d say Heart and Public Enemy have good shots among this class, but the other three slots are likely to go to the pet projects of Hall nominating committee members, meaning the other slots might well go to Chic, Albert King, and Donna Summer. They aren’t horrible picks, but they certainly aren’t more worthy than Rush and Deep Purple. We’ll see what happens.

Resources and Related Links:
at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, February 9, 1985

Madonna's Like a Virgin album hit #1

Like a Virgin

Madonna

Released: November 12, 1984

Peak: 13 US, 12 UK, 3 CN, 2 AU

Sales (in millions): 10.0 US, 1.63 UK, 26.0 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: dance pop

Tracks:

Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts.

  1. Material Girl (2/9/85, 2 US, 3 UK, 38 AC, 49 RB)
  2. Angel (4/27/85, 4a US, 5 UK, 5 AC, 71 RB, sales: 0.5 m)
  3. Like a Virgin (11/17/84, 1 US, 3 UK, 29 AC, 9 RB, sales: 0.5 m)
  4. Over and Over
  5. Love Don’t Live Here Anymore (4/20/96, 78 US, 29 AC)
  6. Into the Groove (4/27/85, B-side of “Angel,” 1 UK, 19 RB) *
  7. Dress You Up (8/17/85, 3a US, 5 UK, 32 AC, 64 RB)
  8. Shoo-Bee-Doo
  9. Pretender
  10. Stay

* not on original album

Total Running Time: 43:10

Rating:

3.964 out of 5.00 (average of 34 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album:

Madonna’s first album certainly wasn’t shabby – it produced two top 10 hits (“Borderline,” “Lucky Star”) and a top 20 hit (“Holiday”) – but it was her second album which made her a superstar. In the history of pop music, there haven’t been many runs as successful as Madonna’s 1984-1985 chart presence. Interspersed between Like a Virgin’s four top 5 hits were two more major Madonna songs from soundtracks – the #1 “Crazy for You” from Vision Quest and the would’ve-been #1 Into the Groove from Desperately Seeking Susan had it been officially released. Alas, it was only released as the B-side of “Angel” in the U.S., but it was Madonna’s first #1 UK hit and later included on Like a Virgin.

“She saw the opening for this kind of explosion and seized it, bringing in former Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers in as a producer, to help her expand her sound, and then carefully constructed her image as an ironic, ferociously sexy Boy Toy; the Steven Meisel-shot cover, capturing her as a buxom bride with a Boy Toy belt buckle on the front, and dressing after a night of passion, was as key to her reinvention as the music itself.” STE

“Yet, there’s no discounting the best songs on the record, the moments when her grand concepts are married to music that transcends the mere classification of dance-pop.” STE The album’s success owes itself “principally to two gimmicky hits: the sinuous Like a Virgin, with its taboo-busting metaphor for that fresh, clean new-love feeling, and the cutesy, Betty-Boopsy Material Girl.” KB These are “the two songs that made her an icon, and the two songs that remain definitive statements.” STE

These were also the songs responsible for sending the album to #1. The week that Like a Virgin ascended to the throne, the title cut was still in the top 10 after a six-week run at the top. Meanwhile, “Material Girl” was just beginning its run, debuting on the chart at #43. It would peak at #2 six weeks later. That pair of singles “overshadow the rest of the record, not just because they are a perfect match of theme and sound, but because the rest of the album vacillates wildly in terms of quality.” STE

Of course, that all depends on point-of-view. Another opinion is that “most of the rest of the album, although similarly frothy, is superior to those warhorses, notably the irresistible LP tracks Over and Over, and Pretender – which adds a bit of gossamer delicacy to the mandatory bounciness.” KB

“The other two singles, Angel and Dress You Up, are excellent standard-issue dance-pop.” STE The latter “is a Madonna classic, an insubstantial dance-pop delight bedecked in synthesized bells and replete to the beat with kinky suggestions.” KB

“The earnest cover of Rose Royce’s Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” STE offers “a sign of greater depth to come” KB with “a heartfelt vocal supported by a subtle, gorgeous arrangement helmed by producer Nile Rodgers and his two key Chic instrumental compatriots, Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson.” KB

However, if you go back to the first opinion expressed here, then the album overall “adds up to less than the sum of its parts – partially because the singles are so good, but also because on the first album, she stunned with style and a certain joy. Here, the calculation is apparent, and while that’s part of Madonna's essence – even something that makes her fun – it throws the record’s balance off a little too much for it to be consistent, even if it justifiably made her a star.” STE

Resources and Related Links:

Other Related DMDB Pages:

First posted 3/26/2008; last updated 12/2/2021.

at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Monday, April 11, 1983

David Bowie Let’s Dance album released

Let’s Dance

David Bowie

Released: April 11, 1983

Peak: 4 US, 13 UK, 1 CN, 11 AU

Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.3 UK, 11.0 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: classic rock

Tracks:

Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts.

  1. Modern Love [4:48] (5/7/83, 14 US, 15 CB, 12 RR, 6 AR, 2 CO, 2 UK, 6 AU)
  2. China Girl (Bowie/Pop) [5:33] (5/28/83, 10 US, 9 CB, 10 RR, 3 AR, 2 CO, 2 UK, 15 AU)
  3. Let’s Dance [7:37] (3/26/83, 1 US, 1 CB, 2 RR, 8 AR, 1 CO, 14 RB, 1 UK, 1 CN, 2 AU, sales: 1 million)
  4. Without You [3:09] (3/10/84, 73 US, 30 CO)
  5. Ricochet [5:13]
  6. Criminal World (Browne/Godwin/Lyons) [4:24] (8/20/83, 31 AR, 30 CO)
  7. Cat People (Putting Out Fire) (Bowie/Moroder) [5:09] (3/11/82, 67 US, 61 CB, 9 AR, 6 CO, 26 UK, 15 AU)
  8. Shake It [3:50]

Songs written by David Bowie unless indicated otherwise.

Total Running Time: 36:46

The Players:

  • David Bowie (vocals, producing, etc.)
  • Nile Rodgers (guitar, producer, engineer, etc.)
  • Stevie Ray Vaughan (guitar)
  • Carmine Rojas (bass)
  • Bernard Edwards (bass on “Without You”)
  • Omar Hakim, Tony Thompson (drums)
  • Sammy Figueroa (percussion)
  • Robert Sabino (keyboards, piano)
  • Stan Harrison (tenor saxophone, flute)
  • Robert Aaron (tenor saxophone)
  • Steve Elson (baritone saxophone, flute)
  • Mac Gollehon (trumpet)
  • Frank Simms, George Simms, David Spinner (backing vocals)

Rating:

3.648 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album:

After releasing Scary Monsters in 1980, David Bowie cancelled a tour to promote the album after the murder of John Lennon. He retreated to Switzerland and became a recluse, but continued working. In 1981, he collaborated with Giorgio Moroder to write the title song for the movie Cat People. At the same session, he recorded “Under Pressure” with Queen.

In 1982, he recorded a soundtrack EP for Baal, a BBC adaptation of Bertrolt Brecht’s play. He also filmed appearances for The Hunger and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. He departed from RCA Records and signed with EMI Records and tapped bassist Nile Rodgers, best known from the band Chic, to co-produce his next record and create “a stylish, synthesized post-disco dance music that was equally informed by classic soul and the emerging new romantic subgenre of new wave, which was ironically heavily inspired by Bowie himself.” AMG

The sessions featured new personnel. Bowie hadn’t altered his lineup that completely since Space Oddity in 1969. The new players included guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan before he became famous and other Chic members Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson. For the first time, Bowie focused exclusively on vocals and didn’t perform any instruments. As he said, “I don’t play a damned thing. This was a singer’s album.” WK

The resulting Let’s Dance album was the best-seller of Bowie’s career. However, it also signalled a period of low creativity on his part as he felt he was pandering to acquire a mainstream audience through the rest of the 1980s. He derogatorily referred to the era as his “Phil Collins years.” WK The music from Let’s Dance has been characterized as “post-disco, dance-rock, new wave, and dance-pop.” WK

“Let's Dance comes tearing out of the date, propulsed by the skittering Modern Love.” AMG It “is an uptempo pop song that features a call-and-response structure inspired by Little Richard.” WK All Music Guide’s Dave Thompson said it “epitomizes all that was good about Bowie’s 1983 reinvention as a willing superstar.” WK

Next up was “the seductively menacing China Girl,” AMG which Bowie originally wrote and recorded with Iggy Pop on his album The Idiot in 1977. BBC Online reviewer David Quantick said “nobody but [Nile] Rodgers could have taken a song…with its paranoid references to ‘visions of swastikas,’ and turned it into a sweet, romantic hit single.” WK

Biographer Nicholas Pegg called the title cut one of the “all-time great pop songs.” WK It was the lead single from the album and hit #1 in the U.S. and UK. A video for the song was shot by David Mallet, who also directed “Ashes to Ashes” for Bowie in 1980.

“China Girl” and “Modern Love” were released as follow-up singles, hitting the top 10 and top 20 in the U.S. respectively. Both reached #2 in the UK. They were hits “for good reason — they're catchy, accessible pop songs that have just enough of an alien edge to make them distinctive.” AMG

“However, that careful balance is quickly thrown off by a succession of pleasant but unremarkable plastic soul workouts.” AMG The re-recorded version of Cat People which Bowie originally recorded in 1981 and a cover of Metro’s 1977 song Criminal World “are relatively strong songs, but the remainder of the album indicates that Bowie was entering a songwriting slump.” AMG The latter was originally banned by the BBC for bisexual overtones. Biographer Chris O’Leary said it was Bowie’s way to “sneak a transgressive song onto a platinum record.” WK

The BBC’s David Quantick said Let’s Dance was “often a mundane album, as songs like Ricochet and Shake It mark time.” WK The former “is the only track on the album that is reminiscent of the experimental nature of Bowie’s late-70s recordings.” WK Writer Nicholas Pegg called “Shake It” “a likable enough piece of fluff.” WK

All Music Guide’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine said of the album: “The three hits were enough to make the album a massive hit, and their power hasn’t diminished over the years, even if the rest of the record sounds like an artifact.” AMG Time’s Jay Cocks called it “unabashedly commercial” WK and Rolling Stone’s Ken Tucker said the album had a “surface beauty.” WK Commonweal said it was “some of the most exciting R&B-based dance music in years.” WK Rolling Stone’s Jeremy Allen said the album was “the conclusion of arguably the greatest 14-year run in rock history.” WK

Notes: ”Under Pressure,” Bowie’s 1981 duet with Queen, was added to the Virgin Records CD reissue.

Resources and Related Links:

Other Related DMDB Pages:

First posted 2/20/2008; last updated 8/3/2021.

at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, September 6, 1980

Diana Ross hit #1 with “Upside Down”

Upside Down

Diana Ross

Writer(s): Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers (see lyrics here)

First Charted: July 12, 1980

Peak: 14 US, 13 CB, 12 HR, 11 RR, 18 AC, 14 RB, 2 UK, 5 CN, 14 AU (Click for codes to charts.)

Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.25 UK, 1.51 world (includes US + UK)

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 1.0 radio, 41.40 video, 196.97 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

It had been four years since Diana Ross hit the top 10, much less #1, with 1976’s “Love Hangover.” Even though disco was waning, she turned to Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards to write, produce, and play on her 1980 album Diana. With Chic, they took “Le Freak” and “Good Times” to the top of the charts. They’d also written and produced “We Are Family” for Sister Sledge. Rodgers said, “Diana Ross was the first big start we ever worked with and we took it very seriously…We took a more personal approach.” RC

Initially Ross “sounded more like a guest star on a Chic album than the center of attention on her own LP.” FB She remixed the tracks, bringing her vocals more to the front. It paid off, giving Ross the biggest album of her career and her longest-running U.S. #1 song as a solo artist with “Upside Down.” It also topped the charts in Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.

According to Rodgers, the song was “inspired by Ross’ desire to experiment with her career and have some fun.” SF Lyrically, the song is about “sticking with a cheating lover because he keeps their romance exciting, turning her emotions upside down and inside out.” SF “Another singer might’ve found pathos in those lyrics…but there’s a playfulness in the way Ross sings it…She’s horny and happy, and we can probably infer that she’s content to mess around on the side if the mood strikes her, too.” SG

Ross “understood how a beat could work…her timing is impeccable. The hesitation in her delivery on the chours, the way she waits just a second to deliver every syllable of the title – it’s incredible. She dips in and out of the groove with an effortless grace, riding the beat effortlessly.” SG

Resources:

Related Links:

First posted 11/29/2021; last updated 4/17/2024.

 
at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)