Music: February 23 2013

After what happened with my friend’s daughter yesterday, it made me think – as it does every time I hear one of those stories – of one of my favourite tracks from the 1960’s. There’s not much to be said about this track. It was released in January 1961 and hit the number one slot of the Billboard Hot 100. In April 1961 it was played on Dick Clark‘s American Bandstand  and was catapulted back to the number one spot again where it stayed for four weeks. It was during this time that it hit the top spot of the UK Singles Chart. At the end of 1961, it was still number five in the US. Most famously, it has been used as the theme song for a TV Police Drama set in the 1960’s Chicago. It starred Dennis Farina, Tony Denison, Bill Smitrovich, Steve Ryan, Billy Campbell as well as many others. The TV series was Crime Story.

Del Shannon – Runaway

Music: February 17 2013

I first heard this track from Lou Diamond Phillips in his film of the same name in 1987. I never knew the lyrics, but that didn’t make any difference, the music was great, the rock and roll. With it’s original release in 1958, it reached number 22 in the US Billboard Pop Singles and reached number 49 in the UK Singles Chart. With the release of the 1987 film, it reached number one in the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one in the UK Singles Charts. The artist was one of those that Don McLean sang about with his American Pie as one of the artists that died in the plane crash on February 03 1959 along with The Big Bopper and Buddy Holly. The film was La Bamba.

Ritchie Valens – La Bamba (Song)

La Bamba TRAILER

Music: February 13 2013

This track was released in 1984 by an American singer-songwriter. It stood at the number one slot of the Billboard Hit 100 for two weeks. In the UK it reached number three. It is the singers second biggest selling single. It ranks at number 66 of MTV’s Top 100 Pop Songs. It was also nominated for the Song of the Year at the 1985 Grammy Awards. A version of this track was recorded with Sarah McLachlan. This version was used in the season 3 finale of Ugly Betty. The video is (apparently) about a runaway leaving her lover behind and the singer’s mother, brother and her then-boyfriend are all in the video. In 2009 Ronan Keating also released a version of this track.

Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time

 

Music: February 09 2013

This track was released in 2008. It is based on the singer’s split from their spouse that occurred six months earlier. Some people saw it as empowering and aggressive whilst others saw it as bratty and childish. This hit number one in the US Billboard Hot 100, and is the first number one as a solo artist. The song was nominated for several awards, and won the MTV Europe Music Award for the Most Addictive Track.

P!nk – So What