All Time Classic Songs | 60s 70s 80s 90s Rock Pop Ballads Rnb Disco » 90s

Saltwater – Julian Lennon

martinsejas — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:00:25 +0000

It’s hard to believe that this incredibly deep and meaningful song has been forgotten and brushed over by many over the years. Even when it was released, despite peaking at number 6 on the UK charts and number 1 on the Australian charts, it wasn’t a worldwide hit (and it should have been).

Saltwater highlights the importance of environmental conservation and eliminating world poverty in today’s modern world. It does this by juxtaposing the marvels and achievements of humanity with the destruction of the natural world as we know it. It exposes the irony that as we have become more advanced and sophisticated, we have actually taken another step towards our own destruction.

The lyrics shows this juxtaposition beautifully. And it makes you reflect upon the world we live in today and the many wrongs that exist. It always refers back to the idea of saltwater welling in one’s eyes because the tears are not just tears of sadness, they are also tears of guilt (and even anger). For example, in one verse of the song: “We’re so ingenious we can walk on the moon, but when I hear about how the forest have died, saltwater wells in my eyes.”

The song was written and composed by none other than Julian Lennon, the son of the great and legendary singer John Lennon. Although his career was not as prolific and successful as that of his father, this song would have made his father proud. It is a song of extremely high quality and the similarity between Julian and John in terms of looks and voice is at times freaky. You could be forgiven for thinking that it was John that actually sang the song.

It surprises me that this song has not been used by environmental conservationists and socialists around the world to promote their movements. Perhaps Julian himself has not allowed this to happen. I’m not sure.

The most important thing now is to pass this song to current generations who have probably not heard it yet. Despite being written and composed almost 20 years ago, this message contained in Saltwater is as (if not more) important than when it was first released.

The following video is a beautiful collection of images shown throughout the song. It makes the song’s message powerful. Please pass this song on to your family and friends because it’s for the good of the world and our humanity.

The Cup Of Life – Ricky Martin

martinsejas — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 02:23:42 +0000

Given that the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is only days away, I thought it would be appropriate to write about what I consider to be the best World Cup theme song of all time. Just in case you didn’t know, I’m also a massive football fan and when the World Cup comes along every 4 years, there’s nothing on my mind except following each team and watching each game. The Cup Of Life by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin was the theme song of the 1998 World Cup which took place in France and was won by the host nation.

That World Cup was particularly special for me because it was the first time I’d watched a significant amount of World Cup games and followed the tournament closely. I was 11 at the time and the 1 thing that always reminds me of that tournament is The Cup Of Life. It’s also such a catchy and fun song to sing and dance to. It captures the spirit of football perfectly. The game of football and its dynamics and drama is so much like life itself, which probably explains why it’s the most popular sport in the world. It also explains why the World Cup is the Cup of Life.

The song is so good that the theme songs from the 2002 and 2006 World Cups have failed to overcome The Cup Of Life in terms of quality and popularity. The theme song for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa is not too bad, however, when compared to Ricky Martin’s song, it pales in comparison.

There should be a worldwide petition launched to make The Cup Of Life the official theme song for every World Cup. It would certainly save songwriters and singers the embarrassment of not being able to live up to the standard of the 1998 theme song.

This is perhaps not a 90s classic song for many people out there, however, for football fans everywhere, this is a song that will stand the test of time. Even if you’re not a football fan, you should catch some of the upcoming World Cup, even if you just watch the final on July 11. It is the biggest sporting event in the world and it should not be missed.

If you want a comprehensive preview of all the teams and groups, then you should watch my World Cup Preview which I made with a good friend of mine.

In the meantime, enjoy the beauty of The Cup Of Life.

The Shoop Shoop Song – Cher

martinsejas — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:32:10 +0000

Yesterday, I heard The Shoop Shoop Song for the first time in years. In fact, I didn’t even know that the singer was Cher. It had never crossed my mind. In the end, it was great re-discovering this song and reading up on its history.

While Cher recorded the most famous version of this song, it was actually originally released in 1964 and became a hit for singer Betty Everett when it reached number 1 on the Cashbox magazine R&B chart in the US. Since then, it had been recorded by various artists but it wasn’t until Cher recorded it as part of the soundtrack for her movie Mermaids that it became an international hit. Despite the song not being a hit in the US due to the box office flop of the movie, it reached the top ten in more than a dozen countries.

Lyrically, it’s all about a woman wanting to find out if a man loves her or not and how they should go about doing it. The song suggests that you cannot tell by “his eyes.” Nor can you tell by “his signs”, “his face” or “his embrace.” The only way you can tell whether he loves you is by looking into his kiss. His kiss is the only thing that can tell you that. The same thing could be applied to men looking to find out whether a woman loves them or not. The Shoop Shoop Song certainly carries a positive message for those searching for the love of their lives.

Rhythmically, the song is very catchy and easy to sing along to. In fact, I think I’m going to choose this song to sing along to the next time I do karaoke. It certainly seems like a very fun song.

One of the things that took me a while to find was the “shoop shoop” part of the song. If you listen carefully to the song, you will find 4 instances where the background singers sing this. You may want to look for it while watching the video of the The Shoop Shoop Song below.

“Return of the Mack” – MARK MORRISON

martinsejas — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 02:31:15 +0000

Written by: Mark Morrison
Released: 1996

US Charts: #2
UK Charts: #1 (2 weeks)
Other Charts: N/A

I have a tendency to underestimate the quality of songs from the 90s. Maybe it’s just because my love for 60s and 70s music is too strong, which then blinds me from music from other eras. Whatever it is, it’s also comforting to find some wonderful high quality tracks from the 90s. Rnb as we know it today originated in the 80s but its golden period is considered to be the early to mid 90s. “Return of the Mack” is one of the definitive examples of classic Rnb. It’s better than most of today’s Rnb and is what Rnb is really about. Today’s artists seem to have forgotten this.

It was only until recently that I actually discovered the name of the song. I was under the impression that the singer was singing “Return To Me” in the chorus because it definitely sounds like that to me. But once I found out what he was really saying, I had to investigate the meaning of “Return of the Mack.” So after a bit of research, it turns out that the song was one of the first songs he released after a 3 month stint in prison. That explains the “Return” part, now I’m still looking for the meaning of “Mack” part. If someone knows the answer please let me know.

The song’s catchy and memorable chorus is what led this song to be the great success it was in the 90s. Unfortunately for Morrison, it was his only big hit (at least in the US), so he’s almost a one-hit wonder for many. This is irrelevant when it comes to bringing back memories of the 90s. As a person who grew up in the 90s, hearing this song at a party always brings a smile to my face and gets me on the dancefloor.

I’m sure you would agree after hearing this song that the 90s were truly the days of classic Rnb, which today’s Rnb cannot compare to. It’s vital that today’s artists look back at this period and learn from it. What do you think?

Please comment on this post below.

Top 30 Classic Love Songs Of All Time (Part 4)

martinsejas — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:00:10 +0000

by Martin Sejas

It’s been a while since the last part of this special series of posts. Just like the 3 other parts, Part 4 showcases 5 more great classic love songs. I’ve included videos of each song for your convenience.

Enjoy Part 4 of this special series of posts.

16. “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston

If you had to choose the ballad with the best vocal performance, Whitney Houston’s rendition of “I Will Always Love You” would probably be your pick. You may be surprised to know that this was remake of a country song from Dolly Parton. It became the theme song of the 1993 movie The Bodyguard starring Houston, and expresses the protagonist’s sadness at leaving their lover, but that they will always love them forever. Despite this causing the protagonist pain, they know that it’s the right decision and wish
them both luck and love in their future. Houston’s voice resonates like no other making this song simply unforgettable.

17. “Endless Love” by Diana Ross & Lionel Ritchie

Probably the most recognizable of duets, “Endless Love” is about how lovers declare that their love for each other has no limits, given how much they adore each other. Despite being sung more than 25 years ago, it still resonates and pulls people’s heart strings more than ever before. Arguably the best ballad from the 80s.

18. “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers

The fact that “Unchained Melody” is one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century is a testament to the high regard many artists have for this song. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard this song before. The Righteous Brothers’ 1965 recording remains the most well-known rendition and its inclusion in the 1990 movie Ghost certainly helped its popularity among modern audiences. One of the oldest yet
most beautiful compositions about love ever written.

19. “Don’t Know Much” by Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville

One of the simplest yet one of the most powerful love songs ever made. It explores how people may not know what’s going on in the world or what their future holds, but the one thing they do know for sure is that they love their partner. This is a perfect song for a moonlight first dance and it’s difficult to find a better song for such an occasion. Simply magical.

20. “Best Of My Love” by the Eagles

One of the simplest ballads from the classic rock/country genres, “Best of My Love” expresses the protagonist’s feeling that despite problems with their lover, that they always give their lover the best of their love. A great ballad to sing to the one you love on a guitar or around a campfire with friends.

Feel free to comment on this song and/or my review below.

Wanna write a love song yet know absolutely nothing about music? This may be what you’ve been looking for.

“Stay Another Day” – EAST 17

martinsejas — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:28:18 +0000

Written by: Tony Mortimer, Rob Kean & Dominic Hawken
Released: 1994

US Charts: N/A
UK Charts: #1 (5 weeks)
Other Charts: #3 (Australia), #1 (Sweden)

It’s always a nice feeling to find an amazing song when you were least expecting it. That’s what happened a couple of weeks ago when I was just surfing through Wikipedia and ended looking back at UK Christmas Number One singles, where I found the song “Stay Another Day” by East 17. I’d never heard the song, let alone the band, so I had my reservations when I found out East 17 was a mid-90s British boy band. However, I was proved wrong by this somber yet beautifully written song.

The song was mainly written by the band’s lead singer Tony Mortimer in honour of his brother who had just committed suicide. He was helped by songwriters Rob Kean and Dominic Hawken while Christmas bells were added to the end of the song in order to give it a Christmas touch and appeal to the Christmas singles market, which is a huge deal in the UK. It was successful as it became the 1994 Christmas Number One single.

Most notably, “Stay Another Day” was the band’s first ever ballad as their previous songs were mainly rap or hip-hip. East 17 became one of the most successful boy bands of the 90s, especially in the UK, charting 18 songs in the UK’s Top 20 over just 8 years.

Lyric-wise, the song focuses on the pain that protagonist would suffer if their loved one left them. The protagonist doesn’t understand why they would want to leave them after coming so far and just wants them to stay another day.

The song is also notable for its lack of drums, which was not common in a pop song back then and still isn’t even today. The combination of everyone’s voices in the chorus is probably the highlight of this sombre yet reflective song. Enjoy!

Lyrics can be accessed here.

Chords can be accessed here.

Feel free to comment on this song and/or my review below.

The 5 Wackiest Classic Songs That We All Ashamedly Love

martinsejas — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:23:55 +0000

By Martin Sejas

Call them one hit wonders, novelty acts or simply outrageously ridiculous songs, there are so many wacky classic songs that we have all grown to ashamedly love. We know they’re stupid, we know they’re pointless, we know they’re meaningless, we know they’re ridiculous yet we never have second thoughts about putting it on our ipod today. It’s probably because of its wackiness that we love these songs.

Below are 5 classic songs for which you should hang your head in shame for liking.

“Kung Fu Fighting” – Carl Douglas

It’s been called the biggest one-hit wonder of all time. It’s also been called the most ridiculous song (and dance) ever made. Which is not surprising given that songs about martial arts are not something that happens every day. One of the earliest disco songs, “Kung Fu Fighting” was a resounding success commercially when released in 1974, selling over a million copies in the US and over 4 million worldwide.

Soon enough the whole world was dancing and singing “everybody was kung-fu fighting, those cats were fast as lightning, in fact it was a little bit frightening, but they fought with expert timing.” The fact that it came with a dance made it even more popular and addictive.

If you have never heard “Kung-Fu Fighting”, I warn you to be prepared for one of the worst songs you’ll ever hear. You’ll almost certainly hate it at first, but you will grow to love it. Guaranteed. And then you’ll hang your head in shame.

“Tarzan Boy” – Baltimora

Any song that uses Tarzan’s cry as the melodic line is nothing but outrageous. “Tarzan Boy” was a huge one-hit wonder for Italian electro-pop dance group Baltimora in 1985. Sung by frontman Jimmy McShane, it also comes with one of the worst music videos ever created. You can see it for yourself above.

The song deals with living in the jungle just like Tarzan Boy and about “monkey business on a sunny afternoon.” The lyrics are certainly some of the worst ever written, however, it is Tarzan’s cry that makes this song so memorable and so loved by many of us. We should really hang our heads in shame.

“Ice Ice Baby” – Vanilla Ice

Apart from being a big hip-hop one-hit wonder in the early 90s, it was also the subject of a plagiarism dispute. And to make matters worse (or more interesting), Vanilla Ice was a white rapper which was unheard of in the early 90s.

There are few phrases in music that are more addictive than “ice ice baby.” In fact, many of us still go crazy over the prospect of singing “ice ice baby” in a whisper-like voice. We’ve probably got this song on our ipods right now. Hang your head in shame if you love this song.

“Barbara Ann” – The Beach Boys

You’d be hard pressed to find another song that repeats its title so many times during the song. So many times that the Beach Boys themselves have made the mistake of singing “baa baa black sheep” instead “Barbara Ann” on some occasions. One wonders whether the kid’s nursery rhyme was the inspiration behind this song. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.

I feel sorry for anyone named Barbara or Barbara Ann for that matter, this is certainly one song that you would not like to hear. You’re probably wondering why people have to sound like sheep to sing a song. Yet it’s probably because of this, that we all love to sing and dance to this song. Let’s hang our heads in shame.

“I’m Too Sexy” – Right Said Fred

A worldwide hit in 1992, “I’m Too Sexy” features some of the most hilarious and ridiculous lyrics ever used. In fact, I would classify this song to be more of a comedy skit than a pop song.

The song explores the feeling of being comfortable about your personal level of sexiness that you are too sexy for many things. The song goes through a list of things which the protagonist says he’s too sexy for. This includes being too sexy for “my love, my shirt, Milan, Japan, New York, your party, my car, my hat, my cat” and finally the song itself.

Men may not like to admit it, but they simply (and secretly) adore this song and dream of singing it every time they get up from bed. They can hang their heads in shame.

There are more wacky classic songs out there, but you will find it hard to beat the 5 songs presented here.

Feel free to comment on these songs and/or my review below.

The Diverse 90s: Classic Songs From Grunge To Teen Pop Madness

martinsejas — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:35:29 +0000

by Martin Sejas

The 90s were certainly a strange period in the history of music. Perhaps this is due to the wide variety of genres and styles that emerged during the decade or perhaps it’s because not one artist or genre seems to define the decade.

The beginning of the 90s was characterized by the rise of grunge and alternative rock into the mainstream and the disappearance of classic rock. The lead band of this genre was by far Nirvana with their classic song “Smells Like Teen Spirit” becoming an anthem for a generation. While grunge would disappear from the mainstream, alternative rock would continue throughout the 90s until today with bands such as Green Day and Blink 182.

For the first time ever, urban pop began to constantly dominate the charts, at least in North America. Artists such as Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey and TLC were almost a constant presence on the radio, and continue to inspire today’s RnB artists with songs such as “One Sweet Day” or “No Scrubs”. Urban pop arguably dominates the charts today more than ever before.

Hip-hop also made its mainstream debut in the 90s and today has a permanent place in contemporary music. The pioneers from this period include the Notorious B.I.G., MC Hammer, 2Pac and Snopp Dogg. Notable classic songs from this era include “Changes” from 2Pac and “Gangsta’s Paradise” from Coolio.

Teen pop made a comeback in the late 90s, bigger than it ever was in the late 80s and early 90s. Bands such as the Backstreet Boys and the Spice Girls and singers such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were an undeniable presence on the airwaves and charts. Such artists defined the late 90s while all other genres took a backseat. Classic songs from this genre include “Baby One More Time” from Britney Spears, “Wannabe” from the Spice Girls and “As Long As You Love Me” from the Backstreet Boys.

I like to define the 90s like a fruit and vegetable salad, it was essentially a mix of so many genres and styles never seen before, but which did produce some memorable and classic songs.

“Wind Of Change” – THE SCORPIONS

martinsejas — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 13:11:58 +0000

Written by: Klaus Meine
Released: 1991

US Charts: #4
UK Charts: #2
Other Charts: #1 (Germany, France, Netherlands)

Watch the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=taVW8Kv2HcQ

It’s not every day that I feature a heavy metal/hard rock band, in this case The Scorpions, but it’s also not every day that such a band has a slow power ballad become a worldwide hit as “Wind of Change” was. It was a song that captivated the world at the beginning of the 1990s because it describes the important political changes that were taking place at the time. I am referring to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communism and the USSR. The song accurately describes the emotion felt by all peoples around the event at this important historic event and is forever linked as the “theme song” of the fall of the Berlin Wall in late 1989.

The fall of the Berlin Wall was one of the moments of the 20th century. It represented the end of an uneasy and tense standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union. It represented the liberation of people living in oppressive conditions behind the Iron Curtain. It represented the end of a tumultuous period in world history. It represented the beginning of a new era full of optimism. The end of the Cold War was equally a relief as it was an opportunity for change and renewed optimism. The feeling could only be compared with that felt after the end of the Second World War.

The song captures all that feeling perfectly and even more so in the video clip which you can watch above. The chorus describes that precise moment when the Berlin Wall fell perfectly, it’s the highlight of the song for me: “Take me to the magic of the moment, on a glory night, where the children of tomorrow dream in a wind of change.”

The song was a worldwide hit for the German band in 1991 and is considered one of their signature songs. It reached number 1 in most European countries as well as reaching number 2 in the UK and number 4 in the United States. It is also the highest selling single of all time in Germany where it remained at number 1 for 11 consecutive weeks.

You’ll never get tired of listening to this outstanding classic song. Listening to this song takes you back to that moment almost 20 years ago, but also makes you think about what happened to all that optimism given the sad state of our world. We can only crave for more great moments like that in the near future. Enjoy!

Lyrics can be accessed here.

Chords can be accessed here.

Feel free to comment on this song and/or my review below.

“Constant Craving” – K.D. LANG

martinsejas — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:20:40 +0000

Written by: K.D. Lang & Ben Mink
Released: 1992

US Charts: #38
UK Charts: #15
Other Charts: #8 (Canada), #38 (Australia)

“Constant Craving” is the most popular song by one of Canada’s most famous singer-songwriters. Released in 1992, it won Lang a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, her third of a total of 4 Grammys she has won over a career spanning more than 20 years. Overall, her popular success has never been able to match her critical success, nonetheless, she has endured various music changes in the last 2 decades to still be a well-respected and sought-after singer.

The song itself deals with the idea that everyone has a capacity, the urge and the craving to get themselves out of tight, difficult situations. We are constantly looking for the truth, looking for the light, and this will always be a part of human nature. Even as a child, we were always curious about things around us and that has not changed and will never change.

The tune of the song is very catchy making the song very memorable a long time after listening to it. Lang’s vocals are excellent throughout the whole song and one can easily hear why her vocals won a Grammy for this song. The video clip, which you can see above, is in black and white and is a re-creation of the Samuel Beckett play, Waiting For Godot. Throughout the entire video, the connection between the lyrics of the song and the actors’ desperation is evident.

I really hope you appreciate the beauty of this song as much as I do.

Lyrics can be accessed here.

Chords can be accessed here.

Feel free to comment on this song and/or my review below.

Subscribe to the All Time Classic Songs newsletter today and you’ll receive a FREE copy of my brand new e-book “The 30 Greatest Love Songs of All Time.” Limited time only!