Unless you’re a massive James Bond fan, then you have probably haven’t heard of this song. Licence To Kill is theme song of the Bond film of the same name, which was released in 1989. Up until recently, this was one of the Bond films I hadn’t seen and given that I’d heard bad reviews of the film, I didn’t expect much. Surprisingly, the movie was quite good and one of the things I liked about it was this theme song by Gladys Knight.

Now I’m obsessed with it a bit. It’s just so good on so many levels. It’s very catchy and not easily forgettable. If you haven’t heard it, please listen it by clicking on the video at the bottom.

Naturally, this got me interested in Gladys Knight and whose career I hadn’t really explored. I find it incredible that despite my knowledge and interest in Motown, that she hadn’t crossed by radar up until now. The career she’s had is quite amazing.

For a large part of her career, she was the main singer of RnB/soul vocal group Gladys Knight & The Pips. Over 3 decades, the group had a number of hits which included 21 songs which charted in the Top 20 of either the US or UK chart. One of their biggest hits was “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” which they released before Marvin Gaye’s more famous version. It became a hit on its own, but it was toppled by Gaye’s version and has since become his signature song. The longevity and greatness of this group was recognised when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

The group disbanded in 1989, and in that same year, Gladys Knight was chosen to record the theme song of the newest James Bond movie of the same name starring Timothy Dalton. It reached number 6 on the UK chart but it didn’t chart in the US (which was because the movie was not a box-office success in the US).

There have been so many great Bond theme songs over the years, but this one, is up there with the very best. To feel and sense the raw power and beauty of this song, put the volume up and enjoy the song Licence To Kill.

Christmas is slowly approaching and there is probably no better time to write about some of the Best Christmas Songs going around. Out of the thousands of Christmas-themed songs that have been produced over the years, I’ve chosen what I believe to be the 10 Best Christmas Songs. However, the one rule that I kept in mind while compiling this list was not including “traditional Christmas carols.” The focus of this list was pop songs which became famous at the time of their release and/or continue to receive airplay on the radio during the Christmas season.

I really hope you enjoy this list of Christmas songs and add them to your collection if you haven’t yet done so. Keep in mind that they are in no particular order.

1. Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms

I can’t count the number of Christmas movies this song has featured in. First released by Bobby Helms in 1957, it has become one of the most played songs during the Christmas season. It’s catchy, it’s groovy and it’s fun to sing along to.

2. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! by Dean Martin

The strangest thing about this song is that the song never actually mentions Christmas. In fact, it wasn’t even the intention of the songwriters to mention Christmas because they were Jewish. Nevertheless, the theme of snow falling transformed it into a Christmas song that is heard frequently on the radio during Christmas time.

3. White Christmas by Bing Crosby

According to Guinness World Records, this song is the highest selling single of all time with more than 50 million copies sold, which is absolutely staggering. Recorded in 1942, it has become possibly the most famous Christmas song ever recorded and continues to sell like it did all those years ago. I personally did not find anything special about this song, but if you give it time and a couple of listens, you will eventually feel its magic.

4. Merry Christmas Darling by The Carpenters

Karen Carpenter’s sweet voice shines through in this beautiful Christmas song about someone wishing their lover was there with them to celebrate the occasion. One of the Best Christmas Songs for couples who are not able to be together for the festive event.

5. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee

Another one of those Christmas songs which you seem to hear on just about every single Hollywood Christmas movie on TV. It’s very catchy and is a favorite during the festive season.

6. It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas by Perry Como

Once again, this song never ceases to get airplay during the Christmas season and is typically found on countless movies about Christmas. It’s fun, it’s jovial and never fails to put a smile on your face.

7. Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano

Lyrically, it is one of most simple songs ever written. It consists of two parts. Firstly, “Feliz Navidad, prospero ano y felicidad” which translates to “Merry Christmas, prosperous year and happiness.” The second part goes like this: “I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart.” That’s it. Put together with an easy to follow beat, this song is always heard during the Christmas season.

8. It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year by Andy Williams

The title of the song says it all: It is the most wonderful time of the year and one of the Best Christmas Songs ever written. This song will forever be loved by millions around the world.

9. All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey

The most modern Christmas song in this list, yet it truly deserves its place among a list of classic Christmas tunes. It’s a happy, upbeat song about what Christmas is really about. In it, the protagonist does not wants presents or lights, all she wants for Christmas is to be with her lover. Sometimes we forget that Christmas is not just about getting gifts but about spending quality time with the ones you love. A song which never ceases to put a smile on my face.

10. Last Christmas by Wham!

This is personally my favorite Christmas song of all time. Catchy rhythm, wonderful lyrics and beautiful video. Strangely enough, the song is not entirely about Christmas but about someone getting their heart broken during Christmas. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter, because the song’s magic shines through and we can keep on singing:

“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart,
but the very next day, you gave it away.
This year, to save me from tears,
I’ll give it to someone special.”

I hope you enjoyed this list of the Best Christmas Songs and in the meantime, I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas.

On the day of his memorial service, I’ve decided to write a special article on Michael Jackson, the King Of Pop. There are simply few words that adequately describe the impact this one singer has had on music. The fact that there are few musicians touched or influenced by his music says a lot about him. He was simply a musical genius. A once in a generation artist. Elvis Presley and The Beatles are the only other 2 musical entities that could possibly compare with him.

However, as with other geniuses, he wasn’t without his flaws. The fact is that geniuses are named such, because they are so good at one thing, that they are weak in others. Michael Jackson was one of these people. While personal controversies and financial problems dominated the last decade of his life, we can never forget how his music made us feel. His music will live on.

Beginnings

Michael began his extraordinary musical career with the Jackson 5, a group formed by his older brother, Jermaine. His vocal and musical talent was so evident from a young age that he took over Jermaine’s role as lead singer and became the most popular music group in the late 60s and early 70s with hits such as “ABC”, “I’ll Be There” and “I Want You Back.” It was during this time that Michael had a his first number one hit in the United States with “Ben”.

In the late 70s, he decided to embark on a solo career and teamed with record producer Quincy Jones to start producing his fifth solo album, Off The Wall. Little did they know that their partnership would produce 3 of the biggest and most influential albums in music history. Off The Wall became a huge commercial success with 4 top 10 hits in the US including 2 number one hits, “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” and “Rock With You.”

Peak

His peak came with the release of Thriller in 1982, which became the biggest selling album of all time with reportedly more than 100 million units sold. It was because of this unprecedented feat that he became known as the King Of Pop. While the album as a whole is recognized as a musical and technical masterpiece, 2 songs stand out. The title song is accompanied by what is known as the greatest and most innovative music video ever made. Before Thriller, music videos were never seriously used as a domain for artistic movies. This one video changed that forever.

The other song that stands out is “Billie Jean”. It is arguably his magnum opus and I consider it to be the first song that launched modern RnB to the prominence it has today. His most defining moment came at the Motown 25 special where he reunited with his brothers and sang their hits. However, it was his performance of “Billie Jean” that took the world by storm and where he performed his trademark moonwalk for the first time ever. Enjoy this breath taking performance from the King Of Pop.

Following Thriller, he released Bad in 1987, which wasn’t as commercially successful as Thriller but sold more than 30 million copies and became the first album to provide 5 number one hits in the US, a record that stands until today. The subsequent Bad world tour took almost 2 years and visiting every continent on the planet.

4 years later, Michael Jackson released Dangerous, an equally successful album, which spawned hits such as “Black or White” and “Remember The Time.” He then embarked on a more extensive world tour, one that would take him to more places than his previous Tour.

Decline

Unfortunately, the tour was cut short for 2 reasons. Firstly, his health was deteriorating and secondly, allegations that he had molested a 13 year old had surfaced. 1993 could be considered the year that the career of the King Of Pop started to go downhill, both personally and professionally. The child molestation case was settled out of court but it seemed to permanently damage his image.

The term “Wacko Jacko” was first coined by the media during this period of the 90s due to his seemingly weird and strange things that he would do. The changing of the color of his skin didn’t help matters either.

His 1994 marriage to Lisa Marie Presley shocked the world but was never taken seriously by the general media despite their professions of love. So it didn’t come as a surprise that they would divorce just 2 years later. He re-married in 1996 to his nurse Debbie Rowe which yielded 2 children. However, this only lasted until 1999.

On the professional front, his HIStory album didn’t live up to expectations and he went into hiatus for 6 years until the release of Invincible in 2001. Despite reportedly costing more than $30 million to produce, it didn’t live up to the hype and the writing seemed to be on the wall for his career.

Just 3 years later, Michael Jackson would be fighting charges of molesting another boy in a Californian court which, over a number of weeks, became a media circus. At the end, he was acquitted of all charges, however, the damage had been done.

He went into recluse in Bahrain and relinquished control of his Neverland Ranch. Furthermore, details emerged about the terrible state of his financial affairs. According to many reports, he was at least $500 million in the red and all this despite owning some of the biggest music catalogue such as that of the Beatles.

Just when it seemed that the King of Pop would not sing professionally again, he announced his comeback in March 2009 in London, where he would do 10 shows in London. These would be his curtain call. A high level of demand for tickets meant that these were increased to 50 shows, and set records for ticket sales. It was to be one of the most anticipated series of concerts in music history.

However, a little less than 3 weeks before his first show, he suffered cardiac arrest and died suddenly in Los Angeles. He was only 50.

Legacy

There’s little doubt that Michael Jackson has left a legacy that will last for all time. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t have one of his records or like his music. His music touched millions of people worldwide and he enjoyed massive popularity the world over. His music united different cultures, different peoples and different languages.

Perhaps, in the last couple of years, his personal and financial dilemmas overshadowed the brilliant musical career he had. Now that he is gone, we can remember him more for his great innovative music.

We can choose to be sad that such his life was cut short and perhaps unfairly.

Or we can choose to be happy that he left us with music and moments that continues to make us feel good.

I’d rather choose the former, hands down.

RIP the King of Pop (1958-2009)

Written by: Johanna Piggott, Marc Hunter & Todd Hunter
Released: 1988

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

I feel that as an Australian, I have a responsibility to showcase the country’s best musicians and songs so that the rest of the world can appreciate their talents and experience their music. There are 2 types of Australian artists. Firstly, an artist that was a huge star in Australia and made waves in other major markets such as Savage Garden, Men At Work & Little River Band. On the other hand, you have artists that were extremely popular in Australia but for some reason never made waves overseas (or at least have a significant impact). John Farnham is one of the latter.

Over the last 40 or so years, John Farnham has been Australia’s leading male singer. Starting his career as teen idol in the 1960s, he has been a force to be reckoned with in the Australian music industry. As with all other artists, he has had his ups and downs in terms of commercial success but his longevity has made him a household name.

Some of his songs including “Age of Reason” are musically and lyrically outstanding songs which, had he been known in more countries, would have been, in my opinion, big hits. It has even been said that he rejected the song “We Built This City” which eventually became a US number 1 hit for Starship. Maybe he’s regretting that mistake. Nevertheless, it’s a shame that his outstanding voice is not well known outside Australia.

Focusing on the 80s song “Age of Reason”, the lyrics deals with humankind’s desire and necessity to create a new era of peace and prosperity or as the songs says, an new age of reason. The protagonist emphasizes that this new age brings a lot of hope and that its realization is in our hands. The song’s message about world peace is not something you find in today’s music which is what sets this song apart. The highlight of this song by far is John Farnham’s voice which carries a tinge of sadness and desperation which only emphasise the positive message in this song.

I hope you are all able to appreciate this wonderful song as much as I do.

You can access the lyrics by clicking here.

Comment on this post below.

Written by: Gerry Beckley & Dewey Bunnell
Released: 1982

US Charts: #8
UK Charts: N/A
Other Charts: N/A

It’s amazing how your interpretation of a song can be very different from what it really is about, yet upon discovering this, you choose to stick to your original interpretation because it what gave the song meaning and a special significance for you. The first time I heard the America song “You Can Do Magic”, it was at a seminar about personal development and as a result, I interpreted the song as being a song of encouragement that anyone can do ‘magic’ and achieve anything they want in life if you put your head to it. However, the song was not really about this at all.

Just before writing this post I looked up the exact lyrics of the song and realized how wrong my interpretation was all this time. And I ended up pretty disappointed. In reality, the song deals with the protagonist who feels lost and down, and whose life completely changes when he meets the girl of his dreams. The “you can do magic” part is actually addressed to this girl and how her presence can dramatically change the way he’s feeling. As you can see, both interpretations are very different.

Nevertheless, my original interpretation will remain with me because this is in my opinion a great encouraging. In a time where many people are in doubt about their futures and their capabilities, this song is a constant reminder that anyone can do anything if they really want it. Personal development is one of my other passions apart from music, and the role that music can play in putting people in the right state of mind should not be underestimated.

Focusing on the band America, “You Can Put Magic” was their first top 10 hit in 7 years and peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Charts. America are probably more well-known for their 70s hits “The Horse With No Name” and Sister Golden Hair”, making this song one of their most forgotten classics. I hope you appreciate this great motivational song as much as I do.

You can access lyrics here.

You can access chords here.

Comment on this post below.

More from America

Written by: Brian Wilson & Mike Love
Released: 1965

US Charts: #3
UK Charts: #26
Other Charts: (N/A)

The opening piano tune of the classic 60s song “California Girls” from the Beach Boys immediately puts you in a relaxed frame of mind to take you to a far away, tropical and tranquil beach, a paradise of some sorts and the stuff of dreams. Once you’re in such a place, the rest of the song is logical and speaks for itself. It’s a song that truly lives up to the name of the band, with even Brian Wilson referring to the song as the band’s signature song on one occasion. It’s very catchy and very fun to sing along, yet like a lot of other 60s songs it ends a bit too quickly.

The song was written by the band’s lead singer and legendary musician Brian Wilson during his first LSD experience. Sometimes I find it amazing how many great iconic songs have been written under the influence of drugs. While I do not tolerate drugs whatsoever and strongly condemn its use, I wonder if we would have ever been exposed to some of these great songs if it weren’t for drugs. Is it any coincidence that many of the greatest bands and artists used drugs? I personally find that fascinating. In fact, it’ll probably be the subject of my next post so keep an eye out for that.

Back to “California Girls”, the song deals essentially with beach culture, and more specifically Californian beach culture and of course, the girls. The protagonist describes his journey across the United States and other countries and the types of wonderful girls that he has seen in every part. He then wishes that all these great girls could be Californian girls, from where he is from.

“California Girls” was another smash hit in the summer of 1965 for the Beach Boys peaking at number #3 on the US Billboard Charts. It was also the first song to highlight a more experimental sound, which would be very prominent in their future albums such as Pet Sounds and Smile. It’s another classic 60s song that will be forever tied to the beach and to the joys of summer. Enjoy!

Lyrics can be accessed here.

Chords can be accessed here.

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

Written by: Daryl Hall & John Oates
Released: 1984

US Charts: #1 (2 weeks)
UK Charts: #48
Other Charts: N/A

I stumbled into this classic 80s song from Hall & Oates by chance last night as I was listening to the radio while doing some work. It was the first time I’d heard it and I immediately fell in love with the song’s catchy chorus and desperately tried to find the name of the song and artist. I soon realized that the song I’d just heard was a 2004 remake of the song. But as soon as I knew that it was originally a Hall & Oates, I decided to delve head first into their career and listen to as many of their tracks as possible. Boy, what I was missing out on!

The truth is that I had heard of Hall & Oates before while scanning through past Billboard charts, however, I’d never gone around to listening to their music closely. So I spent about 2 hours last night going through a lot of their major hit songs and reading up on their history. I had no idea that Hall & Oates are considered the highest-selling duo in music history. How I missed out on their music is a mystery. But how glad am I to have been exposed to their music!

I’m sure you can share my experience of literally “discovering” an artist for the first time, going through their albums and being gob smacked. I strongly recommend all music lovers, especially 80s music lovers, to listen to Hall & Oates if you haven’t yet done so. You won’t regret it!

Focusing on the song itself, “Out of Touch” was Hall & Oates’ sixth and final number 1 hit on the US Billboard Charts. Much like their previous albums, it is a dance song with a catchy rhythm and catchy chorus. In fact, I would go as far as to say it is quite addictive once you get into it. It’s a great song to dance to at an 80s-themed party, let alone any party.

Lyrics-wise, the song deals with the highs and lows of personal relationships. It describes how sometimes a lover can be “out of touch” with their partner, but that they go crazy when they’re apart. The protagonist is resigned to the fact that they are better off together than apart.

However, it’s unlikely that you will pay much attention to the lyrics given the catchy rhythm of the song. That’s what really caught my attention. And it will catch yours and even make you dance. So put the volume up, watch the video above and enjoy!

Lyrics can be accessed here.

Chords can be accessed here.

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

Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Released: 1984

US Charts: #2
UK Charts: #4
Other Charts: #1 (The Netherlands), #5 (Australia)

You can watch the music video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk8VZgJkpeg

The most surprising fact about “Dancing In The Dark” is that it was the last song to be written and recorded for Bruce Springsteen’s biggest album, Born In The U.S.A. Springsteen wrote the song after an argument with his producer and manager John Landau who insisted that while the album was great, he wanted a guaranteed hit song as the first single. Springsteen didn’t agree, nonetheless, he wrote the song afterwards and combined with his frustration with completing the album, the lyrics flowed out relatively quickly.

While “Dancing In The Dark” became the most commercially successful single of Springsteen’s career, it was also different to his previous songs and the typical Springsteen sound. The song incorporated up-tempo synthesizer riffs which were common in the 80s, and which is why I think it became such a big mainstream hit in 1984.

Unfortunately, the song could only reach number 2 on the Billboard charts due to 2 other huge hits during the summer of 1984 (Duran Duran’s “The Reflex” and Prince’s “When Doves Cry”). On another occasion, this song would have easily reached number 1. Apart from the United States, it was also a big hit in many other countries, reaching number 4 in the UK and number 5 in Australia.

“Dancing In The Dark” is considered to be one of the great songs of the 1980’s especially when you’re in the mood for dancing. The music video, which also became one of the most recognizable videos of the decade, features Springsteen doing a live performance who then invites a young 20-year-old fan by the name of Courteney Cox on stage to dance with him towards the end of the video.

You can watch the video via the link below. Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk8VZgJkpeg

Lyrics can be accessed here.

Chords can be accessed here.

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

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.

More from East 17

]]> http://www.alltimeclassicsongs.com/ballads/stay-another-day-east-17/feed/ 0 http://www.alltimeclassicsongs.com/ballads/into-the-night-benny-mardones/ http://www.alltimeclassicsongs.com/ballads/into-the-night-benny-mardones/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:30:31 +0000 martinsejas http://alltimeclassicsongs.com/?p=252

Written by: Benny Mardones & Robert Tepper
Released: 1980

US Charts: #11
UK Charts: N/A
Other Charts: N/A

It never ceases to amaze me how some singers or bands only have one hit song and then fade away into obscurity. The question that is always asked is: why? Just when you think an artist or band have gotten their big break, they cannot seem to reproduce the feat. “Into The Night” by Benny Mardones is a great example of this. In fact, I was not able to find a lot of information about any other songs Mardones made during this career. Despite this, “Into The Night” is a great 80s song to chill out to and that’s all that really matters.

What you may not know is that “Into The Night” is only one of two songs in the history of the Billboard charts to reach the Top 20 on 2 separate occasions. It was released in 1980 for the first time and peaked at number 11. After this, Mardones faded into obscurity seemingly never to return again. He didn’t return, but his song did. In 1989, an Arizona DJ put his song on his radio’s playlist as the result of a segment called “Where Are They Now?” So it’s ironic that his status as a one hit wonder led to radio putting his song on their playlist. This time, the song peaked at number 20 on the Billboard charts.

Lyric-wise, the song deals with a man being in love with a person much younger than yourself, in this case, a sixteen year old girl. The protagonist goes on to explain that the people against this love are fools that know nothing about love. You may have been in such a position yourself once. Even if you haven’t, you will surely understand that love can conquer all barriers, even age differences.

I really hope you adore this song as much as I do. “In The Night” by Benny Mardones may be a one hit wonder, but that’s irrelevant when you have a classic 80s song.

Lyrics can be accessed here.

Chords can be accessed here.

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

More from Benny Mardones

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