Welcome back to another edition of Shuffle! where I discuss random songs under a random category and bring it all together for a perfect shuffle!
This is Part Three of a three part blog series under the category of Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame nominees for 2021. The ceremony will take place in October of this year. To cast your vote on a daily basis, go to https://vote.rockhall.com/ and let your vote be counted for your favorites! On with my Shuffle!
Next Nominee:
“Mama Said Knock You Out” LL Cool J. I do love LL for many reasons. First, he is hot AF. Second his old school rap was fun and he is a great actor too! This song was a huge hit for him back in 1990! Do I think he should be in the Hall of Fame this year? Not this year, too young and my favorites have to make it first! Per Wiki: LL Cool J stands for “Ladies Love Cool James”! I also did not know he was the first rapper to receive a Kennedy Centers Honor award in 2017.
#MamaSaidKnockYouOut #LLCoolJ #OldSchoolRap #LadiesLoveCoolJames #Rapper
Next Nominee:
“Bang the Drum All Day” Todd Rundgren. I am familiar with his hits because of being a bartender for many years and a bar patron as well. He is one of those singers from the seventies that just seemed to always be around when a jukebox was nearby. I would say he is a classic rock staple for sure. Between this song, “Hello It’s Me” and “I Saw the Light”. I love how androgynous he was back in the seventies. Kind of like a softer David Bowie look. He is also a music producer. Per Wiki: “His notable production credits include Badfinger‘s Straight Up (1971), Grand Funk Railroad‘s We’re an American Band (1973), the New York Dolls‘ New York Dolls (1973), Meat Loaf‘s Bat Out of Hell (1977), and XTC‘s Skylarking (1986).” Now that is an impressive little resume of production credits if I do say so myself! I’m honestly realizing his music influence as a whole this very moment BUT, he isn’t my top five choices. But he definitely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame at some point.
#BangTheDrumAllDay #ToddRundgren #HelloItsMe #ISawTheLight #Androgynous #DavidBowie #Badfinger #GrandFunkRailroad #NewYorkDolls #MeatLoaf #BatOutOfHell #XTC
Next Nominee:
“Everlong” Foo Fighters. I have always been impressed with these guys. And of course creating this band out of Nirvana and being successful must have been a great achievement to the lead singer, Dave Grohl. Dave was the drummer in a little band called Nirvana. After that epic start to your career it would have been easy to just fade into the dark and live off that catalog but no, Dave went on to lead one of the best alternative rock bands of today. I also love him in interviews. He is so down to earth and very funny. His mom is a hoot too when they were on Stephen Colbert. I have also caught some live performances on YouTube and they are great live with unexpected covers such as “Never Gonna Give You Up” with Rick Astley! Should they be in the Hall of Fame. Yes, but not yet! Way too young! But I do love them and their music. Fun fact per Wiki: “The group took its name from “Foo fighter“, a nickname coined by Allied aircraft pilots for UFOs and other aerial phenomena.”
#Everlong #FooFighters #Nirvana #DaveGrohl #Drummer #LeadSinger #StephenColbert #RickAstley #NeverGonnaGiveYouUp #UFO
“Run to the Hills” Iron Maiden. Iron Maiden is one of heavy metal’s respected bands for sure. You can put them in the “hair metal” category but I think they go beyond that for sure. They are known for their amazing stage show that features their mascot “Eddie” who has appeared on almost all their album covers. Now let’s talk about this song which is a favorite of mine (Bruce Dickinson’s vocals on this are pretty epic) but it’s also a history lesson for sure. Here is the breakdown of the song per Wiki: “The song documents the colonization of the Americas, first by Europeans and then by Americans, from the perspective of a Cree Indian and American cavalryman. The opening verse is from the perspective of the Cree, describing his troubles as the European Americans “came across the sea”, bringing the Cree “pain and misery”.[6][7] The song is written from both perspectives,[8] The second verse is from the perspective of a U.S. cavalry soldier, describing his involvement in the American Indian Wars, “chasing the redskins back to their holes”. The third verse is not from the perspective of any single individual, and harshly condemns the effects of American expansionism on Native Americans, resulting in the “[Americans] raping the women and wasting the men”, and “enslaving the young and destroying the old”.” Who says you can’t learn anything from heavy metal? Should they be in the Hall of Fame, yes, someday, but they are not part of my five picks that the site allows each fan voter.
#RunToTheHills #IronMaiden #Eddie #Mascot #NativeAmericans #Colonization #Europeans #CreeIndian #EuropeanAmericans #CalvaryMen #AmericanIndianWars
“Turn to You” The Go-Go’s. Of course I love The Go-Go’s! Who doesn’t? They are fun, talented, infectious and defined the eighties in so many ways. They were an all girl power group and rocked just as well as the boys did and then some! They were pioneers in some respects (although The Runaways paved the way for them as well) and started out in the punk scene before heading over to the Top 40 charts. Per Wiki: “The band is the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts.” Their big hits are “Our Lips Are Sealed”, “Vacation” and “Head Over Heels” but I choose “Turn to You” because it has become a new favorite of mine in recent years plus the video is a hoot with their lesbian chic looks and their tongue in cheek style.
#TurnToYou #TheGoGos #OurLipsAreSealed #Vacation #HeadOverHeels #Punk #TheRunaways #GirlGroup #GirlPower #LesbianChic #TongueInCheek #Female #AllFemaleRockBand
Last but never least Nominee:
“Heartbreaker” Dionne Warwick. I simply adore Ms. Warwick. If you aren’t following her on Twitter, start today! She has recently exploded on the Twitterverse as everyone’s “Auntie” as she navigates between the rules of Twitter, meeting fellow celebs and learning the lingo of the Twittersphere. Beyond that, the woman’s career has spanned multiple decades. Per Wiki: “Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on Billboard‘s Hot 100 pop singles chart. She is one of the most-charted female vocalists of all time, with 56 of her singles making the Hot 100 between 1962 and 1998 (12 of them Top Ten), and 80 singles in total – either solo or collaboratively – making the Hot 100, R&B and/or adult contemporary charts.” So needless to say she belongs in the Hall of Fame and she is one of my five choices for this year. So get her in there people! I chose “Heartbreaker” cause it reminds me of my youth listening to 45’s with my best friend Brian back in my hometown of Bucyurs, Ohio. Later in the late 90’s, I was living with that very same best friend in Boston and he owned her box set and that is when I discovered her vast catalog previous to the eighties. “Walk on By”, “I Say A Little Prayer” and “Don’t Make Me Over” are some other favorites. Of course she is also know as Whitney Houston’s aunt. She was an early supporter of the AIDS/HIV community with her hit that she made with Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and Elton John “That’s What Friends Are For”. Per Wiki: “This recording, billed as being by “Dionne & Friends”, was released as a charity single for AIDS research and prevention. It was a massive hit, becoming the number-one single of 1986 in the United States, and winning the Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Song of the Year. It raised over $3 million for its cause.” Dionne Warwick has had an amazing career and I would love to see her in the Hall of Fame while she is still around to appreciate it!
#Heartbreaker #DionneWarwick #Twitter #Twittersphere #Auntie #Boston #BoxSet #WalkOnBy #DontMakeMeOver #ThatsWhatFriendsAreFor #ISayALittlePrayerForYou #DionneAndFriends #AIDS #HIV #StevieWonder #GlaysKnight #EltonJohn #WhitneyHouston
To recap my choices for 2021 Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame are: Tina Turner, Dionne Warwick, Chaka Khan, New York Dolls and Carole King. Who are your choices?
#TinaTurner #ChakaKhan #CaroleKing #RockNRollHallOfFame
That wraps up another edition of Shuffle! Thank you for your support and remember to share, subscribe and comment below.