30 June 2023 - Madonna - Like A Prayer

This song started life like most others.

As a Pepsi commercial.

No, seriously.

Madonna wanted to use the commercial to launch her song, before its release to MTV and radio as a single.  She had somewhat stepped back from music for a couple of years, but in 1989, she was ready to make a splash. 

The commercial was a hit.

The next day, she released this video to MTV.

Because of the controversial use of religous imagery, an immediate boycott of Pepsi, including their brands like KFC and Taco Bell, was called by Christian groups.  Pepsi resonded by dropping Madonna.

MTV responded by playing the video even more.  

The song is widely regarded as one of Madonna's best, and its chart performance supports that - it was a #1 song in the US for three weeks and a huge hit worldwide.  

As huge a hit as it was, the song itself was also huge, and never is that more apparent than when performed live - like this performance in Miami.  The song employs the use of a choir, and having that choir in the room, live, just adds to the depth and majesty of the song.

(Update: 13 September 2023) Pepsi has now reversed course and do recognize the genius of the commercial - with an updated commercial.

29 June 2023 - The Cranberries - Zombie

On the 20th of March in 1993, the second of two bomb attacks happened in Warrington, Cheshire, England.  The Irish Republican Army, a group who was trying to pressure the UK into pulling out of Northern Ireland, claimed responsibilty for the attack, which killed Johnathan Ball, aged 3, and Tim Parry, aged 12.

Why am I opening this post like this?   

Because "Zombie" was written in response to that attack,   

You see, Irish band The Cranberries were on a tour bus near the explosion. so it really hit home for Dolores O'Riordan.  She wrote this song very quickly and the band immediately started performing it live, also adding it to their second album.  In fact, here they are, performing the song in January 1994, a full nine months before the song was on any album.

While all this was going on, the band's first album was blowing up (figuratively) and they were becoming the band of the moment, with videos in heavy rotation on MTV and hits on the pop charts - so their second album was hotly anticipated.  When it was released, it became a smash hit, topping charts worldwide and bringing the band's second album, No Need To Argue, with it.

The song, a grungy departure from the band's style, was loaded with political overtones that were largely lost on the US audience.  They were NOT lost on the UK audience, and the band was heavily criticized by some for them in the press.  Who did NOT criticize the band were the families of Johnathan Ball and Tim Parry, who thanked the band for their song and for its magesty and real lyrics.  

The Cranberries are no more, ending with the 2018 death of Dolores O'Riordan, but she didn't lose a bit of passion right up until the moment she died (which was during a recording session).  Here's the band in 2016, more than 20 years after the song was written, performing the song with equal passion as the day it was first performed.

28 June 2023 - Metallica - Nothing Else Matters

This is a week of a lot of firsts for us.  Here's another: our first Metallica post.

We chose a well-known and relatively not-metal song for this first post, for reasons.  But it's a song with a story.

Written by James Hetfield (who also gave Lars Ulrich a credit for insisting upon bringing it to the band), it wasn't intended to be for Metallica - and in fact, Hetfield was hesitant to bring it forward, as it's a love song (about his girlfriend at the time).  On the recording, Hetfield gave lead guitarist Kirk Hammett a break and took the guitaring duties himself (of course, by the time they hit the tour, Hammett had to learn the song). 

The song ended up being released as the 3rd single from Metallica's eponymous fifth album that featured a very black cover.  It was a huge hit for the band, nearly making the US Top 10 (unheard of for such a heavy band).

The song was rerecorded by the band in 1999 with an orchestral accompanyment by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.  This version ended up being a European Top 10 hit.  This version, in my opinion, does a better job at building - but there were 100 more instruments used in this version, so I guess that's a reason why.  

As part of a celebration of the 30th anniversary of what was commonly called The Black Album, Metallica recorded this song with Miley Cyrus, who had famously covered it, on Howard Stern's show.  

It was incredible.

We like to highlight when bands are still performing their songs - and thanks to YouTube, we have a video from literally this month of the band performing it in Göteborg, Sweden - and not missing a beat.

27 June 2023 - Ashley O - On a Roll

I know some of you are seeing the title of this post and having one and only one reaction:  We know.  There's plenty of precedent here, though. 

Ashley O was the biggest star on the planet - a huge pop star that people could not get enough of, including Rachel, her biggest fan (although Rachel's sister, Jack, wasn't really on board), so much so that there was a toy marketed that mimic's Ashley's personality. Ashley's success was orchestated by her controling aunt, who didn't pay attention to Ashley's desire to perform in a different style. Tragically, Ashley fell into a coma and her fans worldwide mourned her.  

If this sounds like an episode of Black Mirror, that's because it is.  And when I first heard "On A Roll" in the episode titled "Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too", I sat right up and said "That is "Head Like A Hole"' without hesitation.  

Three things immediately came to mind.

1) It was way better than I expected it to be.  Miley Cyrus, who played Ashley O in the episode, also recorded singles as the character, which she had never ever done before,  She freaking nailed it.  And, since the song was a worldwide hit, it's clear that I'm not the only one who thought so.  Were the lyrics ridiculous? I mean, the song is full of ambition and verve, but they read like a motivational poster.  It's still a bop.

2) There's no way Trent Reznor was OK with this.  I was wrong about that.  Not only was he on board with the lyrical and stylistic rewrite of arguably his best song - by Black Mirror creator and showrunner Charlie Booker and Cyrus - he released Black Mirror-themed merchandise for sale himself.  

3) Son of a bitch, this is gonna be our third Miley post this year.  

Ashley O made an appearance at the 2019 Glastonbury music festival - complete with glitter and A hat.  Not gonna like - we're here for this.  It's really a solid performance of what was supposed to be a vapid song.

26 June 2023 - Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole

This far in, and this is the first NIN we post.  Wow.  Looks like we have a long way to go here.  

(We have posts scheduled into 2026 (so far), so I wouldn't sweat us leaving anytime soon).

This song was the 2nd single from the Nine Inch Nails (which, let's face it, is Trent Reznor) debut album, Pretty Hate Machine.  It was industrial, it was metal, and yet it was unlike anything else released in 1989.  Radio didn't QUITE know what to do with so much angry, accessible energy, but it was still a US and UK alternative hit.  

Its popularity has grown over the years, of course - it is their most covered song, and it's beloved by Rachels, Jacks and Ashleys everywhere.  

This song remains popular today, and is usually the closing song at live shows.  This is the performance from the Woodstock '94 festival, and it is a doozy.  Yes, there is a full band - Trent cannot do everything live.  All he can do is embody the angry, muddy angst of the crowd,

23 June 2023 - Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Pump It Up

I mean, after we posted what we did yesterday, you had to know we'd post this well-known song by Elvis Costello & The Attractions today.  A great man once said that he was OK with it and that's how rock and roll works.

This is fine by me, Billy.
It’s how rock and roll works. You take the broken pieces of another thrill and make a brand new toy. That’s what I did. #subterreaneanhomesickblues #toomuchmonkeybusiness

— Elvis Costello (@ElvisCostello) June 28, 2021

This song was released in 1978, so more than 2 Olivia Rodrigos ago, but is still really well-known today.  There's a good reason for that - it's a great song.  Costello's hashtags are in reference to two songs HE himself used to influence this song.  

Costello, of course, still performs this song live.   Here he is, teamed up on an unusual live performance with Juanes, giving this timeless song a biligual refresh.

22 June 2023 - Olivia Rodrigo - brutal

Wow, did Olivia Rodrigo have a couple of great years, and to her, we say "good for you!"  Her debut album, Sour, won a Grammy (Best Pop Vocal Album) and, somehow for an American artist, a Juno (there's an award for International Album of the Year given yearly).

This song, the fifth and final single from the album, is not a pop song at all.  It's more grnuge than pop, and actually got a lot of rock and alternative radio airplay.  Because it is an Olivia Rodrigo song, it was STILL a top 20 pop hit, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Written by Rodrigo and producer Dan Nigro, the song is simply dripping with teen angst (almost as if she was in some sort of misery business) and frustration.  The guitar riff sounds like something straight out of an Elvis Costello song - specifically, "Pump It Up" - but don't worry.  He doesn't care (and is on record saying that).  At any rate, the song is not what one would expect out of a 17-year-old songwriter, who is mature beyond her years and is destined for a long and acclaimed career (we hope).

The video is a Gen Z surreal masterpiece.  Just.... watch.

 

 In 2022, Rodrigo recorded a documentary, recorded on a road trip from Salt Lake City, called Olivia Rodrigo: Driving Home 2 U, for Disney+. As part of this, she recorded new versions of several songs with her live band, including this one.  We think this performance is a true masterpiece, and shows better than the video the raw angst that the song is trying to capture. 

We probably should have ended the post there, but instead, here's a 2021 performance of the song showing Rodrigo showing the exact opposite of angst - she clearly enjoys performing this song.