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thebraingremlinsaremad · 3 years ago

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Daily Blog #6: August 13, 2021

Okay, okay, I know it's a couples days later, but I can assure you that I did not forget; I purposefully, and kinda without a better option, didn't post on Friday, and you'll see why.

So the day started off pretty regularly: I got up, ate breakfast, got a shower, and then sat around playing games and watching YouTube for a bit.

That was until my friend showed up at my house...

He called me and said to come outside, so I did.

It wasn't long until I got into his car, and we started driving.

I definitely should have been more anxious or nervous heading out, but for some reason, I just sat there with my head absentmindedly poking out the window, not really thinking about it.

I really wish I had grasped the situation a little better.

We got down there after an hour and a half of driving and we parked a bit away because there were so many people there, so many people there, in fact, that we just got some food until it calmed down again.

It was gonna be a great fucking concert.

Hella Mega Tour 2021, originally supposed to be Hella Mega Tour 2020, but postponed for obvious reasons.

We shopped for a tiny bit beforehand, not buying anything, and then headed over to the stadium 45 minutes before the concert was set to start. We were let in about 10 minutes later, and we filled our contraband water bottles that we managed to hide on the way in.

We sat there for a bit, me just listening to music on my Redmi Buds 3 pro.

I love these things.

Pretty soon the music started, and it was The Interrupters; everyone was feeling pretty lazy for this bit.

It's not like they were bad or anything, they were actually pretty good, but I guess everyone was just getting situated and didn't wanna bother using up all of their energy lol.

So The Interrupters' set is up, and they tear down the stage and reset it. Before too terribly long, Weezer starts up, and there's a lot bigger reaction from the crowd than there was before: people knew the songs, like Africa, Buddy Holly, Beverly Hills, and Feels Like Summer to name a few.

I was getting into it a bit, I knew a good few of the songs, I was moving along, I sang a bit, took some video.

What's cool is that I could feel myself moving along the scale, like going from no excitement while no one was playing, then tapping my foot and grooving to The Interrupters.

When Weezer first came on, I was just sitting there like, "alright, this is good shit." Towards the end, I was quietly singing Buddy Holly, their last song for the night.

I say quietly because there was a lot more loudness to come.

I should add that, up until this point, the music had been kinda unbearably loud, the highs really piercing and hitting hard.

Additionally, up until this point, I had been trying my best to document the concert with videos and audio recordings; it wasn't so much about enjoying the concert, for I've always been taught just to record stuff and not worry about the concert.

I don't think I've ever really enjoyed any of the concerts I've ever been to; I was there, but I wasn't. I didn't really know too many of the songs, and I had only listened to the artists in passing, not to mention the fact that my mother had been at every other concert I've been to, which is stifling in itself. I really can't enjoy anything when she's around.

But here we were; it was starting to get dark, and Fall out Boy was coming onstage. The crowd was getting into it with Weezer, and it was time for Fall Out Boy. The energy here had far exceeded both Weezer and The Interrupters, and this went for me as well.

I was sitting there, singing along and still occasionally recording, but I didn't have my phone out too much. I started to dance in my seat with every song, for I knew almost every one: Sugar, We're Going Down, Centuries, My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark, Grand Theft Autumn/Where is Your Boy, The Last of the Real Ones, Save Rock And Roll, and Dance, Dance being a few.

Throughout this set, everyone was singing along, but the real fun had yet to begin; the scent of smoke from the flames and fireworks finding its way through the crowd, the music now strong instead of piercing, a sense of unity between everyone in this packed stadium, between people of all walks of life: men, women, children, transgender, cisgender, non-binary, gay, straight, lesbian, ace, black, white, Asian, Mexican, young, old, middle-aged, and everything in between and outside... It didn't matter who you were or where you came from; you were at a fucking party, and everyone was gonna fuck it up once the main act came on stage.

Meanwhile, everyone was more than happy to celebrate with Fall Out Boy and some of their greatest and most memorable tracks.

Part way through Fall Out Boy's set, I decided to get off of my ass and join the growing number of audience members who were really getting into the groove and feeling the music.

It was so close to becoming an explosion of energy once Fall Out Boy was about to leave the stage.

After they left, the set was torn down once again and set up for Green Day.

Their was a low mix of music playing through the speakers all the while things were being set up. Once the stage was set, the music continued for a bit, but was then cut and replaced with a voice and lyrics that everyone knew immediately.

"Is this the real life. Is this just fantasy."

The crowd sings along to every word.

"Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality."

Freddie's voice poured out into the crowd, and the crowd sang them right back.

"Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see"

The song continued, and the whole crowd sang to the very end.

This really goes to show how impactful some people and groups can be on our lives... Although no one at the show was connected to Queen or Freddie Mercury, everyone who came to see these 4 bands still knew this great group.

Once the song was over, a mix of some of the most famous rock anthems began to play:

"We will, we will rock you"

"I love rock and roll"

"Hey, Ho, let's go"

A glorious piece all lead up to the 4 running onstage, Billie Joe Armstrong, Jason White, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool, joined now by 2 new members, Jason Freese and Kevin Preston.

All at once, it was an explosion of strong and passionate guitar jamming, soon followed by the drums and vocals of American Idiot. All at once, the crowd was rocking along with bopping heads, stomping feet, and swaying bodies. I only had my phone out to record for a short moment before I put it away and scarcely removed it from my pants for the rest of the concert.

I couldn't help but feel cocky, as a bi/pansexual (idk which one lmao), being allowed to sing the line,

"Well maybe I'm the faggot America"

I was like, "You straight bastards better not be singing that line 🤣"

It was absolutely incredible; the crowd cheered passionately and wholeheartedly at the end of every song and solo, after every quote from the band.

The coolest part about the concert was the fact that everyone just lost themselves in the music, as well as that everyone, without hesitation, followed what Billie Joe said. He says jump? WE FUCKING JUMPED. He tells us to scream? We. Fucking. Screamed. And when he wanted us to sing, we sang. I mean, okay, we were singing the whole time xD. I'm sure we would've sang if he told us to and we weren't already doing so lmao. What he said was our law, and we were doing our jobs as the dutiful citizens of Suburbia by following those laws.

It really is hard to express the level of pure energy at this gathering, especially when it radiates from every point in the packed stadium.

I screamed so loud and hard, and sang so long and passionately, that my voice started to go. But. Guess. What.

When you're at a place like this, no matter what, you just have this insatiable urge to keep going no matter what. When my arm got tired of throwing my fist in the air, I kept fucking going and even used the other arm too.

It's such a strange feeling when you feel like you're about to give out, like your voice is gonna break, or you're gonna collapse from dehydration and exhaustion, but you find around you the strength and power to keep on going, no matter how quickly your vocal health deteriorates.

Ask my friend, I couldn't speak properly after that shit xD. He even threatened to send a video of me talking to my choral teacher, who honestly would have been mad at me lmao.

Meanwhile, Green Day is playing some of their greatest hits, old and new alike, and I knew every single fucking one of them. I sang every song, and only took a break between 2 of them to down my whole bottle of contraband water in 3 seconds flat.

At one point, the band stopped playing, and Billie spoke into the microphone.

"Get your pretty lights out. I wanna see the pretty lights."

Everyone got their phones out and turned the torches on, as per his command.

"Turn the house lights off."

The lights go off, and the stadium is lit up almost as bright as it had been before, but this time with the lights of thousands.

"Look at that."

It was honestly an incredible moment.

That brings me to another point: when you go to a concert, you're not just paying for the music, you're not just paying to see a band, you're paying for an experience.

Let me tell you, this was one hell of an experience.

If you don't leave a concert feeling fulfilled, then the performers didn't do their job of giving you the experience that you paid to be a part of. I'm so happy that these four bands, especially Green Day, were able to deliver.

I really did love every moment of that show, which is such a rarity for me. I'm really happy that my friend took my mother's place. I can't fucking enjoy everything when she's around.

Oh yes, it wouldn't be one of my daily blogs without me talking about how my mother consistently pisses me off. Don't worry, I have some happy shit left to end on.

I swear to fluff though, she always manages to ruin everything for me. When we went to see The Lion King on Broadway, she insisted on coming with. That meant that I wasn't able to relax in my seat because this disgusting woman was sitting next to me and I had to cram myself to the side of my chair away from her. It meant that I wasn't allowed to cry when Mufasa died or during Can You Feel The Love Tonight because I knew I'd get made fun of for it.

I even went to a Fall Out Boy concert before, her refusing to let me go myself, and I didn't sing a single song because she'd just tell me to let the professionals handle it.

And for fuck's sake, the time she compared me trying to fucking validate my existence as a trans person to her wanting a car... That will always fucking piss me off.

Sorry, I got sidetracked. I was talking about how she ruins everything for me.

I literally cannot be myself around her. I've always been judged and ridiculed by my parents, and still am. I can't enjoy anything when they're around because I'm too focused on trying not to get made fun of or yelled at.

That being said, that concert was absolutely fucking incredible. I was with thousands of people who felt the same way that I did, and I could fucking jam out if I wanted to.

Apart from everyone being really on top of their game, and Billie Joe basically not aging since he turned 25, the only really notable thing left to say about the performance was when they pulled a kid guitarist onstage. He played for a bit, and they ended up letting him keep the guitar lmao.

BEST PART IS:

I SAW THE KID AFTER THE CONCERT, AND I WAS LIKE,

"Omg, hey, can I get a selfie with you?"

I was trying to be really low-key and quiet cuz I didn't wanna draw too much attention to him lmao.

The security guard was like, "Yeah, sure, but hurry up."

I TOOK THE PIC REALLY QUICKLY AND THEN HEADED OUT

HERE IT IS

YES, OF COURSE I BLOCKED OUT MY FACE

But I absolutely love the vibes of this photo xD. It's blurry, the lighting is shit, and you can barely make out any details. It has a lot of character, and I would take this over a clean, clear photo any day.

Walking away, the kid's mom said, "You're like, the coolest kid ever now."

Agreed.

Then it was time to go home. Honestly, I didn't feel sad that it didn't last longer, or disappointed that I had to leave. I was actually very satisfied and fulfilled with what happened, which is honestly the way it should be.

Driving home, I stayed awake by sticking my arm out of the window and letting the cold rain hit fast like tiny needles.

I got home.

I passed out.

Although, that was technically on Saturday 🤔

ANYWAY, THIS IS MY LONG ASS BLOG FOR FRIDAY THE 13TH

I hope you enjoyed

Be good people!!!!

-Leonna

#Concert #Green Day #Fall Out Boy #Weezer #The Interrupters #Green Day Concert #Daily Blog #Blog #Trans #LGBTQ #alternative rock #Alternative #Pop Punk #Punk Rock

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chuckling-chemist · 6 years ago

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Music Meme

So you know that “put your music player on shuffle, and draw only when it’s playing then stop for 10 songs”? Yeah I did that but writing. Went and fixed up the typos plus a bit of quirk stuff, but otherwise it’s about how I wrote it. Stuck under a read more for reasons

1. Come Together - The Beatles

Dumaas was not a small troll. Dumaas never would be a small troll. He stood, a full 7’3” flat footed with tall, imposing horns that stood straight up for what seemed like miles, with a body frame that was all bulk and little else. Every step he took forward was heavy. Other trolls were scared of him. But that’s okay. He was a purpleblood. A subjuggalator. A terror to society both inside and outside the forces of the Inquisition. They should be scared of him. Such was his purpose.

Did that upset others? Perhaps. Certainly upset the pansy-ass little violetbloods he was forced to work with. They didn’t cower, but they held their noses up and looked down on him despite being shorter. One of them in particular, a tall skinny thing who needed more food in particular, might look him down in the eyes whenever they met up, but Dumaas could smell the fear when he arrived on the scene. He hated Dumaas with a passion. That’s how it should be. That was their destiny as purple and violet.

2. The Greatest - Alabama Shakes.

Mayola flopped down onto the couch where Valeba slept on the other end. It woke the lowblood up instantly, who shot a glare over in the seadweller’s general direction.

“What the hell’s that about?” she snapped groggily. Someone was pissed. Not like it was Mayola’s problem.

“Uh….I dunno. Keep you on your toes?”

Valeba rolled her eyes and groaned. She started to settle back into a comfortable sleeping position, stopping immediately as Mayola grabbed a foot to pull her closer and get the lowblood on top of her.

“We’re fucking kismesis, you know.”

“You assume I fuckin’ give a shit.” Mayola grinned, running her tongue over too-sharp teeth. “‘Sides, I wasn’t lookin’ to do anything more than sleep right now anyway. Busy day ‘n’ all.”

“That makes one of us. I fucking hate going with you on these stupid politic meetings. Take Aisral.” Valeba shook her head, long hair getting all over Mayola’s chest. “Or Dontoc. Someone qualified.”

“You’re fuckin’ qualified on lowblood shit, ya know.”

3. Tetris Theme - Powerglove

Vodnik could see the wind move.

A strange concept, if you thought about it. You shouldn’t be able to see the wind move. The tree tops quaking when the breeze went too fast, sure. The coats and hats of trolls whip off in a windstorm, of course. Or the sails on his ship move on a pleasant day, naturally. But the wind? To see the jet streams as what they were - streams, like leaves moving about the air as if they floated down the current of a stream - was an unusual ability indeed. A shame of all the people in the universe to thank, it was the damn fairies.

He’d have to thank them for his manipulation of it too. How, if he focused and actually tried, he could push the wind into different positions, shape it like it were blocks, move it effortlessly back and forth to whatever he needed at the time.

4. Young Man Dead - The Black Angels

Gonzor took a slow drag of the cigarette in his mouth, feeling the bug scuttle about in his hand during its final moments. This one wasn’t completely dead. He didn’t exactly prefer it that way, granted, but there was something cathartic at his caste to feel something actually die for once in his life. Not just to feel it, but to see it. As a limeblood, it was so rare to even go out and explore the world as however unholy god the purples happened to worship -- which is to say, violent and messy -- that he reveled in the rare moments he could do so in such a way that didn’t simultaneously make him feel like he engaged in society the way the bitch of an Empress and her insufferable little twee-twat of an Heiress wanted. It was just a bug.

A bug that gave him a pleasant tingle in his fingertips and calmed his craving for something harder, but still just a bug.

If anything, it’s good Gonzor finally managed to get off the more dangerous shit. He always knew that would end up killing him someday if he weren’t careful, and even with that knowledge he wasn’t exactly keen on stopping. But after it knocked out one of his coworkers….

5. Flickers - Son Lux

The darkness shifted around Dontoc. It stopped him from moving, bound his feet to whatever unholy floor he stood on now. He could move his hands, but what good did it do? There was nothing to reach, nothing to grab at. Just darkness surrounding every fiber of his being like a blanket. Smothering him.

And yet, it didn’t aim to kill. It just bound him. That was new.

A figure appeared in the darkness. It looked like him, except it wasn’t him. It was twisted, warped, the cheeky smile he showed Pallia or Valeba on good days replaced with a warped grin, gnarls around an otherwise perfectly unnaturally smooth face. He held a light, a candelabra that forced his face to look somehow darker still despite it. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. Not as the figure gazed into the darkness, his light opening a hole.

But Dontoc couldn’t go down the hole. Couldn’t use it to escape. No, this wasn’t the time. Even without the bindings, he knew instinctively as such.

6. For Free? (Interlude) - Kendrick Lamar

Marching.

In all her life, Valeba had probably never marched. She ran, she stalked. Marching was something done by the fucking military in the conquest of useless planets to ravage. Yet here she was, marching her happy ass up to Careen’s dumbass oversized mansion to give the Heiress the first piece of a rust’s mind she’d probably ever heard in her fucking life.

Who’s bright idea was it to give that bitch her Chittr handle? A chittr that, mind you, was only made so Mayola could tag her in every pic she ever took. Certainly hadn't been Dontoc. Boy probably didn’t even have a chittr. But either way, Careen found it.

7. Hypnotize - White Stripes

“Fancy a drink tonight, doll?”

The cobalt rolled her eyes at Meroin, giving a short good-natured laugh as she walked away. Ah well. Another loss. No big deal.

He heard a chuckle from across the bar. Niehea. The fuchsia was everything Meorin dreamed of in a seadweller: tall, adventurous and down to get her hands dirty. To say he was smitten with her was an understatement. “You’re striking out tonight.”

8. El Scorcho - Weezer

Hey uh….you free? I’m making extra dinner tonight.

Ardeen mentally kicked himself. That sounded dumb. Extra dinner? Who the hell makes extra dinner? Certainly not someone he was trying to impress. Who might have been a lowblood that obviously needed to eat a little more than the jerky he often saw her with. Certainly not her.

He sat around on his husktop, dinking around for what felt like hours before he got an answer. Ardeen nearly jumped at the notification ping playing loud and clear over his speakers. Had his sound been that high? Guess so.

Yeah I got nothing going on now. Happen to be in the area. Want me over?

Fuck yeah

Oh shit, now that--that sounded desperate. Horribly so.

I mean yeah. Just yeah. No fuck involved.

Well shit, and here I was thinking I could fuck my ^^atesprit who i’ve fucked already. Joke’s on ^^e I guess.

….Right. They were matesprits. That’s a thing. He was seeing someone.

9. The Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd

The bar was quiet when Inaeis entered. As it should be. He’d never walked into a lounge bar at 4 in the morning and found it packed with trolls. Happy hour hadn’t even began. Trolls this early were still at work, or fumbling around with whatever esoteric interest they wanted to at the time. They weren’t drinking their souls away. They had better things to do. Unlike Inaeis, who after centuries of burning and pillaging rebel troll’s belongings just wanted to drink and forget it all. Forget his atrocities. Forget the inquisition. Forget the stupid highbloods and the Empress and his library. Just zone out to the sound of the soft chords of the piano as she played some sorrowful song for an audience of one.

But he couldn't. No matter how much he drank, it only forced him to remember it all. He still smelled the smoke of his first burnt hive. Still remembered the screams of the trolls. The glare in Fospha’s eyes as the sword ran clean through her belly. The look of absolute disgust. He felt still, so much later.

He could’ve just shot her. Made it quick. But he didn’t. His own fault.

10. Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival

The trolls that gathered at the gates were not the ones expected. The leaders of the revolt expected lowbloods. The trolls most likely to be cannon fodder to the ugliest fights only, the ones ensured to never see the light of the moons or step foot back on Alternia after their first tour with the fleet. But it wasn’t. Every landdwelling caste, save the purples, gathered on the front steps with a spark in their eyes that indicated they were finished. Some of them came armed, but many others only came with angry words and furious stares. It was a wonder how they expected to survive at all.

#fantroll #prompt writing #just throwing it under the ft tag for purposes of finding it on my blog

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fangomusic · 3 years ago

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Rolling Stone’s Latest Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time List:

The Armchair Expert Edition.

"You are never gonna make everyone agree with it."

-the internet.

I am not one of those guys who complain every time a list comes out from whichever source. I made my own lists and I understand that they are somehow personal or biased even if you have a huge crew to make them. For some reason I was avoiding the recent "Top 500 Greatest Songs" But I stumbled the other day with an online comment that "Gasolina" was at number 50, and I say, "nah, that must be a mistake", so I decided to give it a look.

Rolling Stone Magazine is supposed to be —in one way or another— an authority on the subject of music, or at least they have the money, the time and the personnel to be so. On their lastest atempt they didn't failed miserably, but there are so many faulty glitches, pitiful miscalculations and considerable omissions that it's truthfully aggravating.

I (as thousands of different people) could make a huge list of some of the most notable omissions, I'll just mention just 3 classics, for instance: “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison, “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits, and "Happy Together" by The Turtles. In brief, different strokes for different folks.

I am also aware that no list will include some of MY all-time favorite songs like: "Discoball World" by David Garza, "Everyday Is A Holiday (With You)" by Esthero with Sean Lennon, "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service, "Deception" by Blackalicious, or "Anyone" by Demi Lovato, because their are FUCKING AMAZING... ...for ME (sadly). Even though people should looooove those songs (IMHO), that's NOT how music works, every person in the world has their own particular taste, someone might even say that some of the titles I've mentioned (or all of them) are palpable shit.

It's crystal clear that Rolling Stone tried (not sure they've succeeded) to avoid being aggressively straight, white, middle aged, and masculine. So they removed A LOT of songs from previous efforts made by white, old (or dead) MALES. And replace them with the trending topics: female, black, gay, latino (but still has its share of shortcomings to the asian comunities). I think this was well-intended, I really do but it was so inadequately done that it's painfully obvious, and even insulting by the visible lack of research (this is probably the thing that bothers me the most, the "lazy approach").

Everyone knows the misery of feeling left out, but fewer discuss the dread of needlessly being left in... like the next entries with a comment below (the songs with no comment I have nothing to say, they are classics by their own credentials. The right order? well that would have been too much to ask for...):

____

500. “Stronger” Kanye West – 2007

This baffles me, I know that this song was important in terms of transcendence but the track is based on a Daft Punk song, and the French duo didn't get the respect they deserved on the rest of the list, neither Kanye... keep reading...

499. “Baby Love” The Supremes – 1964

498. “Pancho and Lefty” Townes Van Zandt – 1972

497. “Truth Hurts” Lizzo – 2017

496. “Without You” Nilsson – 1971

495. “You’re So Vain” Carly Simon – 1972

494. “Time After Time” Cyndi Lauper – 1983

493. “Where Is My Mind” The Pixies – 1988

492. “So What” Miles Davis – 1959

491. “Welcome to the Jungle” Guns ‘N’ Roses – 1987

490. “Old Town Road” Lil Nas X – 2019

489. “Cannonball” The Breeders – 1993

488. “House of Balloons” The Weeknd – 2011

I think Mr. Tesfaye has at least one song that is better... (Read the comment on number 500, but change 'Daft' for 'Siouxie').

487. “Cranes in the Sky” Solange – 2016

486. “A Milli” Lil Wayne – 2009

485. “212” Azealia Banks – 2011

484. “Buddy Holly” Weezer – 1994

483. “I Can’t Help Myself” Four Tops – 1965

482. “Bad Romance” Lady Gaga – 2009

481. “Cross Road Blues” Robert Johnson – 1937

480. “Just a Friend” Biz Markie – 1989

I appreciate this one, but the 'drunk singing' and the randomness of picking this one... is a huge NOPE...

479. “Oye Como Va” Santana – 1970

478. “Back That Azz Up” Juvenile – 1998

WTF? another random selection...

477. “Our Lips Are Sealed” The Go-G0's – 1981

476. “Sunday Morning Coming Down” Kris Kristofferson – 1970

475. “Rhythm Nation” Janet Jackson -1989

474. “Move On Up” Curtis Mayfield – 1970

473. “Stand By Your Man,” Tammy Wynette – 1968

472. “Solsbury Hill” Peter Gabriel – 1977

471. “The House of the Rising Sun” The Animals – 1964

470. “Midnight Train to Georgia” Gladys Knight and the Pips – 1973

469. “Goodbye Earl” The (Dixie) Chicks – 2000

468. “Fade Into You” Mazzy Star – 1993

467. “Come As You Are” Nirvana – 1991

466. “Never Too Much” Luther Vandross – 1981

465. “Get Lucky” Daft Punk – 2013

Their only entry to the list? That's deplorable.

464. “Help Me” Joni Mitchell – 1974

463. “Boom Boom” John Lee Hooker – 1962

462. “Into the Mystic” Van Morrison – 1970

The Belfast Cowboy has better songs... better ones indeed... (Besides "Gloria").

461. “Crying” Roy Orbison – 1962

460. “Ku Klux Klan” Steel Pulse – 1978

459. “No Ordinary Love” Sade – 1992

458. “Loser” Beck – 1993

457. “Livin’ on a Prayer” Bon Jovi – 1986

456. “Summertime Sadness” Lana Del Rey – 2012

Isn't "Video Games" better? I just don't know anymore...

455. “White Rabbit” Jefferson Airplane – 1967

454. “Bam Bam” Sister Nancy – 1982

453. “The Rain” Missy Elliott – 1997

This also confuses me, Missy Elliot has done better things ...but they included also on the list "I Can't Stand the Rain" by Ann Peebles (197)... so... yes to both options, or no to both options? (Read the comment for "Hound Dog").

452. “Africa” Toto – 1982

451. “Bad and Boujee” Migos – 2016

450. “Powderfinger” Neil Young – 1979

449. “Don’t Fear the Reaper” Blue Oyster Cult – 1976

448. “Tyrone” Erykah Badu – 1997

??? I'm pretty sure this went something like: -Yo, guys... do you know a song by Erykah Badu? -Will this work? -I Think so...

Ms. Badu is a fucking genius, 20+ songs would fit better!

447. “Help!” The Beatles – 1965

446. “Rosalita” Bruce Springsteen – 1973

445. “Cosmic Dancer” T. Rex – 1971

444. “In Da Club” 50 Cent – 2003

443. “Sugar, We’re Going Down” Fall Out Boy – 2005

-Really? Why? Just think about the things they left out...

442. “Ace of Spades,” Motorhead – 1980

441. “The House That Built Me,” Miranda Lambert – 2010

440. “If I Ain’t Got You,” Alicia Keys – 2003

I think she has WAY BETTER songs... I love Alicia, this song is just good, definitively not her best... but maybe the guys at Rolling Stone just looked for her top Spotify song...

439. “La Vida Es un Carnaval” Celia Cruz – 1998

Lesser than Gasolina? I'm Sorry, but a lot of people would disagree...

438. “Savage (Remix)” Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé – 2020

437. “Passionate Kisses” Lucinda Williams – 1988

436. “Call Me Maybe” Carly Rae Jepsen – 2012

435. “Limelight” Rush – 1981

So, "Tom Sawyer" is shit now??? Wow! Impressive!

434. “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker” Ramones – 1977

433. “West End Girls” Pet Shop Boys – 1984

432. “Summertime Blues” Eddie Cochran – 1958

431. “Adore” Prince – 1987

This is definitely his best album, but "Adore" best song??? With his inventory? In what universe?

430. “They Reminiscence Over You” Peter Rock and CL Smooth – 1992

429. “Under Pressure” Queen and David Bowie – 1981

428. “Sign of the Times” Harry Styles – 2017

427. “Rapper’s Delight” The Sugarhill Gang – 1979

426. “Super Bass” Nicki Minaj – 2010

Frown-upon... this... just... damn!

425. “Mannish Boy” Muddy Waters – 1955

424. “No Diggity” Backstreet – 1996

423. “Criminal” Fiona Apple – 1996

422. “Flava in Your Ear” Craig Mack – 1994

Random as hell... If they needed some random hip hop, why not something by A Tribe Called Quest, De la Soul, Jungle Brothers???

421. “How Soon Is Now” The Smiths – 1984

420. “California Dreamin’” The Mamas and The Papas – 1965

419. “Fantasy” Mariah Carey – 1995

Of course, but not "Genius Of Love" ...that's nonsense!

418. “Green Onions” Booker T. & the M.G.’s – 1962

417. “Uptown Funk” Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – 2015

416. “Alive” Pearl Jam – 1991

415. “Enjoy the Silence” Depeche Mode -1990

414. “Dreaming” Blondie – 1979

They have better songs...

413. “Gloria” Them – 1965

412. “Buffalo Stance” Neneh Cherry – 1988

411. “Heavy Metal Drummer” Wilco – 2002

410. “Whipping Post” The Alman Brother’s Band – 1969

409. “Everlong” Foo Fighters – 1997

408. “Father and Son” Cat Stevens/Yusuf – 1970

This one's the perfect example of "it depends on the eye of the beholder" ...I prefer "Moonshadow" or "Wild World" but, what the hell do I know? Right?

407. “Free Bird” Lynyrd Skynyrd – 1973

406. “Sucker MC’s” Run-DMC – 1984

405. “Amor Prohibido” Selena – 1994

404. “Rock and Roll All Nite” Kiss – 1974

403. “Ain’t Nobody” Rufus and Chaka Khan – 1983

402. “Lovely Day” Bill Withers – 1977

401. “Go Your Own Way” Fleetwood Mac – 1977

400. “Station to Station” David Bowie – 1976

??????????????

399. “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” Sylvester – 1978

398. “Hungry Like the Wolf” Duran Duran – 1982

397. “Bring the Noise” Public Enemy – 1987

396. “Alison” Elvis Costello – 1977

395. “Planet Rock” Afrika Bambaataa – 1982

394. “Grace” Jeff Buckley – 1994

393. “Say It Loud” James Brown – 1968

392. “Fix You” Coldplay – 2005

Yeah right! that's the "best" Coldplay song...

391. “Springsteen” Eric Church – 2011

390. “Enter Sandman” Metallica – 1991

389. “Brass in Pocket” The Pretenders – 1879

388. “Party Up (Up in Here)” BMX – 1999

Random, random, random...

387. “Personality Crisis” The New York Dolls – 1973

386. “Lola” The Kinks – 1970

385. “I’m Coming Out” Diana Ross – 1980

384. “I Like It” Cardi B – 2018

Yeah, "let's try to stay current..." FAIL!

383. “Redbone” Childish Gambino – 2016

Go out and ask do you know a great song by Donald Glover?

382. “Paper Bag” Fiona Apple – 1999

Fast As You Can?

381. “Typical Girls" The Slits – 1979

380. “Radiation Vibe” Fountains of Wayne – 1996

379. “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” D’Angelo – 2000

378. “Mr. Brightside” The Killers – 2003

377. “Pictures of You” The Cure – 1989

How is "Pictures Of You" better than "10:15" or "A Forest" or "Inbetween Days"???

376. “Mama Tried” Merle Haggard – 1968

375. “Up On the Roof” Drifters – 1964

374. “Be Thankful for What You Got” William DeVaughn – 1974

373. “Hotline Bling” Drake – 2015

372. “I Can’t Make You Love Me” Bonnie Raitt – 1991

371. “Bennie and the Jets” Elton John – 1973

370. “Peggy Sue” Buddy Holly – 1958

369. “Just What I Needed” The Cars – 1978

368. “Black Hole Sun” Soundgarden – 1994

367. “Thinkin’ 'bout You” Frank Ocean – 2012

366. “Da Doo Run Run” The Crystals – 1962

365. “God Save The Queen” Sex Pistols – 1977

364. “Box of Rain” Grateful Dead – 1970

??? Is this better than Friend Of The Devil? Why? And, weren't they trying to avoid male, boomer, white stuff?

363. “Could You Be Loved” Bob Marley – 1980

362. “Merry Go Round” Kacey Musgraves – 2013

361. “The Harder They Come” Jimmy Cliff – 1972

360. “Little Red Corvette” Prince – 1982

359. “Killing Me Softly with His Song” Fugees – 1996

This song is a cover... an AMAZING cover... why would you include both, but exclude Houng Dog? Don't get me wrong I love both versions... but basically is the SAME song ...twice. ("273" if you want to see it for yourselves).

358. “Because the Night” Patti Smith – 1978

357. “Blank Space” Taylor Swift – 2014

356. “Surrender” Cheap Trick – 1978

355. “Don’t Leave Me This Way” Thelma Houston – 1976

354. “Rock With You” Michael Jackson – 1979

353. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” The Eurythmics – 1983

352. “It Was a Good Day,” Ice Cube – 1992

351. “Ponta De Lanca Africano (Umbabarauma)” Jorge Ben – 1976

350. “Angel in Montgomery” John Prine – 1971

349. “Time of the Season” Zombies – 1968

348. “Virginia Plain” Roxy Music – 1972

347. “Heartbreak Hotel” Elvis – 1956

346. “Dynamite” BTS -2020

Is this song better than at least twenty other with a lower entry number? Be honest.

345. “It’s Too Late” Carole King – 1971

344. “Iron Man” Black Sabbath – 1971

343. “What a Fool Believes” The Doobie Brothers – 1979

342. “Promised Land” Chuck Berry – 1964

This guy made genius songs, superior to this ...and they picked this one but not the other ones?

341. “I’m a Believer” The Monkees – 1966

340. “(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais” The Clash – 1978

WHYYY??? Don't get me wrong, I looove this song but, for fuck sake, The Clash have better GEMS than this one!!!

339. “1999” Prince – 1982

338. “Paranoid” Black Sabbath – 1970

337. “Believe” Cher – 1998

Well...

336. “She’s Gone” Hall and Oates – 1973

...at least ten songs from Daryl and John are BETTER... fuck!

335. “Move Your Body (The House Music Anthem)” Marshall Jefferson – 1986

The thing is... even if it's the one "first great vocal house records" that doesn't make it a better SONG than literally a thousand others that could've been in this slot... goddamnit!

334. “Ripple,” Grateful Dead – 1970

Puff!

333. “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” The Temptations – 1972

332. “Umbrella” Rihanna featuring Jay-Z – 2007

331. “Please Mr. Postman” The Marvelettes – 1961

330. “Big Poppa” The Notorious B.I.G. – 1994

329. “Safaera” Bad Bunny – 2020

My fucking god... I understand the "let's be inclusive" attitude, and "all rhythms considered" viewpoint... OK... let's pretend that we'll go with the flow that this guy is as talented as a lot of critics and audience say he is... let's give this song a chance and pretend it's cool to include it in a list of "BEST songs EVER" but I'll be damned if it would be in the 329 spot, and not number 500... Jesus F. Christ!

328. “Under the Bridge” Red Hot Chili Peppers – 1991

327. “Real Love” Mary J. Blige. – 1992

326. “Portions for Foxes” Rilo Kiley – 2004

325. “Lust for Life” Iggy Pop – 1977

324. “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” Billy Joel – 1977

Reallyyy? Whyyyyyyyy? What the hell is wrong with "Piano Man", "Just The Way You Are", or "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"?

323. “All I Have to Do Is Dream” Everly Brothers – 1958

322. “After the Gold Rush” Neil Young – 1970

321. “I Still Haven’t Found What I'm Looking For” U2 – 1987

320. “California Love” 2Pac – 1995

319. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” Tears for Fears – 1985

318. “Hound Dog” Big Mama Thornton – 1953

OK, I get it, she is a black woman and a legend ...but the structure of the song is better in Elvis' version, why not both as "Killing Me Softly"?

317. “Visions of Johanna” Bob Dylan – 1966

I think he has better songs which are not on the list.

316. “Leader of the Pack” The Shangri-La’s -1964

315. “Pt. 1 – Acknowledgement” John Coltrane – 1965

314. “I Wanna Be Your Dog” The Stooges – 1969

313. “The Tears of a Clown” Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – 1967

312. “Walk on By” Isaac Hayes – 1969

311. “Hotel California” Eagles – 1977

310. “Light My Fire” Doors – 1967

309. “Ain’t No Sunshine” Bill Withers – 1971

308. “Divorce Song” Liz Phair – 1993

Why? there's better options...

307. “Crazy” Gnarls Barkley – 2006

306. “Chain of Fools” Aretha – 1967

305. “Every Breath You Take” The Police – 1983

304. “Trans-Europe Express” Kraftwerk – 1977

303. “No Scrubs” TLC – 1999

302. “Wish You Were Here” Pink Floyd – 1975

301. “Night Moves” Bob Seger – 1978

300. “Rock Lobster” The B-52’s – 1978

299. “I Put a Spell on You” Screamin' Jay Hawkins – 1956

298. “Jungleland” Bruce Springsteen -1975

Yeah, but they passed up on "I'm On Fire", what the fuck is wrong with them?

297. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” Beach Boys – 1966

296. “Rebel Girl” Bikini Kill – 1996

295. “Won’t Get Fooled Again” Who – 1971

294. “Sweet Jane” The Velvet Underground – 1970

293. “School’s Out” Alice Cooper – 1973

292. “Can I Kick it” A Tribe Called Quest - 1990

291. “In the Air Tonight” Phil Collins – 1981

290. “Yeah” Usher – 2004

289. “Atlantic City” Bruce Springsteen – 1982

288. “That’s the Joint” The Funky Four Plus One – 1980

287. “You Shook Me All Night Long” AC/DC – 1980

286. “Dancing Queen” ABBA – 1976

Just ONE song... Why? Too white? How Scandinavian of them?

285. “Say My Name” Destiny’s Child – 1999

284. “Suzanne” Leonard Cohen – 1967

283. “Georgia On My Mind” Ray Charles – 1960

282. “Never Tear Us Apart” INXS – 1988

281. “Grindin'” Clipse – 2002

I'm under the impression that a lot of the hip-hop they've picked was random... I can imagine a conversation among the Rolling Stone staff, something like:

-Hey guys, we didn't include that much Rap or Hip-Hop, we're gettin' branded as racist again... -Yeah, damn... You know what? Reg knows his hip-hop, ask him... -Yo Reggie! Do you have a "favorite hip-hop playlist"? May I see it?

280. “Penny Lane” The Beatles – 1967

279. “Karma Police” Radiohead – 1997

278. “Pressure Drop” Toots and the Maytals – 1970

277. “Bo Diddley” Bo Diddley – 1955

276. “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)” Buzzcocks – 1977

275. “Sail Away” Randy Newman – 1972

274. “Love and Happiness” Al Green – 1972

273. “Killing Me Softly With His Song” Roberta Flack – 1973

Twice, why? (See #359)

272. “The Boys are Back in Town” Thin Lizzy – 1976

271. “A Whiter Shade of Pale” Procol Harum – 1967

270. “Closer” Nine Inch Nails – 1994

269. “Unchained Melody” The Righteous Brothers – 1965

268. “Shout (Parts 1 and 2),” The Isley Brothers – 1959

267. “Take Care” Drake – 2011

266. “King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown” Augustus Pablo – 1974

265. “Left of the Dial” The Replacements – 1985

264. “Let’s Get It On” Marvin Gaye – 1973

263. “Coat of Many Colors” Dolly Parton – 1971

262. “American Tune” Paul Simon – 1973

261. “Pusherman” Curtis Mayfield – 1972

260. “Get Up, Stand Up” The Wailers – 1973

259. “Heart of Gold” Neil Young – 1972

258. “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” Gil-Scott Heron – 1971

257. “Heat Wave” Martha and the Vandellas, 1963

256. “Master of Puppets” Metallica – 1986

255. “Coal Miner’s Daughter” Loretta Lynn – 1970

254. “Stop! In the Name of Love” The Supremes – 1965

253. “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” Willie Nelson – 1975

252. “Flash Light” Parliament – 1977

251. “I Will Survive” Gloria Gaynor – 1978

250. “Purple Haze” Jimi Hendrix – 1967

249. “Bad Reputation” Joan Jett – 1980

248. “Straight Outta Compton” N.W.A. – 1988

247. “River” Joni Mitchell – 1971

246. “Ooh La La” The Faces – 1973

245. “Sabotage” Beastie Boys – 1994

244. “Summer Babe (Winter Version)” Pavement – 1992

243. “Eleanor Rigby” The Beatles – 1966

242. “Great Balls of Fire” Jerry Lee Lewis – 1957

241. “The Humpty Dance” The Digital Underground – 1990

Q= I love “The Humpty Dance” but is it better than “Eleanor Rigby”? A= Yeah! Motherfucker! By two points! (*Sobbing in Spanish*)

240. “I Want It That Way” Backstreet Boys – 1999

239. “September Gurls” Big Star – 1974

238. “Are You That Somebody” Aaliyah – 1998

237. “Your Cheatin’ Heart” Hank Williams – 1953

236. “Lean on Me” Bill Withers – 1972

235. “Blue Monday” New Order – 1983

234. “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” The Supremes – 1966

233. “Groove Is in the Heart” Deee-Lite – 1990

232. “My Generation” The Who – 1965

231. “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” Whitney Houston – 1987

230. “Mr. Tambourine Man” The Byrds – 1965

229. “This Land is Your Land” Woody Guthrie – 1951

228. “Single Ladies” Beyoncé. – 2008

227. “Fortunate Son” Creedence Clearwater Revival – 1969

226. “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” The Smiths – 1986

225. “Both Sides Now” Joni Mitchell – 1969

224. “Layla” Derek and the Dominoes – 1970

223. “Stan” Eminem – 2000

222. “Suite/Judy Blue Eyes” Crosby, Stills and Nash – 1969

221. “River Deep/Mountain High” Ike and Tina Turner – 1966

220. “Bizarre Love Triangle” New Order – 1986

219. “Free Fallin'” Tom Petty -1989

218. “In the Midnight Hour” Wilson Pickett – 1965

217. “Edge of Seventeen” Stevie Nicks – 1981

216. “Jailhouse Rock” Elvis Presley– 1957

215. “Shook Ones (Pt. II)” Mobb Deep – 1995

214. “Deacon Blues” Steely Dan – 1977

213. “Paint It, Black” The Rolling Stones – 1966

212. “More Than a Feeling” Boston – 1976

211. “With or Without You” U2 – 1987

210. “One Nation Under a Groove” Funkadelic – 1978

209. “Boys of Summer” Don Henley – 1984

208. “Doll Parts” Hole – 1994

207. “Killing in the Name” Rage Against the Machine – 1992

206. “Wichita Lineman” Glen Campbell – 1968

205. “…Baby One More Time” Britney – 1998

204. “Young Americans” David Bowie – 1975

203. “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” Stevie Wonder – 1970

202. “Your Song” Elton John – 1970

201. “Ring of Fire” Johnny Cash – 1963

200. “Changes” David Bowie – 1971

199. “Dream On” Aerosmith – 1973

198. “Sexual Healing” Marvin Gaye -1982

197. “I Can’t Stand the Rain” Ann Peebles – 1973

Missy...

196. “Sex Machine” James Brown – 1970

195. “Crazy” Patsy Cline – 1961

194. “Rid of Me” PJ Harvey – 1993

193. “Wild Horses” Rolling Stones – 1971

192. “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” Geto Boys – 1991

191. “Ode to Billie Joe” Bobby Gentry – 1967

190. “Fuck the Police” N.W.A. – 1988

189. “Space Oddity” David Bowie – 1969

188. “Little Wing” Jimi Hendrix – 1967

187. “Subterranean Homesick Blues” Bob Dylan – 1965

186. “I’ll Take You There” The Staple Singers – 1972

185. “Beat It” Michael Jackson – 1982

184. “Nothing Compares 2U” Sinéad O’Connor – 1990

183. “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” Stevie Wonder – 1972

182. “The Sounds of Silence” Simon and Garfunkel – 1964

181. “Eight Miles High” The Byrds – 1966

180. “Walk on the Wild Side” Lou Reed – 1972

179. “Comfortably Numb” Pink Floyd – 1979

178. “Bad Guy” Billie Eilish – 2019

177. “Jump” Van Halen – 1983

176. “You Really Got Me” The Kinks – 1964

175. “I Only Have Eyes for You” The Flamingos – 1959

174. “Radio Free Europe” R.E.M. – 1983

173. “Marquee Moon” Television – 1977

172. “Mississippi Goddam,” Nina Simone – 1964

Shit!!! whay about "Feeling Good"??? I guess my ears get confused...

171. “What a Wonderful World” Louis Armstrong – 1967

170. “In the Still of the Nite” The Five Satins – 1956

169. “American Girl” Tom Petty – 1976

168. ‘Son of a Preacher Man” Dusty Springfield – 1968

167. “Lose Yourself” Eminem – 2002

166. “All the Young Dudes” Mott the Hoople – 1972

165. “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” Hank Williams – 1949

164. “Mr. Tambourine Man” Bob Dylan – 1965

Essentially twice...

163. “Landslide” Fleetwood Mac – 1975

162. “Pink Moon” Nick Drake – 1972

161. “Into the Groove” Madonna – 1985

160. “Nightswimming” R.E.M. – 1992

159. “Baba O’Riley” The Who – 1971

158. “Cissy Strut” The Meters – 1969

157. “Teenage Riot” Sonic Youth – 1988

156. “Louie Louie” The Kinsgmen – 1963

155. “Last Nite” The Strokes – 2001

154. “Spoonful” Howlin’ Wolf – 1960

153. “Super Freak” James Brown – 1981

152. “Proud Mary” Creedence Clearwater Revival – 1969

151. “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” The Shirelles – 1960

150. “Basket Case” Green Day – 1994

149. “Rocket Man” Elton John – 1972

148. “Kashmir” Led Zeppelin – 1975

147. “Blueberry Hill” Fats Domino – 1956

146. “Fire and Rain” James Taylor – 1970

145. “Ms. Jackson” OutKast – 2000

144. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” The Rolling Stones – 1968

143. “London Calling” The Clash – 1980

142. “He Stopped Loving Her Today” George Jones – 1980

141. “Maggie May” Rod Stewart – 1971

140. “No Woman No Cry” Bob Marley – 1975

139. “Vogue” Madonna – 1990

138. “Heart of Glass” Blondie – 1979

137. “Thank U, Next” Ariana Grande – 2019

136. “Try a Little Tenderness” Otis Redding – 1966

135. “She Loves You” The Beatles – 1964

134. “What’s Love Got to Do With It” Tina Turner – 1984

133. “Don't Stop Believin'” Journey – 1981

132. “Paid in Full” Eric B. and Rakim – 1987

131. “Stand by Me” Ben E. King – 1961

130. “Dancing in the Street” Martha and the Vandellas – 1964

129. “Hold On, We’re Going Home” Drake – 2013

128. “Whole Lotta Love” Led Zeppelin – 1969

127. “Waterfalls” TLC – 1995

126. “Freedom! ‘90” George Michael – 1990

125. “Anarchy in the U.K.” Sex Pistols – 1977

124. “That’ll Be the Day” Buddy Holly – 1957

123. “This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)” Talking Heads – 1983

122. “People Get Ready” The Impressions – 1965

121. “Let It Be” The Beatles – 1970

120. “Oh Bondage! Up Yours!” X-Ray Spex, 1977

119. “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” Marvin Gaye – 1968

118. “Creep” Radiohead – 1992

117. “I Say a Little Prayer” Aretha Franklin – 1968

116. “It Takes Two” Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock – 1988

115. “At Last” Etta James – 1960

114. “Toxic” Britney Spears – 2003

113. “Higher Ground” Stevie Wonder – 1973

112. “Losing My Religion” R.E.M. – 1991

111. “Thunder Road” Bruce Springsteen – 1975

110. “Something” The Beatles – 1969

109. “Everyday People” Sly and the Family Stone – 1968

108. “Just Like Heaven” The Cure – 1987

107. “C.R.E.A.M.” Wu-Tang Clan – 1994

106. “Sympathy for the Devil” The Rolling Stones – 1968

105. “Life on Mars?” David Bowie – 1971

104. “I Want You Back” Jackson 5 – 1969

103. “You Oughta Know” Alanis Morisette – 1995

102. “Maybelline” Chuck Berry – 1955

101. “Maps” Yeah Yeah Yeahs – 2003

100. “Blowin’ in the Wind” Bob Dylan – 1963

99. ‘Stayin' Alive” Bee Gees – 1977

98. “In My Life” The Beatles – 1965

97. “Gloria: In Excelsis Deo” Patti Smith – 1975

Kinda twice... but not really...

96. “99 Problems” Jay-Z – 2003

95. “Wonderwall” Oasis – 1995

94. “I Will Always Love You” Whitney Houston – 1992

93. “Since U Been Gone” Kelly Clarkson – 2004

[Read WITHOUT sarcasm:] Iconic song indeed... [Read with sarcasm:] better than "Eleanor Rigby" of course... (If this was intended as a Max Martin nod... there are better options.)

92. “Good Golly, Miss Molly” Little Richard – 1958

91. “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)” UKG – 2007

Read the entry for 281.

90. “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman” Aretha – 1967

89. “Hey Jude” Beatles – 1968

88. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” Guns ‘N’ Roses – 1987

87. “All My Friends” LCD Soundsystem – 2007

86. “Tumbling Dice” The Rolling Stones – 1972

85. “Kiss” Prince -1986

84. “Let’s Stay Together” Al Green – 1971

83. “Desolation Row” Bob Dylan – 1965

82. “Rolling in the Deep” Adele – 2011

81. “I’m Waiting for the Man” The Velvet Underground – 1967

80. “What’d I Say” Ray Charles – 1957

79. “Back to Black” Amy Winehouse – 2006

78. “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” Four Tops – 1967

77. “Roadrunner” The Modern Lovers – 1976

76. “I Walk the Line” Johnny Cash – 1956

75. “Common People” Pulp – 1996

74. “Hallelujah” Leonard Cohen – 1984

73. “Formation” Beyoncé – 2016

72. “Yesterday” The Beatles – 1965

71. “Fast Car” Tracy Chapman – 1988

70. “Suspicious Minds” Elvis Presley -1969

69. “All Too Well” Taylor Swift – 2013

68. “Good Times” Chic – 1979

67. “Tangled Up in Blue” Bob Dylan – 1975

66. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” Simon and Garfunkel – 1970

65. “September” Earth, Wind & Fire – 1978

64. “Blitzkrieg Bop” Ramones – 1976

63. “Jolene” Dolly Parton – 1974

62. “One” U2 -1992

61. “Stairway to Heaven” Led Zeppelin – 1971

60. “Running Up That Hill” Kate Bush – 1985

59. “The Message” Grandmaster Flash – 1982

58. “The Weight” The Band – 1968

57. “Family Affair” Sly and the Family Stone – 1971

56. “Work It” Missy Elliott – 2000

55. “Like a Prayer” Madonna – 1989

54. “The Tracks of My Tears” The Miracles – 1965

53. “Good Vibrations” The Beach Boys – 1966

52. “I Feel Love” Donna Summer – 1977

51. “Walk on By” Dionne Warwick – 1964

50. “Gasolina” Daddy Yankee – 2010

I know this is probably the most objected one... but FUCK you!!! Yes, it's an important track, yes, it would've probably been included... but WHY the fuck is it in the number 50 spot???!!! No... really... why? Someone explain with rationale, how is "Gasolina" better than "Yesterday"??? Please! Clean your fucking auditory tube!

49. “Doo Wop (That Thing)” Lauryn Hill – 1998

48. “Idioteque” Radiohead – 2000

47. “Tiny Dancer” Elton John – 1972

46. “Paper Planes” M.I.A. – 2008

45. “Alright” Kendrick Lamar – 2015

That's it? Really? This motherfucker is a motherfucking LEGEND!

44. “Billie Jean” Michael Jackson – 1982

43. “My Girl” The Temptations – 1965

42. “Redemption Song” Bob Marley – 1980

41. “Love Will Tear Us Apart” Joy Division – 1980

40. “All Along the Watchtower” Jimi Hendrix – 1968

39. “B.O.B.” OutKast – 2000

38. “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of The Bay” Otis Redding – 1967

37. “When Doves Cry” Prince – 1984

36. “Seven Nation Army” White Stripes – 2003

35. “Tutti Frutti” Little Richard – 1955

34. “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” James Brown – 1966

33. “Johnny B. Goode” Chuck Berry – 1958

32. “Juicy” Notorious B.I.G. – 1994

31. “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction” The Rolling Stones – 1965

30. “Royals” Lorde – 2011

29. “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” Dr. Dre – 1992

28. “Once in a Lifetime” Talking Heads – 1980

27. “Born to Run” Bruce Springsteen – 1975

26. “A Case of You” Joni Mitchell – 1971

25. “Runaway” Kanye West – 2010

What the a c t u a l fuck? Am I dreaming? Is this a Joke? "Flashing Lights", "All Falls Down", "Touch the Sky", "Power", "Black Skinhead", and even "Heartless" and "FML" are fucking better songs!

24. “A Day in the Life” The Beatles – 1967

23. “’Heroes’” David Bowie – 1977

22. “Be My Baby” The Ronettes – 1963

21. “Strange Fruit” Billie Holiday – 1939

20. “Dancing on My Own” Robyn – 2010

19. “Imagine” John Lennon – 1971

18. “Purple Rain” Prince – 1984

17. “Bohemian Rhapsody” Queen – 1975

16. “Crazy in Love” Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z – 2003

15. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” The Beatles – 1963

14. “Waterloo Sunset” The Kinks – 1967

13. “Gimme Shelter” The Rolling Stones – 1969

12. “Superstition” Stevie Wonder – 1972

11. “God Only Knows” Beach Boys – 1966

_____

Yeah the "top ten", I have nothing against it... but yeezus... the level of obtuseness is overwhelming. If you love music this list will surely piss you off. Well, you can't please everybody... indeed.

10. ‘Hey Ya!” OutKast – 2003

9. “Dreams” Fleetwood Mac – 1977

8. “Get Your Freak On” Missy Elliott – 2001

7. “Strawberry Fields Forever” Beatles – 1967

6. “What’s Goin’ On?” Marvin Gaye -1971

5. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Nirvana – 1991

4. “Like a Rolling Stone” Bob Dylan – 1965

3. “A Change is Gonna Come” Sam Cooke – 1964

2. “Fight the Power” Public Enemy – 1989

1. “Respect” Aretha Franklin – 1967

#rolling stone #500 best songs #2021 #splendid song #great song #why #lazy #journalism #my music #musiclover #fight racism #females

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theliterateape · 4 years ago

Text

It’s Time to Stop Caring About Our Country and Start Caring About Ourselves

By David Himmel

In 1994, Rivers Cuomo and his band Weezer, released The Blue Album, which included the song, “The World has Turned and Left Me Here.” The tune is a boy crying out that no one, not the girl and not the world, cares about him. The whole world has turned on him, walked away, and left him standing there with his pants at his ankles and his dick in his hand.

We’re all, as Americans, feeling a little like 1994 Rivers Cuomo. But the situation is a little different for us. Yes, the world, the global community we once operated in, has turned away from us. And rightfully so. America treated the global community like shit for too long, and it ramped up the abuse by refusing to play along these last four years. The world, however, is not a victim and chose to walk away from the unbalanced and destructive relationship America was forcing. More importantly, however, is that our country has turned away from us—turned on us—and left us with our pants at our ankles and our dicks in our hands.*

Our country, like our economy, are not individual, self-sustaining, self-aware, conscious beings. They cannot make choices. They are tools and results of our actions. Us. We the People. So when I say that America has turned on us, I am saying that We have turned on ourselves. It’s time to stop caring about our country and start caring about ourselves.

Don Hall is right. The Civil War isn’t coming. It’s already here. America won’t collapse in a heap of ash. It’s already burning. (And now would be a good time to stick with the theme of quoting musicians, but I’m not patient enough today to write a paragraph about Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”) There is literal blood in the streets. Innocents murdered by children with guns. Innocents murdered by men with guns and knees and the legal protection to kill. Authority reigns. Dissent is squashed as quickly as possible. Our democracy isn’t crumbling. It’s already broken up and scattered on the debate stage. President Trump and the Republicans have done their best to sow doubt in our longstanding democratic process and have refused to adapt with the changing times—another longstanding American tradition. And the Democrats have long been too feckless to stop them.

Liberals are terrified. Terrified another four years of Trump and McConnell will mean at least a generation of rights being revoked. Terrified that militias, angry and emboldened militant police, white supremacy and anti-Semitic groups like The Proud Boys will occupy our streets with weapons at the ready. Terrified that the environment will continue to do its damndest to wipe out its aggressors with floods and fires and droughts and blistering heat. Terrified that hundreds of thousands more will die as COVID-19 rages through the countryside. Terrified they’ll never have brunch again. Terrified that Sunday Funday is as extinct as the dodo.

Conservatives are also terrified. Terrified that Blacks and Latinxs and women and LGBTQA+ will replace them. Terrified that equal rights for all means fewer rights for them. Terrified that a centrist or liberal or progressive government will mean their guns will be taken from their homes, that police departments will be broken up and cops will be forced into detainment camps. That nasty feminists will run around having abortions three weeks after their children are born. Terrified that the economy will no longer respect modern capitalism and they’ll be forced to give all of their money to the poor losers who just couldn’t find their own bootstraps. Terrified progressives will take their elitist money, fly to heaven and kill God—again. Terrified Santa Claus will be beaten and raped with a Starbucks cup by Hanukkah Harry while Mohammed watches from the foot of the bed.

Everything either side—any side—has done since this nation’s founding has been in the interest of this nation. “For God and Country.” We have always wanted America to be great. And, yes, there have been periods in the nation’s history when America was great. Perceived that way by the global community. And perceived that way by its own people. And that’s where our failure has its roots; comfortably nestled in the great myth of American Exceptionalism.

The myth of American Exceptionalism is what conservatives can’t let go of. It’s what makes them think life was is like and should be like Father Knows Best and The Donna Reed Show. But America is The Simpsons. Always has been. For most of its citizenry, anyway. Yet, liberals and progressives buy into or have been duped by the myth of American Exceptionalism, too. That idea that America can be great. It can’t be great. Because it is a nation made of and guided by humans with various ideals and desires and tribes. And so, we fight. But American can be better. For all of us.

But before that can happen, we have to stop thinking of ourselves as one nation. We’re not. We’re a chunk of land with broken governments and an electorate spinning out of control with fear and fury. We the People are too twisted up to make sound choices, caring choices, humanist choices. It’s all rightful rage and petty indignation.

We need to look inward. We need to take care of ourselves. Our household. Our extended family. Then take care of our friends. If we can all do that, then our country might become the thing we wanted it to be. Then the Myth of American Exceptionalism will become the Fact of American Humanitarian Ingenuity. We must stop acting as if there’s a unifying message, as if we all pledge allegiance to the flag for the same reasons if at all.

A nation is never greater than the sum of its parts. Thinking so is, and has been, our well-followed roadmap to destruction. Because we make up the nation. We, as a collective of units, are the nation. It is not us.

But that idea of what a nation can be, that thing we always looked to to identify us, our nation. Well, our nation has turned and left us here because we long ago turned on ourselves.

*The term “dick” is being used metaphorically and is not to be taken as a statement of gender or sex identification, nor is it intended to exclude any persons who do not have dicks. Furthermore, use of the phrase, “pants at our ankles” is not intended to exclude any persons who choose not to, or are unable to wear pants. This, too, is a metaphor. I could have written, simply, “our country has turned away from us—turned on us—and left us vulnerable.” That is the intended meaning. I am painting a picture and comparing it to the imagery used to describe the male figure in the first paragraph. “Vulnerable” just wouldn’t have the same literary grace—if you’ll please accept my bold assumption that this writing I’m doing is literary. Point is, don’t let a dick joke get your panties in a bunch.

#The Myth of American Exceptionalism #American Exceptionalism #American Civil War #America's Second Civil War #Weezer #Rivers Cuomo #Billy Joel #We Didn't Start the Fire #What are conservatives afraid of #What are liberals afraid of

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troutfishinginmusic · 5 years ago

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Essay: The problem of character songs during the Grunge era

No one believes Jello Biafra when he joyously sings about killing poor people on The Dead Kennedys’ landmark 1980 album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. Each word drips with contempt for the machinery that grinds down the underclass. The takeaway is easy, American society cares little about poor people.

On the opposite side of the spectrum sits Dire Straits’ 1985 hit “Money for Nothing” a supposed critique of working class ignorance. The song is a character study that echoes sentiments of homophobia, racism and misogyny. There’s something uncomfortable about a cheesy ‘80s song saying these things. It feels like an endorsement of the callousness of the time.

Making these songs is a high wire act. When using method to criticize worthy targets, Grunge and post-Grunge often struggled. Good intentions can be taken as a consignment to bad behavior. Most people won’t pay attention to the creator’s motivations. Here are three examples of these odd relics:

Nirvana-Polly

All things Kurt Cobain have been dissected in the years following his death. Most people are now aware of his feminism. But when Nirvana’s Nevermind exploded, less was known.

“Polly” is about a 14-year-old girl who was abducted and raped in Aberdeen, Cobain’s hometown. The song is written from the point of view of the abuser: “Polly wants a cracker/Maybe she would like some food/She asks me to untie her/A chase would be nice for a few.”

The song was reportedly sung by two men as they raped a woman. Cobain responded to the event in the liner notes to Incesticide: “Last year, a girl was raped by two wastes of sperm and eggs while they sang the lyrics to our song 'Polly.' I have a hard time carrying on knowing there are plankton like that in our audience.”

The liner notes also went a step further: “If any of you in any way hate homosexuals, people of different color, or women, please do this one favor for us—leave us the fuck alone! Don't come to our shows and don't buy our records.”

The song wasn’t a hit, but it was on a gigantic album. Millions bought the album and heard it. Some more than likely took it the wrong way. Nirvana had more feminist songs including “Been a Son,” “About a Girl” and “Pennyroyal Tea.” Cobain went a step further and tried to make a song he viewed as even more straightforward. It ended up making things even more complicated.

“Rape Me” is seen as a difficult relic of a progressive band. It’s intentionally uncomfortable. It’s a stark song from the point of view of a survivor essentially saying no matter how much you abuse me you’ll never win. The song is a taunt and a reclaiming of agency from the abused. The song became huge on American radio. It was put on the airwaves during the 1994 Rwandan genocide to encourage abuse against the Tutsi population.

Kurt Cobain was a celebrity with a conscience who had good intentions. He carried feminist ethos into mainstream Rock from the underground. What he underestimated was rape culture’s resilience and ability to repurpose critiques into endorsements.

Stone Temple Pilots- Sex Type Thing

It’s a bit jarring to hear Scott Weiland’s booming Grunge croon sing “I said you shouldn't have worn that dress, worn that dress” in 2020. What sounds like a justification of rape culture is the exact opposite. It’s something strange and complicated. It’s possibly one the bravest and strangest songs in pop music.

The 1993 song was intended to be an anti-rape statement. It’s about the destructive state of mind that led a group of jocks to sexually abuse a woman Weiland dated.

“I just put myself into the mindset of the total macho American male attitude toward women and their sexuality, which I think is something important that needs to be said,” Weiland said on an episode of Headbangers Ball.

The song was more than likely difficult for its creator, even if it wasn’t on a conscious level. Weiland details getting raped by an older student when he was 12 years old in his autobiography Not Dead & Not For Sale. This is an event he was only able to come to terms with after years of therapy. The idea of a survivor reliving their trauma and taking on the viewpoint of an abuser is unthinkable.

And yet the lumbering riffage and earworm chorus made it into a radio staple. It was a song I remember being slotted on local alternative radio stations with less socially conscious material. While some may have followed up and tracked the song’s meaning, others probably saw it as endorsement of bad behavior. The song did some good and more than likely caused harm.

“Hopefully the idea comes across and isn’t misconstrued,” Weiland said in the Headbanger’s Ball interview. “The last thing any of us would want is for the point to be taken literally.”

Cold-Stupid Girl

Cold was more of a Grunge or a post-Grunge band than a Nu Metal band. Yet they were on the same label as Limp Bizkit. They shared stages with Nu Metal bands. The band also had a song to slot in between the casual misogyny of the time.

“Stupid Girl” was the band’s biggest song. The 2003 song from Year of the Spider had a surprising co-writing credit from Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo. It featured lyrics like “Wanna love ya, wanna bug ya/Wanna squeeze ya, stupid girl/Wanna touch ya, wanna take ya/Wanna shut ya, stupid girl.” When I first heard these lyrics as a teenage boy they spoke to angst I felt at the time. When I revisited the song as an adult I was repulsed by the song and the sort of ugliness I thought it fed into.

I was wrong. What I failed to consider were lyrics like “I'm a loner, I'm a loser/I'm a winner in my mind/I'm a bad one, I'm a good one/I'm a sick one with a smile.” The lyrics show how completely unaware the narrator is of his toxic attitude toward woman. He doesn’t realize he might be the problem in a relationship turning sour.

This was singer Scooter Ward’s intention for the song: “You could just be a total piece of trash and at the same time, you don't know that you are. You have this person that's going to leave you and you don't have any idea why. A lot of people are blind to the fact that they are idiots."

Cold had been around since the late ‘80s and were previously called Grundig. The band’s first self-titled 1997 album as Cold is weird. It features bleak, noisy guitars. It shares more musical DNA with Nirvana and Helmet than anything Korn was doing. It featured depressing songs about relationships and serial killers. It wasn’t far removed from Kurt Cobain’s songwriting, although not quite as revolutionary.

Yet the context was different. The explicit feminist politics of many Grunge bands had faded. It was replaced with apolitical bands that were more relatable. Pearl Jam featured politics and musical experimentation that weren’t always relatable. A band like Creed had more relatable bombastic songs about relationships and faith. Record labels snapped up Creed-like bands after Grunge’s first wave. Grunge’s dismantling of ‘80s glam excess was rebuilt in its own image.

Cold became famous during this time. Even if some of the band’s songs railed against things like child abuse, its major hit could be woven into prevailing ideas of the time.

Takeaway

Art’s intent can become inconsequential once it’s released. That’s the unsaid bargain and it can be very frustrating. It can be easy to disregard songs with ugly lyrics. In a world filled with so much hatred and bigotry, there doesn’t seem to be much use for them.

Yet there is a danger of completely turning away from disturbing topics. Art that glosses over inequity and ignorance can allow it to fester in the shadows. Great art can do many things. It can comfort, sooth and entertain. It can also spur activism, awareness and steps toward change.

Grunge and post-Grunge, at their best, tried to do this. They attempted to take the revolutionary politics of the underground and bring them to the masses. The problem was releasing them into a society that hadn’t resolved those issues. While they exposed a lot of people to new ideas, they also could normalize existing inequality.

In 2020 we should look at these songs as a sparks that changed mainstream, male-dominated radio Rock. They did so by subverting norms and slipping in radical politics. They did this imprecisely and left too much room for ambiguity. Current music should look at these songs as examples of what to do and what not to do. Artists have responsibility and if they are tackling injustice should at least try to be clearer.

#grunge #nirvana #cold #stone temple pilots #1990s #scott weiland #kurt cobain

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brendonuriesource · 8 years ago

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Death of a Bachelor, Birth of a Billboard-Topping Broadway Badass

Brendon Urie got pretty sick a few months ago. Three days before the Panic! at the Disco frontman’s Death of a Bachelor tour was set to hit Oracle Arena, he lost his voice and his temperature soared to 103 degrees. But he was slated to perform for 11,000 fans at Oregon’s Moda Center that evening.

“Still gonna have fun on stage tonight,” he tweeted before the show. “Fuck a cancellation. Let’s do this, Portland.” The next day, he informed his followers that he’d received a steroid shot in the ass so as not to miss his sold-out Vegas hometown show. Then it was off to the Bay Area.

If there were any Oakland concertgoers unaware of Urie’s social media play-by-plays (unlikely), they would’ve had a tough time deducing that the Panic! frontman felt like anything less than a rock star. He belted out over 20 songs during the March 25 show, including covers of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out.” He took over the drums to bang out a Bruno Mars/Rihanna medley, killing back-to-back renditions of “24K Magic” and “Bitch Better Have My Money.” He nailed his signature backflip during the band’s 2013 song, “Miss Jackson.” Then he packed up, hit the road, and completed 15 more stops around the country (including one in Duluth, GA on his 30th birthday). And then, one month later, he made his Broadway debut.

This is how Brendon Urie gets shit done. And this unrelenting energy and passion have made him one of pop-rock’s biggest success stories. Panic! at the Disco currently counts over 3 million and 2.29 million followers on Instagram and Twitter, respectively, and Urie’s amassed nearly identical numbers across his personal accounts. Panic!’s 2005 debut album, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, produced the instantly recognizable, irresistibly catchy earworm, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” which became a top 10 hit, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Not bad for a group of recent high school grads who got their start as a Blink-182 cover band. A year earlier, Urie, along with pals Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson formed Panic! and sent a few of their demos to Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz via LiveJournal. Within months, he’d signed them as the inaugural band under his Fueled by Ramen record label imprint, Decaydance.

Phoenix, AZ resident Sarah Fingold discovered the group early on. “I was a Fall Out Boy fan, and they did a tour in 2005 and Panic! opened for them,” she recalls. “It was one of their first tours and no one knew who they were. I just remember them being all flamboyant with their outfits and what I remembered as the ‘Shotgun Wedding’ song [officially known as “Time to Dance” from Fever].”

Fingold has attended 15 Panic! shows over the past 12 years and has, along with other early adopters, stuck by the group through a tumultuous decade. In 2006, Jon Walker replaced Wilson on bass. But two years later, Walker and guitarist Ross both left the band following the release of their sophomore album, Pretty. Odd. Urie and drummer Smith then recruited bassist Dallon Weekes while recording their third album, 2011’s Vices & Virtues, and the trio went on to create 2013’s Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! But in 2015, Smith bowed out of the band and Weekes later downgraded his role from permanent to touring member.

And then there was one.

At that point, Urie had a choice. He could have retired from the music game altogether, content with the band’s solid decade together. Or he could’ve put the Panic! brand to bed and reinvented himself as a solo artist. But instead, he soldiered on alone under the Panic! moniker, writing and producing new tracks from his Los Angeles home studio. And while he recruited Weekes, guitarist Kenneth Harris, and drummer Dan Pawlovich for live performances, Urie himself recorded every instrument on the new material, aside from the horns (he’s mastered guitar, bass, keyboard, percussion, and synthesizer), and he even provided his own background vocals (courtesy of a four-octave range). In January 2016, he unveiled the band’s fifth studio release, Death of a Bachelor. As a one-man act, Urie earned Panic! its first No. 1 album and a Grammy nomination.

“Brendon Urie is an anomaly,” says producer and collaborator Rob Mathes. “He’s a young man who is an incredible drummer and singer with extraordinary range, but also a truly great bass player and a guitarist who can shred along with the best of them. Not only that, but he can do backflips and cartwheels on stage and perform seven shows a week with his voice remaining as powerful as ever.”

According to Mathes, Urie’s musical talent is just the tip of the iceberg, and this absurd amalgamation of attributes makes him an industry exception.

“Add to this no ego whatsoever — none,” he says. “It doesn’t really make sense. He was raised by Mormon parents, and though he has drifted from that tradition, I believe his kindness, politeness, and complete lack of pretension probably comes from that religious upbringing. He never thinks he is the most important person in the room. He’s one of my favorite people.”

Los Angeles-based host and long-time KROQ radio DJ Ted Stryker has supported Urie since his early days. “I’ve been listening to Panic! and interviewing Brendon since close to the beginning — he was never off my radar,” he says. “The dude is a superstar. His stage presence, energy, vibe, work ethic, attitude, style, writing — he does not want to fail.”

And he hasn’t, despite the fact that Panic! could have easily succumbed to the fate of other pop rock acts of the MySpace era, written off as a one-hit wonder. Considering the young group’s quick and sudden rise to fame and the members’ gradual departures, it would have been understandable if Urie had felt entitled to coast on his early success until fans lost interest. But the musician has pulled off a rare feat, artistically experimenting and evolving enough to continuously attract new fans, but never veering so off course as to alienate his original supporters.

“Amazingly, the band has amassed a massive cult following, and in essence, are actually bigger now than ever before in their career,” says Live 105 music director Aaron Axelsen. “They sold out a show at the Oracle in Oakland back in March and continue to generate insane sales and streaming numbers here in the Bay Area.”

“You have this [older demographic] of generation-MySpace who nostalgically love Panic! and have been there since day one in 2004, fused with a new wave of younger millennial fans, basically creating an ideal band for soccer moms and their daughters,” Axelsen adds.

That universal appeal hasn’t just kept Panic! afloat: it’s catapulted them toward greater and greater success, even as the band members themselves have dwindled down to just one. That may be why Urie, while lacking the name recognition of an Ed Sheeran or a John Mayer, beat out both artists by having the highest-grossing tour of 2017 thus far.

It’s the combination of unconditional old-school fan loyalty and newbie devotion that’s kept Panic! thriving. “When the new songs came along, the younger audience took ownership of them,” Stryker says, noting that Blink-182 and Weezer have experienced similar sustained success thanks to the support of a millennial audience.

Case in point: 15-year-old Panic! fan Eva Goldthwaite from Boston. She became a dedicated fan a few years ago after discovering Urie’s outspoken support of the LGBTQ+ community in his lyrics and press interviews. “I’ve grown up in a pretty accepting environment,” she says. “I never realized the true, horrible things that were happening in the world.”

After launching the Instagram fan account @brendon.urie (which now counts 31.5K followers), Goldthwaite was shocked to read comments describing followers’ experiences with homophobia and prejudice. Moved to take action, she and a friend decided to pay tribute to Urie’s message of acceptance by distributing paper hearts in all the colors of the rainbow through the crowd at the band’s July 1, 2016 show in Mansfield, MA. Printed on the cutouts were instructions for attendees to shine their cell phone flashlights through the hearts to create a stadium-wide wave of rainbow colors. Audience members were instructed to start the spectacle once the band launched into the equality anthem, “Girls/Girls/Boys,” which includes the refrain “love is not a choice.”

Urie and his team were blown away by the grassroots effort, sharing their appreciation on social media. Fans in other cities took notice, like 20-year-old New Yorker Raquel DiGiacomo, who co-manages the Twitter and Instagram accounts, @PanicUpdating (16K fans and 17.8K followers, respectively). As Urie prepared to kick off the Death of a Bachelor tour, she and a team of fellow fans spearheaded a national effort to replicate the rainbow.

“We spent hours getting people’s information for each stop on the tour, writing our their handles, Tweeting templates of the hearts, telling people where to buy paper,” she says. “It got so big, the people in Houston managed to turn the entire arena into the pride flag.”

The nightly tradition became a testament to the loyalty of Urie’s fans, and he acknowledged the spectacle in a speech at each tour stop.

“The last tour we just finished was the most inspiring I’ve ever been a part of,” he recently wrote in a letter to Billboard commemorating Pride month. “Thank you to all of you for being who you are. You’re beautiful and I love you.”

Fans love Urie right back — so much that they’re willing to traverse the country to see him fulfill his lifelong dream of starring on Broadway. On May 26, Urie kicked off a 10-week run as Charlie Price in Cyndi Lauper’s Tony Award-winning musical, Kinky Boots. It’s a definite departure from his comfort zone, but the production is, in many ways, a perfect fit for Urie. Lauper’s rock-tinged numbers are reminiscent of Panic!’s theatrical influences, and one eerily prophetic lyric from Death of a Bachelor’s “Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time” kind of says it all: “I lost a bet to a guy in a chiffon skirt/ But I make these high heels work.”

If the numbers are any indication, he definitely does. In the first week (during which he only performed four of eight shows), Urie boosted Kinky Boots ticket sales by 40 percent (or $315,000) and raised attendance by 22 percent compared to the previous week. His seamless transition from rockstar to thespian has wowed critics and colleagues alike.

“Brendon has been like a sponge soaking up everything-Broadway and putting it into his work,” says Urie’s Kinky Boots co-star, Taylor Louderman. “For someone with such a huge following, you might expect an equally huge ego, but this guy is as sweet as they come.”

Mathes says the new endeavor is an ideal outlet for Urie’s talent and enthusiasm. “He has never had more fun in his life than in Kinky Boots,” Mathes says. “He’s over the moon for it and has never been happier. We know he’s at home making blistering modern rock music, but he sure is loving Broadway.”

Urie’s temporary departure from Panic! hasn’t deterred fans. Goldthwaite’s mom will drive her six hours to see Kinky Boots in July and Fingold will make the trek from Phoenix that same month. DiGiacomo has seen the show twice already and plans to see it two more times before Urie’s final performance on August 6.

Each night Urie has appeared in the show, the stage door has been swarmed post-performance, with fans of all ages pouring onto the West 45th Street sidewalk and coming uncomfortably close to oncoming traffic. And each night, Urie has shown up for fans, smiling for countless selfies, signing an astronomical amount of Playbills, and expressing sincere gratitude for their support.

The fan devotion isn’t simply idol admiration; supporters say the musician’s unwavering commitment to his craft, his community, and the causes close to his heart have motivated their own personal growth.

“Brendon has really inspired me to be a better person,” Goldthwaite says, noting that many of her 31,000 Instagram followers are in search of solace or support. “I do mini-projects where I’ll have people compliment the person above them in the comments, which spreads a little bit of positivity to a lot of people,” she says. “Brendon’s positivity inspired me to become a better person and be there for his fans, just like he is.”

Source: sfweekly

#brendon urie #Panic! at the Disco #article #p!atd #kinky boots

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vinylbay777 · 6 years ago

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Artists Who Recreated Other Artists Music Videos

On Wednesday, New York disco-rock band Escort released a video for their latest single “Outta My Head.” The video near-faithfully recreates the one released by Journey for their hit “Separate Ways” back in 1983, down to the clothing each member of the band is wearing.

This is not a new occurrence, as many artists before them have either recreated other artists’ videos in either tribute or parody as well. Artists like Eminem and Blink 182 have been parodying snippets of popular videos in their own ways for decades. With every new parody single he releases, “Weird Al” Yankovic produces a parody video to go with it. Recently, younger artists like Troye Sivan and Anne-Marie have been paying homage to iconic late 1990s videos in their own clips.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at artists who have recreated another artist’s complete music videos for their own music videos. Here are six that wear their inspiration on their sleeves and, faithfully or not, pay homage to what came before.

1. Panic! At The Disco, “Girls/Girls/Boys”: When it came time to release a video for single “Girls/Girls/Boys” from their fourth studio album, ‘Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!’ in 2013, Panic! At The Disco took things back to early 2000s R&B for inspiration. To go with the song’s lyrics about a love triangle, they decided to recreate D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” video, which would have frontman Brendon Urie completely stripped down and singing directly into a camera. It’s a pretty faithful remake with every camera zoom and pan spot on. (video)

2. Weezer, “Africa”: Weezer are no strangers to parodying pop culture in their music videos. But with their recent cover of Africa’s “Toto,” the band decided to do something a little different. Instead of recreating the original song’s video, they recreated one of their own. The band recruited parody expert “Weird Al” Yankovic to play Rivers in a shot-for-shot remake of their “Undone (The Sweater Song)” video. The only differences were Yankovic’s “Buddy Holly”-inspired outfit and the lack of dogs running around the set. (video)

3. Fall Out Boy, “Irresistible” feat. Demi Lovato: For their “Irresistible” video back in 2016, Fall Out Boy inserted themselves into the world of *NSYNC’s “It’s Gonna Be Me” video, turning themselves into bobbleheads that get brought to life on the store shelf. While not as faithful as some of the other videos on this list, the band does a good job of putting their own spin on the concept. They even found roles for *NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone in the production. (video)

4. Blink 182, “She’s Out Of Her Mind”: Not ones to take themselves too seriously, Blink 182 decided to parody one of their own music video in 2016. The video for ‘California’ single “She’s Out Of Her Mind” is a nearly shot-for-shot remake of the video for the band’s breakthrough single “What’s My Age Again,” except with ladies running around instead of the band. (video)

5. Classixx feat. T-Pain, “Whatever I Want”: With their 2016 video for “Whatever I Want,” electronic group Classixx found inspiration in indie rockers The Smiths, faithfully recreating the video for “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before” down to the photo of Oscar Wilde and even reusing shots from the original. According to director Daniel Pappas, the inspiration for the recreation came from collaborator T-Pain’s (who plays the part of Morrissey in the video) struggles with depression, the “shared sadness of Smiths fans and how, through all of the depression and sadness, when you look like Morrissey in whatever way you can, everything is going to be okay.” (video)

6. Ingrid Michaelson, “Girls Chase Boys”: Robert Palmer’s video for 1988 single “Simply Irresistible” has had its share of reimaginings and references in popular culture. But for her 2014 single “Girls Chase Boys,” Ingrid Michaelson went a step further and created a nearly faithful homage to the original. The twist, however, was that the ladies in make-up and pink dresses from the original would be replaced with men in make-up and pink shirts. (video)

Whether parodying their own videos or faithfully paying homage to the artists that came before, recreating a music video has become a popular way for artists to share artistic inspiration and/or get a certain feeling across. Check out some of these recreated videos above and let us know what your favorite music video recreations are in the comments below.

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Pay homage to your favorite artists by picking up music from these artists and more at Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s top new independent record shop. With thousands of titles to choose from in a wide variety of genres, we have something to fit the tastes of most music fans. Browse our selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

#music video #pop #rock

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chiaroscuro-life · 6 years ago

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dashed hope, lot #??? - 2016

“Dearest (---),

This is perhaps the first of many letters that I’m writing to you. It’s the Thursday after we went to the Panic! At the Disco concert. I have had the unfortunate experience of watching my life go by in an unfettered blur of color and emotion, so this time, I want to capture as much of it as I can.

Why am I doing this? you might be thinking. This is a bit too cheesy for me, or this is so cliché of a young lover to do. Well, let me tell you. There is too much in this world to be had, and therefore, much too much to be lost in the turning of Earth (shut up, it sounded good in my head). There are things I have told you, will tell you, might tell you, and will never tell you. This is because I have learned that time is sacred and fleeting, but none more so than our memories that fill it.

(Pretty much what I’m going to say is that I’m gonna write shit down so I won’t forget it.)

Let’s take it back to the beginning.

It all fell into place with an almost unconscious twitch of a thumb over your Tinder profile on my cracked phone screen. I remember it well: I was weeks away from graduating high school, sitting at the back of the muggiest, smelliest, most distinctly unpleasant school bus in a stupid Skyrim T-shirt. The second I tapped the heart, it began a huge chain of events that I in my short, uneventful life would never have predicted. I sent you a message and promptly forgot about you for a month and a half (by know you’d probably know this is typical of me). I even deleted the goddamn app after flimsy liaisons with high school friends, stupid teenage sexuality and heartbreak. It was on a whim I even got it back, and found you’d sent me another message. Another message, by Jehovah. To me. Maybe it was the old self-deprecation coming back, me thinking why would he message me? What is there so special about me that he messaged me back? Perhaps I read too much into it at the time; for all I knew you’d messaged me back on a whim as well. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised and terrified that my metaphorical fishing pole would go slack (oh, that’s so horrible and objectifying, but it sounded cool.)

Let’s take it forward.

Long story short, I had and extra ticket to Panic! and Weezer, lied to my father, and canceled with a friend about 30 minutes before she was due to pick me up when you texted me back. 30 seconds before I met you, I stood at the green Publix railing, overlooking the parking lot, hoping I looked edgy or cool or some shit staring into the sunlight, but in reality it blinded me momentarily to the point that I didn’t register you coming up to greet me for a few seconds. We were both uneasy, curious, definitely shy. To be honest, I always feel that tinge of nausea before meeting with someone and a thousand thoughts race through my mind at once, but this time it was replaced with a sense of…placidity (if that even is a word). You looked a little different from your picture, but I could tell it was you (I cannot tell you how much my friends freaked me out about catfishing, but that’s beside the point). You reminded me of my brother. Your eyes were soft behind your bulky glasses (I smile even thinking about it now), your hair was short in the strict marine cut, and you wore a Pac-Man T-shirt. A fucking Pac-Man T-shirt. Immediately I knew I could let myself be at ease around you. In fact, I think the first thing I said to you was “Just letting you know, I curse like a sailor” and you smiled and responded “I am a sailor.” I won’t deny that it made my heart leap a bit – finally, someone even my goddamn FATHER couldn’t find a problem with. By God, that smile. I’m probably going to repeat so much sappy shit about it later but right now I will tell you it is one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen and I want to see it again. It is by no means dazzling, nor ethereal, nor Hollywood (sorry), but it came so naturally and so softly that it reminded me of the feeling when a flower petal catches on the wind, drifts a bit, and gently touches down on an open palm. There’s really no words to describe it, but I can feel it. It’s not like my aunt’s flashing teeth and blazing eyes, nor a half-snarl half-grin my brother shows me. It was soft and welcoming and it drew me impossibly close and much too fast.

We drove in your friend’s truck to D.I. It was black and had an Illinois license plate and you shyly asked if I was more comfortable driving (I almost said yes. I would have killed us both). We made small talk along the way, nothing really important – what do you like to do, where are you from, that sort of small shit. We made an inappropriate joke about your friend Seaman Guzler (or Guzzler, I have no idea.) I wanted to reach out and touch you, but our knowledge of each other was so small and premature that I held back. I’d always been cautious with taking an instant liking to people, but goddamn, this was hard. I kept stealing glances at you the whole way, and I could see that you were too.

We arrived. No fanfare, just small talk about finding our seats. I stopped and asked to take a picture with you. I didn’t know whether I wanted to show it off to friends, keep it for myself, send to you – but it was a perfect picture. I’m looking at it as I write. Our eyes are similar in the way they close against the sunlight. Our teeth present themselves equally. In my eyes, we were happy to just be. Just be. Just be. Just be. I felt no nervousness, no driving need to impress you. You’re the kind of person that I felt I could be in a companionable silence with (but of course I felt awkward and tried to fill every waking minute with conversation). I just wanted to share. Share in our love for the band, for my hometown, even felt like sharing a bit of budding love for me (if that’s not too conceited). I started to like you.

The concert was a blur. Seeing friends, talking about ourselves, laughing at the emo teenagers in the front row, the uncomfortable parents with them, the thirtysomethings that came to feel eighteen again. I learned you played viola and my heart SOARED. I love music as if it were a secondary lover, and finally I had found someone who was the same (we were a bit too alike in some ways). I fell in love with my stand partner for the reason that we shared in a passion reserved for few. In fact, the night after the concert, I took my viola from its case after a month and played it again. It felt so good – almost as good as kissing you – but we’re not there yet.

We watched Brendon Urie steal our eyes, rumble beneath our fingertips, steal our breath. At one point I just completely let go and started dancing and I kept psychically wishing you’d join me. You did, hesitantly. You stood up, then after a while kind of bobbed your head, sneaking a glance at me every time I turned to look at you. Finally you let go just a little more, mouthing along, smiling, clapping, maybe cheering. I wanted to see you let down your hair a little bit (NO HAIR JOKES PLEASE NOW IS NOT THE TIME). Stupid thoughts flooded my mind – make sure he has a good time before he’s gone. Don’t let this one slip through your fingers. You’re going to fuck this up like you have every time. When Brendon said “Love whoever the fuck you want,” I leaned over, grabbed your shoulder and whooped and hollered with the crowd, and I felt your hand on my back. It was gentle. Solid. Warm. And it was over. The concert was over, my breath was gone, but you were still there and I became painfully aware of how I seemed in your eyes. My immediate fear was that I could not dazzle you in the way Brendon had, leave you wanting more and maybe to see me one more time. We talked about music again as Weezer set up. You told me about The 303, and I promised not to judge you for going to see Big Time Rush (I had no idea who they were – I just played along). We stayed for a few Weezer songs after Buddy Holly didn’t play. And then we left – this time, me following you up into the darkness of the stadium. We hit the merch stand – after I thought I lost my credit card you offered to get something for me – which I tried to deny. You bought a flag just as I found that card, and I was terrified of you showing me such a length of kindness that I ignored it and bought one for myself – I don’t know if I’m reading into this correctly, but I panicked.

We walked around the tiny strip mall, talking about everything. I learned you were from Denair, you tried cow tipping, you were bisexual, you picked almonds, we both love history, and farming and animals and pretty much a lot of things. You told me about your brothers, who I think you sent a not-so-flattering picture of me to. I worried about your sister for a bit with you, her being only sixteen and trying to take on the world. I realized I wasn’t much different. Maybe a bit older, but with the same thirst for wonder. We talked about so much that at one point I stopped and said “where are we even going?” and it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter as we got into the car and drove off into the darkness at which point you asked me, “Hey, are you a fan of Hamilton?” I knew then some gears somewhere began to turn with a great rusty clamor. We drove home, laughing and singing and cracking jokes, all coming much faster than they had before the sun set. I loved sitting there and joking with you as the lights of the highway flashed past us.

Hamilton was still playing when you pulled up into my driveway – I was afraid you’d let me out on the side of my yard and wave and drive off – but you pulled in, stopped, and looked at me. I remember thinking, this is where something happens that will determine whether you see him again. So I said, like an idiot, “I’d really like to see you again.” You said “me too,” and I leaned in and kissed your cheek and attempted to leave without showing the blush creeping up my cheeks but I had to look back at you. You said, so softly, so simply, “hey, come back here.” And I keep trying to play it out in slow motion, but I can’t. We leaned into each other, so perfectly and fluidly it was as if we’d done it a hundred thousand times before. I felt your lips on mine and they were so gentle and did not try to take over. We melded together. I felt no sparks of electricity, but a sudden warmth and a filling in my chest as we moved against each other’s lips while “Thomas Jefferson” filled the car, but I was momentarily deaf to everything. I opened my eyes a few times, and I thought you were beautiful as you were kissing me. I felt a barrier of some kind shatter into a hundred pieces and we touched each other. You caressed my face, I grasped the back of your neck – I think I dug my nails into you. Sorry, old sexy habits die hard – and your lips were so, so good. I’ve kissed many people in my life. Nothing had ever felt so fitted and lovely – yes, I felt their skin and breath, but never this swelling in my chest before. Even now as I think of it I feel it again and I shiver and I stop whatever I’m doing to look up and smile (I did it at work so much that people stopped to ask me if I was ok because I’d zone out for a few seconds). And there it was –like the concert, like your laughing, you left me wanting more. So much more. Maybe. We leaned our foreheads against each other in a moment so goddamn tender I felt it was too much, so much too soon, but you smiled and said, “Yep. You are awesome.”

I think I said, “I always ask myself what a guy like you sees in a dork like me, but now I think I have my answer.” I remember I kissed you once more as I swung my legs out of the truck and smiled coyly at you and said, “text, me, sailor,” and tried not to look back as I attempted to leave you with the same feeling you left me with. And your headlights did not fade out of my driveway until I went up to my bedroom. I waved, but I don’t think you saw. I wonder if you sat there, still feeling my lips on yours, mind whirling, skin tingling, attempting to process it all just as I did as the lights of your truck moved away and became no more than dots in the distance.

In other words, I think I like you.”

tl:dr, 18-year-old me was a fucking airhead with a dumb fucking crush and learned his first hard lesson that romance is shit and love at first sight is a fuckin Wal-Mart Ad for sad people

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vrenaewrites · 6 years ago

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Songs of Accidental Evils: Part 1.

Last year, I did a series on this blog where I talked about the playlist behind my first book, CIVIL BLOOD. I got a lot of good feedback from that and people overwhelmingly wanted me to do it again for the sequel, ACCIDENTAL EVILS. This book has a much darker tone, and its playlist was easily split into three parts: the general vibe of the book, songs related to River (the male MC), and songs related to Fina (the female MC).

In no particular order, these are the general vibe songs. If you don’t care for an explanation and just wanna hear the songs, here’s a link to the part 1 playlist!

1. Staring at the Sun – TV On the Radio.

This is one of my favorite songs point blank, period. The image of staring into the sun, in the ocean, with the water coming up to your neck, is so haunting to me. Especially because there’s a lot of talk about drowning in this book. Without spoilers, the line “note the trees because the dirt is temporary” is my favorite line (it was my tumblr bio when I was in high school) and hugely influential to a major plot crumb I drop in this book for book 3.

2. Born To Die – Lana Del Rey.

A perfect song to be depressed to. “Sometimes Love is not enough and the road gets tough, I don’t know why.” This is such a perfect representation of how the relationship in both River and Fina’s families start to break down due to the trauma both of them face.

3. Sail – Awolnation.

This song, despite its meme potential, is haunting. It reminds me of being abducted by aliens, largely because of its music video but also because of the sonic surges of sound. There’s alien motifs in AE, but also the idea of loss of identity - as if you’ve been abducted and replaced - is prevalent throughout.

4. Rolling In the Deep – John Legend.

“The scars of your love remind me of us, they keep me thinking that we almost had it all.” “You’ll pay me back in kind and reap just what you’ve sown, you’re gonna wish you never had met me.” You could hear this from either perspective and it would make sense, depending on who you direct it towards. And the John Legend acapella version is just superior, sorry.

5. Push – Matchbox Twenty.

A song about using people and not feeling bad about it because you yourself have been used. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been really loved by a hand that’s touched me, and I feel like something’s gonna give, and I’m a little bit angry.” There’s a lot of anger in this book. And this song is angry enough for everyone.

6. Blow it All Away – Sia.

This was the first song on the first ever playlist for a CIVIL BLOOD sequel. Before Sia blew up, this and Breathe Me were her only songs people really knew. “Where there’s ice to be found, the seed lies underground.” This song is full of bitterness and darkness. Just like this book.

7. My Mistakes Were Made For You – The Last Shadow Puppets.

“Around your crooked conscience she will wind. And it’s a lot to ask her not to sting, and give her less than everything, innocence and arrogance intwined, in the filthiest of minds.” This song is about a wicked girl who turns a good man to bad things. There’s a lot of that thinking going around in this book.

8. White Blank Page - Mumford and Sons.

“A white blank page, and a swelling rage. You did not think when you sent me to the brink. You desired my attention but denied my affection.” This is a song I like to call...the After song. Spoilers if I say any more than that. But yes. The After.

9. Ghost - Halsey.

There’s a lot of ghost metaphor happening around this book, specifically around the rock in Possum Lake. Lots of ghosts of could bes. “I’m searching for something that I can’t reach.”

10. Holly – Sleigh Bells.

“Wasted all day killing all the Capulets.” “Never need to ask, we’ll tell you who’s boss.” Sleigh Bells sleigh my life (lol get it.)

11. XO - Fall Out Boy.

A song about a love gone real, real wrong. A song full of regret and fury and self-hate. “I hoped you choked and crashed your car.” “I left my conscience pressed between the pages of the Bible in the drawer, what did it ever do for me?”

12. Honey - The Hush Sound.

“You’ve got a dark heart. You’ve got a cold kiss.” “You always let me down.” This is a song about being fed up with someone who you used to love.

13. Molasses - The Hush Sound.

This, to me, is a song about revenge. About darkness hunting someone down and all the optimism being slowly crushed out of them. “Today, there is a cold moon rising and you wanted something better but tonight, you know you’ll never find it.”

14. Something From Nothing - Foo Fighters.

Fury. Pure fury. Imagery of fire, rivers, blood. Complete annihilation. “But in the end we all, come from what’s come before” is a huge plot point.

15. Hemorrhage – Fuel.

“Tread the waters til the depths give up their dead. What did you expect to find? Was it something you left behind?” The feeling of being forgotten, and trying to forget yourself, only to be reminded in the worst way at the worst times.

16. Green Light - Lorde.

“I do my makeup in somebody else’s car” reminds me of Sparrow and the way she and River drift apart during some of this book. “Well those rumors they have big teeth, hope they bite you. Thought you said that you would always be in love, but you’re not in love no more.” Is a back and forth in my mind between two characters. (Spoilers if I say who)

17. Shutter Island - Jessie Reyez.

The sarcasm and bite in this song is so good. A perfect song to descend into madness with. “Goodness gracious, you’re amazing. According to you I’m a lucky lady.”

18. Somebody That I Used to Know (acapella) - Gotye ft. Kimbra.

Ten years after its release and I still cry every single time I hear this song. It’s just plain sad. And acapella, the harmonies knock me off my feet every time. “You didn’t have to cut me off, make out like it never happened and that we were nothing. And I don’t even need your love, but you treat me like a stranger and it feels so rough.”

19. February Stars - Foo Fighters.

A song about barely being okay, but being okay nonetheless. “You ask for walls, I’ll build them higher. We’ll lie in the shadows of them all. I’d stand but they’re much too tall.”

20. Unknown Song - Milky Chance.

“Your friends are gonna know, you’re fucked up by yourself. They’ll leave you all alone, and now you’re on your own.” When people who have never been alone are forced to be alone, you learn a lot about them. And that’s all I’ll say on that.

21. Hash Pipe - Weezer.

Just an aggressive song for an aggressive book.

22. Honestly (Encore) - Gabbie Hanna.

Woof this whole song 1:32 of angry. I can’t even pick one lyric, but the opening is gold: “Cross my heart and hope to die you never cross my fucking mind.”

23. 3:16am - Jhene Aiko.

This song breaks my heart. Her sweet little voice kills me. “I do not feel the fear of falling, thought I could fly. It didn’t go well, but oh well. And what do you know? I’m right back where I was before.”

24. When Doves Cry (Cover) - Diamond White.

Do I have to explain why this song is on here? The lyrics are gut-wrenching and Diamond’s slowed down vocals over an orchestral track are unreal.

25. Blue Monday (Cover) - Hannah Peel.

“How does it feel to treat me like you do? When you laid your hands upon me, and told me who you are?” Spoilers.

26. Debaser - The Pixies.

When Bernardo and Sparrow are in the car in the beginning of Act I, and when Sparrow and River are in the car at the end of Act I, this is the song playing. Bernardo loves The Pixies.

#fiction writer #writers blog #writers of tumblr #am writing #writer woes #writers be like #ya fiction #ya paranormal #ya thriller #young adult #playlist #writing playlist #thistlewolf #civil blood #accidental evils

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glittergummicandypeach · 4 years ago

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This is how Brian Baker ended up in Bad Religion over 25 years ago

If there was a punk-rock hall of fame, Bad Religion would certainly belong in it. The long-running California punk outfit have maintained a positive agenda while creating some classic songs. But if the band drove up to the front door of said punk building, they’d probably look through the glass door, look at each other and then drive away. Their reasons for being are about the visceral and emotional. Definitely not the realm of the self-aggrandizing. That point comes through loud and clear in Do What You Want, the new band biography written by Jim Ruland and the band. Below, Alternative Press is running an excerpt from the book.

This selection from Do What You Want focuses on Brian Baker joining the ranks of Bad Religion in 1994. Baker (known for his reputation in the Washington, D.C., punk and hardcore scenes) turned down an offer to join R.E.M. to play guitar with the SoCal punk legends.

Read more: Watch Bad Religion’s Brian Baker stir the pot making “Seeing Red” sauce

The night of Brett’s last show with Bad Religion, his replacement watched from the audience. Brian Baker was already part of the Epitaph family when he was invited to join Bad Religion. Brett had put out a record by Brian’s band, Dag Nasty, in 1992. In fact, Jay recalled that Brian started lobbying for a spot in Bad Religion while he was recording with Epitaph. “He told me, ‘If Hetson ever leaves, call me.’ He said to Hetson, ‘If Brett ever leaves, call me.’ It was really funny because when Brett left, both me and Hetson were like, ‘Brian wants the job.’”

Of course, Brian wasn’t as well known for his guitar work with Dag Nasty as he was for being one of the founding members of what was arguably the most important hardcore band to ever plug in an amplifier: Minor Threat.

Brian started playing guitar when he was eight years old. He learned to play at the same time as his best friend, Michael Hampton, another influential guitar player in the D.C. hardcore scene, who would go on to play in State of Alert with Henry Rollins and the Faith with Ian MacKaye’s brother Alec. When Brian was twelve, he joined his first band, Silent Thunder, which basically just played KISS and Aerosmith covers in the drummer’s basement. “I think we might have played one show,” Brian said, “but I know we had T-shirts!”

Read more: Here are 10 of the most influential bands of hardcore

The Bakers moved to Michigan, where Brian formed a band called Hameron with some other kids at his school. This time it was Cheap Trick and Ted Nugent covers. When Carlos Santana came to town, the drummer’s dad secured backstage passes for his son, who brought Brian along. Before the show, they were given a tour of the entire backstage area where Brian made his presence felt by picking up one of Santana’s guitars and jamming on it. Instead of being escorted out of the building, the crew brought Brian an amp and encouraged him to keep playing. That would be the highlight of any kid’s night, but this was just the warm-up. Right before the second encore, one of the guitar techs slung a Les Paul guitar around Brian’s neck and pushed him out onstage. Brian ended up playing a couple songs with Carlos Santana in front of twenty-five thousand people.

However, Brian’s newfound fame in Michigan was destined to be short-lived because not long afterward he moved back to Washington, D.C., where all his friends were now into punk rock. For most kids, listening to punk made you an outcast, but at Georgetown Day School punk was cool. The first time Brian saw real punks outside of his circle of friends was when he saw the Cramps play at the Ontario Theatre on August 21, 1980. “I felt a visceral tingle,” he said. “I felt like I was on fire.”

After the Teen Idles broke up, vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson started a new band. They invited Lyle Preslar to play guitar, and recruited Brian to play bass. This was approximately the same time that Bad Religion was forming on the other side of the country. Like his future bandmate Jay Bentley, Brian was a guitar player who was asked to switch instruments for the sake of the band. Brian was only fifteen years old, by far the youngest member of the band.

Read more: Bad Religion’s Brian Baker found his new band’s singer in a catering line

“I’d never played bass,” Brian said. “I was a guitar player. I suppose I was asked to join the band because there was no one else available who had an instrument and wasn’t already in a band. Our scene was so small. I went to high school with the guitar player who was two grades above me. I played bass because I was the last one there. I started playing chords on it. They told me, ‘No, you play one note at a time.’”

Most scenes are defined by one or two bands, but the D.C. punk community was exceptionally vital with a large number of bands for such a small city. Dischord, the label MacKaye co-owns with Jeff Nelson, was the epicenter for the scene, but it sometimes seemed as if everyone Brian knew was making music.

“I was part of this group of twenty or thirty people in Washington, D.C., and everyone had a band,” Brian said. “That whole experience was really profound. I was in Minor Threat and my friends were in the Faith. These guys were in Void and these guys were in Marginal Man. Everyone was in their own band. Someone would play a show and we’d all go watch. Our band would play and they’d come watch us. It was all the same. Minor Threat would play and it would be the same thing if Government Issue were playing. The same people would go to both shows. The only difference was who was onstage.”

Read more: Bad Religion unboxing: Tours they’d rather forget, interviews they walked out of

Much like the L.A. scene, each band had its own distinct sound, but it was Minor Threat that broke out of the pack and rose to prominence in D.C. and beyond. As the youngest member, Brian downplayed his contribution to the band. “I could play and Lyle could play,” Brian said. “I mean we knew how to play our instruments, but we had the best drummer in town and Ian wrote great songs.”

With a mix of sledgehammer riffs and howling intensity, Minor Threat set the bar for hardcore punk. Musically, Minor Threat made other bands sound tame in comparison, but the clarity and coherence of MacKaye’s message was never compromised.

[Photo: Thorsten Martin-Edigshaus]

Although it didn’t feel like it at the time, being in Minor Threat was a watershed moment that set the stage for the rest of Brian’s career. “It was a classic case of right place, right time,” Brian said. “It was a lightning-in-a-bottle situation. My high school band that jammed at the guitar player’s mom’s house after school got to be one of the most influential punk rock bands ever. And always will be.”

After Minor Threat broke up, Brian collaborated with Glenn Danzig in the infant stages of what would become Samhain, though Brian left the group before they played their first show. Brian also did a stint in the Meatmen while “sort of ” going to college before leaving school for good and forming Dag Nasty in 1985. After Dag Nasty broke up in 1988, Brian went on to join Junkyard, an L.A. hard rock band. They did two records for Geffen and toured extensively in the United States before being dropped in 1992. Junkyard fizzled out soon after that and Brian moved on to his next project.

Read more: Bad Religion and Alkaline Trio are cancelling their tour so fans can get refunds

Next, he started a band called Careless, an alternative rock band with what Brian described as “a weird crossover of styles.” Major labels were throwing around stupid amounts of money in the hopes of signing an alternative act that could deliver a hit. “We were Weezer before Weezer,” Brian said. “Not metal. Not grunge. Whatever the fuck we were. The problem was whatever the fuck we were didn’t get a record deal.” The band was very close to being signed—they had a publishing deal with Virgin—but it didn’t happen.

Brian decided to take a hiatus from playing music at this point. “I realized I’d been in a band consistently for fourteen years,” Brian said. “It was time to step back for a bit and recharge my batteries.” He started working full time at Cole Rehearsal Studios in Hollywood. Cole was a pro-am studio, meaning they rented to professionals and amateurs alike. A band like Danzig might have a practice space locked out for a month while a bunch of kids just off the bus from Tulsa rented the room right next to it by the hour.

“It was entertaining,” Brian said. “I was basically the front-of-house guy. When you came into Cole, I was the guy at the front desk. ‘You’re going to be in B. Your mics are set up, and if you need anything let me know.’ I was basically a concierge. I think it helped that people would recognize me. ‘Oh my god you’re Brian from Minor Threat!’ So that was interesting to them.”

Read more: Why you’re not punk if you don’t support BLM, according to Brett Gurewitz

Brian was a talented guitar player with an affable personality who was willing to do whatever was necessary to assist. It didn’t matter if you were on your way up or crashing back down to earth, Brian had been there and was willing to lend a hand. “I was a kind of goodwill ambassador,” Brian said. “Lending my experience and trying to be funny and lightening up the process. That’s what I did.”

At Cole, Brian struck up a friendship with Tommy Stinson of the Replacements, who’d formed a new band called Bash & Pop and was looking to recruit some musicians for a follow-up album. Stinson asked Brian to join his band, and for a while they wrote music and played shows together in L.A. Around this time Brian met Scott Litt, who was working with Juliana Hatfield. Litt enlisted Brian’s help during preproduction of Hatfield’s new record. It turned out that Litt had produced a number of R.E.M.’s albums, and he was so impressed with Brian he introduced him to the R.E.M. camp. The rockers from Athens, Georgia, were looking for a fill-in guitar player for their next tour.

Brian met with Michael Stipe and, like a lot of tryouts Brian had been on, the subject turned to Minor Threat. It helped that Brian was a really good guitar player, but Stipe and MacKaye were also friends, and Brian discovered he and Stipe knew a lot of the same people. Brian formally tried out and was offered the gig.

Read more: ‘Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 1 + 2’ adds 30 new songs to soundtrack

“I was still working at Cole and life was looking good when I got a conference call from Greg Hetson and Greg Graffin asking if I wanted to try out for Bad Religion. They had a new record coming out and they were touring immediately. They needed someone right now and they didn’t want some random person. Because of Brett’s importance in the band, they felt they needed someone with a pedigree.”

In a matter of days, Brian went from being a guy who worked at a rent-by-the-hour practice space to being offered gigs in R.E.M. and Bad Religion. Brian loved Bad Religion; they were his favorite West Coast punk rock band. “When I bought my first Bad Religion record, I got How Could Hell Be Any Worse? and Black Flag’s Jealous Again the same day. I really liked ‘We’re Only Gonna Die.’ I thought that Black Flag were more powerful, but I preferred the singing in Bad Religion.”

Despite his affection for the band, he felt the honorable thing to do was tell Greg that he’d already accepted an offer to tour with R.E.M. Greg countered by matching the salary that R.E.M. was going to pay him and offering him a chance to become a full member of the band. That made the prospect of turning down R.E.M. much easier.

Read more: 10 Vans collabs from some of your favorite bands

“It meant being part of a team and not an outside guy,” Brian explained. “It meant being an equal partner in what we decided to do and where we decided to go. In some camps you can be hired for a tour and let go. You’re not pretty anymore or someone’s wife is looking at you the wrong way. There are all kinds of things that can happen. But being a member of the band you’re a partner. You have security you don’t have as a side player.”

In addition, he already knew several members of the band. He was acquainted with Brett and Jay from Epitaph when Dag Nasty’s Four on the Floor came out, and he knew Hetson from around town. “Hetson was a local Lothario barfly like me,” Brian said. “He was someone I’d see at bars. We knew each other from Circle Jerks and Minor Threat. He was a punk icon. I was a punk icon. We’d go to bars and be punk icons.”

Brian’s audition took place at Cole while Greg was in town, and he played with the full band. It was something of a foregone conclusion that he would get the gig because they didn’t bring anyone else in for a tryout. It was Brian’s job to lose.

“It was great,” Brian said. “They found out I’m a real person. I’m not just this myth.”

After the audition, he was officially offered the gig. Brian would now get his first taste of Bad Religion’s bicoastal arrangement. In L.A., he rehearsed with Jay, Hetson, and Bobby—or whoever was available. Then he flew out to Ithaca to work with Greg on some songs. The next time he would play with the entire band would be at his first Bad Religion gig for a one-off show in Germany. The airline lost one of the two guitars that he’d brought, which made his first trip to the European continent more nerve-wracking than it needed to be.

Read more: Minor Threat, Bad Brains and the DC hardcore scene examined in new documentary

“I flew to Europe to play the Bizarre Festival with Bad Religion,” Brian said. “My first show was a forty-five-minute set at a big European festival with sixty thousand people. I walked out on the stage to play with Greg and the whole band for the first time, and I’d never played in front of that many people ever. It was insane. It was absolutely insane.”

A number of Epitaph bands were playing the festival, and Brett watched Brian’s debut from the soundboard. It was like the Epitaph Summer Nationals only this time Brian and Brett had traded places.

Brian’s performance at the Bizarre Festival changed the narrative from despair over Brett’s departure to excitement about Brian’s arrival. Minor Threat had never played in Europe, so Brian joining Bad Religion was a very big deal over there. Bad Religion received considerable media attention and a lot of it centered on Minor Threat.

Read more: Here are 20 punk and metal songs you can easily learn on guitar

“Publicly,” Jay explained, “when someone leaves the band and people want to know what happened, my answer is, ‘You’ll have to ask him.’ But when someone like Brett leaves and you’ve lost one of your songwriters, you can’t just go, ‘You’ll have to talk to him’ because that’s not going to fly. So having someone like Brian Baker from Minor Threat helped get us out of that awkward conversation. ‘What happened? Here’s Brian!’ It buffered the situation without completely ignoring that we’d lost a major player in our band by replacing him with another major player.”

The festival also opened Brian’s eyes about how Bad Religion was perceived in Europe. “I knew Bad Religion was a successful band. I knew they were a punk band, but I did not know they were a big band. I knew they played the Hollywood Palladium in L.A. and they could play Roseland in New York. I thought of them as nowhere near as big as the Offspring or Green Day, but at that Replacements, Soul Asylum level. Then I went to Germany and was like Jesus Christ. I had no concept.”

The Bizarre Festival, though intense, was just a warm-up. The moment Brian got off the stage, he had less than a month to prepare for what they were calling the Ain’t Life a Mystery Tour, which would take them to eleven European countries in five weeks.

Read more: NOFX and Frank Turner want the world to shut up about what’s not punk

Brian asked for help and he turned to an unlikely person: Brett Gurewitz. Brian didn’t have copies of Bad Religion’s back catalog, which he needed so he could learn the songs. Brian had avoided getting involved in the dispute between Brett and the band, and the two remained on good terms. That didn’t stop Brett from issuing Brian a warning: “Those guys are crazy. You won’t last three months.”

Stranger Than Fiction was released in early September, a few weeks before the European tour. KROQ put “Infected” into heavy rotation despite Atlantic pushing “21st Century (Digital Boy)” as the first single from the album. It was a less than ideal situation to have the most powerful rock and roll radio station playing one song while the record label promoted another. Neither song gained the momentum necessary to break out nationally, and it had a negative impact on sales.

Before Brett’s departure Bad Religion shot two videos for the album, both by Gore Verbinski. “Stranger Than Fiction” features a random cast of characters who have assembled for a book burning under a bridge in downtown L.A. The exceptionally strange video for “21st Century (Digital Boy)” required covering the band members with blue paint and submerging them in a pool of green slime, which would act as a liquid green screen. “Unfortunately,” Brett recalled, “the idea didn’t work and it looked like we were drowning in weird blue liquid.” Life isn’t always a mystery, but the video certainly is.

Read more: Here are 10 punk bands who made synths and electronics rock hard

In late September, the band embarked on its first European tour without Brett. The tour started in France and proceeded to Spain. In San Sebastian, at a show at Discoteca Erne, calamity struck. When the band entered through the ground floor of the building, they assumed that the structure was being renovated because portions of the second story, where the club was located, were supported with jacks. Bad Religion had been touring Europe for six consecutive years, and they’d performed in plenty of dodgy venues. From rundown squats to buildings that weren’t up to code, the band had grown accustomed to playing in places that would have been shut down in the United States.

The band opened up with “Recipe for Hate” and the fans immediately started jumping around and dancing to the music. Right at the song’s climax, the left side of the floor suddenly collapsed. “We started playing the show,” Greg recalled, “and a big hole opened up in front of me on the dance floor and bodies started falling into the hole.” The people who had been standing in front of the stage disappeared into the space where the floor had been.

Bad Religion stopped playing and the people on the right side of the dance floor shouted in protest, unaware of what had happened. But the screams of those who had fallen or were in danger of falling drowned them out. A huge cloud of dust rose from the lower level and people continued to tumble into the pit.

Read more: Quiz: How well do you know your punk-rock history?

The band was quickly ushered off the stage and out of the venue while fans and club personnel attended to those who had been injured. The hole that had opened up in front of the stage was enormous: approximately seventy feet long by forty feet wide and between fifteen and twenty feet deep. Hundreds of fans fell into the chasm created by the collapse. Between the lights and the dust and the screams from below it resembled a scene out of a disaster movie. It took twenty minutes for the first ambulance to arrive and two hours to get everyone who’d been hurt out of harm’s way. Although hundreds had been injured, thankfully there were no fatalities.

The band had questions and demanded answers. What happened? Had the show been oversold? Did the venue have the proper permits? The disco’s promoters insisted the venue had held events in the recent past with 3,500 and 4,000 guests. By the band’s count, fewer than three thousand people had come through the door to see Bad Religion. In retrospect, the presence of temporary jacks to help support the joists was a huge red flag that the structure was unsound and the venue unsafe.

Brian Baker and Jay Bentley [Photo: Jim Wright]

Bad Religion’s soundman, Ronnie Kimball, took photos of the scene to document the damage, but on his way out of the venue, his camera was confiscated and the images were lost. Neither the club’s owners nor the local police wanted word to get out about what had happened, and they were eager to see Bad Religion leave San Sebastian.

Read more: Bad Religion mark 40 years with autobiography

Much to the band’s surprise, the incident received minimal media coverage in the weeks that followed. Less than two weeks later, an incident occurred at a Pink Floyd concert in London where a section of the bleachers collapsed. Nearly one hundred fans fell but no one was hurt. This story generated major headlines across the United States and Europe. The silence out of Spain struck Bad Religion as odd.

“To this day,” Greg said, “when we go to Spain, people tell us, ‘I was there. I was at that show.’ We get asked about it all the time.”

It’s a minor miracle that the show will go down in history as one of Bad Religion’s shortest performances and not its deadliest. Although the tragedy was widely known in Europe, few fans in the United States were aware of it until the band discussed the incident in their newsletter, The Bad Times, which enjoyed an intermittent eleven-issue run from 1994 until 2001.

Although the band, the crew, and the majority of the fans escaped unscathed, Bad Religion had experienced enough upheavals over the last few months, and they were eager to leave behind the feeling of the ground giving way beneath their feet.

The post This is how Brian Baker ended up in Bad Religion over 25 years ago appeared first on Alternative Press.

This content was originally published here.

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news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog · 6 years ago

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Outdated ways of listening to music, ranked

Not to be too "old man yells at cloud," but I realized the other day that the average freshman entering college this fall probably has no idea what it's like to not have any song they want to hear available within moments.

These lucky individuals will never know the torment of waiting half an hour for one 30-second clip of the new Weezer single to load over that 28.8k modem connection, praying no one calls to interrupt the transfer so you can finally — finally — hear that sweet music that sounded like it was played through a bad AM radio dropped down a running garbage disposal.

SEE ALSO: How Phish became the unlikely heroes of digital music streaming

But in the late 1990s that was the life. That was the future. I once spent almost four hours downloading a single song — a cruddy .WAV rip of a new R.E.M. song — that I then played through two cruddy computer speakers with a microphone hooked up to my dad's tape deck sandwiched in-between, just to have the song on a cassette.

I thought I was a genius. "IT'S SO GREAT," I'd proclaim over the din, "THE FUTURE IS AMAZING. JUST LISTEN TO THIS. AND I DIDN'T HAVE TO LEAVE MY HOUSE."

Now I can have any song playing within 10 seconds of picking it, no matter where I am.

Sometimes you have to look back to appreciate how terrible even the most state-of-the-art advancements were at the time. So I did. Here you'll find a ranking of seven ways we've listened to music in the last 25 years or so. It's a shout-out to the tools we used before the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora.

This isn't exhaustive by any means (the world was flooded with software and apps ... and probably always will be). Just wait another 25 years, when Blue Ivy's comeback album is streamed directly into our skulls nanoseconds after we think about it.

7. Microsoft Zune

You were too beautiful for this world, Zune.

Image: Getty Images

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Sorry, had to get that out of my system. The Zune remains one of tech's biggest flops, at least since the year 2000, if not ever.

When it was released in 2006, Microsoft's personal music player tried to horn in on a market that was already becoming saturated with Apple's superior and sleeker iPod, which had hit shelves years earlier.

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If the Zune was destined to play catch-up, then the infamous "Leap Year" bug that bricked a certain model of the device at the end of 2008 was probably the final weight that dragged any hope to a halt.

The device developed a cult following, but that didn't raise it above the level of the Newton of the new millennium.

6. Minidisc

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It's like a CD player but with an option to record. And smaller. And more expensive. And much harder to find. Like Betamax was to VHS, the Minidisc player offered a lot of advantages over cassettes, which it was aiming to replace, and compact discs, the other emerging technology.

But, as with Betamax, the Minidisc wasn't as cheap as its competitors, a factor that helped lead to its eventual demise after repeated efforts to rebrand it.

5. RealPlayer

RealPlayer lives to this day, but I best remember its original incarnation, which allowed you to stream audio and video files straight from the web before Spotify and YouTube. In a way, RealPlayer was ahead of its time, one of the first to offer users this ability.

Two old versions of the Real Player

Image: Archive.org

However, my experiences were not always great. (That was more a product of circumstance than indicative of poor player quality.) Since it debuted before high-speed internet become affordable and widely available, streams often lagged and sputtered. And coming before more compressed forms of audio and video became widespread, music often sounded like a messy AM-quality version.

The company seems to have a warmer memory of the software than I and other users do. But, credit where it's due for being there early.

4. Discman

Compact discs on the go! I'll always remember having to haul at least one small binder of CDs every time I traveled with my Discman, and then having to hold the portable player as I walked.

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Eventually, I figured out how to wrap the Discman in a T-shirt and leave it in my backpack, stretching the headphones out to keep listening even while I walked. I'd have to stop and dig back in to switch out CDs every so often. When it became easier to burn your own mix CDs, that meant less CD swaps, but it didn't do away with the skipping or bulky size of the Discman itself.

Look, it's not that I'm not grateful for having a Discman. I could listen to it on the go, plug it into a stereo, or even plug it into my car and listen to it over an unused FM frequency (hello, static) when I drove all over the place in college. For those of you who are under 20 years of age, we really did have some incredibly weird ways of listening to music in our cars.

3. Walkman

True story: When I began running on a regular basis in 2004, I was too poor to afford an iPod, and running with a Discman is pretty much impossible due to its awkward size and the fact that the CD would skip endlessly.

Ah, my beloved.

Image: Sony

So I bought a cassette Walkman, even though this was the same year the Walkman included a line of MP3 players (again, steep prices). It was small enough to fit in my hand while I ran, and the earphones were relatively unobtrusive.

Plus, for longer runs, it was easy to flip my mixtape over and keep running, no fumbling with discs. And at this time, there were 120-minute cassette tapes to far outlast any 70-minute mixtape I could put together.

Say what you will about cassettes and Walkmans becoming obsolete. For a small window in the early 2000s before iPods and everyone had smartphones, they still had a purpose.

Or at least they did for me, and this my list, so here we are.

2. Napster

Oh, Napster. You were trouble from the start, but you pushed music into the digital age.

Image: Getty Images

The music industry was dragged into the digital music era thanks to Napster, which allowed us to download tons of MP3s from our favorite bands and listen to them right then and there.

Sure, it was illegal as hell, but it was so easy to use and flooded with music you wanted. (There were several downsides.) Still, there's no under-selling the impact Napster had when it debuted.

A whole lot of digital ink has been spilled talking about Napster, including on this site right here. But it brought MP3s to the masses and forced the music industry to get its act together. It spurred on imitators galore, was eventually shut down and forced to go legit, and, in 2011, it merged with Rhapsody.

It might have been doomed from the start, but for a few fleeting moments, we saw the future.

1. Winamp

Oh, Winamp. You were the King of Music Listening Software for a good chunk of my college years and even into grad school in the early 2000s, especially before I moved from PC to Mac.

In the pre-iTunes era, Winamp was the ultimate in playback software for MP3s for quality, ease of use, and the ability to play live audio streams. Video playback made for nice versatility, as did the fun skins you could download to customize the look and feel of the player.

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Thanks to its flexibility — supporting an incredible range of sound files from MP3 to FLAC to AAC — pretty much anything you had on your computer could be played through Winamp. And its playlist function was superb, an easy way to make hours-long lists of jams for parties or just hanging out in your dorm room.

I wasn't the only one. Winamp hit a peak of 60 million users by 2001.

And, oh, those visualizations. Talk about great ways to spend time holed up in your dorm room...

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Nullsoft, the company that created Winamp, was purchased by AOL in 1999 for a bundle of cash ($80 million), but it was shuttered in 2013 and then sold in 2014. There is a web-based version of the player you could check out for old time's sake, if you want.

In the end, many associated with the software blamed AOL mismanagement for dooming Winamp to the scrapheaps of history and preventing it from evolving into something that could have competed with iTunes or even a streaming music service.

It's a damn shame. Rather than having an interesting competitor to those services with built-in audience loyalty, we're left to look back fondly and remember what was.

WATCH: Meet the man who makes music with vegetables

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trendingnewsb · 8 years ago

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Talking about a new generation festivals ditch the heritage acts

Why the rock gods of the past are headlining elsewhere as they are dropped from line-ups at US music events

Coachella, the spring rite of passage for tens of thousands of California teenagers, kicks off this weekend with the familiar components: a superb desert vista, a funfair, stages for music, tents with DJs, celebrities and fashion.

As a festival it could hardly be described as counter-cultural, yet this year there has been a minor revolution: after years of promoting re-formed oldies acts as headliners, this years festival boasts a lineup not withstanding relative oldsters Radiohead that includes Lady Gaga, and Kendrick Lamar, as well as 150 other bands and DJs. Some of their names are bold-faced Father John Misty, Lorde, Gucci Mane, Future Islands, D.R.A.M. but many, althoughon the up, cannot claim to have arrived, such as Kehlani, Warpaint, Nao and Tacocat.

Strikingly absent are bands that the music industry now calls heritage acts. No AC/DC, no Black Sabbath. No Rolling Stones. No Paul McCartney. With the exception of New Order, no one from the 70s or 80s and hardly anyone from the 90s.

Its a change that defines a generational split many years in the making and breaks the logjam of established performers. Youve heard the expression, youth must be served, right? says Gary Tovar, the man who founded Coachellas parent company, Goldenvoice, and named it after a strain of marijuana he once imported from Thailand. Were bringing in the fresh stuff. Its not a conscious thing to make it younger but we arediversifying.

Babyboomers, who lay claim to rocknroll as their own and remain a potent economic force, are being hived off to heritage spectaculars like last years Desert Trip or Oldchella as it has been called featuring the Rolling Stones, McCartney, the Who, Neil Young and others, and this years Classic East and Classic West shows headlined by Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles and Steely Dan.

New festivals, including Goldenvoices Arroyo Seco outside Los Angeles in June, featuring Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Mumford and Sons, Alabama Shakes and Weezer, are being developed to accommodate the middle range those neither pensionable nor wealthy enough to afford Desert Trip, but who are no longer up for the Coachella market. Theres starting to be a disconnect, says Tovar. You could be relevant 10 years ago but youre not relevant now because the kids just dont know you.

Some of the older audience dont want to put up with young people. Im seeing comments from people in their 30s and 40s and 50s making fun of band names like people used to do with Grateful Dead or Jefferson Airplane. Theyre acting like their parents. Maybe they feel too old or theyre intimidated, I dont know, but theyre putting a knock on contemporaryCoachella.

Some of that resentment percolated through social media last week after a New Yorker profile of the Goldenvoice chief executive Paul Tollett suggested that Kate Bush had been turned down by Coachella because nobody would get her a rebuff that seemed to rub salt into the generational wound.

Tovar says the magazines interpretation was far from the truth. As long ago as 1981, when he was promoting shows using profits from a weed-smuggling operation, Tovar had sought to bring Bush to the US: I had loads of money so I want to put the Smiths with Kate Bush. The problem was she did not like to fly.

The point was clear nonetheless: Coachella and festivals like it are undergoing a fundamental shift.

In some ways it is a surprise it has taken so long. Gary Bongiovanni of trade paper Pollstar says the concert industry has been anticipating the end of the superstar rock era for decades but the day never seemed to come. Weve known it and pondered it for 30 years, yet so many of what we call the heritage acts are still vibrant today. Some make more money now than they did when they were all over radio because they appeal to an older audience who can support a higher ticket price.

But Bongiovanni concedes that the mix of artists is changing. From a performers perspective, playing a rock festival like Coachella or Glastonbury is not a strictly financial decision. Paul McCartney might want to play Coachella so that a younger audience can find out what this Beatles stuff was all about. That fosters his career going forward, but hell still make more money doing his own shows.

Separation could serve as a liberation since the rock gods of the past have never been replaced, says rock author Barney Hoskyns.

The counter-culture itself got absorbed and commodified. You didnt have a new generation of bands that came up and genuinely became the new Dylan or the new Stones or Eagles. With each reiteration rock fades and becomes a little more meaningless. Maybe when theyve all gone something new will rise like the phoenix from the ashes.

Hoskyns thinks festivals have become an empty ritual of drugs, fashion and piercing, and deeply conformist. Whatever it is, its not radical. When rebellion becomes conformity youre at a dead end. Coachella is about Coachella, and Glastonbury is about Glastonbury. Its not about who is playing.

Tovar, who began his second and legal career as a promoter after making a fortune as Californias premier importer of Thai sticks and Acapulco gold from Mexico, says that music will always be the primary focus for Coachella. But the festivals location surrounded by snow-capped mountains and sophisticated amenities are a draw too.

The new diversification also has an economic logic. Pollstar data shows that artists over 50 account for more than half the total touring revenue. Goldenvoices Desert Trip raked in $160m, or nearly twice as much as Coachella ($94m). We got them in time. Bob Dylan was 75 and the youngest, Ron Wood, a baby at 69, saysTovar. But can the old boys go on for ever? This summer former Pink Floyd bassist and songwriter Roger Waters is touring to promote a new album, and Fleetwood Mac are adding more dates. And then theres hope for another Desert Trip.

Its no secret who Tovar and Tollett would like to book. Wed like to bring up the Led [Zeppelin], if you know what I mean, Tovar says. And put Roger and Dave [Waters and Gilmour of Pink Floyd] back together.

But as 120,000 teens and millennials descend on Indio valley for the annual music bacchanalia, Tovar has a message for the naysayers when it comes to the new, youthful-looking Coachella. The setting is magical and theres always bands coming up to watch, he says. I have my own reality: I dont dwell on other people. Idont notice them because I go for themusic.

UP AND COMING IN CALIFORNIA

Tacocat the feminist punk rock quartet from Seattle use humour and sarcasm to dismiss male street harassment and mock the politics of white male skinheads. Wrote the period-positive beach anthem Crimson Wave.

Future Islands the Baltimore synthpop band have a new album out, but will they find another hit to match Seasons (Waiting on You)?

D.R.A.M. stage name of Shelley Marshaun Massenburg-Smith. Broke outlast year with his hit single Broccoli, which featured the rapper Lil Yachty. Hewas described by the website Noiseyas sounding like [the funk pioneer] George Clinton taking a trip intothe future and trading in acid for molly [MDMA].

Kehlani the part Native American, Spanish and Filipino R&B up-and-comer came out of the teen pop group Poplyfe and writes songs described as blunt, unflinching, and exuberant.

Father John Misty the laconic folk musician Josh Tillman, formerly of Fleet Foxes. Misty released his third album, Pure Comedy, this month. He told the NME last week that he shaved his beard off after Donald Trump won the US election and considers the president the perfect symbol of the failure of our culture.