Thirty music highlights from 2014.
Follow Tunes du Jour on Facebook
Follow Tunes du Jour on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 10-24-22
Today’s playlist celebrates the October 24 birthdays of The Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman, Drake, ANOHNI (nee Antony), Madlib, Lipps Inc.’s Steven Greenberg, The Big Bopper, Sanford Clark, Barry Ryan, Monica, Brenda & the Tabulations’ Brenda Payton, Neon Philharmonic’s Don Gant, and V.V. Brown; and the October 25 birthdays of Yes’s Jon Anderson, Bat For Lashes, Arrested Development’s Speech, Ciara, Art Brut’s Eddie Argos, Katy Perry, Trio’s Stephan Remmler, Helen Reddy, Kings of Convenience’s Eirik Glambek Bøe, Divinyls’ Christina Amphlett, Barenaked Ladies’ Ed Robertson, Starland Vocal Band’s Taffy Danoff, Smokie’s Chris Norman, The Simpsons’ Nancy Cartwright, and Pablo Picasso.
Follow Tunes du Jour on Facebook
Follow Tunes du Jour on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
A Kanye West Playlist
My favorite artist to emerge in the 2000s is Kanye West. Not only has he released so many great tracks, he also tries new things with each release, not content to repeat himself or rest on his laurels. Unfortunately, his public shenanigans – some non-music-related, some gimmicky promotional stunts – have distracted from his talent, especially these last few years. This playlist will remind you of his merits. Big fan that I am, I hadn’t heard some of these songs in a while. It was nice to hear them again.
Follow Tunes du Jour on Facebook.
Follow Tunes du Jour on Twitter.
Follow me on Instagram.
A Pharrell Williams Playlist
In 2001 HBO aired a Britney Spears concert around the time Jive Records released the singer’s album Britney. A few days before the first promo for the concert was to run on HBO, Jive’s head of publicity had the idea that Britney’s then-brand new single “I’m a Slave 4 U” should be used in the promo spots. The song was written (and produced) by the team of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. I was running the licensing department at Jive at that time. I went to Pharrell and Chad’s publishers, EMI, to secure the necessary permissions. It was on a Wednesday. The spot was scheduled to premier the coming Saturday. The person at EMI with whom I spoke told me the song is so new that it is not yet in their system, and therefore she couldn’t license it. “Can’t you just add it to your system? You know they’re signed to your company.” “No. You won’t be able to use the song.”
Oh, really? A song cannot be licensed simply because someone at that company can’t think outside the box and figure out a way to effect the deal before the usual ingestion process is complete? That explanation doesn’t work for me. EMI will forego a license fee if the song isn’t used, which is fine, as their employee is the one not allowing it. Also, standing to forego revenue? Pharrell and Chad, who rely on EMI to make the deals for their music so they can get paid.
I called the Jive executive who paired Pharrell and Chad with Britney and told him EMI’s stance. He called Pharrell and/or Chad. Pharrell and/or Chad called EMI. On Thursday I got EMI’s approval to proceed. Don’t tell me something can’t be done.
Producer/Songwriter/NERD Pharrell Williams turns 47 today. In his honor I present to you this playlist of thirty songs Pharrell, often with Chad Hugo, had a hand in writing and/or producing and/or performing. You may be surprised at how many of these you know.
Follow Tunes du Jour on Facebook.
Follow Tunes du Jour on Twitter.
Follow me on Instagram.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (6-19-20)
Inspired by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and the June 19 birthdays of Heart’s Ann Wilson, Macklemore, Shirley Goodman, Paula Abdul, Al Wilson, Spanky McFarlane, Lester Flatt, Scott Avett and Hot’s Gwen Owens.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (3-25-20)
Inspired by the March 25 birthdays of Aretha Franklin, Elton John, All Saints’ Melanie Blatt, Ryan Lewis, Johnny Burnette, Juvenile, Big Sean, Finley Quaye and Richard O’Brien and the passing of Eric Weissberg.
Top 105 Songs Of 2019
My favorite song of 2019 came out in 2016. Like most people, I slept on Lizzo’s “Good as Hell” upon its initial release three years ago. I also slept on her “Truth Hurts,” my #4 song of 2019, when it was released in 2017. Lizzo’s first track to make Glenn’s Ten was “Boys,” which hit #1 in July 2018, just two months before my favorite 2019 artist after Lizzo, Billie Eilish, made her Glenn’s Ten debut with “You Should See Me in a Crown.” Eilish’s “Bad Guy” is my #3 song of this year, breaking up Lizzo’s hold on the top four. L-to-the-izzo’s “Juice,” my #2 song of 2019, debuted on Glenn’s Ten on January 12, kicking off 49 consecutive weeks with at least one Lizzo track in my top ten, 22 of those weeks at #1. I’m sure both of those are records, something I would confirm if I weren’t too lazy to look it up.
At #5 for the year sits the only artist in my year end top ten who made their Glenn’s Ten debut in 2019, Megan Thee Stallion. (Megan’s her real first name; Thee is not her actual middle name and Stallion is not on her birth certificate. I’m a Megan Thee Stallion truther.) On that hit, “Hot Girl Summer,” Megan T. Stallion is assisted by Nicki Minaj, who is also at #55 with a solo number, and Ty Dolla $ign (Ty is short for Tyrone, his real first name; Dolla is not his actual middle name and $ign is not on his birth certificate. I’m a Ty Dolla $ign truther.), who is also at #100 assisting Kehlani. If you need assistance, call Ty D. $ign.
The remainder of the top ten boasts career bests for 21 Savage, Ariana Grande, Teyana Taylor, and Vince Staples, plus the first Glenn’s Ten entry for Vampire Weekend since 2013. Other Glenn’s Ten veterans making appearances this year include Bruce Springsteen, Liz Phair, Beck, Missy Elliott, Morrissey, Beyoncé, Rufus Wainwright, Smokey Robinson (yes, Smokey Robinson!), and Belle & Sebastian. Recent favorites such as Courtney Barnett, Cardi B, Grimes, Christine and the Queens, Robyn, Miranda Lambert, 21 Savage, BROCKHAMPTON, First Aid Kit, Chance the Rapper, Angel Olsen, The National and Kacey Musgraves are represented as well.
Enough blather. Here is my top 105 songs (5 by Lizzo, 100 by others, though one of those others with an assist from Lizzo) of 2019:
- Good as Hell – Lizzo
- Juice – Lizzo
- bad guy – Billie Eilish
- Truth Hurts – Lizzo
- Hot Girl Summer – Megan Thee Stallion featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign
- WTP – Teyana Taylor
- FUN. – Vince Staples
- thank u, next – Ariana Grande
- Harmony Hall – Vampire Weekend
- A Lot – 21 Savage
- bury a friend – Billie Eilish
- Land of the Free – the Killers
- Before I Let Go – Beyoncé
- Keep the Change – Mattiel
- Blame It on Your Love – Charli XCX featuring Lizzo
- Drogba (Joanna) – Afro B
- Hot Shower – Chance the Rapper featuring MadeinTYO & DaBaby
- Rainbow – Kacey Musgraves
- Wedding Bell Blues – Morrissey
- Trip – Ella Mai
- Tempo – Lizzo featuring Missy Elliott
- Almeda – Solange
- Melody of Love – Hot Chip
- Anybody – Burna Boy
- Young Republicans – Lower Dens
- Motivation – Normani
- Throw It Back – Missy Elliott
- People – The 1975
- Rylan – The National
- Doin’ Time – Lana Del Rey
- BOY BYE – BROCKHAMPTON
- Hello Sunshine – Bruce Springsteen
- Summer Girl – HAIM
- Good Side – Liz Phair
- Saw Lightning – Beck
- Fukk Sleep – A$AP Rocky featuring FKA twigs
- It’s Not Living (If It’s Not with You) – The 1975
- Binz – Solange
- Something Keeps Calling – Raphael Saadiq featuring Rob Bacon
- This Life – Vampire Weekend
- wish you were gay – Billie Eilish
- My Type – Saweetie
- Sing Along – Sturgill Simpson
- Now I’m In It – HAIM
- Oh What a World – Kacey Musgraves
- Lark – Angel Olsen
- Sister Buddha – Belle & Sebastian
- Uneventful Days – Beck
- I’ve Been Waiting – Lil Peep & ILoveMakonnen featuring Fall Out Boy
- Love Yourself – Sufjan Stevens
- Nothing Breaks Like a Heart – Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus
- Drip Too Hard – Lil Baby featuring Gunna
- Ibtihaj – Rapsody featuring D’Angelo & GZA
- Cuz I Love You – Lizzo
- Megatron – Nicki Minaj
- It All Comes out in the Wash – Miranda Lambert
- Sunflower – Vampire Weekend featuring Steve Lacy
- Blaxploitation – Noname
- Hurry on Home – Sleater-Kinney
- Western Stars – Bruce Springsteen
- Seventeen – Sharon Van Etten
- Crazy Classic Life – Janelle Monae
- Unshaken – D’Angelo
- 7 Rings – Ariana Grande
- Way Too Pretty for Prison – Miranda Lambert with Maren Morris
- Hey Brother (Do Unto Others) – The Family Daptone
- Earth – Lil Dicky
- Make It Better – Anderson .Paak featuring Smokey Robinson
- Lo/Hi – the Black Keys
- Tarantula – Beck
- all the good girls go to hell – Billie Eilish
- Trouble in Paradise – Rufus Wainwright
- The greatest – Lana Del Rey
- Ordinary Pleasure – Toro y Moi
- Twerk – City Girls featuring Cardi B
- Ever Again – Robyn
- BLACKJACK – Aminé
- Red Bull and Hennessy – Jenny Lewis
- I BEEN BORN AGAIN – BROCKHAMPTON
- Money – Cardi B
- Brown Skin Girl – Beyoncé, SAINt JHN, WizKid and Blue Ivy
- Fucking Crazy – Robert Ellis
- Eye in the Wall – Perfume Genius
- sad day – FKA twigs
- Between the Lines – Robyn
- Nothing Is Safe – clipping.
- Redesigning Women – the Highwomen
- Tell Me (Doko Mien) – Ibibio Sound Machine
- Sofia – Clairo
- With My Whole Heart – Sufjan Stevens
- Go – the Black Keys
- Turn the Light – Karen O and Danger Mouse
- Fortune – Wye Oak
- holy terrain – FKA twigs featuring Future
- Young Enough – Charly Bliss
- Everybody Here Hates You – Courtney Barnett
- Gone – Charli XCX featuring Christine and the Queens
- Everyday – Weyes Blood
- Capacity – Charly Bliss
- Nights Like This – Kehlani featuring Ty Dolla $ign
- No Bullets Spent – Spoon
- Gonna Love Me – Teyana Taylor feat. Ghostface Killa, Method Man & Raekwon
- My Name Is Dark – Grimes
- Sociopath – Pusha T featuring Kash Doll
- Strange Beauty – First Aid Kit
Click here to like Tunes du Jour on Facebook.
Follow me on Twitter.
Follow me on Instagram.
Cool Newish Music (9-28-19)
Here are twenty recently-released tracks I’ve been grooving to of late. Let me know if you have a favorite I should check out.