Tunes Du Jour Celebrates Brothers And Sisters Day

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May 2 is Brothers And Sisters Day, and today on the old blogorooni is a playlist of 30 duos or groups that include siblings. I didn’t include EVERY set of brothers and sisters, as I limit these playlists to 30 songs, so apologies to the Brothers Allman, the Sisters Pointer and all the other qualifying worthwhile acts. I’ll get you next time.

Here’s what is included:

**Don’t Look Back in Anger – Oasis**

This anthem of Britpop is fueled by the volatile but brilliant creative tension between Manchester’s most famous brothers, Noel and Liam Gallagher.

**Gaslighter – The Chicks**

While Natalie Maines takes the lead, the group’s foundation is built on the masterful musicianship of sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer.

**God Only Knows – The Beach Boys**

The ethereal harmonies of this masterpiece are anchored by the Wilson brothers (Brian, Dennis, and Carl), proving that “family blend” is a real sonic phenomenon.

**Let It Be Me – The Everly Brothers**

Don and Phil Everly practically invented the art of close-harmony singing, influencing every duo that followed in their footsteps.

**Mmmbop – Hanson**

Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson took the world by storm as youngsters, showcasing a tight-knit musical bond that has kept them recording together for decades.

**The Rain, The Park & Other Things – The Cowsills**

The real-life inspiration for The Partridge Family, this family band featured six siblings and their mother creating pure sunshine-pop gold.

**Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) – Sly & The Family Stone**

Sly, Freddie, and Rose Stone revolutionized funk and soul as a multi-talented family unit at the heart of the psychedelic era.

**She Talks To Angels – The Black Crowes**

Brothers Chris and Rich Robinson have steered the Black Crowes through decades of rock and roll, proving that sibling rivalry can be a powerful creative engine.

**Sex On Fire – Kings Of Leon**

The Followill clan—brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared, plus cousin Matthew—turned their Southern upbringing into global stadium-rock stardom.

**Private Idaho – The B-52’s**

The quirky genius of the B-52’s was spearheaded in part by the late Ricky Wilson and his sister Cindy, whose shared vision helped define the New Wave era.

**You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC**

The backbone of the “Thunder from Down Under” was the rock-solid rhythm section and songwriting partnership of brothers Angus and Malcolm Young.

**Summer Girl – HAIM**

The Haim sisters (Este, Danielle, and Alana) are the modern standard-bearers for sibling synergy, blending West Coast cool with effortless familial intuition.

**Crazy Horses – The Osmonds**

Proving they were more than just teen idols, the Osmond brothers cranked up the fuzz pedals for this surprisingly heavy slice of 70s rock.

**Hot Line – The Sylvers**

With nine siblings in the lineup, The Sylvers brought a massive, coordinated family energy to the disco and R&B charts.

**Goodbye to Love – The Carpenters**

Richard and Karen Carpenter combined his meticulous arrangements with her once-in-a-generation voice to create some of the most enduring pop music ever made.

**Oh Carolina – Folkes Brothers**

John, Mico, and Junior Folkes helped lay the groundwork for ska and reggae with their historic collaborations in 1960s Jamaica.

**Baby, I Love You – The Ronettes**

Centered around sisters Ronnie and Estelle Bennett (and their cousin Nedra), The Ronettes defined the Girl Group sound with their powerhouse vocals.

**Eddie My Love – The Teen Queens**

Sisters Betty and Rosie Collins achieved 1950s stardom as teenagers, delivering some of the most soulful doo-wop harmonies of the era.

**I Can Never Go Home Anymore – The Shangri-Las**

This dramatic masterpiece features two sets of sisters—the Weiss siblings and the Ganser twins—who brought operatic intensity to pop music.

**My Golden Years – The Lemon Twigs**

Brian and Michael D’Addario carry the torch for baroque pop, displaying a musical shorthand that only brothers who grew up playing together could possess.

**Crazy on You – Heart**

Ann and Nancy Wilson shattered the glass ceiling of 70s rock, combining powerhouse vocals with virtuoso guitar playing in a sisterly bond that remains unbreakable.

**Hero Takes a Fall – Bangles**

Sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson formed the core of the Bangles, blending 60s garage-rock influence with perfect sibling vocal stacks.

**I’ll Be Good To You – The Brothers Johnson**

George “Lightnin’ Licks” and Louis “Thunder Thumbs” Johnson brought a sophisticated, funk-fueled sibling energy to R&B.

**Stay Gold – First Aid Kit**

Klara and Johanna Söderberg of Sweden create folk music so intimate and harmonically precise it feels like they are sharing a single voice.

**Closer – Tegan And Sara**

Identical twins Tegan and Sara Quin have evolved from indie-folk to synth-pop icons, always maintaining the distinct perspective of their shared life experiences.

**Who’s That Lady – The Isley Brothers**

Spanning several generations of the Isley family, this legendary group turned sibling collaboration into a decades-long hit machine.

**Mama’s Pearl – Jackson 5**

The gold standard for family bands, the Jackson brothers (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael) displayed a level of professional polish that redefined pop music.

**Rock & Roll Fantasy – The Kinks**

Ray and Dave Davies are the definitive “battling brothers” of rock, but their lifelong collaboration resulted in one of the most influential catalogs in history.

**Full of Fire – The Knife**

Karin Dreijer and Olof Dreijer of Sweden push the boundaries of electronic music, using their sibling bond to explore avant-garde and experimental sounds.

**Saints – The Breeders**

When Kim Deal recruited her twin sister Kelley to join The Breeders, they created some of the most iconic and infectious alternative rock of the 90s.

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Tunes Du Jour Presents The Kinks

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Let’s dive into the world of The Kinks, a band whose journey through the 60s, 70s, and beyond offers such a rich collection of sounds and stories. When you look at a playlist like this, it’s immediately apparent that they weren’t a one-trick pony. They exploded onto the scene with the raw, undeniable energy of tracks like “You Really Got Me” and “All Day and All of the Night.” These weren’t just catchy tunes; their distorted guitar riffs were groundbreaking, laying some early groundwork for hard rock and punk even, establishing Ray and Dave Davies as formidable musical forces. Songs like “Till the End of the Day” and “Set Me Free” from the same era show this potent, direct approach.

But to only focus on their early rock anthems would be to miss a huge part of what makes The Kinks so enduring. Ray Davies, as principal songwriter, quickly developed a keen observational eye, turning his gaze to the quirks and nuances of British life. This is where you get sharply drawn character sketches like “A Well Respected Man” and “Dedicated Follower of Fashion,” both dissecting social types with wit and a touch of cynicism. “Sunny Afternoon” masterfully combines a deceptively jaunty tune with lyrics about a fallen aristocrat, while tracks like “Dead End Street” and “Shangri-La” paint vivid, often poignant, pictures of working-class struggles and aspirations. This knack for social commentary, for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, became a hallmark.

As they progressed, The Kinks also embraced a more introspective and wistful style. Think of the timeless beauty of “Waterloo Sunset,” a song that captures a fleeting moment of peace and urban romance with such elegance. Or “Days,” a simple yet profound reflection on gratitude and lost love. “Autumn Almanac” and “The Village Green Preservation Society” (the song) are wonderful examples of their ability to evoke nostalgia and a yearning for a simpler, perhaps idealized, past. Dave Davies also contributed distinct gems, with “Death Of A Clown” and the heartfelt “Strangers” showcasing his own songwriting talents.

Through changing musical landscapes, The Kinks continued to evolve while retaining that unique Davies perspective. “Lola” became an international hit with its then-controversial subject matter handled with characteristic charm and storytelling flair. Later tunes like “Come Dancing” looked back with affection, while “Celluloid Heroes” offered a more melancholic take on fame. From the almost pastoral “Muswell Hillbilly” to the defiant “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” or the hopeful “This Time Tomorrow,” their catalogue is a fascinating exploration of human experience, all delivered with a distinctively British voice. It’s quite the collection, isn’t it?

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Tunes Du Jour Presents 1967

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Nineteen sixty-seven stands as a pivotal moment in the evolution of popular music, a year when artistic boundaries expanded dramatically across multiple genres. The musical landscape was transformed by groundbreaking releases from established artists and remarkable debuts from newcomers who would become legends. From Aretha Franklin’s powerful rendition of “Respect” to Pink Floyd’s psychedelic “See Emily Play,” the year produced an extraordinary collection of songs that continue to resonate decades later.

Soul music experienced a remarkable surge, with Aretha Franklin’s definitive version of “Respect” establishing her as the genre’s preeminent female voice. The raw emotion of Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness,” the exuberance of Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” and the groove-driven “Soul Man” by Sam & Dave showcased the genre’s diversity and emotional range. Motown continued its dominance with several more hits for Diana Ross & the Supremes, including “The Happening,” while Smokey Robinson & the Miracles added “I Second That Emotion” to their growing catalog of hits. Marvin Gaye enjoyed multiple chart successes in 1967, with “Your Precious Love” being just one of several duets with Tammi Terrell that would define this productive period.

Meanwhile, rock music underwent seismic shifts as experimentation became the norm. The Beatles had an astonishingly prolific year, releasing the landmark album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band while also producing standalone singles of remarkable quality like “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane.” The Doors’ extended opus “Light My Fire” and The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s revolutionary “Purple Haze” redefined what electric guitars could accomplish. The Rolling Stones contributed the melancholic beauty of “Ruby Tuesday,” which ironically became the bigger hit after radio stations deemed its intended A-side, “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” too controversial for airplay. The Who’s powerhouse “I Can See for Miles” and Buffalo Springfield’s protest anthem “For What It’s Worth” reflected rock’s increasing social consciousness. Perhaps most radical was The Velvet Underground’s “Heroin,” which brought an unprecedented rawness to discussions of addiction.

The year’s diversity extended far beyond these genres. The Monkees transcended their manufactured origins with the wistful “Daydream Believer,” while Van Morrison crafted the timeless “Brown Eyed Girl.” Bobbie Gentry’s Southern Gothic narrative “Ode to Billie Joe” demonstrated songwriting’s storytelling potential, and Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” merged classical influences with rock sensibilities. Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” and Pink Floyd’s “See Emily Play” pushed psychedelic music further into the mainstream, establishing both bands as significant forces in the burgeoning psychedelic scene.

What made 1967 truly remarkable was how these diverse sounds coexisted and influenced each other, creating a musical conversation that crossed genre lines. This was the year when album-oriented rock solidified, soul music reached new emotional depths, and psychedelia flowered into mainstream consciousness. The thirty songs listed here barely scratch the surface of a year that saw popular music mature into an art form capable of expressing the full spectrum of human experience. Many artists were at their creative peaks, producing multiple hit singles and groundbreaking albums within this single exceptional year. These recordings capture a moment when musical innovation accelerated at an unprecedented pace, leaving an enduring legacy that continues to inspire and influence musicians more than half a century later.

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