Pop Bop Music!
This section will contain pop music of course. This section will feature artists such as A-ha, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and Men At Work, just to name a few. Enjoy!!
You know, despite all the controversy and rumors (and perhaps accusations of being an intellectual property thief) that surrounded her in the 80s; the one thing that cannot be taken away from Paula Abdul, is her very real talent. You can dish out your worst about Paula, but the fact is, she can dance her ass off! Whether she has a singer’s voice or not is debatable. She’s kind of like Madonna in a way. Madonna never had a “singer’s voice,” but she had music that young people of her generation connected to, which in tern sold millions. Paula is the same way I think. But even so, I think her dancing makes up for a less than dynamic vocal range.
I Always Confused Paula With Lisa Lisa!
I Always confused Paula with Lisa Lisa back in the day. The were like blood sisters. The only difference was Lisa Lisa has a darker complexion. Today, @ age 56, Paula has a long successful career as an actress, dancer, choreographer, recording artists, and producer. There is no sign of this woman ever slowing down. She definitely kept herself busy.
Throughout the years, as Paula rose to the peak of her career; she’s been plagued with all sorts of rumors. Rumors ranging from Paula steeling dance moves from other choreographers (particularly after her success working with Janet Jackson), to her being accused steeling bras worth in the 5 digits. Check this article out from The Daily Mail. When someone publicly accuses a celebrity like Paula (with her status in Hollywood), that’s when you know they’ve reached a level of real fame and money. By the way, I don’t know how I manage to find this rare rehearsal video of Janet and Paula on YouTube.
Paula came out with a lot of music I really liked. One of my huge favorites is a ballad called “Rush Rush” from her 1991 “Spellbound” album. I was watching an old live Patti Labelle performance on VHS, and I remember her saying that this song was originally written for her, but Patti turned it down. So Paula took it instead. Patti stated she was sorry she turned it down, as it hit #1 that same year! ? “Cold Hearted” is another dance favorite. Oh, man! I can’t forget about “Straight Up.” Almost all the kids was dancing to that song. Paula hadn’t had a hit since the early nineties; but it’s wonderful to see she’s still working doing her thang @ age 56!
I really loved “May The Best Man Win” kind of songs! Back in the 80s, a lot of male artists collaborated, or made some what duets (particularly in hip hop); friendly and fun songs about competing for the one girl they’ve liked. However, for those type of songs, I preferred songs more like “The Girl Is Mine,” by Paul McCartney and the late Michael Jackson. And the reason is because, lyrically speaking, it was about two guys expressing why one of them is more suited to have a relationship with the girl than the other; rather than your typical “this girl is fresh meat.” ?
Friendly Girl Competition
However, the song “Say Say Say,” written by both Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney, was always an interesting song to me (lyrically), yet weird at the same time. Because, you got two expressing their honest feelings about not wanting the girl stringing them along, or keeping their relationship in limbo; however, the music video threw me off, as I see absolutely no relation between street performances and this love song! ? This had to be one of those moments they didn’t have creative ideas, so they just threw the video together to meet a deadline. ?
Well, I guess that really didn’t really matter in the long run; because the song hit #3 on the Adult Contemporary Charts, #1 on the Top 100 Charts, #1 in both France & Canada, the song did very well for itself. I think a half a century from now, you can listen to this song and still enjoy its rhythm an lyrics. That’s what makes a legendary hit! If you want to walk down memory lane, check out the video for this song on YouTube.
Stevie Nicks’s “Stand Back (1983),” which hit number 5 on the Top 100 Charts, is one of my few huge favorite songs from her AFTER she went on her solo career. However she made a big shift between music genres, in comparison to the music she did with the band. You know, I’ve always felt, and continue to feel that much of Stevie’s best songs were with Fleetwood Mac. That’s just my opinion. Then again, her great great success with the band could have resulted from her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham.
Relationship With Lindsey
At one point, it appeared as though the special relationship that both Stevie and Lindsey had (in addition to Nicks’s unique voice) was what made the band the legend it s today. It is a shame that it didn’t work out. I got the impression Stevie Kept procrastinating and the next thing she new, Lindsey became a father for someone else. Today, Lindsey is married to Kristen Messner, with 3 children.
In a YouTube Video I saw a while back, Stevie promises to her fans that the on-stage magic between Lindsey and herself will never die. It looks like she’s one of the very few who has kept her promise. As of March 2019, they’re schedule to perform in Madison Square Garden. Not sure if I can afford those tickets, but I would love to go If I can.
Madison Square Garden!
You know, although I’m happy that Stevie Still performs with the band (she kind of have to, because the bulk of their hits have been together, and that’s what fans want); I also took note of an interview she did with Rolling Stone Magazine. In essence, she explains that she would never do another album with the band, because she feels it would not make any money. She said she’d rather tour with the band rather than spending time and more money creating an album. I’m not sure if I agree with that! The reason is, they’re not some hasbeen band trying to revitalize their career. They’re a very well known and respected band. Fans would buy their music just to have it as a collector’s item. That’s my opinion.
Damn! I forgot about these guys!! Recently, I was watching some old music videos on cable and A-Ha popped up! Man! I remember watching them on MTV, when MTV was just starting out!! I still have the 45rpm somewhere at home. Their song “Take On Me,” was released in 1985, and became their only #1 hit in their career. It was an extremely popular & catchy pop song. I think their song was the first pop record I ever purchased (I think). According to The Billboards, there was another song they produced that reached #20, but I personally didn’t like it. I don’t know, maybe some of my readers remember it. The song is called “The Sun Always Shines On T.V.“