I've always been a fan of songs that slowly, slowly build. Not the ones - like Freebird or Stairway to Heaven - that build toward a purpose. But the ones that find that rhythm and stay there.
Here are my top pics.
Kashmir by Led Zeppelin -
So Cruel by U2 -
And the one that inspired my post, my all-time favorite Cars song, Double Life -
Carlos is not a fan of the harmonica or any song containing it. And I love the harmonica.
Back in the day, my friend Matt and I each bought $60 harmonicas for the sole purpose of learning how to play - and then woo women.
It was the early 1990's.
I was still dating women then.
I still love the sound of the instrument and any song containing it. Here are my Top 10 Songs Featuring Harmonica. Enjoy. You too, Carlos!
Black Country Woman - Led Zeppelin
From Me to You - The Beatles
I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues - Elton John Featuring Stevie
Wonder
Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder
Long May You Run - Neil Young
Piano Man - Billy Joel
Roadhouse Blues - The Doors
Running To Stand Still - U2
What I Like About You - The Romantics
What Would You Say - Dave Matthews Band
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I've never been a fan of Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen so I couldn't list their songs. I could have listed many more U2, Neil Young or Stevie Wonder songs. What songs are your favorites?
"The fact is, I'm gay." Anderson Cooper's long-awaited announcement sums what it meant to come out in 2012. Again and again we heard the same sentiment — from pop singer Mika's equally anticipated confirmation, "If you ask me am I gay, I say yeah," to actor Andrew Rannells
casually remarking about relating to a gay character, "I am gay in real
life, so I definitely get it." — proving that coming out today is in
many cases a non-event, and certainly secondary to other achievements.
Yes, a lot has changed in the 15 years since Time magazine ran that cover of Ellen DeGeneres declaring, "Yep, I'm Gay," and even in the six since Lance Bass told People, "I'm Gay." Entertainment Weekly
published a cover story this summer called "The New Art Of Coming Out,"
concluding, "The current vibe for discussing one’s sexuality is almost
defiantly mellow."
Yet most of this positive change has happened in familiar territory.
Former NFL star Wade Davis' coming out was a first, as was current professional boxer Orlando Cruz's. And Lee "Uncle Poodle" Thompson from Here Comes Honey Boo Boo
helped broaden the overall discussion about LGBT people. But there are a
few people on this list who were less valiant, like Republican Sheriff
Paul Babeu, and still others who remained quiet about their sexuality to
the day they died. The debate over balance between privacy and
responsibility is still one worth having, and clearly there are more
arenas where LGBT people need space to shine.
All in all, though, 2012 shows that gay people who break down that closet can have it all.
Who had the 50 Most Powerful Coming Outs of 2012?
Today, I was perusing some websites that I frequent when I realized that a few of them were sites about lists. Apparently, even the sites I visit are related to lists. That's how much I like lists.
Which brings me to today's topic: A listing of sites that I like that show lists or...
I also frequent and contribute to a message board called
Famous Males Forum. Because it's based in the UK, I find out about many stars
that never cross over to here in the US.
Even though I
have over 100 shirtless photos of, for example, Lee Ryan...
until last week I had
never heard a note of his band Blue. That is, until I started compiling my list
of...
Top Ten Boy Band Songs of All Time
Or at least
that was the original idea of this post. I quickly realized that I liked
looking at the members of the boy bands much more than actually listening to
their music. Even with 89 listed American Boy Bands -- and 58 listed English Boy Bands
- plus the 50+ ones from the rest of the world, this is the best list I could
assemble.
Once I
assemble a Top Ten Boy Band Members for my other blog, I'll post a link here.
Starting off
our countdown is One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful at #7. You saw that video above.
Here's how to
correctly remake a song - with style, humor, and a wink to the original
version...
#6 - Westlife
- Uptown Girl
Bonus points for the best looking member being the one who came out (and the fan base didn't care)...
Here is Billy
Joel's original version...
Billy Joel -
Uptown Girl
The
aforementioned boy band Blue has done both a classy remake...
#5 - Blue
featuring Elton John - Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
...and a
fumbled attempt...
Blue
(featuring Kool & the Gang and Lil' Kim) - Get Down On It
Here is Kool
& The Gang's original version...
Kool &
The Gang - Get Down On It
Of the
Disney-Channel-spawned band The Jonas Brothers, this is their best song (though
they actually do have some other good ones)...
#4 - The
Jonas Brothers - Year 3000
The youngest
brother Nick is especially talented. I've heard his solo album
- and it's quite good.
Going back to
1996, I still sneak this song onto mixed CD's that I create...
#3 - Hanson -
MMMBop
Zac Hanson,
the 10-year-old drummer in the video, is now 27 years old, and married with two
kids. Taylor Hanson, the lead singer, is now 29, married with five kids. Don't
you feel old now?
Interestingly,
my top two songs both have the same title..
#2 - The
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
The top of my
chart of Top Ten Seven Boy Band
Songs of All Time was always going to be this one...
