Starting in the 1980s, I grew more and more aware of alternative rock music. MTV’s 120 Minutes showcased many neat alternative rock tracks in the mid to late 1980s and onward to the 1990s.
One of the bands that were part of the scene in 1990 was Concrete Blonde. I became aware of them when their third album Bloodletting became a hit on one of our local alt rock radio stations. The song leading the charge of hits from Bloodletting was “Joey”.
“Joey” was Concrete Blonde’s biggest hit and their only record to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 singles list. It peaked at #19 on that chart in 1990, and spent four separate weeks on Billboard’s Alternative Rock chart, where it peaked at #1. “Joey” is an angst ridden song about the writer’s ex-boyfriend.
As for the album Bloodletting, it is an album that I have liked through the years. Best tracks are “Joey”, “Caroline” “Darkening of the Night” and the long and brooding “Tomorrow Wendy”.
Gwen Stefani's official video for "Let Me Reintroduce Myself" @ #3 on Mel's Current Top 20.
Mel’s Current Top 20
Significant songs that you don't care about.
As of February 7, 2021
TW - Song Title - Artist - LW
1. Find My Way(3rd week @ #1) - Paul McCartney - 1
2. No Body, No Crime - Taylor Swift featuring HAIM - 2
3. Let Me Reintroduce Myself - Gwen Stefani - 4
4. Tick Tock (featuring 24kGoldn) - Clean Bandit & Mabel - 3
5. Change - Pale Waves - 5
6. Treat People With Kindness - Harry Styles - 8
7. Realize - AC/DC - 10
8. Dig - Fanny Lumsden - 9
9. Willow - Taylor Swift - 7
10. Driver's License - Olivia Rodrigo - 17
11. Here's To The Nights - Ringo Starr - 11
12. No Son of Mine - Foo Fighters - 13
13. Afterglow - Ed Sheeran - 6
14. Mood - 24KGoldn f/Iann Dior - 12
15. Minimum Wage - Blake Shelton - 16
16. Words - Barry Gibb & Dolly Parton - 18
17. Lucid - Rina Sawayama - 19
18. Save Your Tears - The Weeknd - NEW
19. Something in Your Eyes - Steps - 14
20. Breakfast in Bed - imy2 - 20
CHART NOTES: Only one song makes a debut on the Top 20 this week. "Save Your Tears" by The Weeknd makes its debut at #18. I am not a big fan of this artist. That can be attested to the fact that his big hit from last year "Blinding Lights" did not even make my chart. Ha! Still this latest one has grown on me. We'll see how high it goes.
Paul McCartney holds at #1 for the 3rd week in a row with "Find My Way", holding Taylor Swift back at #2 for another week with her hit "No Body, No Crime". Gwen Stefani moves up one point from #4 to #3 with "Let Me Reintroduce Myself".
Olivia Rodrigo must be the hottest new artist around these days. I was introduced to her hit single "Drivers License" a few weeks back by a friend's Facebook post. The song made its debut on this chart a few weeks back at #20, moved to #17 last week and now bolts up 7 to #10 this week. It already is #1 on a number of charts including the Billboard Hot 100.
Australia's Fanny Lumsden is a country artist that has been on this chart for several weeks now. It looked like her hit "Dig" was going to slip more this week... but no. It moved up a point from #9 to #8. It was #1 on my weekly Country 5 + 5 chart.
VIDEO SHOWCASE: My favorite videos of the week....
Olivia Rodrigo - Drivers License - live on Jimmy Fallon Tonight Show
Gwen Stefani is back this year with another new holiday song... "Here This Christmas" is her latest. Don't know if it will be as popular as last year's "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" with Blake Shelton. Still this one is good enough for song of the day. Enjoy.
Besides the Christmas tracks, Stefani has also issued her latest single, which appears here as a bonus track. It's called "Let Me Reintroduce Myself".
Stefani rose to fame in the 1990s as the lead vocalist for the band No Doubt. They enjoyed some major hits back in the day with "Don't Speak," "Just a Girl," "Spiderwebs", "Simple Kind of Life," "Hey Baby", "Hella Good" and "It's My Life". Since the early 2000s, Stefani has embarked on a successful solo careet that have yielded her a string on top 40 hits including "Hollaback Girl,"Wind it Up" and "The Sweet Escape".
Cumulative Playlist
Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimié Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound
Dec. 16 - "Lit This Year" - Florida Georgia Line
Dec. 17 - "Run Rudolph Run" - Chuck Berry
