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    50 Songs From The 70s & 80s That Still Hold Up
    50 Songs From The 70s & 80s That Still Hold Up
    50 Songs From The 70s & 80s That Still Hold Up
    Ebook100 pages1 hour

    50 Songs From The 70s & 80s That Still Hold Up

    By Brad Carl

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    About this ebook

    The 50 classic rock and pop songs listed in this book are arguably some of the greatest of all-time. These tracks still sound good or "hold up" against today's popular music. The publication is intended to spark conversation and discussion. It is not a definitive list. Your opinions are welcome and encouraged. So get your stereo ready and listen while reading. Enjoy!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrad Carl
    Release dateAug 29, 2015
    ISBN9781311991058
    50 Songs From The 70s & 80s That Still Hold Up
    Author

    Brad Carl

    Brad Carl is a former radio personality who still earns part of his living by doing voiceovers. Growing up in the Midwest, reading and writing were passions of his for many years. It wasn't until recently that he decided to release his work to the world. Brad is also a successful businessman, networker, and speaker. He currently resides in Kansas City with his wife, Kristi, and daughter, Presley. The family also has a dog named Ali.

    Read more from Brad Carl

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    • 4/5

      Sep 23, 2021

      It's good to get away from some issues and relax. The book is very interesting, mainly for those who have lived in the 80s and used to passing a amount of time listening to the music on the radio, while thinking about which way to follow in the next few years in the life...

      1 person found this helpful

    Book preview

    50 Songs From The 70s & 80s That Still Hold Up - Brad Carl

    LOW RIDER - WAR (1975)

    Low Rider was penned by producer Jerry Goldstein and the American funk band War. It reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart, #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and #12 in the U.K.

    Low riders are modified classic vehicles with hydraulic lifts that allow the driver to lower the chassis, making the car bounce. The hot rods are often customized with other accessories like crazy paint jobs, swivel seats, and smaller steering wheels. Over time, a lifestyle formed around these cars and became popular in the Latino culture of the West Coast.

    War saxophone player Charles Miller came up with the main lyrics in the studio during a jam session. The cowbell at the beginning helps a listener immediately identify the track, but the catchy harmonica/saxophone lead and driving bass line are the song’s standouts, making Low Rider a perfect driving tune.

    Low Rider had a distinctive groove and tempo for 1975, setting it apart from disco, which was gaining momentum. Certain lines in the song convinced many people at the time that the tune was about drugs. But the band has always insisted this is not the case. Instead they claim the lyrics refer to the pride that a low rider takes in his automobile, or ride.

    Ultimately, the song has become a slice of Americana thanks to the many movies and television programs that have featured it over the last forty years. Depending on your generation, Cheech and Chong’s film Up in Smoke (1978) might be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Low Rider. Or it could be Dazed and Confused, Gone in 60 Seconds, or A Knight’s Tale. George Lopez employed Low Rider as the theme song for his sitcom, his TV talk show Lopez Tonight, and his stand-up comedy appearances. It has been included in episodes of The Simpsons and Family Guy, as well as featured in several video games including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

    Low Rider has also been covered by a strange assortment of musical artists including Korn, Carlos Santana, Blues Traveler, and Widespread Panic, to name a few. The Beastie Boys, Sublime, and The Offspring have also each sampled Low Rider in one of their songs.

    After rising up the chart in the summer of ’75, Low Rider took on a life of its own even as disco became the voice of the times and soul was pushed aside. It marked the end of an era and the birth of a classic.

    MY SHARONA - THE KNACK (1979)

    The Knack’s My Sharona is a song that’s so memorable on its own it’s almost impossible to separate it from the elements that clearly influenced it. The tune was written by lead guitarist Berton Averre and lead vocalist Doug Fieger. Released as the band’s debut single in 1979, My Sharona was not only a #1 smash in the U.S. for six weeks, it was also the country’s biggest hit of the year according to Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 Singles. The track was an international success, reaching the top spot in Australia, Canada, and Italy and the Top 10 in France, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the U.K.

    Averre had been toying with the guitar riff that would become the heart of My Sharona long before The Knack formed. Fieger loved it and promised Averre he would write a song for it, but at the time the lyrics weren’t coming to him. Fieger hit the jackpot, though, when he met Sharona Alperin. (She was 17 and he was 25.) They were both dating other people at the time, but Alperin inspired Fieger so much that he went on a sixty-day songwriting binge that included the birth of My Sharona. The two didn’t begin dating until a year later.

    The arrangement and certain elements of the song echo music from the 1960s. For subtle examples, lend an ear to Spencer Davis Group’s Gimme Some Lovin’, Going to a Go-Go, from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and some stuttering vocals from The Who’s Roger Daltry on My Generation. The silly lyrics, suggestive tone, and sing-along chorus of My Sharona make it the epitome of an unforgettable rock classic.

    Sharona herself even posed for the cover of the single’s sleeve, holding a copy of the band’s album, Get The Knack. During the summer of ’79 the song stood out like a rock ’n roll jewel amidst a mountain of disco, catapulting the track into a whirlwind of airplay and popularity. Alperin and Fieger dated for four years before going their separate ways. But My Sharona changed their lives forever and is still a crowd-pleaser more than thirty-five years later.

    Perhaps a ringing endorsement for the sanctity of the original, My Sharona has never been covered with any commercial success. Several parodies have been recorded, however, including ones by Weird Al Yankovic and Cheech Marin. Video games have featured the tune as have commercials for Toyota (My Toyota) and Taco Bell ("My

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