Anyone who has ever played video games, or had a child who played them is probably familiar with the music from the Zeldaseries of games. If you are, then the following video should be of no surprise to you. If you aren’t, then you, hopefully, should find the recommended music video a pleasant surprise, since the music for “Zelda” has been some of the best music out there—and not just for video games! Lindsey Stirling is an eclectic violinist who adapted some of the themes to create her “Zelda Medley.”
I want to thank Kevin at Speedy Auto Service in east Livonia, Michiganfor bringing this high quality medley to my attention!
This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.
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The Zac Brown Band’s “The Wind” finally blew Little Big Town’s “Pontoon” off the top spot. I guess we’ll see how long they can sustain those winds…………………… QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Top 10 Videos and Performances for the week of August 12, 2012
1. The Wind—Zac Brown Band
2. Pontoon—Little Big Town
3. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye—Train
4. Over—Blake Shelton
5. Wide Awake—Katy Perry
6. One More Night—Maroon 5 with Adam Levine
7. She’s So Mean—Matchbox 20
8. Little Talks—Of Monsters and Men
9. Whistle—Flo Rida
10. Blow Me (One Last Kiss)—Pink
1) “The Wind”—There are so many stupid parts of this video that just make me laugh! I crack up when they go duck hunting and the robotic Zac Brown pretty much destroys all of the birds with his super weaponry!
2) “Pontoon”—I like the camera angle when Little Big Town sing on their pontoon!
3) “50 Ways to Say Goodbye”— Pat Monahanof Trainhas met his love match because as much as he’s singing about what terrible things happened to her, she’s working just as hard at trying to make it look like he killed her!
4) “Over”—The use of fire in Blake Shelton’svideo turns the “heat” up a notch—way better than the desert imagery!
5) “Wide Awake”—I just saw Katy Perry’svideo again before I started writing this and I have to admit that it’s really colorful!
6) “One More Night”—I think Adam Levine as a boxer seems very realistic! I’m so glad that no payphone’s were harmed during the making of this video…………………
7) “She’s So Mean”—Yeah, she really is mean, Matchbox 20. I don’t care how pretty she is, I have absolutely no idea why anybody would hang around with someone who had such behavioral problems…………
8) “Little Talks”—Of Monsters and Men might be getting ready to take a “little walk” off of this list………….
9) “Whistle”—Keep whistling Flo Rida!You’re doing all right!
10) “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)”—Pinkhas put together a career that has shown that she really knows how to use the video medium. This one is right up to her high standards! QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
A “Q” Bomb, like an “H” bomb, will be my term for a music video that I consider to be subpar in music, video, or both. This will be a recurring weekly list that will focus on the worst videos that are currently on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus on solely on current or recent videos.
I hate to be so negative about music, but when an artist takes a “bad” song and then brings more attention to it by creating a “bad” video to support it, it will appear on this list. I honestly hope, and it could happen, that this list will be less than 10 items, but I have serious doubts that that possibility will happen. We are, after all, talking about an industry that uses art for huge profits. The companies can’t help themselves.
However, at this point, I will not do a 10 worst music list. I see absolutely no reason to waste time reemphasizing bad music. Once is enough.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ Dierks Bentley climbed to the top on CMT’scountdown, so likewise, he gets the same bad honor on my list. Sorry, Dierks……………………. QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Worst Videos for the week of August 12, 2012
1. 5-1-5-0—Dierks Bentley
2. Drunk on You—Luke Bryan
3. Cowboys and Angels—Dustin Lynch
4. The A Team—Ed Sheeran
5. Scream—Usher
6. Let’s Go—Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo
7. Settle Down—No Doubt
8. Springsteen—Eric Church
9. Glass—Thompson Square
10. Ho Hey—The Lumineers
1) “5-1-5-0”—Sorry Dierks, but #1 on CMT when you’re already on the “Q” Bombs list will more than likely get you the #1 spot as leader of the trash heap. This is an unusual situation for me because I actually like the video more than the song…………………
2) “Drunk on You”—It finally looks like Luke Bryan is starting to go away as he falls from the top spot………….
3) “Cowboys and Angels”—It looks like Dustin Lynch’ssong is going to be around for a while, which means the videos will be, too. ODWITS!
4) “The A Team”—Ed Sheeran’s bleak cinematic look about a bleaker subject is one big depressing video. But not as depressing as the subject he’s covering…………
5) “Scream”—I wish that I had any kind of reaction, including a scream, when I see Usher’svideo…………..
6) “Let’s Go”—For whatever reason, I don’t run across Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo’s video very often, which means that I can’t really remember why I don’t like it anymore. That’s a good thing…………………
7) “Settle Down”—I have never understood the fascination for No Doubt or Gwen Stefani. However, having said that, I really don’t mind the song, I just detest the carnival of freaks in the video and the jarring camera work……….
8)“Springsteen”—With some luck, this might be the last week for Eric Church. I read in Rolling Stone in May that Springsteensupposedly sent a handwritten note on the back of the set list about how he and his family liked the song. I guess if I had a song written about me, even if it wasn’t very good, would possibly be a favorite of mine, too…………….
9) “Glass”—If we break the glass, will this Thompson Squarevideo disappear…….
10) “Ho Hey”—Oh, hey. You guys still around………………………. QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ Jessica Daylespreads out her towel on her favorite rocky beach because she knows she’s going to be around for awhile.“Summertime” stays on top for a second week! Competition, though, is getting tough………. QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Top Ten Songs for the Week of August 5, 2012
1. Summertime—Jessica Dayle
2. The Sun Is Shining—The Fireman (Paul McCartney)
3. (Kissed You) Good Night—Gloriana
4. Over—Blake Shelton
5. The Wind—Zac Brown Band
6. Pontoon—Little Big Town
7. Angel Eyes—Love and Theft
8. A Salty Dog—Procol Harum
9. Little Talks—Of Monsters and Men
10. Bright Red—Vanessa Peters
1) “Summertime”—I’ve described many of the musical elements that I like about Jessica Dayle’ssong, but it’s about time I start to focus in on the lyrics. The verses are detailed descriptions describing a lush creek setting: “There’s lazy pollen floating on the breeze/Blue sky, baby buds, new waxy leaves.“ I have never wanted to look at baby buds in my life—but I do now! The acoustic accompaniment of Fred Malletteon Banjo, Craig Newnes on acoustic guitar, a spine tingling simulation of the wind played by Charlie Hase on pedal steel guitar plus the words create an atmosphere that just transports the listener to this real life location! Ahh, summertime!
2) “The Sun Is Shining”—Paul McCartney may be peaking. “The Sun Is Shining” is my own personal surprise hit of the summer!
3) “(Kissed You) Good Night”—Glorianarecorded the perfect song about second guessing what should have happened on a date, from both male and female perspectives, when they each felt strongly about each other but were too shy to make a move!
4) “Over”—I’m not usually into too many big production country ballads, but Blake Shelton has changed my mind with this one! The string arrangement adds to the dramatic effect!
5) “The Wind”—I think the warp speed solos on this Zac Brown Bandsong are so fast that I almost laugh every time I hear them!
6) “Pontoon”—It seems that the “Pontoon”has dropped anchor in a secluded cove so that Little Big Towncan hang around!
7) “Angel Eyes”—Love and Theft appear to be ready to drop off the list, but “Angel Eyes” was a favorite of mine for most of the summer!
8) “A Salty Dog”—Procol Harum’s prog-rock masterpiece makes an appearance on my list. I imagine this will not be the last appearance. The string arrangement and the lyrical description, the incredible, almost impossible to reach high notes, all combine to provide a glimpse of what heaven may sound like!
9) “Little Talks”—Of Monsters and Men’s run on my list is probably ending………..
10) “Bright Red”—Vanessa Peters reappears on the good list. Good to see you, Vanessa! QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
For as long as I’ve been on the radio, and definitely for as long as I’ve been writing a blog, I will occasionally make a reference to a song being “One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded!” (GSER)
I would usually follow that by saying that I would eventually start a category for it, but then never get around to it.
Well, now I’m getting around to it!
My radio show, “Theme Attic,” is on Wednesdays 12PM-4PM ET.
I’ll select a song to celebrate and then give my thoughts about it. Nothing really brand new here that hasn’t been done before. But since I have a website, I can collect them and lay out what my own greatest songs are.
Even though I always emphasize new music and artists, it’s always fun to take a short drive through the legendary artists, since they influenced those other artists!
But a song doesn’t have to be old or done by a legendary Theme Attic Hall of Fame member to be thus honored.
I can think of several songs that are only a few years old or less that I could identify as One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded.
This will be fun, and hopefully you will join me on my journey!
If you like what you see, don’t forget to spread the word by hitting the “like” button on my Facebook page, Phil Maq!
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Another Labor Day weekend is here, and it seems only fitting that Wally Pleasant should get special recognition!
From his “Houses of the Holy Moly” album, “Stupid Day Job” is song with a chorus that sticks to you like an encounter with a no-pest strip,
One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded is “Stupid Day Job” by Wally Pleasant!!!
(Try getting this one out of your head after you watch it!!)
Also, this was my Video of the Year for 2011! (That was a time when I used to watch videos fairly regularly.)
This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ “Pontoon” and Little Big Town just keep riding the waves!!!!! QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Top 10 Videos and Performances for the week of August 5, 2012
1. Pontoon—Little Big Town
2. The Wind—Zac Brown Band
3. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye—Train
4. Wide Awake—Katy Perry
5. Over—Blake Shelton
6. Little Talks—Of Monsters and Men
7. She’s So Mean—Matchbox 20
8. One More Night—Maroon 5 with Adam Levine
9. Whistle—Flo Rida
10. (Kissed You) Good Night—Gloriana
1) “Pontoon”—It’s probably just me, but I get a kick out of the mini snare drum that the drummer is playing on!
2) “The Wind”—The robot in the Zac Brown Band’s video has a variable seed drill as a finger. Man that could come in handy!
3) “50 Ways to Say Goodbye”—I like the mariachi feel to the song and I’m glad someone was smart enough to put them in the video!
4) “Wide Awake”—I still enjoy seeing the hypnotic eyes in that topiary cat!
5) “Over”—Blake Shelton’s song is strong and pulls the video up even higher!
6) “Little Talks”—Alright! I decided to look up the lyrics to Of Monsters and Men’s song and the lyrics are creepy, too, so they match the video. They also seem to have a positive leaning, so I feel better now. …..
7) “She’s So Mean”—Matchbox 20 reappear after many years away from the music business and Rob Thomas has a nasty girlfriend in this video. I mean, she “scratched his records!!!” Well, now. That’s the worst kind of mean!
8) “One More Night”—Well, I am stunned! Maroon 5 withAdam Levine starring as a boxer, have put together their own little updated version of “Raging Bull”…and it’s really good!!!!
9) “Whistle”—Flo Rida put together a hot summer video with a very catchy song!
10) “(Kissed You) Good Night”—Another week on the list for Gloriana….. QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
A “Q” Bomb, like an “H” bomb, will be my term for a music video that I consider to be subpar in music, video, or both. This will be a recurring weekly list that will focus on the worst videos that are currently on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus on solely on current or recent videos.
I hate to be so negative about music, but when an artist takes a “bad” song and then brings more attention to it by creating a “bad” video to support it, it will appear on this list. I honestly hope, and it could happen, that this list will be less than 10 items, but I have serious doubts that that possibility will happen. We are, after all, talking about an industry that uses art for huge profits. The companies can’t help themselves.
However, at this point, I will not do a 10 worst music list. I see absolutely no reason to waste time reemphasizing bad music. Once is enough.
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Another week that Luke Bryan stays “drunk on you.” I’m not buying his sincerity………. QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Worst Videos for the week of August 5, 2012
1. Drunk on You—Luke Bryan
2. 5-1-5-0—Dierks Bentley
3. Cowboys and Angels—Dustin Lynch
4. Scream—Usher
5. The A Team—Ed Sheeran
6. Payphone—Maroon 5 with Wiz Khalifa
7. Let’s Go—Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo
8. Springsteen—Eric Church
9. Glass—Thompson Square
10. Ho Hey—The Lumineers
1) “Drunk on You”—Luke Bryan drops out of the top spot on CMTbut for the moment is still #1 on this list. Isn’t there a line about a yo-yo? Superlative songwriting……….
2) “5-1-5-0”—I really don’t like to say this when comparing artists but I’d much rather listen to “5150” by Van Halen than Dierks Bentley’s song……………
3) “Cowboys and Angels”—There is much more life in Dustin Lynch’s music than what’s depicted in the washed out and faded landscape of this video…………
4) “Scream”—Usher’svideo is still going strong. It looks like it’s going to be around for awhile—unfortunately………………..
5) “The A Team”—Ed Sheeran’s voice reminds me of James Blunt. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad one………………
6)“Payphone”—Apparently, there’s only one payphone left in the country and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 is using it in this video……………………
7) “Let’s Go”—Let’s not go………………………
8)“Springsteen”—Wow. A big drop for Eric Church this week. The end is in sight……….
9) “Glass”—Can someone please “break” this Thompson Square video so they can’t play it anymore……………..
10) “Ho Hey”—I hope The Lumineers don’t turn into this year’s The Civil Wars.The video would be a strong argument for that happening………….. QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ “Summertime”is in full bloom this week for Jessica Dayle! It should be admired for its uncommon but spectacular beauty! This is a song that is probably best experienced while looking at nature’s wonders wherever you are—especially if you can listen to it outside. That way, all of your senses can enjoy the experience! I think “Summertime” is still going to be around for a while…………… QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Top Ten Songs for the Week of July 29, 2012
1. Summertime—Jessica Dayle
2. The Sun Is Shining—The Fireman (Paul McCartney)
3. Angel Eyes—Love and Theft
4. (Kissed You) Good Night—Gloriana
5. Little Talks—Of Monsters and Men
6. Pontoon—Little Big Town
7. The Doors Sing “Reading Rainbow”—Jimmy Fallon
8. Over—Blake Shelton
9. The Wind—Zac Brown Band
10. Not Too Much to Ask—Mary Chapin Carpenter and Joe Diffie
1) “Summertime”—I can’t listen to Jessica Dayle’s song enough! It’s one of those songs that I make a new and different discovery almost every time I hear it! I don’t even want to admit how many times I listened to it before I realized that the cute little whistle in the song is actually the singing birds! “Summertime”gets better each and every listen and more than lives up to my favorite season!
2) “The Sun Is Shining”—The sun is still shining on Paul McCartney as he moves up higher!
3) “Angel Eyes”—Love and Theftdrop from the top spot for the second time. Is it the last time? I don’t know. It still seems to be catching on which means I’m hearing it more and that often creates a positive reaction………………
4) “(Kissed You)” Good Night”—Great harmonies! A rockin’ little country tune explained from both sides! Gloriana’s song provides its own video in your head without having to see the official video!
5) “Little Talks”—Of Monsters and Men’s pop song is one of the few songs that I haven’t even listened to the words. I am just happy to bop along to it. Ususally, when I don’t pay attention to the words and then find out what they are, I wind up disappointed.
(Just reference Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” in my archives.) But for now, I’m more than content to just enjoy the music!
6) “Pontoon”—Little Big Town appears to be stabilizing! That’s good because I don’t want “Pontoon”to disappear this soon!
7) “The Doors Sing ‘Reading Rainbow’”—This is probably the end of the line for Jimmy and Jim, but they sure made things fun this summer!
8) “Over”—Blake Shelton’s hefty power ballad seems to get better every time I hear it!
9) “The Wind”—The video of Zac Brown’s song gets my attention, but without the hyperactivity of the visuals, the hyperactivity of this rapid bluegrass romp stands on its own!
10) “Not Too Much to Ask”—Mary Chapin Carpenter and Joe Diffie’svoices blend so beautifully on this “second time around” love song! The words are sincere and both characters share equally in the hope of a new love. The song sounds understated and tentative, just what you would expect from two burned lovers approaching the subject! QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
When Robert Palmer released his video for “Addicted to Love”in 1986, it caused an uproar—particularly among women’s rights activists. The song featured Palmer looking suave, singing his song, while a band made up of “Stepford Wives” women wearing way too much makeup played behind him. The video stirred up a controversy because it appeared to be stereotyping women as objects again, after they had fought so hard against that image. The extra attention just propelled the song to become a bigger smash.
Michelle Shockedeventually responded to the “sexist”video by releasing a tongue-in-cheek parodycalled “On the Greener Side.” The song good naturedly had Michelle singing her way through a bunch of hunky guys getting wet while wearing speedos. Ah, Robert. You should have known that women would have had a response!
Unfortunately, Michelle said some nasty things several years ago, and the video has since been deleted. That’s sad because the video was a very witty response!
Shania Twainmade her own parody of Robert Palmer’s video when she did one to support “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” Her version applauded women and their right to have fun while celebrating their beauty! Shania’s view was that women shouldn’t have to worry about dressing for men when they’re out having fun together. It was still a hot video—but in an innocent way, if you can believe that!
I’m sure someone else will eventually do another parody, but until then, these are the best! Let me know which one you like and why!
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If you like what you see, don’t forget to spread the word by hitting the “like” button on my Facebook page, Phil Maq and by sharing this post!
This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ Little Big Town is still on top but I’m wondering if they’re starting to feel the wind coming from the Zac Brown Band………… QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
Top 10 Videos and Performances for the week of July 29, 2012
1. Pontoon—Little Big Town
2. The Wind—Zac Brown Band
3. Wide Awake—Katy Perry
4. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye—Train
5. Little Talks—Of Monsters and Men
6. Angel Eyes—Love and Theft
7. Both of Us—B.O.B. and Taylor Swift
8. Over—Blake Shelton
9. (Kissed You) Good Night—Gloriana
10. Call Me Maybe—Carly Rae Jepsen
1) “Pontoon”—I like the fact that there is enough space on the pontoon to do a line dance to this Little Big Town song!
2) “The Wind”—I really like the way the robot plays most of the fast solos!
3) “Wide Awake”—Catchy Katy Perry video and song but I’m growing tired of it. I won’t be “wide awake” for long if I keep watching it…………..
4) “50 Ways to Say Goodbye”—David Hasselhoffseems like the perfect choice to listen to Pat Monahan of Traintell him his problems in a grocery strore that can partially pass for a lunatic asylum!
5) “Little Talks”—Of Monsters and Men’s video seems creepy but I still like it!
6) “Angel Eyes”—Love and Theft are getting ready to fall off of my video list……..
7) “Both of Us”—In general, the video for this song isn’t very exciting and probably won’t be around very long……..
8) “Over”—I think Blake Shelton’s song is better than the video so I wasn’t totally wrong on this one…
9) “(Kissed You) Good Night”—One more week on the list for Gloriana…..
10) “Call Me Maybe”—Well, Carly Rae, thanks for stopping by. Don’t be a stranger. Call me maybe……. QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
For as long as I’ve been on the radio, and definitely for as long as I’ve been writing a blog, I will occasionally make a reference to a song being “One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded!” (GSER)
