Hard song to rate – it’s better than most of its chart competition in 1963, but pales next to The Beatles’ best work. Chart dominance The Beatles enjoyed 14 #1 singles in New Zealand between 1963 and 1970 – it…
This week’s challenge is to sort historical events by which version of ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ they appeared in. It helps to remember that Billy Joel recorded his version in 1989, while Fall Out Boy’s is from 2023. …
Jimmy Webb enjoyed a sterling career as a songwriter in the 1960s – his website bills him as “America’s Songwriter”, and it’s not an unreasonable title given his rich catalogue of hits like ‘Wichita Lineman’ and ‘By The Time I…
Hopefully there’s something for everyone – the smooth pop/rock of California’s HAIM, Ezra Furman’s intense psychedelia, and The Mars Volta’s jazzy Latin rhythms. HAIM I Quit 2025, 7/10It’s been five years since HAIM’s last record. In the meantime, Alana Haim…
Brazil’s Os Mutantes’ ‘Bat Macumba’ is a fascinating hybrid of tradition and psychedelia. Credits 4 BAT MACUMBA – Os Mutantes (Brazil)(Gilberto Gil/Caetano Veloso) PERSONNEL/RITA LEE: vocals, flute, percussion * ARNALDO DIAS BAPTISTA: vocals, bass, keyboards * SERGIO DIAS BAPTISTA: vocals,…
I’m finally unleashed on the world again, consistently able to compete in these quizzes. Here’s one about the original versions of famous covers. I was surprised not to see Otis Redding with ‘Respect’, although he’s included with another song. …
James Marshall Hendrix was born in Seattle. After his discharge from the army he became a musician, spending years gigging with acts like Little Richard, Sam Cooke, and Ike & Tina Turner. Despite his immense talent, it wasn’t until he…
The Bangles’ work has two facets. There’s the 1960s garage rock sound of their early singles and reunion work. And there’s the mainstream pop/rock of ‘Manic Monday’ and ‘Eternal Flame’. Susanna Hoffs formed a band with lead guitarist Vicki Peterson…
Only one thing I did wrong, listened to Mississippi a minute too long. Bigger than Bohemian Rhapsody ‘Mississippi’ is a country song by the Dutch band Pussycat. It pushed Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ off the top of the charts, and was…
There might be one final outtakes quiz, but we’ve reached the end of the alphabet. There aren’t many famous X,Y, and Z albums – even with all three, I think it’s one of the tougher quizzes in the series. …
