30 Day Song Challenge - Days 15-21

Day 15- Cover song

Love Rollercoaster - Red Hot Chili Peppers 

The Joe Cocker All-Stars: Cover songs that are either vastly superior to the original or just completely original musical arrangements 

Joe Cocker "Get by with a little help from my friends”, “You are so beautiful”, “The Letter” and “Feelin’ Alright” 

He’s the king of the “Cover where the band makes it there own”. 

UB40 is a great example of this with “Red Red Wine” - which is a PERFECT COVER in my opinion

Rod Stewart was really good at this as well. 

Boyz in the Hood By Dynamite Hack - another great example 

Take on Me - Reel Big Fish - another great example 

In Bloom - Sturgill Simpson  

Ryan Adams “Wonderwall” and like 10 other songs by him 

Johnny Cash "Rusty Cage” 

I will Survive by “Cake” 

Gin and Juice - The Gourds 

You Really Got me - Van Halen (honorable mention to Diamond David Lee Roth for “Just a Gigolo” 

Faith - Limp Bizkit (hate it, but gotta give ‘em credit) 

Straight Away Covers

Ring of Fire by Social Distortion 

You might Think by Weezer 

Hurt by Johnny Cash 

Voodoo Child - Stevie Ray Vaughn 

Here’s a straight ahead cover the STINKS — Phil Collins - Can’t Hurry Love — THAT’S how you make a great song WORSE! KARAOKE Style 

Carless Whisper by Seether - that’s exotic dancing music right there 

Smoking in the Boys Room - Motley Crue 

Land of Confusion - Disturbed 

Covers in which you thought they were the Original 

Whitney Houston “I will always love you” All-Stars  — This song isn’t even great — SHE IS JUST SO TRANSCENDENT and her voice is impossible to explain with words 

Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin Cover by Kris Kristofferson 

Urge Overkill “Girl you’ll be a woman soon” 

Nirvana "Lake of Fire” - really any of the covers off of the unplugged   

Gary Jules and Michael Andrews "Mad World” 

Take me to the river - Talking Heads — THAT WAS AN AL GREEN JAM???? I’ve since really enjoyed learning of this Jam and now think the original is pretty fire in it’s own right.

Tainted Love - Soft Cell — i just thought the “where did our love go part” was a cover  during the outro 

"It’s my Life" No Doubt 

My top 5 

Signs by Tesla 

Scarlet Begonias by Sublime (Honorable Mention)

Gypsy Kings - Hotel California - in Spanish and from an iconic scene for the Big Lebowski (honorable mention) 

All Along the Watch Tower - Jimi Hendrix 

Knocking on Heaven’s door - GNR 

Sweet Dreams are made of This - Marilyn Manson (honorable mention) 

Blue Monday by Orgy 

Mony Mony - Billy Idol (this is my #6) 

It’s My Life - No Doubt 

Nothing Compares 2 U - Prince cover a song he wrote and gave to somebody else to make famous - In addition it’s been covered by Chris Cornell, The Dixie Chicks, Capital Cities, Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies and More 

No Woman, No Cry - The Fugees 

Red Red Wine - UB40 

Blinded by the Light - Manfred Mann (stole it from Bruce Springsteen and made it a bigger hit) that one’s for your Rosco. In addition - Manfred Mann took Bob Dylan’s Mighty Quinn to Number 1 in the 1960’s 

Fun Fact: Bob Dylan covers being better performed by somebody else are plentiful - Guns N’ Roses, Manfred Mann, Jimi Hendrix,  the Byrds with Mr. Tamborine Man 

Day 16 - A classic favorite 

Ben E. King - Stand By Me

Shout Pt 1 & 2 - the Isley Brothers 

The Weight by the Band 

It’s 9-7 in favor of Cindy 

Day 17 - Karaoke Song w/ friend 

Take me home tonight 

Lady Marmalade 

Hunger Strike 

Wanted Dead or Alive 

Friends in Low Places 

No Woman No Cry 

I remember you - Skid Row 

Podcast Idea — Ranking Playlist on spotify and beaking them down

Day 18 - A song from the year you were born - 1978 vs.1983 - Roxanne by the Police vs. Africa by Toto 

Day 19 - Rubbish 

Day 20 - Rubbish 

Day  21 - A song with someone’s name in it 

Crazy Mary - Pearl Jam

Call me Al - Paul Simon 

Come on  Eileen - Dexy’s Midnight Runners 

Cindy, I’ll marry you one day - Robert Plant 

My Michelle - Guns N’ Roses

Allison - Elivs Costello 

Gloria - Laura Branigan 

Help Me, Rhonda - Beach Boys 

Brandy - Looking Glass

Janie’s Got a Gun ( Jane Says)

Jenny 867-5309

Karen - the national (of course there’s a song named Karen)

Lay Down Sally & Layla (Clapton and D + Domino’s)

there’s a song called Lindsay quit Lollygagging - Chiodos (What a name?!)

Lola - the Kinks

Marcarena - Los Del Rio 

Maria Maria - Santana 

Mary Mary - The Monkees

Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett 

Oh Sheila - Ready for the World 

Oh Sherrie - Steve Perry 

Ophelia - The Band 

Peg - Steely Dan 

Rosalita (Come out tonight) - Bruce Springsteen 

Rosanna - Toto 

Stacy’s Mom - Fountains of Wayne 

Suzie Q - CCR

Sussudio - Phil Collins 

Tessie - Dropkick’s 

Valerie - Steve Winwood 

Wake up Little Susie - Everly Brothers 

Whole Lotta Rosie AC/DC

Wyona’s Big Brown Beaver - Primus 

Along Comes Mary - The Association 

Jenny Was a Friend of Mine - The Killers 

Johnny B Good - Chuck Barry 

Captain Jack - Billy Joel

Dropkick me Jesus (Through the Goal posts of Life) - Bobby Bare

Duke of Earl (Gene Chandler)

Hey Joe - Hendrix 

Hey Jude - The Beatles 

Jeremy - Pearl Jam 

Jessie’s Girl - Rick Springfield 

Jumpin’ Jack Flash - Stones 

Levon - Elton John 

Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin

Mickey - Toni Basil 

Sam’s Town - The Killers 

Jenny Was a Friend of Mine - The Killers 

Stan - Eminen 

Tom Sawyer - Rush 

Uncle Johnny - The Killers 

What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? - REM

30 Day Song Challenge Podcast - Days 6, 7 & 8

Day 6- A song that makes you want to Dance 

I wanna dance with somebody - Whitney Houston  

Bust a move - Young MC

Call on Me - Eric Prydz 

Thought about “Call your girlfriend” to go head to head with "Dancing on my own today"

Rosco’s Pick - “Don’t Leave me this way” by Thelma Houston - Disco pick - nice. 

Day 7 - A song to drive to 

Running Down a Dream - Tom Petty

La Grange - ZZ Top (Sharp dressed man, She’s got Legs, Gimme All your Lovin’)

Knocked up - Kings of Leon (they’ve got a ton of these)

Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi

Hells Bells - AC/DC 

The Heat is On - Glenn Frey (Beverly Hills Cop ) - opening scene 

Born to be Wild -  Steppen Wolf 

Low Rider -which until today I didn’t realize was by the band War ( I also didn’t know until today that War sang "Why can’t we be Friends?"

Regulators - Nate Dogg and Warren G 

We Didn’t Start the Fire - Billy Joel 

Turn the Page - Seger 

Day 8 - Song about drugs or alcohol 

OT Genasis - Cut it, CoCo 

311 - who’s got the herb 

Sublime - smoke two joints, 40oz to Freedom, Let’s go get stoned   

Snoop Dogg - Gin & Juice 

Cheers (Drink to that) Rhianna) 

Bob Marley - Reggae 

One Bourbon One Scotch and One Beer - George Thorogood & the Destroyers 

Cypress Hill - Hits from the Bong 

Friends in Low places (Garth Brooks)

Country Music times a million 

Mr. Brownstone - GNR 

Night Train - GNR 

Dr. Feelgood 

Blame It - Jamie Foxx & T-Pain

Tequila Makes her Clothes Fall Off

It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere 

Love is the Drug - Roxy Music

I took a Pill In Ibiza - Mike Posner 

Not and Addict - K’s Choice 

Lit Up - Buck Cherry 

Eric Caption - Cocaine 

Mary Jane - Rick James - might be about a lady named that, but I’m not sure if it’s not a metaphor 

Swimming Pools - Kendrick Lamar 

Cold Gin - Kiss 

Brass Monkey - Beastie Boys

Rosco’s Brainstorm - Sweat Leaf (Black Sabbath), Lucy in the Sky w Diamonds, Juice (Lizzo), Purple Haze, Puff the magic dragon, Under the Bridge, Trippin’ on a hole in a paper heart, Bad & Boujee 

30 Day Song Challenge Podcast - Days 3, 4 & 5

Day 3 - song that reminds you of summertime - if you pick that “Summer Lovin’ song” from Grease — that ain’t it chief 

Pretty much every song from Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers (Scar Tissue for starters)

By the way also by RHCP

Soul to Squeeze by RHCP

Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

Anything by Rusted Root

Get Lucky - Daft Punk 

One More Time - Daft Punk

Pour Some Sugar on me - Def Leppard 

You Could be Mine - GNR (Terminator Two)

Enter Sandman  

The Entire “Beats, Rhymes & Life” album from A Tribe Called Quest 

Anything off of Vampire Weekend’s self titled 2008 album 

Turn down for What - Lil Jon

Day 4 - A song that reminds you of someone you’d rather forget  (Release - Pearl Jam, Ridin Solo, Break Your Heart)  Don’t Cry, Estranged, or Cee Low Green’s Forget You, Everything about you - Ugly Kid Joe, Motley Crue - Don’t Go Way Mad (Just go away).

Day 5- A song the needs to be played out loud (Beautiful Day by U2 - Bernard Story)

Safe & Sound - Capital Cities

I Wanna Dance with somebody - Whitney Houston 

Lit - My own worst enemy 

Thunderstruck - AC/DC

Hot in Heeeere - Nelly 

Livin’ on a Prayer 

Josie aka Your Love - The Outfield 

Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard 

Juicy - Notorious B.I.G.

Mr Brightside - The Killers (Honorable mention to "When you were Young” and “Read My Mind”

Despacito - Beiber, Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee 

Just a Friend - Biz Markie 

Rock Hall of Fame 2020 Inductee Podcast

2020 Rock Hall of Fame 

Place listening Paris France - continues to lead the list, Mountain View, CA and San Jose CA, Amsterdam and long lost friends in Ashburn VA all checking in the top 5 or 10 places listening this week 

France, USA and Netherlands are the top 3 countries - also UK, Spain, Australia, Iran, Turkey and Iraq - based on episode 299 - not shocked on those countries listening 

Bad Boys for Life aka part 3, I’m all over it. Feel like it’s rare in hollywood to take like 7 years before part 2 and then like 17 more years before part 3. Both Spiderman and Batman have been rebooted twice each between Bad Boys 2 and Bad Boys 3

For the first time in 7 years the winner of the fan vote didn’t get inducted. And this year it was first time nominee, Dave Matthews Band.

Fans are up in arms, 1,000,000 people voted for them, USA Today is covering it — and frankly — I’m not a big fan of snubs — but this Manufactured Controversy is probably good for the Rock Hall’s awareness in the public consciousness.

Getting In: 

Whitney Houston — the second biggest oversight of the past 3-5 years after Janet Jackson and now they are both in

The Notorious BIG - this is a no-brainer for me - but the Hall Has snubbed LL Cool J - so it’s great to see them get one right. 

Depeche Mode

Nine Inch Nails

Doobie Brothers 

T. Rex - they are about to spur on a spinoff podcast titled “Who is the worst act inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame”.

I voted on November 7th - My Votes were Biggie, Whitney, Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden (soft spot for Cornell), Dave Matthews Band. I felt the biggest LOCK was DMB. 

At the Time of My vote in November: 

DMB was leading with 385,656 votes  (Only the beatles and rolling stones have had more #1 albums)

Pat Benatar was 2nd with 363,191 votes (this is a huge snub as well) - 8 gold albums from 1979-1988 including 6 straight going platinum. Her “You better run video” was the 2nd ever to be on MTV. 4 straight GRAMMYS for female performer of the year. 

The Doobie Bros were 3rd with 328,435 votes  HOF 

Soundgarden was 4th with 325,264 votes (first Seattle grunge band to sign to a major label)

Judas Priest was 5th with 286,131 votes 

Depeche Mode was 6th with 265515 votes  HOF (arguably the best version of synth-pop out there) 

Whitney Houston was 7th with 247,791 votes  HOF  (Basically invented the national anthem as a spectacle at Super Bowl 25)

8th Thin Lizzy 

9th Motorhead

10th Nine Inch Nails  200,116 votes  HOF  (Godfather of pop/ industrial rock)

11th Todd Rundgren

12th T Rex 150,692 votes  HOF  (There are people saying they essentially invented Glam Rock when they left “Psychedelic Folk Music”- welp 

13th Biggie Smalls 148,173 votes HOF  (Biggie is what this is all about. Larger than life persona who did his version of music at the highest level possible). He’s always listed on the mount rushmore of MC’s - he’s gotta be in. I’m stoked and shocked that they got this right. 

14th Kraftwerk 

15th Rufus ft. Chaka Khan 68,852 votes 

Greatest Covers Songs of all time

The Top Cover Songs by Famous Bands/Singers

The Joe Cocker All-Stars: Cover songs that are either vastly superior to the original or just completely original musical arrangements 

Joe Cocker "Get by with a little help from my friends”, “You are so beautiful”, “The Letter” and “Feelin’ Alright” 

He’s the king of the “Cover where the band makes it there own”. 

UB40 is a great example of this with “Red Red Wine” - which is a PERFECT COVER in my opinion

Rod Stewart was really good at this as well. 

Boyz in the Hood By Dynamite Hack - another great example

Take on Me - Reel Big Fish - another great example

In Bloom - Sturgill Simpson  

Ryan Adams “Wonderwall” and like 10 other songs by him 

Johnny Cash "Rusty Cage” 

I will Survive by “Cake” 

Gin and Juice - The Gourds

You Really Got me - Van Halen (honorable mention to Diamond David Lee Roth for “Just a Gigolo” 

Faith - Limp Bizkit (hate it, but gotta give ‘em credit) 

Straight Away Covers

Ring of Fire by Social Distortion

You might Think by Weezer

Hurt by Johnny Cash

Voodoo Child - Stevie Ray Vaughn 

Here’s a straight ahead cover the STINKS — Phil Collins - Can’t Hurry Love — THAT’S how you make a great song WORSE! KARAOKE Style 

Carless Whisper by Seether - that’s exotic dancing music right there 

Smoking in the Boys Room - Motley Crue 

Land of Confusion - Disturbed 

Covers in which you thought they were the Original

Whitney Houston “I will always love you” All-Stars  — This song isn’t even great — SHE IS JUST SO TRANSCENDENT and her voice is impossible to explain with words

Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin Cover by Kris Kristofferson 

Urge Overkill “Girl you’ll be a woman soon” 

Nirvana "Lake of Fire”  

Gary Jules and Michael Andrews "Mad World” 

Take me to the river - Talking Heads — THAT WAS AN AL GREEN JAM???? 

Tainted Love - Soft Cell — i just thought the “where did our love go part” was a cover  during the outro

"It’s my Life" No Doubt

My top 5

Signs by Tesla 

Scarlet Begonias by Sublime (Honorable Mention)

Gypsy Kings - Hotel California - in Spanish and from an iconic scene for the Big Lebowski (honorable mention) 

All Along the Watch Tower - Jimi Hendrix 

Knocking on Heaven’s door - GNR

Sweet Dreams are made of This - Marilyn Manson (honorable mention) 

Blue Monday by Orgy 

Mony Mony - Billy Idol (this is my #6) 

It’s My Life - No Doubt 

Nothing Compares 2 U - Prince cover a song he wrote and gave to somebody else to make famous - In addition it’s been covered by Chris Cornell, The Dixie Chicks, Capital Cities, Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies and More 

No Woman, No Cry - The Fugees 

Red Red Wine - UB40

Blinded by the Light - Manfred Mann (stole it from Bruce Springsteen and made it a bigger hit) that one’s for your Rosco. In addition - Manfred Mann took Bob Dylan’s Mighty Quinn to Number 1 in the 1960’s

Fun Fact: Bob Dylan covers being better performed by somebody else are plentiful - Guns N’ Roses, Manfred Mann, Jimi Hendrix,  the Byrds with Mr. Tamborine Man  

Leonard Cohen’s Alleluja has been remade a ton but it took like 4 iterations until Jeff Buckley NAILED IT - covered by Malcolm Gladwell 

Janet Jackson deserves to be inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame

Top Cities listening this weekend #2 The Philippines as a nation and the city of Cebu in the Philippines was #2 as well  

Movie stars who play themselves in rolls

Vin Diesel as Dom Torretto

NPH as himself in Harold & kumar/ Barry Stinson is that same character 

Al Pacino has played col frank spade since scent of a woman 

That's why DeNiro took the title belt 

Johnny Depp has been playing Capt Jack Sparrow for a decade 

Dwayne the Rock Johnson - basically always plays “The Rock” - but he did show some range in “Be Cool” back in the mid 2000s 

Nic Cage plays Nic Cage — that’s likely the best example 

Others?

Rock hall of fame acts that shouldn't be in?

There are 317 members of the hall of fame and this includes some producers and executives, but mostly performers - Just the A’s and B’s show you the broad range which has now been embraced under the term “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame”

A’s: Abba, AC/DC, Al Green, Aretha Franklin

B’s: Beastie Boys, BB King, Bill Withers, Billie Holiday, Billy Joel, Black Sabbath, Blondie, Bob Marley  

Btw: Curtis Mayfield Hall of Fame - has a previously little know song called "(Don’t Worry) If there’s a hell below, we’re all going to go” which is the theme song for HBO’s the Deuce and it is FIRE !!!!! 

John mellancamp & ZZ Top are both questionable inductees 

John Mellencamp has over 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify — that’s legit - my issue with him, I strongly dislike his top 4 songs 

Jack & Diane, Small Town, Little Pink Houses, and Hurts So good (which is easily the most decent of those four). HIs best song is R-o-c-k in the USA and that’s basically the same song as “What I like about you” by the Romantics

He’s an americana act - and that’s clearly not my bag — but the true offense of John Mellencamp are those Chevy Truck “This is our country” commercials 

John Mellencamp’s related artists: Don Henley, J. Geils Band, Eddie Money, Bob Seger, 38 Special, Huey Lewis & the News, Steve Miller Band — pretty sure each of those artists would’ve existed without Mellencamp’s influence 

ZZ Top — I like ZZ Top. And when I was between the ages of 10-22 I dare say that I really liked ZZ Top —and still do. But have they had a profound influence on music? They somehow has over 3.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify — which is over 50% increase over Mellencamp. They have great songs, and spectacular beards. But, i just don’t see ‘em being hall of fame without those beards 

ZZ Top - related Artists: George Thoroughgood and the destroyers, Thin Lizzy, Foghat and Lynyrd Skynyrd - pretty sure those artists would’ve existed without ZZ Top’s influence 

And ones that should be 

Janet Jackson, Janes addiction (nope, research has me like “def not", Whitney Houston, Tina turner (not in solo, but in with Ike), John Coltrane, the cure, Iron Maiden 

Janet Jackson - 3 million Monthly listeners, Super Bowl 38 “wardrobe malfunction”, Her brother was the King of Pop, her brothers were the Jackson 5, and somehow she carved out her own hall of fame nominated career. Starred in Good Times, starred in Poetic Justice with Tupac.

She’s been making hits since 1982 — “What have you done for me lately” came out in 1986 - still holds up. So did “Control” and “Nasty” 

 Rhythm Nation came out in 1989 - still holds up. So did “Miss you much” and “Escape” 

"That’s the way love goes” came out in 1993, so did “If” which pretty much every woman born between 1972 an 1982 still know all the words to, to this very day 

“Together Again” 1997 - still holds up - so did “Got til it’s gone” with Joanie Mitchell and Q-tip 

I could go on and on — but this sums it up - the top 8 related artists on Spotify for Janet Jackson are Toni Braxton, Amerie, Brandy, Mya, En Vogue, SWV, Monica and Aaliyah — they all have one thing in common — they all came after Janet Jackson — they were all influenced by her 

Whitney Houston - 7.4 million monthly million listeners - WHAT!?!?!?!! 

Whitney redefined the Super Bowl National Anthem performance at Super Bowl 25 

“I wanna dance with somebody” has 148 million listens on spotify — that song actually is actually my rebuttal to the question - is any song more popular now that when it was a hit. "Your Love” by the Outfield was my original answer — but this song was bigger then and is bigger now (Josie has 88 million listens)

Do me I favor - Put I wanna Dance with somebody on at a wedding and see what happens. Put it on at a house party and see what happens. Put it on at Monday night bingo full of retirees and see what happens — that song came out in 1987. 30 years ago — if you’re 75 today, you were 45 in 1885 — if you’re playing’ bingo and that song comes on, it will be mayhem on the dance floor 

Put in the words “I wanna” into google and guess what it auto populates for you… three words… dance with somebody 

Whitney Houston is basically Janet Jackson on steroids - without the famous family, and despite the fact that she married Bobby Brown and things went downhill incredibly quickly after that. 

Related Artists: Patti LaBelle, Toni Braxton, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Luther Vandross and Diana Ross - It can be argued that she bridged the gap between Dianna Ross and Mariah Carey 

Tina Tuner is already in with Ike and Tina — but how about we just drop Ike? Also, if Ronny Wood can get inducted twice as a Rolling Stones member and then as a member of the Faces/Small Faces — then i think Tina should get in twice  

John Coltrane - i’m not even going to make an Argument — put this dude into the Hall of Fame immediately 

The Cure - very original sound … 4.3million monthly listeners on Spotify, 5 bonafide JAMSKIES in “Friday I’m in Love”, “Boys don’t cry”, “Close to me”, “Just like Heaven”, “Love Song” - heck love song was covered by 311 and it made 311’s greatest hit album 

Related artists include - Depeche Mode, Joy Division, The Smiths, and Siouxie and the Bansees — i love them all — but The Cure is a rich man’s Depeche Mode

Iron Maiden - 3.3 million monthly listeners - related artists, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Dio — if Judas Priest gets in (with their 1.6 million monthly listeners), then Iron Maiden should get in. I would argue that Judas has more commercial hits — but in terms of Metal Influence — i think Iron Maiden has way more street cred. 

Plus, there’s a place in southie called the maiden and it’s a really nice place. But, the Men’s room is a giant mural of Iron Maiden and they only play iron maiden songs in the men’s room… and ONLY in the men’s room — what a great Gimmick