The Y! Music Playlist Blog
  • In 2008 millions of people will hit the milestone of turning 40-years old. So in honor of them I thought I would take a musical look back to 1968.

    1968 was an incredible year of upheaval, accomplishment and transition in America. The nation was caught up in the Vietnam War, which divided the country much like the war in Iraq is today.

    The civil rights movement was also on the forefront of the American conscious and Martin Luther King was shot dead by an assassin's bullet in April.

    The Apollo 8 spacecraft entered orbit around the moon marking a truly historic event in the annals of humankind.

    With all these major events, both optimistic and dreadful, music continued to push forward. And the Beatles led the way.
    The single "Hello Goodbye" from the fab four's 1967 US release of Magical Mystery Tour hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the last week of 1967 and stayed there for the first two weeks of 1968. Later in the year the Beatles would hold the top spot for 9

    Read More »from The Number One Hits of 1968
  • Why wait until the masses fall in line to start digging the next big thing? This playlist contains 15 songs that have been selected by the Radio & Records research group's HitPredictor service as having what it takes to reach the top of the charts.

    The HitPredictor service polls music fans to determine which singles have the best shot at becoming hits. And their success rate is a decent 75%. The company's website states, "Songs are blind tested online using multiple listens and a nationwide sample of carefully profiled music consumers. Songs are rated on a 1-5 scale; final results are based on weighted positives. Songs with a score of 65 or more are judged to have Hit potential."

    For the music industry this kind of service is extremely valuable as it can help determine which singles promotional dollars should be poured into. This strategy can help maximize the chances of producing that elusive hit single.

    For you, the consumer, it can help you find future hits before the masses do,

    Read More »from 15 Future Hit Singles – June 2008
  • Everyone wants their wedding to be perfect. And when planning for that special day every couple gives a great deal of thought to the songs that will be played at both the ceremony and the reception.

    Previously on the Y! Radish we've posted a playlist of the most popular songs for the garter toss part of the wedding reception. As you would expect, the garter toss list is lighthearted and filled with sexual innuendo, but the songs reserved for the "first dance" are a different animal.

    This is the song the bride and groom will dance to for the very first time as husband and wife, so the vast majority of couples opt for classic tracks brimming with romance. This consistency of romantic choices is one of the reasons that a video like this has gotten 10.5 million views at YouTube.

    My wife and I fell out of the norm with our selection as our first dance pick was "There Is No If..." by the Cure.

    The following playlist includes the most requested first dance songs selected by couples as

    Read More »from Top Wedding Songs For The First Dance
  • Listen to two songs and determine if one ripped off the other. Then read what the court decided.

    Fantasy V. Fogerty

    In 1994 John Fogerty was sued by Fantasy Records for the copyright infringement of a hit he penned titled "The Old Man Down the Road". The song he was accused of stealing was "Run Through the Jungle", a tune he wrote himself for his band Creedence Clearwater Revival. Unfortunately, John had sold the rights for much of CCR's music and was now being sued for stealing it! Ha! I love that! Anyway, the case is interesting as it went all the way to the Supreme Court on the question of whether attorney's fees could be awarded to the prevailing party in a copyright suit. Read about the lawsuit and the opinion by the late Chief Justice Rehnquist here.

    1. Run Through The Jungle - Creedence Clearwater Revival 

    2. The Old Man Down The Road - John Fogerty 

    Swirsky V. Carey

    In 2004 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on the case of Swirsky V. Carey. The suit was brought by

    Read More »from The Plagiarism Game Volume #1
  • Bossa nova started as the music of Brazil's upper class in the 1950s. The heyday of the genre only lasted 6 years, but its influence cuts wide and deep across jazz, electronica and popular music. Bossa nova never ceases to put me at ease, and I although I love it anytime of year, I find myself returning to in every summer in heavy doses.

    Something about the carefree, sensual, cool and relaxing nature of Bossa Nova just fits perfectly with summertime.

    This beautifully understated playlist takes some of the greatest Bossa Nova classics and mixes them with quality remakes, as well as more current compositions. The end result is a consistent, laid back set perfect for a fashionably lazy day by the pool. (Servants Not Included)

    Kick Back Bossa Nova For Summer

    1. Besame Mucho - Joao Gilberto

    2. The Girl From Ipanema - Astrud Gilberto

    3. The Look Of Love - Sergio Mendes 

    4. Desafinado - Stan Getz

    5. Vivo Sonhando - Various Artists 

    6. Triste - Howard Roberts

    7. Rapaz De Bem - Various

    Read More »from Kick Back Bossa Nova For Summer
  • Heroin has been a key ingredient in the success of many songwriters. It has also ended the careers and lives of many.

    The drug we know as heroin is derived from opium and was first created in 1847 by a British chemist at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London. Between 1898 and 1910 it was sold as a "non-addictive" alternative to morphine, and as a cold medicine for children. The Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914 made it illegal to sell or possess heroin in the United States and it has been illegal ever since.

    The drug has quite a history in popular music. It first caught fire after World War II throughout the jazz scene and the jazz musician, especially bebop musicians, became poster boys for heroin addiction. Newsworthy drug busts of this era included Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Billie Holiday. More recently, the heroin problem of Ray Charles was highlighted in the 2004 film Ray.

    While the effects of heroin can be different for each individual, the drug tends to

    Read More »from Heroin Songs
  • What's a "Glossolalia Song" you ask? Well, the dictionary descibes glossolalia as follows:

    glos·so·la·li·a ( P ) Pronunciation Key (glôs-ll-, gls-)
    n.
    1. Fabricated and nonmeaningful speech, especially such speech associated with a trance state or certain schizophrenic syndromes.
    2. The gift of tongues.

    In other words, "Glossolalia Songs" are songs whose lyrics are made-up words. Some bands have actually created their own personal languages as in Sigur Rós' "Hopelandic", and "Kobaian" a language created by the French prog rock outfit Magma. Besides these two obvious choices, this playlist contains 13 other artists who have used glossolalia in song.

    Know any other songs with made up words for lyrics? Add them to the comments.

    Glossolalia Songs

    1. Iceblink Luck - Cocteau Twins

    2. Cantara - Dead Can Dance

    3. Salka - Sigur Ros

    4. I Zimbra - Talking Heads 

    5. Solar Prestige A Gammon - Elton John

    6. Warszawa - David Bowie

    7. The Great Gig In The Sky - Pink Floyd 

    8. Mahna Mahna - Cake

    9. Ma

    Read More »from Playlist: Glossolalia Songs
  • Tequila was first invented in the 16th century near the city of Tequila, Mexico. And in addition to making Sammy Hagar a very rich man it has inspired millions with its magical powers.

    The spirit is made from the blue agave plant and is used in such classic cocktails as the margarita and the tequila sunrise. Tequila built its bad reputation on the horrible after effects that cheaper brands can produce for those who slam too much down too quickly.

    You are probably familiar with the following famous tequila shot inspired ditty that highlights its infamous reputation:

    One Tequila
    Two Tequila
    Three Tequila
    Floor!
    Five Tequila
    Six Tequila
    Seven Tequila
    Morgue! 

    I would recommend you try some high-end tequila before you accept the drink's bad reputation at face value. And of course, musicians have come under the influence of tequila on many occasions, sometimes inspiring songs.

    This playlist includes over an hour of music about, or inspired by tequila.

     Songs About Tequila Playlist

    1. Tequila -

    Read More »from Songs About Tequila
  • The moustache (or mustache) is the most difficult facial hair configuration to pull off. And for the musician it shows a daring and individuality not common to an industry obsessed with "image." For this list I wanted to select the top 10 moustaches in rock & roll history.

    When thinking about who should make the list I set some parameters as follows:

    1. The moustache had to be the central feature of the artist's facial hair - jazz dots, lambchops or unconnected goatees were acceptable as long as the stache stood out as a separate entity. Full beard and moustache packages were disqualified since a full face of man-hair is a completely different image.

    2. This list is the top 10 ROCK & ROLL moustaches -- I have not considered r&b, country, funk, jazz, hip-hop, classical or other distinct genres outside of rawk. I admit Jim Croce may have been a borderline selection on this point, but I've heard his music many times on classic rock radio. And besides, his lip-beaver had its own zip code.

    Read More »from Top 10 Rock & Roll Moustaches
  • One could say that Edgar Allan Poe was the original "Goth". His macabre poetry and short stories are timeless literary classics and his life was not much more upbeat than his writing. Both his parents died when he was a child, he suffered from depression and drug addiction, his wife/cousin died after two years of marriage and he himself died at the young age of 40.

    Poe continues to be a muse for all things horror. Many artists, writers, filmmakers and musicians that lean to the dark side of the human condition count Poe as a major influence.

    Legendary composers like Debussy and Rachmaninoff sited Edgar Allan Poe as an influence, but for this playlist I wanted for focus on modern music that has been inspired by the work of Poe.

    You'll find rock, alternative, hip hop, folk and metal in the list, but no matter how diverse the genres most of the songs work to capture the eerie undercurrent that transformed Edgar Allan Poe into legend.

    Songs Inspired By The Writings of Edgar Allan Poe

    1.

    Read More »from Songs Inspired By The Writings of Edgar Allan Poe

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    NEW YORK (AP) — The idea of Michael Douglas playing Liberace might seem nearly as outrageous as Liberace himself.

  • Singer Kellie Pickler jives to victory on "Dancing With the Stars"

    By Andrea Burzynski NEW YORK (Reuters) - Country singer Kellie Pickler won the 16th season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" on Tuesday night, winning over judges and TV audiences with her graceful style and high-jumping jives with partner and professional dancer Derek Hough. Pickler, who first grabbed attention as a contestant on "American Idol" in 2006, screeched and jumped up and down when she learned she had won. "This is amazing! Oh, my God!" she exclaimed, before fellow finalist and NFL player Jacoby Jones hoisted her on his shoulders to celebrate. ...

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