Middle-aged Dummies are back and bursting at the "themes" to get going! Full theme ahead! (5 Viewers)

[Mister CIA]

I also enjoyed "Wrong Side of Del Rio" by Houston Marchman, but the singer's phrasing and intonation were so similar to Lyle Lovett's that it became distracting.

Had not noticed, but cannot unnotice now.

Sorry.

Oh totally fine with me. Was a little disappointed I did not figure a way to fit Lyle Lovett into the countdown to begin wth, so this is nice.

 

[krista4]

Artist connection to Chicago (1-5 scale): 3 - Maybe should have been a 4. The band formed and released their first few records in Indianapolis, but moved to Chicago in 2009 and haven't looked back.
Song connection to Chicago (1-10 scale): 6 - I was so excited for a possible "10" on this one when I saw the title. Schubas is the venue where I've seen more music shows than any other. Possibly more than all other venues combined. I've seen my friends play there; I've seen my enemies (Marty Willson-Piper) play there. I've been there on first dates, second dates, 100th dates. It's a small, perfect venue that hosts up-and-comers, already-theres. Locals and out-of-town tours. It's where my friend Thomas used to host Hoot Nights before he took them to Ireland. It's the ****ing best.

Unfortunately, the song doesn't really seem to be about Schubas, and it gets a 6.
Total: 9

I forgot to mention that this band has a song I absolutely that is also Chicago-based: On a Freezing Chicago Street. Sounds a little like Ben Folds meshed with Belle & Sebastian. Please give it a listen. Kinda wish I'd chosen that one, but I couldn't pass up anything Schubas-related.

 

[krista4]

Oh totally fine with me. Was a little disappointed I did not figure a way to fit Lyle Lovett into the countdown to begin wth, so this is nice.

That's interesting. He does have a lot of songs with "Texas" in them, but I can't think of any that have specific Texas towns or places in the title.

 

[Mister CIA]

Oh totally fine with me. Was a little disappointed I did not figure a way to fit Lyle Lovett into the countdown to begin wth, so this is nice.

That's interesting. He does have a lot of songs with "Texas" in them, but I can't think of any that have specific Texas towns or places in the title.

Pretty sure I looked and came up empty, but figured he's probably got a live cover of old standard somewhere out there in the weeds. Would have accepted a cover of Deep in the Heart of Texas as a bonafide location.

 

[Mister CIA]

I'll be!

Edit: Not sure how much Don Henly and Llyle Lovett I'd be interested in absorbing.

Your browser is deprecated. Please upgrade.

music.youtube.com

 

[Mister CIA]

Cool new YouTube splash. Apparently Chrome is dead.

 

[Yo Mama]

Looking ahead, it was a happy accident that my #16 superhero landed where it did on my playlist.

 

[kupcho1]

Looking ahead, it was a happy accident that my #16 superhero landed where it did on my playlist.

Ah, it's OK. Nothing to brag about.

 

[shuke]

Beatles: Got to Get You Into My Live

 

[Ilov80s]

Theme: 31 Best Albums of 1984

17. Better Be Good to Me by Tina Turner
Album: Private Dancer
Released: May 29

A nuclear bomb of a hit album. 39 weeks in the US Pop Top 10. 5x Platinum. 150 weeks on the British charts. 7x platinum in Canada. Among the 50 best selling albums of all time in Germany (interestingly enough the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack is #1). 4 Grammys won. Featuring some of the best session musicians of the 80s like Jeff Beck, Allan Clark of Dire Straits, Graham Broad, Gary Barnacle. This takes the rough and rugged Tina Turner of the 70s and makes her a megawatt 80s pop icon but this album still rocks even if the production is a bit slick. The all time comeback album.

I chose Better Be Good To Me because it won the Queen of Rock the 1985 Female Rock Lead Vocal Grammy.

Better Be Good to Me - 2015 Remaster

Tina Turner · Private Dancer (30th Anniversary Issue) · Song · 1984

open.spotify.com

 

[Yo Mama]

Theme: 31 Best Albums of 1984

17. Better Be Good to Me by Tina Turner
Album: Private Dancer
Released: May 29

A nuclear bomb of a hit album. 39 weeks in the US Pop Top 10. 5x Platinum. 150 weeks on the British charts. 7x platinum in Canada. Among the 50 best selling albums of all time in Germany (interestingly enough the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack is #1). 4 Grammys won. Feautirng some of the best session musicians of the 80s like Jeff Beck, Allan Clark of Dire Straits, Graham Broad, Gary Barnacle. This takes the rough and rugged Tina Turner of the 70s and makes her a megawatt 80s pop icon but this album still rocks even if the production is a bit slick. The all time comeback album.

I chose Better Be Good To Me because it won the Queen of Rock the 1985 Female Rock Lead Vocal Grammy.

Better Be Good to Me - 2015 Remaster

Tina Turner · Private Dancer (30th Anniversary Issue) · Song · 1984

open.spotify.com

I wasn’t always a huge fan of her other 80s radio hits, but this one was by far my favorite.

 

[rockaction]

Theme: 31 Best Albums of 1984

17. Better Be Good to Me by Tina Turner
Album: Private Dancer
Released: May 29

Very cool song, nuclear bomb of an album as you put it. You couldn't escape her on the radio in '84-'85. God knows I was hitting the age where rides to hockey practice were marred by Tina fests. That an eleven or twelve year-old boy considered it somewhat palatable was a miracle. What a voice! Some really good tracks on that record.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I am not a fan of instrumentals, so that is what keeps me from saying Master and Justice are perfect albums or start to finish listens.

Funny - I've mentioned this before, but some of the metal you post I'm like "this would be awesome if they'd just shut up"

Note: I don't feel that way about Metallica, but I do welcome the instrumentals too.

I fully get that as well. Some of the music I like in spite of the vocals.

The only explanation I have is that it is a general "tone/feel" too the music. So, despite not really listening to the lyrics at first and that not being the focus of my music, it still doesn't sound right to me without vocals of some sort. It's not a hard rule, but generally speaking for me it should be a short piece that more of flowing interlude to the album. Yet again, I will bring up Opeth here. They have a handful of short 2min instrumentals in their albums, but they are what I just described - a brief interlude between long songs. I don't like any enough to make a list, but they don't take away my love of the albums at all. With the example of Metallica it is almost the opposite - I don't hate Orion or To Live Is To Die or anything, but they are also 2 of the 3 longest songs on those two albums. I tend to skip them a lot, and in the context of perfect 10/10 albums for me, there can't be skips.

All that to also say, the vocals very often make me not listen to the genre way more. You might laugh at the next part based on some of my selections, but I feel I am pretty picky about the metal vocals as well. Screams and growls usually hold me off a bit, but so does "normal" vocals sometimes. Dream Theater is an example here. Nails on a chalkboard for the most part to me personally. It's a reason I don't like others that have been highly acclaimed lately like Deafheaven or Ghost. We like what we like!

Just for you, some bonus instrumental metal I ran across a few years ago...

Laser Lobotomy

Blotted Science · The Machinations Of Dementia · Song · 2007

open.spotify.com

 

[Yambag]

#17 songs

Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator - ???

Inside Out - Anthrax

Wild out of the blue guess here: All of these songs tie into the movie Thelma and Louise.

 

[Yo Mama]

#17 songs

Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator - ???

Inside Out - Anthrax

Wild out of the blue guess here: All of these songs tie into the movie Thelma and Louise.

I think that was already guessed.

 

[rockaction]

Orion

As I get older, the more the Metallica instrumentals appeal to me. They're excellently done and I enjoy them more than lyrics that . . . well . . . aren't exactly testing the upper reaches of the IQ bell curve.

 

[rockaction]

#17 songs

Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator - ???

Inside Out - Anthrax

Wild out of the blue guess here: All of these songs tie into the movie Thelma and Louise.

I think that was already guessed.

Can somebody explain why? I've seen that movie, but it was so long ago that I have no idea why it would fit.

 

[Yo Mama]

#17 songs

Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator - ???

Inside Out - Anthrax

Wild out of the blue guess here: All of these songs tie into the movie Thelma and Louise.

I think that was already guessed.

Can somebody explain why? I've seen that movie, but it was so long ago that I have no idea why it would fit.

We’re grasping at straws, here. I guessed Kourtney Kardashian and Nicolas Cage at some point.

 

[KarmaPolice]

#17 songs

Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator - ???

Inside Out - Anthrax

Wild out of the blue guess here: All of these songs tie into the movie Thelma and Louise.

I think that was already guessed.

Have we tried Louise and Thelma?

 

[Don Quixote]

#17 songs

Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator - ???

Inside Out - Anthrax

Wild out of the blue guess here: All of these songs tie into the movie Thelma and Louise.

I think that was already guessed.

Can somebody explain why? I've seen that movie, but it was so long ago that I have no idea why it would fit.

I guessed Thelma and Louise a few songs ago. It was a bit of a joke guess, but after this run of songs. Movie ends with them in a car chase, kissing each other, and then driving over the Grand Canyon. (Sorry, spoiler.)

22. By The Time I Get To Arizona - Public Enemy

21. I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry

20. Goddess On A Hiway - Mercury Rev

 

[KarmaPolice]

Orion

As I get older, the more the Metallica instrumentals appeal to me. They're excellently done and I enjoy them more than lyrics that . . . well . . . aren't exactly testing the upper reaches of the IQ bell curve.

I can see that. Give me a choice and I would listen to Orion on a loop vs. have James yell "what don't kill ya make ya more strong!!" at me. They are well done, but I personally find them a bit repetitive, and I hadn't really thought about it until listening to And Justice, that those were two of their longer songs. Slight nitpicks on great albums. I don't always skip them, but they are the only songs on those I do skip.

 

[Mister CIA]

The words "Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator" triggered a blast from the past, Mystery Science Theater 3000. Doubt there's a tie there, is there?

 

[rockaction]

Give me a choice and I would listen to Orion on a loop vs. have James yell "what don't kill ya make ya more strong!!" at me.

Preach. The "ya" for "you" is making me

 

[jwb]

Just for you, some bonus instrumental metal I ran across a few years ago...

Laser Lobotomy

Blotted Science · The Machinations Of Dementia · Song · 2007

open.spotify.com

This is good!

 

[KarmaPolice]

Just for you, some bonus instrumental metal I ran across a few years ago...

Laser Lobotomy

Blotted Science · The Machinations Of Dementia · Song · 2007

open.spotify.com

This is good!

Animals As Leaders is another similar band that I like, but not for multiple songs in a row.

Air Chrysalis

Animals As Leaders · The Joy of Motion · Song · 2014

open.spotify.com

 

[KarmaPolice]

Give me a choice and I would listen to Orion on a loop vs. have James yell "what don't kill ya make ya more strong!!" at me.

Preach. The "ya" for "you" is making me

One of my favorite things is Jim Breuer doing his Metallica impressions.

 

[krista4]

#17s weren't as successful for me as the #18s, but I had a few favorites. "Speechless" by Colin James was a nice, relaxing groove. "La Vida Es Una Lenteja" by Unaesta was fun. And I'm always, always gonna give a to Killer Mike.

 

[rockaction]

Give me a choice and I would listen to Orion on a loop vs. have James yell "what don't kill ya make ya more strong!!" at me.

Preach. The "ya" for "you" is making me

One of my favorite things is Jim Breuer doing his Metallica impressions.

I'll have to look that up. Jim Breuer can be funny.

 

[Yambag]

#17 songs

Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator - ???

Inside Out - Anthrax

Wild out of the blue guess here: All of these songs tie into the movie Thelma and Louise.

I think that was already guessed.

Can somebody explain why? I've seen that movie, but it was so long ago that I have no idea why it would fit.

I guessed Thelma and Louise a few songs ago. It was a bit of a joke guess, but after this run of songs. Movie ends with them in a car chase, kissing each other, and then driving over the Grand Canyon. (Sorry, spoiler.)

22. By The Time I Get To Arizona - Public Enemy

21. I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry

20. Goddess On A Hiway - Mercury Rev

Dammit I missed that it was guessed already, my bad. I was thinking the same way you were using clues from some of the song titles.

 

[shuke]

17s had two shukelist appearances:
jwb – Heart of Glass – Blondie
MAC_32 – The Warmth - Incubus


And the following that were new to me that I really liked:
MrsKarmaPolice – Moth's Wings - Passion Pit
Chaos34 - What a Pleasure - Beach Fossils
krista4 – Love Song for a Schubas Bartender – Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Theme: 31 Best Albums of 1984

17. Better Be Good to Me by Tina Turner
Album: Private Dancer
Released: May 29

A nuclear bomb of a hit album. 39 weeks in the US Pop Top 10. 5x Platinum. 150 weeks on the British charts. 7x platinum in Canada. Among the 50 best selling albums of all time in Germany (interestingly enough the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack is #1). 4 Grammys won. Featuring some of the best session musicians of the 80s like Jeff Beck, Allan Clark of Dire Straits, Graham Broad, Gary Barnacle. This takes the rough and rugged Tina Turner of the 70s and makes her a megawatt 80s pop icon but this album still rocks even if the production is a bit slick. The all time comeback album.

I chose Better Be Good To Me because it won the Queen of Rock the 1985 Female Rock Lead Vocal Grammy.

Better Be Good to Me - 2015 Remaster

Tina Turner · Private Dancer (30th Anniversary Issue) · Song · 1984

open.spotify.com

Nobody saw this coming, especially in one of the best years in pop music history.

"Better Be Good To Me" is a hair metal record.

 

[Mt. Man]

Trying to get the #17s just under the wire before the next set drops. Really enjoyed this playlist, but here's roughly a dozen that stood out the most.

Known Numbers:
One - Metallica
Beginnings - Chicago
Modern Day Cowboy - Tesla
If You Leave - OMD
The Warmth - Incubus

Total Surprises:
Blood On The Tracks - Marcus King
If I Had You Back - The Rubinoos . Definite new favorite of this round
La Vida Es Una Lenteja - Unaesta
Wichita Falls - Houston Marchman & The Contraband
Love Song for Shuba’s Bartender - Margot & The Nuclear So and So’ s

Go Figure:
Since some people commented that “‘65 Love Affair was a flashback for them, let me pick a few for myself. So I’ll go with “Rain on the Scarecrow” by John Mellencamp (that I tend to think is titled just “Scarecrow”, like the album) and Real Life’s “Send Me An Angel”

 

[krista4]

I’ll post the 16s around midday. Work stuff to do first.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

kupcho1 – rain

Rain On The Scarecrow - John Mellencamp

Yambag – Metal songs from 1988-1992 that became the gateway into the world of music for a young Yambag

One – Metallica

Yo Mama – World’s Worst Superheroes

Ice Cream Man - Van Halen

Mrs. Rannous – umlauts

Glamour Boys - Living Colour

JMLs secret identity – songs in D#Minor, the saddest key of all

Send Me An Angel (Spotify) - Real Life

Mt. Man – Number, Please

'65 Love Affair - Paul Davis

Raging weasel – name-checking Beatles or their songs

Be Here Now - Oasis

jwb – songs that sound great on a decent 2-channel system

Heart of Glass – Blondie

shuke – Saxytime

Beginnings (Spotify) – Chicago

Ilov80s - One song from each of the 31 best albums of 1984

Better Be Good to Me - Tina Turner

DrIanMalcolm – Songs about New York

Rockaway Beach - the Ramones

Zegras11 – New wave

If You Leave - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark



I'm way behind on actually listening to the playlists (the last was #20), thanks to work and an inordinate amount of reality competition shows and related podcasts that I follow all being active at the same time. Hopefully I can catch up this weekend.

 

[Yambag]

17s (tons of great stuff, one of my favorite lists so far)

Known
Paul Davis: '65 Love Affair
Blondie: Heart of Glass
Chicago: Beginnings
Tina Turner: Better Be Good to Me
Menudo: Hold Me
Offspring: Smash It Up
Ramones: Rockaway Beach
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: If You Leave

Caught My Attention
John Mellencamp: Rain on the Scarecrow
Dusty Springfield: You Don't Have to Say You Love Me
Marcus King: Blood on the Tracks
Van Halen: Ice Cream Man
Real Live: Send Me An Angel
The Weeknd: Pray For Me
Rubinoos: If I Had You Back
Colin James: Speechless
Passion Pit: Moth's Wings
Tesla: Modern Day Cowboy
Beach Fossils: What a Pleasure
Margot & The Nuclear So and So's: Love Song for a Schuba's Bartender
Anthrax: Inside Out

 

[Chaos34]

Started the 17s. Enjoyed Rain on the Scarecrow. Decided Eephus is a basshead. From Lulu to SZA his songs keep working my speakers almost humorously. I'm not listening through a subwoofer at my desk anymore, but there's a blown sub here waiting for me to gut it and wire it to a new amp. It's not hooked up to anything but All The Stars made it dance anyway. Wth.

 

[krista4]

#16 songs

kupcho1 – rain

Rainy Day People - Gordon Lightfoot


Eephus – Single (Named) Ladies

Slow - Rumer


Charlie Steiner – songs from Mad Men

Song of the Volga Boatmen - Victor Fedorov


simey – train songs

Texas 1947 - Guy Clark


Yambag – Metal songs from 1988-1992 that became the gateway into the world of music for a young Yambag

Just One Fix - Ministry


Dr. Octopus – guitarists I’ve seen live

Something's Happening - Peter Frampton


Yo Mama – World’s Worst Superheroes

Mr. Perfectly Fine - Taylor Swift


Mrs. Rannous – umlauts

Take You Dancing – Derülo


KarmaPolice – songs from artists not on shuke’s list

No Hope Goat Farm - Spirit Caravan


Don Quixote – Afrobeat

Joromi (Spotify) - Sir Victor Uwaifo (Nigeria/Benin)


JMLs secret identity – songs in D#Minor, the saddest key of all

Love Etc (Spotify) - Pet Shop Boys


-OZ- - song / music moments from the Marvel cinematic universe

The Underdog - Spoon


Mt. Man – Number, Please

61 Seconds - The Outfield


Pip’s Invitation – songs from albums produced and/or engineered by Todd Rundgren

Prime Time - The Tubes


falguy – songs by 31 different Canadian artists

Fly At Night - Chilliwack


Raging weasel – name-checking Beatles or their songs

Catalina -Descendents


jwb – songs that sound great on a decent 2-channel system

Tin Pan Ally (aka Roughest Place in Town) – Stevie Ray Vaughan


scorchy – songs by Manchester(-ish) artists

Mountain Energy - The Fall


titusbramble – Grand Theft Auto, specifically the 3D era

All My Ex's Live In Texas - Whitey Shafer (SA - K-Rose)


shuke – Saxytime

Space for Days (Spotify) - Kendall Street Company


Ilov80s - One song from each of the 31 best albums of 1984

Bully - 7 Seconds


John Maddens Lunchbox – Batman

Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) (Spotify) - My Chemical Romance


Mister CIA – Texas Places in Song Titles

Dublin - Guy Clark


El Floppo – Mallet Rock

No Self Control - Peter Gabriel


landrys hat - favorite Side 2 Track 1s from my record collection

Do It ('Til You're Satisfied) - BT Express - Do It Til You're Satisfied (1974)


rockaction - Songs that state the genre they’re in

Late Nights With The Power Pop - Matthew Sweet


ditkaburgers - Girl Groups X Boy Bands

Disco Love - The Saturdays


MrsKarmaPolice – Animal Kingdom

Mongrel Heart - Broken Bells


Tau837 – Hair metal

Get It On - Kingdom Come


DrIanMalcolm – Songs about New York

Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees


higgins – Instrumentals with places in the title

Teen Town" - Weather Report


Zegras11 – New wave

A Million Miles Away - The Plimsouls


Chaos34 - Post Surf Rock Surf Rockish (80s fwd)

The Link Is About to Die - Los Bitchos


krista4 – Chicagoland

Rogers Park – Justin Townes Earle


Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator - ???

There's Nothing I Won't Do - JX


MAC_32 – Songs to play during (and after) a funeral

Danny's Song - Kenny Loggins

 

[krista4]

Guy Clark double-up!

#16 Playlist

 

[krista4]

Selections:

31. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next - Manic Street Preachers

30. Hear The Drummer Get Wicked - Chad Jackson

29. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

28. Virtual Insanity – Jamiroquai

27. Another Chance - Roger Sanchez

26. Living On My Own - Freddie Mercury

25. Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top

24. Better Off Alone - Alice Deejay

23. Love Is The Drug - Roxy Music

22. By The Time I Get To Arizona - Public Enemy

21. I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry

20. Goddess On A Hiway - Mercury Rev

19. Dark Therapy – Echobelly

18. Run To You - Bryan Adams

17. Inside Out – Anthrax

16. There's Nothing I Won't Do - JX



Incorrect guesses:

Songs that give advice

Bands That Have Never Been in My Kitchen

Songs by artists who have headlined Glastonbury

Songs featuring the Mellotron

Fear mongering

Song titles that could be part of geometry proofs

Bands who have a member whose first or last name is a James Bond reference

Bands with family members

Songs that reference a location in another country

Songs that have nine or more words in the title

Songs that mention famous streets

Bands who had a member mysteriously disappear, get declared dead, but no body has ever been found

Songs that reference footballguys user names

Songs without a guitar

Song titles that are commands

First two words of song titles in order of lyrics from The Youngbloods’ Get Together

Songs about resilience in the face of adversity

Songs about the importance of progress

Songs to make people overthink and speculate about an imaginary theme that doesn't really exist

31 songs that MADs submitted in prior MAD rounds, but judge disqualified because the submitting MAD failed to get the long-form birth certificate of all band members before submitting

Songs NOT produced by Todd Rundgren

Artists without umlauts

Songs Sam Rockwell has danced to in a movie

Songs about navigating and adapting to a constantly changing world

Songs credited to more than one songwriter

UK top ten singles

Singles released by UK artist/bands

31 British Isles Songs That Did Not Appear in the MAD British Isles Countdown

Non-guitar driven songs

Songs in 4/4 time

Broadway shows

Songs that all charted in the same six countries:
UK
Australia
Germany
France
Ireland
Netherlands

Songs under 5 minutes

Songs where artists let out excessive vocalizations of the “ahh,” “ooh,” “dee,” etc. variety

A break up and starting over

Things that will drive a bunch of middle aged dummies who are trying to find a pattern go crazy

Stages in Rustoluem’s marriage

Guinness World Records

Songs that can qualify for other people’s themes

Songs by people with facial hair

All songs use an instrument with keys

Songs that are the narrative arc of a divorce

Addiction

Songs with 125 BPM or more

Songs that sample other songs on the list

Songs representing different Nicholas Cage movies / characters

Songs

This is your life, Krista

Something to do with Tina Turner/abused women

Jimi Hendrix

Detailing Britney Spears’ descent into madness

Addiction ... to love

Songs in A Minor

The plot to Thelma and Louise

Kourtney Kardashian

Songs about a major change in someone's life

Midlife crisis

Songs with a subject you should see a therapist about

Mental illness

Songs about the world's worst super heros

Mania

Things you do impulsively

Songs that use the word “The” at some stage in the lyrics

The Ballad of @krista4 and OH

Songs the were on the UK official singles chart for the week ending on Aug 16, 2008

Songs from multiple decades

Christ, you know it ain’t easy…

Songs about exploration of identity

Dancing

Each of these songs holds a special place in the hearts of listeners, and they remain influential in the genres they represent

krista's iconic playlist

struggle, rebellion, and survival

songs that have no connection to each other whatsoever - y'all are just wasting your time - ha ha ha suckers

Id, ego, and superego

Each song is somehow connected to one of the first 31 themes submitted for this countdown

Songs that qualify for more than one of the MAD31 themes submitted

Obscure chess strategies

All of these songs tie into the movie Thelma and Louise

 

[Dr. Octopus]

16.

Who? – Peter Frampton

What? – David Bowie's lead guitarist on the Glass Spider Tour

Where? – Giants Stadium

When? – 1987

Why? – You have to love going to a Bowie concert and getting to see one of the best guitar players on Earth with him on the stage. Frampton stayed within the lanes of Bowie’s songs but added a little of his style in there as well. Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam was one of the oddest/out of place warm up acts I have seen on a bill (going on before Squeeze and then Bowie).

 

[Mister CIA]

krista4 – Chicagoland

Rogers Park – Justin Townes Earle

Steve Earle is a brilliant songwriter (one of the best ever), but his greatest contribution to the music world was JTE. Can't think of him without wallowing in what could have been .

 

[Dr. Octopus]

krista4 – Chicagoland

Rogers Park – Justin Townes Earle

Steve Earle is a brilliant songwriter (one of the best ever), but his greatest contribution to the music world was JTE. Can't think of him without wallowing in what could have been .

Justin Townes >>> Steve

 

[-OZ-]

-OZ- - song / music moments from the Marvel cinematic universe

The Underdog - Spoon

Spider-man homecoming, provided some great options but this one was my favorite.

Picture yourself in the living room
Your pipe and slippers set out for you
I know you think that it ain't too far
But I
I hear the call of a lifetime ring
Felt the need to get up for it
Oh, you cut out the middleman
Get free from the middleman
You got no time for the messenger
Got no regard for the thing that you don't understand
You got no fear of the underdog
That's why you will not survive!

In Spider-Man: Homecoming, the song “Underdog” by Spoon plays a subtle yet significant role in the film’s soundtrack, helping to underscore the movie’s central themes. The song is featured during a key scene when Peter Parker is navigating the difficulties of balancing his responsibilities as a high school student and his newfound role as Spider-Man. The track’s energetic beat and lyrics about being an underdog mirror Peter’s experience in the film, as he is trying to prove his worth to Tony Stark and the world, while struggling to make a name for himself in the superhero universe.





The title “Underdog” itself directly resonates with Peter’s position in the film. He is not the seasoned, confident hero that characters like Iron Man are. Instead, Peter is an ordinary teenager, still learning the ropes of being a superhero. He faces constant challenges, from dealing with the Vulture to struggling with his school life and social interactions. The song reflects this feeling of being an outsider and underappreciated, much like Peter’s own experiences. It speaks to the notion of someone not yet recognized for their potential, despite their hard work and effort.





The lyrics of “Underdog” echo the movie’s themes of self-doubt and perseverance. The song’s narrative tells the story of someone fighting against the odds, and this is precisely what Peter faces throughout Homecoming. As the film progresses, Peter’s efforts to prove himself culminate in a moment of personal growth, where he learns to trust his instincts and abilities rather than relying solely on the advanced technology and guidance of Tony Stark. The upbeat and defiant tone of the song mirrors Peter’s own shift from being a hopeful sidekick to embracing his true potential as Spider-Man.





In a larger sense, the inclusion of “Underdog” by Spoon helps set the tone for Homecoming as a more grounded, relatable superhero story. Unlike other Marvel films that focus on more fantastical elements, Homecoming takes a personal approach by focusing on Peter’s coming-of-age journey. The song amplifies the idea that even someone like Peter, who feels out of place in the larger universe of heroes, can still rise to the occasion and become something great. It reinforces the message that even underdogs can have their moment and prove that they are capable of greatness.





Ultimately, “Underdog” by Spoon is more than just a song in the soundtrack; it acts as an emotional cue that mirrors Peter Parker’s journey in Spider-Man: Homecoming. It speaks to the universal experience of feeling underestimated and striving for recognition, making Peter’s character arc more relatable to the audience. The song serves as both an anthem for the character’s struggles and a celebration of his eventual triumph, perfectly encapsulating the spirit of an underdog finding his place in the world.

 

[El Floppo]

El Floppo – Mallet Rock

No Self Control - Peter Gabriel

#16...

Gabriel dives into world music and all kinds of alternative percussion/rhythms in his work, so it's not unusual to find mallet instruments banging around in his songs.

I've been meaning to mention Steve Reich- a leader in late 20th century composition, and a heavy user of mallet instrumnts epsecially Marimba. I've been fortunate to see Reich and his merry band of collaborators perform twice, including a jawdropping and life-changing performance of Piano Phase (phasing is something he discovered experimenting with playing back two identical tape loops at the same time and getting polyrhythms out of the slight change in phase of the playbacks). I've been a huge fan of his work since learning about him in a college level music course- still listen to him a lot, and have been bummed Floppinho's Juilliard experience has seen zero Reich. This is still one of my favorite tunes of his. I chose not to include any Reich because my topic is Mallet "ROCK", and while he's Rock adjacent and influential, he's not Rock.

per Gabriel- "Steve Reich had done this wonderful record called Music for Eighteen Musicians, which involved marimbas and I think, of all the systems composers, his work had a lot of textures and colours and grooves to them that I really responded to. So I tried to involve elements of that in the work."

 

[simey]

Selections:

31. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next - Manic Street Preachers

30. Hear The Drummer Get Wicked - Chad Jackson

29. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

28. Virtual Insanity – Jamiroquai

27. Another Chance - Roger Sanchez

26. Living On My Own - Freddie Mercury

25. Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top

24. Better Off Alone - Alice Deejay

23. Love Is The Drug - Roxy Music

22. By The Time I Get To Arizona - Public Enemy

21. I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry

20. Goddess On A Hiway - Mercury Rev

19. Dark Therapy – Echobelly

18. Run To You - Bryan Adams

17. Inside Out – Anthrax

16. There's Nothing I Won't Do - JX



Incorrect guesses:

Songs that give advice

Bands That Have Never Been in My Kitchen

Songs by artists who have headlined Glastonbury

Songs featuring the Mellotron

Fear mongering

Song titles that could be part of geometry proofs

Bands who have a member whose first or last name is a James Bond reference

Bands with family members

Songs that reference a location in another country

Songs that have nine or more words in the title

Songs that mention famous streets

Bands who had a member mysteriously disappear, get declared dead, but no body has ever been found

Songs that reference footballguys user names

Songs without a guitar

Song titles that are commands

First two words of song titles in order of lyrics from The Youngbloods’ Get Together

Songs about resilience in the face of adversity

Songs about the importance of progress

Songs to make people overthink and speculate about an imaginary theme that doesn't really exist

31 songs that MADs submitted in prior MAD rounds, but judge disqualified because the submitting MAD failed to get the long-form birth certificate of all band members before submitting

Songs NOT produced by Todd Rundgren

Artists without umlauts

Songs Sam Rockwell has danced to in a movie

Songs about navigating and adapting to a constantly changing world

Songs credited to more than one songwriter

UK top ten singles

Singles released by UK artist/bands

31 British Isles Songs That Did Not Appear in the MAD British Isles Countdown

Non-guitar driven songs

Songs in 4/4 time

Broadway shows

Songs that all charted in the same six countries:
UK
Australia
Germany
France
Ireland
Netherlands

Songs under 5 minutes

Songs where artists let out excessive vocalizations of the “ahh,” “ooh,” “dee,” etc. variety

A break up and starting over

Things that will drive a bunch of middle aged dummies who are trying to find a pattern go crazy

Stages in Rustoluem’s marriage

Guinness World Records

Songs that can qualify for other people’s themes

Songs by people with facial hair

All songs use an instrument with keys

Songs that are the narrative arc of a divorce

Addiction

Songs with 125 BPM or more

Songs that sample other songs on the list

Songs representing different Nicholas Cage movies / characters

Songs

This is your life, Krista

Something to do with Tina Turner/abused women

Jimi Hendrix

Detailing Britney Spears’ descent into madness

Addiction ... to love

Songs in A Minor

The plot to Thelma and Louise

Kourtney Kardashian

Songs about a major change in someone's life

Midlife crisis

Songs with a subject you should see a therapist about

Mental illness

Songs about the world's worst super heros

Mania

Things you do impulsively

Songs that use the word “The” at some stage in the lyrics

The Ballad of @krista4 and OH

Songs the were on the UK official singles chart for the week ending on Aug 16, 2008

Songs from multiple decades

Christ, you know it ain’t easy…

Songs about exploration of identity

Dancing

Each of these songs holds a special place in the hearts of listeners, and they remain influential in the genres they represent

krista's iconic playlist

struggle, rebellion, and survival

songs that have no connection to each other whatsoever - y'all are just wasting your time - ha ha ha suckers

Id, ego, and superego

Each song is somehow connected to one of the first 31 themes submitted for this countdown

Songs that qualify for more than one of the MAD31 themes submitted

Obscure chess strategies

All of these songs tie into the movie Thelma and Louise

history repeating itself

 

[Dr. Octopus]

history repeating itself

If by that you mean it's another wrong guess then you are correct.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

16. Prime Time
Artist: The Tubes
Album: Remote Control (1979)
Todd's role(s): producer, guitar, keyboards
Writer(s): Rick Anderson, Michael Cotten, Prairie Prince, Bill Spooner, Roger Steen, Re Styles, Fee Waybill and Vince Welnick

The song: Dreamy and melodic, "Prime Time" is a memorable song that makes excellent use of the latest synthesizer technology that 1979 had to offer. The song, which made the top 40 in the UK and whose video appeared frequently in the early years of MTV, appears on the surface to be about two lovers who want to spend time with each other, but it's actually an exchange between a TV addict and a TV personality, in keeping with it coming from a concept album about an idiot savant who is addicted to TV. In this universe, "I'm the one you should see" is the greatest cause for excitement.

Producer Todd Rundgren wanted the song to be sung solely by Re Styles, typically the band's backup singer/dancer/choreographer, but frontman Fee Waybill demanded to sing on it as well, so the best-known version is a duet between them, and this is the version I remember from the video. It is linked above and what I requested for the playlist. However, on Spotify, the album has the Styles-only version as Rundgren intended. https://open.spotify.com/track/1ugD8OInLTHKP7umbN3WHt?si=ffa46d3750c24c6f. Wiki says the duet version appeared on the album, so I don't know if the Spotify configuration is a mistake or a deliberate change.

Despite being released as a single, "Prime Time" was dropped from the band's live show after a few dates because of tensions between Styles and Waybill.

This song was covered by Rundgren on the (re)Production album. https://open.spotify.com/track/34BWnGAz8CVlNqg6NxRqvu?si=d89171e4ff4a43db

The album: Like MAD 3 artist Oingo Boingo, The Tubes started out as a collective that combined music and theater, and evolved into a more conventional band. However, they never lost their interest in theatrics and their live shows were unlike anyone else's in the '70s. As Wiki puts it, "Compared at the time to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the Tubes' stage show was closer to Saturday Night Live with its mix of topical satire and subversive postmodern Andy Kaufman-like routines."

They enlisted Rundgren to produce their fourth album Remote Control, possibly because of his successful production of Bat out of Hell by Meat Loaf, another act rooted in the theater. It was Rundgren who suggested they make a concept album, and Waybill came up with the storyline, inspired by the novel Being There, though Rundgren was heavily involved with developing it and received co-writing credits on two songs. "Every song has so much of him," drummer Prairie Prince said.

Synthesizer player Michael Cotten, who was also the band's visual stylist, developed a multimedia show for the Remote Control tour that was basically a smaller-scale precursor to U2's Zoo TV tour. But technical problems and high costs forced the band to abandon it after a few shows and replace it with a stripped-down show featuring Squeeze as the opening act.

The back cover of the album has the Hollywood Squares set with band members in 8 of the 9 squares and the band's logo in the ninth. Waybill and guitarists Bill Spooner and Roger Steen actually appeared on the show in the '70s.

The Tubes would go on to have greater commercial success in the '80s, most notably with the Top Ten hit "She's a Beauty." They are one of the few artists to have more than one album produced by Rundgren, as he also helmed their 1985 album Love Bomb, and would go on to cover a song from that record, "Feel It," on his 1989 album Nearly Human. Prince has a long working relationship with Rundgren, who brought him in to play on XTC's Skylarking (#31 on my list), as well as on his own albums Nearly Human and 2nd Wind (1991) and various tours; both were involved in the New Cars project in 2006-07. Tubes keyboardist Vince Welnick also played on Nearly Human, 2nd Wind and the tours of the time.

Guess which one of these people went on to play with the Grateful Dead.

You Might Also Like: I suggested this album to KP during his new wave kick, and one of his favorites was album closer "Telecide," adapted from a live show setpiece called "Terrorists of Rock." It's full of manic energy and the patented Rundgren layered harmonies (and even has a few prog-like passages), but some segments have rapid-fire lyrics like we would hear a few years later with R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It." https://open.spotify.com/track/4eM6IO29P0oA6h7CWD642z?si=11c685d4ca014d7c

At #15, an icon whose collaboration with Rundgren consisted of one song because their egos were too big for the same room.

 

[Yambag]

#16 songs

Yambag – Metal songs from 1988-1992 that became the gateway into the world of music for a young Yambag

Just One Fix - Ministry

Summary: Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1981 by producer, singer, and instrumentalist Al Jourgensen. Originally a synth-pop outfit, Ministry evolved into one of the pioneers of industrial rock and industrial metal in the late 1980s. They attained commercial success with three of their studio albums: The Land of Rape and Honey (1988), The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989) and Psalm 69 (1992). The first two were certified gold while Psalm 69 was certified platinum.

Times Seen Live in Concert: 0

Personal Connection: While the hard rock scene was transitioning to grunge and alternative in the early 90’s, I still yearned for the heavier side. Enter Ministry (and another upcoming artist) and my introduction to the world of industrial metal. I think I first heard of them on MTV with Jesus Built My Hotrod which was unlike anything I had heard. I went out and scooped up Psalm 69, which I loved front to back. One thing that stuck out to me was an interview with singer Al Jourgensen where he explained that he doesn’t prioritize traditional singing techniques or melodies. Instead, he focuses on the texture and intensity of his voice, aiming to enhance the overall atmosphere of the music, rather than simply delivering lyrics.

Other songs to consider: N.W.O.

 

[kupcho1]

kupcho1 – rain

Rainy Day People - Gordon Lightfoot

My apologies if I sniped an artist from you @falguy but this song is a rain staple. I love how plaintive he gets singing. Great voice and great lyrics

If you get lonely, all you really need is that rainy day love
Rainy day people all know there's no sorrow they can't rise above
Rainy day lovers don't love any others, that would not be kind
Rainy day people all know how it hangs on a piece of mind

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

kupcho1 – rain

Rainy Day People - Gordon Lightfoot

What a lovely way to start the day.

And then a Jim Croce song came on. ("Age") Whoo-hoo!