Back in 2017, my former employer (Missouri University of Science and Technology) went all out to promote activities around the solar eclipse that occurred on the first day of classes that year. For that occasion, we also compiled a fun Spotify playlist to get folks in the mood for some dancing in the dark, or whatever they wanted to do during the eclipse.
Another total solar eclipse is near, this one occurring next Monday, April 8. Alas, Rolla and Missouri S&T will not be as close to the totality as they were in August 2017. Nevertheless, the occasion calls for some appropriate music, and with that in mind I offer my five picks for the most eclipse-worthy tunes from that playlist. If you come here looking for that Bonnie Tyler tune, then I suggest you turn around, bright eyes, because you won’t find it here.
Five great songs for a solar eclipse
Cheap Sunglasses, by ZZ Top.Oh, yeah! But you’re gonna need to get yourself some proper eyewear to view this event, not cheap shades. Still, this song rocks. A+ track 1 for our eclipse playlist.
Slippin’ Into Darkness, by War. Play this one as the moon begins to pass between you and the sun.
In recognition of Women’s History Month, a salute to a few of the women rockers who have influenced me most over the years.
Ann and Nancy Wilson
Heart: “Dreamboat Annie”
The Wilson sisters, leaders of the rock band Heart, put their hearts and souls into their debut album “Dreamboat Annie,” which came out when I was a sophomore in high school (in 1975) and put their hometown of Seattle on the map of rock long before grunge arrived. Highlights of the album are the title track, the hits “Magic Man” and “Crazy on You” (which features Nancy W.’s impossible opening riff that I’m still trying to learn, nearly 50 years later). and a terrific boogie tune called “White Lightning and Wine.” Heart went on to create some of the most memorable rock hits of the ’70s and ’80s, including “Barracuda,” “Even it Up,” “Heartless” and “Straight On,” as well as ballads like “Dog and Butterfly.” But it’s their first album that influenced me the most, and introduced me to new ways to integrate fingerpicking into fiery rock music.
Chrissie Hynde
“But not me, baby, I’m too precious!” The Pretenders perform the opening track of their 1979 debut.
The Pretenders’ 1979 self-titled debut still ranks high in my list of greatest albums ever, thanks in large part to frontwoman Chrissie Hynde. It’s definitely at the top of greatest punk-era albums, and its opening track, “Precious,” a raucous rocker featuring Hynde’s sneering vocals, is also one of the best first tracks. If you’re only familiar with the radio-friendly single “Brass in Pocket,” you deserve to give the full album a listen. Powered by Hynde’s unmistakable vocals, the Pretenders rocked their way through the ’80s even after the loss of two original band members (bassist Pete Farndon was fired after the second album due to his drug abuse, and just days later, talented lead guitarist James Honeyman-Scott died of a heart failure from a cocaine overdose). Weathering these early tragedies, the band carried on to create more remarkable music. The single “Back on the Chain Gang” was Hynde’s tribute to Honeyman-Scott. Hynde is still at it today, proving her resilience as a musician and a survivor.
Tina Turner
“Nice — and rough!” Tina Turner performs “Proud Mary.”
Hail, hail to the Queen of Rock and Roll! Tina Turner first reached fame with husband Ike in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Their band became known for their energetic live performances, thanks to Tina’s energetic and raucous singing and dancing. Their 1971 cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” sealed their fame, but hard times soon followed when the couple split in the mid-1970s after an altercation on the way to a performance in L.A. She reinvented herself in the 1980s as a singer and actress before succumbing to illness last May at age 83. Her legacy lives on.
Tina Weymouth
Tina Weymouth’s iconic bass riff on “Psycho Killer.”
Not all women rockers are in front of a microphone. Tina Weymouth is one of those women. The Talking Heads’ badass bassist came up with one of the most iconic bass riffs ever — the opening to the band’s early single “Psycho Killer” — and for that alone she deserves to be acknowledged. Her innovative style fit well with the band’s experimental approach. At the height of the band’s fame, she and husband and Talking Head drummer Chris Franz embarked on a side gig, creating the band Tom Tom Club and releasing the catchy “Genius of Love” in 1981. In one YouTube tribute to Weymouth’s talents, she is described as being similar to the Dude’s rug in the movie “The Big Lebowski,” because she holds everything together.
Debbie Harry
“Dreaming is free.”
Never mind her Playboy centerfold good looks, Debbie Harry was the center of gravity for the power pop/new wave band Blondie. A versatile and melodic shapeshifter (soundshifter?), she could produce sing-songy pop vocals (“Dreaming”), a rough and raunchy sound (“One Way or Another,” “Rip Her to Shreds”), sultry, come-hither tones (“Call Me”), breathless disaffection (“Heart of Glass”), and even combine Donna Summers-esque disco styles with rap all in one song (“Rapture”).
More about women who rock
Those are my picks. I know I’ve overlooked many, so tell me who you would add to the list. And check out the links below for more inspiration about women rockers.
“20 Feet from Stardom“ is the story of the backup singers who formed the backbone of many of the hit songs you’ve heard all your life. It’s worth your while to watch this documentary to learn more about the lives of these remarkable women.
December 14, 1981. Finals week was coming to a close, but the biggest tests of the semester were yet to come for me, a junior journalism major.
I had three finals the next day, but a friend had an extra ticket to a concert by one of the world’s greatest rock’n’roll bands, which was playing at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, that night, a mere two hours’ drive from where we were in Columbia, and wanted to know if I wanted to go with her.
Given that the band in question was the Rolling Stones, I immediately said, “Hell, yeah.” Because, as we all assumed in 1981, this could very well be the final tour of the Stones’ storied career.
Just thought I’d take the occasion of this landmark anniversary to share the above post from the other blog, back when it was focused on marketing — and music, when the stars aligned, as they did a decade ago. Enjoy!
Like many of you, probably, the annual Grammy Awards hasn’t been relevant to my life for quite some time. Either I’m aging out of the pop culture scene or it’s passing me by, or both. But with all the buzz about the football lady this year, I decided to tune in for a bit, mainly out of curiosity. There was no NFL on last Sunday, so why not?
Plus, I was curious about the news that Tracy Chapman, the singer-songwriter who had more or less vanished from the music scene sometime in the 1990s or 2000s, would perform a duet of her monster hit from 1988, “Fast Car,” join a fellow named Luke Combs. Now I didn’t know Luke Combs from Luke Duke, but as I read about the upcoming performance I learned he was a country singer whose recent cover of Chapman’s classic won the Country Music Association Awards’ “Song of the Year” in November. That distinction also made Chapman the first Black person to win a CMA in that category. Pretty cool.
It's only rock'n'roll 