All posts by J.A. Bartlett »
World’s Worst Songs: “Hip to Be Square” by Huey Lewis and the News
I am always happy to accept reader suggestions for this feature, although I think this is the first request I’ve actually fulfilled. Art is supposed to reflect the times in which it’s made. Popular
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The #1 Albums: “TCB” by the Supremes and the Temptations
Over the years, certain television programs became iconic because of their historical value—the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, Elvis Presley’s 1968 “comeback” special, Nirvana on MTV Unplugged. Others have been forgotten, even though
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World’s Worst Songs: “I Just Called to Say I Love You” by Stevie Wonder
We love us some Stevie Wonder around here. From his hits off the Motown production line in the 60s to his groundbreaking solo work in the 70s, writing and playing every last note, he
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The #1 Albums: “The Beatles”
The Beatles, better known as The White Album, hit #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the week of December 28, 1968, and spent nine weeks at #1 in two stretches at the
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World’s Worst Songs: Chuck Berry’s “My Ding-a-Ling”
Forty years ago this fall, Chuck Berry’s career was in renaissance. His last hits of any consequence had come in 1964, but in 1972 he benefited from the ongoing rediscovery of blues and rock
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The #1 Albums: Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman”
We reach the end of 1968 riding a wave of all-time rock classics, and we’ll see in 1969 with another, in next week’s installment. This week, however: As one of rock’s most legendary years
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World’s Worst Songs: “What a Wonderful World” by Kenny G with Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong is one of the most important figures in the history of music. Critic Gary Giddins says he “invented modern time.” Kenny G is one of the most polarizing figures in jazz. Although
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Welcome to Korea: The 40th Anniversary of “M*A*S*H”
We understand that 40 years is a long time, but in TV time, it’s an eternity. Forty years ago this fall, Gunsmoke and Bonanza were still on the air. So was Mission Impossible, and
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The #1 Albums: “Electric Ladyland” by the Jimi Hendrix Experience
Certain albums in this series present a challenge even to a professional gasbag such as I. What can one possibly say about the most legendary albums in the history of rock that hasn’t been
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