SJ.com Memorial Day 300 rock songs TOP SONG ON PAGE 10

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A "rock block" of songs from our voters:

No. 266: THE CHEMICALS BETWEEN US -- Bush
No. 265: BIG BROWN EYES -- Old 97s
No. 264: JET TO JET -- Alcatrazz

Rock on, Yngwie Malmsteen! ...

No. 263: DREAMS -- The BoDeans
No. 262: WHIP IT! -- Devo

The first video appearance of a key-tar in our countdown, I believe.

Not to mention this cool headgear:

 

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Just "Because" it's prom season:

No. 261: BECAUSE -- Dave Clark Five

 

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One more for now ... a song that was in the "American Pie" soundtrack:

No. 260: YOU WANTED MORE -- Tonic

 

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Don't forget that Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo is now a regular on kids' TV show Yo Gabba Gabba as the drawing instructor.

 

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Time to get back into it ... with one of the best songs to come out in the past couple years:

No. 259: ORANGE BLOSSOMS by JJ Grey and Mofro

"But her daddy didn't like me ... he ain't like how I look."

 

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Here's a true "deep cut" from the 1980s ...

No. 258: CHILDREN'S CRUSADE by Sting

(that's the audio track, with the cover shot of "Dream of the Blue Turtles")

Songs like this made it clear Sting had moved on from The Police and on to his own thing.

I haven't heard this whole album in years ... need to give it a listen again. Great pick, Sam.

 

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A couple more political songs:

No. 257: BEDS ARE BURNING by Midnight Oil
No. 256: RAIN ON THE SCARECROW by John Mellencamp


Props to both for later putting their money where their mouth is, via elected office (Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil) or through organizing Farm Aid (Mellencamp).

 

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Time for a Kim Deal two-fer!

No. 255: CANNONBALL -- The Breeders
No. 254: CARIBOU -- The Pixies

Here's the audio of the latter:

If memory serves, the Breeders (which also included Kim's sister) flamed out shortly after "Cannonball" cracked the airwaves in 1994 or so. Great tune ... here it is:

 

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No. 253: I WILL NOT BOW -- Breaking Benjamin
No. 252 YOU -- Candlebox
No. 251: RE-ALIGN -- Godsmack

Lo and behold, after punk "broke" in the early 1990s, a new radio format was born for disaffected suburban youth getting high in their basement: "Alternative Rock."

Soon to morph into "Active Rock," and onto the programming grid of Clear Channel markets everywhere.

"Fuck you, Q101!" -- Eddie Vedder, from the stage of Soldier Field, summer of 1995.

*** JUST TO BE CLEAR, I have no problem with post-grunge rock (other than Nickelback) or these songs in particular. Just hatin' on corporate radio for a minute.

 

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Let's lighten the mood a bit and smile ...

No. 250: I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW -- Johnny Nash

Here's a clip from the "Midnight Special" 1970s show, a staple of YouTube searchers everywhere:

 

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And now a word from our sponsor:



From Creston, B.C., to you ... crank open your summer!

Kokanee beer: Powering the SportsJournalists.com Memorial Day 300! (at least until I run out)

 

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Speaking of crankin' it up:

No. 249: LIT UP -- Buckcherry

They love the cocaine, they love the cocaine ...