TRACK LIST:
I reviewed the preceding volume in this SONY series–Rock: The Train Kept Rollin’–back in April 2021 (you can read my review here). This final 2-CD set in the SONY Music 100 Years Soundtrack for a Century is a mixed bag.
Let’s start with Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart.” Perhaps “Born to Run” or “Born in the USA” were too obvious. I had the same puzzlement about the Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb choice, “Guilty.”
At the same time we have Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” Obvious choices, I suppose, for those two singers.
I’d quibble over the selection of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” over better songs like “Keeping the Faith” from 1983. And why is Will Smith here at all?
I’ve always loved Sade’s “Smooth Operator” and New Kids on the Block’s “Step By Step.”
Despite the strange picks, this final set by SONY has some classics songs…and a lot of filler. Do you remember these songs? Any favorites? GRADE: B-
| Aerosmith– | Dream On | 3:26 | |
| Wild Cherry– | Play That Funky Music | 3:11 | |
| Boz Scaggs– | Lowdown | 3:16 | |
| Heatwave– | Boogie Nights | 3:37 | |
| James Taylor (2)– | Your Smiling Face | 2:44 | |
| Billy Joel– | Just The Way You Are | 3:30 | |
| Eddie Money– | Two Tickets To Paradise | 3:58 | |
| The Jacksons– | Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) | 3:45 | |
| Electric Light Orchestra– | Don’t Bring Me Down | 4:03 | |
| Bruce Springsteen– | Hungry Heart | 3:20 | |
| Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb– | Guilty | 4:23 | |
| REO Speedwagon– | Keep On Loving You | 3:21 | |
| Journey– | Open Arms | 3:20 | |
| Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder– | Ebony And Ivory | 3:42 | |
| Toto– | Rosanna | 4:02 | |
| Men At Work– | Who Can It Be Now? | 3:20 | |
| Neil Diamond– | Heartlight | 4:24 | |
| Herbie Hancock– | Rockit | 3:56 | |
| Cyndi Lauper– | Girls Just Want To Have Fun | 3:54 | |
| Michael Jackson– | Billie Jean | 4:54 | |
| Wham! Featuring George Michael– | Careless Whisper | 5:00 | |
| Willie Nelson & Julio Iglesias– | To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before | 3:33 | |
| Sade– | Smooth Operator | 4:16 | |
| Terence Trent D’Arby– | Wishing Well | 3:32 | |
| Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine*– | Anything For You | 3:45 | |
| Bangles– | Eternal Flame | 3:55 | |
| Billy Joel– | We Didn’t Start The Fire | 4:49 | |
| Michael Bolton– | How Am I Supposed To Live Without You | 4:15 | |
| New Kids On The Block– | Step By Step | 4:27 | |
| Michael Jackson– | Black Or White | 3:22 | |
| Des’ree– | You Gotta Be | 4:06 | |
| Celine Dion*– | Because You Loved Me (Theme From Up Close And Personal) | 4:33 | |
| Shawn Colvin– | Sunny Came Home | 3:50 | |
| Jamiroquai– | Virtual Insanity | 3:47 | |
| Mariah Carey– | My All | 3:51 | |
| Fiona Apple– | Criminal | 5:41 | |
| Will Smith– | Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It | 3:48 | |
| Lauryn Hill– | Doo Wop (That Thing) | 4:01 |
My favorites: Springsteen, Lauper, Colvin, Boz Scaggs, D’Arby. Dislikes: Streisand, Bolton, Reo Speedwagon, NKOB, Eddied Money, McCartney/Wonder, Celine Dion, Will Smith, Nelson/ Iglesias, Wham, Bolton.
A lot more dislikes on here than likes. More like a D+ for me.
Steve, the POP MUSIC title doesn’t imply “good music.” I’m sure record sales had something to do with the selection of some of these songs.
“Virtual Insanity” (although, I admit, the video was unique back in the day) and “Sunny Came Home” are representative of the era? Hmmmm. I suppose a case could be made for the inclusion of many of the other songs here—although I agree that most of the artists on this collection produced better & more recognizable songs that should have been included instead. However, if you’ve ever been to a Springsteen concert and “Hungry Heart” starts, you probably know why it’s included: the Boss lets the audience sing most of the song, lol! Also, if you ever want to fall down an Internet rabbit hole, just google whatever happened to Terrence Trent D’Arby, who sang “Wishing Well” and once seemed poised for Prince-level stardom.
Deb, yes, the story of Terrence Trent D’Arby is a cautionary one. I’m indifferent to “Hungry Heart.” Never cared for “Sunny Came Home.” But…here they are as representatives of “The Modern Era.”
“Hungry Heart”, nonetheless, is probably one of if not the bestselling song/single recording in its initial release in his career. I’d say it’s closer to his best work than, say, Chuck Barry’s “My Ding-A-Ling”, similarly charted. Likewise for Colvin “Sunny Came Home”. By me, the most misleading inclusion would be “Eternal Flame” for the Bangles, one of their worst and perhaps also their most popular. Smooth Operator” is a sterling reminder that huge hits don’t have to be pablum, while the Nelson/Iglesias and Wonder/McCartney are there to argue otherwise, as, of course, are the Journey and Diamond contributions.
Todd, from what Jeff Smith says about the complete box set, that 300 page booklet explains why songs made it into this project.
For the most part, not my pop music. Not even my Mom & Pop music. On the blessings side, the 1975 cut-off date excluded Tiny Tim.
Jerry, Tiny Tim had his brief fling of fame. But, he was no Terrence Trent D’Arby…
Nearly all of these were on heavy radio rotation, back in the day, and some still play endlessly on the “hits of the ’80s, ’90s, and today” Clear Channel stations. At a glance, the collection seems pretty representative of changes in the pop music landscape from the Carter Era to the Clinton — or if you will, from the time my two kids were babies to the time they graduated college,
Fred, I love your method of chronology! Carter to Clinton…babies to college grads! Love it!
This one gets a flat F from me. Only 4-5 songs in a 23 year period that I really like? They could have done better putting all the titles from that period in a hat and drawing out however many they wanted. Much as I like Aerosmith, Billy Joel and Springsteen that’s not nearly enough to save this mess.
Michael, you and Steve are on the same page about POP MUSIC: THE MODERN ERA. It’s a good thing that SONY ended their series with this set!
“Knowing” songs is not the same as liking them. I mean, puke like “Ebony and Ivory” and Neil DIamond’s “Heartlight” don’t belong on any collection, IMHO. “To ALl the Girls I’ve Loved Before”? Please. Spare me. I get that Michael Bolton co-wrote “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” but they should have gone with the Laura Branigan version. Not a big Miami Sound Machine fan, but there are a couple of theirs I’d have taken before “Anything for You.” I must admit I always get a laugh when I hear “Careless Whisper” with the classic line “Guilty feet have got no rhythm.”
If I had to pick 10 songs to keep from this group, hmm. Wild Cherry, Cyndi Lauper, Boz Scaggs, ELO, Sade. What’s that, five? I like other songs by BIlly Joel and Springsteen and Shawn Colvin better.
Jeff, I’m with you on the curious choices on POP MUSIC. Where is Steely Dan? Or David Bowie? Or Madonna (who owned the Eighties!)? And after the bizarre singer/group choices, the song choices are weird, too! What was SONY thinking?
I think most of these artists are on Sony labels.
Steve, if true, that would explain a lot!
Sony bought the CBS recording catalogs, et al. Columbia Records, etc….went with their purchase of Columbia Pictures.
Todd, I wonder is SONY is regretting buying CBS/Columbia Pictures/Columbia Records.
I bought the entire 26-disc Soundtrack for a Century collection, and have been slowly listening to it. (The first 16 discs so far.) So I haven’t gotten to this set yet, the last in the case. What I’ve come to realize reading the book that comes with the complete box is that these sets aren’t after the “best” music Sony/Classical put out in each category, but how “notable” each track is. “Sunny Came Home” won Colvin a Grammy. (“Steady On” is also in the box.) “Ebony and Ivory,” awful as it is, according to the book was McCartney’s biggest American hit. (Really?) “We Didn’t Start the Fire” was used by so many schools in history lessons that Columbia created a special school edition of the song with Billy Joel talking about it afterward. “Hungry Heart,” because of its simplified lyrics compared to other Springsteen songs (he originally wrote it for the Ramones), won him a whole new audience. (“Born to Run” and “Streets of Philadelphia” are also in the box.)
Reading the 300-page book while playing the discs makes me less willing to criticize their choices, because I’m experiencing it as a cultural artifact, not a mediocre music collection. That doesn’t help people who just get the discs, as George has.
The 16 discs I’ve listened to so far (playing each for a couple weeks when I get it out) have generally been a lot of fun. I’ve heard Pop Music 1890-1950, Classical Music 1903-1975, Classical Music 1976-1998, Jazz, Folk Gospel & Blues, Country, Movie Music, and Broadway. Coming in, I expected to like Broadway the least, but was prepared to be surprised. Alas, I wasn’t. It was a tough few weeks, trying to will myself to enjoy it, but little of it worked for me. Interestingly, though, my favorite new-to-me track has been from a Rodgers/Hart Broadway musical, a recording on the very first disc, from the Pop section, of “Ten Cents a Dance” by Ruth Etting. Hart’s lyrics tell a complete story of a Taxi Dancer, and the vocals and instrumentation are excellent.
That wasn’t supposed to be Sony/Classical in the third line, but Sony/Columbia.
Jeff, I did not know the SONY Soundtrack for a Century complete box set came with 300 page book that explained the choice of the songs included. Interesting! It’s also good to know there was a process for inclusion.