Songs About Inspiration

I compiled this collection of Songs About Inspiration just for you. I hope you'll take the time to take a listen, and maybe even enjoy!  ~  JH 

1)  Chicago  ~  "You're The Inspiration"

2)  Lecrae  ~  "Inspiration"

3)  The Righteous Brothers  ~  "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration" / "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"

4)  Heather Dale  ~  "Inspiration"

5)  Anita Baker  ~  "Soul Inspiration"

6)  Deitrick Haddon  ~  "Inspiration"

7)  Dora Hornung  ~  "Inspiration"

8)  Grace Jones  ~  "Inspiration"

9)  The Gipsy Kings  ~  "Inspiration"

10)  Sean McGee  ~  "Inspiration"

11)  Teddy Pendergrass  ~  "You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration"

12)  Paul Williams  ~  "Inspiration"

13)  Utopia  ~  "There Goes My Inspiration"

14)  Maze featuring Frankie Beverly  ~  "Lovely Inspiration"

15)  Lila Iké  ~  "Sweet Inspiration"

16)  Lindsay Pagano  ~  "Love & Faith & Inspiration"

17)  The Sweet Inspirations  ~  "Sweet Inspiration"

18)  Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings  ~  "Inspiration Information"

19)  Pedro The Lion  ~  "Criticism As Inspiration"

20)  Stevie Nicks  ~  "Inspiration"

21)  Gordon Lightfoot  ~  "Inspiration Lady"

22)  Sanctus Real  ~  "Inspiration"

23)  MAETAR  ~  "Inspiration"

24)  Dusty Springfield  ~  "Sweet Inspiration"

25)  Roughhouse  ~  "Peace And Inspiration"

26)  John Reuben ft. Alon Auguste  ~  "Divine Inspiration"

27)  Kim Wilde  ~  "Sweet Inspiration"

28)  The Creations  ~  "You're My Inspiration"

"Just Because" Songs

Sometimes you don't need a reason to post some good songs. And sometimes, you realize that there are a lot of good songs with the phrase "Just Because" in their titles. The latter is specifically the impetus for this post. The former is always the impetus for any of these posts. Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Ray Charles  ~  “Just Because”

2)  Dolly Parton  ~  “Just Because I’m A Woman”

3)  Jane’s Addiction  ~  “Just Because”

4)  Chalee Tennison  ~  “Just Because She Lives There”

5)  Ginuwine  ~  “Just Because”

6)  Krista Detor  ~  “Just Because”

7)  Teddy Pendergrass  ~  “Just Because You’re Mine”

8)  Shayna Zaid  ~  “Just Because”

9)  Bear Lake  ~  “Just Because You Can”

10)  Anita Baker  ~  “Just Because”

11)  My Morning Jacket  ~  “Just Because I Do”

12)  Johnnie Taylor  ~  “Just Because”

13)  Lina Santiago  ~  “Just Because I Love You”

14)  War  ~  “Just Because”

15)  Merise  ~  “Just Because”

16)  Bernie Williams ft. David Benoit  ~  “Just Because”  (For any baseball fans who may tuning in: Yes, THAT Bernie Williams!)

17)  Selah Sue  ~  “Just Because I Do”

18)  Lloyd Price  ~  “Just Because”

19)  Mary Chapin Carpenter  ~  “Just Because”

20)  Mathew Maokh  ~  “Just Because You're Breathing Doesn't Mean You're Alive”

21)  Skunk Anansie  ~  “Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)”

22)  Jerry Lee Lewis  ~  “Just Because”

23)  Body Language  ~  “Just Because”

24)  Jackson 5  ~  “Just Because I Love You”

25)  Nikka Costa  ~  “Just Because”

Popular Songs Of 1976, Vol. 3

Last but certainly not least...the final installment of the most Popular Songs of 1976. Plenty of familiar tunes here, as well as a few forgotten gems. Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  KC and the Sunshine Band  ~  “That’s The Way (I Like It)”

2)  Wings  ~  “Let ‘Em In”

3)  George Benson  ~  “This Masquerade”

4)  Merle Haggard  ~  “The Roots Of My Raising”

5)  Fleetwood Mac  ~  “Rhiannon”

6)  Electric Light Orchestra  ~  “Evil Woman”

7)  Keith Carradine  ~  “I’m Easy”

8)  Don Williams  ~  “Till The Rivers All Run Dry”

9)  Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes ft. Teddy Pendergrass  ~  “Wake Up, Everybody”  (What a great song...unfortunately, its message is still very apropos today.)

10)  Crystal Gayle  ~  “I’ll Get Over You”

11)  John Travolta  ~  “Let Her In”  (This video is more interesting for the post-song interview than it is for the tune itself. Travolta excitedly tells Dick Clark about getting a role in his first "serious" movie, Carrie, which incidentally was the first film made from a Stephen King novel. He also mentions having acted in the stage version of Grease. Two years later, he would star in the film version of Grease, which became a smash hit.)

12)  Daryl Hall & John Oates  ~  “She’s Gone”

13)  Queen  ~  “You’re My Best Friend”

14)  Johnny Cash  ~  “One Piece At A Time”

15)  Rufus  ~  “Sweet Thing”  (Yes, that IS a young Chaka Khan.)

16)  Orleans  ~  “Still The One”

17)  Foghat  ~  “Slow Ride”

18)  Marty Robbins  ~  “El Paso City”  (What is it with Marty Robbins and hideously ugly shirts? Blame it on the '70s? Or is it simply Marty's bad sense of style?)

19)  Thin Lizzy  ~  “The Boys Are Back In Town”

20)  Candi Staton  ~  “Young Hearts Run Free”

21)  Peter Frampton  ~  “Baby, I Love Your Way”

22)  David Ruffin  ~  “Walk Away From Love”

23)  Steve Miller Band  ~  “Take The Money And Run / Rock’n Me”  (This is a classic "HOGO" video. Hear One, Get One Free! Both songs were big hits in '76.)

24)  England Dan & John Ford Coley  ~  “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight”  (I'd totally forgotten about this wonderfully catchy song!)

25)  George Jones & Tammy Wynette  ~  “Golden Ring”

"Funky" Songs

Nope, this isn't an "Opposites" post – so don't expect a corresponding post featuring songs with...whatever the antonym of "Funky" might be. It's a one-off bunch of songs by a diverse group of artists, and I think you'll really dig it. Funky, baby!  ~  JH

1)  Wild Cherry  ~  "Play That Funky Music"

2)  James Brown  ~  "It's Too Funky In Here"

3)  TobyMac & DiverseCity  ~  "Funky Jesus Music"

4)  Wilson Pickett  ~  "Funky Broadway"

5)  Blues Brothers 2000 Cast  ~  "Funky Nassau"

6)  Today  ~  "Why You Get Funky On Me?"

7)  John Butler Trio  ~  "Funky Tonight"

8)  The Charlie Daniels Band  ~  "Funky Junky"

9)  New Kids On The Block ft. Arsenio Hall  ~  "Funky, Funky Xmas"

10)  Kool & The Gang  ~  "Funky Stuff"

11)  Spin Doctors  ~  "Big Fat Funky Booty"

12)  Teddy Pendergrass  ~  "Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose"

13)  Vanilla Ice  ~  "Play That Funky Music"

14)  KC & The Sunshine Band  ~  "Sound Your Funky Horn"

15)  Rachel Stevens  ~  "Funky Dory"

16)  Rufus Thomas  ~  "Do The Funky Chicken"

17)  Sérgio Mendes ft. will.i.am & Siedah Garrett  ~  "Funky Bahia"

18)  T. Rex  ~  "Funky London Childhood"

19)  Tone Loc  ~  "Funky Cold Medina"

20)  Lipps Inc.  ~  "Funkytown"

21)  C + C Music Factory  ~  "Do You Wanna Get Funky?"

22)  Habstrakt  ~  "Get Funky"

23)  Poor Righteous Teachers  ~  "Rock Dis Funky Joint"

24)  Nickodemus ft. Jay Rodriguez  ~  "Funky In The Middle"

25)  Kid 'N Play  ~  "Gittin' Funky"

What "Life Is"...According To These Artists, At Least

Depending on the artist, you either should or should not take their word for "what life is." Here's a mixed bag of the good, the bad, and the ugly things that  life can be. Enjoy?  ~  JH

1)  Stellar Kart  ~  "Life Is Good"

2)  The Afters  ~  "Life Is Beautiful"

3)  Beth Hart  ~  "Life Is Calling"  (That dude [?] at the beginning is Creepsville!)

4)  Greeley Estates  ~  "Life Is A Garden"

5)  Ronan Keating  ~  "Life Is A Rollercoaster"

6)  Ayo  ~  Life Is Real"

7)  Sixx:A.M.  ~  "Life Is Beautiful"

8)  Coldplay  ~  "Life Is For Living"

9)  Ace Of Base  ~  "Life Is A Flower"

10)  Tom Cochrane  ~  "Life Is A Highway"

11)  Noah And The Whale  ~  "Life Is Life"

12)  Natalie Merchant  ~  "Life Is Sweet"

13)  Faber Drive  ~  "Life Is Waiting"

14)  Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros  ~  "Life Is Hard"

15)  Carly Simon  ~  "Life Is Eternal"  (You'd think she'd be rich enough to buy a coat that fits! Sheesh!)

16)  Michael Franti & Spearhead  ~  "Life Is Better With You"

17)  The Band  ~  "Life Is A Carnival"

18)  Chaka Khan  ~  "Life Is A Dance"

19)  Jethro Tull  ~  "Life Is A Long Song"

20)  Forgive Durden  ~  "Life Is Looking Up"

21)  Sophie B. Hawkins  ~  "Life Is A River"

22)  Teddy Pendergrass  ~  "Life Is A Song Worth Singing"

23)  Jason Castro  ~  "Life Is Beautiful"

24)  10cc  ~  "Life Is A Minestrone"  (Really? A minestrone? #smh)

25)  Dean Martin & Gisele MacKenzie  ~  "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries"