"Natural" & "Unnatural" Songs

Let's take a break from the ever-popular (by # of clicks at least) but seemingly endless series of "Popular Songs Of..." posts, and return to the somewhat-popular (but not as much so) world of "Opposites" posts. I had several good "Natural" songs I wanted to explore, but the songs for its (natural) opposite – "Unnatural" – were somewhat limited. So this is technically a two-part "Opposites" post. This time, "Natural" and "Unnatural" songs. Next time, "Natural" and "Artificial" songs (think ingredients). Ready or not, here they are...enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Merle Haggard  ~  “Natural High”

2)  GODS  ~  “Unnatural”

3)  Rush  ~  “Natural Science”

4)  Muse  ~  “Unnatural Selection”

5)  EPICA  ~  “Natural Corruption”

6)  Fearless Vampire Killers  ~  “Our Nature’s Unnatural”

7)  Jasmine Villegas  ~  “Natural”

8)  The Sun Explodes  ~  “The Unnatural”

9)  Live  ~  “Natural Born Killers”

10)  EZ Basic  ~  “Unnatural”

11)  Crowded House  ~  “It’s Only Natural”

12)  Bubbles Erotica  ~  “Super Unnatural”  (Don’t let the band’s questionable name scare you off – this song’s not half bad!)

13)  Lou Rawls  ~  “A Natural Man”

14)  Voter Kernel  ~  “Unnatural Gathering Of Animals”

15)  Aretha Franklin  ~  “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”

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”

Popular Songs Of 1976, Vol. 2

We now return to a funkier time, when the clothes were flashier, the hair was longer, and the music was...pretty good, actually. Here's Part 2 (of 3) of the most Popular Songs of 1976. Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Ohio Players  ~  “Love Rollercoaster” 

2)  Eagles  ~  “Take It To The Limit”

3)  Bee Gees  ~  “You Should Be Dancing”

4)  Conway Twitty  ~  “This Time I’ve Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me”

5)  Vicki Sue Robinson  ~  “Turn The Beat Around”

6)  Lou Rawls  ~  “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine”

7)  David Bowie  ~  “Golden Years”

8)  KC and the Sunshine Band  ~  “Shake Your Booty”

9)  Starbuck  ~  “Moonlight Feels Right”

10)  Maxine Nightingale  ~  “Right Back Where We Started From”

11)  Dr. Hook  ~  “Only Sixteen”

12)  The Bellamy Brothers  ~  “Let Your Love Flow”

13)  Gary Wright  ~  “Dream Weaver”

14)  Emmylou Harris  ~  “Together Again”

15)  Eric Carmen  ~  “All By Myself”

16)  Diana Ross  ~  “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To?)”

17)  Henry Gross  ~  “Shannon”

18)  Chicago  ~  “If You Leave Me Now”  (Video repeats itself in silence around the 3:50 mark. May as well stop watching it there. You won’t hear anything else anyway.)

19)  Peter Frampton  ~  “Show Me The Way”

20)  Aerosmith  ~  “Dream On”

21)  Tammy Wynette  ~  “You And Me”

22)  Boz Scaggs  ~  “Lowdown”

23)  John Sebastian  ~  “Welcome Back”

24)  Bay City Rollers  ~  “Saturday Night”

25)  Fleetwood Mac  ~  “Say You Love Me”

Popular Songs Of 1976, Vol. 1

If my last few "Popular Songs Of..." posts haven't made you feel old yet, then this three-parter is sure to! Because these are the top songs of forty – count them, forty – years ago! If you remember these songs when they came out, you are old. It's time to face the facts. If you remember hearing them on the oldies or mix stations (like I do), then you are getting old (after all, '80s songs are the "new oldies" these days). Fair warning: There will be disco music, but not in excessive amounts. Everything in moderation. Enjoy?  ~  JH

1)  Wings  ~  “Silly Love Songs”

2)  Johnnie Taylor  ~  “Disco Lady”

3)  Glen Campbell  ~  “Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)”

4)  The Four Seasons  ~  “December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)”

5)  Starland Vocal Band  ~  “Afternoon Delight”

6)  Wild Cherry  ~  “Play That Funky Music”

7)  The Manhattans  ~  “Kiss And Say Goodbye”

8)  Charley Pride  ~  “My Eyes Can Only See As Far As You”

9)  Paul Simon  ~  “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”

10)  Elton John & Kiki Dee  ~  “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”

11)  The Miracles  ~  “Love Machine”

12)  Walter Murphy  ~  “A Fifth Of Beethoven”

13)  Merle Haggard  ~  “Cherokee Maiden”

14)  Hot Chocolate  ~  “You Sexy Thing”

15)  Seals & Crofts ft. Carolyn Willis  ~  “Get Closer”

16)  Daryl Hall & John Oates  ~  “Sara Smile”

17)  Barry Manilow  ~  “I Write The Songs”

18)  Queen  ~  “Bohemian Rhapsody”

19)  Elvin Bishop  ~  “Fooled Around And Fell In Love”

20)  Dorothy Moore  ~  “Misty Blue”

21)  Marty Robbins  ~  “Among My Souvenirs”  (That is an incredibly ugly shirt.)

22)  Nazareth  ~  “Love Hurts”

23)  Dr Hook  ~  “A Little Bit More”

24)  The Commodores  ~  “Sweet Love”

25)  Tammy Wynette  ~  “Till I Can Make It On My Own”

Popular Songs Of 1986, Vol. 4

Alright, let's finish this thing! One last batch of tunes, for old time's sake...literally. Without further ado, here's the final score of Popular Songs of 1986. Ready...set...enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Phil Collins  ~  “Take Me Home”

2)  Anita Baker  ~  “Sweet Love”

3)  The Moody Blues  ~  “Your Wildest Dreams”

4)  Run-DMC & Aerosmith  ~  “Walk This Way”

5)  Elton John  ~  “Nikita”

6)  Heart  ~  “Never”

7)  Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark  ~  “If You Leave”

8)  Lionel Richie  ~  “Love Will Conquer All”

9)  Toto  ~  “I’ll Be Over You”

10)  Pet Shop Boys  ~  “West End Girls”

11)  The Forester Sisters  ~  “Just In Case”

12)  Steve Winwood  ~  “Higher Love”

13)  Mike & The Mechanics  ~  “Silent Running”

14)  Madonna  ~  “True Blue”

15)  Billy Ocean  ~  “When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going”

16)  Alabama  ~  “Touch Me When We’re Dancing”

17)  Peter Gabriel  ~  “Sledgehammer”

18)  James Brown  ~  “Living In America”

19)  Starship  ~  “Sara”

20)  Atlantic Starr  ~  “Secret Lovers”