Top 10 Christmas Songs #1 Of 2014

 

 

 

Well I am back to spread some more holiday cheer with the gift of music for all of those who follow me. I'm kind of glad this isn't our last look at Christmas music. If this title is a little misleading it is not looking at Christmas songs just released this year but more like a random Top 10 of Christmas songs that I enjoy from all sorts of different artists, genres and decades. I have a lot of Christmas songs so I know I won't get a lot of them covered before Christmas is over at midnight on Thursday and the rest will have to wait for another year. Some of these songs will clearly be recognizable but some may also be overlooked or even lost classics but I have been listening to Christmas music since I was a little girl so I have heard a lot of different versions of traditional carols and Christmas penned originals so let's get this musical Christmas party started!

 

#10. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town by The Pointer Sisters from A Very Special Christmas (1987)

 

The first in a series of compilation albums where popular artists of the time record versions of Christmas songs which the sales helped to benefit the Special Olympics is where you can find this 80s upbeat cover of the song first released back in 1934 and probably most famous because of the Rankin-Bass classic. I always enjoyed the harmonies of Ruth, June and Anita Pointer and the fun they seem to have singing together which is evident in this song.

 

 

#9. Winter Wonderland by The Eurhythmics from A Very Special Christmas (1987)

 

Okay I swear I am not cheating by putting this whole album up but it does have some very good covers and this one is exceptionally wonderful (pun intended!). The song Winter Wonderland was written the same time the previous song we discussed was also penned and even though not explicitly mentioning Christmas it is about discussing the beauty of winter and finding love which is probably why it is one of my favorite Christmas songs. This one is by Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox known to the world as The Eurhythmics is a very pop/jazz kind of number thanks to some of the scatting that Annie Lennox does in her very beautiful and powerful vocals to add some 80s flair to a very pretty song.

 

 

 

#8. Please Come Home For Christmas by Jon Bon Jovi from the album A Very Special Christmas 2 (1992)

 

While I will admit I am not a huge Bon Jovi fan, I do love the way he sings this song. He's not just a pretty boy rocker he does have a very nice voice that can handle this very soulful yet sorrowful Christmas tale about being alone during the holiday. Written in 1960, it's a more modern sort of classic and I think a lot of women remember Jon looking good in the video and well men remember Cindy Crawford wishing she was the gift under their tree that year!

 

 

 

#7. Here Comes Santa Claus by Elvis Presley from Elvis' Christmas Album (1957)

 

I don't think anyone can not like at least one song by The King and even though I like a handful the ones I enjoy the very most are his renditions of Christmas classics because the are either very beautiful to show off what a good voice he had and some of course are good for showcasing his fun side like this one. Written a decade earlier by country legend Gene Autry, it has such a whimsical charm that even Elvis doing that imitable drawl of his makes this such a happy song that I think even children will love it into adulthood just as much as I do!

 

 

#6. Silver Bells by Bing Crosby

 

A name almost always associated with the holidays thanks to White Christmas, Bing Crosby singing this song about the pretty decorations of bells during the Christmas season is spritely and jaunty thanks to Bing's whistling and reminds one of just the very simple reminders to the true meaning of Christmas: bells of the church celebrating the joy of Jesus' birth and even those of the Salvation Army workers dressed as Santa trying to earn money for those who have so very little.

 

 

#5. Jingle Bells by Frank Sinatra

 

Probably the oldest published Christmas song on this list (written in 1857) it always gets stuck in my head even when it is not Christmastime and if not the chorus of the original than the opening of this Frank Sinatra version does I mean it's so damn catchy!

 

 

#4. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) by The Chipmunks

 

Since The Chipmunks cartoon series was a big part of my childhood I have heard this song for many a Christmases and others have had even more since this song first came out in 1958. I use to have a Disney Christmas Carol tape that had this song sung by another pair of chipmunks you may know as Chip And Dale but the trio of Alvin, Simon and Theodore will always remain supreme and if you ever get a chance to find the special A Chipmunk Christmas with this song you will be moved for that version has less comedy and more charm than its original version. No matter what I know Christmas is truly here whenever the radio plays this little gem...

 

 

(I posted the Chip And Dale version in case anybody has never heard it because well this is nostalgia for me and I wish to share it which is why I created this blog in the first place.)

 

#3. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee

 

Just thirteen years old when she recorded the song released in 1958, Brenda Lee's biggest hit has been a holiday staple ever since. Though she mostly became know as a country oriented artist in her later career that doesn't stop this from being played on different genre radio stations around Christmas time. This is perfect for any holiday get together with its upbeat lyrics, Brenda's cheery voice and a sax solo to get your feet dancing around your own Christmas tree!

 

 

 

#2. Santa Baby by Madonna from the album A Very Special Christmas (1987)

 

Okay I promise that for this list this is the last Christmas song from the first A Very Special Christmas release for now anyway. Of course being an 80s child I love Madonna's music from that era and her version of Santa Baby is so upbeat, cheery, coy and pouty that it kind of reminds me of Betty Boop which I think is what Madonna was going for because even though most of her early songs had a more breathy sound it's been evident that Madonna has a strong voice. It's a very recognizable tune during Christmas time and is on the radio a lot and personally it is one of my favorite versions of the song and even one of my favorites in general.

 

 

 

So what could top this Christmas list like an angel on the top of the tree? Well it is another one of my favorite Christmas songs a more modern one and the artists who have the honor of being number one are of course my favorite people of all time... 

 

#1. Blue Christmas by Ann and Nancy Wilson from the album A Very Special Christmas 2 (1992)

 

First of all are you even surprised or shocked? Of course you aren't but are you surprised that Blue Christmas is one of my favorite Christmas songs? Yes most of the time this song is performed to be very sad and depressing but I have heard some versions that are upbeat and soulful and this version by The Wilson Sisters falls into that soulful category. Ann is the lead vocal but Nancy's harmonies in the background are just as strong and when you can hear Ann belt out these lyrics it's like hearing a lounge singer doing a torch song in a bar on Christmas Eve. You know some people are alone on Christmas they don't have families or they just get depressed by the holidays so they go to a bar to drown their sorrows where normally if you heard this song you would just give up hope. I guess I'm getting just a small bit of personal or biased opinion but when I hear this song it's not depressing it's almost kind of hopeful.

 

 

(Almost always this song is just attributed to Ann Wilson but the cd credits both Ann and Nancy and I should know because I bought it just for that reason!)

 

 

So that's a wrap on this list and I believe I might be able to fit one more random Christmas song list in for Christmas Eve day and then well I guess it will be another 365 days before we discuss the Christmas music again. So until tomorrow enjoy this Christmas gift of music.

 

 

Random Top 10 #2

I apologize for the long break in between posts but sometimes a girl needs some rest and some time to spend with her man when both of us have been working so hard. Also, as I posted on my other blog, the death of Robin Williams on Monday left me devastated and afraid to be happy for awhile. They say that music can be good therapy so I am back with another Random Top 10. It may be a little shorter than my first random list but I have to admit I'm still a little fuzzy trying to get back in the groove of things.

#10. Heart Don't Lie by California Dreams

Now who says I can't talk about fictional bands...it's still music right? Now I absolutely loved the show California Dreams which I use to watch coming home from school when I was about thirteen. It was ending its run on NBC around then but was in reruns on TBS and WGN and I just loved it! Now a lot of the songs were very poppy and cheesy but there were a handful of songs that I fell in love with and I eventually got a hold of the soundtrack that contained those rare gems like this one.

There's really not a lot of meaning to the song except just being in love and hoping that the romance and words being said aren't just lies and that they come honest and true from the heart. The interesting thing about the song is that one of the writers is a woman named Elizabeth Guttman Daily who you may know better as E.G. Daily who voiced Tommy Pickles on Rugrats and Buttercup in The Powerpuff Girls! Did you know she was a songwriter/musician besides being an actress? Neither did I but I am now interested in finding some of her work if all her songs have lyrics like this one!

#9. How Can I Fall by Breathe

Ah there is nothing like the 80s! I may have been a baby when this decade ended (well I was six and to my mom I suppose I was still a baby in her eyes) but the early 90s still had a soft spot for all those songs of the past on the weekend and then of course Delilah had her nightly shows where the softer side of the decade had a chance to shine. As a romantic, I love ballads and this one by the UK band Breathe is a personal favorite. It has pop keyboards and is about trying to fall in love when you can't get the words out. Trying to time and plan words to express how you are in love with someone isn't easy when you aren't sure how you feel or how they feel, is the time right or have you missed it by just a small fraction of time? This was probably a perfect song to play for someone in junior high school when tweens became teens and love became much more complicated to learn than geometry or chemistry! I always found lead singer David Glasper's voice to be so earnest and unsure when singing the words and still do find his to be one of the loveliest and most forgotten of the decade.

#8. She by Louie Says

Sometimes you will find the most interesting music when you least expect it say...watching one of your favorite or the greatest  TV show ever! Some music I learned to love when I would watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer and when I saw the Season 2 episode called Reptile Boy and heard the song She by Louie Says played partly in the middle and at the end of the episode it has always stuck with me. Now sadly the band only had one album before they went defunct and I never really thought I would enjoy a song by an indie band as much as I do this one. I've always felt the song was about loving a woman who tries to be aloof when it comes to love and no matter what she does the man stays in love with her. She'll leave then come back again she'll be cold one second saying she hates you and then break down crying and begging your forgiveness the next.

Now it may seem the girl is unstable but the man also admits that he will keep taking her back because sometimes her snowy exterior will melt into a smile that leaves him weak in the knees. He also knows that at times he may hate himself for the way he treats her which may be the reason she's kind of unstable in the first place. If you ever watched Buffy I think the song at the time fit perfectly with the tragic romance the main character and her vampire boyfriend were in. I mean a vampire slayer who came back from the dead and in love with an undead hunk could cause any relationship to have its bumps! (Sorry got caught up in Buffy nostalgia but that is for another time or maybe another blog...)

#7. Lying To Myself by David Cassidy

Now don't laugh at me because I have a David Cassidy song on here! Some of you probably can't get over him being a teeny-bopper artist back in the 1970s or Keith Partridge on TV but underneath David Cassidy always wanted to rock like Jimi Hendrix! Now his acting career may have disappeared after no one wanted to get happy anymore but you also can't forget that David Cassidy's father Jack Cassidy was an actor with Broadway experience so that singing talent runs in the family. Now it may be a song with that arena rock-power ballad sound but of course I absolutely love it. The song came out in 1990 when that sort of music was still okay to listen to before music became edgier with grunge and hard-rock metal which by no means is bad because I like music like that too. I actually heard this song much later on an episode of Behind The Music focusing specifically on Cassidy in the background in snippets so when I found the whole song I was ecstatic!

 It was written by Cassidy and songwriter Sue Shifrin who became Cassidy's wife a year later even though the two had an earlier ill-fated relationship which I think surprisingly may have been slight inspiration for this song. You see it's about a relationship ending where the man insists that he's fine and his lover really never meant anything to him and that her leaving the way she did isn't tearing him up. As the title states, he's lying to himself and he is ready to do everything he can to get her back out of shame and probably as a means to keep himself from becoming depressed. (Sorry recent events have put that thought into my mind as a possible alternative to the songs meaning.) If anyone has ever had a relationship like this or ever tried to pass off the heartbreak you felt (as I have done before) the song will take on a new meaning for you. If not, David Cassidy's voice will get you hooked to this song!


#6. I Believe In Love by Paula Cole

Now Paula Cole may be a little more famous for providing Dawson's Creek with its immortal opening theme song but I remember her more for this song (and some other one about cowboys but that's for another day...) which I heard on VH1 when it first came out. There's just something very powerful and haunting about Paula Cole's voice that is almost hard to describe and when I first heard this song it kind of reminded me of something soulful from the late 1960s or early 1970s. As a person who does believe in love this song really speaks to me and if you listen to the song it does have a love conquers all tone to it but not in a happy, fairy-tale way but how true love can win in the real world. You meet the one in high school or maybe college, you go out on dates or maybe you are just friends who soon discover after many other relationships that you are meant to be together. There are always factors that may take the relationship down an unprecedented path such as an unplanned pregnancy or a drunken night quickie wedding or even infidelity but if two people are meant to be together they will get through it and finally be together as the universe intended. It truly is a very beautiful song...

#5. My Heart Can't Tell You No by Rod Stewart

Ah Rod Stewart I'm not really sure how I came to admire him but I do know it was the late 80s incarnation that had to have gotten my attention. He was very big on VH1 around that time and I distinctly remember taking a shine to my mother's Rod Stewart anthology tape after discovering him through another song which led to this being my absolute favorite song! (we'll come to that other song later I promise...) When I got older I realized that the lyrics were very mature for the time I heard it originally as it is about a man begging his former lover to stay away from him every time she and her new man are on the outs. She keeps coming back to him, calling him when they fight and being that he still has feelings for her and could never deny her anything to begin with let's her back in only to be left in the cold when they decide to make up. Now I have never been in a relationship like that but I have known people who always come back to someone  when things don't work out on a romantic level between the new girl or guy in their life but then end up breaking their heart again. The thing I can relate to is watching someone you love be in love with somebody else and it still hurts to this day but not as much as it did then as now I am in a very happy relationship and very much in love. All that pushed aside, the older me has also come to appreciate the steamy, sensual tone of the song and the soulfulness of Rod Stewart's voice.

#4. The Kill by 30 Seconds To Mars

I admit there is two reasons why this is probably the only song I really like by 30 Seconds To Mars: first is basically the video is an out-right homage to The Shining by Stephen King (even if I enjoy the book and mini-series better) and second, in his own way, Jared Leto is still very much the hottie because man those eyes are just so intense! From the minute I saw the video I knew I would like the song because well I had to watch the entire video to hear the song didn't I so eventually it would be like a little worm burrowing its way into my ear and taking over my brain! (sorry the Stephen King reference sent me to a horror-themed place.) Now I may not like the Kubrick version but the video does capture the creepiness of the film and sort of points out the theme of duality of a sane person confronting their own inner madness kind of the way the book did.

I do like the dark tone of the song and can relate sometimes to the war within yourself theme of the song as the negative side of me (pessimistic, depressed and jealous) is always at war with the positive side of me (happy, creative and energetic). Everybody has two-sides to themselves and believe me I have reached breaking points in my life where I thought I might be going crazy but some of those breaking points also made me realize I can be a stronger person. Wait didn't I say there was another reason why I liked this song? Oh yeah, putting his looks and acting chops aside did I mention that Jared Leto can sing!? I mean damn talk about a triple threat!

#3. Helplessly Hopelessly by Jessica Andrews

Now yes I bet you are surprised that I actually do like country music! Of course I'm going to have to like country music because I am from Kentucky so my family likes country music and I had friends who also liked country music. I will tell you right now that my frame of country music listening spans from the late 1980s to at least 2004 and then I kinda stopped liking most country music that came out until Lady Antebellum came around. Now when the 2000s came about Jessica Andrews to me was a breath of fresh air amid the country ladies that had been around for awhile and not that there was anything wrong with Reba or Faith but Jessica Andrews was my age, innocent but also talented that when this very mature song came out it wasn't as if she did a full 180 and got all sexy.

The song is of course about love, first love, young love and feeling those emotions that are more adult. Of course the girl is a strong one except when she is with the man she loves and then she is just helpless to fight her feelings but she also remains hopeful even as she's hopelessly losing out to the emotions her heart is feeling. Of course as a romantic this is the kind of country music I enjoy because after awhile depressing country songs make me... well depressed and well bluegrass and honky-tonk was never my style. Especially at a time when I was the same age as Jessica Andrews who even though she did not write this song was singing about such an adult subject that it dictates (clearly about falling in love and going all the way as approached in a delicate country-song manner and not a blatant pop-rap way most songs addressed sex and still do). Even today I still get shivers when I hear this song...

#2. Promises Promises by Naked Eyes

Some years ago (maybe about seven or eight) I had to get a rental car after a run in with a deer and it had satellite radio (Sirius radio maybe not sure) so when I turned it to an 80s station this gem by British band Naked Eyes came on and of course, I loved it! Even though they are much more famous for the song "Always Something There To Remind Me" the pop-dance feel of this song is one I probably would have been clubbing to if I had been a teenager or twenty-something in the early 80s because basically by the late 80s I would have been a groupie for Whitesnake if I had been born in an earlier time period...but I digress. Despite being so damn catchy its lyrics tell of being in love with someone who of course makes a lot of promises about a serious relationship but instead they seem to just want to be free to be wild and crazy. So eventually it fizzles out but then somehow gets rekindled when those same promises get uttered again except now you are just a little older now where the pain hurts a lot worse where now the laughter just isn't enough to keep the relationship going. Yes I admit I have been in a relationship where promises are made and then broken but with one exception that I learned to move on and now I am in a relationship where promises are made but not broken just...stretched out a little. See because in real relationships things don't go as planned which is why if you truly love a person and make them promises, you do keep them.

Okay, maybe I have gotten a little deep and personal with this one in light of recent events but let's call it a cleanse of negative emotions through the positive aspect of music that it can make you happy and even though most of these songs have brought up good subjects for actual intellectual conversation I promise this song that tops my list may not turn to a serious conversation and may just be there for us to totally rock! So what song could it be? Well here's a hint: I have mentioned this man before talking about the group he is famous for but now let's just let him shine on his own...

#1. Lost In The Shadows by Lou Gramm

Iron Maiden Top 10 #1

Welcome back music lovers you are in for a little bit of a swerve today! So I've talked about classic rock and pop but did you ever think I would discuss...heavy metal? Well I am and talking about the kings of heavy metal Iron Maiden. The reason why is because I have been in a relationship for ten years now with one of the biggest Iron Maiden fans ever...my boyfriend Nathan. He is basically the male equivalent to me being a huge Heart fan with both of us around the same age but the difference is he liked Heart before we met and until then...I had never listened to Iron Maiden at all. I suppose I was one of those people thrown off by all the imagery which depicted the band's mascot Eddie in sometimes horrific and disturbing images but for me it was kind of like the horror section having posters close to the children's section in a video store (which ironically the one from my childhood did!)

If you went in to rent Care Bear movies and saw something like this you'd freak out too!

Anyways, I guess I always assumed metal was too harsh for mt almost poppy, music listening self until I met Nathan. After listening to countless hours of Maiden in his car on various dates and outings, I've discovered that Iron Maiden is basically just hard and classic rock amped up to a louder level but that the musical compositions are superb and the lyrical content is based on literature, mythology, religion and history which doesn't surprise me because well...they are British! Take it from me (as I said I am predominantly a pop listener and soft rock fanatic among my few classic rock loves) if I can enjoy listening to Iron Maiden, you few naysayers out there can too! So because I love my man and the band he loves, I thought I would share the songs by Iron Maiden I have come to enjoy. So to start this first Iron Maiden Top 10 is a song from the album that came out around the time Nathan and I started getting to know each other...

#10. Paschendale from the album Dance Of Death

Written about a battle during the first World War in Belgium between soldiers from many countries, it basically tells about the brutality of death and war that men even as young as eighteen had to face for many months. I kind of like how Iron Maiden songs are like long ballads of old told like a saga that stretches for pages but instead is musically equivalent to songs of seven minutes or more. The opening is slow and melodic and then just erupts into drums and guitars like an arsenal of gunfire but then we end the same way we began and the tale is finished almost as if with great remorse for those who died many years ago.

#9. Phantom Of The Opera from the album Iron Maiden

Being blessed with a boyfriend who has a lot of music in his collection it's no wonder I can go back to Iron Maiden's first album and find something to enjoy. The first two Iron Maiden albums had Paul Di'Anno as lead vocalist before Bruce Dickinson made his vocal appearance to the world and this happens to be one of my favorites on the band's debut album. Now with a title called Phantom Of The Opera, I am of course hooked but for you ladies out there it is not about the romanticized version this is about the grisly original Phantom presented in Gaston Leroux's original novel and the one seen on movie screens portrayed by Lon Chaney: a sadistic, psychotic madman who tortures his victims even with persuasive, Svengali charm. I have to admit I'm very partial to Bruce Dickinson but Paul Di'Anno isn't half bad especially on this song but if you want a lot of guitar you are going to get just be careful of all the rhythm changes and especially that little musical stinger at the end. First time I listened to it in my car I wasn't expecting it and jumped about a mile in my seat (well at least my version ends like that...)

#8. Wrathchild from the album Killers

Another one from the Di'Anno era that I enjoy and it has one of the best bass riffs I have ever heard! I'm pretty sure Bruce has tackled this in live shows but honestly I can't picture him singing it...Paul's vocals seem to fit the almost rebellious tone of the song where as Dickinson's vocals always sound more mature and fit the almost storytelling elements of future Iron Maiden songs. My interpretation of the lyrics are basically an angry young man going out in search of the father he has never known. Of course being an early Iron Maiden song, I don't see the young man wanting to reconcile with his father amid hugs and tears but probably among blows and blood! You see he's a bastard born not out of love but by necessity I guess for his queenly mother to have an heir but he has been raised in barbaric circumstance to become well...a child of wrath. I love when things are pointed out so easily by a song's title but can still be viewed by the listener's own perspective...that's good music!

#7. Holy Smoke from the album No Prayer For The Dying

I think every once in awhile an artist can't go with out making some sort of statement on religion or politics in the lyrics of at least one of their songs but I've never seen it expressed in such a manner as they way it is in this song! It's pretty much Steve Harris and Bruce Dickinson's writing about the televangelism that swept the late 80s and early 90s and produced a lot of scandals with people sending money to men who claimed to be doing the Lord's work but couldn't keep the money out of their pockets or keep some of these religious hypocrites from keeping it in their pants! The subject matter of the song is right on but the video is just so much fun! Who knew a band with an undead mascot seen killing people with axes could have their lead singer running through fields of yellow flowers and still be taken seriously? Only Iron Maiden that's who! 

#6. The Wicker Man from the album Brave New World

Before you ask...no it has nothing to do with the movie starring Nicholas Cage! This song is actually based on the original (and better film) from 1973 starring Christopher Lee but is actually based in fact on Celtic mythology. You see a Wicker Man was supposedly burned with a human sacrifice inside to please Pagan harvest gods in Druid rituals and the lyrics basically describe the woe of a person being chosen as the one to be set ablaze within. As I stated earlier, Iron Maiden songs are based on many truths and epic tales of lore so it's like getting a History or English lesson in every kick-ass song! I stand by this being kick-ass from that intro, to the almost primal sound of the drums and the chanting toward the end certainly evokes an ancient ritual despite being so modern.

#5. Aces High from the album Powerslave

Another history lesson brought to you by Iron Maiden as the song is about a British Air Force pilot during the Battle of Britain in World War II going against the Germans in their own aircraft. I think more parents should actually let their kids listen to Iron Maiden because it may be the only way they retain any knowledge about famous battles or at least make them want to actually pick up these things called books and read about them! I have feeling that in the future this is probably how Nathan and I are going to have our children educated so I'm not far off...

#4. The Number Of The Beast from the album of the same name

You know it's probably because of this song and the album art of Eddie that made me kind of leery of giving Iron Maiden a chance but don't forget that in the 80s I was just a little kid and in the 90s I was molded by pop music. I'm pretty sure if I had been interested in Iron Maiden then my parents would not have cared as long as I didn't play it loud enough to disturb them. In 1982 this caused Iron Maiden to get a lot of flack from religious groups deeming them Satanists but don't forget these were the same types of people Holy Smoke was later written about and that people also thought that Stevie Nicks was really a witch *scoffs*. Steve Harris said he wrote this song after having a nightmare caused by a late night viewing of Damien: Omen II and if you look at the lyrics it backs up that story. This was one of the song's debuting Bruce Dickinson as the new voice of the band and I have to say I don't think any other vocalist could match his vocal power today or even then! My favorite part is the opening with the spoken word intro quoting the Bible and then going into that great guitar opening before we get to hear Bruce in all his glory letting out those awesome metal screams!

#3. Flight Of Icarus from the album Piece Of Mind

Now for those of you who are going "Who the heck is Icarus?" brief lesson in Greek myths: Icarus was the son of an inventor who made them wings of feather and wax to escape imprisonment on an island but the boy flew too close to the sun and well...that's it really. Now Bruce Dickinson's vocal and the lyrics he wrote along with Adrian Smith have Icarus more or less rebelling  against his father instead by claiming he can actually fly in the name of God and being basically burnt to ash by his arrogance and pride.Again it's the opening guitar riffs that bring you in so basically you come for the mastery of Smith and Murray and then stay for the theatrical vocals of Dickinson or vice versa which ever way you prefer...

#2. The Evil That Men Do from the album Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

I'm not going to lie to you even after hearing this song a thousand times (it's one of Nathan's most played on long road trips) and even reading the lyrics for myself I can't even conceive what the song is about...kind of a first for me! All I know is repetitive listening to that opening gets it stuck in my head and I mean just hearing it live is good enough reason to like it! Usually I'm like a compendium of knowledge or literary subtext but this time I've got nothing...it's just an awesome song!

Just like this is just an awesome not as terrifying picture of Eddie...

Despite my lack of reasoning for #2 ...I think I have a pretty good list made up so far don't you think? Now my number one choice for this particular list is probably only known to the most die hard fans and collector of all things Iron Maiden. It's so high on the list because well it was actually one of the first songs that introduced me to the band thanks to my boyfriend on our first date. So just what is it?

#1. That Girl (B-Side to Stranger In A Strange Land from the album Somewhere In Time)

Now this song was not written by any member of Iron Maiden...it's a cover of a song by a British Rock band FM from back in 1986. One of the songwriters just happened to be friends with Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith so I guess that's eventually how it ended up being a B-side. Now I admit I probably got hooked to this song and ended up liking Iron maiden because the song doesn't really scream metal to me or at least it didn't to my 21 year old self. I do love the driving guitar through out the song and the vocals of Dickinson and his band mates are very nicely performed with a signature Bruce Dickinson long note held out toward the end. So of course I can spot romantic symbolism in lyrics a mile away and since no member of the band actually wrote this song I can call it a power ballad of sorts. I mean it is about a girl or specifically that one girl a young man can't live without. He'll fight evil for her, die for her and in return she'll be loyal in return and perhaps sacrifice her life for him in return if it ever came to it. As I said it means something to me and is kind of symbolic of my own relationship (at least from my point of view...I can't say much about what my boyfriend thinks about it.) so that's why I will probably place this as one of my highest favorite songs ever recorded by Iron Maiden.

So I hope you enjoyed taking a look at the Iron Maiden songs I like for this list and don't fret...I'll be back with more in the future. If you learned not to judge a book by its cover with me then who knows what you can expect next time!

Don't worry...Eddie always comes back...

Britney Spears Top Ten #1

Welcome back to my music mix tape as today I go through my first top ten of my favorite Britney Spears songs. Now I can hear some of you groan even though you did click on this to view it so I assume if you don't like Britney you were just curious. I will admit that when she first came out I didn't care much for Britney Spears but after awhile damn it if her catchy pop didn't grow on me! When Britney started going through her problems and had a lot of people backlash at her or scrutinize her, I could actually sympathize with what she was going through and gained a whole new perspective of her as a person and a new found respect. It's the old adage that a person's not so bad once you get to know them and even if not on a personal level like you actually know the person but on a musical level. I don't think there is anything wrong with still loving pop music at my age and if Britney (who is two years older than me) is going to continue to make it then I will always give it a shot. One fun little fact for you before we get started is the song Sometimes became a favorite of my mom since it played on our soft rock/ lite pop station so in the car I would become subjected to it which is probably why I ended up eventually liking Britney Spears so again my mother is the reason why I like some of the stuff I do. On that anecdote, here is the first of my top ten favorite Britney Spears songs...

#10. Toxic from the album In The Zone

This song grew on me after I heard a girl singing it constantly at the movie theater job I had way back when this song came out. I have to admit that the chorus is catchy and I actually like those high-pitched strings as they kind of remind me of Psycho and I never thought I would hear surf guitar in a Britney Spears song but it actually kind of works! The title of the song pretty much spells out the lyrics that the man you are with is literally like drugs: you're addicted to him and he's poison: not good for you at all. The video is interesting with Brit playing on every male fantasy as a stewardess, sexy spy and diamond covered, naked woman? Oh well more power to her as the closest I get to wearing diamonds is on my ears...

#9. Womanizer from the album Circus

Another song by Britney that just got stuck in my head after hearing someone (this time my best friend Amy) playing it in her car and then I'm humming that hook and chorus like crazy that I went out and bought the album just to have it! It certainly will draw in your attention with that siren-klaxon at the beginning and then that robotic-synthesizer beat that drives the song has me bobbing my head and grinning like an idiot as I listen to it in my car (seriously because Amy's copy of Circus got stuck in my CD player and is still there!) Again there isn't any over interpretation of the song based on it's title: it's about a womanizer. A different woman for every day of the week this man thinks he can get what ever girl he wants but there are some out there who won't be fooled and can call him out on his Lothario ways.

#8. Radar from the album Blackout

A good song always will get you with that first note and when a song called Radar opens with little sonar pulses it will either drive you crazy like a bat or get your attention! That sexy come-hither tone Spear uses to sing the song makes me think of some sexy secret agents playing a game of cat and mouse with the female agent intrigued by her male counterpart and the 007 not knowing that he is being followed...or maybe he does know the intentions of our Charlie's Angel. That's my own interpretation of the lyrics as I do like the video posted above for its subtlety and its sexy, posh love triangle and find it to be a very mature Britney we are dealing with!

#7. Do Somethin' from the album My Prerogative: The Greatest Hits

Guitars, bass and dance-pop...not possible is it? Yep it is in this energetic number credited to Britney's alter-ego Mona Lisa that we get that triple combo in a fun song about just going out and having fun no matter what anyone says! I know I use to get looks from others and even my own friends when we would go out to clubs and dance because frankly I have no sense of rhythm and would just dance however I felt to the beat whether I looked stupid or not as it was a way to just unwind. People can give you looks when all they are doing is sitting there sipping on drinks so it always takes one person and one song to get people up and moving...in the club it would be me and this song!

#6. You Drive Me Crazy (The Stop Remix)

The original version is from Spear's debut album ...Baby One More Time and to tell you the truth I have never liked that one...but I love this version! The first time I heard this and got to the part where Brit goes "STOP!" and the music just abruptly does as she says made me smile just like she does at that part in the video. The energy of this version is less bubblegum than the original but still full of teen pop that is dance club ready and there's even a little cowbell thrown in there for you! This version appeared on the soundtrack to the 1999 film Drive Me Crazy which is why Melissa Joan Hart is in the video and who's that guy? Yep it's a young Adrian Grenier from Entourage (he was in the movie too!). Also I like Brit's green top and her cute yet dorky waitress character (she's like a nerdy Pink Lady from Grease!)

#5. Cinderella from the album Britney

I actually heard this song because again my friend Amy had this CD and we would listen to it in her car until it got replaced by whatever new CD she bought after that! Being that I love fairy tales, it's very easy to see why title wise I found interest in this song and sometimes how you use that as a title to fit the lyrics is interesting to hear. Rule of thumb, ladies: if your boyfriend calls you Cinderella...it's likely not a cute nickname. Especially if you are a girlfriend like me who is not forced but chooses to do things for her man and does them with at least some respect from him but if you do everything for your man and get opposite results...it's time to ditch that glass slipper because you have running to do! Despite going off on another tangent of over-analyzed lyrics, that pop beat is still present on an album focused with maturity, sexuality and being an adult. I don't think anyone's life is a happy fairy tale unless you're actually married to a prince and Britney makes that very clear...you have to make it one on your own.

#4. Stronger from the album Oops I Did It Again!

Another instance of where a video is the first exposure I got for a certain song and after seeing this video I had to go out and buy its parent album! I like the dark atmosphere that was way different from the videos before it and showed a very empowered and maturing Britney. If you are a woman who has ever been treated like property by your man  or has been made to feel like you can't do anything for yourself...Britney is the one to tell you how to be your own woman! Sometimes security is nice but if you aren't being appreciated or being used then it's time to go it alone and even though it may seem scary at first...you'll make it! On a purely off-hand point, I love Brit's outfit and I want that sweet Mustang of hers!

#3. Everytime from the album In The Zone

I've heard it said that this is one of the best songs Britney Spears has ever written and sung and I have to be one to agree! That music box melody is so sad and a representative of real heartache and pain because to me music boxes are things of the past that are long gone and nothing besides the loss of a family member is as painful as losing someone you loved whether through means of your own or not. Sometimes you say things you don't mean, or you cheat on them in moments of weakness or hit them in moments of anger and begging for forgiveness from any of those things may never be given because you wait too late. There are rumors that this song is about her break-up with Justin Timberlake but again rumors so only Britney knows for sure but still it comes from a place of regret and pain. I've also heard things about the video and my interpretation is that it was a morbid fantasy that became an almost eerie coincidence mirroring Britney's future struggles. For someone who has had depressed, self-harming thoughts in the past I think the suicide theory of the video at that present time is irrelevant. The smile at the end is not laughing it off as a dream... it is a smile of someone grateful to be alive.

#2. If U Seek Amy from the album Circus

Veering off from a very serious and almost downer direction, let's go back to the poppy, cheeky Britney Spears that I've come to adore! Since I am much older now listening to music it did not take me as long to find the double meaning in the lyrics I was hearing and apparently, I wasn't the only one as most parents were in an uproar about their kids going around singing a song with the dread F word in it and finding out it was a Britney Spears song! It's phonetically implied to be that word but again people hear what they want to hear and can turn a good song into something nasty but as for me I just love that head bobbing beat as I always do but I can appreciate Brit's little naughty side, Amy obviously being another alter-ego a little more sexy and saucy than her "Mona Lisa" persona from Do Somethin' which in no way is a bad thing! It's lyrically about finding a celebrity or person of nearly-famous status in local circles by one of many idolizing sycophants in almost a sexually, obsessive way or as the video shows quite literally: what really goes on behind closed doors stays behind those doors and the image we present in public may be for your own good.

So out of all the Britney Spears songs to make this first Top Ten installment...which one is my top pick? Well not only is it this list's number one but it is probably my favorite song released by Britney...ever! What is it you ask?...

#1. Break The Ice from the album Blackout

I first heard this song on the radio probably a couple of months after it was released and that first synthesizer beat with its electronic, R&B groove immediately made my ears perk up like a dog hearing kibble hit the bowl! With Brit's breathy vocals and that interlude in the middle seems to culminate to what the steamy lyrics are leading up to and when I finally saw the video, my inner geek just exploded because...ANIME!! I love anime and to see Brit in Japanese animation style back in her sexy spy role was just the cherry on on a triple sundae of lyrics, visuals and sound. Everyone knows what it means to break the ice but in this song I think it's more like melting the ice...because you're having sex on it! I'm trying not to get too vulgar but that's what the song makes me feel by the lyrics I have heard so many times! You look up those lyrics and tell me you don't see a hot, steamy night of passion instead of a little candlelight dinner date! Remember how I said Radar reminded me of two secret agents playing a romantic game of cat and mouse? Break The Ice could be either the prequel or sequel to that scenario if you ask me...that's a lot of seduction if you ask me. Oh Britney you are such tease with the to be continued on this video...making us want more as always!

Like Britney I'll leave you hanging on any future Spears Top Tens so until then...which genre or artist will we tackle next?...

Gloria Estefan Top 10 #1

So now I am ready to talk about Gloria Estefan whom I absolutely love! In the beginning of the 80s she was apart of the group Miami Sound Machine as their lead vocalist but soon got pushed to the foreground where they started to be marketed as Gloria Estefan And The Miami Sound Machine. Toward the end of the 1980s and early 1990s she became more of a solo artist and returned to her Cuban musical roots and became more of a dance-disco diva than pop singer. On March 22nd of 1990, Gloria Estefan was severely injured in an accident involving her tour bus where her spine was fractured and about an inch away from leaving her completely paralyzed for the rest of her life but she went through surgery and therapy to come back stronger than ever! I view Gloria Estefan as one of the pop singers and rock stars that I looked up to as being a positive role model for young women due to her determination, talent and her beauty. Another thing I admire Gloria for is that she has been married to her husband Emilio Estefan Jr. for 35 years and he was her first and only boyfriend! He has produced her albums and they love each other so much that I call that a true power couple! Praise aside, I owe discovering Gloria Estefan mostly to my half-sister Tamara as she did so with many other musical artists sometimes in a combined effort along with my mom and I am always appreciative of that. So today let's take a look at the first of my ten favorite Gloria Estefan/Miami Sound Machine songs.

#10. Here We Are from the album Cuts Both Ways

This is probably the song you think of first when you hear Gloria Estefan's name or maybe it's just me because this is a very sweet yet sultry ballad...pure romance for a person like me! The bass guitar, acoustic guitar, piano and percussion makes a great combination with Estefan's vocals and the song is about finding love, being with that person, later becoming only friends but never forgetting the special times you shared. Inside you know you still love them but to the rest of the world you have to hide it especially the person who still has your heart even if they don't know it.

#9. Betcha Say That from the album Let It Loose

I saw this video when I was really young and thought that Gloria Estefan was so beautiful and that it looked like she and the Miami Sound Machine had so much fun together! I think the infectious pop beat is why I like this song because of course a young kid may not have any idea about what the song is truly about. With new knowledge, it's a song about falling in love with a guy who uses cheesy lines, innocent manipulation and probably has broken the hearts of many girls in the past. The man in question doesn't seem to do so maliciously but he just happens to be a big flirt and it probably pushes some girls away and wraps others around his finger until the feelings gone and he skedaddles (probably afraid of commitment...I know a man like that...) Then the day happens that he truly does fall in love and wants to settle down but the girl in question knows about his past and isn't sure if she can believe him. Now that I think about it I like the song because I kind of relate to it now...is that really a good thing?

#8. Bad Boy from the album Primitive Love

There are actually two videos to this song but the one above is the version I saw first and yep you guessed it besides the members of Miami Sound Machine in one part...most of those actors playing cats are actually from Cats. Again this shows me how a good band can even stand dressing up to make a memorable video and well Gloria does have a velvet voice like a cat's purr so I guess it fits. There's really no deep reasoning behind the lyrics it's simply being in love with a bad boy maybe not a criminally bad boy or a dangerous one unless that just happens to be your type (I'm not judging anyone!).

#7. Reach from the album Destiny

Gloria Estefan is a powerful singer when it comes to ballads and when she is given a song to sing by master songwriter Diane Warren and it also happens to be chosen as an Olympic anthem, you know chills will be going down your arms in goose bumps! When the Summer Olympics were held in Atlanta back in 1996 who better to sing your official song of the games than a woman who knows what it is to fight like Gloria Estefan! Her accident and her parents escaping from the Cuban regime under Castro to come to America you know that she can push the power of her emotions into her voice. As the title states, it's about reaching for your dreams no matter what and we all have dreams we want to achieve no matter how impossible they may seem. I think anyone can do this as long as they are within realistic limits and I may still be chasing some of my dreams but I'll keep on reaching thanks to Gloria and this song...

#6. Dr. Beat from the album Eyes Of Innocence

Another fun video that is enough to attract a young child's attention and as the word is in the title, also the beat which is dancey and infectious like a musical ear worm is meant to be! It's self-explanatory that once music gets into your head you can't get rid of it but then when it moves to your feet that you can't stop dancing maybe you should consider visiting a real doctor but until it becomes a fatal emergency...you can dance as much as you like!

#5. I See Your Smile from the Greatest Hits album

You should know by now that I am a lover of ballads and when Gloria Estefan sings a ballad, it can really hit you where you live or at least bring a tear to your eye or a crack in your heart. From the moment I heard this song I was in love with it and when I learned it was written by Jon Secada I realized why it was so lyrically beautiful! It's a song about loving someone who brights up the day with their smile and makes your life easier through all the rough patches but then suddenly not having them anymore due to distance or maybe even death. They may be the one who got away in the romantic sense but as a friend they still remain in your heart even if separated by distance.

#4. Can't Forget You from the album Into The Light

I wasn't lying when I told you I love Gloria Estefan ballads now was I? The first time I heard this song is when I saw the video on VH1 and of course fell in love with it. By now you know I love songs about well...love in all its forms: positive or tragic. Sometimes you don't appreciate the love you have until it is no longer in your life especially when you are the one that walked away. Maybe you were confused or just too young to understand the good thing you had especially where love is concerned but now it hurts not to have that love anymore. It's even more difficult when you can't forget that person and then try to bring that love back by maybe trying to get back together and it is now too late.


#3. Don't Wanna Lose You from the album Cuts Both Ways

This was the first Gloria Estefan song and video I ever saw which began my full blown love of Gloria Estefan and let me explore everything that came before this. I like the simplicity of the video in its sepia tones and how Gloria is wearing little or no makeup and still looks so gorgeous! Everyone knows what it is like to love someone and how you want that person to love you for just being yourself and there are some of us who just where our hearts on our sleeves so that we are always open and vulnerable to the pain that comes with love. Sometimes it's tough not to fight with each other but you don't want it to get so bad that you end up walking away from each other but if you did end up saying good-bye would you lose apart of yourself as well...watching the other half of you walk away?

#2. Can't Stay Away From You from the album Let It Loose

From that first opening note, I was hooked on this song and I like how the tone is more pensive than sad and even though very adult contemporary I don't really think of it as a ballad. Yes it is slow to be considered a ballad but I find it more of an emotional plea from the heart that is just too powerful to be labeled a ballad because too people who don't appreciate this type of music could put the word sappy in front of it and I don't like that. I think maybe I relate to the lyrical content of the song too much is why I can't see it as a ballad because believe me I have been in a situation similar to this! Sometimes you will love someone and that love is not reciprocated because the other person only wants to be friends or maybe they are pining for someone else and you feel like you may just be the last resort. You know that maybe you need to just walk away and try to find love somewhere else but you don't want to lose this person as a friend. You know you can't stay away from people you care about but in the long run I've found sometimes you do and it's all for the best. 

So which hit is this list's top pick? It just happens to be one of my favorite ballads and even though the live version is best the album one is too...

#1. Words Get In The Way from the album Primitive Love

This was I believe on a collection of Gloria Estefan videos my sister recorded for me when I was little after I discovered her for the first time and the video above was how I heard the song until I found it on her greatest hits album in its original album/studio version. It's always good to hear performers sing live without all the studio sound behind it because it proves just how powerful some singers really are and Gloria Estefan sounds beautiful live! Being in a friendship that was once an old relationship can be hard if you have to watch your former flame or crush be with someone new and you will hate the day when they come to tell you that they are falling in love. It's going to be especially hard because you have been trying to get your courage together to tell them how much you love them and now you know before your heart becomes broken further you just have to walk away. This song is not the object of your affection getting a wake-up call and realizing they have loved you all along but you being strong enough to admit you may never fall in love again they way you hope and being the one to walk away before any pain is caused.

So are you a little impressed by how much music I like and how many different artists I love? Well even if you aren't  I'm still not going to stop talking about my large music collection! So what artist will I talk about next or are we going to get some more randomness? I hope you come back and see!