Old Man Yells at Music

Finally, The Old Man is back with more of his unique perspective on pop of the past. This time he looks at the hits of a month in which brutalizing house guests meant box office. There's gothiness, CanCon, returning teen idols, a song to look for a murderer in an odd Pacific Northwest town by, a rapping, crying soccer star, and a hit that is practically synonymous with early 90s cheese. YouTube ha...

This time Roger looks back at a time when Sam Malone + Thomas Magnum + Carey Mahoney = blockbuster. The hits of the moment included a Ray Charles cover by a Tipper Gore target, a military exercise, a matrimonial anthem, lovers who show varying degrees of devotion, accompaniment for women writhing on automobiles, and an operatic rocker meeting the real thing. There's a lot of background on YouTube:...

Another one so soon? Roger's really pressing to get even close to caught up, so here he is again to talk about the hits of the month Bo Derek became a thing. There's punk destruction, sappy closing credits music, mixed feelings about the wireless, counterintuitive action, a band's other dirty-minded hit, and a twangy boat trip. Explore on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQnWvd...

This time Roger looks back at the CanUKUS hits from the month when the movies helped make Jack Skellington and Rudy Ruettiger household names. The charts featured some bedroom boasting, reefer-fueled madness, anti-consumerist Swedish rap, an icon's first major pop hit, possibly the best disco hit of the 90s, and that song that those guys on that show did that thing to. You remember the thing, don'...

Finally, Roger returns with an episode about the hits of the month when Madonna truly began her legend. There's two songs sort of about coke, a victim of the prejudices of the time, superstar indulgent pretentiousness, British wedding music, and political wrestling. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQlNQW_EpDr7O9JXah8_lZrM&si=Eji6cKXrFq_G7A65 and https://www.patreon.com/oldmanyellsatmus...

Roger is way behind on the chart shows, and the latest attempt to catch up begins 51 years ago. There's a tale of a post-apocalyptic Big Apple, a legend's shockingly successful genitalia joke, an ode to a biker chick, primitive electronic music, the prog beginnings of a metal legend, and one of the biggest downers to ever hit #1. Get out of the road, clear the smoke from your eyes, and take the kn...

For his latest celebration of Spooky Season, Roger changes things up. First, he invites his comedian brother on to discuss this year's subject. And second, that subject is not a TV show but rather a theatrically released movie: 1986's Trick or Treat, the story of a teenage boy who brings his favorite heavy metal singer back to life by playing a record backwards. We discuss the cast, the acting, th...

This time Roger looks at the hits from a time when America's final answer for entertainment was watching a kid who saw dead people. There was room boomin', love seekin', bottom droppin', view sharin', war profiteerin', and farewell smoochin'. You will have my love if you listen to this one. YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQmPRZ6IGVYrSOfm9bs7AZER&si=bq4LFC9X-vdAZ1Kl Patreon: h...

This time Roger looks back 35 years to a month when the Brat Pack went west and Public Enemy went to prison...for a few hours. The hits of the day included second-generation reggae, a fine Springsteen knockoff, a revived Motown chestnut, a solo Go-Go (not that one), and a guy who could, and perhaps should, have been a superstar. Oh, and Roger tries to explain Michael Jackson's psyche. Start a good...

This time Roger goes back to a time when he was about a month away from starting kindergarten. While a shark gobbled up moviegoers' dollars, radios were playing songs about a nobody dreaming of a glittery future, the danger of firearms (by a band from the American South, no less), blabbermouth vegetation, a horse that definitely did have a name, sexy furniture, tropical vacation fantasies, and...

Roger's two months behind, but the comeback begins with a look at the hits of the summer Will Smith punched an alien and some Scots clones a sheep. There was bilingual rap, a thwarted tryst, a teenage torch singer, a tune to drop from the ceiling by, and some Eastern dabbling from the child of a child star. This episode loves you all. YouTube playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJP...

The tournament to crown the most Uneasy Riderish US Top 40 hit continues with a bracket containing songs about school kids, songs by school kids, good days, wishes, girls, losers, sunshine, units of time, being famous, self-identification, breakfast, trailers and more. You'll enjoy this one even if you don't wear Abercrombie and Fitch. YouTube playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJ...

This time Roger goes back to the beginning of the 2nd Star Wars summer to check out the charts. He finds some metal about a plane that almost crashed, fake siblings kicking it old school, a punk who can't get service, music for a cosmic beach party, a one-hit wonder with a pedigree, an intentionally "stupid" movie theme, and a guy who went from yacht rock to riding with wrestlers. Warning: listeni...

This time Roger travels back to those simpler days when 25 years on the British throne was seen as an impressive accomplishment and we were in the final days of people finding words like "lightsaber" and "Wookiee" kind of odd. On the charts, you had some Caribbean calypso via South America and the Netherlands, a yacht rocker initiating the "relationship talk," a lady...

This time Roger goes back to a time when a guy named Johnny announced his retirement and started a war. On the charts, you had droney jealousy, successful soundalikes, old lust, funny cheese, a pop masterpiece, an Italian guy who didn't sing opera, and a dated come-on. Everything you need is on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQkblx4RoosMEdD1_UCCLgM7 Support is welcome and com...

This time Roger looks at a time when moviegoers felt the need for speed, while TV viewers wondered why there was a dead guy in the shower. The chart hits of the day included a returning rock original, musty Britishness, some seaworthy Swiss pop, metalheads showing their compassionate side, a top-tier one hit wonder, bland "country," and multiple stars of the telly singing for or about important ca...

In 1978 space and aliens were the hottest trend in pop culture. They were dominating the movies, and the TV and music industries wanted in on it too. This is how we ended up with Karen and Richard Carpenter meeting some far out extraterrestrial beings played by...a blow-dried All American type and a buxom blonde sitcom star. Will the Carpenters teach the Pluterians the magic of music? Is Charlie C...

Roger continues to run behind on his episodes, but while he works on his current Turn On Tune In Rock Out Episode, he's offering one of his Patreon-only Microdose episodes for free in exchange for your patience. To accompany the Halloween episode about punk-themed TV episodes, he had a look at the time John Belushi got his favorite LA punk band booked on a Halloween edition of SNL, and the chaos t...

This time Roger goes back to a time when a Swedish quartet was winning with an ode to a big historic loss. On the charts, a tune about a hot-button issue was flopping, while more successful songs included a paean to sex in the sand, a tearjerker by a funnyman who would later be accused of consuming a rodent, an invitation to deception, a tribute to a booty-shaking apparatus, and a singing nun who...

This time Roger goes back four score and eight April Fool's Days. While moviegoers were being introduced to a fat man in a little coat, the charts contained a trip-hop ode to uniqueness, a Britpop awakening, a cover of a Japanese translation, a premium 90s party-starter, and some all-star metaphorical engineering. Learn about it all on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQkqzx0UC...

This time Roger goes back to a month when one of the countries whose charts we cover was on the brink of war over a land with more sheep than people. The hits of the day included some Irish patronizing, romantic crime, a very cold breakup, music for slow-motion beach running, a song with lofty ambitions, and a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him a question. https://youtube.com/playlist?li...

Yes, the Old Man isn't flying solo for once, as he's invited music instructor and classically trained singer Lynda Quigg to join him on this look back at the hits from the very early end of my chart timeline. (Oh yeah, she's my wife as well). She provides a different and more technical perspective to this week's songs. Find out how the person hired to design one single's sleeve fell (felt?) flat o...

Roger goes back 25 years to the heart of Titanic mania. While Jack and Rose were enjoying themselves in that old timey car, the charts featured jumpy fruit, stars gathering to promote public broadcasting, a song that includes 70s television in ideal romantic scenarios, one about making out with the weather, and one requesting an FBI investigation into a breakup. Here's the YouTube playlist: https:...

This time Roger looks back to a time when over four dozen Americans were enjoying their regained freedom, and two of the decade's biggest TV dramas were making their debuts. On the charts, you had the national breakthrough of a local legend, a plea for some truly special education, some sexy sleuthing, an unremarkable booty call, a pop superstar going to the movies, and the personification of a mu...

The search for the most odd and unique American Top 40 hit continues with the second first-round bracket. The songs here are about moms and dads and life and death and God and such. There are big names aplenty, along with the usual one hit wonders. But which 16 songs will move on? Listen to the contenders on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQnc5eep-pXiueDItGNCXT6p Check out op...