PigzFromaGun

It's been three straight weeks of British bands on the podcast... and now we talk about one of the most underrated of them all. The true heirs to the Lennon-McCartney throne, and "Up the Junction" is proof!

1964 was an incredible year for The Beatles. They started off on the Ed Sullivan Show, spent the summer as movie stars, and ended the year with "Beatles for Sale". And this episode in particular will focus on the songs on "A Hard Day's Night"... that includes Paul McCartney's first great ballad!

In honor of Halloween, what better creepy crawly song is there to play then this one? We talk about old Boris, and plenty of other mid-60s classics from this band.

This hard rock group that started out in the mid-70s was pure dynamite. Just as this famous track suggests!

This week's episode tells the story of one of the 80s biggest hits... and while its lyrics may be inaccurate, its harmonies are beautiful! So, props to this seasoned band of session musicians creating a great sound.

Today's episode tells the story of Johnny Bragg. He was a man who was imprisoned multiple times on false charges, but overcame it all through the power of music and friendship. It's truly an inspiring tale!

Being busy prevented me from uploading last week... so instead we'll honor the start of fall today! This iconic counterculture tune is the melancholy of autumn personified.

Well, it doesn't really get more famous than this song. And so we had to cover it on this podcast!

On what would've been his 90th birthday, today we honor Buddy Holly and his chirping Crickets. When it comes to The Beatles' early influences, they might've been the strongest!

Last week's news about Dolly Parton hurt. It changed my plans for the podcast. I had to dedicate this week's episode to her and the excellent music she's made.

Today we cover another late 60s counterculture icon, just as we did last week. It's maybe the most legendary guitarist there ever was... Jimi Hendrix!

Janis Joplin did a lot of living in her 27 years. We discuss the girl who sang the blues in this episode, and just how powerful her voice truly was.

Today we discuss one of the top rock acts of the mid-60s in the US, The Lovin' Spoonful! They had plenty of sunshiney songs, and yet it was a tune that had a little more edge to it that was their biggest hit.

Today we return to my all-time favorite a capella group, The Persuasions! They had some excellent albums in the early 1970s called "We Came to Play" and "Spread the Word". "The Sun" became an iconic a capella classic.

This episode tells the story of Manfred Mann, both the musician and the band! The OG band had some classic British invasion songs from the 60s, but the musician would reform an "Earth Band" for one more big hit in the 70s.

Today we celebrate The Spinners, one of the legendary R&B acts of the 1970s! They had plenty of great hits in that decade, but there's one in particular that has a special place in my heart.

Today we discuss one of the most popular doo wop groups, the "international ambassadors of musical good will"... The Platters! Their smooth sound is definitely a contrast from the street-corner harmony that we've discussed on the podcast.

Happy belated 250th birthday to the United States. I thought there'd be no better song to discuss than this oft-misunderstood tune by The Boss!

The Carpenters were the most famous act of the early 70s, with the beautiful harmonies of siblings Richard and Karen being the driving force. But sadly for Karen, the pressures of fame took their toll on her. 

This episode explores the early history of The Beach Boys, from 1962-63. They had a lot of hits on their rise to stardom, not least of which was "Surfin' USA".

The late 50s were a tumultuous time for Johnny Cash. Moving to a new record label and a new city, discovering pills, and being catapulted into country fame. But his story-telling music from this time was among his very best, including this underrated song!

This episode talks about one of my all-time favorite Billy Joel songs, on one of my very favorite albums of all time... Turnstiles! It's a true example of quality over quantity, where a homesick New Yorker put together 8 excellent songs about his return to the Big Apple. 

It's up a week late because of technical difficulties, but rest assured... we had to talk about The Drifters at some point on the podcast! Their legendary seven decade run began with Clyde McPhatter's bunch. And let's be honest, that's when the group was at their peak.

Today we delve into one of the most iconic pop stars of the 1980s, Cyndi Lauper. Her eclectic fashion sense was seen on MTV, and her synthy music dominated the airwaves. But this episode also explores how she was and is a key ally to the LGBT community, in particular with the song "True Colors".

Lionel Richie may have been the superstar of this famous R&B group... but it's Clyde Orange who delivers the vocals on my favorite of their songs. 36/24/36, oh what a winning hand!