When fellow blogger Max who pens the great PowerPop blog wrapped up his Max Picks song series earlier this month with selections for 1995, my first thought was, ‘I get it.’ After all, considering his taste, which is pretty similar to mine, finding great music for each year becomes more tricky the closer you get to the present time. But then I thought given how much decent new music I’ve been able to uncover each week over the past three years or so, why not continue where Max left it off.
Not only was Max generous enough to allow me to run with his idea, but he even agreed to participate in the continuation of the series by contributing one song pick for each year. Starting today, I’m hoping to publish the 29 installments every other week to get us all the way to 2024. This would mean the series would conclude sometime in the spring of next year. I realize that’s a long time to look ahead, so we’ll see how it goes and take it one post at a time. Here are song picks for 1996.
Jackson Browne/The Barricades of Heaven
I’m thrilled to pick up the series with Jackson Browne, one of my all-time favorite artists. The Barricades of Heaven, credited to Browne, Luis Conte, Mark Goldenberg, Mauricio Lewak, Kevin McCormick, Scott Thurston and Jeff Young, is a track from Browne’s 11th studio album Looking East, which came out in January 1996. Yep, that’s many writers but what a gem!
The Wallflowers/One Headlight
In May 1996, The Wallflowers released their sophomore album Bringing Down the Horse, which became their highest-selling to date. Undoubtedly, this performance was fueled by One Headlight. The album’s second single, which became the band’s biggest hit, was Max’s excellent pick. Like all other songs on the album, it was written by frontman Jakob Dylan.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers/Walls (Circus)
Next up is Tom Petty, another longtime favorite artist of mine. Wall (Circus), written by Petty, is the opener of Songs and Music from “She’s the One”. The ninth studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers appeared in August 1996 and served as the soundtrack for the American romantic comedy picture She’s the One, which came out the same year. Man, I dearly miss Tom!
Sheryl Crow/If It Makes You Happy
The title perfectly captures my sentiment about this next song. If It Makes You Happy, co-written by Sheryl Crow and her longtime collaborator Jeff Trott, is among my all-time favorites by Crow. Evidently, many other listeners agreed. The song, which appeared on Crow’s self-titled sophomore album from September 1996, became one of her most popular singles.
Shawn Colvin/Sunny Came Home
Admittedly, Sunny Came Home is the only song by Shawn Colvin I can name, but at least it’s a real goodie! Co-written by her and producer John Leventhal, not only did it become Colvin’s biggest hit, but it also won her two 1997 Grammy awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The song was included on her fourth studio album A Few Small Repairs released in October 1996.
Johnny Cash/I’ve Been Everywhere
Wrapping up this first installment of the continuation of the song series is the Man in Black. I think I first heard I’ve Been Everywhere in a TV commercial. Written by Australian country singer Geoff Mack in 1959, the song was first popularized down under in early 1962 by rock & roll, pop and country artist Leslie William Morrison, professionally known as Lucky Starr. Later that same year, Hank Snow took it to no. 1 in the U.S. on the country charts. It has since been recorded by many other artists. Johnny Cash featured it on his November 1996 album American II: Unchained. I’m still puzzled how you can mention so many different places in rapid machine gun fire fashion without stumbling! š
I’d like to leave you with a Spotify playlist of the above goodies – one down, 28 installments to go!
Sources: Wikipedia; Acclaimed Music; YouTube; Spotify
You picked some great ones Christian! I’m happy you are carrying it to the end! I’ll add them to my index on my page. I really love the Johnny Cash song! The Petty song is really good also…you know what I think of Crow and The Wallflowers.
I have to say something…it’s odd commenting on this now. I love it!
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I just thought it was a fun idea, and I’m happy you’re going to support it, Max!
While between the two, I feel we should be able to find six songs we both sufficiently like for the remaining years, I realize this could get tricky, given our particular way to look at music and not just pick songs from the charts. The latter would be way too easy! I suspect at times there might be some obscure picks! š
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Sure man…I certainly don’t own it…I did list it in my index as Chris and Max from here on out to 2024. I’m glad you are going to continue it.
I loved the obscure picks…I warn you…it does get really hard some years!
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No doubt!š
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Nice picks!
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Great stuff. That Wallflowers debut was brilliant and when I bought the follow up I asked myself what happened here? Lol
Awesome your carrying on the Max Attack idea!
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My personal favorite from that album is “6th Avenue Heartache.” But I also like “One Headlight.” Plus, it was Max’s pick! š
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glad to see the list goes on! Good picks, and ’96 was actually a good year for music. I wasn’t hot for the wallflowers EXCEPT that song… it’s a classic. And Sheryl was doing what Sheryl did best – being great. Funny, that picture at the top was on one of her CD singles and I recall buying it even though I had the album already. I’m sure I had a good excuse like ‘there’s probably a great b-side… that will go in one ear and out the other when I look at the cover (she was one of the rare ones who had pix that could draw you in but the music to fully make it very worthwhile). For me, it was the year of REM’s ‘New Adventures in Hi-fi’, a very under-rated album. It had a couple of dog tracks on it and was eclectic but was up there with their best overall, though I’d have a hard time picking one song off it …maybe ‘Bittersweet Me’ or ‘Low Desert’.
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While I try hard to look at music artists based on their music rather than their looks, I can’t deny Sheryl has both great music and the looks! š
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“One Headlight” and “Walls (Circus)” are my highlights from 1996 in your list. And I remember being tortured with the music of the boygroups which my fellows at the boarding school were listening.
1997 was a little bit better, I’m looking forward for your picks.
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Glad you’re carrying this on! And hoping that as you will presumably move further from what was ‘popular’ at the time, I might discover some new artists and songs!
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Hey Chris, If I was identify one artist whose music I have had the slowest time to adapt to (or appreciate) over the decades it would be Jackson Browne. In my youth I liked ‘Running on Empty’ but not so much now. Max presented Browne’s version of the Allman Band’s ‘These Days’ recently and now you with this magnificent song ‘The Barricades of Heaven’. Both of which I’m thinking, ‘Where have you been all my life’?
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Jackson Browne has some great songs. The “Running On Empty” album was my entry point as well. I loved it right away and still do. I also got to see him in May 2018 and thought it was a neat show.
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That would have been great to see him live. I hope I am fortunate enough to hear more music from him like āThese Daysā and āThe Barricades of Heavenā.
Do you have any recommendations by him?
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Some of my favorite Jackson Browne songs include “Jamaica Say You Will”, “Doctor My Eyes”, “Take It Easy”, “Red Neck Friend”, “Late For the Sky”, “The Pretender” and “In the Shape of the Heart”.
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Thanks for making the effort to send those on. I had a busy weekend with the kiddies, but now I’m in relax mode. I will listen to all those tonight and get back to you. Cheers.
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My pleasure. Hope you find something there you like.
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Out of these I liked ‘Late For the Sky’ & ‘The Pretender’. I think I’ll end up adding them to my collection. Thanks again Christian.
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Sunny Came Home is my favourite from this list.
I never realized that Cash song was so recent – always thought it was from the fifties or something.
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