Can you name the artist and song:
Some people stay far away from the door
If there’s a chance of it opening up
They hear a voice in the hall outside
And hope that it just passes by
Last Song: “The Look” by Roxette from Look Sharp! (1989)
Great job Craig (@cdennis0130), Stephen (@StephenCerone), Erwin (@erwin_green), and Lynne (@LynneAshton2)!!!
Swaying to the band
Moving like a hammer
She’s a miracle man
Loving is the ocean
Kissing is the wet sand
Can you name the artist and song:
Just when I thought I was over you
And just when I thought I could stand on my own
Oh, baby, those memories come crashin’ through
And I just can’t go on without you
Last Song: “Listen To Your Heart” by Roxette from Look Sharp! (1989)
Great job Craig (@cdennis0130), Ty (@Coug88), Brent (@jonbrent13), and Erwin (@erwin_green)!!!
And there are voices that want to be heard
So much to mention but you can’t find the words
The scent of magic, the beauty that’s been
When love was wilder than the wind
Today’s Song of the Day is Roxette’s “The Look”, which hit #1 on the Billboard charts this week in 1989. This was the Swedish pop duo’s fourth single from their second studio album, Look Sharp!. It was a worldwide smash hit as it topped the charts in 25 countries, and was the first of their four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100.
Roxette released the Look Sharp! album in October 1988. It was an immediate commercial success in their home country, spending seven weeks at number one on the Swedish Albums Chart. “Dressed for Success” and “Listen to Your Heart” were released as the album’s first two singles in Sweden, both becoming top three hits there. “Chances” was released in Germany and France as the first international single from the album. This song became an international hit when an American exchange student returned from Sweden and urged the Minneapolis radio station KDWB to play the song. Even though it hadn’t yet been released in the United States the song spread on cassette copies to other American radio stations. Eventually it became a #1 in Australia and Japan as well as the United States.
Deep track today!
Can you name the artist and song:
I’ll be your loaded dice
You’re holding all the cards
You set the tone whenever I’m with you
You make up all the rules
In this game of fools
Last Song: “Dressed For Success” by Roxette from Look Sharp!
(1989)
Great job Craig (@cdennis0130)!!!
I’m not afraid
A trembling flower
I’ll feed your heart
And blow the dust from your eyes
If you’d like to get this song from Amazon, you can click on the album cover below:
Sadly, this is the final day of the 20 Day Album Challenge. I’ll close it out with a double-shot of Roxette – Look Sharp! and Joyride.
Both of these were important albums to me in my Navy days. Look Sharp! had come out just before I left for the Navy. I loved “The Look” and bought it on 45. When I finished boot camp in April 1989, and when to my specialty school (‘A’ School for those of you in the know) in San Diego. One of the first things I did was go to the Exchange, head right to the music section, and bought myself a Walkman and a few cassettes. Look Sharp! was one of them. I loved every song, and it really helped me get through school. This was a major change in my life, and I was over 3,000 miles from home. So Roxette took me to a safe place when I needed it. I loved every single they released, which includes (in addition to “The Look”) “Dressed for Success“, “Listen to Your Heart“, “Chances“, and “Dangerous“. I also liked “Sleeping Single” which may have been the B side to “The Look” on the 45 I owned.
Roxette’s follow-up album, Joyride, came out while I was on my way home from Desert Storm. Our first stop on the way home was Singapore. There was a gorgeous mall there. Once again, I headed right to the music section. It happened to be the day that Joyride came out. I hadn’t known that Roxette was coming out with a new album, so it was a pleasant surprise. I also bought Chicago’s brand new Twenty 1. I almost included that album on this list, but decided to stick with the Roxette theme. I listened to both albums over and over.
As much as I loved every song on Look Sharp!, two of my favorite Roxette tunes came off of Joyride – “Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)” and “Spending My Time“. The title track wasn’t too shabby either.
Marie Fredriksson’s death this past December really hit me hard. I knew she had been battling cancer for years and years. But, it still didn’t lessen the blow. Luckily the music will live on forever. Whenever I feel myself going down, I throw some Roxette in my ears, and I am able to get to a happy place.
Both albums are available on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/487Xg1a57O6pDfkyYcbuFx
And if you’d like to get either or both albums from Amazon, you can click on the album coves below.
Can you name the artist and song:
She only wanted to be close to me
To give me the love she knew someday I’d need
Last Song: “The Look” by Roxette from the album Look Sharp! (1989)
Great job Lynne (@LynneAshton2), Adora (@Adora2000), and Lisa (@gabbyg89)!!!
RIP Marie Fredriksson
Heavenly bound
Cause heaven’s got a number
When she’s spinning me around
Kissing is a color
Her loving is a wild dog
If you’d like to get this song from Amazon, you can click on the album cover below:
Can you name the artist and song:
I thought I saw the Madonna
When you walked in the room
Well your eyes were like diamonds
And they cut right through, oh they cut right through
Last Song: “Listen to Your Heart” by Roxette from the album Look Sharp! (1988)
Great job Adora (@Adora2000), Karina (@WillieSun), Bryan (@BryanBoo29), and onehitwonderfull (@onehitwonder191)!!!
I know there’s something in the wake of your smile.
I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yeah
If you’d like to get this song from Amazon, click on the album cover below:
Can you name the artist and song:
Don’t bet your future
On one roll of the dice
Better remember
Lightning never strikes twice
Last Song: “The Look
Great job Jim (@JimVilk), Lillian (@LilliBug93), and Karina (@WillieSun)!!!
Walking like a man
Hitting like a hammer
She’s a juvenile scam
Never was a quitter
If you’d like to purchase this song, click on the album cover below:
Can you name the song and ’80s artist? if you’re feeling ambitious, feel free to name the original artist:
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there’s always tomorrow
Last Song: “Dangerous” by Roxette from Look Sharp! (1988)
Great job Imagenes Retro (@retroimagenes)!!!
Get out of my way, get out of my sight
I won’t be walking on thin ice to get through the night
As this week comes to a close, I’d like to thank you for allowing me to indulge myself, and step over to the ’90s for a bit. We’ll wrap up with some of my favorites from this time period. There are some deep tracks that I really loved. So I hope you enjoy some of these songs. As usual, you can click on the song title to get to the video. These songs are in no particular order.
After The Bangles’ hot run throughout the ’80s, Susanna Hoffs embarked on a solo career. I bought her album, When You’re a Boy. I was expecting it to be better than it was. She is much better with her bandmates. However, there were a few good songs on it, including this Billboard Top 40 single “My Side of the Bed”. I had forgotten about this, but was reminded of it by my friend, and loyal reader, Andy.
On the way back from the Gulf, our ship stopped at Singapore for a couple of days. I loved it there! There was a huge mall there, and of course I had to go in a record store there. I bought Chicago Twenty 1, and the next album coming up on this list. I fell in love with this album. Every single song, on this underrated album, is incredible. These two songs are great ballads. “Explain It to My Heart” is the first song on the album, and “Chasin’ the Wind” is the first song on the second side.
This song was off of Roxette’s album, Joyride, which I bought along with Chicago Twenty 1, in Singapore. This is another album I loved, and this is my favorite song from the album. It is also one of my favorite songs by Roxette.
These are a couple of my favorite AC/DC songs, and they were both on the same album – The Razor’s Edge. “Thunderstruck” has got to have one of the best openings of any song, ever. Talk about getting you pumped up! And “Moneytalks” is just a flat-out fun, rockin’ song.
While in the Middle East, we stopped by Bahrain quite a few times. We would load up on supplies, and it was easier to refuel. So, we would be able to get off the ship. I would always to to the Souq, which was a marketplace. There were several music stores there. They would have 90 minute tapes, often with the greatest hits of anybody you could think of – for the price of 3 dollars, which was extremely cheap (even back then). While most people from the ship loaded up on gold and clothing, I loaded up on tapes. My locker was lined with tapes, from top to bottom (in alphabetical order, of course). One tape I bought had about 40 songs on it. There were some great songs on there, so I had to buy it. There were so many songs on there because they were only samples. A Middle Eastern DJ would introduce a song, then the song would fade out after the first chorus. One of the songs was this great one from The Little River Band. I fell in love with this song, and had to find where it came from. Pre-Google, I somehow found out it was on their new album, Get Lucky. The whole album was really good, but this still remains my favorite song by them.
[not available on iTunes]
This incredible power ballad by Winger was so appropriate at the time. As I was miles away from family and friends, this song really meant a lot to me.
Just before I went on the ship for the last time before we left for the Gulf War, I was in the Navy Exchange (store), and came across the music section (go figure). I was browsing, trying to find something good that I didn’t already own. A girl came up to me, and said that I should get McAuley Shenker Group’s Save Yourself. I had neveThat album just blew me away heard of them, but decided to give it a shot. Best.Advice.Ever! There are so many great songs on that album, but this was my favorite.
[not available on iTunes]
This song was on another mix tape that I bought in Bahrain. However, this time the full songs were on the tape. I believe the tape was titled Right Here Waiting – Homesick Love Songs. Before this song, I had never heard of Yngwie Malmsteen. I had no idea if it was a group or a person. Well, he is a legendary guitarist from Sweden. He is beyond incredible. And this song is an outstanding power ballad that I still play a lot.
Unfortunately, Warrant is now best known for “Cherry Pie“. Although I love that song, they had so many other great songs. And “Blind Faith” is my favorite among them. It is such a great, underrated ballad.
This supergroup just blew me away when I first heard them. How can you go wrong with Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, and Ted Nugent. The drummer, Michael Cartellone, was unknown, but outstanding. He would eventually join Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Their power ballad, “High Enough“, always seems to get the airplay. But this lead single is still one of my favorites by them. And there is not a weak song on their self-titled debut album.
Well, I could just keep going on and on with songs that I love from this time period. But, I’ll have to cut this short now. Maybe I’ll do an ’80s in the ’90s series. Do any of you have any songs that you love from 1990 through 1991?
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Return to the 80s 