Song of the Day #3,749: ‘Shrike’ – Hozier

Hozier’s ‘Take Me To Church’ was one of the biggest hits of 2014, going five times Platinum and topping Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs chart for a then-record 23 straight weeks.

Powered by that single, the Irish rocker’s self-titled debut LP sold a million copies worldwide. I think I heard it a couple of times and enjoyed it well enough, but I couldn’t name another of its songs.

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Song of the Day #3,748: ‘Sidekick’ – Walk the Moon

The other day, my daughters and I were talking about one-hit wonders, specifically the idea that some one-hit wonders must have started out with a lot of long-term potential.

When A-Ha had a huge hit with ‘Take On Me,’ their fans probably thought the band would enjoy international success for years to come. And in Europe, they did have a strong run of several Gold albums. But 33 years later, can anybody reading this blog name another A-Ha song without using Google?

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Song of the Day #3,747: ‘A Higher Place’ – Tom Petty

It’s bittersweet to see Tom Petty pop up as a Random Weekend selection, just a few days past the one-year anniversary of his death. ‘A Higher Place’ is an appropriate title, I suppose, even if the song is not about heaven but rather a flood.

This is Petty at his Byrds-ian best, all jangly guitars and sweet harmonies. ‘A Higher Place’ is a standout track on one of Petty’s most special albums, Wildflowers.

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Song of the Day #3,746: ‘Now That I’m Older’ – Sufjan Stevens

I don’t have much patience for songs like this one from Sufjan Stevens’ 2010 album The Age of Adz.

This reminds me of Radiohead post-OK Computer. Many critics would call that a great thing, but I think Radiohead was just swell right through OK Computer and then turned into total garbage.

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Song of the Day #3,745: ‘Waterloo’ – Cher

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was one of this summer’s unexpected hits, grossing more than $120 million at the domestic box office and another $270 million overseas.

My own reaction to the film was equally unexpected, and in fact as of this writing it still sits atop my 2018 list as my favorite movie of the year so far. I am counting down the days til the Oct. 8 streaming release like a kid in the walk-up to Christmas.

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