Kelly Clarkson is one of those artists who releases blockbuster singles every couple of years and maintains radio silence otherwise.
Her biggest hits are instantly recognizable, pure pop pleasure. But I defy anybody but an ardent fan to name a single other track from a Kelly Clarkson album.
When I compile my end-of-year song list, I start with the music I’ve purchased over the past 12 months. Then I hit Google, seeking out year-end wrap-ups that might remind me of a song that I never got around to buying but nevertheless captured my attention.
Invariably those sites lead me to songs that were completely off my radar but might have had a good chance of making my list had I only known they existed.
It’s my favorite time of year already. Not just the holiday season but the year-end list season. Time to spend one month looking past on the pop culture achievements of the past eleven.
2012 has shaped up to be an excellent year for music and, if the films on my must-see list live up to their promise, for movies as well. Starting next week I will count down my favorite songs of the year.
‘Bengali in Platforms’ is a track from Morrissey’s solo debut, 1988’s Viva Hate, an album released just six months after the final Smiths’ album (Strangeways, Here We Come).
Viva Hate was the start of a strong solo run for Morrissey, and proof that even after the unfortunate demise of The Smiths, at least one half of the Morrissey/Marr partnership would continue to thrive.
This song, and the 1996 album it comes from (Crash) represent the pinnacle of my Dave Matthews Band fandom.
After this, they lost me for a bit with Before These Crowded Streets, won me back temporarily with the unreleased Lillywhite Sessions and then disappeared from my radar completely when they officially released the borefest Everyday and the inferior but “official” version of the Lillywhite tracks, Busted Stuff.
