It was theoretically possible that Adele’s appeal had faded in the four years since her smash hit 21 dominated the pop culture scene. Sure, ‘Skyfall’ was an Oscar-winning success but we live in an era of short attention spans.
And doesn’t the music world belong to Taylor Swift now?
But those doubts have been shattered, along with a number of records, by the release of ‘Hello,’ the first single from Adele’s upcoming album 25.
Bruce Springsteen has released 18 studio albums, many of them classics. But his sophomore record, released 42 years ago, may well remain his most ambitious.
The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle runs just seven songs long, but each of them is a sprawling left-field masterpiece. Best-known are ‘Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)’ and ‘4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy),’ tracks that (like the whole album) perfectly capture the adolescent yearning of Springsteen’s New Jersey.
A couple of months back I spent a few weeks on the albums of 1982, both my personal favorites and ones with which I’m unfamiliar despite their receiving lavish critical acclaim.
Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly was one of the latter. I own the album but have never given it a good listen. I gave it a spin in my car after featuring it on the blog and definitely appreciated its quality.
Today’s track wraps up my latest two-week dive into the Billboard’s Hot 100. I’ve been more encouraged by this batch of songs that I usually am after these theme weeks.
Sure, Fetty Wap is still inexplicably lingering in the top ten, and the two Drake songs are forgettable, but just about every other song I’ve featured is solid. We’ve had another hit from Taylor Swift’s unstoppable 1989, a listenable Justin Bieber track, touching songs by R. City and Ed Sheeran, a fun discovery in Elle King and an unexpected blast from Macklemore.
If you were expecting a modern take on the 1983 Def Leppard classic, you’ll be disappointed. No, #17 on this week’s charts is an Ed Sheeran original with the same title.
This one’s good, too.
Sheeran wrote the delicate track during his long-distance relationship with his now-ex girlfriend. But the lyrics are applicable to any unwanted separation. In the YouTube comments, several people dedicate the track to friends or family members who have recently died.
Meet Me In Montauk 