Tag Archives: Kenny Rogers

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Song of the Day #5,600: ‘Islands in the Stream’ – Kenny Rogers & Kenny Rogers

Throwing back to the week of October 29, 1983, we find Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton topping the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Islands in the Stream.’ The duet spent two weeks at #1, and gave each of the country legends their second chart-topper on the Hot 100. (Bonus points to any commenter who can name the previous #1 for one or both artists).

‘Islands in the Stream’ was written by the Bee Gees as an R&B song but it got a pop country makeover when it landed with Rogers and Parton. The song was released on Rogers’ album Eyes That See in the Dark, on which every track was written by Barry Gibb (most with brother Maurice).

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Song of the Day #4,319: ‘Through the Years’ – Kenny Rogers

The biggest name the music world has lost in 2020 so far is Kenny Rogers, who passed away at age 81 on March 20. Rogers died of natural causes, and his passing went sadly unrecognized due to the increasing panic over coronavirus. In normal times, a guy like Rogers would have warranted a week’s worth of remembrances.

Rogers sold more than 100 million albums over the course of a career that spanned nearly 60 years. He had pop and psychedelic rock hits before shifting his career into the crossover country lane that brought him most of his success. Don’t forget that old Kenny was responsible for ‘Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In),’ used so memorably in The Big Lebowski.

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Song of the Day #2,470: ‘Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)’ – Kenny Rogers & The First Edition

lebowski_conditionI can point to a handful of filmmakers who use music in their movies better than the rest. They’ll all show up on this list, some more than once.

I definitely count the Coen Brothers among that group, though in their case it’s more about how they use sound of all kinds — music, score, ambient effects — to create their worlds. Whether it’s Beethoven on a banjo in Raising Arizona, the orgy of violence set to a soaring ‘Danny Boy’ in Miller’s Crossing or the ghostly echoing of the halls in Barton Fink, the Coens’ films are a feast for both the eyes and ears.

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