Song of the Day #5,569: ‘Sleep Tonight’ – The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones had been putting out an album every year or two (sometimes more than one per year) since their inception in 1964. But the band’s internal turmoil in the early to mid 80s caused their output to slow. The 1986 album Dirty Work dropped three years after previous release Undercover.

Tensions between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were higher than ever, in part because Jagger had embarked on a solo career, releasing his debut album a year earlier. Richards’ full attention was still on The Stones, and he was annoyed by his partner’s wandering eye. At 1985’s Live Aid concert, Jagger performed a set with Tina Turner while Richards and Ronnie Wood played for Bob Dylan.

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Song of the Day #1,491: ‘Sleep Tonight’ – Tim McGraw

I suppose it’s fitting that my first Random Weekend selection after a week dedicated to my favorite country artist would be from the only true country album I owned before becoming a fan.

Tim McGraw’s And the Dancehall Doctors is a great country record for people who don’t like country music. It has a nice pop sheen, impressive instrumentation, solid songcraft, even a cover of Elton John’s ‘Tiny Dancer.’

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