(Note: This blog was originally written to discuss the Miranda Lambert controversy. As I was writing this, news came out about not only Jason Aldean's controversial video, but also the passing of singer Tony Bennett, in that order. I sequenced this to put Bennett's passing first).
Legendary crooner Tony Bennett, who revived the "Great American Songbook" era passed away on July 21, at the age of 96. |
HE LEFT HIS HEART...AND SOUL: This week, we lost a veteran crooner going back to the Standards era. Tony Bennett, whose recording career began in 1951 and kept the standards era alive for more than half a century, passed away on July 21 at the age of 96. Bennett rode the crest of that pre-rock 'n' roll era by landing 3 #1 songs between 1951 and '53, including "Rags to Riches", "Cold Cold Heart", and "Because of You", utilizing the key songwriters of the time as well as in the classical era. While the rock era diffused his success somewhat, he still made the top 20 well into the 1960's, with songs like "In the Middle of An Island", "The Good Life", "I Wanna Be Around", and what was to become his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco", #19 in 1962. That song, the following year, would garner Record of the Year honors at the Grammy Awards. And while the pop music of the sixties limited his chart presence on the Hot 100, he scored many hits on the Adult Contemporary chart---then known as "M.O.R." or "Easy Listening", through the mid 1970's. But, that success was limited, and Bennett, like his contemporaries tried more of a rock approach, but it didn't fit. After 1976's "As Time Goes By", he didn't chart at all. He wasn't happy when he was persuaded to try his hand at more contemporary material. Considered a relic from that point on, well into the 1980's, Bennett suffered from depression during the 60's and 70's and by 1979 he suffered a near-fatal cocaine overdose.
By then he was totally lost, feeling that nobody wanted to hear the music that he made. Thankfully, two of his sons, led him out of the darkness. When those sons' band faltered, one of them took charge of his dad's career and steered it in a positive direction. That son, Danny, got him moved back to New York City, away from his "Vegas image" and started booking him in colleges and small theaters. In 1986, his album The Art of Excellence, got him back on the album charts for the first time since 1972. Danny believed that if given a chance, younger audiences would accept his style of music on Tony's own terms. And it worked. Without changing his style, Bennett became "cool" again, and in the middle of the alternative/grunge era, Tony's albums started to sell again. And he did it with tribute albums to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire. He appeared on MTV Unplugged and the soundtrack from that show garnered his second "Album of the Year" Grammy. Without a doubt, these standards that he covered---dubbed "The Great American Songbook", influenced artists like Harry Connick, Jr, and even Rod Stewart, who recorded several albums based on this style of music. Michael Bublé also cited Bennett as one of his influences.
But Tony Bennett wasn't done yet. He continued into the 2000's, now in his seventies, recording albums and touring. Around his 80th birthday, he released an album Duets: An American Classic, with various partners, including Elton John, Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, John Legend, k.d. lang, Michael Bublé, Barbra Streisand, George Michael, Elvis Costello, and others. Duets II, the follow-up, brought Bennett his first #1 album. That album yielded the single, "Body and Soul" with Amy Winehouse that made the Billboard Hot 100 and also landing on my SNS 100 at #68, Bennett's only appearance here. The album also contained duet partners such as Sheryl Crow, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Lady Gaga, and many others. In particular, he influenced Lady Gaga, whose three pop albums to that point were successful, but the collaboration with Bennett, encouraged her to do an entire album of standards with him, which resulted in the Cheek to Cheek duet album with Gaga. That album helped Gaga transcend her glamish-theatrical image and lend her more credibility as a song stylist and overall singer.
Tony Bennett performed well into his 90's, when he performed shows with Lady Gaga at Radio City Music Hall in 2021, shortly before he announced his retirement from performing. According to his son Danny, he still rehearsed performing as late as last year despite his retirement. All this despite being diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2016. Bennett was the ultimate song stylist; he would not record a song unless it was perfectly written, and he gave homage to the vintage songwriters like Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington.
Bennett, aside from singing, was also an accomplished painter, and also was a social activist. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, during the "Selma to Montgomery" marches. He refused to perform at Sun City in South Africa during the apartheid era. Bennett won 20 Grammys, 18 of them after 1993, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2011.
Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, but the heart of him remains with us.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS to cover this week. We will start off with a couple of issues in the country field, a genre that has been getting very popular lately, what with Morgan Wallen moving back to the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in its 14th week, and Luke Combs going back into the runner-up spot. And that's not to mention that the ABC television network broadcast this past week, the 50th annual CMA fest from Nashville.
Country star Miranda Lambert, who stopped a concert in her Las Vegas residency to reprimand a group in the audience who took up to take a selfie. |
With new rock all but dead, country music has definitely taken its place in mainstream culture. And with it, controversy. I was all set to blog about Miranda Lambert stopping one of her recent concerts because a few of the audience decided to stand up and take a selfie with Ms. Lambert performing in the background, to reprimand those concert goers. And then just today, another, probably a bigger issue involving another country superstar, Jason Aldean, releasing a video of his current single, "Try That In A Small Town", which some have accused of being racist. And finally, aside from Morgan Wallen, who has dealt with controversy himself in recent years, going back to the Hot 100 top spot, Taylor Swift, who started out in the country field, also makes Hot 100 history as three of her songs--all from different albums---are in the Top Ten.
Let's start in the order that I had gotten the news. Miranda Lambert was performing a concert in Las Vegas, where she has a residency, when during the performance of her 2017 hit song "Tin Man", several people in the audience started taking selfies facing away from the stage, with Lambert in the background. The country star suddenly stopped in the middle of the song and called out those who took the pictures. While the selfie was taken quickly, it was long enough for Lambert to stop the song and call them out. "These girls are worried about a selfie and not listening to the song, that pisses me off a little bit", Lambert exclaimed. She eventually restarted the song, and while many in the audience cheered her, many others decided to leave, appalled that she resorted to calling those people out, who were women in their 30's through 60's. One of those, Adela Calin recounted her experiences that night. "It felt like she was determined to make us look like we were young, immature and vain", and likened it to being "back at school with the teacher scolding me for doing something wrong and telling me to sit down in my place".
When I first heard this news, I had actually sided with Miranda, but quickly realized she was definitely in the wrong here. She is a country superstar, sold millions of records, garnered many awards, and played to sold-out crowds. Why would she scold people, who probably paid big bucks to attend, and who were there because they were fans of her, because they wanted a souvenir photo of their night out?
I think back to many of the up-and-coming artists that I have seen, the obscure bands and singer-songwriters, who have played the local festivals bars, pubs and restaurants, trying to make a living. And most of the time, they are either forced to play covers of familiar songs or play in a corner of the facility while people who are there primarily to eat, drink or socialize pretty much ignore them. And it's probably for a small fee or cover charge as well. It always bothers me in particular, when it happens to those aspiring artists who I have championed on my blog these last 13 years. Lambert, 39 years old and hailing from Texas, released her debut album at age 16, in 2000. Her debut album released a year later didn't chart, but her second, Kerosene, in 2005, went platinum and hit the top spot on the country album chart.
So that pretty much means it didn't take long for her to be a superstar. When you fill arenas, that means you made it. You go from an aspiring singer to a superstar who has to face both the good and the bad. The sad thing about this is that the group that took the selfie was supposed to be a positive thing, seeing a favorite performer, but Lambert didn't see it that way. Like many major figures, her ego was too big to the point that she doesn't remember how she got there. And you take the bad along with the good.
It's not like those people ran onto the stage and threatened her, or threw objects at her. People offered many opinions, pro and con about this. But in my opinion, a performer of her stature, who has made it, and charges hundreds of dollars, and who has a big following, needs to take a chill pill.
Ms. Lambert, of course, was once married to Blake Shelton from 2011 to 2015 before divorcing. She married a New York City Police Department officer in 2019. She has 9 #1 songs on the country chart, and her biggest Hot 100 hit was "Mama's Broken Heart", #20 in 2013. On my blog she had two SNS 100 songs: 2011's "Heart Like Mine" (#94 in 2011), and a featured billing with Elle King on "Drunk (And I Don't Want To Go Home)" which reached #9 blog in 2021.
Country singer Jason Aldean has faced scrutiny for the video of his current single, "Try That In A Small Town". |
NO SOONER THAN we read about Miranda's escapades, we now have another controversy involving another country star, Jason Aldean. His current song, "Try That In A Small Town", had been creeping its way up the country charts with no problem. That is, until the video of the song came out on July 14. The song was about expressing his feelings about the state of the country and the world right now. However, the video features scenes from places that have dealt with inequalities in the past. For example, a courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, which was the scene of a 1927 lynching of Henry Choate, an 18 year old Black man. Footage of robberies and burnings, with the courthouse as a back drop, are shown. There are also scenes of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement causing violence. Aldean is conservative, and the song reflects his views. One lyric goes "Got a gun my grandad gave me / they say one day they're going to round up / well that shit might fly in the city good luck. No doubt that part of his views stems from a concert that he performed in Las Vegas, in which a gunman opened fire during his performance, killing 58 people.
Naturally, there was criticism that the song and video are racist, a common rallying cry from the left. Aldean insists that it is not, and that he is expressing his point of view in small town America and the division it's been causing. He defends the song, saying, "These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it--and there isn't a single video clip that isn't real news footage-and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music - this one goes too far. 'Try That In A Small Town', for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences. My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this country don’t agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least one day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to – that’s what this song is about.". The country video outlet CMT has pulled the video from its rotation in its wake.
Okay, I have tried, in this blog to be fair to both sides of the spectrum of opinions, but it bothers me (and a by-product of what's been going on in general the past few years) is that there is varied opinion on many matters. But it seems that while liberal opinions are allowed, those from the right are either censored, muffled, or accused of being racist, a term that not only is overused, but has come to mean the exact opposite of what its original meaning was. When the Capitol building was stormed on January 6, 2021, there was outrage, with people from the left stating that this was a "threat to democracy". No it wasn't. The action on the Capitol was wrong of course, but there's an irony to the democracy threat, since it seems that any view from the right isn't allowed. Social media throws people in "jail" for stating the "wrong" opinion. I don't see how that is "democracy". My friends on Facebook seem to agree, with several posting a meme, "Marked Safe from Being Offended by a Jason Aldean song", a parody of the Facebook "marked safe" posts.
As for the video, yes, it depicts real events from the right, which shows flashes of the problems this country has faced now and then. The song, as far as I know, had no controversies with it. But a similar video with images of violence accompanied singer P!nk's video for her "Irrelevent" single. Strange that there were no complaints about that, even though, like the Aldean video, was being expressed from a personal point of view. Of course, that song pretty much bombed, failing to make the Hot 100 and only peaking on the SNS 100 at #94 late last year.
I have not seen Aldean's video as of yet, so I can't actually make a comment or have an opinion of it, but if we are a true democracy, then both sides matter. Aldean has said this was not race-based, and that is good enough for me. The controversy has sparked sales and streams for "Try That In A Small Town", and while the song has yet to hit the Billboard Hot 100---it's currently #119 on the "Bubbling Under" chart component, it should be interesting to see if and where it debuts next week. With the mass success of Morgan Wallen, another singer who was subject to controversy a couple years back, but who has ruled the Hot 100 the last quarter of the year, a high entry for Aldean's song could make a statement that the right should be heard as much as the left. Perhaps a conversation about all this should be in order.
I'm not sure whether or not to add Aldean's song yet. He has only made my chart once, and that was back in 2011 when "Dirt Road Anthem" made #44.
THE HOT 100: After a one-week interruption by Olivia Rodrigo's "vampires", Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs retake the top two positions on the Billboard Hot 100. For Wallen, his "Last Night" marks its 14th week at the #1 spot. That puts him in an eight-way tie for the fifth longest run in the almost 65 years of the chart. Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" (1992), Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love To You" (1994), Los Del Rio's "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" (1996), Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997-98), Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" (2005), The Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" (2009), and Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" (2015) previously garnered 14 weeks at the top. "Last Night" is the second song in my blog era (August 2010 to present) to accomplish this. The song jumps 21-10 on the SNS 100 this week. "Uptown Funk" peaked here at #2 in 2015.
Also making news this week is Taylor Swift's "I Can See You (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)", another of her re-recordings of previously released (or unreleased) songs, debuting at #5 on the Hot 100. As it joins both "Karma" (#10), and "Cruel Summer" (#9),it gives Ms. Swift three songs in the Top 10, but all from different albums. "I Can See You" is from Taylor's 3rd re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor's Version). "Karma" is from her most recent studio album Midnights, while "Cruel Summer" resides from 2019's Lover. While "I Can See You" has yet to enter my chart--I will wait and see if this has staying power--the other two songs continue to advance on the SNS 100. "Cruel Summer" moves 66-47, while "Karma" advances 58-53.
MEANWHILE ON THE SNS 100: With all the news stories this week, it's moved my chart action to the rear despite some big action on it. I wasn't sure last week if this song would burn out, but Kesha's "Only Love Can Save Us Now", moves from #8 to the top spot this week. The hybrid song, just #42 two weeks ago, launches into the top, knocking out Say She She's "Don't You Dare Stop" after a three-week run. It's the first song that wasn't either by a beach music act, Colorjoy or Say She She, since Miley Cyrus' "Flowers" in February. Kesha's song has still yet to chart, however. This is in direct contrast to earlier in her career when she had two number one songs in 2010, "Tik Tok" (which stayed on top for nine weeks) and "We R Why We R". "Tik Tok" preceded the blog by several months, but the latter made #56 blog in the fall of that year. She had a third Billboard #1 that year as featured artist on Flo Rida's "Right Round". On my chart, it's her first #1; she previously made the top 20 featured on songs by 3 OH! 3 and The Struts.
"Don't You Dare Stop" drops to #2, while Orbis Max's "R U OK" moves back up to #3. The Tonez's "Caught Up" advances to #4; it currently is the only beach music song in the Top 10, the fewest in some time. Thee Sacred Souls' "Love Is the Way" drops to #5, followed by a pair of Colrojoy songs, "Vacant Side" (9-6), and last week's #2 song, "Blue Eyed Addiction" at #7. However, a big mover, and a potential #1 as early as perhaps next week, is Hozier's "Francesca" with a 28-8 move, garnering the Impact award. Say She She's "Reeling" becomes the outfit's fourth top 10 (11-9), and as mentioned above, Morgan Wallen's first blog top 10, "Last Night" moves to #10 from #21. That's Wallen's first Top 20 (and Top 10) SNS song; "7 Summers" got as high as #21 in 2020. Not much activity in the 11-20 portion, with only Rev Bubba D Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets' "Dreamsicle" making the upper echelon, becoming Bubba and the gang's third straight blog top 20.
Elle King, who co-hosted this past week's "CMA 50th Anniversary" special, and who performed as well, has the Mover of the Week, with "Jersey Giant" (76-45). While it's no secret that Ms. King is firmly entrenched in country music now, the song is still not on any country chart. However, it is on the Triple-A chart, a format that she has been a regular on since her breakthrough "Ex's and Oh's" in 2015.
SZA's "Snooze" is the Top Debut of the Week on the SNS 100. On the Billboard Hot 100, it advances to #11. |
DEBUTS: Six newbies on the main chart this week, headed by SZA's "Snooze", her follow-up to the Billboard #1 and SNS top 30, "Kill Bill". The prior song, which reached #27, should have gotten higher if not for the competition, but the new one should bust through this. While this is hip-hop with a pop slant, it comes across as very dreamy, and SZA---born Solana Imani Rowe--has a very sweet voice when she raps and sings. Rarely does a song in that genre give me the chills, but this one does. It reminds me of the aspiring rapper TYTILLIDIE. While I am generally not a fan of the genre, if more songs are like this, then you've won me over. Though born in Missouri, she grew up right here in Maplewood, NJ. SZA has been recording since 2012 and has been involved in many collaborations as well as hitting on her own. She has released two albums, 2017's Ctrl, and the current SOS., as well as three EPs earlier in her career. Before "Kill Bill", a number one Billboard charter. she previously charted here on the SNS 100 with Maroon 5 on "What Lovers Do", which reached #48 here in 2017.
Next is Jon Pardi, a country artist making his blog debut with "You're Heart Or Mine", a current top 10 country hit, and #72 on the Hot 100 this past week. I saw him perform this on the CMA 50th Anniversary special last week and was blown away by the performance. Catchy country-pop with guts that keeps coming at you. Should do well here.
Nick Waterhouse's retro pop and jazz stylings have been a fixture on my chart for several years, but his last few releases only mid charted here. That should end right here as I plucked "Hide and Seek" from his The Fooler album. True to form, this song could come right out of the early 1960's. While the prior "Late In the Garden" echoed Bob Dylan, this time, he sounds a lot like Roy Orbison, with a little Chris Isaak--himself a throwback artist to that era--thrown in for good measure. Great soulful voice. Much of Waterhouse's prior work were summer hits for me, so it's a good time for this one. His best release in a while should put him back in the top 20.
We talked about Blake Shelton's ex-wife above, now his current partner, Gwen Stefani enters the chart with her latest, "True Babe". The former No Doubt leader has a good pop song here, with a forceful beat and vocals that persist. Much of her recent songs have been emotional and this one is no exception.
Next is Joy Oladokun, featuring Noah Kahan, whose been everywhere lately, with "We're All Gonna Die", a mid-tempo piece with eclectic rock overtones. Has a chance with repeated listening. Ms. Oladokun hails from Arizona and this is her first blog song but has been around since 2015. A very promising artist that should fit right in with similar female artists that have been featured this year.
One more country artist debuts this week, Gabby Barrett, with "Glory Days". Not the Bruce Springsteen song, but an original which has been charting. Ms. Barrett got to the finals of season 16 of American Idol, finishing in third place. This one is a mix of country and rock (love the guitar break in the middle). Great to see artists like Gabby, Carly Pearce and Lainey Wilson make a dent into the country hierarchy.
In the Tremors section are two new debuts, Jeff Rosenstock's "Like U Better", and Jody Medford's patriotic "American Proud".
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
July 16, 2023
This Week |
Last Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks on List |
1 |
8 |
NUMBER ONE: Album: Gag Order |
5 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
|
3 |
4 |
16 |
|
4 |
5 |
9 |
|
5 |
3 |
11 |
|
6 |
9 |
11 |
|
7 |
2 |
11 |
|
8 |
28 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: Album: Unreal Unearth |
3 |
9 |
11 |
8 |
|
10 |
21 |
14 |
|
11 |
10 |
9 |
|
12 |
12 |
8 |
|
13 |
6 |
12 |
|
14 |
14 |
8 |
|
15 |
15 |
7 |
|
16 |
17 |
4 |
|
17 |
7 |
The Main Event Band ft. Sharon
Woodruff - Love Makes The World Go Round |
12 |
18 |
13 |
18 |
|
19 |
18 |
9 |
|
20 |
24 |
Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the
Cornhole Prophets - Dreamsicle |
6 |
21 |
26 |
6 |
|
22 |
16 |
Marlisa Kay Small and Jerry
Thomas West - Love Really Hurts Without You● |
11 |
23 |
20 |
7 |
|
24 |
23 |
8 |
|
25 |
41 |
4 |
|
26 |
31 |
5 |
|
27 |
19 |
14 |
|
28 |
22 |
10 |
|
29 |
35 |
11 |
|
30 |
34 |
8 |
|
31 |
40 |
8 |
|
32 |
27 |
14 |
|
33 |
29 |
Rick Strickland and Lesa Hudson
- Got it Right (The First Time)● |
25 |
34 |
25 |
14 |
|
35 |
37 |
11 |
|
36 |
46 |
3 |
|
37 |
33 |
20 |
|
38 |
30 |
13 |
|
39 |
39 |
15 |
|
40 |
32 |
Jimmy Ogburn's Salt Luvs Pepper
ft. David Cornelius - Love Me Like I Love You |
20 |
41 |
45 |
7 |
|
42 |
49 |
7 |
|
43 |
48 |
5 |
|
44 |
38 |
The Carolina Queens - The Shoop
Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) |
16 |
45 |
76 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK: Album: Come Get Your Wife |
3 |
46 |
56 |
4 |
|
47 |
66 |
3 |
|
48 |
52 |
8 |
|
49 |
54 |
7 |
|
50 |
43 |
9 |
|
51 |
36 |
12 |
|
52 |
42 |
12 |
|
53 |
58 |
5 |
|
54 |
44 |
17 |
|
55 |
74 |
3 |
|
56 |
57 |
5 |
|
57 |
63 |
5 |
|
58 |
65 |
4 |
|
59 |
53 |
22 |
|
60 |
71 |
4 |
|
61 |
77 |
13 |
|
62 |
85 |
2 |
|
63 |
47 |
10 |
|
64 |
51 |
12 |
|
65 |
70 |
5 |
|
66 |
72 |
3 |
|
67 |
75 |
4 |
|
68 |
50 |
18 |
|
69 |
59 |
Deb Browning and Six Piece Suits - It Don't Get Better Than
This |
36 |
70 |
78 |
3 |
|
71 |
86 |
2 |
|
72 |
80 |
Sir Prize and the Twomorrow
Knightz - Automatic Satin Circus |
3 |
73 |
73 |
5 |
|
74 |
79 |
5 |
|
75 |
81 |
3 |
|
76 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT: Album: SOS |
1 |
77 |
60 |
21 |
|
78 |
62 |
7 |
|
79 |
61 |
14 |
|
80 |
69 |
19 |
|
81 |
68 |
17 |
|
82 |
64 |
14 |
|
83 |
55 |
15 |
|
84 |
67 |
9 |
|
85 |
84 |
3 |
|
86 |
--- |
1 |
|
87 |
90 |
2 |
|
88 |
95 |
2 |
|
89 |
97 |
2 |
|
90 |
--- |
1 |
|
91 |
--- |
1 |
|
92 |
93 |
2 |
|
93 |
82 |
Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the
Cornhole Prophets - Ti Ta Ti Ta Ti Ta Ta▲ |
26 |
94 |
87 |
3 |
|
95 |
--- |
1 |
|
96 |
89 |
34 |
|
97 |
--- |
1 |
|
98 |
100 |
2 |
|
99 |
91 |
26 |
|
100 |
83 |
10 |
Tremors:
101. J.D. Cash, This Song Will Last Forever
102. The Spins, Lucky Cig
103. P!nk, Trustfall
104. Jeff Rosenstock, Liked U Better
105. Deb Browning, In My Dreams
106. Jody Medford, American Proud
107. New West, Those Eyes
108. Donna Missal, God Complex
Tremors:
Songs which have steady or increasing points but not enough to chart on the SNS
100.
▲Song garnered most plays
on Spotify ● Song among top 5 most
plays on Spotify. Awards given during
the last blog of each month.
Songs
on the SNS 100 are included on the following public Spotify playlists
Scenes
‘n’ Soundwaves Top 40: Contains songs in positions 1-40 on the SNS
100
Scenes
Up and Coming: Songs below #40 that are moving up the chart.
Scenes
Recurrents: Songs which have
dropped below the top 40 but are still on the SNS 100
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