We interrupt your regularly scheduled (er, irregularly, rather—sorry) blog schedule to go on an unscheduled, but essential deep dive. Continue reading
pop
Record #936: Bjork – Post (1995)
Bjork has become kind of a punchline in recent years. And if we’re honest, both the fae princess schtick and her increasingly experimental electropop are pretty rife for parody.
But before the swan dresses and coy word salad interviews, we have to remember why Bjork was thrust into the spotlight in the first place—and that reason is her brilliant sophomore record Post, an album sharpened to such a bleeding edge that it still sounds modern two decades later.
Record #922: Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill (1995)
In which a Canadian teenybopper pop star turns into an eldritch demigod.
It’s always funny to me when the Rock and Roll Boys’ Club reacts to the rise of some young female rocker with upturned noses (see: Avril Lavigne, Olivia Rodrigo, Michelle Branch, Billie Eilish, etc) when one of the greatest rock albums of all time was released by the quintessential rock ingénue. For as much as rock music postures itself as a man’s world, in 1995 Alanis Morissette (then twenty-one) laced up her Doc Martins and went toe-to-toe with the entire alt-rock landscape.
Nearly thirty years later, Jagged Little Pill remains as fierce and apocalyptic as ever. It’s a breakup album in the form of a military strike, offering proof to the old proverb that Hell hath no fury quite like this.
Record #836: Janet Jackson – Control (1986)
Have any of the Jacksons been as unfairly treated as Janet?
Sure, Tito has been the butt of the joke since the Jackson 5 days, and La Toya has been remembered more for being the spokesperson for the Psychic Friends Network, but neither of them were ever regarded that seriously.
Janet on the other hand…Before the Super Bowl incident turned her into a punch line (and brought the term “wardrobe malfunction” into the vernacular), there was a time when Janet wasn’t just poised to live up to Michael’s star—it looked like she might pass it.
Control, her third record—and first after firing father Joe Jackson as her manager—is a massive statement that established her as a megastar in her own right, kicking off a run of five straight Number One debuts, and serves as a reminder to anyone who has diminished her place in pop culture to Nipple Gate.
Record #806: Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (2006)
In the summer of 2008, three of my best friends from college interned together at their church. Meanwhile, I was interning at a church in a city about 45 minutes away. Throughout the internship, two of them tortured the third, Josh, by singing the hook to “Rehab,” drawing scoffs every time.
The following semester, Josh and I were roommates, and I had drawn much delight from buying records that would annoy or confound him. His look of disgust as he asked, “what is this?” was almost as rewarding as the music itself.
One day, hoping to keep the prank going, I bought a vinyl copy of Winehouse’s Back to Black. To my dismay, he joyfully sang along with every word of the track that tormented him.
I sold the record a few months later, but not before it got its hooks in me. In the years since, I have wrestled with the choice to purchase another copy over and over. This copy in particular was in the “Buy it Later” section of my Amazon cart for months before I accidentally bought it alongside a bottle of conditioner.
Accident or not, I’m glad to have it back.
Record #804: Michael Jackson – Bad (1987)
How do you follow up what many still consider the best pop album of all time?
If your name is Michael Jackson, you embark on a huge tour, make multiple endorsement deals, write a massive supergroup anthem and then call up Quincy Jones to do it again.
Record #629: Nancy Sinatra – Boots (1966)
For an interesting look at the sexual politics of the 1960s, take a look at the conversation between Nancy Sinatra and her producer in the liner notes of this record.
“How should I sing this?”
“Like a 16 year old girl who’s been dating a 40 year old, but it’s all over now.”
It’s a bit of a shock to 2019 eyes. But in a strange way, it perfectly encapsulates the venom-tongued ingenue on display on that iconic track.
Record #571: Michael Jackson – Thriller (1982)
For a moment, let’s forget about the plastic surgery, the Peter Pan syndrome, the dynastic marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, the allegations against him, and his bizarre persona.
Michael Jackson was the bonafide King of Pop. And no one else even comes close.
And while his studio discography has no shortage of straight bangers, Thriller was the album that cemented that status, and it remains the most consistent and rewarding listen. But hidden deep within the wall-to-wall hit singles is one of the most revolutionary albums for racial justice ever.
Record #529: Madonna – Like a Virgin (1984)
After spending most of my life vacillating between punk ethos and hipster snobbery, I’ve been trying to be a better poptimist. I’ve been trying to let go of my musical superiority complex and allow myself to enjoy vapid pop music.
And it doesn’t get much more vapid or poppy than Madonna herself.
Record #509: Lorde – Pure Heroine (2013)
Pop music and I have a tenuous relationship. I have tried for years to be a better poptimist, letting myself get lost in the catchy singalongs and feel-good beats. But I’ve never been able to shake the feeling that most pop music is just vapid and corny.
But every once in a while, a pop singer will rise from the din of mass-produced hacks and sugar-coated copycats to create something truly special.
Michael Jackson was one of them. Lady Gaga is another. And now, we have Lorde.