Crazy For You - Modonna
Geezuz, not only was it a ballad, it was a ballad by Madonna! Even worse, it was a ballad by Madonna from a cheesy 80's movie. Oh well, it was nice. A sappy love song. Certainly not the last one that would get to me...and to this day it reminds me of a time when I had absolutely no idea of what I wanted to do with my life - but was having a blast tryin' to figure it all out.
Adult Education - Hall & Oates
Really, the entire Hall & Oates catalog was a guilty pleasure. Guys who like Black Sabbath were not supposed to like things like "Rich Girl"...but I did. "Adult Education" was tacked onto the end of the Rock & Soul collection as one of two new tracks. I first heard it though, on a live radio broadcast. Kinda hard to imagine these guys rocking out, but they did. (Bonus points if you can remember G.E. Smith and T-Bone Wolk in the "Maneater" video)
Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
Never had much use for Culture Club back in their heydey...but they were all over the place: print, radio, TV. So, a couple of years ago, I caught the VH1-Storytellers thing and enjoyed it from beginning to end. Weird. Anyway, both "Karma Chameleon" and "Church Of The Poisoned Mind" were loads of fun.
Get The Party Started - Pink
I really should not watch videos while I'm eating breakfast. Maybe I'm too mentally vulnerable at that hour. Pink was kinda cute there, acting all dorky & whatnot. The song's a blast and makes me remember the anticipation of Friday night debauchery.
Work It - Missy Elliott
No video here (though I have seen it). The tune is pure pop madness. Backward vocal tricks, skittery rhythms, silly (and sexy) lyrics, and a perfectly-placed elephant sample.
Honorable Mentions:
- Still The One - Shania Twain
Genie In A Bottle - Christina Aguillera
Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
Waterloo - Abba
Afternoon Delight - Starland Vocal Band
(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)
Article comments
1 - The Theory
I'm fond of Missy Elliott's entire cd, Under Construction. She knows how to craft a fine song.
2 - Eric Olsen
Damn Mark, I see nothong to feel guilty about re any of those, some of the best pop songs of the last 20 years.
I love several Madonna ballads, but yours in the best.
"Justified" is a B-grade Michael Jackson album, nothing wrong with that.
"Knock On Wood" is a disco classic.
I'm not that big a fan of Mick and Mike's "State of Shock" but I like Mike and Dave's "Dancing In the Streets," especially the remix, just fine.
I like almost every Lionel Richie hit: his voice is very fine and mellow, his melodies are clean and memorable, some of the production is too much, but there are lots of nice elements too. The dude got a raw deal and I hope his comeback succeeds. So what if he looks like Dennis Johnson.
And so on with the rest of the list - not a fart in the remaining bunch, although I would have to draw the line at "Afternoon Delight" - but that's just me.
Let your pop flag fly, Mark!
3 - Natalie Davis
Oooh, guilty pleasures... Hall & Oates definitely count as one of mine (m-e-t-h-o-d-o-f-l-o-v-e... great tune); saw them live back in '79 and they indeed rocked the house. Also check out the latest Simply Red single, "Sunrise," which shamelessly and cleverly reworks H&O's "I Can't Go for That." Almost as good as Hershey's Kisses.
I also have to admit to a guilty fondness for Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body" and "Cry Me a River." Don't let that get around, though, because I feel really guilty about that.
Same with the new treatment of Elvis Presley's "Rubberneckin'." As I've said many times before, he is in no way royalty to me, but I LOVE that remix and his voice on it. Mea maxima culpa...
Missy Elliot, however, I love openly and abashedly.
4 - BRICKLAYER
I own and enjoy at least 1/3 of the last Nickelback album. I love singing along to "Man, I feel Like a Woman!" (and the rest of Shania's hits-I especially love all the exclamation points in her song titles!!!!). Pink's "Mizzundastood"-pretty much dig the whole thing, as well as Xtina's latest. Past affronts: Debbie Gibson's first album, "I want it that way" by the Backstreet Boys, that one Spice Girls song that was popular, and I believe I mentioned somewhere else I like Milli Vanilli. Oh, and Mark, I loved "Hello"-another one of those memory evokers! And I will buy the Melissa Lefton CD if it is ever released. And oh yeah ZZ Top's greatest hits. But I guess I'm not really ashamed of anything I like. It's like, what I like, for now. And then maybe again someday.
5 - Tim Hall
Guilty pleasures for me has to be the Italian band Rhapsody. They play ridiculously overblown operatic pomp metal accompanied by orchestras and choirs, with ludicrous Dungeons and Dragons lyrics. They have songong titles like "The Ancient Forest of Elves", and record concept albums with plotlines that David Eddings fans would think are corny. But somehow they're just fun.
Their music is enough to make my brother run screaming from the room.
6 - Eric Olsen
Exactly right Brickster: you like what you like and you may try to understand it or explain it, but there is no need to feel guilty or ashamed of it. I believe Mark's use of the term here is to connote a different set of criteria than for "serious" music, or whatever term fits better in place of "serious," and that is right also: we do use different criteria for different kinds of aesthetic experiences.
7 - Pico
I can agree with the Hall & Oates (of course)...the rest? I can't go for that. No can do.
Jagger sounds like he's making fun of "State Of Shock." Imagining that he's trying to subvert MJ on his own song is the only entertainment I can get out of that tune.