Podcasts about modern rock tracks

On today's edition of the cast, we look over some of the early stars that dominated in the early years of Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart, including The Psychedelic Furs and Siouxsie & The Banshees, and discuss how foreign born musicians dominated the early years of the chart, which speaks volumes about how much more talent and influence they had over their American counterparts. We also talk about how big of a role college radio had to do with the start of this chart in the first place, and how other upstart charts like The Hard Report and CMJ strived to highlight alternative artists that weren't getting any love or notice from mainstream radio. We also take a look at some of the local artists that got a lot of visibility on the chart, including Boston's own The Lemonheads and their cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" which I play towards the end of the cast.

On this first episode of the relaunched and reimagined MusicBoxPete Podcast now dedicated to taking a look back at the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and discussing the chart's beginnings. We talk about some of the artists that first charted that helped define the alternative scene including The Cure, Depeche Mode, U2, and so forth. We talk about the evolution of the chart and how it showcased growing trends including the emerging grunge movement, the female singer-songwriter era of the mid 90's, alternative acts crossing over to pop radio, and how the chart's inevitable downfall culminated with the nu-metal movement that saw acts such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Linkin Park ushering in the last days of the chart with a thud. We also talk about some of the lesser known acts that gained huge success in the chart's early years spotlighted today by The Ocean Blue and their track " Between Something and Nothing".

Guns N' Roses had established themselves as top tier Rock artists in the mid through late 80's, and it had been three years without an album release by the time we rolled around to 1991.  The band got its start in 1985 when members of the band L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose decided to combine.  They released their debut album, "Appetite for Destruction" in 1987, which originally received disappointing sales, but which built over the next year to mainstream success.  Their second album, "G N" R Lies" was a short album released at the end of 1988 which combined an earlier E.P. with some acoustic tracks.The anticipation for Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II was incredibly high by the time these albums dropped simultaneously in September 1991.  Over 500,000 copies of the albums were sold in the first two hours of their release.  With each album having a run time of over 70 minutes, the quantity of material dwarfs that of their previous 33-minute album.  Use Your Illusion I is generally considered the heavier rocking album of the two, as guitarist Izzy Stradlin contributed more of the songwriting to that album than to Use Your Illusion II.Many speculate that the two albums were recorded and released simultaneously because the band was on the verge of falling apart at any time, and it was important to get the material out quickly before the band "blew up."  Whether this was true or not, the band certainly did have their share of problems staying together.  They would release an album of punk covers in 1993 called "The Spaghetti Incident?" before much of the band - including Slash and Izzy Stradlin - would depart.  Lynch brings us a double helping of Guns N' Roses with these simultaneously-released albums for today's podcast. November RainAxl Rose wrote this epic symphonic power ballad which appears on the "Use Your Illusion I" album.  Clocking in at 8:57, it was the longest song to enter the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 at the time, peaking at number 3.  The song was divisive, with most of the band not wanting to pursue it, and with both Slash and bassist Duff McKagan particularly opposed to the drift towards symphonic pieces.Knockin' On Heaven's DoorThis Bob Dylan cover had been performed by the group before landing on the "Use Your Illusion II" album.  The 1987 "Welcome to the Jungle" 12" single had a live version of this song on its B-side, and a studio version of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" was released on the soundtrack to the film "Days of Thunder" in 1990.  You Could Be MineThis track was originally used in the soundtrack for the mega-hit movie "Terminator 2:  Judgment Day."  It was the first single released from "Use Your Illusion II," and came out in June 1991.  The video features an Arnold Schwarzenegger T-800 Terminator sent from the future to kill the band members.  At the end of the video the Terminator concludes that killing the band would be a "waste of ammo."Don't CryThis power ballad appears on both "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" in slightly different versions with different lyrics.  This song reached number 8 on the UK charts and number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 US chart.  Stradlin and Rose wrote the song back in March 1985, and Axl Rose claims that it was the first song ever written for Guns N' Roses. ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:Theme from the motion picture “The Addams Family”This catchy riff from the cartoon television sitcom of the 60's also appeared in the dark comedy motion picture of the same name, which came out in 1991. STAFF PICKS:The Only One I Know by The Charlatans UKWayne kicks off the staff picks with the Manchester sound.  This song is the one that truly started the career of the band, including their use of the Hammond organ as a central part of the sound.  The organ riff in this song was heavily inspired by Deep Purple's 1968 song, "Hush."  The lyrics reflect the feelings a guy has for a girl, while the girl might or might not know that the guy exists.Why Should I Cry for You? by StingBruce brings us a track from Sting's third album, "The Soul Cages."  Sting encountered writers block after the death of his father in 1987, and this is the song that broke through that block.  Sting had a difficult relationship with his father, and the lyrics of the song articulate the struggles he had with the grieving process, along with images from his childhood home of Newcastle.  Texarkana by R.E.M.Rob features an unusual song from the Athens group, because front man Michael Stipe is not singing lead on it.  Bassist Mike Mills takes lead singing lyrics on this song for which he was the primary songwriter and lyricist.  It went to number 4 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart despite not being released as a single.Into the Great Wide Open by Tom Petty & The HeartbreakersLynch closes out the staff picks with a story about Eddie, a rocker who moves to L.A., gets a girlfriend, and lands an album.  He always has with high hopes the record company "don't hear a single."  The video starred a young Johnny Depp as Eddie, Faye Dunaway as Eddie's manager, and Petty as a roadie named Bart, reporter, and tattoo artist.  INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:Trademark by Eric JohnsonThis instrumental piece from guitar virtuoso Eric Johnson was the fourth single released from his second studio album "Ah Via Musicom."  Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?” NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Wes and Nick recount there time listening to this Primus song laughing at the redneck culture. Background:"Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" was the fourth Primus single, after "John the Fisherman", "Too Many Puppies" and " Mr. Knowitall" from the 1989 live album Suck on This and 1990's debut studio release Frizzle Fry."Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" received heavy airplay on rock radio, and peaked at number 23 on the Modern Rock Tracks in 1991.[3] The song features a sample of Bill Moseley's character Chop Top from the film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, chuckling to himself then remarking: "Dog will hunt!""Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" appeared in the first Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video game, as well as the first ATV Offroad Fury video game, and in The Bigs.[4] The song is included in Rock Band 3.Support the show:

This week we do something COMPLETELY different!  We came across a FB group that posts Billboard track listings from the 80s and 90s....being as we're both old, we did a deep dive on the Modern Rock Tracks chart from August 15th, 1998.  Some surprises, some trends bubbling below the surface, and some serious one hit wonders....cheers! Instagram: Email:  Nubreedpodcast@gmail.com Twitter: Facebook Group: Tim Twitter:  Jay Twitter:  Youtube Channel: Spotify Playlists:     

Aerosmith is a band in two acts.  They were a highly successful group in the 70's, but arguments and drugs left the band a shade of its former self by 1980.  A second chance was presented when the crossover collaboration between Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C. on "Walk this Way" became a number 4 US hit in 1986.  The bad went into drug rehab at the insistence of manager Tim Collins, and had a major hit with their ninth studio album "Permanent Vacation."Aerosmith demonstrated that their second act was not just a fluke with their tenth studio album, Pump, which was even more successful than Permanent Vacation.  This was a significant comeback, re-establishing the band as one of rock's premier acts.  The album was polished and energetic, combining a gritty hard rock sound with pop sensibilities.  The album was not only a commercial success, peaking at number 5 on the US charts and being certified 7x platinum by 1995, but was also a critical success, landing Aerosmith their first Grammy for "Janie's Got a Gun."  Pump was the fourth best-selling album of the year 1990.The band lineup for this album had Steven Tyler on vocals, keyboards, and harmonica, Joe Perry on guitar and backing vocals, Brad Whitford on guitar, Tom Hamiilton on bass, and Joey Kramer on drums.  Guitarist Brad Whitford explained the album title on a 1989 MTV special by saying "now that we're off drugs, we're all pumped up."  John Lynch brings us this stellar rock and pop sensation this week. Water Song/Janie's Got a GunA 10-second instrumental called "Water Song" precedes the song written by Steven Tyler and Tom Hamilton.  The second single from the album went to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It describes the revenge of a young woman for the childhood abuse she experienced.  Aerosmith won the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for this song.Dulcimer Stomp/The Other SideAnother song with a brief instrumental lead-in, this was the fourth single released from the album.  It was written by Jim Vallance and Steven Tyler, with Holland-Dozier-Holland receiving songwriting credit after threatening to file suit over similarities between this and their song "Standing in the Shadows of Love."  The lyrics are about a turbulent relationship, with the singer wanting to get past the emotional roller-coaster. Monkey on My BackIt is difficult to find a deep cut on this album, but this is one that was not released as a single.  Tyler and Perry wrote this track about the band's struggles with addiction.  It was the first song that Tyler and Perry wrote for the album, and it was composed in November 1988 prior to the end of their Permanent Vacation tour.Going Down/Love In an ElevatorA double entendre-laden skit leads in this double entendre-laden song.  Tyler and Perry wrote this piece, and it was inspired by an actual experience Steven Tyler had where he was making out with a woman in an elevator and the doors opened.  It was nominated for a Grammy in 1990 for Best Hard Rock Performance, but Aerosmith lost out to Living Colour on that one. ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:Theme from the television music performance and dance program “American Bandstand” Dick Clark's music show which premiered in March 1952 had its final show on October 7, 1989. STAFF PICKS:Sowing the Seeds of Love by Tears for FearsBruce brings us a Beatles-esque song from the third Tears for Fears album, "Seeds of Love."  It was written by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, and hit number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, their fourth and final entry into the top 10.  Orzabal considers it to be the most overtly political song Tears for Fears had written at the time.  Big Talk by WarrantRob's staff pick is a rocking tune from glam metal band Warrant's first album, "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich."  This third single from the album made it to number 30 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, though it only made it to number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The album went to number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart.Pictures of Matchstick Men by Camper Van Beethoven Wayne brings us a cover of the first hit single by Status Quo, released in 1968.  This rendition combines elements of pop, ska, punk, folks, alternative, and country.  the "Matchstick men" reference is to the paintings of L.S. Lowry, and English painter who depicted Salford, Manchester, and other industrial scenes in his works.It's Not Enough by StarshipLynch's staff pick is the second single released off Starship's third album, the first album after Grace Slick left the band.  It went to number 12 on the Billboard charts, the final top 40 hit for the band.  This is the sound that most typified the produced sound of the late 80's.   INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:Flying In a Blue Dream by the Joe SatrianiThe title track to Satriani's third studio album closes out this week's podcast.

Hair band Skid Row hails from Tom's River, New Jersay.  The band was formed in 1986 by bassist Rachel Boland and guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo, and rounded out with guitarist Scotti Hill and drummer Rob Affuso.  Lead vocalist Sebastian Bach was recruited after being seen as a wedding singer at the age of 18 well before Adam Sandler would reveal this as a potential career option and path to love and fame.  Sabo was a high school friend of Jon Bon Jovi, and the two made a pact that if one was sucessful in the music business they would help the other out.  This led to Bon Jovi's manager Doc McGee seeking out Skid Row and getting them a contract with Atlantic Records in 1988.Skid Row was the band's eponymously titled debut album, and it would prove to be a huge success over time.  Though it received mixed critical reviews, the album went to number 6 on the Billboard 200 charts, and would be certified 5x platinum in 1995 by the RIAA.  The band headlined tours for Bon Jovi and Aerosmith in 1989-1990.  Bach would be the front man for the band for their first three albums until 1996, when friction between himself and Sabo led to his departure.  Skid Row is still active as of 2022, and has released six albums to date.John Lynch takes the helm on this album in his debut as a permanent member of the What the Riff crew. Youth Gone WildThis rocking anthem was the first single released from the album.  No matter what walk of life you are from, you are one of us - the youth gone wild.  Be true to yourself and not to what others expect of you.  "Hi man, there's something that you oughta know.  I tell ya Park Avenue leads to Skid Row."I Remember YouThe third single would be the one to really put Skid Row on the map.  It is a power ballad depicting a guy who can't get over a long lost love.  Bass player Rachel Bolan contributed the lyrics.  The line "love letters in the sand" was also the title of a number 1 hit from 1957 by Pat Boone.Sweet Little SisterA deeper cut that sounds a lot like Motley Crue chronicles the trouble that a boy crazy sister of a member of the band can create.  "For such a sweet little lady I would swear she's rotten to the core.  Oh yes she got her hands in the cookie jar."18 and LifeThis darker ballad tells the story of Ricky who kills someone with a gun while drunk and is sentenced to life in prison.  Dave "Snake" Sabo and Rachel Bolan wrote the song after reading a story in the local paper about an 18 year old who accidentally killed his friend with a gun he thought was unloaded.  ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:Theme song from the animated series “ALF:  The Animated Series” After its "real life" series, the cat-munching alien ALF returned in animated form.  It finished its run in 1989. STAFF PICKS:Charlotte Anne by Julian Cope Bruce leads off the staff picks with a forgotten song that hit number 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart at the time.  This is the first single from Cope's fourth solo album "My Nation Underground," an album that Cope considers to be a poor album.  Julian Cope comes out of the Liverpool punk scene, and his solo work is a bit reminiscent of the Cure.Driven Out by The FixxRob brings us British new wave band The Fixx in a work off their fifth album.  It talks about the pillaging of the land driven by greed.  "I'm cooking with microwaves to warm up food not seen the soil - plugged into my TV, used to the lies their telling me."  It hit number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 1 on the mainstream rock charts.Funky Cold Medina by Tone Loc Wayne's staff pick was everywhere in 1989.  A funky cold medina was an aphrodisiac, and its use would get the singer into all kinds of trouble when he gives it to his dog, or to a girl who turns out to be a transvestite.  It peaked at number 3 on the charts, and if the main beat sounds familiar, it may be because it comes from "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner. Two Hearts by Phil CollinsJohn features a song Collins sang for his poorly received film "Buster."  Lamont Dozier of Motown fame wrote this song, and it was Dozier's 14th and last number 1 song.  It is about two people connected through time and space even when they are not together.   NOVELTYTRACK:Let's Put the X in Sex by KissEven rock legends put out a failure from time to time.  This could be considered one of those - you be the judge!

On the second episode of our new series chronicling (almost) every #1 song of the 2000s on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks, Matty, Alex, and Gavin are joined by AJ and special guest Jeremy Larson of Pitchfork to talk every #1 post 9/11 to the invasion of Iraq.  Playlist of all the songs discussed on this […]

The Screaming Tree's 1992 record coming in at no. 17, guitarist Gary Lee Connor joins Bakko to share insights and stories of this classic album as well as the bands entire career and his relationship with the other members. Screaming Trees were an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington in 1985 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bass player Van Conner and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel had been replaced by Barrett Martin by the time the band reached its most successful period. Although widely associated with grunge, the band's sound incorporated hard rock and psychedelic elements. The band released seven studio albums, five EPs, and three compilations. Screaming Trees is known as one of the pioneers of grunge along with the Melvins, Mudhoney, U-Men, Skin Yard, Soundgarden, Green River, and Malfunkshun.[citation needed] Screaming Trees rose to fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, along with bands such as Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Soundgarden and was one of the most successful underground music acts of the 1990s. The band achieved one top ten single on the Modern Rock Tracks charts. Screaming Trees were plagued by extended inactivity due to their problems with making a follow up to Dust. This led to their official breakup in 2000.

The Railway Children with Gary Newby in conversation with David Eastaugh Factory Records recorded their debut single "A Gentle Sound" in 1986, followed by their first album, Reunion Wilderness in 1987, which topped the UK Indie Chart. They left Factory shortly afterwards and were signed to Virgin Records. 1988 saw the release of their second album, Recurrence, on Virgin Records, and support tours with R.E.M. in Europe (Work Tour) and The Sugarcubes in the US. A national chart hit eluded them with singles "In the Meantime", "Somewhere South" and "Over and Over". In 1990, they released Native Place, an album that saw the band take a more pop oriented direction, with keyboard textures coming more to the fore than previously. "Every Beat of the Heart" became a Top 40 hit in the UK with a peak at No. 24, and the song became a No. 1 hit on the newly founded Modern Rock Tracks chart in the U.S. The band parted with Virgin Records in 1992, and broke up soon after. Keegan later had a spell in the Wigan-based folk rock band The Tansads, The Crash Band, and The Ultras, while Hull and Bateman left music for good. Newby continued solo, and has since released several albums as The Railway Children: Dream Arcade (1997, Ether Records), Gentle Sound (2002, Ether Records) and two collections of rare recordings: Rarities #1 in 2007 and Rarities #2 in 2010; the latter available only by download from his official site (listed below). Newby spent several years in Japan from 2002 onwards, writing/arranging music and lyrics for several major Japanese artists, including Anna Tsuchiya, Every Little Thing, V6, Detroit Metal City, Sailor Moon and Yoshikuni Douchin. In 2016, the original line up of Newby, Keegan, Hull and Bateman began rehearsing together and went on to play several times, including the NYC Popfest, the Shiiine On Weekender and concerts in Manchester, Berlin and London.

In what COULD BE the final episode of The Throwback Podcast, Bob and Dan travel back to their senior year of high school to revisit the Top 10 Modern Rock Tracks of April '98. Follow us on twitter @throwbackpod to KIT and stay up to date on what happens next. Hope you had the time of your life.

Joining us this week is singer/songwriter and frontman of Marcy Playground, John Wozniak! With Marcy Playground, John has released 4 albums, with their debut album being certified platinum in the US, and the band’s 1997 hit “Sex and Candy” spent 15 weeks at number one on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. John continues to write and tour with Marcy Playground, with intimate & interactive shows in Southern Ontario from April 20th to 23rd in celebration of the 20th anniversary of their self titled album just around the corner. In this interview, we hear about John's collaborative process, what's coming up for Marcy Playground, and the advice he'd offer to his fellow musicians. Highlights - John shares that the biggest difference in the industry between now and the 90s is the number of independent labels vs major labels - John believes that the smaller number of major labels has opened up room for independent labels and networks to be created - John shares that the independent world is much more... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

James - She's A Star Smiths wannabes, James, never really caught on over here in the States, but they did get some MTV time in the 90's when Laid hit number 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers album chart. Their highest US-charting song, Laid, comes from the album of the same name, and it climbed up to number 3 in Modern Rock Tracks and 61 in the Hot 100. But do I flash back to that song in the car when the radio personality is talking about James? Naaaaah. My brain is stuck on the sweet little pop song, She's A Star, with its meowing slide guitar and soaring chorus. Snark away, real James fans, but this is my favorite James song. I am hopelessly addicted to catchy pop tunes by rock bands.