MY FAVORITE SONGS OF 2022

The one thing that became undeniably clear in 2022 is that record labels no longer held carte blanche over what would become a hit song. With TikTok now a dominant force in many people's lives, the app is now the go-to platform to introduce new music through creative clips, dance challenges, established artists leaking demos and aspiring musicians sharing their tracks.

And once TikTok decides a song is hot, the rest of the world tends to follow with shocking speed. Even songs from the past can be revived on the app (with Kate Bush's 1985 single, "Running Up That Hill" as the year's greatest example), becoming wildly popular once again but to a whole new generation of listeners. I think It's great that everyone has a fair shot at getting their music heard on their terms and be able to have a hit outside of the standard music industry that have long held control. However I am also concerned that this type of fast success without much professional guidance will make it even harder for musicians to establish a long-term career that will become substantial and lucrative for them.

I've been sharing songs that I loved throughout last year but here are some (largely TikTok hits) of my favorites that I didn't get a chance:

LISA MARIE PRESLEY (1968 - 2023)

Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of the rock & roll legend, Elvis Presley, shockingly passed away at the age of fifty-four. The music artist had suffered from cardiac arrest at her home on January 12th but no other details has been released to date.

She was only nine years old when Elvis Presley died in 1977,  becoming the sole heir to the estate after the passing of her grandfather and great-grandmother by 1980. On her twenty-fifth birthday, Presley inherited the estate, which had grown to over one hundred million dollars. But she decided to turn the funds into the Elvis Presley Trust which continued the management of the estate including Graceland, Presley's mansion in Memphis turned tourist attraction after his death.

After her two high-profile yet short-lived marriages to Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage ended, Presley decided to finally venture into a professional music career and at the age of thirty five released her debut album, "To Whom it May Concern" in 2003. This bluesy rock album, with Presley co-writing all of the songs, was a moderate critical and commercial success with the single, "Lights Out" cracking the top forty on the US pop chart. She would release only two more albums during her career in music, the follow-up, "Now What" in 2005 (which featured a cover of Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry") and "Storm and Grace", a roots album produced by T Bone Burnett in 2012, both receiving a warm reception with modest sales.

Presley is survived by her mother, actress Priscilla Presley; her daughter Riley, an actress, from her first marriage to musician Danny Keough and fraternal twins, Harper and Finley Lockwood from her fourth husband, musician Michael Lockwood. Presley's only son, Benjamin Keough died at the age of twenty-seven from an apparent suicide on July 12, 2020.

THRILLER: THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY

Last year marked the fortieth anniversary since the release of "Thriller", the multi-million selling album that would help elevate Michael Jackson, who had already been pretty famous since he was five years old, into the role of the world's biggest pop star of all-time. And while that may seem a bit hyperbolic, it is a fact that Jackson's shimmering collection of golden hit songs were inescapable at the time and to this day the album has remained a highly influential master work that still manages to inspire for it's outstanding innovation.

While his previous album, "Off The Wall" was a significant critical and commercial success, Jackson was still unsatisfied with the reception of his work, feeling that it had not received proper recognition by the Grammys. The dance-oriented "Off The Wall" also had the misfortune of being released when a backlash against disco had begun.

He returned to the studio again with producer, Quincy Jones with a game plan of creating a record where every song could be a potential hit single and would appeal to a mass audience. Thirty tracks were recorded over two months with the final album featuring only nine of what were considered the best songs. "Thriller" was released on November 8, 1982 and the first single, "The Girl is Mine", a playful duet with Paul McCartney, had reached number two on the US pop chart.



But it was the follow-up, "Billie Jean" that would begin Jackson's true ascension as a major pop artist. This was helped by getting the music video played on MTV, which had long been resistant to featuring music by Black artists on the channel, with it going into heavy rotation and Jackson's appearance on the television special, "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" where after performing with his brothers a medley of their hits, Jackson did the famous "moonwalk" move for the first time while doing this song. At fourteen million copies sold, "Billie Jean" would become one of the best selling singles of all-time.



Then came "Beat It", a beat-driven rock song that featured an electrifying guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen. The video for the single, about a gang rivalry that would be resolved through music, became a classic, further cementing Jackson as a worldwide pop sensation. One of Jackson's most iconic and celebrated songs, "Beat It" would follow "Billie Jean" to the top of the music charts in several countries and sell well over eleven million copies.



The next single, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" had originally been written for his sister, La Toya, then later recorded for himself during the "Off The Wall" sessions before being re-recorded for "Thriller". This funky dance track, with the famous chant near the end, "Mama-say mama-sah ma-ma-coo-sah" being borrowed from the Cameroonian musician, Manu Dibango's 1972 song "Soul Makossa", would become a top-five hit and continue Jackson's international charting streak.



"Human Nature", the fifth single from the album, went in another direction from Jackson, a sensual ballad written by Steve Porcaro of the band, Toto and John Bettis. The song is now considered a template for the "quiet storm" sound that followed not long after it's successful release.



"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", an uptempo jam that features Jackson's sisters, La Toya and Janet on backing vocals, was another top-ten hit.



And we come to the final single released from the album, the title track. While this is my least favorite song on the record, there is no denying the power and appeal of "Thriller", especially when connected to the famous music video. At thirteen minutes in length, an unheard of budget at the time of a half million dollars and directed by filmmaker, John Landis ("The Blues Brothers", "An American Werewolf in London"), the video of "Thriller" is much more of a short film than a promotional clip. The video played up Jackson's love of horror movies with creepy visual effects and elaborate make-up created for a horde of the undead doing the iconic zombie dance with Jackson. And to drive it all home, we have the "master of horror", Vincent Price to recite a spoke-word sequence near the end of the song. "Thriller" went on to become the first music video inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2009.



And even though the remaining songs from the album: the post-disco tune, "Baby Be Mine" and the lovely romantic ballad, "The Lady in My Life" were not released as singles, they both received some radio play.





"Thriller" went on to sell an incredible seventy million copies worldwide, staying in the top-ten on Billboard Hot 200 Album chart for a year, making it the second best selling album of all-time in the US. And Jackson got his Grammy recognition, receiving a record of eight awards in one evening which included Record of The Year for "Beat It" and Album of The Year.

Jackson would later be surrounded by several serious accusations involving child abuse (which he was never charged), other scandals and controversy which included his dramatically changed physical appearance. But none of that could distract from the brilliance that is "Thriller", an album that completely changed the game in pop music. This record may have been motivated by the frustrated ego of a talented artist but his determination pushed his creativity, expanding the barriers the music industry had self-imposed and helped open the door for other African-American performers to reach their full potential.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM . . .

ALICIA KEYS

Alicia Keys has been delivering her blend of piano-driven, classic soul with hip-hop beats since the turn of this century. And now Keys brings her distinctive style to her very first Christmas album, "Santa Baby", released through her own label, Alicia Keys Records and available exclusively through Apple Music. This collection is made up of seven covers of holiday standards (including her version of the title track first made famous by the legendary Eartha Kitt in 1953) and four original compositions written or co-written by the artist. Keys has created a warm and smooth soulful vibe with this album, a very fine addition to the ever expanding options available in Christmas music. Enjoy the first single and video of the original tune, "December Back 2 June" and her stylish version of the title track:

JOSS STONE

Joss Stone began her professional music career at the tender age of sixteen with the 2003 release of "The Soul Sessions", an album of soul song covers that had became popular long before she was even born. What made this acclaimed record (and Stone) so impressive is how this young blonde Brit was able to dig down deep to convey the passion of these songs, possessing a voice that was convincingly mature and soulful. Yet despite this dazzling debut, she surprisingly did not become a major presence in pop music. But the gifted Stone went on to continuously release new music that effectively brought back a feeling of vintage r&b. With "Merry Christmas, Love", the now thirty-five year old artist delivers a yuletide collection that features plenty of traditional holiday classics plus two new songs; "If You Believe" and "Bring on Christmas Day" that are both written by Stone. The first release from the album is "What Christmas Means To Me", Stone's take on the song that first appeared on Stevie Wonder's Christmas album back in 1967 and we have the live version of "Bring on Christmas Day":

CHRISTINE MCVIE (1943 - 2022)

Christine McVie, the long-time member of the rock group, Fleetwood Mac, has passed away on November 30th at the age of seventy-nine. The British singer was responsible for writing and performing some of the band's best known and loved songs like "Say You Love Me", "Songbird", "You Make Loving Fun", "Little Lies" and "Everywhere".

She was born Christine Perfect and grew up in the town of Smethwick near Birmingham. She took to the piano at a very early age, becoming classically trained until she was a teenager after which she shifted her focus to rock & roll. While attending Moseley School of Art in Birmingham, Perfect met several budding musicians, like Spencer Davis, Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton who were immersed in the blues music scene happening there. She eventually left behind the idea of becoming an art teacher and pursued music full time with a move to London. Perfect joined Chicken Shack, a blues band, in 1967 and they released two studio albums, receiving some notice with the singles, "It's Okay with Me Baby" (written and performed by Perfect) and a cover of Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind".

After marrying John McVie, the bass guitarist for another blues-rock band, Fleetwood Mac, in 1969, Perfect decided to leave Chicken Shack in order to have more time with her new husband. But not wanting to end her career in music, she released a self-titled debut album the following year, a collection of largely r&b and blues covers with a few original songs by Perfect. She had begun working with Fleetwood Mac, providing backing vocals and even painting the cover of their 1970 album, "Kiln House", and after founding member Peter Green left, the now named Christine McVie officially became a member of the band.

Not long after she joined, Fleetwood Mac began to have internal problems with band members coming and going, a lawsuit with their manager and their albums were failing to generate much interest. The band decided to relocate to Los Angeles for a fresh start, releasing "Heroes Are Hard to Find" in 1974 with McVie and Bob Welch trading off writing and singing the songs on the album. Welch, exhausted and frustrated after the disappointing sales of the album, decided to leave Fleetwood Mac (going on to a successful solo career) and two new members were asked to join. With Lindsey Buckingham and his girlfriend, Stevie Nicks now in the band, Fleetwood Mac released another self-titled album in 1975. The record offered a resurgence for the band with the hit singles, "Over My Head" and "Say You Love Me" from McVie and Nicks' "Rhiannon" and "Landslide" with the album selling over seven million copies.

During the recording of their next album, the McVies' marriage was coming to an end and the romantic relationship between Buckingham and Nicks was over. They all managed, along with drummer and founding member, Mick Fleetwood, to continue to work together with the end result being the band's eleventh studio album, "Rumours" in 1977. The album was critically acclaimed, had four top-ten singles (which included McVie's "Don't Stop" and "You Make Loving Fun"), became one of the best selling of all time at twenty million copies and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

During the height of Fleetwood Mac's fame, McVie recorded her second solo album, a self-titled record in 1984 that featured the top ten single, "Got a Hold on Me". After years of recording and touring, McVie decided to end life on the road in 1998. She released her third solo album, "In the Meantime" in 2003 but eleven years later, McVie was lured back to Fleetwood Mac. McVie teamed up with Buckingham for a collaborative studio album, "Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie" in 2017 which was followed by a tour. Fleetwood Mac was supposed to begin a tour with the popular line-up the following year but Buckingham left the band although some say he was fired over a conflict with Nicks. The tour went on but with guitarist Mike Campbell, formerly of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Neil Finn of Crowded House as replacements for Buckingham.

In Fleetwood Mac, McVie was a demure and low-key member compared to Nicks' colorfully theatrical character or the handsome Buckingham's brilliantly skilled yet brash persona. But she was a vital component to the band's enduring success, with her smooth piano playing, sultry and smoky voice and gift for crafting heartfelt yet catchy pop songs. It was clear that the creating and performing of music was most essential to her, far more than the trappings of fame and success. McVie was a sincere team player, willing to recede a bit out of the spotlight so that the entire band could shine brightly.

IRENE CARA (1959 - 2022)

Irene Cara, the beautiful and gifted singer and actor, best known for her film roles in "Sparkle" and "Fame" and singing the theme song for the movie, "Flashdance" has sadly passed away on November 25th at the age of sixty-three. No cause of death has been disclosed at this time.

Born and raised in the Bronx, this Puerto-Rican-Cuban performer displayed signs of her gifts early as young child, learning to play piano by ear and excelling in dance and voice lessons. She became a regular on the educational program, "The Electric Company" for two years beginning in 1971 and recorded Spanish-language albums. By the time she was a teenager, Cara had appeared on the professional stage, on and off-Broadway, and introduced a character on the soap-opera, "Love of Life".

She made her feature film acting debut in 1975 in "Aaron Loves Angela", a teenage comedy-drama inspired by "Romeo and Juliet" from filmmaker, Gordon Parks, Jr. This lead to the first role Cara is best known for: the title character in the musical-drama, "Sparkle", the youngest sister in the singing girl-group, Sister and the Sisters. Set in Harlem at the end of the 1950's, the film follows these impoverished girls as they climb briefly to the top of the music business before coming apart due to addiction, romantic strife and personal issues. Despite the music score written by Curtis Mayfield and a hit soundtrack album that featured Aretha Franklin performing the songs from the film, "Sparkle" was not a big box-office success. But the film would go on to become a popular cult classic, even being remade in 2012 with Whitney Houston (a big fan of the movie) in her final film role.

The other movie role Cara is best remembered is in "Fame". This 1980 Alan Parker directed film follows various students attending the High School of Performing Arts in New York, chronicling their lives and hardships as they go through each school year. Cara played Coco Hernandez, a dynamic talent who was a student accepted in all three different departments: Drama, Music, and Dance. The actress performed three of the most memorable songs from the movie; "Hot Lunch Jam", "Out Here On My Own" and the title tune. "Fame" was essentially an arthouse film that had broad commercial appeal, becoming a major hit with audiences along with a soundtrack that would become a chart-topping, multi-platinum album. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning for Best Original Score and Best Original Song with "Fame" which Cara performed during the ceremony.

"Fame" made Cara a star, giving her some opportunities to work in television and film. But it was music that was Cara's first love and where she achieved her greatest success. One of her biggest hits would be the title song for the 1983 movie, "Flashdance", a surprise box-office smash about a young dancer (Jennifer Beals) aspiring to become a professional ballerina while working by day at a steel mill. Cara co-wrote "Flashdance... What a Feeling" with Keith Forsey and Giorgio Moroder (best known for their work at the time with Donna Summer) and the song took off with the help of the very popular film, becoming a worldwide number one hit and winning the team the Oscar for Best Original Song. Cara would follow this with her second studio album, "What a Feeling" which was a moderate success with the singles, "Why Me?", "The Dream (Hold On to Your Dream)" and "Breakdance".

But by 1984, Cara had grown extremely unhappy with her record company, Network Records who she felt had not given her proper financial compensation for her first album or for the single, "Flashdance... What a Feeling". She decided to sue and while it took almost ten years, Cara finally won a $1.5 million dollar settlement in 1993. However, the company declared bankruptcy which made it impossible for her to be compensated. Cara also believed that she was blacklisted during this time due to the on-going lawsuit, making no record label and few film producers interested in working with her.

It's unfortunate Cara's career had been effectively blocked. She had continued to find some work after the lawsuit, making one more studio album, "Carasmatic" in 1987, occasional film and stage work, touring Europe and recently doing podcasts. Irene Cara was an incredible talent yet she was unable to reach her full potential simply due to her standing up for herself.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

Darren Hayes first began his career as part of the Australian pop duo, Savage Garden with Daniel Jones, who found immediate global success with their self-titled debut album in 1997. "I Want You", "To the Moon and Back", and "Truly Madly Deeply" were hit singles from the record and their follow-up album, "Affirmation" brought them even more popularity with "I Knew I Loved You", a worldwide smash. However by the end of 2001, Savage Garden was no more. Hayes continued his music as a solo artist, releasing his first album, "Spin" in 2002. After his follow-up album, Hayes parted ways his major label, Columbia Records, later forming his own label, Powdered Sugar in 2006.

It was during this period that Hayes began his process of coming out as gay, beginning a relationship with Richard Cullen although he did not reveal any of this publicly at the time. The couple married in 2013 and announced their happy union to the world. With his fifth studio album, boldly titled, "Homosexual", the now fifty year old performer proudly proclaims that he no longer feels any shame for who he is with the goal to reclaim the word from something viewed as negative. This dance-pop album is filled with the type of love songs that Hayes had written since the start of career yet they are told from a point of view involving maturity, honesty and newfound joy. Here are two songs from Hayes' new album and one of my favorites from his time with Savage Garden with the video featuring Kirsten Dunst (!) as Hayes' love interest:

A "new" song from the original line-up of the rock band, Queen has just been released. Originally recorded back in 1988 during the sessions for their final album together, "The Miracle", "Face It Alone" features Freddie Mercury's singularly passionate vocals on this mournful ballad. This song came to be heard only by accident as band members, Brian May and Roger Taylor had found the tape recently but it was in such bad shape that they thought it could not be salvaged. But they did give the track to an engineering team who were miraculously able to piece the song back together. This really is an amazing song (recorded while Mercury had been diagnosed with HIV and in failing health) and it's really great to hear this band together again.



Here is a collection of some new songs I'm loving right now:

In 1990, Sinéad O'Connor, the Irish rocker with the shaved head, was a rising pop star, in part due to her wildly successful cover of Prince's song, "Nothing Compares 2 U" which was enhanced by the music video, played in heavy rotation on MTV, that featured a close-up of the emotive singer shedding actual tears while performing the ballad. But that momentum began to slow down first after she refused to have the American National anthem played before her concerts (enraging Frank Sinatra) before coming to crashing halt after her 1992 television appearance as the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live". O'Connor performed an a cappella version of Bob Marley's "War", then tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II to protest his silence on the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church. This act outraged many people at the time and even though she would be vindicated for her actions years later after the Church acknowledged the abuse, O'Connor's career, while she continued to make music, would not really recover.

The fascinating documentary, "Nothing Compares" by Kathryn Ferguson explores O'Connor's life before this troublesome incident, allowing for some explanation for behavior many might consider strange and erratic. She grew up in an abusive household as a young girl in Ireland who later suffered extreme trauma while staying at the Magdalene asylum for over a year as a teenager. Music was where O'Connor found solace and after the drummer for the band, In Tua Nua heard her sing, he had her record a song with the group. Although they decided she was too young to join their band, O'Connor was determined to continue on a music career, placing an ad in a rock magazine and meeting musician/producer, Colm Farrelly who would help her form a band and inspire her sound that would lead to her debut album, "The Lion and the Cobra" in 1987. O'Connor did not participate with this film, with Ferguson using off-camera interviews with people who had worked with the singer, previous interviews and plenty of performance footage by O'Connor to help shape the documentary. And you will not hear "Nothing Compares 2 U" in this film, just outtakes from the music video, as the estate of Prince would not allow the song to be used, most likely due to some of the unpleasant comments O'Connor had said about the late singer over the years.