45 Years Ago - 1981 Kim Carnes released her sixth album Mistaken Identity. "Bette Davis Eyes" was a massive #1, winning the 1982 Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. It spent five weeks at #1 (with an interruption from "Stars on 45 for a week), also making #15 AC, #26 Club, #5 Mainstream Rock. Written in 1974 by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon. "Draw of the Cards" made #28 The title track made #60.

35 Years Ago - 1991 LaTour released his self-titled debut album. "People Are Still Having Sex" peaked at #35 and #1 Club.

30 Years Ago - 1996 Faithless released their debut album, Reverence "Salva Mea" was a #1 Club Hit. "Insomnia" is a club classic, making #1 Club, #62 Hot 100. Both of these are the video edits. Go listen to the album and various remixes, specifically the Sister Bliss mix of "Salva Mea" and the Monster Mix for "Insomnia." In March, Bebe Rexha interpolated the melody of "Insomnia" in her single "New Religion", which is credited as a duet between Rexha and Faithless.

40 Years Ago - 1986 Art of Noise released their second album In Visible Silence. "Legs" made #27 Club "Peter Gunn" featured Duane Eddy (from Corning, NY) on the Guitar and made #50, #2 Club. "Paranoimia" features Max Headroom, who is not on the instrumental album version. Re-Works of Art of Noise was released in 1987 and featured two different vocals for the 7" and 12" re-works. It peaked at #34 and #14 Club. It won a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. (is the M

45 Years Ago - 1981 Billy Squire released his second album Don't Say No. The album was a smash and stayed on the chart for over two years. "The Stroke" peaked at #17, #3 Mainstream Rock "In the Dark" made #35 and #7 Mainstream Rock "My Kinda Lover" (you can see he always danced poorly) made #45 and #31 Mainstream Rock.

45 Years Ago - 1981 Jim Steinman released his only album Bad for Good. Meatloaf and Bonnie Tyler were the two who used Jim the best. Many of these songs were written for the follow-up to Bat Out of Hell that never happened (til later.) The major criticism was about the vocals. "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" was the only song to hit the charts making #32 and #14 Mainstream Rock. (Mealoaf in 1994 took it to #13, #24 AC, #25 Mainstream Rock and #10 Pop Airplay.) Somewhere o

20 Years Ago - 2006 Rihanna released her second album A Girl Like Me. "SOS" reached #1 Hot 100, Club, Pop Airplay, #40 AC, #17 Adult Pop Airplay, #13 Rhythmic. "Unfaithful" peaked at #6, #1 Club, #18 R&B, #2 Mainstream Top 40, #7 Rhythmic. "We Ride" was another #1 Club, #34 Pop Airplay, #27 Rhythmic. "Break It Off" made #9, #6 Pop Airplay, #21 Rhythmic.

35 Years Ago - 1981 Rick James released his fifth album Street Songs. At the 1982 Grammy Awards he was nominated for Best Male Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance for the album while being the first African American male artist to be nominated in the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance category for the song  The sheer star power of this album. Mary Jane Girls, Teena Marie, Narada Michael Walden, Gerald Albright, Stevie Wonder plays harmonica, backing vocals from Ja'net Dubois wh

45 Years Ago - 1981 The Tubes released their fifth album The Completion Backward Principle . "Don't Want to Wait Anymore" made #22 Mainstream Rock and #35 Hot 100. "Talk to Ya Later" only bubbled under the Hot 100 at #101 but was #7 Mainstream Rock. As one of the early music videos, MTV played a part in its popularity. It's also co-written with Steve Lukather of Toto.

40 Years Ago - 1986 Bonnie Tyler released her sixth album Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire. Ex Produced by Jim Steinman (so read this at a fast pace with a chorus behind you) "Holding Out For a Hero" was from the soundtrack of the 1984 movie Footloose.It peaked at #34 then. (a re-release in 1985 took it to #2 UK. "If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)" was written by Desmond Child, who has stated that the song was rewritten as "You Give Love a Bad Name" with Bon Jovi after

40 Years Ago - 1986 The Blow Monkeys released their second album Animal Magic. The only US release was "Digging Your Scene" which peaked at #14 and #7 Club.

20 Years Ago - 2006 Pink released her fourth album I'm Not Dead "Stupid Girls" made #13, #25 Adult Pop Airplay,#19 Club, #17 Pop Airplay. "Who Knew" peaked at #9, #1 Adult Pop Airplay and Pop Airplay, #5 AC. "U + Ur Hand" made #9, #1 Pop Airplay, #5 Adult Pop Airplay.

30 Years Ago - 1996 Tina Turner released her ninth album Wildest Dreams .  This album did way better in Europe only making #61 in the US. "GoldenEye" is from the James Bond movie and written by U2. #1 in Europe, #2 Bubbling Under Hot 100 in the US, #22 Club, #89 R&B. "On Silent Wings" includes guest vocals from Sting and made #24 AC and #47 Club. "Missing You" is a remake of the #1 John Waite song. Tina took it to #84 and #16 AC. "In Your Wildest Dreams" is a duet with Barry

35 Years Ago - 1991 Lenny Kravitz released his second album Mama Said. Of course, Mama is Roxie Roker that many know from The Jeffersons. "Always on the Run" co-written and featuring Slash, the song made #8 Alternative Airplay and #40 Mainstream Rock. "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" written while dealing with a struggling marriage to his then wife, Lisa Bonet, and was an attempt to rekindle the relationship, it peaked at #2, #5 AC, #10 R&B. "Stand By My Woman" made #76.

35 Years Ago - 1991 Mr. Big released their second album Lean Into It. "To Be with You" was their only #1, #11 AC, #19 Mainstream Rock. The band's Billy Sheehan told in a 1992 interview, "We never intended to release 'To Be With You'. We had another single. But some guy in Lincoln, Nebraska just started playing the song, and the copies of the song started selling like crazy. It spread to Omaha and went all over the country." "Just Take My Heart" made #16 and #18 Mainstream Ro

40 Years Ago - 1986 New Kids on the Block released their sel-titled debut album. When it was originally released it didn't garner any attention. After the "Hangin' Tough" album "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)" was released as a single. It is a remake of a Delfonics song from 1969 where it made #10 and #3 R&B. Their version made #8, #34 R&B, #12 AC in 1989. (Sorry fans..I think this is pure slop.)

40 Years Ago - 1986 Culture Club released their fourth album From Luxury to Heartache. This was the last Culture Club album at the time, as Boy George was being dragged down by his drug addiction. "Move Away" became the last Top 40 hit in the US peaking at #12, #11 AC, #4 Club, #87 R&B.

40 Years Ago - 1986 Prince released his eighth (studio) album Parade. It also served as the soundtrack to the movie Under the Cherry Moon. "Kiss" peaked at #1 Hot 100, Club, R&B/Hip Hop. "Mountains" written with Wendy & Lisa, It reached #23, #15 R&B.  "Anotherloverholenyohead" made #63. "Girls & Boys" was the B side of "Another...." AND 20 Years Ago - 2006 Prince released thrity-first album 3121. The only Prince album ever to debut atop the Billboard 200 during his lifetim

25 Years Ago - 2001 Train released their second album Drops of Jupiter . "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" won the Grammys for Best Rock Song and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist. It peaked at #5, #8 AC, #1Adult Alternative Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay. #4Pop Airplay, #11 Alternative Airplay, #19 Mainstream Rock "Something More" made #20. "She's On Fire" charted #21 Adult Top 40, #40 Mainstream Rock.

25 Years Ago - 2001 Gorillaz released their debut self-titled album. A cartoon band.  "Clint Eastwood" peaked at #57, #3 Alternative Airplay, #32 Pop Airplay. "19-2000" made #23 Alternative Airplay and #34 Pop Airplay.