top of page

Brian Briefing
News, Silliness, Fun, and Music
Search


1986 - The Other Side of Life - Moody Blues
40 Years Ago - 1986 Moody Blues released their twelfth album The Other Side of Life. "Your Wildest Dreams" peaked at #9, #1 AC, #2 Mainstream Rock. "The Other Side of Life" made #58, #18 AC, and #11 Mainstream Rock.
bribriny
Apr 221 min read


1986/2001 - Raised on Radio/Arrival - Journey
40 Years Ago - 1986 Journey released their ninth album Raised on Radio. This album came after both Neal Schon and Steve Perry had released albums of their own. Steve considered leaving but decided to return when they wanted him to work on some unfinished songs. "Be Good to Yourself" peaked at #9 and #2 Mainstream Rock "Suzanne" made #17 and #11 Mainstream Rock "Girl Can't Help It" charted #17 and #9 Mainstream Rock "I'll Be Alright Without You" made #14, #7 AC, #26 Mainstrea
bribriny
Apr 211 min read


4/21/26 - Tea, Digital Fatigue, Are Nickels Next, and A What In Your Car? Well S***
Tuesday 4/21/26 Celebrate: Big World Day Bulldogs are Beautiful Day Keep Off the Grass Day Kindergarten Day National Chickpea Day National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day National Rendering Day National Yellow Bat Day - a national security unit from 1945-1976. Its insignia is a bat with a yellow moon. Thank You for Libraries Day Tuna Rights Day World Creativity and Innovation Day – Today's Useless Fact of the Day - Today is National Tea Day. Legend has it that tea was discover
bribriny
Apr 214 min read


1996 - New Beginning - SWV
30 Years Ago - 1996 SWV released their second album New Beginning. "You're the One" made #5, #1 R&B/Hip Hop, #3 Rhythmic Airplay "Use Your Heart" was the first song produced by the Neptunes (Chad Hugo & Pharrell Williams.) It peaked at #22, #6 R&B, #19 Rhythmic. "It's All About U" made #61, #32 R&B, #30 Rhythmic.
bribriny
Apr 201 min read


2006 - St. Elsewhere - Gnarls Barkley
20 Years Ago - 2006 Gnarls Barkley released their debut album St. Elsewhere. Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green are the frontmen for the group which had an elaborate backstory for "Gnarls", claiming to be close friends of Lester Bangs, Isaac Hayes, Gordon Gano, and lovers of Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey. The character taught the band Kraftwerk English, as well as set up a meeting between the group Wu-Tang Clan and members of the Stuckist art movement. The album won the Grammy Aw
bribriny
Apr 191 min read


1981 - Fair Warning - Van Halen
45 Years Ago - 1981 Van Halen released their fourth album Fair Warning. The album sold well, but there really weren't any charting hits. "So This Is Love?" made #15 Mainstream Rock Unchained" #13 Mainstream Rock.
bribriny
Apr 181 min read


1981 - Mistaken Identity - Kim Carnes
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.
bribriny
Apr 171 min read


1991 - LaTour - LaTour
35 Years Ago - 1991 LaTour released his self-titled debut album. "People Are Still Having Sex" peaked at #35 and #1 Club.
bribriny
Apr 161 min read


1996 - Reverence - Faithless
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.
bribriny
Apr 151 min read


1986 - In Visible Silence - Art of Noise
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
bribriny
Apr 141 min read


1981 - Don't Say No - Billy Squire
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.
bribriny
Apr 131 min read


1981 - Bad for Good - Jim Steinman
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
bribriny
Apr 121 min read


2006 - A Girl Like Me - Rihanna
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.
bribriny
Apr 111 min read


1981 - Street Songs - Rick James
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
bribriny
Apr 101 min read


1981 - The Completion Backward Principle - The Tubes
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.
bribriny
Apr 91 min read


1986 - Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire - Bonnie Tyler
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
bribriny
Apr 81 min read


1986 - Animal Magic - The Blow Monkeys
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.
bribriny
Apr 71 min read


2006 - I'm Not Dead - Pink
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.
bribriny
Apr 61 min read


1996 - Wildest Dreams - Tina Turner
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
bribriny
Apr 51 min read


1991 - Mama Said- Lenny Kravitz
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.
bribriny
Apr 41 min read

bottom of page