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Brian Briefing
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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.
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2 days ago1 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
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5 days ago1 min read


4/10/26 - Middle Kids, Milk, and Tony Host
Friday 4/10/26 Celebrate: ASPCA Day Encourage a Young Writer Day Global Work From Home Day Golfer's Day National Cinnamon Crescent Day National Dive Bar Day National Farm Animals Day National Hug Your dog Day Poet in a Cupcake Day Safety Pin Day Siblings Day – New in Theaters You, Me & Tuscany - Comedy with Nia Vardalos, Halle Bailey, Marco Calvani, Isabella Ferrari, Lorenzo de Moor, Aziza Scott, and Regé-Jean Page. Faces of Death - Horror film with Dacre Montgomery, Jermaine
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5 days ago3 min read


1986 - Debut - New Kids on the Block
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.)
bribriny
Apr 21 min read


2001 - Gorillaz - Gorillaz
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.
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Mar 291 min read


1991 - Vagabond Heart - Rod Stewart
35 Years Ago - 1991 Rod Stewart released his sixteenth album Vagabond Heart . "It Takes Two" is a duet with Tina Turner and was used in Pepsi commercials. It did not have any chart action in the US. "Rhythm of My Heart" peaked at #5. #2 AC, #13 Mainstream Rock. "The Motown Song" features most of the Toto crew and made #10, #3 AC. "Broken Arrow" is a cover of the Robbie Robertson 1988 song and made #20, #3 AC. The album also features “Have I Told You Lately” that Rod would ta
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Mar 281 min read


1986 - 5150 - Van Halen
40 Years Ago - 1986 Van Halen released their seventh album 5150. The first with Sammy Hagar as lead singer. The album was named after Eddie Van Halen's home studio, 5150, in turn named after a California law enforcement term for a mentally disturbed person (a reference to Section 5150 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code). This was also their first #1 album. The nickname for the band Van Hagar popped up and even Warner Brothers asked them to consider renaming the
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Mar 241 min read


1986 - Please - Pet Shop Boys
40 Years Ago - 1986 Pet Shop Boys released their debut album Please. The album's title was chosen so that people could go into a record shop and say "Can I have the Pet Shop Boys album, please?" "West End Girls" peaked at #1 Hot 100 and Club, #26 AC, #36 R&B, #37 Mainstream Rock. "Love Comes Quickly" made #62 and #10 Club. "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" made #10 and #3 Club "Suburbia" made #70 and #46 Club.
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Mar 231 min read


1981 - Fancy Free - Oak Ridge Boys
45 Years Ago - 1981 Oak Ridge Boys released their seventh album Fancy Free. "Elvira" written in 1965 and a #72 hit for Dallas Frazier. The Boys took it to ##5, E8 AC, and #1 Country. The song won them a Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. (It seems back in the day that every comedian at the Comedy Club would make an "Elmira" joke to this song. sigh) "(I'm Settin') Fancy Free" made #3 Country and #17 AC.
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Mar 221 min read


1986 - Rapture - Anita Baker
35 Years Ago - 1986 Anita Baker released her second album Rapture. The album won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. "Watch Your Step" made #23 R&B. "Sweet Love" won a Grammy for Best R&B Song. This was her big breakthrough peaking at #8, #3 AC, #2 R&B. "Caught Up in the Rapture" made #37, #9 AC, #6 R&B. "Same Ole Love (365 Days a Year)" peaked at #44, #8 R&B, #6 AC. "No One in the World" was a Dionne Warwick song from 1985. It peaked at #44, #9 AC, #5 R&B.
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Mar 201 min read


3/17/26 - Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Plus - The Flattest States
Tuesday 3/17/26 Happy St. Patrick's Day, a global festival honoring Irish culture and its patron saint. What began as a religious feast day in Ireland has evolved into a worldwide celebration featuring parades, the color green, and unique traditions. Most of the celebrations and revelry are and Irish-American creation. There are more people in the United States who claim Irish ancestry than the entire population of Ireland itself. The first parade was in Boston in 1737. The w
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Mar 173 min read


1991 - Out of Time - R.E.M.
35 Years Ago - 1991 R.E.M . released their seventh album Out of Time. The album won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. "Losing My Religion" won Grammy's for Best pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best shor Form Music Video. it peaked at #4, #1 Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock, and #28 AC. "Shiny Happy People" is a duet with Kate Pierson from the B-52s. It peaked at #10, #48 AC, #3 Alternative Airplay, #8 Mainstream Rock.
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Mar 131 min read


2001 - Discovery - Daft Punk
25 years Ago - 2001 Daft Punk released their second album Discovery. "One More Time" made #61, #1 Club #33 Pop Airplay, #27 Rhythmic "Digital Love" made #9 Club. "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" made #3 Club. "Face to Face" peaked at #1 Club.
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Mar 111 min read


1981 - Heart in Motion - Amy Grant
35 Years Ago - 1981 Amy Grant released her ninth album Heart in Motion. This was the first to crossover to the Pop Chart. And Crossover it did! "Baby Baby" was a #1 smash at Hot 100 and AC, plus #23 Club. "Hope Set High" was released to the Contemporary Christian Charts and made #3 and #1 AC. "Every Heartbeat" peaked at #2 Hot 100 and AC. "That's What Love Is For" made #7 and #1 AC. "Good for Me" made #8, #4 AC. "I Will Remember You" peaked at #20 and #2 AC.
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Mar 51 min read


1981 - Stray Cats - Stray Cats
45 Years Ago - 1981 Stray Cats released their self-titled debut album in the UK. Dave Edmunds produced it. It would be 1982 when America would get it's first Stray Cats album with a mix of songs from their first two UK albums. "Rock This Town" would make #9 and #4 Mainstream Rock "Stray Cat Strut" peaked at #3, #41 Mainstream Rock, and #78 Club.
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Feb 91 min read


1996 - Congratulations...I'm Sorry - Gin Blossoms
30 Years Ago - 1996 Gin Blossoms released their third album Congratulations...I'm Sorry. "Follow You Down" and "As Long as It Matters" were a double A-sided single. The made #9, #1 Adult Alternative Airplay, #3 Adult Pop Airplay, #8 Alternative Airplay, #6 Mainstream Rock, #5 Pop Airplay.
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Feb 81 min read


1986 - Control - Janet Jackson
40 Years Ago - 1986 Janet Jackson released her third album, the breakthrough Control. Hang on to something...it was massive!!!!!! The album has been praised by critics as both an artistic feat and as a personal testament of self-actualization. Janet became the first female artist to have five top five hits from one album on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis won the Grammy for Producer(s) of the Year, Non-Classical. "What Have You Done for Me Lately" peake
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Feb 41 min read


2001 - O-Town - O-Town
25 Years Ago - 2001 O-Town released it's self-titled debut album. They were formed for the first season of Making the Band. "Liquid Dreams" made #10 and #25 Pop Airplay. "All or Nothing" peaked at #3, #4 AC, #1 Pop Airplay, #29 Rhythmic. "We Fit Together" made #25 Pop Airplay.
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Jan 311 min read


2001 - It Was All a Dream - Dream
25 Years Ago - 2001 Dream released their debut album It Was All a Dream. "He Loves U Not" peaked at #2, #15 R&B, #3 Pop Airplay, #9 Rhythmic Airplay "This Is Me" made #39, #80 R&B, #13 Pop Airplay, #17 Top 40 Tracks
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Jan 301 min read


1996 - Boys for Pele - Tori Amos
30 Years Ago - 1996 Tori Amos released her third album Boys for Pele. The biggest album of her career and self-produced. "Caught a Lite Sneeze" made #60, #3 Adult Alternative Airplay, #13 Alternative Airplay. "Talula" bubbled under at #19, and #49 Dance Singles Sales (with a BT remix) "Professional Widow" bubbled under the Hot 100 at #8, but a remix from Armand van Helden (a completely reworked song) went #1 Club. "In the Springtime of His Voodoo" made #6 Club. Here's the da
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Jan 231 min read

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