Courtney Love’s Great Musical Achievement – With An “H”!
Celebrating some great music with an “H” – artist or song title – including classic Kelly Clarkson music, raucous rock from Neil Young and Heart, vintage Todd Rundgren, the legendary Tom Petty, and Courtney Love’s best song!
Let’s begin with one of the world’s most popular singers – also known as “America’s Star!”
“Heartbeat Song”
This smash hit was from Kelly’s 7th album titled “Piece By Piece” in 2015.
Great lyrics like the opening lines:
“This is my heartbeat song and I’m gonna play it
Been so long I forgot how to turn it up up up up all night long
Oh up up all night long…”
Kelly because a mega star by winning the first-ever season of “American Idol” in 2002 – she was chosen by the viewers as the winner of this televised contest…and she has gone on to be one of the best-selling female Artists of the past twenty years.
Here is the terrific music video:
Of course, her other claim to fame was when Steve Carell hilariously shouted out her name in the film “The 40-Year Old Virgin”:
How did that magical moment happen? Well, Director Judd Apatow revealed that secret to Kelly on her talk show, and you can find out by clicking on my story here:
Next up is a master at his best – when Neil Young decided to plunge into punk rock with lyrics that live on today:
“It’s Better To Burn Out Than To Fade Away…”
Yes, they are some of the most iconic words in rock music history…
“Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There’s more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my…”
The song also includes another of his signature lines:
“It’s better to burn out ’cause rust never sleeps”
That phrase became the title of his grunge-fueled live tour and album from 1979, a decade before grunge became the hottest musical trend in the 90’s…
“Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)” by Neil Young
“Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)”, combined with its acoustic counterpart “My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)”, bookends Neil Young’s successful 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps.
“My my, hey hey
Rock and roll is here to stay
It’s better to burn out
Than to fade away
My my, hey hey..”
According to wikipedia, it was:
“Inspired by electropunk group Devo, the rise of punk and what Young viewed as his own growing irrelevance, the song significantly revitalized Young’s career at the time, and today crosses generations, inspiring admirers from punk to grunge.”
Listen to this blistering live version from 1991:
Neil Young has such an eclectic catalog of music, from folk to country, and of course, classic rock.
40 years ago, two sisters from Seattle decided to rock out the same way – and the result was a career full of great music:
Heart – “Barracuda”
Wait, 1977?!?!?!?! Yes, here are the Wilson Sisters rocking out 40+ years ago!
Ann and Nancy Wilson are still performing, and their timeless music includes “Dog & Butterfly”, “Crazy On You” and more – and they released an autobiography as well – check it out here:
Next up is a woman who is loved and hated in equal measure it seems, but she deserves a lot more musical credit than she has gotten:
Hole – “Doll Parts”
Courtney Love was married to Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, and she has starred in several films as well, but her albums with the band HOLE are really terrific:
“Live Through This” was their greatest achievement, and was included in Rolling Stone’s list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.
The lyrics to “Doll Parts” are haunting:
Here is the music video for the song:
Next up is a song by one of my favorite new(er” groups, with an electrified country/rock song that plays as an homage to classic rock:
“Holdin’ On To Black Metal” by My Morning Jacket
This great song is from their “Circuital” album – here is the music video:
The band keeps releasing new music, and it’s always great. And speaking of someone who just keeps releasing great new music – and always walking his own unique musical path:
“Hello, It’s Me” by Todd Rundgren
As you all know, Todd’s one of my favorite Artists, and his biggest hit of all time hits the “H” list – the classic “Hello, It’s Me.”
Here is a terrific performance from the TV show “Midnight Special” from 1973:
The song is from his double album masterpiece “Something / Anything?” – filled with classic hits and gorgeous album tracks – you can click here to see the album track by track:
Todd’s music is timeless, and so is Donald Fagen’s – the Singer/Songwriter from Steely Dan also released some beautiful, jazzy music as well:
“Here Comes The H Gang!”
Fagen released an album called “Morph The Cat”, and it’s a soulful slice of jazz-infused smoothness, including the song “H Gang”:
On YouTube, “Morcaiden” took Donald Fagen’s “The H Gang” performed at the Beacon Theater, March 6, 2007
Finally, here is my favorite “H” song, by one of my favorite bands:
“Here Comes My Girl” by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
The music world was stunned when Petty died unexpectedly – he wrote for the “everyday guy”, with song like this:
“Every now and then, I get down to the end of a day,
I’ll have to stop, ask myself, “What’ve I done?”
It just seems so useless to have to work so hard,
And nothin’ ever really seem to come from it.
And then she looks me in the eye, says, “We gonna last forever,”
And man, you know I can’t begin to doubt it.
No, because this feels so good and so free and so right,
I know we ain’t never goin’ change our minds about it.
Hey, here comes my girl, here comes my girl,
Yeah, she looks so right, she’s all I need tonight.”
Here is the music video:
Such a sad loss when Tom Petty died…but his family has just released his most personal solo album:
“Wildflowers And All The Rest” is beautiful, and if you click here you can see the latest music videos and a track list:
If you enjoy these posts, why not subscribe and never miss out? It’s easy, and there are NO ads of any kind, just stuff I like to share…click on the main page and “follow” me on the upper right…
If you love these as much as I do, please share this post on social media! Thanks!
Categories: 70's Music, Art, Classic Rock, Music, Obscure Music, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, Todd Rundgren
johnrieber 
Some awesome music, here. Really sad when Tom Petty died. Love Kelly’s songs!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes so sad! Tried to mix and match genres a bit!
LikeLike
A very mixed bag today, John. Great to see Donald Fagen in there though. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
I remember the 2002 American Idols that Kelly won. I remember the final episode. It was a great show and the first of these, if I remember correctly. I also love Barracuda.
LikeLike