Dancing To The Beat Of “B”!

I am a lifetime lover of music of all genres, and I like to share some of my favorites!

Here’s one way I do it – by celebrating great music one letter at a time!

I’m looking at the letter “B” today – all of the Artists have a band name or last name beginning with “B” – and what better way to begin than with the reigning best-selling Artist!

Beyonce’s “Renaissance!”

he Singer’;s 7th studio album was an immediate pop culture sensation, a celebration of dance music, with Beyonce’s unique take.

Here’s a “lyrics only” music video released three days ago for “I’m That Girl!”

The album has generated controversy however. Here’s what has been reported:

“Beyoncé has updated her latest album, Renaissance, in response to criticism from fans and the pop star Kelis. The song Heated has received a lyrical update, removing a slur that is often used to demean people with spastic cerebral palsy.”

Well, music has the ability to generate controversy, right? Now, how about a timeless classic that is now 55 years old!

“It Was Twenty Years Ago Today…”

The Beatles could be included on this list in so many ways – but actually fifty-five years ago, this album changed music forever.

“Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” revolutionized music – and album covers, and here is one of the great album tracks.

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band!”

It’s the opening track that is perhaps the most famous in all rock history:

“It was twenty years ago today
Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play
They’ve been going in and out of style
But they’re guaranteed to raise a smile
So may I introduce to you 
The act you’ve known for all these years?
Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

We’re Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
We hope you will enjoy the show
We’re Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sit back and let the evening go
Sergeant Pepper’s lonely, Sgt. Pepper’s lonely
Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band!”

Here is a terrific live performance by Paul McCartney, who wrote the song – this live version includes both the opening track as well as the reprise of the title track at the end of the album – brilliant:

Of course, after that reprise, the album actually ends with “A Day In The Life”, a haunting song that uses one Lennon and one McCartney composition and combines them – with a unique ending!

The final chord was produced by all four Beatles and George Martin banging on three pianos simultaneously. As the sound diminished, the engineer boosted to faders. The resulting note lasts 42 seconds; the studio air conditioners can be heard toward the end as the faders were pushed to the limit to record it.

For those who wonder what all the fuss about The Beatles was about, Director Peter Jackson’s 6 hour documentary “Get Back” should show you what made them the greatest musical group of all time – see the trailer and more here:

Next up is a performer who had an incredible career on his own, but also had a wine-fuelled collaboration with one of the world’s most theatrical bands!

David Bowie And Queen “Under Pressure”

Queen could be all over this alphabetical list of great music, as could Bowie – and together they created one of the classic songs of our time.

Here is a great mashup on Youtube which mixes live performances from both artists to capture the essence of the song!

Click here to read the raucous story of how he teamed up with Queen and the madness behind the song “Under Pressure”:

Next up is a great 80’s band that sadly didn’t have longevity, but they sure knew how do make female empowered “power pop!”

Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward formed Bananarama in 1980.

They had an upbeat sound and lottos hits:

Here is my favorite: a love letter to Actor Robert DeNiro!

80’s music has so much fun energy – and many of the best songs of that era have come back thanks to shows like “Stranger Things” – I used their season 2 trailer and a starting off point to explore 5 reasons why the 80’s endure and you can see them all here:

Now, here’s a group of Brothers who were the best-selling Artists int he world, until their world collapsed!

The Bee Gees had so many hits, from “How Do You Mend A Broken Heart” to “Love So Right”, “Nights On Broadway” and “Staying’ Alive” – which was included on this album:

This film, starring John Travolta, was a phenomenon, and made disco music incredibly popular – and at one point this was the best selling album of all time!

Here’s the music video for the smash hit single “Stayin’ Alive!”

However, just a few short years later, punk rock made disco music pass, and the band had a huge fall from grace!

A terrific HBO documentary tells their entire story and it’s fascinating…and here’s another band that was a bit of a phenomenon in the 70’s:

Yes, “Abba” headed up my “A” list, including Aerosmith and more!

See that list of “A” music right here:

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Let me know your favorite “B” songs or Artists!

Categories: 70's Cinema, 70's Music, Art, Classic Rock, Great Films, Music, Obscure Music, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, The Beatles

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