This Christmas

Song: "This Christmas"
Artist: Donnie Hathaway
Album: This Christmas & Be There

Donnie Hathaway was one of the more unheralded, amazing, R&B singers ever. He sadly passed away in 1979 in what was ruled a suicide, but his music lives on. This is one of my favorite holiday tunes, especially with Donnie singing it, and a good way to officially kick off the holiday season today as a lot of you go shopping.

Bruce Hornsby

Song: "The River Runs Low"
Artist: Bruce Hornsby
Album: The Way It Is

When you think if '80's music, chances are you don't think of this Bruce Hornsby album. But let me tell you, this album is one of the lesser acclaimed but incredible albums from the decade. It's pure emotive, piano-driven, Americana-tinged melodic pop.

Do Something

Song: "Do Something"
Artist: Macy Gray
Album: On How Life Is

Macy hasn't quite matched the awesomeness of this album, and this is one of my favorite tunes of hers.

Motorcycle Drive By

Song: "Motorcycle Drive By"
Artist: Third Eye Blind
Album: Third Eye Blind

On Third Eye Blind's first album, the last four songs are all dark and gloomy and beautiful at the same time, and this is one of them. This is one of my favorite albums of the '90's, hands down.

Roundabout

Song: "Roundabout"
Artist: Yes
Album: Fragile

I know, I know...we've all heard this song a million times on classic rock radio, but I do remember in my childhood playing this album over and over, as well as Led Zeppelin "IV"....what can I say? And it's worth mentioning that Yes has always been known for their super cool album covers.

Smokin' In the Boys Room

Song: "Smokin' In the Boys Room"
Artist: Brownsville Station
Album: Yeah!

Ah, one of those one-hit wonders from the '70's that I love so much. This was a novelty song of sorts, but it does sort of rock. No, really!

HotSocky

Song: "Believe"
Artist: HotSocky
Album: HotSocky

I don't know if this band is still making music, but this debut came out maybe six or seven years ago, and blew me away. It's raw garage rock but with melodies. If you can find this anywhere, grab it.

Breathe In, Breathe Out

Song: "Machinehead"
Artist: Bush
Album: Sixteen Stone

The '90's were weird for me in some ways, but great in that I was able to re-connect with my passion for music. And I took a liking to a lot of the grunge of the time, including Bush. This is the kind of song that you put in your iPod for a "workout" mix, and trust me, it will make you want to run through a wall.

Fly Like An Eagle

Song: "Fly Like an Eagle"
Artist: Marshall Tucker Band
Album: Carolina Dreams

This is not the Steve Miller Band song from the '70's, but a very good song--Southern rock with a flute in the band....I just loved these guys and love this album to this day.

Todd

Song: "Can We Still Be Friends?"
Artist: Todd Rundgren
Album: The Very Best of Todd Rundgren

There is something ultra-compelling about Todd Rundgren's early material. His voice, arrangements and melodies are timeless and unique yet super catchy. There is an element of prog-rock too. His biggest fans would say "Todd is God," and while I wouldn't go that far, I have always had a soft spot for his music.

Foghat

Song: "Easy Money"
Artist: Foghat
Album: Stone Blue

Laugh all you want...I loved this band when I was growing up, and when I was 14 my band, Black Pearl, even covered some of their songs like "Slow Ride" and "I Just Wanna Make Love To You." Yeah, imagine a group of young teenagers singing songs like that...pretty funny. But this band is one of the classic rock staples to this day.

Children of the Damned

Song: "Children of the Damned"
Artist: Iron Maiden
Album: Somewhere Back In Time

I grew up in the late '70's/early '80's and Iron Maiden was one of the first true "metal" bands that I happened to worship as a pimply faced teenager. And I still love this music, as I sit here, a middle-aged dad.

Jenny

Song: "Jenny"
Artist: The Click Five
Album: Modern Minds and Pastimes

This band writes some of the most infectious pop of any band in recent memory. If power pop is your thing and you haven't given these guys a listen yet, go do it now. You will thank me later.

Make Believe

Song: "Make Believe"
Artist: Tommy Lee
Album: Tommyland: The Ride

Not only is Tommy Lee a great drummer, dude is just a rock star. On this solo album, he sings too and not only does he have a great voice, but the songs are really good too.

Strange Magic

Song: "Strange Magic"
Artist: ELO
Album: Face The Music

ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) is one of those bands that defines '70's pop music. Not only did they use a real orchestra, but their melodies rival anything in any era in popular music history.

Let It Ride

Song: "Let It Ride"
Artist Bachman Turner Overdrive
Album: 20th Century Masters

Everyone knows this band from "Takin' Care of Business," but they had so many more great songs including this one. It's just pure pop bliss.

The Sundays

Song: "Your Eyes"
Artist: The Sundays
Album: Static & Silence

This is one of my favorite albums of all-time, one that I can listen to from beginning to end. The Sundays never matched the brilliance of this album, at least in my opinion, but that's okay.

Mrs. Rita

Song: "Mrs. Rita"
Artist: Gin Blossoms
Album: New Miserable Experience

This is one of the lesser-known tracks from the Gin Blossoms' biggest album that came out in the early '90's. It sure was strange seeing bands like and like Hootie emerge in a time when grunge was king.

Robin Hood

Song: "Robin Hood"
Artist: .38 Special
Album: Rockin' Into The Night

As instrumental tracks go, this is a really nice, breezy guitar-driven piece by a band that never really gets the props they deserve for musicianship.