Late Night Music Part 31................."I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing"

After driving back from Arkansas this weekend, I thought of how lame some bands are to be named after geographical areas. In all honesty, it was really hard to come up with this list not because of the lack of possible list participants, but because it was hard to find the positive side of any of them. Luckily, this trend has fallen off consistently so bands can just stick with something abstract that makes no sense to anyone. Hey whatever works. In order to be considered in this category, you must have had to have had a region, city, state, country, contient or any other geographical location of any sort in your name.

Also receiving votes in this category was "My Love" by Little Texas, "Shake" by North Mississippi All Stars, "Wobble Wobble" by 504 Boyz.

Boston- "More Than a Feeling". Boston's signature song. Honestly though, do they look like guys from Boston? They are a godo band, but for some reason, none of them look cool with long hair and they all seem like they are sweating profusely and need a shower. Also can't figure out if the lead guitar player is a rock star or a figure skater- what in the world is he wearing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNJS2qXTDTk

Kansas- "Carry On My Wayward Son". I've always thought of Kansas as a cross between Lynyrd Skynyrd and maybe Queen. They are just SO redneck! This song gets super bonus points for being covered by several acapella singing groups, and by being featured on the Rock Band XBOX 360 commercial with Jane Bryant. Video gets laugh points for the guy playing the keyboard and then grabbing the mic. Fast forward to 2:35......great note by the creator of the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB17uWuBrL0

America- "Sister Golden Hair". Interesting fact about America is that band member Dewey Bunnell is actually British. I never got these guys, but I really like this song. Great performance here from Burt Sugarman's Midnight Special in 1975. Why in the world is Gerry Beckley wearing sunglasses inside?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzUQZw3wfro

Europe- "Carrie". Our friends from Sweden had to crack this list with their classic power ballad from 1987. Interesting question- why can European bands sing in PERFECT English but when you go to a foreign country or a tourist area in the United States, (or intramural soccer at LSU), everyone all of a sudden acts like they don't know English? Lead singer Joey Tempest seems to be pretty fluent here. I think it's hilarious they named a band after their continent instead of their country. Even in doing so, the USA is still bigger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpJoq1wlWBc

Miami Sound Machine- "1-2-3". Not their best song, but it definitely brings out the latin roots of Gloria Estefan and her fellow Cuban defectors. Every time this song plays, somewhere Desi Arnez smiles down from Heaven. I really wish they would have counted in Spanish on this song. Would have been cooler.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmHrfC-b08

Alabama- "There's No Way". This "pride of the south" band made a splash with their 1984 country ballad which, like most of their songs, topped the charts. I have no idea who the blonde is in this video but she is HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT. However, she is a terrible dancer. Funny sidenote, while he is an excellent lead singer, Randy Cook has a ridiculous unibrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEwGPe0H_po

O- Town- "All or Nothing". O-Town (Orlando) made an instant impact on the country after being selected in front of the entire world on the original "Making the Band" on ABC in 2000. Before fizzing out a few years later, they shot to the top of the charts with this karaoke classic. Might be a world record for hair products used in one video. Did Erik Estrada ever NOT use gel in his hair?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG8IkUoZ6j0

Londonbeat- "I've Been Thinking About You". These guys aren't from London- they are from Florida. They got famous in Europe and then claimed it as home. This song caught on the European dance craze circuit in the 80's, but thankfully we never heard much more from these guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y-suQWFOfg

Chicago- "If You Leave Me Now". Peter Cetera before he turned super soft and Barry Manilowish does a great job here in this live performance from 1977. We should have seen it coming with the hair. Chicago was an AWESOME rock band before he came along.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1ykMNtzMT8

East Coast Family- "All For One". For all of you Michael Bivens fans out there. How much do these guys SUCK? Biv caught lightning in a bottle with Boyz II Men and got lucky with Another Bad Creation, but I don't think much more can be said for his talent scouting resume after watching this crap. He really pushed these guys hard with Biv 10 records partnership with Motown in the early 90's, but c'mon man- seriously?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFFIdjQ9l0k

Bonus Video- "Coming Out of the Dark"- Gloria Estefan. Her first performance since being nearly killed in a bus accident in 1990. This performance from the 1991 AMA's was incredible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsAvuiTAfBQ

see what I mean?

look Swedish to you?

worst. hair. ever.