Late Night Music NBA Playoffs/NFL Draft Edition Part 163....."It's A Good Life"
So often we hear artists say that they want to write songs about "life". Sometimes, they even put it in the title.
In order to be in this category, the SONG TITLE had to have the word "life" in it. This would disqualify Lifehouse. Also receiving votes in this category were. "Big City Life" by Mattafix, "This Is The Life" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, "So Called Life" by Montgomery Gentry, and "That's Life" by Frank Sinatra.
"Good Life"- OneRepublic. This 2010 hit from OneRepublic's smash album Waking Up put the band on Honda and Walt Disney World commercials, and also put them at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The video accompanying this very uplifting song is retro yet creative, and really shows the talent OneRepublic has despite being painted as "overly mainstream" by several critics. This song was also included in Rolling Stone in its list of the Top 15 whistling songs of all time. I was glad to see OneRepublic's new album Native finally be released last month. They are a good band that prides themselves on being "genre-less". They are always a special case in any music conversation, which means they are probably doing things right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZhQOvvV45w
"All My Life"- K-Ci and JoJo. This song was the bomb in high school! This single shot to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998 and put Jodeci "side project" K-Ci and JoJo in the national spotlight in support of their hit album Love Always which also led to them opening for Boyz II Men in that summer's Evolution Tour (which made a stop in Jackson- and who was in the house?). I would even argue that this song was the end of Jodeci, as the band has yet to reunite, and K-Ci and JoJo released another album and a song on the "Prince of Egypt" soundtrack. Despite JoJo himself saying that in Jackson that "Jodeci ain't going nowhere".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I03UmJbK0lA
"Beautiful Life"- Ace of Base. These Swedish pop stars wanted to be Abba so bad! After the success of their debut album Happy Nation, Ace of Base had a major worldwide release for this big budget video which led off their 1995 sophomore album The Bridge, which failed to garner near the worldwide attention that their previous album had. Despite this, this video gave us a much more diverse look at the band, as it was truly a more collaborative effort by the band, as this song and video shows. Ace of Base never recaptured the magic from Happy Nation, but they stayed in the mix for a while now, and continue to be a solid international band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9hdMSr6Duc
"This Is the Life"- Amy MacDonald. This title track to Scottish singer/songwriter Amy MacDonald's debut album climbed to #22 on the British Singles Chart, and went to #1 in several other countries. This song seriously reminds me of the Cranberries for some reason. Amy MacDonald is obviously heavily influenced by other European artists from the 80's because this song is seriously throwback in a serious way. I am glad to see a young artist pay homage to artists that came before by honoring their style in a new way through their own music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRYvuS9OxdA
"Welcome To My Life"- Simple Plan. Here's one for you- I had no freaking idea that Simple Plan was from Montreal. These French Canadians hit #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 in their native Canada as the lead single from their 2004 sophomore album Still Not Getting Any. Despite the success of this single, this ode to teen angst and dysfunctional families led to Simple Plan being accused of stealing the idea of this video from REM's "Everybody Hurts" and only having songs about "your life sucking". This criticism led the band to drastically change their direction with their next album, a self-titled album released in 2008. However, the change in genre never brought Simple Plan the attention from their previous two albums, thus making them considered to be a novelty act.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0U0AlLVqpk
"This Is Your Life"- Switchfoot. This follow up to Switchfoot's "Dare You To Move" from their hit album The Beautiful Letdown for some reason never had a video made for it despite being featured on TV shows like "The 4400", "Smallville", and "Charmed". I like Switchfoot because they have a distinctive sound, but each song seems to take on its own identity despite Jon Foreman having one of the most distinctive voices in the music industry. This song was a great addition to Switchfoot's best album and peaked at #30 on the Billboard Rock Tracks Chart and #9 on the Billboard Christian Rock Singles Chart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GghSQFvW-3g
"Live Your Life"- T.I. featuring Rihanna. I can't listen to this song without thinking about "The Hangover", or the fat kid in the video of the song from which Rihanna's hook was sampled "Dragonstea Din Tei" by Ozone. This inspirational #1 Billboard Hot 100 off of T.I.'s #1 album Paper Trail featured a backwards music video with the always sexy Rihanna. I love how T.I. released this and many other of his "inspirational" tracks while he was incarcerated with his wife while temporarily having the title of "America's favorite convict".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koVHN6eO4Xg
"Perfect Life"- Red. Nashville Christian rockers Red released this lead single for their latest album Release The Panic, helping the album peak at #7 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. This single went to #1 on the Billboard Christian Charts and #25 on the Billboard Hot Rock Tracks Chart. I really like Red, but I've always wondered if they got their name from ginger lead singer Michael Barnes.....just saying. Red gets better with each album, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them garner mainstream success much like Lifehouse or Switchfoot very soon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koVHN6eO4Xg
"Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)"- Green Day. I've never gotten on the Green Day bandwagon. Billy Joe Armstrong is no doubt a talented guy and a great songwriter, but I guess the whole political thing just rubs me the wrong way. This song, included on the band's 1997 album Nimrod went to #2 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Chart, and included this heavy rotation video. The single introduced the band to a new audience, as it was included in the season finale of "ER" that year. Armstrong reportedly wanted to include the song on the band's previous album Dookie, but since the album was more heavy, the band decided to include it on Nimrod instead.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnQ8N1KacJc
"This Is My Life"- Edward Maya. European dance club superstar and Romanian pop star Edward Maya followed up his international hit "Stereo Love" with this hit from his 2010 album The Stereo Love Show. This dance club megahit went to #3 in Romania and #2 in France, and charting in basically every European country that has a chart. This single also includes his regular featured artist Vika Jigulina who adds an angelic bridge. I love how when I watch this video I simply have trouble believing that Maya is Romanian and not Cuban- the whole time I feel like I'm back at Spice in Hollywood, Florida.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8MYxuMxaRg
"It's My Life"- Bon Jovi. Why do I hate this song so much? Bon Jovi was once one of the coolest bands on the planet. As Jon Bon Jovi has gotten older, they have slowly evolved into crappiness that includes cheesy songs like this one. This single somehow peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and gave us one of the most overplayed songs of the summer of 2000.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx2u5uUu3DE
"Larger Than Life"- Backstreet Boys. This 1999 thank you song to fans was the second single from the Backstreet Boys' second American album Millenium, with this video garnering very heavy airplay on MTV. The big budget video and follow up to "I Want It That Way" cost a reported $2.1 million and is the 12th most expensive music video ever produced. This single peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit the top 10 in several other European countries and Canada. With it's shocking similarities, the same director and choreographer for "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)", Joseph Kahn directs this video. It was videos like this that made me want to be a Backstreet Boy. This song was later covered by Japanese girl J-Pop group Max. I seriously smell a bonus video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEb2CecR11I
"How To Save a Life"- The Fray. This title track from The Fray's 2005 debut album peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006 after being featured on "Grey's Anatomy" and all commercials and promotional material for the show. While The Fray had already cracked the airwaves with "Over My Head (Cable Car)", this song introduced The Fray to a whole new audience and gave them what still remains their highest charting single. This third version video of the song received heavy airplay on MTV and VH1 and actually achieved #1 status on "TRL" in 2006. I love how in this video lead singer Isaac Slade is singing his heart out while the guitar and bass players almost seem like they are there against their will.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjVQ36NhbMk
"Bring Me To Life"- Evanescence. Dude how can you not love this song? Amy Lee does things to me every time I hear this song. Evanescence took the world by storm with this lead single from their debut album Fallen in 2003. This single featuring 12 Stones lead singer Paul McCoy went on to peak at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and bring in a diverse crowd for Evanescence, a band that embraced several genres in its music. Originally compared to Linkin Park, the edginess of this video is nothing compared to anything Linkin Park, I'm just saying. The wide success of this single led to Fallen peaking at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and being certified platinum. I really wish Evanescence wouldn't wait so long between albums. My biggest pet peeve is when artists take forever to release new material (Third Eye Blind/Lauryn Hill).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxaaGgTQYM
"Life Is A Highway"- Tom Cochrane. Canadian rocker Tom Cochrane served up his biggest hit ever with this 1992 hit from his album Mad Mad World. This inspirational anthem peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 in Canada. This typical 90's video gave Cochrane mainstream exposure and officially solidified him as a one hit wonder. This song was famously covered by Rascal Flatts for the Disney Pixar movie "Cars". Yeah, bonus video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3sMjm9Eloo
BONUS VIDEOS- "Life Is A Highway"- Rascal Flatts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvsmRuRp4cM
"Bairaro No Hibi"- Max
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLAjbloEBuw
"Stereo Love"- Edward Maya featuring Vika Jigulina
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Z3YrHJ1sU
"Slow It Down"- Amy MacDonald
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGwXzrW5mFc
"Last Night's Letter"- K-Ci and JoJo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8tHc_b_5w4
"You and Me"- Lifehouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac3HkriqdGQ
In order to be in this category, the SONG TITLE had to have the word "life" in it. This would disqualify Lifehouse. Also receiving votes in this category were. "Big City Life" by Mattafix, "This Is The Life" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, "So Called Life" by Montgomery Gentry, and "That's Life" by Frank Sinatra.
"Good Life"- OneRepublic. This 2010 hit from OneRepublic's smash album Waking Up put the band on Honda and Walt Disney World commercials, and also put them at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The video accompanying this very uplifting song is retro yet creative, and really shows the talent OneRepublic has despite being painted as "overly mainstream" by several critics. This song was also included in Rolling Stone in its list of the Top 15 whistling songs of all time. I was glad to see OneRepublic's new album Native finally be released last month. They are a good band that prides themselves on being "genre-less". They are always a special case in any music conversation, which means they are probably doing things right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZhQOvvV45w
"All My Life"- K-Ci and JoJo. This song was the bomb in high school! This single shot to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998 and put Jodeci "side project" K-Ci and JoJo in the national spotlight in support of their hit album Love Always which also led to them opening for Boyz II Men in that summer's Evolution Tour (which made a stop in Jackson- and who was in the house?). I would even argue that this song was the end of Jodeci, as the band has yet to reunite, and K-Ci and JoJo released another album and a song on the "Prince of Egypt" soundtrack. Despite JoJo himself saying that in Jackson that "Jodeci ain't going nowhere".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I03UmJbK0lA
"Beautiful Life"- Ace of Base. These Swedish pop stars wanted to be Abba so bad! After the success of their debut album Happy Nation, Ace of Base had a major worldwide release for this big budget video which led off their 1995 sophomore album The Bridge, which failed to garner near the worldwide attention that their previous album had. Despite this, this video gave us a much more diverse look at the band, as it was truly a more collaborative effort by the band, as this song and video shows. Ace of Base never recaptured the magic from Happy Nation, but they stayed in the mix for a while now, and continue to be a solid international band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9hdMSr6Duc
"This Is the Life"- Amy MacDonald. This title track to Scottish singer/songwriter Amy MacDonald's debut album climbed to #22 on the British Singles Chart, and went to #1 in several other countries. This song seriously reminds me of the Cranberries for some reason. Amy MacDonald is obviously heavily influenced by other European artists from the 80's because this song is seriously throwback in a serious way. I am glad to see a young artist pay homage to artists that came before by honoring their style in a new way through their own music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRYvuS9OxdA
"Welcome To My Life"- Simple Plan. Here's one for you- I had no freaking idea that Simple Plan was from Montreal. These French Canadians hit #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 in their native Canada as the lead single from their 2004 sophomore album Still Not Getting Any. Despite the success of this single, this ode to teen angst and dysfunctional families led to Simple Plan being accused of stealing the idea of this video from REM's "Everybody Hurts" and only having songs about "your life sucking". This criticism led the band to drastically change their direction with their next album, a self-titled album released in 2008. However, the change in genre never brought Simple Plan the attention from their previous two albums, thus making them considered to be a novelty act.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0U0AlLVqpk
"This Is Your Life"- Switchfoot. This follow up to Switchfoot's "Dare You To Move" from their hit album The Beautiful Letdown for some reason never had a video made for it despite being featured on TV shows like "The 4400", "Smallville", and "Charmed". I like Switchfoot because they have a distinctive sound, but each song seems to take on its own identity despite Jon Foreman having one of the most distinctive voices in the music industry. This song was a great addition to Switchfoot's best album and peaked at #30 on the Billboard Rock Tracks Chart and #9 on the Billboard Christian Rock Singles Chart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GghSQFvW-3g
"Live Your Life"- T.I. featuring Rihanna. I can't listen to this song without thinking about "The Hangover", or the fat kid in the video of the song from which Rihanna's hook was sampled "Dragonstea Din Tei" by Ozone. This inspirational #1 Billboard Hot 100 off of T.I.'s #1 album Paper Trail featured a backwards music video with the always sexy Rihanna. I love how T.I. released this and many other of his "inspirational" tracks while he was incarcerated with his wife while temporarily having the title of "America's favorite convict".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koVHN6eO4Xg
"Perfect Life"- Red. Nashville Christian rockers Red released this lead single for their latest album Release The Panic, helping the album peak at #7 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. This single went to #1 on the Billboard Christian Charts and #25 on the Billboard Hot Rock Tracks Chart. I really like Red, but I've always wondered if they got their name from ginger lead singer Michael Barnes.....just saying. Red gets better with each album, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them garner mainstream success much like Lifehouse or Switchfoot very soon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koVHN6eO4Xg
"Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)"- Green Day. I've never gotten on the Green Day bandwagon. Billy Joe Armstrong is no doubt a talented guy and a great songwriter, but I guess the whole political thing just rubs me the wrong way. This song, included on the band's 1997 album Nimrod went to #2 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Chart, and included this heavy rotation video. The single introduced the band to a new audience, as it was included in the season finale of "ER" that year. Armstrong reportedly wanted to include the song on the band's previous album Dookie, but since the album was more heavy, the band decided to include it on Nimrod instead.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnQ8N1KacJc
"This Is My Life"- Edward Maya. European dance club superstar and Romanian pop star Edward Maya followed up his international hit "Stereo Love" with this hit from his 2010 album The Stereo Love Show. This dance club megahit went to #3 in Romania and #2 in France, and charting in basically every European country that has a chart. This single also includes his regular featured artist Vika Jigulina who adds an angelic bridge. I love how when I watch this video I simply have trouble believing that Maya is Romanian and not Cuban- the whole time I feel like I'm back at Spice in Hollywood, Florida.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8MYxuMxaRg
"It's My Life"- Bon Jovi. Why do I hate this song so much? Bon Jovi was once one of the coolest bands on the planet. As Jon Bon Jovi has gotten older, they have slowly evolved into crappiness that includes cheesy songs like this one. This single somehow peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and gave us one of the most overplayed songs of the summer of 2000.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx2u5uUu3DE
"Larger Than Life"- Backstreet Boys. This 1999 thank you song to fans was the second single from the Backstreet Boys' second American album Millenium, with this video garnering very heavy airplay on MTV. The big budget video and follow up to "I Want It That Way" cost a reported $2.1 million and is the 12th most expensive music video ever produced. This single peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit the top 10 in several other European countries and Canada. With it's shocking similarities, the same director and choreographer for "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)", Joseph Kahn directs this video. It was videos like this that made me want to be a Backstreet Boy. This song was later covered by Japanese girl J-Pop group Max. I seriously smell a bonus video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEb2CecR11I
"How To Save a Life"- The Fray. This title track from The Fray's 2005 debut album peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006 after being featured on "Grey's Anatomy" and all commercials and promotional material for the show. While The Fray had already cracked the airwaves with "Over My Head (Cable Car)", this song introduced The Fray to a whole new audience and gave them what still remains their highest charting single. This third version video of the song received heavy airplay on MTV and VH1 and actually achieved #1 status on "TRL" in 2006. I love how in this video lead singer Isaac Slade is singing his heart out while the guitar and bass players almost seem like they are there against their will.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjVQ36NhbMk
"Bring Me To Life"- Evanescence. Dude how can you not love this song? Amy Lee does things to me every time I hear this song. Evanescence took the world by storm with this lead single from their debut album Fallen in 2003. This single featuring 12 Stones lead singer Paul McCoy went on to peak at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and bring in a diverse crowd for Evanescence, a band that embraced several genres in its music. Originally compared to Linkin Park, the edginess of this video is nothing compared to anything Linkin Park, I'm just saying. The wide success of this single led to Fallen peaking at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and being certified platinum. I really wish Evanescence wouldn't wait so long between albums. My biggest pet peeve is when artists take forever to release new material (Third Eye Blind/Lauryn Hill).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxaaGgTQYM
"Life Is A Highway"- Tom Cochrane. Canadian rocker Tom Cochrane served up his biggest hit ever with this 1992 hit from his album Mad Mad World. This inspirational anthem peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 in Canada. This typical 90's video gave Cochrane mainstream exposure and officially solidified him as a one hit wonder. This song was famously covered by Rascal Flatts for the Disney Pixar movie "Cars". Yeah, bonus video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3sMjm9Eloo
BONUS VIDEOS- "Life Is A Highway"- Rascal Flatts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvsmRuRp4cM
"Bairaro No Hibi"- Max
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLAjbloEBuw
"Stereo Love"- Edward Maya featuring Vika Jigulina
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Z3YrHJ1sU
"Slow It Down"- Amy MacDonald
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGwXzrW5mFc
"Last Night's Letter"- K-Ci and JoJo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8tHc_b_5w4
"You and Me"- Lifehouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac3HkriqdGQ
OneRepublic
Edward Maya
Amy MacDonald
Red
K-Ci and JoJo
posted by General 5A Pigott at 2:48 PM
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