Back In The Day: The Billboard Modern Rock Charts From 35 Years Ago

[Yer Ol' Uncle D]

just checked Wikipedia, they are an American Rock band founded in Cleveland in 1975 they are listed as “Avant-Garage” they rose from the ashes of Rocket From The Tombs. Apparently some went on to form The Dead Boys while Lead Guitarist, Dave Thomas formed Pere Ubu.

Given that background I bet @Yer Ol' Uncle D has a live recording he made of the band that we’ll hopefully share with us later this evening.

Damn, I wish I could fulfill this request. I love Pere Ubu, but it was never in the cards that we crossed paths. Have some live shows but none that I taped. Rocket From The Tombs is a blast too.

Loving the production budget on the Pere Ubu video.

Based on the Pere Ubu record label support exchange rate, that video had a budget of 3 million.



A select few of you may remember a music show that only lasted two seasons. It debuted on NBC as Sunday Night for the first season and was renamed Michelob Presents Night Music for its second and final round.

This was truly a spectacular show which had a house band led by David Sanborn and Jools Holland bringing all these incredibly diverse artists together for individual performances and beautiful cross-genre musical collisions. I've got hours and hours recorded on VHS somewhere in the bowels of the music bunker.

Here's the Wiki for the show. Scroll to the bottom and look at each episode's performers. Top shelf...

Sunday Night (American TV program) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Here are a couple clips when Pere Ubu appeared in support of Cloudland.
I love the juxtaposition of little Debbie Harry singing backup while hulking David Thomas jerks and jams...











One from a favorite Pere Ubu record - Ray Gun Suitcase...

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

Modern Rock Tracks for Week Ending 06/24/1989

No. 1 Song
Love and Rockets - “So Alive”


Tracks that fell out of the top 30
Simple Minds - “This Is Your Land”
Edelweiss - “Bring Me The Edelweiss”
Indigo Girls - “Closer To Fine”
Caterwaul - “The Sheep’s A Wolf”

New Additions
Pixie - “Here Comes Your Man”


Simple Minds - “Take A Step Back”


The Call - “Let The Day Begin”


Wang Chung - “Praying To A New God”

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

 

[jamieanderson1968]

Funny, other than the Pixies song I could not hum the other 3 new additions, and I am familiar with all 3 bands.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

Funny, other than the Pixies song I could not hum the other 3 new additions, and I am familiar with all 3 bands.

I love the Pixies. The other three aren’t my cup of tea. Not familiar with The Call at all. It kinda sounds like overly earnest heartland rock.

 

[jamieanderson1968]

I love the Pixies. The other three aren’t my cup of tea. Not familiar with The Call at all. It kinda sounds like overly earnest heartland rock.

That is a pretty apt description of the Call

 

[Bohnjaggs]

Speaking of "So Alive" ... It's the first song in this"punk" CD infomercial that somebody just sent me

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

Speaking of "So Alive" ... It's the first song in this"punk" CD infomercial that somebody just sent me

I actually just posted this in my N&G Feed a few days ago… and Yes, I made a Spotify playlist.

 

[Bohnjaggs]

I actually just posted this in my N&G Feed a few days ago… and Yes, I made a Spotify playlist.

It's a great compilation but there's hardly anything punk about it

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

It's a great compilation but there's hardly anything punk about it

“Nothing punk” would be a more apt description. I think that’s why it’s been making the rounds on social media lately.

As @LeeVing pointed out in my reply, the album was released and rebranded a much more accurate name the following year.

https://www.discogs.com/release/8070472-Various-80s-Retro

 

[Nee Lewman]

“Nothing punk” would be a more apt description. I think that’s why it’s been making the rounds on social media lately.

As @LeeVing pointed out in my reply, the album was released and rebranded a much more accurate name the following year.

https://www.discogs.com/release/8070472-Various-80s-Retro

Yeah but the og gets $275!

 

[Wicked Dreamer]

some un-modern rock ads from Billboard that week:



...and some completely non-rock ads from that same week:



what a year 1989 was apparently...

 

[Wicked Dreamer]

oh yeah, I found these two articles that I thought were interesting too!

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

oh yeah, I found these two articles that I thought were interesting too!

View attachment 206971View attachment 206972

Aren’t old magazines great? Like tiny printed time capsules!

 

[Nee Lewman]

I don’t think I’ve actually listened to Love & Rockets before. This is awesome!!!

 

[jamieanderson1968]

I don’t think I’ve actually listened to Love & Rockets before. This is awesome!!!

Definitely check out Express and Seventh Heaven

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

I don’t think I’ve actually listened to Love & Rockets before. This is awesome!!!

It’s a great album. the previous single “Motorcycle” hung around the chart for a few weeks a couple months ago.

 

[Nee Lewman]

It’s a great album. the previous single “Motorcycle” hung around the chart for a few weeks a couple months ago.

When motorcycle started, I had to look at my queue, I was like what is going on. Very cool album!

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

Modern Rock Tracks for Week Ending 07/01/1989

No. 1 Song
Love and Rockets - “So Alive”


Tracks that fell out of the top 30
Joe Jackson - “Nineteen Forever”
R.E.M. - “Pop Song 89”
Royal Crescent Mob - “Hungry”

New Additions
Morrissey - “Interesting Drug”


The Cure - “Lovesong”


Prince - “Batdance”

 

[jamieanderson1968]

Remember when people thought Tim Burton's Batman was dark?