Daily Dirt: ‘The world in general, and music in particular, was changing at this point in time’

It’s hard to accept the period of time covered by the years mentioned today was so long ago. When I hear one of the songs you will glance over in the coming moments it seems like yesterday … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 271 of The Daily Dirt.

1. In my mind, the following are the most enjoyable years of rock/pop music, and as I’m sure you’ll notice there is no year listed past 1982. The genre started to falter in the 1980s, entirely blew a gasket in the 1990s and has been virtually unlistenable since the turn of the century.

1967: The world in general, and music in particular, was changing at this point in time. It was exciting to be alive for both. I will be eternally grateful to a little transistor radio I owned at the time. Many a night I sat and listened to the tunes that would someday be regarded as classics.

Best albums: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” Beatles; “Are You Experienced,” Jimi Hendrix Experience; “Reach Out,” Four Tops.

Top songs: “Hello. Goodbye,” Beatles; “To Sir, With Love,” Lulu; “The Letter,” Box Tops; “Light My Fire,” Doors; “I’m A Believer,” Monkees; “Brown-Eyed Girl,” Van Morrison; “Higher and Higher,” Jackie Wilson.

1971: Pop music was beginning to redefine itself in the early 1970s. Some of the budding superstars (Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Cass Elliott, to name a few) would perish, but new faces, including a second wave of British artists headed by Rod Stewart, began to command our attention, especially in 1971. It was an exciting year.

Best albums: “Every Picture Tells A Story,” Rod Stewart; “Who’s Next,” The Who; “Tapestry,” Carole King. 

Top songs: “Maggie May,” Rod Stewart; “Brown Sugar,” Rolling Stones; “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” The Who; “Love Her Madly,” Doors.

1969: This was a time when bubble gum music and classic rock were forging an uneasy, although highly entertaining co-existence. In mist any day in 1969 you might hear the Archies (the famous Ron Dante-led studio group) followed by a Beatles or Rolling Stones classic. If only MTV had been around at this time …

Best albums: “Abbey Road,” Beatles; “Tommy,” The Who; “Dusty In Memphis,” Dusty Springfield.

Top songs: “Honky Tonk Women,” Rolling Stones; “What Does It Take (To Win Your Love),” Junior Walker and the All-Stars; “Sweet Caroline,” Neil Diamond; “Sugar, Sugar,” Archies.

1966: This was a coming-of-age year for pop music, the year critics and the general public began accepting it as more of an art, rather than a mere novelty. The second half of 1966 saw the likes of Frank Sinatra, Al Martino and others disappear from the Billboard charts for good, replaced forever by some of the ensuing names.

Best albums: “Pet Sounds,” Beach Boys; “Sounds of Silence,” Simon and Garfunkel.

Top songs: “You Can’t Hurry Love,” Supremes; “Good Lovin’,” Young Rascals; “Walk Away Renee,” Left Banke; “The Pied Piper,” Crispian St. Peters; “Cherry, Cherry,” Neil Diamond.

1970: Many baby boomers were now in their high school years, on the verge of adulthood.. The faced choices like college, marriage and the Vietnam War. It was a scary time for many, and most relied on their music to get them through the day.

Best albums: “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Simon and Garfunkel; “Let It Be,” Beatles; “Cosmo’s Factory,” Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Top songs: “Joy To The World,” Three Dog Night; “Band of Gold,” Freda Payne; “The Love You Save,” Jackson Five.

Special mention — 1982: It’s difficult to believe “Thriller” was released 40 years ago. Michael Jackson was so popular and such a major star it’s hard to describe to those who did not live through that period.

Best albums: “Thriller,” Michael Jackson; “American Fool,” John Mellencamp.

Top songs: “Come on Eileen,” Dexys Midnight Runners; “Human Nature,” Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean,” Michael Jackson; “The Girl Is Mine,” Michael Jackson; “Beat It,” Michael Jackson; “Thriller” Michael Jackson.

2. The most annoying celebrities, according to ranker.com:

Gold medal: Wil Smith. Hmmm … I wonder why?

Silver medal: Elon Musk. This guy is really getting … well, annoying.

Bronze medal: Lady Gaga. Just put your clothes on. We don’t care.

3. The Elite 8 dynamic young athletes 26 and younger, in no particular order:

• Ja Morant, 22, Memphis Grizzlies (NBA): He’s already one of the two most exciting players in the NBA. 
• Trae Young, 23, Atlanta Hawks (NBA): And this guy’s the other.
• Ronald Acuna, 24, Atlanta Braves (MLB): He’s part of a gifted class of young superstar hitters who haven’t even reached their prime yet.
• Luka Doncic, 23, Denver Nuggets (NBA): He’s kind of cumbersome, but the big guy can shoot the ball — and muscle his way to the hoop.
• Fernando Tatis Jr., 23, San Diego Padres (MLB): Someday, this incredibly gifted shortstop and hitter will have his own special niche in the Hall of Fame. He’s THAT good.
• Juan Soto, Washington Nationals (MLB): Too bad many of this elite young slugger’s early years are going to be wasted playing for a team that has “doormat” written all over it.
• Patrick Mahomes, 26, Kansas City Chiefs (NFL): Fifteen years from now, we may be recognizing Mahomes as the greatest-ever NFL quarterback — at least in terms of championships and/or major awards won.
• Lamar Jackson, 25, Baltimore Ravens (NFL): I have to admit I thought Jackson would be a flop in the NFL. I also have to admit how wrong I was about this elite quarterback.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Although not one of his megahits, Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” is Steve’s favorite song from the King of Pop.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Stevie Love became Stevie Love during the Summer of Love.