Here is the song that I cranked on the way to work this morning. I hadn’t heard it in years. My first exposure to Supertramp was “Blood Well Right” which I loved because I learned that ‘bloody’ can be a curse word in the UK, which made me think that the group was getting away with something. Turns out ‘bloody’ is about as bad a ‘damn’. Yawn.

Two albums later (I missed “Give A Little Bit” until years later), America was taken by storm with Breakfast In America that included “The Logical Song” which would become their biggest hit in the States. After this success, they decided to release a live album called Paris and released the live version of “Dreamer” as a single — their first hit in the UK, but didn’t make a dent in America.

Here is that song in its original studio form from a British TV show. So shall it now be stuck in your head!

Listening to: “Dreamer” - Supertramp

Swedish singer/songwriter Robyn has been around since 1995. People in the US probably remember her for her dance hits “Do You Know (What It Takes)” and “Show Me Love”. Europop doesn’t do well here and when she was starting to record her newest, Jive Records didn’t like the sound for this or any market. Jive is the home of Britney Spears and were prepared to send Robyn down the Spears path to fame. She wasn’t going to have it. She wanted control of her music. So in 2005 she bought out her contract and started her own label, Konichiwa Records.

That album finally hit American shores this year and did it make a splash with the music press with many of them saying it was one of the best albums of the year. Of course, I was curious. How could a silly, little pop album be one of the best of the year? I bought it. Guess what? It’s pretty damn good. And it’s satisfying knowing that someone bucked the system and was very successful with it.

Here is my favorite song on the album. “Crash And Burn Girl” is a tough, wake up call to a friend. My favorite part is the opening line, “I should write a song about you/And all the shit that you do.” Such delicious irony.

Listening to: “Crash And Burn Girl” - Robyn

What can you say about Letters To Cleo? Well, almost nothing since they had two tiny hits and no one heard from them again. Surprisingly they did produce four albums before the turn of the century. You all know that song no one could sing because the lyrics were going by too fast, “Here & Now”, but I want you to hear their second hit off their second album. I heard it in the car yesterday and had forgotten what a great sing along it is. Sing along won’t you?

Listening to: “One Night In Bangkok” - Murray Head

“Weird Al” Yankovic is using technology to its full potential. He parodies the current #1 song in the country (”Whatever You Like” by T.I.) and gets it out before the single has time to fade away. He got the idea, got permission, got in the studio and got iTunes to put it out in two weeks. The result? It’s actually pretty damn funny.

Listening to: “Margaritaville” - Jimmy Buffett