I wanted to wait until it was official before I wrote about this, but now it is official. The NBA got its dream come true now that the Los Angeles Lakers will face off against the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals. This marquis match-up could not have worked out any better for the league. While the Lakers won three titles in a row from 2000-2002, the Celtics have not even appeared in the NBA Finals since 1987.

This can't help but take me back to what I feel were the golden years of the NBA when the Celtics and Lakers seemed to be regular participants in the Finals. In the 80s, the Lakers appeared in the Finals eight of the ten years and won 5 titles. The Celtics appeared in the Finals five of the ten years and won 3 titles. The only other teams to win a NBA title during the 80s was Philadelphia (1983) and Detroit (1989).

I really loved the NBA in the 80s. The game seemed a little different back then. Part of the love came from the fact that my hometown Milwaukee Bucks were a perennial Eastern Conference contender back in the early 80s. For those of you who do not remember, the Bucks won an impressive 6 straight Central Division titles back then (1981-1986). Those teams were lead by some of my personal favorites including Sidney Moncrief, Marques Johnson, Bob Lanier, Terry Cummings, Ricky Pierce, Jack Sikma and Paul Pressey among others.

At the same time, I strongly disliked (bordering on hated) the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers back in the 80s. The reason for these strong sentiments was that those two teams stood in the way of the Bucks making it to the NBA Finals every season from 1980 until 1987. The Bucks were very good, but just never quite good enough to get past both of those two teams in the very competitive Eastern Conference. In the 1983 playoffs, the Bucks were able to get past Boston in the semi-finals, but then lost to Philadelphia in the Eastern Finals as they were on the way to win the NBA title that year. In both the 1984 and 1986 playoffs, the Bucks made it to the Eastern Finals again, but lost to Boston both times as the Celtics went on to win the NBA title both of those seasons. It was very frustrating, so I hope you can understand how that grows into loathing.

Now back to the subject of the Lakers and Celtics. When I think of those two teams, I immediately think about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Those two brilliant players were at the forefront of taking the NBA to next level. I was not a big Larry Bird fan due to the fact he played for the Celtics and I explained my feelings for the Celtics above. I did respect Bird as a player and I consider him one of the very best I have ever seen play the game. Magic Johnson, on the other hand, was one of my favorites and I feel he is one of the top 5 players ever. I could write an entire article on all of his accomplishments as well as my feelings on Magic as a playmaker and a leader. In fact, I might just do that some time.

Magic and Bird rescued and then personified the NBA in the 80s. Here is a link to a video on the two players which highlights their incredible abilities, their intense rivalry as well as their mutual respect for each other.

The rivalry began in college when Magic's Michigan State defeated Bird's Indiana State in the NCAA Championship game. They would go on to face each other directly in three NBA Finals with Bird's Celtics winning the first one (1984) and Magic's Lakers winning the last two (1985 & 1987).  They would even battle eachother in commercials like this one from Converse.  The last time these two teams met in the Finals was in 1987 and the Lakers won that series in six games. Game 4 of this series was won by Magic Johnson when he made a famous buzzer-beating hook shot. I remember watching that game like it was yesterday. Magic would go on to win the NBA Finals MVP and also won the League MVP that same year. Bird had won the League MVP the previous three years in a row.

Now 21 years later, these two iconic franchises will meet again. The cast of characters is obviously different this time, but also features some amazing superstars. Kobe Bryant leads the Lakers against the Celtics' big three (Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce). I really enjoy NBA playoff basketball and I am really looking forward to these two teams facing off. I am sure there will plenty of coverage discussing those amazing Lakers and Celtics teams from the 80s. I am sure to enjoy those memories and the attention paid to that amazing decade and those amazing players.

The NBA really hit the jack pot with this Finals match-up. The TV ratings should be quite impressive. There is much more history to this Lakers and Celtics rivalry than just the 80s and Magic vs. Bird. The Celtics were a dynasty back in the late 50s and all through the 60s winning 11 championships in a 13 year stretch. Six of those 11 championships were won by defeating the Lakers. Here is a link to another video which highlights some of the history leading up to this highly anticipated series. NBA Commissioner David Stern couldn't have written this story any better himself. I hope it lives up to the anticipation and hype.

That will wrap up this issue of Kickin' it Old School. I hope you enjoyed this stroll down memory lane. Thanks for reading. If you are looking for more of my 80s related articles, please click on this link. If you want to find any of my past articles, please be sure to click on the archive buttons in the upper left hand column and you will find them all there by month. If you know anyone else who would enjoy reading Kickin' it Old School, please forward them the link. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Help Feed the Hungry! Click on the yellow button at The Hunger Site and give a cup of food to the hungry at no cost to you. The Hunger Site was founded to focus the power of the Internet on a specific humanitarian need: the eradication of world hunger. Since its launch in June 1999, the site has established itself as a leader in online activism, helping to feed the world's hungry. On average, over 220,000 individuals from around the world visit the site each day to click the yellow "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button. To date, more than 300 million visitors have given more than 500 million cups of staple food. The staple food funded by clicks at The Hunger Site is paid for by site sponsors and distributed to those in need by Mercy Corps and America's Second Harvest.

Quote of the day: "You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Download this: "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay - This song is from the new album of the same name set to be released on June 17^th, but this song is available to purchase now exclusively on iTunes.

I had the opportunity to see the new Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull movie this weekend. First, I have to say I am a huge fan of the "Indiana Jones" character and the original three films. That being said, I feel this fourth installment was a worthy and very entertaining effort.  I started to get excited as soon as I heard that all too familiar music begin from the orchestra directed by John Williams.

Don't worry if you have not seen the movie yet because I do not intend on including any spoilers. Overall, I felt the new movie held true to the previous films though it has been nearly 20 years since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was released back in 1989. In case you did not know, the new film does not include Sean Connery who played Indy's dad in the Last Crusade. You will be happy to know that Crystal Skull does include a reprise by Karen Allen who played "Marion Ravenwood" in the original Raiders of the Lost Ark movie. Cate Blanchett does a splendid job playing the evil Russian "Irina Spalko."

I was pleased to see that the script and cinematography continued to retain a comic book style to them. Yes, many scenes included unbelievable stunts and improbable events, but that is no different than the previous three films. It is called suspended disbelief and you will enjoy this movie (and most movies for that matter) if you are able to employ that skill. These films have always heavily relied on unbelievable stunts and improbable events. I was happy to see that "Indy" had aged and that Harrison Ford still had his fantastic comedic timing. I was just ecstatic to be able to watch this character go on another adventure and I have to say that it was very charming and entertaining.

Expectations run very high in a situation like this and most of us have changed quite a bit since 1981 when the first film was released. It is natural that this film will disappoint those who go in with a different mindset than when they saw the first three. I tried not to read any reviews before I saw the movie myself, but since I saw it I decided to see what other people have said. Many reviews have been harsh expecting this movie to be something it never was before. Entertainment Weekly gave it a B- and I read some reviews that were much more negative than that. If I were to give the film a letter grade, I would probably give it a B+. I would say that it is not as good as the first or third movies, but as good or better than the second.

If I was disappointed with anything it would probably be the adventure leads to something that does not specifically link back to something possibly historical. I would have preferred the adventure chase an angle that again was rooted in the bible or history books. I don't want to spoil anything here, so that is as much as I am going to say about that. Even with that though, there was enough of all of the things I loved about the Indiana Jones movies from the 80s to make me recommend this movie to anyone else who is willing to go in with realistic expectations. You put Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford together (not to mention George Lucas too) all remaining true to this wonderful character and you just can't go wrong as far as I am concerned.

Speaking of those guys, here is a link to my previously published Top 10 Steven Spielberg Movies List and also my Top 10 Harrison Ford Movie Characters List. Both of those are worth checking out again. "Indiana Jones" continues to be one of the greatest movie characters of all time in my opinion. (That would make a good topic for a future issue!)  I personally hope that we will get to follow further adventures of "Indy" though I do not believe any agreements are in place to insure that happens. In the meantime, just enjoy that at least we do have Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.

Here is a link to a review by Robert Berry over at the Retrocrush website that I feel is very well in line with my feelings on this film.  Check out his review for another similar opinion on the film.

That will wrap up this short issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks for reading. If you have more specific questions about the movie, please just send me a message and I will be glad to give you any other insight you are looking for. Be sure you have not missed any past issues by clicking on the Archive buttons in the upper left hand column which will let you see all postings for each month. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here is another commentary on gasoline prices which are simply getting out of control...

Quote of the day: "Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong." -Oscar Wilde

Download this: "Lucky" by Jason Mraz (featuring Colbie Caillat) - This is from his brand new album released earlier this month titled We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. and I think it is great

First, I want to congratulate David Cook on winning. The 25 year-old rocker from Blue Springs, MO was my personal favorite this season. There was a record of over 97 million votes (which was 23 million more than the previous high) and it is reported that Cook received somewhere between 54-56% of those votes defeating his opponent by an impressive 12 million votes.

Now back to the 80s angle...
It started the night before where Cook performed the U2 classic from 1987, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," at the request of Clive Davis. Here is a link to the video of that performance. Then there was discussion that he might have made a mistake when he chose to perform the 1995 Collective Soul song "The World I Know" for the first time instead repeating one of his more popular performances from this season. Those performances were both covers of 80s tunes including Michael Jackson's 1983 hit "Billie Jean" [link to video of Cook's performance] and Lionel Richie's 1984 ballad "Hello" [link to video of Cook's performance].

That is just a small taste of what would happen on the finale. During the finale there was an obvious 80s influence. David Cook would perform with ZZ Top their 1983 hit "Sharp Dressed Man." The Top 6 girls would begin a medley of Donna Summer songs with the 1983 hit "She Works Hard For The Money." Then the Top 6 guys would perform a medley of hits from the 1984 Bryan Adams album Reckless including "Summer of ‘69," "Heaven" and "Somebody." Here is a link to the video of that performance from the show. To top it all off, the entire Top 12 performed a medley of George Michael hits including "Faith" and "Father Figure" which were both from the 1987 album Faith. Here is a link to the video of that performance as well. This medley was followed by a solo performance by the former member of Wham! himself.

I don't know about you, but that is quite a bit of 80s nostalgia if you ask me. If you know me, you know that I was loving those connections back to my favorite decade. They even had commercials that harkened back to the 80s. There were two new commercials for the video game Guitar Hero which starred the American Idol finalists. These commercials were based on the iconic scene from the 1983 movie Risky Business where Tom Cruise's character is dancing around his living room in his underwear. Like in the movie, the commercial is set to the Bob Seger classic "Old Time Rock and Roll." Here is a link to watch both of the commercials and also a link to a short article that discussed the commercials.

I am not sure what any of this means in the big scheme of things, but I was pleased to see the 80s represent in one of the biggest pop culture phenomenoms happening today. One other note on the finale, I felt the sketch which starred Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. auditioning to be the original Pips was very funny. Here is a link to the video where those guys were morphed into old Gladys Knight footage from a 1972 performance of her hit "Midnight Train to Georgia." On the other hand, the Mike Myers appearance as a blatant promo for his new movie was forced and not very funny at all.

Here is a link to the article I posted earlier this year which discussed the influence of American Idol on the musical charts. Interesting enough, as of today (May 24, 2008) six songs performed at the finale are currently appearing in the iTunes Top 100 songs. David Cook's "The Time of My Life" currently ranks #1 on this chart. "Apologize" by OneRepublic ranks #20 today which is not all that surprising. The George Michael song which he performed, "Praying For Time," was originally released in 1990 but ranks #56 today. The ZZ Top version of "Sharp Dressed Man" comes in at #68 and the Bryan Adams version of "Summer of ‘69" comes in at #80 both 25 years after originally being released. The Jeff Buckley version of "Hallelujah" showed back up at #99 after Jason Castro performed it again at the finale. These songs could have been even higher closer to when the finale aired and it just goes to show the impact this show can have on the music charts.

I am looking forward to when David Cook releases his first album. I was a fan of Blake Lewis last season and I really enjoy his first album Audio Day Dream even though it did not sell all that well. Here is an interesting link to let you know what many of the more popular contestants from past seasons are up to now. Not all have had the level of success that Carrie Underwood or Chris Daughtry have recently, but many have found respectable levels of their own. Like they say, cream tends to rise to the top and that is what American Idol in most cases allows to happen.

That will wrap up this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks so much for taking the time to read it, especially if you are a regular reader. If you are looking for my other 80s related articles, click on this link here. If you have missed any past issues at all, please click on the Archive buttons in the upper left hand column. Peace and much love.

Check this out: You may have heard about this already, but I thought it was pretty interesting. There is a website at www.exboyfriendjewelry.com that has the slogan "You don't want it. He can't have it back." This site allows you buy, sell or trade old jewelry from those relationships that have gone bad. One of the coolest aspects to this site is that you can opt to have the proceeds from your sale donated directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation which supports breast cancer research. You can go to the website to find further details and the full story behind how this site began. Great idea!

Quote of the day: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." -Albert Einstein

Download this: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 - You can also download the David Cook version on iTunes right now which I feel was pretty solid itself

I have not done one of these in a little while, so I thought it was about time here at Kickin' it Old School that I again point out a few stories that strike me as kind of sad, kind of happy and just kind of weird. Here is a link back to the first Sad, Happy, Weird report and the second Sad, Happy, Weird report. Now on to this issue's picks...

SAD STORY
Lou Pearlman, the man who created superstar boy bands the Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync, was sentenced today (Wednesday, May 21, 2008) to 25 years in federal prison for swindling a reported $300 million from investors and banks over the past 20+ years. This is sort of a happy story because this scum bag got what he deserved, but I feel it is more of a sad story because this was a guy who had the world in his hands after managing those hugely successful musical groups. Here is a link to an article on the verdict and here is a link to Pearlman's Wikipedia page. I am disgusted at what Pearlman did scamming people out of their life savings in some cases. I am disgusted that someone would waste such a golden opportunity in life because of greed. He is a sad, sad individual.

HAPPY STORY
I am not really a Boston Red Sox fan, but I was a fan of one of the Red Sox players if at least for one night. Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester pitched a no-hitter on Monday (May 19, 2008). For those of you that do not know, a no-hitter in baseball is a rare accomplishment in itself. There were only 3 pitched in the entire 2007 season, only 1 in the entire 2006 season and none in 2005 at all. There have only been 12 no-hitters in this decade and 256 in baseball history (since 1876 or 132 years). Just witnessing history is pretty special, but did I mention that Lester was diagnosed with cancer less than 2 years ago? In September 2006, it was confirmed that Lester had a treatable form of lymphoma which he battled back from and actually won game 7 of the 2007 World Series. Just pitching again in the major leagues was a proud accomplishment, but winning a World Series game and now pitching a no-hitter are truly spectacular for any pitcher, let alone a cancer survivor. Here is a link to one of the many articles on the no-hitter which I feel is a very happy story.

WEIRD STORY
So many weird stories to choose from, but how about a hamburger that costs $175? Here is a link to a story about a New York restaurant that actually has that item on their menu. They say they actually sell about 20-25 of these pricey burgers each month which is pretty surprising to me when I have tasted some pretty delicious hamburgers that cost less than $10. I guess if you have the money, you can spend it on what you want, but just think of what that extra $150 could do if donated to charity to help feed those who need it. Either way, I thought the fact that there was a hamburger that expensive and the fact that they actually sell some of them made for a pretty weird story. I hope you agree.

That's all I have for you in this issue of Kickin' it. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy this relatively new feature. Please click on the archive buttons in the upper left column to have access to all past issues of Kickin' it Old School. I encourage you to subscribe or at least come back often. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here is something that I thought was extremely cool. Click on this link and then click on the "play" button to see a very cool display of animation. I found it very entertaining and pretty impressive. Hope you do too. You might not look at your computer screen the same way again.

Quote of the day: "Reflect upon your blessings, of which every man (or woman) has plenty, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men (or women) have some." -Charles Dickens

Download this: Since I mentioned ‘N Sync above in reference to Lou Pearlman, I thought I might recommend a song by one of its former members... "(Another Song) All Over Again" by Justin Timberlake

Not too long ago I posted what has turned out to be a popular article listing The Worst #1 Songs of the 80s. If you did not see it, please click on the link and check it out. This concept came from a list I read on the Popdose website. They have not attacked the 90s as of yet, but based on the interest in my 80s list, I decided to publish a similar list for the decade of the 90s.

This list can only include songs that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for at least one week between 1990 and 1999. ALL songs will once again include links to the video if you are not familiar with the song or need a reminder. Here is OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 WORST #1 SONGS OF THE 90s (+ Bonus 10):

20. "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" by Michael Bolton - #1 for 3 weeks (1/20-2/9/90) [link to video] - Bolton co-wrote the song, but it originally was released by Laura Branigan in 1983 before he covered it himself about 7 years later

19. "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul - #1 for 3 weeks (2/10-3/2/90) [link to video] - There is a rapping cat in the song... ‘Nuff said

18. "Can't Help Falling in Love" by UB40 - #1 for 7 weeks (7/24-9/10/93) [link to video] - Cover of the great 1961 Elvis Presley song appears on the movie soundtrack for Sliver

17. "Jump" by Kriss Kross - #1 for 8 weeks (4/25-6/19/92) [link to video]

16. "The First Night" by Monica - #1 for 5 weeks (10/3-10/16,10/24-11/13/9 8) [link to video]

15. "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meat Loaf - #1 for 5 weeks (11/6-12/10/93) [link to video]

14. "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" by Bryan Adams - #1 for 5 weeks (6/3-7/7/95) [link to video] - Appears on the soundtrack for Don Juan DeMarco and there is a reason Adams wanted to wear a mask in this video

13. "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot - #1 for 5 weeks (7/4-8/7/92) [link to video] - How does a song about a man's devotion to the derriere become a #1 hit?

12. "The Sign" by Ace of Base - #1 for 2 weeks (5/7-5/20/94) [link to video]

11. "Step By Step" by New Kids On The Block - #1 for 3 weeks (6/30-7/20/90) [link to video]

10. "Believe" by Cher - #1 for 4 weeks (3/13-4/9/99) [link to video] - The voice manipulations alone put it firmly on this list

9. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze - #1 for 2 weeks (12/17-12/30/94) [link to video] - Appears on the soundtrack for Prêt-à-Porte r (Ready to Wear)

8. "Wannabe" by Spice Girls - #1 for 4 weeks (2/22-3/21/97) [link to video]

7. "Informer" by Snow - #1 for 7 weeks (3/13-4/30/93) [link to video] - Can you understand any of the lyrics other than the song title?

6. "I've Been Thinking About You" by Londonbeat - #1 for 1 week (4/13-4/19/91) [link to video]

5. "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice - #1 for 1 week (11/3-11/9/90) [link to video] - Was surprised to find out it only stayed at the top for just one week.

4. "One More Try" by Timmy T - #1 for 1 week (3/23-3/29/91) [link to video]

3. "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)" by Stevie B. - #1 for 4 weeks (12/8/90-1/4/91) [link to video]

2. "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred - #1 for 3 weeks (2/8-2/28/92) [link to video] - This one was too easy

1. "Macarena" by Los Del Rio - #1 for 14 weeks (8/3-11/8/96) [link to video] - This is just sad that this song not only reached #1, but stayed there for 3 entire months.  Wedding receptions have never been the same since.

There is my list for the 90s. I don't hold the music of that decade nearly as dear as I do the music from the 80s. One interesting thing I noticed about the 90s was that many songs held the #1 position for several weeks at a time. You see a couple examples on my list above with songs that held the top spot several times for 5 weeks plus a 7 week, 8 week and 14 week run.

There were some other significant reigns at the top of the charts during the 90s. These other songs were not candidates to be on the worst songs list above (actually quite the opposite in most cases). Here are some of the impressive lengthy stays at the top of the charts during that decade:
> "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men - 13 weeks in 1992!
> "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston - 14 weeks in 1992-93!
> "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men - 14 weeks in 1994!
> "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men - a record 16 weeks in 1995-96! - Appears on both my Top Duets of All Time list as well as my Top Mariah Carey Songs list.
> "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 - 11 weeks in 1997
> "Something About the Way You Look Tonight/Candle In The Wind 1997" by Elton John - 14 weeks in 1997-98!
> "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy & Monica - 13 weeks in 1998
> "Smooth" by Santana & Rob Thomas - 12 weeks in 1999-2000

Those 8 singles alone spent a combined 107 weeks in the #1 position (out of possible 520 weeks) which is over 20% of the decade. The good thing about that is that it did somewhat limit the number of bad songs to make it to the top of the charts. Thanks again to Popdose for providing me with this interesting angle to explore and I will be interested to see their list for the 90s when they decide to publish it.

That wraps up another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks for reading and I always appreciate the comments and support. If you are looking for more of Old School's Top 10 lists, click on that link and you will be taken to a summary. You can always click on the Archives buttons in the upper left hand column to find any previous issues that you may have missed. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here are some funny editorial cartoons regarding the current gasoline prices...

Quote of the day: "Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Download this: "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - Originally released in 1972, but also covered by Simply Red in 1989

I recently started a new feature where I comment on other published Top 10 Lists where I feel a grave error might have been made. Here is a link to my feelings on Premiere's Most Overrated Movies List and Yahoo's 25 Worst Rappers List. These errors could either be an obvious omission from the list or an inclusion on a list that simply does not belong. As I have been coming across other published lists, I am regularly finding those that I take issue with.

One that I have been meaning to comment on is the Pop Culture Madness "Ten Songs That Mom and Dad Hated in the 90s." PCM has lots and lots of very cool lists on their website. In particular, this is a very interesting topic for a list and I do agree with some of the selections. You can click on the link above to see it yourself, but here is the list that PCM has published:
1. "Baby Got Back" - Sir Mix-a-Lot
2. "Bump N' Grind" - R. Kelly
3. "The Humpty Dance" - Digital Underground
4. "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)" - The Offspring
5. "Informer" - Snow
6. "Let's Talk About Sex" - Salt-N-Pepa
7. "Booti Call" - BLACKstreet
8. "Come Baby Come" - K7
9. "Justify My Love" - Madonna
10. "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M.

You cannot argue too much with "Baby Got Back" being at the top of the list. Can you believe that this song actually hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for 5 straight weeks back in 1992 (July 4th-August 7th)??? There is another song devoted to the same body part that deserves to be on this list and that is "Rumpshaker" by Wreckx-N-Effect. That song should definitely be here, but there are two other songs that I feel are more obvious omissions which I will discuss later. R. Kelly definitely deserves to be on the list, but I would have ranked "Honey Love" as high as "Bump N' Grind" and neither would have been in the top 5. "Informer" would only appear on this list because of how annoying the song is. "The Humpty Dance," "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" and "Let's Talk About Sex" are all fairly innocent songs that are just meant to be fun. Where is "I Wanna Sex You Up" by Color Me Badd? That song should definitely be here, but again there are two other songs that are even more obvious omissions. "Justify My Love" became very controversial because of its music video which was actually banned from MTV.

All that being said, there are two songs which should at least appear in the top 5 spots on this list. They are "Do Me!" by Bell Biv Devoe and "Freak Me" by Silk. "Do Me!" was a radio staple back in 1990-1991 and actually hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Here is a link to the video for a remix version of this song and the actual lyrics appear below. "Freak Me" actually hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for 2 weeks in 1993 (May 1st-14th). Here is a link to the video for that song and the actual lyrics also appear below.

"Do Me!" by Bell Biv Devoe (1990)
Take a look at me
Tell me do you like what you see
Do you think you can
Do you think you can do me

Kiss me pretty, baby
Touch me all over
Girl, what makes you think you can do me
Do you think you can do me, girl

Do me, baby (Ho...ooh...)
Do me, baby (Do you think you can)
Do me, baby (Do me)
Do me, baby

Girl, let your hair down
Take off your clothes and leave on your shoes
Would you mind if I looked at you for a moment
Before I make sweet love

Backstage, under age, adolescent
How ya doin', "Fine," she replied
I sighed, "I like to do the wild thing"
Action took place
Kinda wet, don't forget
The J, the I, the M, the M, the Y, y'all
I need a body bag

Do me, baby (Oh...oh...oh...)
Do me, baby (You can do me when you wanna do me)
Do me, baby (Yeah...yeah...)
Do me, baby (Mmm...ho...ho...ooh...yeah...)

Do me, baby (I like it in the morning time, yeah)
Do me, baby (Sometimes I love it in the evening, baby, yeah)
Do me, baby (Can you do me all over, girl, yeah, yeah)
Do me, baby

The time was 6 o'clock on the Swatch watch
No time to chill, got a date, can't be late
Hey, the girl is gonna do me
Move to the Jacuzzi, ooh, that booty
Smack it up, flip it, rub it down, oh, no

Do me, baby (Yeah...)
Do me, baby (Oh, baby, I like it just like that)
Do me, baby (And I love the way you do it to me, baby, yeah)
Do me, baby (Oh, move just a little bit closer)

You can do me in the morning
You can do me in the night
You can do me when you wanna do me

"Freak Me" by Silk (1992)
Let me lick you up and down
Til you say stop
Let me play with your body baby
Make you real hot
Let me do all the things you want me to do
Cuz tonight baby I wanna get freaky with you

Baby don't you understand
I wanna be your nasty man
I wanna make your body scream
And you will know just what I
(you know what I mean)
24 carat gold
To warm the nights when you get cold
I wanna lick you up and down
And then I wanna lay you down
C'mon silk

Let me lick you up and down
Til you say stop
Let me play with your body baby
Make you real hot
Let me do all the things you want me to do
Cuz tonight baby I wanna get freaky with you

I love the taste of whipcream
Spread it on don't be mean
(baby don't be mean)
You know I can't resist you girl
I'll fly you all around the world
(all around the world, oh baby)
I wanna make your body drip
C'mon let me take a sip
(c'mon, c'mon, c'mon)
Take off what you cherish most
(c'mon,c'mon, come on, come on baby)
Cuz when I brag I like to brag and boast

Let me lick you up and down
Til you say stop
Let me play with your body baby
Make you real hot
Let me do all the things you want me to do
Cuz tonight baby I wanna get freaky with you

I think after you read those lyrics and watch the videos to actually listen to these songs, you would agree that those are both songs that parents would not approve of back in the 90s. Looking back, I am surprised that the FCC even allowed those songs to get such intense radio airplay. Though they are sexually explicit, I guess that is better than promoting violence. There are probably several other songs like "F--- tha Police" by N.W.A. that could have been considered, but I decided that these obvious sex songs definitely deserved to be near the top of the list. We'll save the gangster rap for another discussion at another time.

I feel the topic of the PCM list is fantastic and the idea of lists is to create some debates. I just feel this particular list is missing some obvious songs. Let me know if you have any other songs from the 90s that come to mind which you hated as a parent yourself or which you feel your parents would have hated. Some of these songs are really pretty phenomenal from a purely musical aspect, but they just have lyrics and subject matter that could be objectionable especially for a younger listener to hear. Fun topic. Hope you enjoyed the discussion and I hope to hear from you.

That will wrap up another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks so much for reading and please continue to spread the word. If you know someone who would enjoy reading it, please forward them the link. Please consider subscribing or at least bookmark it in your favorites and come back often. If you missed any past issues, please click on the archive buttons in the upper left hand column. Peace and much love.

Check this out: On an unrelated topic, I came across an interesting article about the use of Maple wood for baseball bats. It is about how this type of wood might be better for hitting the ball, but also shatters easier and becomes very dangerous when broken pieces fly through the air. Click on the link and read it for yourself. Whether you are a baseball fan or not, I thought it made some good points about a safety issue for players, coaches and fans that may otherwise go relatively unnoticed.

Quote of the day: "After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." -Aldous Leonard Huxley

Download this: I don't think I can recommend any of the songs discussed above in good faith, so here is my recommendation for this issue... "One Thing" by Finger Eleven

What a month of April for Mariah Carey! First, she released her ninth studio album titled E=MC² on April 8th which immediately rose to the top of the charts. Then she had her songs performed on American Idol where she was a mentor and performer on April 15th and 16th. To top it all off, she went and got married to Nick Cannon on April 30th after they eloped to the Bahamas.

Here is a link to some articles regarding Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's surprising engagement and nuptials.

Many people do not realize the level of success that Carey has reached during her career. She has recorded eighteen #1 singles over the years which is the most for any solo artist of any time. That includes more than Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson or Madonna which is pretty amazing. She currently ranks #16 on the list of best-selling recording artists of all time with almost 62 million albums sold in the U.S. She ranks above superstars including U2, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Prince, Bon Jovi and Celine Dion. She ranks #3 among females only trailing Barbra Streisand and slightly behind Madonna. Here is a link to the current Recording Industry Association of America list.

Carey was impressively included on Time Magazine's "List of 100 Most Influential People" published in May 2008. Here is a link to another article which tells you 20 things you didn't know about Mariah Carey in case you are interested in finding out a little more.

Though her 2001 movie Glitter ended up becoming the punch line to many jokes and she has overcome some personal problems, Mariah Carey has an incredibly remarkable career. I have always been a fan, but most of my favorites are from the earlier part of her career. With that being said, here is OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 MARIAH CAREY SONGS:
Honorable Mention: "All I Want For Christmas Is You" (1994) from Merry Christmas [link to video] - I love Christmas music and her album from '94 is fantastic. I will definitely publish a Top 10 List of holiday music later this year. It is hard to compare a Christmas song to non-seasonal music, so that is why I will just list this one as an honorable mention.

10. "Hero" (1993) from Music Box

9. "I Don't Wanna Cry" (1991) from Mariah Carey

8. "Love Takes Time" (1990) from Mariah Carey

7. "Anytime You Need a Friend" (1993) from Music Box

6. "Without You" (1993) from Music Box

5. "Can't Let Go" (1992) from Emotions [link to video]

4. "Always Be My Baby" (1996) from Daydream [link to video]

3. "Vision of Love" (1990) from Mariah Carey [link to video] - This was her first #1 single from her debut album

2. "I'll Be There (Live)" (1992) from MTV Unplugged [link to video] - This duet with Trey Lorenz was a cover of the Jackson 5 hit

1. "One Sweet Day" (1995) from Daydream [link to video] - This was a duet with the amazing Boyz II Men and remained at #1 for a record 16 straight weeks. It ranked #2 on my Best Duets of All Time List.

There is my list. It includes video links for six of the eleven songs. Of those top 10 songs, seven of them hit #1 on the Billboard Chars (with one peaking at #2, one peaking at #3 and another only reaching #12). Just remember, there were 11 other #1 songs that did not make my list.

That wraps up another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks, as always, for reading. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Would you know which way to go if you saw this road sign ahead?  In case you can't read it, the words between the speed limit and the crazy arrows reads "Good Luck."

Quote of the day: "Greatness consists in trying to be great. There is no other way." -Albert Camus

Download this: "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men - ‘Nuff said

I have recommended to you before the Popdose website especially for those of you who are looking for more obscure pop culture topics and information. Recently, I came across an interesting Top 10 list there which was The Worst #1 Songs of the 80s by Jon Cummings. I have to say it was a fairly strong list. You can click on the link above to read it all yourself, but here is a quick recap of his songs:
10. "Dirty Diana" by Michael Jackson
9. "Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder
8. "Stuck With You" by Huey Lewis & the News
7. "The Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston
6. "Kyrie" by Mr. Mister
5. "Hangin' Tough" by New Kids on the Block
4. (tie) "We Built This City" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship
3. "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder
2. "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler
1.5 "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys
1. "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John

Now most of you who have read Kickin' it Old School before know that I simply adore the decade of the 80s. I admit that a lot of the music was a little on the cheesy side, but I have come to appreciate and enjoy almost all of it. It is difficult for me to criticize any of the music too harshly. That being said, I will comment on the Popdose list and then give you a list of my own.

I am not going to comment much on the list by Jon Cummings because I do feel it is reasonable in most regards. First, I would not include inspirational songs like "The Greatest Love of All" or "Wind Beneath My Wings" because I would cut them a little slack. Second, if I was going to include a Michael Jackson song, it would have been "Bad" way before "Dirty Diana." I have always been a big fan of Huey Lewis, so even a cheesy song like "Stuck With You" does not bother me in the least. I am not such a fan of the band Mr. Mister, but I don't feel any of their songs deserve to be on this list.

In the intro to his list he also included about 30 songs that he felt deserved mention and just missed making his list. I take a little more issue with several of the songs he lists there, but since he ultimately did not include them I probably do not need to address any of them at this point. On the other hand, several of those songs will show up on the Old School list which I will publish below.

On that note, I will give you my list of the Worst #1 Songs of the 80s. Remember, this list can only include songs that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for at least one week between 1980 and 1989. ALL songs will include links to the video if you want to be reminded of these unfortunate hits. I will keep the comments to a minimum because most of these songs speak volumes on their own. Here is OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 WORST #1 SONGS OF THE 80s (+ Bonus 20):
30. "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles - #1 for 4 weeks (12/20/86-1/16/87) [link to video]

29. "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" by Cutting Crew - #1 for 2 weeks (5/2-5/15/87) [link to video]

28. "La Bamba" by Los Lobos - #1 for 3 weeks (8/29-9/17/87) - cover of Ritchie Valens 1958 hit included on the La Bamba soundtrack [link to video]

27. "Bad" by Michael Jackson - #1 for 2 weeks (10/24-11/6/87) [link to video] - If you watch the "Bad" video closely you will notice Wesley Snipes starring as the leader of the rival gang and you can also click on this link to see my Wesley Snipes Top 10 Movies list.

26. "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley - #1 for 2 weeks (3/12-3/25/88) [link to video]

25. "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol - #1 for 1 week (11/21-11/27/87) [link to video]

24. "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton - #1 for 2 weeks (10/29-11/11/83) [link to video]

23. "Got My Mind Set On You" by George Harrison - #1 for 1 week (1/16-1/22/88) [link to video]

22. "Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder - #1 for 7 weeks (5/15-7/2/82) - Not as bad as some people say because it does have a positive message from two amazing artists, but not good enough to even make my Top Duets of the 80s list [link to video]

21. "Batdance" by Prince - #1 for 1 week (8/5-8/11/89) - From the soundtrack to Batman [link to video]

20. "Do That to Me One More Time" by Captain & Tennille - #1 for 1 week (2/16-2/22/80) [link to video]

19. "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr. - #1 for 3 weeks (8/11-8/31/84) - Parker was sued for copyright infringement by Huey Lewis because the guitar riff in this song was too similar to "I Want a New Drug" and they settled out of court [link to video]

18. "Mickey" by Toni Basil - #1 for 1 week (12/11-12/17/82) [link to video]

17. "Love Bites" by Def Leppard - #1 for 1 week (10/8-10/14/88) [link to video]

16. "Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley" by Will to Power - #1 for 1 week (12/3-12/9/88) - Covers of two very popular songs that they combined in a medley though the combination does not make a lot of sense [link to video]

15. "We Built This City" by Starship - #1 for 2 weeks (11/16-11/29/85) [link to video]

14. "Foolish Beat" by Debbie Gibson - #1 for 1 week (6/25-7/1/88) [link to video]

13. "Venus" by Bananarama - #1 for 1 week (9/6-9/12/86) [link to video]

12. "Seasons Change" by Exposé - #1 for 1 week (2/20-2/26/88) [link to video]

11. "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany - #1 for 2 weeks (11/7-11/20/87) - This is a cover of the 1967 hit by Tommy James & the Shondells [link to video]

10. "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" by Sheena Easton - #1 for 2 weeks (5/2-5/15/81) [link to video]

9. "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder - #1 for 3 weeks (10/13-11/2/84) - Wonder is one of my favorite artists of all time, but this catchy song is not one of his finer moments [link to video]

8. "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin - #1 for 2 weeks (9/24-10/7/88) [link to video]

7. "The Flame" by Cheap Trick - #1 for 2 weeks (7/9-7/22/88) [link to video]

6. "Hangin' Tough" by New Kids on the Block - #1 for 1 week (9/9-9/15/89) [link to video]

5. "Toy Soldiers" by Martika - #1 for 2 weeks (7/22-8/4/89) [link to video]

4. "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys - #1 for 1 week (11/5-11/11/88) - Featured in the film Cocktail [link to video]

3. "Good Thing" by Fine Young Cannibals - #1 for 1 week (7/8-7/14/89) - I could not stand this song or their other hit "She Drives Me Crazy" [link to video]

2. "Wild, Wild West" by The Escape Club - #1 for 1 week (11/12-11/18/88) [link to video]

1. "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John - #1 for 10 weeks (11/21/81-1/29/82) - No disputing this one, but can you believe it remained at the top of the chart for 2 ½ months? If you like this song, you probably believe it is really about working out and exercising. [link to video]

There is my list. I hope you enjoyed all of the links to the videos. As I said earlier, I love most all 80s music and even the songs on this list have some redeeming qualities. Still, I was inspired by the Popdose article to give you my point of view on the subject. Let me know what you think.

That will wrap up this issue of Kickin' it. Thanks for reading and please come back often. Click on the Archive buttons in the upper left hand column to be sure you have not missed any past issues of Kickin' it Old School. If you are looking for more 80s content or more Top 10 lists you can click on these links as well. Peace and much love.

Check this out: I have never done this here before, but a good friend of mine's wife has started a non-profit organization called "United Ovarian Cancer Support" in the effort to help promote awareness and fund research for a cure to this terrible disease. Please visit the website at www.unitedovariancancersuppor t.org and among other things you will find a special item for sale as a fund raiser. It is a cookbook which is a collection of recipes from Ovarian Cancer survivors from all over the world including all 50 United States. It seems like something pretty cool and would make a nice Mother's Day gift or treat for yourself. All proceeds from the cookbook go directly to eradicating Ovarian Cancer. The cookbook costs just $15.00 plus shipping & handling, so please go to the website and consider supporting this worthwhile organization.

Quote of the day: "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." -Franklin D. Roosevelt

Download this: Since I obviously cannot recommend any of the above songs, here is my recommendation for this issue... "Seen It All Before" by Amos Lee