The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s - complete list

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s - complete list

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 2: 80 - 61

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 2: 80 - 61

http://www.popmatters.com/feature/the-100-greatest-alternative-singles-of-the-80s-part-2-80-61/

100 Greatest Alternative Songs of the '80s - - Part 1 (#100 to #81)

Check out my 100 Greatest Alternative Songs of the '80s -- Part 1 (#100 to #81), here:

http://www.popmatters.com/feature/the-100-greatest-alternative-singles-of-the-80s-part-1-100-81/

Each day, another 20 will be released, until Friday the Top 20 will be unveiled. 

Billboard Top 40 Modern Rock Tracks - - this week 20 years ago.

The '90s were a golden age in alternative rock, and 1995 was perhaps the peak year. Check out the Top 40 modern rock songs this week 20 years ago, from Billboard Magazine for week ending July 8, 1995. An incredible list loaded with classic. This was right when I moved to Virginia after college, and was working at Waxie Maxie's music store, so all of these songs really bring back some strong memories. Alternative radio station WHFS in D.C. was still going strong. Can't believe it's been 20 years!

The songs' position from the prior week is in parentheses after its ranking. If it's still climbing the song is underlined; if it's at its peak or falling, it is not. The peak position for each track is in parentheses after the title.

BILLBOARD TOP 40 MODERN ROCK TRACKS - - WEEK ENDING JULY 8, 1995

1 (1) U2 - "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (1)
2 (7) Alanis Morissette - "You Oughta Know" (1)
3 (3) Collective Soul - "December" (2)
4 (4) Live - "All Over You" (4)
5 (2) Soul Asylum - "Misery" (2)
6 (6) Sponge - "Molly (Sixteen Candles) (3)
7 (5) Bush - "Little Things" (4)
8 (10) Weezer - "Say It Ain't So" (7)
9 (8) White Zombie - "More Human Than Human" (7)
10 (9) Better Than Ezra - "Good" (1)
11 (11) Filter - "Hey Man,  Nice Shot" (10)
12 (--) Foo Fighters - "This is a Call" (2)
13 (13) Hum - "Stars" (11)
14 (20) Tripping Daisy - "I Got A Girl" (6)
15 (15) Catherine Wheel - "Waydown" (15)
16 (16) Natalie Merchant - "Carnival" (16)
17 (19) Primus - "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" (12)
18 (14) Cranberries - "Ridiculous Thoughts" (14)
19 (24) Offspring - "Smash It Up" (16)
20 (12) Green Day - "She" (5)
21 (26) Silverchair - "Tomorrow" (1)
22 (27) Jennifer Trynin - "Better Than Nothing" (15)
23 (18) Matthew Sweet - "Sick of Myself" (2)
24 (17) Elastica - "Connection" (2)
25 (22) Blues Traveler - "Run-Around" (14)
26 (28) Garbage - "Vow" (26)
27 (23) Nine Inch Nails - "Hurt" (8)
28 (31) Hootie & The Blowfish - "Only Wanna Be With You" (22)
29 (32) Better Than Ezra - "In The Blood" (4)
30 (21) Radiohead - "Fake Plastic Trees" (11)
31 (30) Mad Season - "River of Deceit" (9)
32 (--) Elastica - "Stutter" (10)
33 (38) Dave Matthews Band - "Ants Marching" (18)
34 (25) Rembrandts - "I'll Be There For You" (23)
35 (34) Dave Matthews Band - "What Would You Say" (11)
36 (29) Jill Sobule - "I Kissed a Girl" (20)
37 (33) Live - "Lightning Strikes" (1)
38 (40) Everclear - "Heroin Girl" (34)
39 (35) R.E.M. - "Strange Currencies" (8)
40 (--)  Pearl Jam - "Immortality" (31)

Morrissey to perform tonight at Echo Stage

Alternative-rock titan Morrissey will bring his current tour to D.C. when he performs at Echo Stage tonight. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Last year, Morrissey was set to play two nights at the 9:30 club in June, but he had to cancel because of health issues. Tonight's show will be the fourth date on his current tour, which started June 11 in New Orleans and has also hit Atlanta and Durham. The veteran rocker's last show in the D.C. area was back on January 16, 2013 when he performed at the Strathmore in Bethesda.

Morrissey was the singer and lyricist for the widely acclaimed and influential '80s alternative-rockers The Smiths, before going solo with the release of 1988's Viva Hate. Since then he's released nine more studio albums and multiple compilations and singles, with his most recent release last year's epic World Peace is None of Your Business. Some of his most notable hits as a solo artist include "Suedehead," "November Spawned a Monster," "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get," "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful," "Irish Blood, English Heart" and "Everyday is Like Sunday." He typically performs a few Smiths classics on tour so don't be surprised to hear classics like "How Soon is Now?", "Panic," "What Difference Does It Make?" or other gems from his former band.

Now 56, Morrissey admitted last year to a cancer scare. He's been known to cancel tour dates on a regular basis due to ill-health. The chance to see a future Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in a small venue like Echo Stage (well, small relative to big arenas like the Verizon Center and Patriot Center) is an opportunity that should not be missed.

Here's one of Morrissey's finest album cuts - "I Will See You In Far Off Place," from the album Ringleader of the Tormentors. 

Tricky - "Maxinquaye"

One of the essential albums of the '90s. Tricky's brilliant Maxinquaye. This is a 2012 remaster from Music on Vinyl. A+++