#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 13: Rise, Herb Alpert Written by Andy Armer and Randy Alpert (Herb's nephew), this reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1979. The recording also received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7O3...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 14: Por Una Cabeza, Carlos Gardel This scene from "A Scent of a Woman" is a great way to begin the day. Performed by The Tango Project, it was filmed in Manhattan at the Pierre Hotel's Cotillion Ballroom. www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2zT...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 15: Joy, Apollo 100 A pop version of the 1723 composition "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Johann Sebastian Bach, this reached No. 6 on Billboard in January 1972. The short-lived band was led by Tom Parker. www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6ip...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 16: James Bond theme, Monty Norman There are many different versions of the Bond theme, depending on the movie. For "Dr. No," the theme was arranged by John Barry. Artists from Count Basie to Moby have covered the song. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBQV...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 17: “Superman” theme, John Williams The score for the 1978 film was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. A reimagined version of Williams' theme is used in James Gunn's 2025 film "Superman." www.youtube.com/watch?v=utik...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 18: Flying Theme from “E.T.,” John Williams The most iconic part of the Academy and Grammy Award-winning score. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps1-...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 19: Hedwig’s Theme (“Harry Potter”), John Williams First heard in the prologue to "Philosopher's Stone," a portion of this music appears in every subsequent film, as well as in the "Fantastic Beasts" series. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtHr...

#Reverberations #MusicChallenge (𝐃𝟖) 𝙑𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙧 : 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 youtu.be/G_Dn2eZdlXw?...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 20: The Heart Asks Pleasure First (“The Piano”), Michael Nyman Beautiful theme from the Oscar-winning film. Included with the 1993 UK release, this mix was not available in the US until the soundtrack was remastered in 2004. www.youtube.com/watch?v=toOS...

Interesting interview with Michael Pollan on the nature of consciousness and our struggles with AI. #consciousness #AI #Science #Philosopy www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/m...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 21: "Hawaii Five-O" theme, Morton Stevens The Ventures reached No. 4 on the Hot 100 with their cover version in 1969, but the Emmy-winning song was written by the director of music for CBS West Coast operations. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpxJ...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 22: Hymn, Moby The first track from the 1995 album "Everything is Wrong" is not the same version as the single, which was a club hit. This version is also available on the compilation album "MobySongs." www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4Kq...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 23: Children, Robert Miles Massive 1996 hit reached No. 1 in 12 countries, including Austria and Spain. In 2025, Billboard ranked it among the best dance songs ever. Miles died from metastatic cancer in 2017. He was only 47. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC5c...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 24: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Smashing Pumpkins Beautiful opening of the band's Grammy-nominated album. The track was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, a category awarded from 1969 to 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T1j...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 25: Oscillate Wildly, The Smiths Almost made my Top 10 during #Top30TheSmiths challenge. One of the B sides to "How Soon Is Now," it's also included in the "Best II" compilation. I always thought it sounded like a TV theme. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iYU...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 26: Feels So Good, Chuck Mangione Released in 1978, the title track from his '77 album reached No. 4 in America. Nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards, it lost to Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are." www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKp7...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 27: Green Onions, Booker T & the M.G.'s Released in 1962, the song reached No. 3 on the Hot 100. In 1980, it made it to No. 7 in the UK after its use in the film "Quadrophenia." In 1999, it received a Grammy HOF Award. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oox...

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge No. 28: “The Pink Panther” theme, Henry Mancini Released in 1963, the three-time Grammy Award-winning song (it was also nominated for an Academy Award) featured sax playing by Plas Johnson. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDoD...

#StrictlyInstrumental 35. Sanford and Son theme, Quincy Jones 34. Jaws theme, John Williams 33. Jurassic Park, JW 32. March from Raiders of the Lost Ark, JW 31. Mission Impossible, Lalo Schifrin 30. S.W.A.T. theme, Rhythm Heritage (Barry De Vorzon) 29. A Taste of Honey, Herb Alpert/Tijuana Brass

#StrictlyInstrumental 43. Axel F, Harold Faltermeyer 42. Sandstorm, Darude 41. The Look of Love (Part IV), ABC 40. Agent Orange, Depeche 39. Nothing to Fear, Mode 38. Pop Corn, Gershon Kinglsey (Hot Butter) 37. Soulful Strut, Young-Holt Unlimited 36. "Hill Street Blues" theme, Mike Post

#StrictlyInstrumental #MusicChallenge Near misses 50. Music Box Dancer, Frank Mills 49. Watermark, Enya 48. Warehouse Requiem, Guru Josh 47. “Chariots of Fire” theme, Vangelis 46. Evitar, a-ha 45. Soviet, Electronic 44. Nadia’s Theme, Barry De Vorzon, Perry Botkin Jr. more to come...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 1: The Sun Always Shines on TV A Top-10 song in 14 countries (but not the US), this follow-up to "Take on Me" hit No. 1 in the UK and Ireland. The video was shot at St. Alban's Church in Teddington, a suburb of London. www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3ir...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 2: Scoundrel Days "We believe through their lies and the hating that love goes free..." The title track from the second album was written by Paul and Magne. It was one of the highlights of the 2022 show at Radio City www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY-O....

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No. 1: Imagine, John Lennon "It isn't hard to do..." Written by the ex-Beatle and Yoko, the original 1971 release went to No. 1 in Australia, Canada and New Zealand (3 in the US). In the UK, it was released in 1975, '80, '88 and '99. www.youtube.com/watch?v=msD4...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 3: Early Morning The third single from "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" was not a big hit when it was released in February 1991. But it's my favorite song from my favorite a-ha album. www.youtube.com/watch?v=48I_...

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No. 2: My Sweet Lord, George Harrison "Hallelujah..." Released in late 1970, the song reached No. 1 in 17 countries. Features drums by Ringo; acoustic guitars by George, Eric Clapton and Peter Frampton; and Gary Brooker on piano. www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4l...

With Ben Shelton’s loss, the winless Grand Slam streak for American men continues. Now 0 for 89. #AO #AusOpen #australianopen #tennis

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 4: Living a Boy's Adventure Tale One of the best from "Hunting High and Low." Some comments on YouTube say this song is underrated -- maybe because it was never a single? I think most fans consider it a favorite. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1BA...

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No. 3: London Calling, The Clash "Now war is declared and battle come down..." Released in December 1979, Rolling Stone ranked this 15 in its 2004 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (re-ranked 143 in 2024). www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 5: The Swing of Things "You give me news I don't want to know..." One of my favorites on "Scoundrel Days"... Five days ago someone wrote "Chilling, 40 years later" in the comments about this song on YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hal...

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No. 4: Take It Easy, The Eagles "Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy..." Released in 1972, this song -- written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey -- reached No. 12 on Billboard. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5igD...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge "You can be sure of it..." So I messed up and skipped "Butterfly Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)," which I originally ranked No. 9. Sigh. Released in 2010, the song was the band's "last" recording until they reunited in 2015. www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZjX...

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No. 5: You're So Vain, Carly Simon No. 1 in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, US. Nominated for Record/Song of the Year (and Best Pop Vocal Performance) at the '74 Grammy Awards -- but each one went to "Killing Me Softly With His Song." www.youtube.com/watch?v=j13o...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 6: Dark is the Night for All This lead single from "Memorial Beach" nearly reached the Hot 100 on Billboard. It was the band's last song to be released in the US. A No. 4 hit in Norway, it made the Top 20 in the UK. www.youtube.com/watch?v=75pm...

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No. 6: Dust in the Wind, Kansas "All we do Crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see..." Written by Kerry Livgren and released in 1978, this acoustic classic hit No. 6 in America, 3 in Canada. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH2w...

I'm a little late to the party on this ... but Depeche Mode is going to be part of a new charity compilation album for War Child Records with a cover of the song "Universal Soldier." The album is set for release March 6. www.radiox.co.uk/news/music/w...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 8: hunting high and low Released in 1986, the title track from the band's debut album did well in Europe, reaching 4 in France and Ireland, 5 in Italy and the UK. I always liked the extended remix. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s-K...

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No. 7: Killing Me Softly With His Song, Roberta Flack Released in 1973, this beautiful Grammy Award-winning hit spent five weeks at No. 1 in the U.S. (also reached the top in Canada and Australia). Features Donny Hathaway on backing vocals. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEbi...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 9: Keeper of the Flame Great track from 2005's "Analogue," and an opportunity missed. They should have released this as a single with a video featuring rock 'n' roll's greatest performers, from Chuck Berry to Nirvana. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L1y...

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No. 8: Band on the Run, Paul McCartney and Wings Released in 1974, this Grammy Award-winning song hit No. 1 in America, Canada and New Zealand (and 3 in the UK). In 2018, it was named the 10th best song of the '70s by NME. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZGu...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 10: Slender Frame "I don't believe it I believe it..." Starting the Top 10 with this great song from my favorite a-ha album, "East of the Sun, West of the Moon." Hard to believe this was not a single. www.youtube.com/watch?v=y62N...

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No. 9: Your Song, Elton John Released in 1970, the Guardian ranks this fourth in their list of Rocket Man songs (Billboard has it second). I also like the "Moulin Rouge!" version by Ewan McGregor and Allesandro Safina. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlPl...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 11: Lifelines The second single and title track from the band's 2002 album hit No. 1 in Poland. The video is based on the Norwegian short film "A Year Along the Abandoned Road." www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCkb...

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No. 10: What's Going On, Marvin Gaye Released in 1971, this all-time classic made it to No. 2 on Billboard. Rolling Stone considers it the sixth greatest song of all time. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDK7...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 12: Foot of the Mountain Written by Paul, Magne and producer/songwriter Martin Terefe, the lead single and title track from the band's ninth album was released in 2009. Reached No. 3 in Germany and 8 in Norway. www.youtube.com/watch?v=m36S...

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No. 11: American Pie, Don McLean "I met a girl who sang the blues And I asked her for some happy news But she just smiled and turned away..." Released in October 1971, this folk-rock classic spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRpi...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 13: Over the Treetops Another great track from "Analogue." Check out the comments section for this one on YouTube: A teenager writes that the band brought her parents together: "a-ha will remain my happy place..." www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7o3...

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No 12: Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd The title track from my favorite Pink Floyd album was released in '75. Written by David and Roger, the song ranks 302 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Songs. Should be at least Top 200, right? www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6qj...

#a-haMusicChallenge2026 #MusicChallenge No. 14: Take on Me This seems like a good place for a-ha's most well-known song. I like the extended mix. www.youtube.com/watch?v=POZ_...

#70sTop30 #MusicChallenge No. 13: Changes, David Bowie Released in 1972, this classic track was ranked No. 128 on Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2010. (For some reason, it was re-ranked 200 in the magazine's 2021 revised list). www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcrP...