Pop

British singer and actress Lulu turns 76 today

She’s an icon for the 1960’s Swinging London and has had a career filled with success over the last 60 years. From the “Shout!” hit to host her variety TV Shows in 1960’s, to Eurovision winner and to work with David Bowie in the 1970’s, we look back at her career

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Michael Jackson rises to No.1 with “Bad” in 1987

The song is one of the many hits Jackson scored from his album “Bad.” 5 years after “Thriller,” Michael Jackson was able to put out an album with the same amount of hit singles although with a different songwriting formula and edgier than the 1982 groundbreaking album. Find out what was the song about

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The British singer Cliff Richard turns 84

With more than 250 million records sold worldwide since the beginning of his career in the 1950’s, the singer was never able to successfully break into the American music market, despite dominating the British music scene pre-Beatles

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The Amazing Career Of P.P Arnold 

She is best known for her 1967 hit “First Cut Is the Deepest” but she’s far from being one hit wonder, P.P Arnold turns 78 today and for nearly 60 years she has been writing music history. Find out why

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Tiffany is not a teenager anymore

If you spent any time in an American mall in the late 1980’s, then you were fully aware of the Teen Pop sensation Tiffany, but even if you were not in America at the time you know her from her worldwide smash hit where “I Think We’re Alone Now” that made her a 1980’s pop references around the globe. Tiffany turns 53 today

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Looking back at Sting ‘s career

Sting has been one of the most successful artists in the world for well over 4 decades now. He became a well-known name back in the late 1970’s as frontman for The Police with whom he recorded 5 hit albums between 1978 and 1983. He released his first solo album in 1985 making a total now of 12 solo albums. Today, Sting turns 73

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Remembering Jim Diamond

In 1984 with “I Should Have Known Better,” his most memorable song, he reached No.1 in the U.K and charts in other countries in Europe and Australia, we remember Diamond on his birthday

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Jennifer Rush turns 64 today

Responsible for one of the biggest hit ballads from the 1980’s, Jennifer Rush rose to fame during the 1980’s with her hit ballad “The Power of Love,” an enduring 80’s classic

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Remembering Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer became worldwide famous during the 1980’s with songs such as “Johnny and Mary” and “Addicted to Love” and he made some of the 1980’s most iconic music videos. We remember the singer who died on this day in 2003

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Toni Basil is 81 today

She became worldwide famous with the catchy Pop tune “Mickey” in 1982, but after the success of “Mickey,” Basil would go on to direct videos for the Talking Heads, choreograph tours for David Bowie and bring street dance to the public back in the day

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Bill Medley turns 84 today

Bill Medley’s distinctive voice is noted for his bass-baritone voice in songs such as The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” “Unchained Melody” and the 1980’s classic “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”

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The 5th Dimension singer Lamonte McLemore turns 85

Best known as a founding member of the Grammy-winning vocal group The 5th Dimension and with a career that spans both music and photography, Lamonte McLemore remains mostly remembered by the iconic The 5th Dimension 1969 song “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”

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In 1984 “Relax” the controversial debut single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, became the longest running chart hit since 1967

One of the most controversial and most commercially successful records of the decade “Relax” sold a reported 2 million copies in the UK alone, making it the seventh best-selling single in the UK Singles Chart’s history and would be the first song to emphasize the then, shock impact of Frankie members Holly Johnson’s and Paul Rutherford’s open homosexuality

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The Culture Club drummer Jon Moss turns 67

Jon Moss became worldwide famous as the drummer for Culture Club, but the drummer of songs such as “Karma Chameleon” and former Boy George romantic partner actually came from a strong Punk Rock background prior joining the Culture Club that included many famous Punk bands

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Disco Diva Gloria Gaynor turns 77

With her signature song “I Will Survive” perhaps is fair to say Gloria Gaynor owes her place in music history to the Disco revolution of the late 1970’s, but her career had already a rich history prior to that

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Liv Hanna releases the single “Proud of Yourself”

Liv Hanna once again enlisted renowned producer Flex to produce “Proud of Yourself.” Flex was responsible for the production of Liv Hanna’s most recent record, “TEASE ME.” The masterful, heartfelt lyrics were entirely penned by Liv Hanna. “Proud of Yourself” is a piano-driven ballad that teeters between Alt-Pop, Dark Pop, Indie Pop, and Pop Rock

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The Top 10 Clash Songs

Joe Strummer, one of the leading figures of the Punk Rock movement, was born on 21 August 1952. He formed and fronted The Clash between 1976 and 1986, leaving a valuable legacy in Rock music that remains fresh and continues to influence new generations

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Top 10 John Deacon Queen songs

The quiet and talented John Deacon was never too much fond of the spotlight, not even when Queen was performing for tens of thousands of people, the bassist and composer was born 74 years ago today in 1951

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Top 10 1990’s Defining Madonna songs

After a successful decade that introduced her to the mainstream and put her on the throne of Pop music as the Queen, Madonna would seem to have a problem adapting to the new era of the 1990’s to match her previous success, but for her, between eroticism and mysticism, this was a piece of cake

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Madonna: The Absolute Queen of Pop 66th Birthday

Madonna Louise Ciccone doesn’t need introductions, the living legend who was born on August 16, 1958, turns an amazing 66th birthday today. We pay tribute to the absolute Queen of Pop with several special features on Pop Expresso including photo galleries, lists of her most defining songs, insights on some of her big hits and also Quizzes

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The singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram turns 55

In 1988 at age 19 Tanita Tikaram scored two major hit singles with “Twist in My Sobriety” and “Good Tradition” from her debut album “Ancient Heart”. She’d never repeat the same success again but remains an active musician and singer

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Remembering the singer-songwriter Eric Carmen

Eric Carmen’s solo career took off with the release of his self-titled debut album in 1975. The album featured the hit single “All by Myself,” a power ballad that Carmen composed based on a theme from Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The song became a massive hit, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100

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Tom Jones hits the top of the charts around the world in 1968 with the controversial murder-ballad “Delilah”

In order for today’s society to be able to think and analyze the fact that a 1968 song that trivializes the idea of murdering a woman can still remain so popular today, we have to put up in perspective history and the  1960’s and 1970’s society as well as the once very trendy “murder ballad” genre, and “Delilah” is despite all the controversy one of the greatest Pop songs ever made

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The legendary Whitney Houston was born 61 years ago

Whitney Houston was the most awarded female act of all time with 200 million records sold worldwide, one of music’s greatest voices, she passed away aged only 48. We remember her exceptional life and career, and her voice and music through the concert Live in Japan, 1990, today that marks her 61st birthday

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U2’s The Edge turns 63

The Edge’s guitar playing has become one of the most important parts of U2’s distinctive and influential sound which still inspires new generations of musicians today

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Looking back at the influential and iconic Louis Armstrong and five of his best songs

To talk about Pop Culture, Jazz and overall music in the 20th century and not mentioning Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, would be ignoring history. Born on this day in 1901, Armstrong crossed over race and classes in a highly segregated period of the United States due to his talent as a trumpeter, composer, vocalist, occasional actor and also his charisma and achieved worldwide fame, performing as a household name in legendary stages all over the world throughout his influential career

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Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim turns 61 today

In the mid-1990s, Cook adopted the moniker Fatboy Slim and his 1998 album, “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby,” catapulted him to international fame, featuring hit singles like “The Rockafeller Skank,” “Praise You,” and “Right Here, Right Now”

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Singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry turns 82

Gentry’s breakthrough came in 1967 with the release of “Ode to Billie Joe,” a song she wrote and recorded that became an instant hit, and that together with “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”, earned her top places in the mainstream charts despite the artist’s association with Country music

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Cat Stevens turns 76

Cat Stevens, now Yusuf Islam, penned memorable songs such as “Wild World” and “The First Cut Is the Deepest”, during the 1960’s and 1970’s released several acclaimed albums and has in recent years returned to do music after an almost 30 years hiatus. He turns 76 today

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Kim Carnes turns 79 today

Kim Carnes gave memorable vocals to the 1981 hit “Bette Davis Eyes” and later also to the U.S.A For Africa “We Are The World”. She has led a successful singer-songwriter career since the 1960’s that still keeps going strong

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The spectacular Live Aid took place on this day in 1985

Held on July 13, 1985 at simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, England and at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, U.S. Live Aid featured a never before seen parade of Pop and Rock artists including Queen, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Madonna, Wham!, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Bob Dylan among many many others

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The singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega celebrates 65 today

With a career spanning over four decades, Vega continues to be a vital and relevant voice in the music industry, and her memorable song “Luka,” about child abuse told from the perspective of a young boy, that received widespread acclaim and charted internationally, continues as relevant today as it was when first released in 1987

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Soft Cell singer Marc Almond turns 67

Marc Almond might still be best remembered for Soft Cell’s smash hit “Tainted Love” in 1981, but the singer has had a fulfilling and creative solo career since 1984, releasing until now 26 albums. He turns 67 today

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Beck celebrates 54 today

Beck’s breakout moment came with the release of the single “Loser” in 1993 that became an unexpected hit and quickly propelled him into the spotlight gaining attention for his innovative and lo-fi recordings, which combined elements of folk, rock, hip-hop, and electronic music

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Remembering the Depeche Mode co-founder and keyboardist Andy Fletcher

As a co-founder and member of one of the world’s most popular and influential bands, Depeche Mode, Andy Fletcher’s career was filled with countless hit songs including “Just Can’t Enough”, “Strangelove”, “Enjoy The Silence”, “Personal Jesus”, “Dream On”, “Master and Servant” and “Everything Counts”. Fletcher was born on this day 63 years ago.

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Singer Joan Osborne turns 62 today

Joan Osborne is best remembered by her 1995 hit “One Of Us”, despite not been able to duplicate the success she had with that song, she continues to release new music and keeps active on the music business

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Huey Lewis celebrates 74 today

The band Huey Lewis and the News are known for their infectious blend of rock, pop, and rhythm and blues and scored several hits during the 1980’s including “I Want a New Drug,” “The Power of Love” and “Stuck With You”

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Chris Isaak turns 68 today

Musician, singer and actor, Chris Isaak, gained worldwide projection also due to his hit songs such as “Wicked Game” and his extensive collaboration with David Lynch throughout the years. He turns 68 today

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George Michael 61st Anniversary Special

The Pop icon and legend George Michael would had turned 61 today. To celebrate his life, we’ve put together six articles previously published including album reviews, a quiz, a photo gallery and an intimate look

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Pop icon Cyndi Lauper turns 71 today

Singer, actress and LGBT activist, Cyndi Lauper is one of the 1980’s absolute Pop icons, with her colorful and eccentric looks, she gained worldwide fame with songs such as “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”. Time flies when girls are having fun, today she turns 71

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The Kinks’ Ray Davies turns 80

With The Kinks, Ray Davies sung and played on some of the most memorable songs of the 1960’s and 1970’s. The band, “outsiders” on the British Invasion music scene, influenced important music movements such as Punk Rock and Britpop and remain relevant ever since their hit “You Really Got Me” played for the first time. Ray Davies turns 80 today

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Lionel Richie turns 75

Lionel Richie popularity remains untouchable since he first became famous as the lead singer for the Commodores back in the 1970’s. He co-wrote “We Are The World” and some of the most memorable Pop anthems of the 1980’s, today he turns 75

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Paula Abdul celebrates 62 today

In the mid-1980s, Abdul choreographed music videos for prominent artists such as George Michael and Janet Jackson and transitioned sucessfully into a singing career in 1988 with her debut album, “Forever Your Girl” that included several global hits such as “Straight Up”

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The Paul McCartney Top 25 Beatles Songs

Paul McCartney’s songwriting partnership with John Lennon while in The Beatles during the 1960’s, it’s the most famous in Pop and Rock music history. Celebrate Paul McCartney’s 82nd birthday, with the Top 25 Beatles songs featuring him on lead vocals

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The Paul McCartney Top 15 Songs

Paul McCartney is one of the very few people on the planet that barely needs any introduction. The former Beatle turns 82 today and we celebrate it with his Top 15 best non-Beatles related songs

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Thinking of Françoise Hardy

If France Gall was the ultimate wind-up doll, Sylvie Vartan the fun-loving girl about town and Sheila the good-natured girl next door, then Françoise was the older, wiser sister, happy to let her (long, straight) hair down when the time was right but otherwise content to watch the world, standing (in the latest fashionable attire) slightly apart, off to one side, looking on as the parade passed by

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Singer-songwriter Nilsson was born on this day in 1941

With the 1969 “Midnight Cowboy” movie theme “Everybody’s Talking” Nilsson scored his first big hit. During the 1970’s, he became one of the most popular singer-songwriters while at the same indulging in excess together with John Lennon. Nilsson was born 83 years ago

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Boy George: A Pop Chameleon in Photos

Boy George emerged during the early 1980’s from the Post-Punk movement named New Romantic, through his music and looks he broke down barriers and destroyed prejudice. Take look back at his influential and inspiring career in photographs

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Françoise Hardy 1944-2024

The French singer, songwriter, and actress Françoise Hardy has passed at age 80. Her career took off in the early 1960s with her debut single, “Tous les garçons et les filles” which became an instant hit, selling over a million copies estabilishing Hardy as a prominent figure in the yé-yé movement and a 1960’s icon

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Bonnie Tyler turns 73 today

Bonnie Tyler’s signature song remains the 1983 “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”, but the husky voice singer scored several other hit songs throughout the decades. Today she turns 73

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Tom Jones turns 84 today

Tom Jones career has now spanned six decades, and he has literally done everything in the music business, from hit singer to Variety shows to Las Vegas appearances and even as a coach in The Voice on recent years. Today the “Delilah” singer turns 84

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Pop music icon Kylie Minogue turns 56

The singer and actress Kylie Minogue started her career while still a teenager during the 1980’s, scoring No.1 hits with the penned Stock Aitken Waterman’s “I Should Be So Lucky” and “Got To Be Certain”. Today she turns 56

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Lenny Kravitz turns 60 today

The successful Kravitz’s blend of retro and contemporary sounds have produced major hits including “Are You Gonna Go My Way” and “It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over”

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Lauryn Hill celebrates 49 today

In the 1990’s together with Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel she formed the hip-hop group the Fugees that scored worldwide hits including an unique version of the song “Killing Me Softly With His Song”

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Remembering Peggy Lee on her birthday

Lee’s versatility extended beyond singing and she made significant contributions to the film industry, most notably by providing the voice for several characters and co-writing songs for Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp” (1955)

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Guess the Lyrics: Cher

The iconic Cher turns 78. Since the 1960’s that she has recorded some of Pop music’s most memorable songs, alongside with her acting skills. How well do you know the Pop Diva lyrics? Do the quiz and find out!

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The Amazing Miss Grace Jones

Over the last 40 years, many were the artists that were pointed as Queens of Pop, but despite never having scored strings of hits and sold millions of records, the amazing Grace Jones is the righteous Queen and turns 76 today

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Janet Jackson celebrates 58 today

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jackson released a string of groundbreaking albums and hit singles that turned her together with her older brother Michael on the two most successful solo artists of the Jackson family

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Ten of the Best Stevie Wonder songs

With a career that has spanned for over 60 years, Stevie Wonder has composed some of Soul, Funk and Pop best songs. The once Motown child prodigy and one of the biggest music composers turns 74 today

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The singer Frankie Valli turns 90 today

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Valli and The Four Seasons dominated the airwaves with songs such as “Big Girls Don’t Cry” earning widespread acclaim and establishing themselves as one of the most successful vocal groups of all time

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