Music

We are still under construction.  Please have patience while we rebuild our extensive archive!

Music has the power to unite, soothe, and inspire.  But there are stories behind the music; forgotten one-hit-wonders who had real talent and skill, little-known tales of well-known bands, and the music of our parents’ generation which has been all but forgotten today.  Join Sam as he explores the ins an outs of music stardom, muses on the motivations and lives of pop princesses, and hearkens back to the early days of the music industry.

PCA Profiles: The Party

Somewhere between Annette and Britney, Justin and Christina,the Mickey Mouse Club spawned The Party.  Barely remembered on the pop culture radar today, The Party set the stage for future Disney stars such as Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron and Selena Gomez, but Disney has all but brushed them under the carpet and tried to rewrite the history of pop music.  Who were The Party, just how did they affect the future of pop music and why did Disney consider them a failed experiment?  The secret history of the pop music industry starts with The Party.

11 Music Videos Even WorseThen Rebecca Black’s Friday

PCA takes the heat off of Rebecca Black by presenting eleven music videos even worse then Friday, featuring artists that should know better including Elton John, Neil Diamond, The Rolling Stones, Sarah Brightman and Nancy Sinatra, and presents some of Europe’s most questionable music videos via the insanity of Tommy Seebach and Dutch pop singers Dani and Armi.  These videos are sure to make Friday look like a cinematic masterpiece.

PCA’s Five Worst Christmas Songs Ever!

What do Paul McCartney, NewSong, Marvin Gaye, Spinal Tap and Red Sovine all have in common?  They have performed some of the worst and/or most annoying Christmas songs ever unleashed on the public.  From gutter snipes begging for shoes, to kids dying on Santa’s lap, to the emotional crys of a POW in Viet Nam, PCA explains why these Christmas songs are the worst of the holiday season.  Click on the videos at your own risk.

PCA’s Top Ten Holiday Albums

With hundred’s of Christmas albums to choose from, Sam Tweedle counts down his all time favorite Christmas albums ranging from traditional favorites such as Dean Martin and Gene Autry, to classic pop albums such as Phil Spector and Herb Alpert, and oddities including RuPaul and a compilation of heavy metal artists.

The Other Guy From Wham!

Everybody knows 80′s pop sensation George Michael, front man and lead singer from British supergroup Wham!  But what about that other guy?  Who was he and exactly what did he do anyways?  Was Andrew Ridgely the brains behind Wham! or was he the greatest coat tail rider in pop culture history.  As we reveal, he may have been a little bit of both.

Tommy Can You Hear Me?: Remembering Tommy Page or Tommy Who?

While some teen idols become legendary hallmarks of the pop culture experience, others fade quickly into obscurity such as the case of 90′s one hit wonder Tommy Page who broke hearts with his hit “I’ll Be Your Everything.”  Tommy had the looks and the talent but today is barely a blip of the pop culture radar.  Was it because of compition from the 90210 guys, or was it his close connection to The New Kids on the Block that prevented him from achieving mass fame?  We remember Tommy Page in this retrospective of the teen idol that time forgot.

Behind the Teeth: Know Your Osmonds

Almost everyone can name at least two Osmonds, but who can remember the rest of this prolific and influential pop family?  Once powerhouses of the music industry, the Osmonds are often considered a footnote, a sideshow act that some remember fondly and others not at all.  Join Sam in this exhaustive guide to the funkiest family of Mormons that ever came out of Utah!

The Lennon Sisters: Untainted Pop Princesses

Beloved and protected by a press that wanted to preserve rather than expose, America’s first bona fide pop princesses stayed in the spotlight for a decade without compromising their musical style nor their wholesome reputation. Though rumours abounded of questionable relationships and feuding, and potential scandal loomed as their father was murdered by a deranged fan, their image as pure and sweet was maintained by a press as determined to sell papers as any scandal-mongering rag today.

Who Cares?:  The Story of “Doctor in Distress” – The Worst Little “Cause Rock” Single of Them All

One of the best remembered trends of the 1980′s was “cause rock” where musicians banned together in song to feed Africa or free enslaved people.  However, when a group of third tier musicans banned together to sing in protest of the BBC’s 18 month hiatus of sci-fi staple “Doctor Who.” the results were questionable.  Did they save the show or did they create one of the stupidest moments in both “Doctor Who” and 80′s pop music history?

PCA Teaches You to “Do the Freddie”:  A Tribute to Freddie Garrity

In response to the death of Freddie and the Dreamer’s front man Freddie Garrity in 2006, Sam Tweedle swallowed his pride and taught PCA readers to “Do the Freddie” as a tribute to the British Invasion’s court jester of pop.  One of the silliest looking dances of the era, Sam Tweedle provides step by step instructions, complete with pictures, as he teaches you to do Freddie Garrity’s signature dance.

The Controversial Rise and Fall of The Mini Pops

A staple of children’s record collections across Canada during the 1980′s, the Mini Pops were seemingly harmless albums from K-Tel records featuring children singing the hit songs of the day.  However, the Mini Pops origins on British television caused a furry of controverisal and scandal which questioned the line between playing and sexualizing children.  As K-Tel records brings a new Mini Pops to the new generation PCA asks is it still possible in today’s music market, as well as looks at the origins and controversy surrounding the original Mini Pops.

Ricky Nelson: The Boy Who Didn’t Mess Around

So who was respojnsible for popularizing rock n’ roll in America?  Elvis?  The Beatles?  Buddy Holly?  Nope.  According to Sam Tweedle it’s Ozzie and Harriet’s kid Rick Nelson.  Sam argues his point as he profiles Rick and looks at his unique contribution to the music industry.