Listen Closely with Jon & Chris

The solo debut from Journey's Steve Perry, Street Talk, is a fusion of rock, pop, and soul, and it showcases Perry's unparalleled vocal skills. The album features four Top 40 hit singles (including the chart-topping Oh Sherrie), and proved that Steve Perry was a viable solo artist with one of the finest voices in the history of rock.

On the fortieth anniversary of Street Talk's release, Chris and Jon discuss the timeless charm of an album that stands as a testament to Steve Perry's enduring legacy and his velvety tenor voice.

At the tail end of the 1970s, Christopher Cross, a relatively unknown singer/songwriter from Texas with smooth vocals and masterful songwriting, reshaped the landscape of soft rock with his eponymous debut album. The album would spawn massive hits like Sailing, Ride Like the Wind, and Never Be the Same, and it would go on to win five Grammy awards including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist.

Chris, Jon, and Jim take a look back at Christopher Cross' self-titled masterpiece, the stellar line-up of guest musicians who played on the album, and his unexpected meteoric rise to fame at the dawn of the 1980s.

In an effort to distance themselves from their trademark anthemic stadium sound, and their earnest, politically-charged songs of the 1980s, U2 decided to drastically pivot their sound and style as they entered the 1990s.

Their ambitious 1991 album, Achtung Baby, incorporates industrial rock, dance-rock, and alternative rock, and it features emotionally-charged lyrics that explore themes of love, disillusionment, and personal transformation. While this new direction for the Irish quartet raised a few eyebrows, it was a risky gamble that paid off. Achtung Baby would go on to become one of the most acclaimed rock albums of the 1990s, and it is considered by many to be the group's finest hour.

Jon and Chris take a closer listen to this perennial favorite from U2.

Released in 2009, Lungs (the debut album from Florence + the Machine) catapulted vocalist Florence Welch into the spotlight with her haunting vocals and intricate lyricism. Each track on the album showcases Welch's raw talent and emotional depth, as well as the stellar musicianship of The Machine.

Chris and Jon take a nostalgic journey back to 2009 with the sonic landscapes of "Lungs," and celebrate its timeless significance in the music industry while exploring the album's themes of love, loss, and self-discovery.

With infectious funk beats and soulful melodies, Street Songs, from the wildly talented and incredibly wild, Rick James, is considered by many to be his best work and an album that has had a lasting influence on pop and R&B.

For the premiere of Listen Closely IX, Jon and Chris are joined by Jim, and the three dive deep into the electric (and eclectic) world of Rick James, and explore the unforgettable sounds (and hit songs like Super Freak and Give It to Me Baby) that helped define this timeless classic from the late King of Funk.

Released on January 9th, 1984, Van Halen's 1984 marked a pivotal moment in the band's career as it showcased a blend of their signature hard rock sound along with synthesizers. The album pushed the boundaries of their musical style, and the single, "Jump," became a chart-topping single, The album's success- thanks largely to Eddie Van Halen's electrifying guitar work and David Lee Roth's charismatic vocals- solidified Van Halen's status as one of the preeminent rock bands of the 1980s, and is notable for being the last studio album to feature David Lee Roth as Van Halen's lead vocalist until his return decades later.

For the season finale of Listen Closely VIII, Chris and Jon welcome Bob Bland back to the show, and the three take a nostalgic look back at this monumental album in honor of the fortieth anniversary of its release.

The eponymous 1979 album from The Pretenders is considered by many to be one of the most impressive debut albums of the 1970s. Combining a variety of different styles and genres, it showcases the exceptional vocals and songwriting of Chrissie Hynde. The album is also one of only two that the group would release with its original line-up of Hynde, James Honeyman-Scott, Pete Farndon, and Martin Chambers (Honeyman-Scott and Farndon would both die tragically from drug-related incidents less than one year apart).

In the penultimate episode of Listen Closely VIII, Jon and Jim discuss this landmark debut album.

Though he was already a well known and well-respected singer/songwriter, Robert Palmer hit his commercial stride in the mid-1980s with Riptide. The album featured a unique blend of rock, r&b, and jazz, and it would peak at #8 on the US Billboard 200. Riptide includes Palmer's biggest hit, Addicted to Love, which would earn him a Grammy award in 1987 for Best Rock Vocal Performance, and the accompanying music video to the song is widely considered to be one of the most iconic of the 1980s.

Jon and Jim look back at this unforgettable album and legendary singer/songwriter.

With disco and punk conquering the music world in the late-1970s, it seemed for a moment that The Rolling Stones were passe and out of touch. But Mick, Keith, and company proved everyone wrong with the incredibly successful 1978 album, Some Girls. Featuring hits like Miss You, Beast of Burden, and Shattered, the album was the first to include guitarist, Ron Wood, who helped inject new life and energy into the group. And Some Girls would launch a new era of success for the group and endear them to a new generation of fans.

Jon and Chris take a look back at this classic from The Rolling Stones.

There have been some exceptional (and exceptionally underrated) Christmas songs written and recorded by contemporary pop and rock artists over the last two decades. And as the Christmas season kicks into high gear, it's time to give these 21st century carols a listen.

Chris and Jon celebrate the season by discussing wonderful modern Christmas favorites by the likes of Annie Lennox, The Killers, George Michael, Rob Thomas, and more.

Though hardly a household name in America, Karl Wallinger and World Party released a string of critically acclaimed albums, The undisputed highlight of these came in 1990 with the exceptional and clever, Goodbye Jumbo. Showcasing Wallinger's clever songwriting skills, his versatile musicianship, and soulful vocals, Goodbye Jumbo dabbles in a variety of different genres and is regarded by many to be one of the best albums of the early 1990s. It was even named Album of the Year by Q Magazine in 1990.

Jon and Chris excitedly look back on this often unsung classic album.

They released one of the most successful and popular albums of all time in 1977 with Rumours, and then followed it up two years later with an ambitious but disappointing double album, Tusk. So for their first album of the 1980s, the stakes were high for Fleetwood Mac, and they did not disappoint with Mirage in 1982.

Less experimental and more accessible than Tusk, the album embraced a soft rock sound and featured two Billboard Top 20 hit singles with accompanying music videos shown regularly on MTV.

Jon and Jim look back at this pivotal 1980s album from Fleetwood Mac as they commemorate the one year anniversary of the passing of Christine McVie.

More than a decade after he stepped down from his duties as the lead singer of Genesis, Peter Gabriel became a megastar solo act with his fifth album, So.

Blending new wave sounds with exotic instrumentation from the African continent and a line-up of skilled international musicians, So would become Gabriel's most popular solo album. It would also spawn groundbreaking music videos for the hit singles Sledgehammer and Big Time.

Chris and Jon take a look back at this unforgettable and innovative 1986 album.

Of all rock music's tragedies, the story of Badfinger is perhaps one of the saddest. This talented Welsh quartet were discovered by The Beatles and championed by Paul McCartney (who wrote their first hit single), and their early widespread success made them seem like likely heirs to The Fab Four. But financial misfortune and a nefarious manager torpedoed the group's future and led to the suicide of two of their founding members.

Chris, Jon, and Jim take a look back Straight Up- the 1971 album widely considered to be Badfinger's crowning achievement- and the amazing songwriting of the late Pete Ham.

There would be no such thing as a sophomore slump for Matchbox Twenty in 2000. Though it was a quite the long wait for their second album (their incredibly successful debut album was released in 1996), when Mad Season was finally released in May of 2000 fans were delighted (even if critics weren't quite as receptive). The album featured four Billboard Hot 100 singles, including the chart-topping song, Bent.

Jon and Chris take a fond look back at the incredibly successful second album from Matchbox Twenty.

By the mid-1980s, Genesis had begun to stray from their progressive rock roots. For their eponymous 12th studio album, the trio perfected a formula that combined straight forward rockers with elements of pop and soul, and even a hint of those prog-rock beginnings. It worked, with the album becoming a Top Ten hit in twelve different countries and a string of music videos featured in heavy rotation on MTV.

On the fortieth anniversary of its release, Jon and Chris take a closer listen to this perennial favorite from Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, and Phil Collins.

Steely Dan pushed the boundaries of their experimental, genre-bending sound with their fifth studio album, The Royal Scam. The songs were seedier and more grim than many of the tracks found on their earlier albums, but they perfectly showcased Walter Becker and Donal Fagen's sharp and impeccable songwriting skills, as well as the talents of a top-notch roster of session musicians. And while critical reception for the album was at first lukewarm, it remains a favorite of many die-hard fans.

Chris and Jon welcome Jim, Bob Bland, and Dan Strauss back to the podcast to celebrate this 1976 classic.

More than a decade into their long and prolific career, James finally found widespread international success with their fifth studio album, Laid. Fueled by hit singles like the title track (a top ten hit on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks) and the moving ballad, Say Something, Laid also marked the group's first time working with legendary and innovative producer, Brian Eno.

Chris and Jon take a closer listen to this ambitious nineties alt-rock favorite, which turns thirty on September 27th.

Emerging from Birmingham in the late-1970s with a unique sound that blended ska, reggae, and new wave, UB40 achieved worldwide success with their 1983 album, Labour of Love. Unlike their first three albums which consisted entirely of original compositions, Labour of Love featured covers of the group's favorite reggae songs. The formula worked as Labour of Love reached #1 in the UK, and the single, Red Red Wine, became a staple on both FM radio and MTV. Rolling Stone magazine even ranked the album in their 100 Greatest Albums of the Eighties list.

Jon and Chris look back at this lively and lovable classic on the 40th anniversary of its release.

With an incredibly impressive string of nineteen Top 40 singles, Journey were one of the most popular groups of the 1980s. And they capped off that run with their 1986 album, Raised on Radio. With lead singer, Steve Perry, taking the reigns as the album's producer, Raised on Radio embraced a more contemporary 1980s sound (and featured a young Randy Jackson on bass). It divided critics, but still spawned four hit singles and music videos which were in heavy rotation on MTV. It would also be the last album that the group would record together for more than a decade.

In the season finale of Listen Closely VII, Jon, Chris, and Jim take a sentimental look back at Journey, and at the album that brought to a close the group's golden age of 1980s hit-making.

They were already one of the most popular groups in the early days of a fledgling cable channel called MTV, but Synchronicity turned The Police into universal superstars in 1983. And while the album captures Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland at what many felt was their absolute peak, it also brought about the group's demise and would serve as their studio swan song.

Chris and Jon welcome Bob Bland back to the podcast for the penultimate episode of Listen Closely VII, and the three celebrate this landmark album on the 40th anniversary of its release.

While fans were desperate for a new Rolling Stones' album, Sir Mick Jagger decided to go solo in 2001. In doing so, he recruited Bono, Pete Townsend, Rob Thomas, Kenny Kravitz, and Wyclef Jean to help him out. The end result was Goddess in the Doorway, a deeply personal album that was a departure from anything Mick had done with The Rolling Stones. And while the critical reception was mixed and album sales were disappointing, Goddess in the Doorway is a heartfelt collection of songs that perfectly showcase Mick's unparalleled singing and songwriting.

Jon and Chris look back at this underappreciated solo effort from the great Mick Jagger.

Arguably the most important and prolific rock star of the 1980s, Prince released what many consider to be his best work, Purple Rain, in 1984. As a soundtrack to the film of the same name, the album took the world by storm, and featured no less than five Top 40 hit singles. Nearly four decades after it was released, critics and fans alike feel that Purple Rain is not only the best album of the 1980s, but one of the best of all-time.

Chris and Jon welcome back Jim to the podcast, and the three take a look back at Prince's seminal masterpiece.

Though he was already more than a decade into his prolific career in rock music, Boz Scaggs finally hit it big with his 1976 album, Silk Degrees. Featuring Boz's soulful vocals and a selection of the era's best session musicians (some of whom would go on to form Toto a year later), the album dabbled in funk, soul, jazz, and disco. This formula worked well as Silk Degrees would peak at #2 on the Billboard 200 charts, and spawned hit singles like Lowdown and Lido Shuffle.

Jon and Chris take a closer listen to a perennial favorite album from the great Boz Scaggs.

In 1995, retro-rocker Chris Isaak found himself nursing quite the broken heart. Channeling that heartache and heartbreak, Isaak wrote and recorded Forever Blue, a deeply personal and emotional collection of thirteen songs that showcase Isaak's trademark soaring vocals and rockabilly sound. The album was a success, earning him a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.

Chris and Jon revisit Isaak's poignant soundtrack to a lost love.

The Boss surprised many with his 2019 album, Western Stars. By trading his trademark loud and rockin' sound of the E Street Band for an orchestra and hints of country and western, Springsteen took a gamble and proved yet again just how versatile a singer/songwriter he truly is. The gamble paid off as Western Stars was praised by critics and fans alike.

Jon and Chris look back on this truly unique and moving album from the one and only Bruce Springsteen.

He was already a star in Europe and Latin America, but Spanish singer Julio Iglesias had struggled to achieve widespread fame in the United States early in his career. That would all change in 1984 when he released his incredibly successful album, 1100 Bel Air Place. Featuring a Billboard Top Ten duet with Willie Nelson, as well as appearances on the album by the likes of Diana Ross, The Beach Boys, and Stan Getz, Julio suddenly became a superstar in America, and was anywhere and everywhere for the remainder of the 1980s.

Jon and Chris revisit the album that helped make Julio Iglesias a global phenomenon and one of the best-selling and most recognized artists in the world.

For their third album, Blondie merged new wave and disco with elements of 1950s rock n' roll to make what most consider to be their best work- Parallel Lines. Featuring massive hits like Heart of Glass and One Way or Another, the album's reputation has grown over the years, with many critics calling it one of the finest of the post-punk era and of the 1970s.

Chris and Jon welcome Bob Bland back to the podcast, and the three discuss this outstanding work from 1978.

Featuring the talented singer-songwriter, Aimee Mann, on vocals, Boston-based 'Til Tuesday scored a top ten hit in 1985 with their very first single, Voices Carry. For their second album, however, the group moved away from their new wave sound and released a more straightforward and earnest collection of heartfelt songs called Welcome Home. The album was praised by critics and it showcased Mann's exceptional songwriting skills, but it was unfortunately a commercial failure, and 'Til Tuesday would release just one more studio album before disbanding in 1989.

Chris and Jon take a look back at 'Til Tuesday's brief run and revisit Welcome Home- a truly outstanding sleeper album.

There would be no such thing as a sophomore slump for Roxy Music in 1973. Bryan Ferry, Brian Eno, Andy Mackay, Phil Manzanera, and Paul Thompson proved that they weren't a one-trick pony glam-rock group with their stellar second album, For Your Pleasure. The album built upon the themes of faded glamour, excess, and the seedy underbelly of high society which Roxy Music explored with their successful 1972 debut album (and a recurring motif in Ferry's songwriting in the years to follow), and it would establish them as one of the top groups in the UK. Critics often rank For Your Pleasure on their 'best of' lists from the 1970s, and even of all time. 

Jon and Chris look back at this watershed moment in art-rock on the fiftieth anniversary of the album's release. 

The Britpop and Cool Brittania craze took the music world by storm in the early-1990s. But by 1998 it was clearly dying a slow death. And it would be none other than Pulp- one of the most popular groups of that short-lived era- and their wry and strangely endearing leader, Jarvis Cocker, who would be the ones to declare it dead and perform the postmortem with their dark and uneasy album, This is Hardcore.  

Jon and Chris take a look back at this landmark and prophetic album on the twenty-fifth anniversary of its release, and a look back at the end of Cool Brittania.