Kelly Clarkson "Already Gone"

Remember the great Feud of 2009? Of course you don't, but here's what you forgot didn't care about what happened during August 2009. Just before releasing "Already Gone", Kelly Clarkson wanted to shelve the ballad because she thought it sounded too similar to Beyonce's "Halo". Before joining Clarkson to co-write "Already Gone", Ryan Tedder worked with Beyonce on her I Am...Sasha Fierce album. One quick listen and you'd pick up notable similarities in "Halo" and "Already Gone": hand claps, mellow piano, and the drum rhythm. Clarkson didn't want to be accused of ripping off Miss Sasha Fierce and wanted to ditch the single. Her record company released it anyway and she blasted them and even ripped Tedder (who defended himself on Myspace -- remember that?). In the end, "Already Gone" went to #13 on the Hot 100 (#3 on Adult Contemporary) and finished #1 and #5 on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40, respectfully. Tedder, you may recall, also went on to fame with One Republic. I think everything worked out just fine.

Soraya "Suddenly"

The Columbian-Jersey girl named Soraya released "Suddenly" from her debut bilingual En Esta Noche / On Nights Like This album. Four years later, the 31 year-old was diagnosed with breast cancer. After fighting back and entering remission, Soraya became a breast cancer support advocate while maintaining her music career. By 2006, her cancer returned and ultimately took her life. Her departing words were:

"I know there are many questions without answers and that hope doesn't leave with me, and above all, that my mission does not end with my physical story."  

Patti LaBelle & Bill Champlin "The Last Unbroken Heart"

Miami Vice only aired for five seasons, yet the crime drama spawned three separate soundtracks of music. Unlike most television shows that aired songs made for the program, Miami Vice paid nearly $10,000 to use popular music within the show. Miami Vice II contained the Patti LaBelle & Bill Champlin ballad "The Last Unbroken Heart" in 1987. 

Sting "My Funny Friend and Me"

Disney's The Emperor's New Groove didn't exactly light up the box office, but it did make them plenty of cash. Its soundtrack also produced the Sting ballad "My Funny Friend and Me". Much like the movie itself, the song wasn't a huge hit (reaching #24 on the Adult Contemporary Chart).

Maroon 5 "She Will Be Loved"

"Look for the girl with the broken smile and ask her if she wants to stay a while."

Jessica Simpson "Take My Breath Away"

You've finally seen it. Last week, the movie trailer for Top Gun: Maverick debuted even though the movie isn't scheduled to hit theaters until 2020. While the trailor featured some of the familiar faces and sounds as the original, it did not contain Kenny Loggins' "Highway to the Danger Zone" or Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" -- both songs were prominent in the original 1986 film. Did you forget Jessica Simpson also covered the ballad? She did so as an ode to her then-husband Nick Lachey in 2004.

Joel Scarbury "Believe It or Not"

Believe it or not, television theme songs are no strangers to the radio. Think of "I'll Be There for You" from The Rembrants or "The Theme from St. Elsewhere" -- both songs made an impact on radio, particularly Adult Contemporary stations. Joel Scarbury got into the action back in 1981 with the "Theme from the Greatest American Hero: Believe It or Not".

Jill Sobule "Too Cool to Fall in Love"

A few years before her breakout hit "I Kissed a Girl" found its way onto the Clueless Soundtrack, Jill Sobule charted "Too Cool to Fall in Love" on the Adult Contemporary Chart.

Matt Nathanson "Come on Get Higher"

Author of one of my favorite inappropriate jokes, Matt Nathanson established himself as a musical fixture at grocery stores and Walgreens with his 2008 ballad "Come on Get Higher". The catchy song found itself a hit on Adult Contemporary, Top 40 and even Alternative radio.

(the joke, btw, is "what's the difference between jam and jelly? I can't jelly my c0ck up your @ss!")

Gregory Abbott "Shake You Down"

This is a real message from my friend Matt. He certainly knows who to ask when he has a bad music-related question. He's inquiring about "Shake You Down" from Gregory Abbott. His 1986 ballad with lyrics written by a drunken teenager hit #2 on the Adult Contemporary Chart.

Jim Brickman "The Love of My Life"

That's the voice of Christian artist Michael W. Smith in Jim Brickman's "The Love of My Life". Up until this ballad, Brickman had typically teamed up with female vocalists (Anne Cochrane, Martina McBride). The song that sounds like it was pulled from a wedding reception was a Top 10 hit on the Adult Contemporary Chart in 1999.

Aaron Neville f/ Linda Ronstadt "Close Your Eyes"

Originally a hit in 1955, Aaron Neville and his singing buddy Linda Ronstadt re-recorded The Five Keys signature tune in 1992. While not a hit on the radio, soft rock radio stations give it some love.

Toni Braxton "I Don't Want To"

R. Kelly is responsible for everything in Toni Braxton's successful ballad "I Don't Want To". While Braxton handled lead vocals, R. Kelly handled background vocals, instruments and mixing.

Sade "By Your Side"

Sade emerged from retirement in 2000 to give her fans Lovers Rock. The sultry album gave produced the Adult Contemporary hit "By Your Side". In 2018, Sade announced they are working on a new album and when they're happy with it, we'll hear it too.

Linda Ronstadt "Adios"

I didn't intend to make my teacher cry, but it happened. Tasked with writing a paper about someone I loved and lost for my 8th grade Literature class, I quickly got to work putting my still raw feelings about my grandfather to paper. Grandpa John passed away October 29, 1989. His sudden death marked the first major loss I experienced. That date and day remains etched in my memory some 30 years later. That day in early 1991, I lowered my guard and candidly wrote about my feelings on Grandpa John and the loss it took on my family. When I walked to the front of the classroom and handed in my paper to my teacher, Mrs. Hoess, she broke down in tears.

- - - 

The 29th day of October 1989 was the final day of my school's fall break and another unseasonably warm October afternoon meant another opportunity to make a few bucks mowing the lawn of my other grandparents. Grandma and Grandpa Ganz lived two houses away while Grandma Emily and Grandpa John lived two towns away. While cutting the grass, I vividly remember seeing my parents' car speed down our block, but I thought nothing of it. A bit later while I was struggling to empty the grass clippings into a garbage bag, Grandma Ganz emerged and shared the bad news. "Your grandpa John had a heart attack," she calmly told me. Even though the news stunned me, I swallowed hard to remove the lump in my throat and tried to carry on as though I didn't hear what I was just told. Clearly recognizing this, my grandma suggested I come inside to take a break.

Four days prior,Grandpa John proudly stood next to my brother at his Confirmation ceremony at our family's church in Dyer, Indiana. A very religious man, Grandpa John was beaming to be my brother's Confirmation sponsor. Even before he retired from American Steel, Grandpa spent most of his time volunteering as an usher, commentator and parish board member at St. John Bosco Church in Hammond, Indiana. The night of my brother's confirmation, my mom baked a lasagna, and I remember my grandpa wasn't feeling well. He recall he spent some lengthy time in the bathroom after dinner while we all waited. During the Confirmation ceremony, the Bishop quizzed the ninth grade students about the Bible, Catholicism and Jesus all the while Grandpa John whispered all of the answers in my brother's ear. He proudly (and incorrectly) told my brother that he was batting 100. After the ceremony, we all said our goodbyes in the church parking lot and then walked toward our respective cars. Just before reaching his Chevy Firenza, Grandpa John turned back and yelled in my direction: "You're next!".

That fateful October 29th, my grandparents took part in Polish Heritage Days at the East Chicago Public Library. Grandpa John and Grandma Emily performed in their own Polka band known as "The Musical J.E.M.S." and took the stage that afternoon. I never knew any of the songs from the 1920s and 1930s that they played, but I remember they were entertaining and could work a room. Both dressed in these white outfits with red trim (the official Polish colors!)...Grandma with her accordion and Grandpa with his kazoo and boomba (also known as a stump fiddle). While performing one of their signature songs that afternoon, Grandpa John fell. He suffered a massive heart attack that afternoon and died instantly.

- - - 

Wiping away the tears, Mrs. Hoess shared that she knew Grandpa John and, next to her husband, loved him dearly. "A special man," she called him. Her husband and my grandpa were friends and both volunteered at church. After Grandpa John died, my grandma decided the best way to deal with her grief was to get rid of all my grandpa's belongings: clothes, landscaping, tools...they all went...the majority of it during a garage sale. Mr. Hoess attended that garage sale and purchased a bunch of my grandpa's tools...not out of necessity, but because he wanted something tangible to remember my grandfather. A few days later, Mr. Hoess died.

My literature assignment dredged up layers of painful memories both for teacher and student. I never expected to watch my teacher's tears as she read my words. It was one of the first times I realized that teachers were people too. They didn't live at the school. They didn't live to assign tests and homework -- that was their job. As much as teachers and students never cross over to being friends, I felt like that incident made Mrs. Hoess my friend. She wasn't just someone who taught me poetry, she and I shared a love of the same people...just in different ways.

After I went into high school, I kept in touch with her via Grandma Emily (who lived near her and also saw her at church). A few days after I graduated from high school, a package arrived in the mail with the return address "me". I knew it was from Mrs. Hoess. "me" was how she always signed her notes and cards to me. Tucked inside her package to me was an inspirational book coupled with a note congratulating me on finishing high school. She wished me the best in college and also shared that she also was going away to a new school. She accepted a new department head position at a different school and would be moving away from Northwest Indiana. I never heard from her again. I recognize I could Google her name, but I fear what obituary Google might return. I'd rather believe she's still busy teaching her unbridled love of literature to young minds...

Backstreet Boys "Incomplete"

The Backstreet Boys are the best-selling boy band in the world and the only boy band to top the US Charts three decades in a row. Their 2019 album DNA provided the band with another #1 album. Despite growing up as boys in the mid-'90s to family men in the 2000s, the Backstreet Boys refused to change the name of their band to simply "Backstreet".

Todd Rundgren "Hello It's Me"

I feel like I share my name with so few people. I went to Ranker.com and looked over the list of famous people with the first name "Todd"and came up with this lengthy list of famous Todd's:

• Todd Barry (actor / voiceover artist)
• Todd Bridges (actor of Diff'rent Strokes fame)
• Todd Rundgren (singer and songwriter responsible for "Hello It's Me", "Bang the Drum All Day" and "I Saw The Light")

Fun fact: Todd Rundgren wrote the original soundtrack for Dumb & Dumber.

Paula Cole "Me"

Twenty-one years before Taylor Swift, Paula Cole released the ballad "Me". MTV and VH1 gave Paula's "Me" a bit of exposure, but nothing like what Taylor Swift got from her April 26th release of "Me!".

Lionel Richie "Penny Lover"

The first of each month led to a common fight among my two roommates and me. What was it the three of us argued over, you're wondering? A penny. Yes, one cent. You see, the  rent for our three bedroom duplex in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood cost $2,000 each a month. Dividing $2,000 among the three of us meant: $666.666666666666666666 per person. The question arose: who's gonna pay that extra penny? Over the course of our three years living there, I begrudgingly paid the extra penny because I knew my roommates wouldn't. At times I refused arguing that because so-and-so ate my potato chips, they now had to pay the extra penny in rent. It's amazing the three of us remain friends today...

98 Degrees "I Do (Cherish You)"

What does 98 Degrees and Screech from Saved by the Bell have in common? The video to the boy band's 2001 ballad "I Do (Cherish You)" featured Dustin Diamond as a dorky guy who an attractive bride-to-be chooses over the four handsome members of 98 Degrees. Think of it as Saved By the Bell: The Bachelor Years.