Most lovers of music have favorite songs. Those favorites can sometimes be very dependent on the current season. Summer time is no exception as our minds drift to songs of surf and fun times. As always, Billboard magazine has a countdown perfect for the season of ice cold lemonade and pool side cheer.
"Top 30 Summer Songs" billboard.com May 22, 2014
If
you look at this list by decade, it is easy to see that the musical
decade of the 60's celebrated the times of being outdoors and enjoying
summertime activities. Nearly half of Billboard's top 30 songs of the
summer come from that time period. Beach movies and surfing songs populated a huge part of the iconic cultural scene, right Moondoggy? It was a time when musical technology and the society at large were changing at a dramatic pace.
So many of the stories we hear about the 60's involve the negative aspects like the protests and war. But there was an incredible positive energy that came about with the technological advances that made the 60's also a time of great hope. With the advent and affordability of television, the entire nation was able to see things that had previously been limited to the imagination. While not everyone embraced the advances and changes that were occurring, the Apollo moon landing convinced many in that decennium to embrace the changes occurring in the world and to proclaim..."I'm A Believer"
"I'm A Believer" - The Monkees from their #1 1966 album More Of The Monkees
So many of the stories we hear about the 60's involve the negative aspects like the protests and war. But there was an incredible positive energy that came about with the technological advances that made the 60's also a time of great hope. With the advent and affordability of television, the entire nation was able to see things that had previously been limited to the imagination. While not everyone embraced the advances and changes that were occurring, the Apollo moon landing convinced many in that decennium to embrace the changes occurring in the world and to proclaim..."I'm A Believer"
"I'm A Believer" - The Monkees from their #1 1966 album More Of The Monkees
"I'm
A Believer" is an musical oddity of sorts to The Notes. It was
released in December and while not on Billboard's Summer song list, it
certainly makes Tuesday's Musical Notes list for summer song
remembrances. It is a song written by Neil Diamond ("Sweet Caroline",
"(They're Coming to)America", and many others). It featured lead vocals
by the "drummer" Micky Dolenz rather normal lead Davy Jones. It was
the last #1 hit of 1966 and became the biggest selling single for all of
1967. It went Gold in 2 days and is among only 40 singles that sold 10
million physical copies. With
its inclusion in the movie Shrek, "I'm A Believer" became a fan
favorite to a whole new generation...albeit those that think an ogre and
a donkey were the one's who recorded it.
The Monkees total record sales for 1967, the height of their recording career, would eclipse that of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined. ("The Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments" rollingstone.com May 11, 2012) Much of this popularity was fueled by a smash television series. The TV show was so impactful that The Monkees first four albums would go to #1 shortly after their release and as of this writing, their first two albums, The Monkees, and More Of The Monkees, are five times platinum in sales.
The Monkees total record sales for 1967, the height of their recording career, would eclipse that of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined. ("The Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments" rollingstone.com May 11, 2012) Much of this popularity was fueled by a smash television series. The TV show was so impactful that The Monkees first four albums would go to #1 shortly after their release and as of this writing, their first two albums, The Monkees, and More Of The Monkees, are five times platinum in sales.
All
that it took for Mickey Dolenz to believe in love was to see her face.
Belief in something like love, is easier for some than others. In fact,
recent articles on atheism, the denial of God, indicate that it is
second only to Catholicism and Baptists in its adherents. While this is
shocking to some in Christian circles, it is indicative of the times in
which we live. All around us folks chose to believe in a myriad of
ideologies that are floated around. In fact, here is a list of the
world's religions: The World's Major Religions cftech.com.
As you can see, belief or lack thereof is something everyone chooses to
do. The question that The Notes ponders is this: In the marketplace
of ideas, what causes folks to chose to believe the way they do? Are
they true devotees/disciples of the "religion" in which they believe?
Or perhaps, are they more casual in picking and choosing facets of the
belief system that appeals to the way they think and live. Does it
really only take seeing her face...?
Tuesday's
Musical Notes exists to encourage. Therefore, we try to stay away from
being critical of a person's ideology or religion. For most, what they
believe in is one of the most personal things they have. If their
belief system is criticized it is taken as a personal affront. Our
calling is to present The Gospel of Jesus Christ and then let folks
decide what to do with it. Tuesday's Musical Notes is a Jesus following,
Bible believing, God honoring, blog that attempts to present through
the media of musical variety, the truth that is found in the Bible. We
try to do this in as loving a manner possible. Don't think love is
only true in fairy tales...
The
hallmark of disciples of Jesus is the fact that they are called to love
God 1st and then to love their fellow man. The basis of the first four
commandments that were given to Moses and the Israelites are focused
solely on man's relationship to God. The last six involve how man is to
associate with man. Exodus 20:1-17 The Message Paraphrase
Exodus 20:1-17 The Message Paraphrase. In the New Testament, Jesus
reemphasized these relationships when asked about the most important of
the commandments. Matthew 22:36-40 Holman Christian Standard Bible/The Message parallel
The
entirety of the Bible points to one common thread... Jesus. From His
presence at creation, to His presence at the end of all times, the Bible
tells THE story that all need to hear. Jesus the Son of God, came to
earth via virgin birth to live like we do. He experienced everything
that we do, but unlike us, did not give in to the temptation that so
easily takes our lives over. He was absolutely perfect. He was without
blemish of character. Because of this perfection, He willingly took the
sins (all of the wrong that we do) of everyone (before, during, and
after He lived) and placed them on His person as the sacrifice to
restore the relationship that was broken in Eden by man's disobedience.
He was buried in a sealed tomb. Three days later, He was seen in a
physical sense by His followers very much alive. He ascended to heaven
while His followers watched, where He remains until it is time for Him
to return to take those that believe these things to the place God
resides. The eyewitnesses to these events recorded them in what we call
The Gospels of the Bible, Matthew HCSB/The Message, Mark HCSB/The Message, Luke HCSB/The Message and John HCSB/The Message.
As
you can see from the list of the world's religions, there is a
plurality of ideas to which you can commit your time and resources.
Please take the time to investigate for yourself the story of Jesus. If
you are skeptical, that's ok. At the very least commit to finding out
what the story, as recorded by the eye witness account, is. Not just
the versions you hear or read about in the news, the internet, or even
Tuesday's Musical Notes. Discover how love truly is a giving thing. If
you profess to be a believer, reinforce and encourage your belief by
rereading The Gospels. The Bible is the biggest selling book of all
time and it includes the versions of Jesus life that will serve as a
source for this incredible story.
When
I was 10 years old, I began believing the story that the Bible tells
about Jesus. There have been moments since then that I have been in
rebellion, however, when I repented (turned away from the wrong things I
was doing and remained away from those things) God always forgave me
and drew me back into relationship with Him through the love of Jesus
and the power of Holy Spirit. Upon reflection of my life since that
time I can say, I am a different person because of the forgiveness that
is offered in Jesus sacrifice. I guess you could say...because I got
His grace...now I'm a Believer...
"Something Beautiful" by Stephen Curtis Chapman from 2013's The Glorious Unfolding
"Something Beautiful" by Stephen Curtis Chapman from 2013's The Glorious Unfolding
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
No comments:
Post a Comment