KATE BUSH – CLOUDBUSTING

Publicació: 14 d’octubre de 1985

Llistes: Regne Unit: núm. 20

Amb “Cloudbusting”, publicat l’octubre de 1985 com a segon single de “Hounds of Love”, Kate Bush va oferir una de les cançons més inusuals i emocionalment potents de la seva carrera: un senzill pop arrelat no pas en el romanç ni en la introspecció, sinó en les memòries d’un nen que observa com l’Estat s’enduu el seu pare. Va arribar fins al núm. 20 de les llistes britàniques i, amb el temps, s’ha convertit en una de les obres més estimades de Bush.

La cançó s’inspira en “A Book of Dreams”, les memòries publicades el 1973 per Peter Reich, fill del psicoanalista austríac Wilhelm Reich. Bush va descobrir el llibre per casualitat i va quedar captivada pel relat des del punt de vista infantil sobre la meravella científica, la innocència i la pèrdua sobtada. Les teories controvertides de Reich sobre l’“energia orgònica” i el seu “cloudbuster” casolà —una màquina que creia que podia manipular l’atmosfera— proporcionen la imatge central de la cançó, però el nucli emocional de la història es troba en un altre lloc: l’esperança desesperada d’un nen que pot fer que torni a ploure i, així, fer tornar el seu pare.

Bush transmet aquesta devastació íntima des del primer vers —“I wake up crying” (Em desperto plorant)—, un cop sec que ella va descriure com el to punyent ideal per a una història sobre un amor abruptament trencat. L’arranjament de la cançó reflecteix la tensió emocional: un ritme propulsiu, com el d’una locomotora de vapor, que Bush va tenir dificultats a perfeccionar fins que ella i Del Palmer van construir un so de tren artificial utilitzant efectes casolans i el sintetitzador Fairlight. Aquest pols mecànic suggereix moviment cap endavant, però la lletra queda suspesa en el record, atrapada entre el consol del passat i el dol del present.

Si la cançó és cinematogràfica, el videoclip —dirigit per Julian Doyle— la va convertir en cinema literalment. Donald Sutherland interpreta Wilhelm Reich, mentre Bush assumeix el paper del jove Peter. El seu càsting va ser inicialment controvertit: Bush volia interpretar clarament el noi, mentre que Doyle defensava l’ambigüitat. El resultat final —una interpretació emotivament crua i amb una identitat de gènere difusa— es va convertir en un dels vídeos més icònics dels anys vuitanta. L’escena final, amb Reich emportat per la força i Bush/Peter corrent darrere seu sense poder fer res, continua gravada en la memòria cultural amb la força d’un curtmetratge.

La participació de Sutherland va estar apunt de no produir-se. L’actor va rebutjar inicialment el projecte fins que Bush es va presentar personalment a la seva porta a l’hotel Savoy per convèncer-lo. La conversa que van mantenir, segons recordaria més tard, el va convèncer que no es tractava d’un videoclip convencional: era un homenatge, una obra d’art i un acte d’empatia. Els seus records vius del rodatge —inclosa una advertència a Bush perquè no es fumés un porro al plató— han passat a formar part de la llegenda de la cançó.

“Cloudbusting” no destaca només com un dels punts àlgids de “Hounds of Love”, sinó com una de les narratives musicals més colpidores de Kate Bush. És una rara cançó pop que uneix biografia, mitologia i memòria infantil —una exploració de la meravella i la pèrdua embolcallada en una melodia inoblidable. La seva frase, “Jo simplement sé que passarà alguna cosa bona”, continua sent una de les més esperançadores de Bush: una creença desafiant en la llum, fins i tot quan els núvols s’acumulen al cel.

KATE BUSH - CLOUDBUSTING

Released: October 14, 1985

Charts:  UK: #20    

With “Cloudbusting,” released in October 1985 as the second single from “Hounds of Love”, Kate Bush delivered one of the most unusual, emotionally songs of her career—a pop single rooted not in romance or introspection, but in the memoir of a child watching his father be taken away by the state. Peaking at No. 20 on the UK charts, the song has since become one of Bush’s most beloved works.

The track takes its inspiration from “A Book of Dreams”, the 1973 memoir by Peter Reich, son of Austrian psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich. Bush, who discovered the book by accident, was captivated by the child’s-eye account of scientific wonder, innocence and sudden loss. Reich’s controversial theories about “orgone energy” and his homemade “cloudbuster”—a machine he believed could manipulate the atmosphere—provided the song’s central image, but the emotional heart of the story lies elsewhere: a boy’s desperate hope that he can make it rain again, and thus bring his father back.

Bush channels that intimate devastation from the first line—“I wake up crying”—a jolt she described as setting a pungent note for a story about love abruptly severed. The song’s arrangement mirrors the emotional tension: a propulsive, steam-engine rhythm that Bush struggled to perfect until she and Del Palmer constructed an artificial train sound using homemade effects and the Fairlight synthesizer. The mechanical pulse suggests forward motion, but the lyric remains suspended in memory, caught between past reassurance and present grief.

If the song is cinematic, the music video—directed by Julian Doyle—turned it into literal cinema. Donald Sutherland plays Wilhelm Reich, with Bush taking on the role of young Peter. Her casting was initially controversial; Bush wanted to portray the boy outright, while Doyle urged ambiguity. The final result—a gender-blurring, emotionally raw performance—became one of the most iconic videos of the 1980s. Its closing scene, as Reich is taken away and Bush/Peter runs helplessly after him, still lingers in the cultural memory with the force of a short film.

Sutherland’s involvement almost didn’t happen. The actor initially declined until Bush personally appeared at his door at the Savoy Hotel to persuade him. Their conversation, he later recalled, convinced him that the project was far from a typical music video: it was a tribute, a piece of art, and a work of empathy. His vivid memories of filming—including cautioning Bush about smoking a joint on set—have since become part of the song’s lore.

“Cloudbusting” stands not just as a highlight of “Hounds of Love”, but as one of Bush’s most compelling musical narratives. It is a rare pop song that bridges biography, mythology, and childhood memory—an exploration of wonder and loss wrapped in an unforgettable melody. Its refrain, “I just know that something good is gonna happen,” remains one of Bush’s most hopeful lines, a defiant belief in light even as the clouds gather overhead.

 BON JOVI - WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T GO HOME

Released: March 27, 2006

Chart Peak: US: #23  UK: #5 

Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, and produced alongside John Shanks “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” was released in March 2006 as the second single from the album “Have a Nice Day”, reaffirming Bon Jovi’s connection to their blue-collar roots while expanding their sound into unexpected territory. The song became a trans-genre success, charting on both rock and country radio.

The original rock version reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 in the United Kingdom, while a duet version featuring Jennifer Nettles of the country duo Sugarland topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart — making Bon Jovi the first rock band ever to achieve a No. 1 single on the country chart.

At its core, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” is a celebration of staying true to one’s roots. For Jon Bon Jovi and his bandmates, that means New Jersey — the place that shaped their identity and career. The song’s message is universal: no matter how far life takes you, “home” is where you began, and it’s always waiting for your return.

In interviews, Jon Bon Jovi described the track as a tribute to loyalty and gratitude, explaining that it was written as a thank you to those who had supported the band over the years. The song became an unofficial anthem for the band’s community-building initiatives, including partnerships with Habitat for Humanity. 

Two distinct versions of the song appear on “Have a Nice Day”. The album version, a straightforward rock anthem, found success on the Adult Contemporary charts. The country crossover version emerged from a creative experiment that initially involved country star Keith Urban. Urban’s collaboration didn’t materialize due to vocal similarities and stylistic mismatches, so Bon Jovi turned to Nettles, whose distinctive tone gave the song a fresh emotional dimension. The result was an unexpected country hit — and a breakout moment for Sugarland, whose debut album “Twice the Speed of Life” was repackaged with the single and sold in Target stores nationwide.

Two music videos accompanied the release, each reflecting a different side of the song’s message. The country version, directed by Jon’s brother Anthony M. Bongiovi, features members of Habitat for Humanity and Bon Jovi’s own Philadelphia Soul Arena Football team building homes for low-income families. The rock version, directed by Jeff Labbé, offers a more whimsical take. Filmed partly during Bon Jovi’s concert at the Glendale Arena in Arizona and later around Los Angeles, it features a man in a dog costume wandering through city streets — a playful metaphor for belonging and acceptance in an urban world.

KATE BUSH - ARMY DREAMERS

Released: September 22, 1980

Charts:  UK: #16 

“Army Dreamers” was released in 1980 as the third and final single from Kate Bush’s album “Never for Ever”. Marking a stylistic shift for Bush, the song is arranged as a waltz—an unusual choice for a pop single at the time—and it reached the UK Top 20 in October 1980. During the Gulf War in 1991, “Army Dreamers” was among nearly 70 songs temporarily banned from BBC airplay due to its anti-war themes. 

The song is written from the perspective of a mother grieving her young adult son, who has died during military manoeuvres rather than in active combat. Through her voice, Bush explores the quiet tragedies of peacetime military deaths and the emotional weight carried by parents who question whether they could have prevented their child from enlisting. The narrative reflects on how young people with limited opportunities may end up in the military simply because they see no other path, only to become casualties in a system that offers little guidance or support.

Although Bush sings in an Irish accent, she clarified in a 1980 interview that the song isn’t specifically about the conflict in Northern Ireland. She chose the accent for its traditional storytelling quality, noting that Irish folk songs often convey vulnerability and emotional depth. She also referenced the BFPO (British Forces Post Office) in the lyrics to make it clear the topic extended beyond Ireland, touching on places like Germany, where young soldiers were sometimes killed in training exercises. Her aim was not to criticize the military itself, but to mourn the senselessness of these preventable deaths.

The music video opens with a striking image: Bush blinks in time with the sound of a gun being cocked. Dressed in camouflage, she cradles a young boy as chaos erupts around her. Throughout the video she reaches toward the child as symbolic combat scenes unfold.

JOHN MELLENCAMP - CHERRY BOMB

Released: October 24, 1987

Charts:  US: #8  

“Cherry Bomb” was released in October 1987 as the second single from “The Lonesome Jubilee”. Backed with the B-side “Shama Lama Ding Dong,” the song brought a warm, reflective tone to the album’s run of hard-edged social commentary. Mellencamp crafted it as a loving tribute to his teenage years in rural Indiana, where life revolved around friends, music, and the intoxicating thrill of young love. 

“Cherry Bomb” features an unusually rich vocal tapestry. Alongside Mellencamp’s lead vocal, the song’s second verse weaves in voices from Crystal Taliefero, Toby Myers, and Mike Wanchic. Mellencamp later explained that the inspiration came from Sly and the Family Stone, whose rotating lead vocals helped define the sound of his youth.

The heart of “Cherry Bomb” lies in its yearning for a simpler time: “That’s when a sport was a sport”—a line often misheard—captures the purity of adolescence before life’s complexities intruded. Mellencamp isn’t just reminiscing; he’s reminding listeners that the things that mattered most in those teenage years—laughter, friendship, love—remain just as vital decades later.

Though the club in the song is fictional, Mellencamp based it on real teen clubs he visited in small-town Indiana—places like The Last Exit, The Scene, and The Whiteland Barn. Many were housed in church basements, where the rules of 1960s society relaxed just enough for teenagers to dance, press close, and feel the sparks of young desire. A “cherry bomb” is a type of firecracker, but Mellencamp chose the name as a metaphor for the explosive hormonal energy of those nights.

Much of what he sings about is autobiographical. Growing up in the rural outskirts of Seymour, Indiana, Mellencamp lived with his brothers in a cramped basement, inventing their own entertainment and trouble. He recalls street fights as a kind of adrenaline sport—until a particularly brutal loss forced him to rethink the pastime.

The song’s music video pairs its nostalgic theme with a quietly powerful message. It features an interracial couple dancing intimately near a jukebox while Mellencamp dances alone. Other scenes cut to Mellencamp and his band performing on a beach, interlaced with vintage footage. Having played in an interracial band for years, Mellencamp wanted to underline the power of music to dissolve barriers and bring people together. The video subtly but deliberately challenges racial norms of the era.

JOHN MELLENCAMP - R.O.C.K. IN THE U.S.A.

Released: January 1986

Charts:  US: #2   UK: #67 

Released in 1985 on John Mellencamp’s landmark album “Scarecrow”, “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to ’60s Rock)” became the album’s biggest hit, climbing to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 on the Top Rock Tracks chart. In Australia, the single charted as a double-A side when radio also embraced its B-side, “Under the Boardwalk,” pushing both songs together to No. 18.

“R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” is exactly what the subtitle promises: a loving tribute to the American rock, R&B, and soul records of the 1960s that shaped Mellencamp’s musical identity. Growing up in Indiana, he listened to AM radio at a time when stations played everything—rock ’n’ roll, folk, Motown, doo-wop—all mixed together. That eclectic upbringing echoes throughout the track.

In the lyrics, Mellencamp name-checks artists who had a profound influence on him, including: Frankie Lymon, Bobby Fuller, Mitch Ryder, Jackie Wilson, The Shangri-Las, The Young Rascals, Martha Reeves and James Brown.

These nods weren’t just fan service—they had impact. Bobby Fuller’s family personally thanked Mellencamp for reviving interest in the late musician. When Mellencamp performed in Albuquerque, Fuller’s hometown, his family brought him the belt Fuller was wearing when he died—an emotional gesture acknowledging how meaningful the mention was.

“Scarecrow” is a stark, sometimes bleak portrait of the decline of rural American life. With tracks like “Rain on the Scarecrow” and “Face of the Nation,” the album explores themes of erosion—of farmland, of small-town stability, of the very idea of the American Dream. “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.”, by contrast, is joyful and effervescent, celebrating musical rebellion rather than social decay. Mellencamp worried the track was too upbeat, too lightweight, to sit alongside the album’s darker material. Originally, he planned to include it only as a cassette/CD bonus track. But his manager insisted the song’s energy was irresistible, and Mellencamp decided, almost at the last minute: “Yeah—what the hell!” It went on to become one of his biggest hits.

Mellencamp had his band study approximately 100 songs from the 1960s before recording “Scarecrow”, not to copy them, but to absorb their spirit. That study permeates “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” in subtle and clever ways. The instrumental break especially showcases the song’s musical lineage: The riff is lifted from Neil Diamond’s “Cherry, Cherry.” It’s first played on an ocarina, referencing the unexpected ocarina solo in The Troggs’ “Wild Thing.” The riff then shifts through guitar and keyboards, echoing different corners of ’60s rock.

On tour, Mellencamp would often pull a fan from the audience to dance with him during this section—a playful nod to the communal joy of early rock ’n’ roll.

R.E.M. – IMITATION OF LIFE

Publicada: 16 d’abril de 2001

Llistes: EUA: #83  Regne Unit: #6

L’any 2001, R.E.M. ja no tenien res per demostrar. Després de dues dècades redefinint el rock alternatiu nord-americà, el grup hauria pogut deixar-se portar fàcilment per la reputació. En lloc d’això, van publicar “Imitation of Life”, una peça de pop resplendent i autoconscient que trobava el grup — i el cantant Michael Stipe — dirigint la mirada cap a la il·lusió mateixa: Hollywood, la fama i el fràgil teatre de l’edat adulta.

El primer senzill de “Reveal”, el dotzè àlbum d’estudi de R.E.M., “Imitation of Life” gairebé va quedar fora del disc. “Tants amics nostres ens van dir que era genial que vam decidir incloure-la”, va admetre Stipe més tard. Va ser una bona decisió — la cançó es va convertir en un èxit mundial, lloada per la seva brillantor melòdica i el seu toc líric.

Musicalment, és un dels temes més impregnats de pop de R.E.M., amb guitarres tintinnants, harmonies que s’esvaeixen i una producció lluent del col·laborador habitual Pat McCarthy. Irònicament, el grup va “imitar la vida” més literalment del que pretenia: la progressió d’acords de la cançó està presa directament de “Driver 8”, de 1985. El resultat se sent alhora nostàlgic i nou — un clàssic de R.E.M. filtrat a través de la llum més brillant del nou mil·lenni.

El títol prové de la pel·lícula de Douglas Sirk “Imitation of Life” de 1959, un melodrama exuberant sobre la identitat, l’ambició i les màscares que la gent porta per sobreviure. El guitarrista Peter Buck va admetre que cap dels membres del grup havia vist realment la pel·lícula, però la metàfora va enganxar-se. “En aquell moment, pensava que el títol era una metàfora perfecta de l’adolescència,” va reflexionar més endavant. “Malauradament, he arribat a creure que també és una metàfora perfecta de l’edat adulta.” En aquest esperit, la lletra de Stipe enllaça temes de representació, desig i autoengany, descrivint “l’actuació inflada d’un artista esperançat.” És una cançó de Hollywood en tots els sentits — enganxosa, acolorida i una mica tràgica sota tota la lluentor.

Si la cançó era cinematogràfica, el seu videoclip era una meravella tècnica. Dirigit per Garth Jennings i produït per Nick Goldsmith, el clip mostra una festa de piscina assolellada a Los Angeles congelada en el temps. En realitat, tot el vídeo es va filmar en només 20 segons — una única presa contínua que avança i retrocedeix mentre la càmera es desplaça i fa zoom a través de desenes de micro-dràmes: un home que s’encén en un barbacoa, una beguda llançada a la cara d’algú, Stipe ballant, Mills abocant vi en una torre de copes i Peter Buck tocant un ukulele amb un mico a la falda.

Fent servir una tècnica de “pan and scan” inspirada en “Tango” (1981) del cineasta polonès Zbigniew Rybczyński, Jennings va crear un trencaclosques visual — part comèdia física, part cinema surrealista. “És una forma morta, morta”, va dir Stipe amb un somriure. “Volíem fer alguna cosa que tornés a sentir-se viva.”

“Imitation of Life” és R.E.M. en el seu moment més enganyosament simple: la melodia brilla, la lletra fa mal. És una cançó sobre l’artifici que sona sorprenentment real, sobre la tristesa disfressada d’alegria. Després de la foscor de “Up” (1998), va ser un retorn a la llum — encara que no exempt d’ironia. El grup va gravar “Reveal” en diversos llocs amarats de pluja, i Stipe va bromejar més tard dient que havien fet “un disc assolellat per compensar el temps.”

R.E.M. - IMITATION OF LIFE

Released: April 16, 2001

Charts: US: #83  UK: #6 

By 2001, R.E.M. had nothing left to prove. After two decades of redefining American alternative rock, the band could have easily coasted on reputation. Instead, they released “Imitation of Life,” a shimmering, self-aware piece of pop perfection that found the group — and frontman Michael Stipe — turning their gaze toward illusion itself: Hollywood, fame, and the fragile theater of adulthood.

The first single from “Reveal”, R.E.M.’s 12th studio album, “Imitation of Life” was almost left off the record. “So many of our friends told us it was great that we decided to include it,” Stipe admitted later. It was a good call — the song became a worldwide hit, praised for its melodic brightness and lyrical bite.

Musically, it’s one of R.E.M.’s most pop-infused efforts, all jangling guitars, swooning harmonies, and glittering production from longtime collaborator Pat McCarthy. Ironically, the band “imitated life” more literally than intended: the song’s chord progression borrows directly from 1985’s “Driver 8.” The result feels both nostalgic and new — an R.E.M. classic filtered through the glossier light of the new millennium.

The title comes from Douglas Sirk’s 1959 film “Imitation of Life”, a lush melodrama about identity, ambition, and the masks people wear to survive. Guitarist Peter Buck admitted none of the band members had actually seen the movie, but the metaphor stuck. “At the time, I thought the title was a perfect metaphor for adolescence,” he reflected later. “Unfortunately, I’ve come to believe it’s a perfect metaphor for adulthood, too.” In that spirit, Stipe’s lyrics thread together themes of performance, longing, and self-deception, describing “the puffed-up performance of a hopeful entertainer.” It’s a Hollywood song in every sense — catchy, colorful, and a little bit tragic underneath the shine.

If the song was cinematic, its music video was a technical marvel. Directed by Garth Jennings and produced by Nick Goldsmith, the clip depicts a sun-drenched Los Angeles pool party frozen in time. In reality, the entire video was filmed in just 20 seconds — a single continuous shot that loops forward and backward, while the camera pans and zooms across dozens of micro-dramas: a man catching fire at a barbecue, a drink thrown in someone’s face, Stipe dancing, Mills pouring wine into a tower of glasses, and Peter Buck strumming a ukulele with a monkey on his lap.

Using a “pan and scan” technique inspired by Polish filmmaker Zbigniew Rybczyński’s 1981 film “Tango”, Jennings created a visual puzzle box — part slapstick, part surrealist cinema. “It’s a dead, dead form,” Stipe said with a grin. “We wanted to make something that felt alive again.”

“Imitation of Life” is R.E.M. at their most deceptively simple: the melody sparkles, the lyrics ache. It’s a song about artifice that sounds effortlessly real, about sadness disguised as joy. After the darkness of “Up” (1998), it was a return to light — though not without irony. The band recorded “Reveal” in several rain-soaked locations, and Stipe later joked that they made it “a sunny record to compensate for the weather.”