A-ha is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Magne Furuholmen, and Morten Harket, the band rose to fame during the mid-1980s.
"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M. from their ninth studio album, Monster (1994). The song's title refers to an incident in New York City in 1986 in which two then-unknown assailants attacked journalist Dan Rather while repeating "Kenneth, what is the frequency?"
"Under the Bridge" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and the eleventh track on their fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991). It was released in March 1992 by Warner Bros. Records. Vocalist Anthony Kiedis wrote the lyrics while reflecting on loneliness and the struggles of being clean from drugs, and almost did not share it with the band.
"Crush with Eyeliner" is a song by American rock band R.E.M., released by Warner Bros. Records as the third single from their ninth studio album, Monster (1994). Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore provides background vocals. Michael Stipe claims the song was inspired by the band New York Dolls, who, in his opinion, "knew how to exaggerate a song, to make it sound really sleazy and over the top." This was also one of the first songs that surfaced from Stipe after the writer's block that hounded him after the death of his friend, actor River Phoenix.
"Strange Currencies" is a song by American rock band R.E.M. It was included on their ninth studio album, Monster (1994), and was released as the album's fourth single on April 18, 1995, by Warner Bros. Records. The song reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number 47 in the United States. Like "Everybody Hurts" on R.E.M.'s previous album, it has a time signature of 6
8. The song's music video was directed by Mark Romanek.
"Tongue" is a song by American rock band R.E.M., released on July 17, 1995 by Warner Bros. Records, as the fifth and final single from their ninth studio album, Monster (1994). The song was only released in the US, UK, and Ireland. In the song, lead singer Michael Stipe performs in falsetto; he has stated on several occasions that the narrator of the song is female. Stipe has also said the track is "all about cunnilingus".
"Suck My Kiss" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was released as the third single from their fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. "Suck My Kiss" was released as an airplay single in the United States in 1991 and as a physical single in Australia and New Zealand the following year, reaching the top 10 in the two latter countries and peaking at number 15 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
"Imitation of Life" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was written by band members Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe and produced by the band with Pat McCarthy for their 12th studio album, Reveal (2001). The track's title comes from Douglas Sirk's 1959 film of the same name and is used as a metaphor for adolescence and adulthood. One of R.E.M.'s most pop-influenced tracks, "Imitation of Life" has been described lyrically as "see[ing] through the puffed-up performance of a hopeful entertainer", as well as the enjoyment of love.
"Fell on Black Days" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Fell on Black Days" was released as the final single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown (1994). The song peaked at number four on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides and the 2010 compilation Telephantasm as the Superunknown version on the single disc version and the video version on the Deluxe Edition.
Memorial Beach is the fifth studio album by the Norwegian band A-ha, released on 14 June 1993 by Warner Bros. Records.
"E-Bow the Letter" is the first single from American rock band R.E.M.'s 10th studio album, New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996). It was released on August 19, 1996, several weeks before the album's release. During the same month, R.E.M. signed a then record-breaking five-album contract with Warner Bros. Records. The song features American singer-songwriter and "Godmother of Punk" Patti Smith performing backing vocals. Smith was cited as a major influence by band members Michael Stipe and Peter Buck, and she also provided backing vocals for "Blue", the closing track on the band's final studio album, Collapse into Now, in 2011.
"Find the River" is a song by American rock band R.E.M., released on November 29, 1993, by Warner Bros., as the sixth and final single from the band's eighth album, Automatic for the People (1992). The song reached number 54 on the UK Singles Charts in December 1993. It did not chart in the US. "Find the River" was one of only three R.E.M. singles released in the 1990s to not make the Top 40 in Britain. The song's music video was directed by Jodi Wille.
"Soul to Squeeze" is a song by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers that was originally recorded during the production of their fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991). Although it was not featured on the record and was used as a B-side on the singles "Give It Away" and "Under the Bridge", "Soul to Squeeze" was later released as a single in 1993 by Warner Bros. Records. The song was included in the Coneheads film soundtrack. "Soul to Squeeze" was eventually re-released for the 2003 Greatest Hits album. It can also be found on the band's Live Rare Remix Box and The Plasma Shaft.
"The Sun Always Shines on T.V." is a song by Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha, released as the third single from their debut studio album, Hunting High and Low (1985). The song was written by guitarist Pål Waaktaar. In some commercial markets the single was not as popular as their previous (debut) single "Take On Me", which had reached the top spot in the United States and several other countries around the world, but in the United Kingdom and Ireland it improved upon the number-two charting of "Take On Me", reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in January 1986, having been released there on 16 December 1985. Its success secured for the band the prestige of having number-one single status on both primary Anglo-American popular music charts on either side of the Atlantic.
"Touchy!" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, released on 15 August 1988 as the third single from their third studio album, Stay on These Roads (1988).
"The Blood That Moves the Body" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, released on 6 June 1988 by Warner Bros. Records as the second single from the band's third studio album, Stay on These Roads (1988). The song was written by bandmember Pål Waaktaar and produced by Alan Tarney. It peaked at number one in Iceland, and was a top 20 hit in Belgium, Ireland, Italy and South Africa. The music video was directed by Andy Morahan and filmed in Austria and France. On 30 March 1992, the song was re-released with the remixes by Alan Tarney. The video remained unchanged. The dark, enigmatic lyrics of this song have been attributed to many things, including teen suicides in Japan and literary references to Eyes of a Blue Dog. The "Two-Time Gun Remix" was later included on A-ha's 2010 compilation album, 25, which features all of the band's hits, across two CDs.
"Constant Craving" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter k.d. lang and Ben Mink, performed by lang and included on her second solo album, Ingénue (1992). The song was released in the United Kingdom in April 1992 and won lang a Grammy Award in the category for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1993, as well as an MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video. The accompanying music video was directed by Mark Romanek.
"Can't Stop Lovin' You" is a song by American band Van Halen. It was released in March 1995 as the third single from their 10th album, Balance (1995). The song emerged after producer Bruce Fairbairn asked for a more pop-oriented song. Instead of searching for his archives, Eddie Van Halen decided to write new music from scratch. The song was written by all members of Van Halen and pays homage to Ray Charles' song "I Can't Stop Loving You", particularly in the line where Sammy Hagar sings "Hey Ray, what you said is true..."
"Take On Me" is a song by the Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha. The original version, recorded in 1984 and released in October of that same year, was produced by Tony Mansfield and remixed by John Ratcliff. The 1985 international hit version was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's debut studio album, Hunting High and Low (1985). The recording combines synth-pop with a varied instrumentation, including acoustic guitars, keyboards, and drums.
"Move to Memphis" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, which was released in October 1991 as a single from their greatest hits album Headlines and Deadlines: The Hits of A-ha (1991). It was written by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen, and produced by A-ha. "Move to Memphis" reached number two in Norway and number 47 in the United Kingdom.
