Canadian-American musician and singer Rufus Wainwright had briefly met Jeff Buckley and recorded a tribute to him after his 1997 death. That song, “Memphis Skyline”, referenced Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah”, which Wainwright would later record, though using piano and a similar arrangement to Cale’s. Wainwright’s version was included on the album Shrek: Music from the Original Motion Picture, although it was Cale’s version that was used in the film itself. The Shrek soundtrack, containing Wainwright’s cover, was certified Double Platinum in the United States in 2003 as selling over two million copies.
Category: 1984
Talk Talk – It’s My Life
“It’s My Life” is a song by the British synthpop band Talk Talk. Written by Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene, it was the title track on the band’s second album and released as its first single in January 1984.The single was re-released in the UK in 1985, but this time only reached #93. However, in 1990, “It’s My Life” was reissued again to promote the compilation album Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk. This time, the song was a hit in the UK, reaching #13, the band’s highest chart-placing single in its native country.
Autograph – Turn up the Radio
“Turn Up the Radio” is a song by American glam metal band Autograph and the lead single from their 1984 debut album, Sign in Please. Released on December 22, 1984, “Turn Up The Radio” was Autograph’s only Top 40 hit, reaching No. 29 in the Billboard 100 and receiving significant MTV airplay. Thus, it would remain the band’s most popular song and a staple of mainstream ’80s heavy metal.
Limahl – Never Ending Story
“The NeverEnding Story” (titled “The NeverEnding Story (L’histoire sans fin)” in the French version) is the title song from the English version of the 1984 film The NeverEnding Story. It was performed by Limahl. Limahl released two versions of the song, one in English and one in French. The English version featured vocals by Beth Anderson, and the French version featured vocals by Ann Calvert, though neither singer was credited for the single.
Alphaville – Big in Japan (live)
“Big in Japan” is the debut single of the German band Alphaville. It is from their 1984 album Forever Young. The title comes from a phrase Big in Japan, which was used to describe Western bands who are popular with Japanese audiences while garnering little attention in their home country.