Billy Squier turns 58 today
For those of you living here in the United States of Amnesia, you probably don’t remember Billy Squier. It’s not your fault. The music industry is fickle, and past stars are forgotten all the time. Rick Rubin can’t rehabilitate everyone.
But Billy Squier was/is a fantastic rock singer and guitarist who put out a great body of work in the early ’80s. So I’ve put together some clips of his best songs off his first three albums. Enjoy. Or not.
The Big Beat - Tale of the Tape (1980)
Rich Kid (Live) - Tale of the Tape
The Stroke - Don’t Say No (1981)
My Kinda Lover - Don’t Say No
Lonely Is The Night (Live) - Don’t Say No
Everybody Wants You - Emotions In Motion (1982)
May 12, 2008 at 1:15 pm
You forgot to praise his exceptional dancing. We know you like (emulate) his dancing.
May 12, 2008 at 1:21 pm
May 12, 2008 at 1:22 pm
He’s clearly had too much champagne in that video.
May 12, 2008 at 1:23 pm
There’s so much gold going on in that first video, I don’t even know where to start.
May 12, 2008 at 1:26 pm
After re-watching these clips, it kind of reminds me of when REM came out of the closet and all of a sudden, their music made sense.
May 12, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Anybody who went to HS in the very early 80’s knows Billy Squier kicks ass. Even though they were women, I’d lump Pat Benatar and definitely Joan Jett in the same class. A fresh sound but based on guitar and bass with rough vocals. Kind of anti-Journey.
It helped that his first big single was “The Stroke”. I realized that it referred to something my friends (but never me) did.
May 12, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Your mom’s obstetrician had too much champagne.
May 12, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I must’ve hit a nerve with “anti-Journey”.
May 12, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Sorry Spawn. That was directed at HenryJames. It’s safe to assume that 90%+ insults are regardless of venue.
May 13, 2008 at 10:31 am
Hell, anyone who was in junior high back then knew Squier rocked. Still got the vinyl. And the Judas Priest classics, too. Bitches.
May 13, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I hate the offseason
May 13, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Lonely is the Stoddard.
May 13, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Everybody wants Stoddard.
May 14, 2008 at 7:54 pm
The last Billy Squier reference in pop culture that I can remember was in Billy Madison - The Stroke was the song Billy played on his car radio when he went back to high school. After witnessing Billy do this, all the high school kids mocked him, filled his locker with excrement, and refused his sexual advances.
Frankly, I think you deserve the same treatment Billy Madison received. Granted, the mockery and refusal of sexual advances probably won’t be anything out of the ordinary for you, but damnit, someone needs to fill your locker with cow shit for this.
May 14, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Are you going to post about Deep Purple next?
And I thought my post about running shoes couldn’t make this blog any more gay…
May 15, 2008 at 4:46 am
Here I am!!
May 15, 2008 at 11:18 am
What are your thoughts on Barbara Streisand?
May 15, 2008 at 7:28 pm
RS has been bummed every since Styx released Kilroy Was Here. Sure it was a big concept, but it had none of the magickal pomp and visionary passion of The Grand Illusion or Paradise Theater. Instead, it was just overwhelmingly lame.
May 15, 2008 at 7:30 pm
I agree with Scip, but not his shoes, about no Deep Purple posts. OTOH, Blue Oyster Cult, Thin Lizzy, and the mellow tones of Bad Company all deserve off season/off topic postings.