Charlie Sexton - Pictures For Pleasure

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Pictures For Pleasure, the debut album from Texas singer/songwriter/guitarist Charlie Sexton. Recorded when he was just sixteen years old and already an accomplished guitar player, this 1985 release hit number 26 in Australia and number 15 on the US Billboard Album chart (with a thirty-four week total
run).

Diana Ross - Swept Away

This week (September 13th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Swept Away, the fifteenth solo studio album from Motown legend Diana Ross. This Gold seller went to number 78 in Australia, number 40 in the UK, number 37 in Canada, number 32 in Japan, number 22 in Germany, and number 10 in the Netherlands and Sweden. Here in the US, it spent forty-five weeks on the Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 26, and also went to number 7 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Toni Basil - Toni Basil

On the heels of her Gold selling debut Word of Mouth (click here for that review), Toni Basil released her self-titled second album a year later in January of 1983. Unlike her debut, which was fueled by the number 1 hit "Mickey", this one failed to make any major chart impacts? Today, for its thirtieth anniversary we will give Toni Basil a listen.

Frank Zappa - Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch

Thirty years ago this week (May 3rd, 1982, to be precise), Frank Zappa released his thirty third album. With only six tracks to it, Ships Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch not only had a very intriguing title but it also had an interesting format. One side of the album featured studio cuts and other side featured live cuts.

The album went to number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 200. In the UK, it reached number 61. And in Norway and Sweden it went to numbers 20 and 26 respectively. And, it featured Zappa’s best selling single in the US.