Sometimes important songs are not ones that change things, but because of the sheer love listeners have for it they have great impact.  That's the case with Stay.  Sugarland had lots of big songs, and ones I liked far more than this, but Stay is a powerful song that struck many right in the heart.  Jennifer Nettles was inspired by Reba's smash hit from 1986, Whoever's In New England, another big song that halted fans in their tracks to write this from the opposite perspective.  Both are anthems of infidelity and highly relatable. Nettles' performance on this is stuff of legends and makes this a classic.  This was a #2 Country hit for 4 weeks, it also was on A/C charts for a bit, won 2 Grammy's, and was a multiple award winner in the CMA's and ACM's. It sold millions, and the exceedingly raw and emotional video was honored and revered as well.  It's one of the most decorated country songs of this newer century, and its message will never tire or go out of fashion.  This falls into the "timeless" category, from the written subject matter, its simple but apt arrangement and its wonderful delivery by Nettles.  This song is very important to many fans and will be in their playlists for years to come.  Not many songs anywhere are this honest.

Last Week #49

In case you missed some of my articles this week from WQMX.com, let's get you caught up!

Thanks for reading and listening every day!

BROWNS - I'm With Joe!

Eat Of The Week

50 Most Important Country Songs 1980 - Today - #49

Forgotten Jukebox - J-50

CMML - The Mega Star Series - Faith Hill

Wynn At The Movies And More

BROWNS - The Measuring Stick

Box Office Results - #1 - Wonka

#2 -  Night Swim

#3 -  Aquaman

New This Week -   Mean Girls  /  The Beekeeper  /  The Book Of Clarence

New Next Week -    I.S.S. / The End We Start From / Which Brings Me To You  / Founders Day

There - Is a sequel to Five Nights At Freddies being filmed right now

Oppenheimer, Barbie and Succession - Lead the nominees for the 2024 SAG Awards

Era's Movie - Most succesful concert movie ever 261 Million

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane  (link)

Also  - 50  Most Important Country Songs 1980 - Today  #49  (Link)

As we start off the new year, this month we will revisit some of the members of my Mega Star Series.  The stars that really made a case for being on the Country Music Mt. Rushmore.  This week we look back at Faith Hill.  During her run she did about everything a Mega Star could do. 

Let's revisit the amazing  -  Faith Hill

My Mega Star Series Profile on Faith Hill

I'm glad today's game with the Bengals means absolutely nothing.  The Browns sealed up a good playoff position and await their opponent from the AFC South.  The Bengals are finishing a season they would rather forget. Joe Burrow injured and in this division that's a fatal blow most of the time.  We had the same issue, but we eventually found Joe Flacco and he made our season.

Now the post season begins, and it's a different kind of football.  A faster, for more physical game and for the Browns, no matter how far we go it will have to be done on the road.  The Browns seems to be built for this, as defense travels well and that's the card the Browns are going to have to play to advance.  Flacco will do his thing and the Browns will score points, but on the road the fate of the Browns will start and end with the defense.

The Browns do have a card that won't get a lot of play on TV or in the press. There will be three teams in the playoffs that have an NFL Champion QB's trying for another title.  The Rams with Mathew Stafford, the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes and the Browns with Flacco.  As much hype as other QB's get, they are not NFL champions.  None of the three are going to win MVP this year, but it doesn't matter, it's winning time now. Those awards are for ESPN talking heads to yammer about at nauseam, the rest of us are trying to win a title.

I'm not saying one of these three guys is going to win it all, but I will say it wouldn't surprise me either.  Because post season football is hard to break through and get it done. When you have players and coaches that have been there and done it before, you have a definite intangible advantage the others do not, no matter how great their season has been.

Ever notice how it kind of works in the NFL?  You become a good team and make the playoffs and then lose in the Wild Card Round.  The next year you may get to the Conference Championship Game, maybe lose. The next year it's your turn to get to the Superbowl.  Sounds like a silly formula, but it works out that way a lot of the time.  For some teams it's different though.  The Chiefs got it done differently, but they have Andy Reid as head coach which is a big deal - one of the best ever. The Patriots with Belichick, he had been there with the Giants a couple times prior to the Pats.

The Browns have Stefanski whose had a good season overall but he should thank his lucky stars, as it is the result of our seemingly bad luck.  We would not be here if we were still under the expensive plan that has gone awry for two straight years.  RIGHT NOW he has a champion in Joe Flacco executing his offense which is FAR better suited for Flacco.  Flacco knows how to win these kind of games, and doesn't have the luxury of time.  He's 39 and more than likely is playing his final few games the the Browns.  If coach allows Joe to be Joe and the defense holds up their end of the bargain, the Browns have a good shot to beat anyone.  Never underestimate a talented pro who's facing his possible final chance.

The Browns are in an enviable position with Flacco, he's solely here to win a title. That's the only reason at his age he's lacing' em up.  In a football sense he's making peanuts, as his next big pay day will come next spring somewhere else.  Right how, he's the most mature veteran Superbowl Champion QB in the league, and the best QB we've had here is decades. 

And If we win the Superbowl or if he throws a pick six that ends our dream, I'm fine with wherever he takes us. We flat out would not be here without him, it's just that simple. It's a shame the organization was living in some dream world and didn't call him 6 weeks earlier.  No one that played for the Browns this season would have us here  -  and as feared as we are. 

For the few more games we have him -  I'm with Joe!

Josh Turner  - Firecracker  - 2007  -  (Album - Everything Is Fine)

I have always liked Josh Turner.  His big, well schooled voice is a gift for him and to us, and when he got the right song it was magic.  OK, that is far too dramatic for this song, but for Long Black Train, or Hometown Girl  it was apt.  This song is a more fun side of Turner, and right now, fun and carefree sounds really good.  It's Winter, dark, and there are a lot of songs out now that are really heavy, this is a nice break. Turner has a blast with this jukebox number.  This was a #2 hit and the only reason it was not #1, was Taylor Swifts, Our Song had a multi week stay there at the top spot.  Turner is very likable and super talented and I feel there is always room on our charts for a song like this.  This is just fun, sit back relax and catch Turners huge voice, being huge.

I know in Country circles she's a polarizing figure, but her contribution and influence cannot be ignored or dismissed. Taylor Swift must be looked upon as someone that brought millions of fans to us, and influenced an entire generation of new artists in our format and others.  But no one who's tried to duplicate her singing and songwriting style has had near the success that Taylor has had by a mile.  She's an original.  This was the start of a career that would take off to heights only dreamed of.  A young artist, singing a love song that mentions one of her heroes as smoothly and openly as a teenage girl would write about it in her diary.  That's Taylor's gift.  She knows who's listening, who she's singing to, and saying exactly what they would want to say.  As moving as this song is, the real springboard was her singing this on worldwide TV to Tim and Faith on the ACM's, then introducing herself at the end.  It was a magic and original moment.  Granted, Taylor Swift would have many bigger country songs - but this bold, daring and darling song was the start of a career that no one could possibly imagine.

Last Week - #50

Taylor In My Influencers Series

Taylor Sings To Tim McGraw - Pivotal Moment

The Browns are the talk of the town and NFL thanks to the remarkable story of Joe Flacco.  He's giving an entire region hope there could be great things happening early this winter.  His story is not about football, it's about intangibles in sport and life.  We are watching the measure of the heart, and that's why it feels good.

Flacco is almost 39 years old and was on his couch a few weeks ago and playing catch with his dad and five kids. After the Browns had no where else to turn, they called Flacco to see if he could bring his healthy self here and run their practice squad.  As it turned out the Browns had zero idea they had just made the call that was the missing link they didn't even know they needed.  People skills is not this organizations strength at all. But this was a ridiculous stroke of very good luck, for a city due for some.

I know my title sounds like a law firm but it's not.  It is apt as Flacco can be mentioned in the same breath as these guys with the totality of his story.  These guys possess immense intangibles and heart to make others around them much better.  In some cases, those were ridden to Superbowl titles and the Hall Of Fame.  Let's talk about that a minute.

Kurt Warner from Northern Iowa University played in the Arena Football League.  When the Rams called he was stocking groceries at Hy-Vee Supermarkets.  And when two QB's in front of him were injured, he got the chance he dreamed of.  He won a Superbowl and MVP with the Rams and took the Cardinals to the Superbowl, after they had not won a post season game in some 60 years.  He's in the Hall Of Fame.

Tom Brady from Michigan a 6th round draft pick who couldn't run at all and was also third string till he got his chance because of injuries with the Patriots.  Seven Superbowl wins later he's the greatest QB to ever play.  He's going to the Hall Of Fame.

Brock Purdy from Iowa State, the last guy picked in the draft a couple years ago, also third string until injuries, is now the best QB on the best team in the NFL.  There's MVP talk about him and I'm not so sure he shouldn't win. 

And Doug Flutie. About 5 foot 6. played QB in the NFL with various teams and had good success. He won numerous championships in Canada.  And in the NFL was always a fierce competitor leading a few teams to the postseason all while looking like he was in high school.

Why mention them? Because they are kindred to Flacco today.  These guys and Flacco, just because of who they are in life make everyone better.  Guys around them believe in and are inspired by them.  They block better, play harder and buy into them.  Warner was the total underdog and players around him respected him, knew his limitations and just wanted to be better when he was on the field.

Brady always a sixth rounder, was not at all athletic and somehow became the greatest ever.  He then became Flacco at 40, having great success in a new city.  The guys around him played harder for their aging leader.  Same with Purdy today, by far the lowest paid dude out there breaking his butt for the 49ers.  And Flutie, all 5 foot of him, his diminutive stature alone made 350 pound men want to protect him understanding the risk he was taking simply being on the field.

Today Old Man Flacco is all of them rolled into one.  The humble restart of Warner, the advanced age of Brady,  the stupid low pay of Purdy, and the fearlessness of Flutie.  He has the tools to still play at a high level and has his priorities right.  There's no social entourage, no drama, no lawyers, none of that stuff, just his family. Not many NFL stars have kids old enough to see dad do something this cool.  He's also a Superbowl winner and MVP.

Are the Browns playing for him as others did for the aforementioned?  You bet they are.  Flacco is what the PLAYERS needed.  They feel Flacco gives them a legit chance to go a long way, maybe all the way.  We have not had this kind of veteran leadership here in 25 years since returning. They're playing as the Browns did for Bernie Kosar who garnered that respect with his extreme physical limitations, but his superior skills and leadership. 

Add him to the list of Warner, Brady, Brock, Flutie and Flacco!

GO BROWNS!

In case you missed some of my articles this week from WQMX.com, let's get you caught up!

Thanks for reading and listening every day!

Browns - Warner, Brady, Brock, Flutie And Flacco

50 Most Important Songs 1980-Present - #50

Forgotten Jukebox BB-18

CMML - The Mega Star Series - Alabama

Wynn At The Movies And More

Box Office Results - #1 -  Wonka  24 Million

#2 – Aquaman

#3 - Migration

New This Week  - Night Swim 

Next Week -  Mean Girls  /  The Beekeeper  / The Book Of Clarence  

Theaters – Are going to start offering more food and booze items and even have intermissions for longer movies – to attract more people

The Golden Globes - Are on Sunday The goodie bags are worth half a million bucks

Saved - 2023 is being considered a good year at the movies overall. Saved by Taylor Swift, Barbie, Mario, Oppenheimer, and Fast X - offset the writers and actors strikes

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane - Mega Star Series  (link)

Also - The 50 Most Important Songs 1980 - Present #50  (Link)