Ever have those songs that you love absolutely and unconditionally, but can't really explain why?  The ones that you hear over and over again, analyze to death, and in the end can only say something banal like "I just do", "it rocks" or "it's got a good beat and you can dance to it"?

For me, XTC's "Generals and Majors", from their 1980 release Black Sea, is one of those songs.  I find it to be impeccably constructed, immaculately produced, and very enjoyable.  And that's all the pontificating I'm going to do.

I love this song.  I just do.  It rocks.  It's got a good beat and you can dance to it.

Click here to watch a low-budget video for "Generals and Majors" on YouTube.

Click here to hear a cover version done by Songfight artist Abominominous.

For years, the Vandals were one of those bands that I knew of, but didn't really know.  That changed one morning when the Fungus channel on XM Radio played "Behind the Music."  I've always been a fan of fast, irreverent punk songs, especially ones that make fun of the music industry, and this one does not disappoint.

When I heard the "gotta play the Cure and the Psychedelic Turds for the 80's flashback weekend" line, I was sold.  One, the deadpan delivery of the line is flawless.  Two, I can't stand Psychedelic Furs.  Blecch.

Click here to watch a live performance of "Behind the Music" on YouTube.

Quick Entry.  Living Colour.  1988.  "Cult of Personality."  Breakout hit.  Toured with the Stones.  Relative obscurity.

First two albums.  Kick ass.  "Elvis Is Dead."  "Type."  Back-to-back on Time's Up album.  Similar tempos.  Segue perfectly.  Considered to be one huge awesome song.

Click here to watch the video for "Elvis Is Dead", and click here to watch "Type" on YouTube.

This is part of a week-long series on different songs from well-known "one-hit wonders."

Much like Gary Numan, Big Country was much more popular in England than in the US.  In America, they are commonly called a (groan) one-hit wonder, by virtue of their 1983 signature hit "In A Big Country."  Their career continued throughout the 80's and 90's until singwritarist* Stuart Adamson hanged himself in a Honolulu hotel room in 2001.  This year, surviving members have reunited to embark on a 25th anniversary UK tour.

One of this blogger's all-time favorite albums is the band's 1986 release The Seer, and one of said blogger's most beloved tracks from that album is "One Great Thing."  It shares some things in common with previous songs posted here - a great groove, an uplifting vibe and some terrific rhythm section playing.  There's something to be said for songs that just make you want to bounce up and down for no reason at all.

*"Singwritarist" is my shorthand term for "singer/songwriter/guitarist."

Click here to watch the video for "One Great Thing" on YouTube.

Click here to watch the super-groovy 12" extendo-remixed version.

This is part of a week-long series on different songs from well-known "one-hit wonders."

Michael Penn is known primarily for three things - being Sean Penn's brother, being Aimee Mann's husband, and his 1989 hit "No Myth."  I remember that song getting a lot of airplay on MTV (yes, I actually used to watch MTV), and at the time I just sort of went "eh" and blew it off.

However, in recent months, I've heard XM Radio play "Seen the Doctor" several times, and I must say, I like that song a LOT more.  Perhaps it's time to explore the critically hailed singwriter's* catalog a bit more thoroughly...

*"Singwriter" is my shorthand notation for "singer/songwriter", a term I loathe.

Click here to watch the video for "Seen the Doctor" on IFILM.

This is part of a week-long series on different songs from well-known "one-hit wonders."

Whether you know it or not, you've heard Gary Numan's seminal smash hit "Cars."  Period.  It's been in commercials, video games, TV shows, you name it.  Even though it was originally released as a single in 1979, it became an 80's staple, helping define the whole new wave genre itself.

Even though he's been much more popular in his native UK, Numan is largely considered a (here comes that dreaded phrase again) one-hit wonder in the US and in other countries.  Well, I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but he's done other stuff.  A lot of it.  He's worked pretty consistently since the release of "Cars", with varying degrees of success, doing film scoring work as well as releasing albums of original material.

One of his career highlights is the album Replicas, which I have been slotting a lot these past few weeks, and "Are 'Friends' Electric?" is one of my favorite tracks from it.

Click here to watch a fan-made video for "Are 'Friends' Electric?" on YouTube.

Click here to read about "Are 'Friends' Electric?" on Wikipedia.

Click here to hear an acoustic cover version done by fellow song-a-day blogger Niveous.

This is part of a week-long series on different songs from well-known "one-hit wonders."

Wall of Voodoo's hit, of course, was "Mexican Radio", from the 1982 album Call of the West.  When I first heard the song, I thought it was fun, quirky, and generally pretty cool.  After the song ran it's course, I really didn't give them a second thought for a LONG time, and the band never achieved that kind of commercial success again.

A couple of years later, vocalist Stan Ridgway began his solo career, and I became a huge fan of his.  Since then I've bought his solo albums faithfully, but I never really thought about checking out his body of work with Wall of Voodoo until the year 2000, when I picked up a copy of Call of the West.

Good Lord, talk about being late to the freaking party.  What an amazing record.  So amazing, in fact, that I went on to pay $71 for a copy of their Dark Continent CD on eBay.  Yeah, it's that good.

One of the amazing tracks is the title cut, "Call of the West", which sounds like it ought to, all westerny and stuff.  And amazing.

Click here to watch a fan-made video for "Call of the West" on YouTube.

This is part of a week-long series on different songs from well-known "one-hit wonders."

OK, quick show of hands, who had the Vapors' 1980 album New Clear Days on vinyl? (raises hand)  Anyone else?  Anyone?  Bueller?

It's true, they didn't just do "Turning Japanese", they did two whole albums.  I'm not as high on their sophomore effort Magnets, but Days is chock full of briskly-paced ditties cut from a similar mold as their iconic magnum opus.  One such track is "Waiting for the Weekend."

Click here to watch the video for "Waiting for the Weekend."

This is part of a week-long series on different songs from well-known "one-hit wonders."