TikTok announced their year-end figures and determined that the most posted and circulated song for 2025 was … incredibly … the 63 year old Connie Francis LP track “Pretty Little Baby!!!” (Sadly, we lost Connie back in July at the age of 87.)
With nearly 28.5 million posts, it is estimated that “Pretty Little Baby” was seen and heard by over 68 BILLION viewers this past year, ahead of ANY current trending material … and the song wasn’t even a hit back when it was first released in 1962 as an album cut. (In fact, Connie didn’t even remember recording it until she heard it again!)
She may not be in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but I don’t know how many other “vintage artists” can make a claim like this one. (Maybe this’ll finally earn her her well-deserved spot in the hallowed hall.) Guess this makes her the Taylor Swift of all time! (kk)
And, speaking of “vintage artists,” Tom Cuddy just sent us this … GREAT news regarding Darlene Love, who’ll be performing her holiday tradition once again on The Tonight Show next week! (kk)
Welcome Back!
Of course, you had a smash of emails while you were gone. How else would people let you know you were missed?
Ricky Nelson is not often cited on the page. So, it is funny that last night I watched 'Love and Kisses,' a movie written by Ozzie Nelson and starring Ricky and Kristen Nelson. It is the silliest, purest, most unrealistic and somewhat aggravating plot and character representation. I had forgotten how simple the themes of these movies are.
Shelley
You’re talking to a HUGE, MAJOR Rick Nelson fan here … he’s most definitely one of my top faves of all time … but even I have to admit that “Love And Kisses” was a pretty awful movie … totally formulatic with some pretty bad acting, especially for a guy who grew up in front of the camera! … but I absolutely LOVE the title cut … and have insisted forever that had this not come out in the midst of The British Invasion, it very way may have been a Top Ten Hit. (Instead, it lingered at #124 in Cash Box … and didn’t chart at all in Billboard.)
One has to remember that when The Beatles first charted here in The States, Rick Nelson was enjoying a Top Ten Hit with “For You,” another great track. As happened to virtually all American acts at the time, his music was boycotted on the radio in favor of the more hip, current British sounds. (“For You” would be Rick’s last Top Ten Hit until “Garden Party” struck gold eight years later … and became has last Top Ten Hit period.) kk
Micky Dolenz closed out his 2025 Songs and Stories tour Sunday night (12/7) at The Parker in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Dolenz will return in 2026 with a brand-new live show, “MICKY DOLENZ: 60 YEARS OF THE MONKEES.”
“MICKY DOLENZ: 60 YEARS OF THE MONKEES" will kick off in February, 2026, with a year-long tour across North America. The celebration will include a special one-night-only commemorative concert in Los Angeles on September 12, 2026, marking exactly 60 years since The Monkees first premiered on NBC.
DIS
Check out Micky's new Billboard interview here:
Last year we saw the triple bill of Toto, Christopher Cross and Men At Work perform live at Credit Union 1 Ampitheatre. Next summer, The Romantics will replace Colin Hay (who just cancelled all of his upcoming Australian tour dates due to health issues.)
As of right now, a Chicago stop is not even on the list …
But here’s what we DO know:
7/15 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
7/16 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
7/18 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
7/19 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
7/21 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion
7/23 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater
7/25 – Syracuse, NY – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview
7/26 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann
7/28 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
7/29 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
7/31 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
8/01 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
8/02 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
8/04 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf
8/05 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
8/07 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/08 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
8/10 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
8/11 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
8/12 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
8/14 – Long Beach, CA – Long Beach Amphitheater
8/15 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
8/16 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
8/18 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
8/19 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
8/21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
8/22 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
8/24 – Kansas City, MO – Morton Amphitheater
8/26 – Shakopee, MN – Mystic Lake Amphitheater
8/28 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater
8/29 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
8/30 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
And Chuck Buell tells all of us Forgotten Hitters to keep our day going on a Fun, Bright note!
She took to the floor and said, "Come dance with me!"
CB! ( which stands for "Cabaret Boy!" )
And, let's keep things rolling with this new trailer for the upcoming Baz Luhrmann EPiC (Elvis Presley In Concert) film ... I can't wait!
