THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! Rihanna, "Shut Up And Drive"

Drawn from previous posts, this is not part of my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1).

An infinite number of track can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Today, this is THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE!

RIHANNA: Shut Up And Drive

Written by Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken, based on "New Monday" by Stephen Morris, Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner, and Gillian Gilbert

Produced by Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken

Single from the album Good Girl Gone Bad, Def Jam Records, 2007

Rihanna's "Shut Up And Drive" is a stupid song about sex. But it's a great stupid song about sex, probably the best-ever stupid song about sex, and a legit contender for my all-time Hot 200. Yeah, even among songs that may or may not be stupid and may or may not be about sex.

I remember hearing Rihanna's hit "Umbrella" in 2007, and not being especially taken with it. In 2008, the updated version of her Good Girl Gone Bad (Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded) landed into my consciousness via my then-teen daughter, whose interest in "Take A Bow" and "Disturbia" brought those songs to my attention as well. I was a little surprised to discover I liked them (especially "Disturbia"), but I did indeed like them.

I missed out on the track "Shut Up And Drive." I'd heard it, but I never noticed it until a random search for playlist ideas brought me to it again. It was like a brand new song to me, and I loved it.

(How did I know I loved it? The fact that I played it on obsessive repeat would be a pretty clear clue to that.)

Wikipedia describes "Shut Up And Drive" as a new wave song--no, really!--based on "Blue Monday" by New Order. No offense to the mopey British guys, but I prefer it the way Rihanna did it.

"Shut Up And Drive" strikes me as a sort-of equivalent to "Heavy Music" by Bob Seger and the Last Heard, a track I initially dismissed as a stupid song about sex before realizing it was--you guessed it!--a great stupid song about sex. 

Rihanna's song is greater. Drive, baby. Drive.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

I compiled a various-artists tribute album called Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, and it's pretty damned good; you can read about it here and order it here. My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get my previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. You can read about our history here.

Fake THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO Playlist: The Best Of The THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO Compilation CDs

 This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl is simply too large a concept to be neatly contained within a mere three-hour weekly time slot. Hence these occasional fake TIRnRR playlists, detailing shows we're never really going to do...but could.

In the time span from around 2004 through 2022, Dana and I had the pleasure of compiling and curating five various-artists This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation CDs. Each of these was released commercially; the first two volumes were issued by JAM Recordings, the final three by Kool Kat Musik, and the first four albums are also available as digital downloads from Futureman Records (Kool Kat handled digital distribution of Volume 5). Details on how you can add 'em to your music library appear below.

I am very proud of these compilations, especially the last two, and most especially This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5, which I firmly believe is one of the greatest rockin' pop compilation albums of all time. Modesty? Doesn't apply in this situation. All of the individual tracks shine, and the flow of track to track makes the whole feel like a cohesive artistic work. Think of Volume 5 the way we intended it, as a concept album about listening to a love story play out on the radio.

One should never say never, but it's very likely that Volume 5 will be the last-ever TIRnRR compilation album. We loved doing them, but they're expensive to do properly. I'm satisfied that we ended the series on such a high note.

Today's exercise in imaginary playlisting gathers tracks from the five TIRnRR compilations and plays 'em all together. Could have easily added a fourth hour of drop-dead primo material. As a bonus, we also give you TIR'N'RR Allstars' exquisite cover of the Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset," which a bunch of our talented friends put together as a fundraiser for us. We have great friends!

And our friends have made it possible to produce some fantastic compilations. Here's a playlist of some of the best from This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio Volumes 1-5. And you know what else these gems have in common?

Volume. Proceed accordingly.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl--y'know, the real one--airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download

Volume 5: CD or download

Fake TIRnRR Playlist: The Best Of The THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO Compilation CDs

LAURIE BIAGINI: Hey Mr. DJ

SCREEN TEST: Sound Of The Radio

MANNIX: Highway Lines

IRENE PENA: Must've Been Good

THE FINKERS: Last Thing On My Mind

AMY RIGBY: Tom Petty Karaoke

--

JOHN WICKS AND THE RECORDS: Edges Of A Dream

HAWAII MUD BOMBERS: Office Crush

PERILOUS: Rock & Roll Kiss

1.4.5.: Your Own World

THE COWSILLS: She Said To Me

THE RICHARDS: Five Personalities

--

CHRIS VON SNEIDERN: Goodnight Sailor

POP CO-OP: You Don't Love Me Anymore

THE SPONGETONES: Anyway Town

ARIELLE EDEN: Sagittarius

ANNY CELSI: Empty Hangers

DM3: 1 x 2 x Devastated

--

THE RULERS: I Want My Ramones Records Back

LUGLESS BOOTH: I Blame His Brother

THE BLONDES: Suzi Quatro

BALLZY TOMORROW: Out There

POPDUDES: Desperation Time

MAD MONSTER PARTY: Can't Stop Loving You

--

THE JANGLE BAND: So Long

RAY PAUL: I Need Your Love Tonight

CAROLYNE MAS: In The Rain

STEVE STOECKEL AND HIS THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO ALL-STARS: I Could Be Good For You

HOOVER AND MARTINEZ: What The Heart Wants

THE CATHOLIC GIRLS: Should Have Been Mine

--

THE RUBINOOS: Nowheresville

KID GULLIVER: Forget About Him

GARY FRENAY: Just Like Me

MAURA AND THE BRIGHT LIGHTS: Maybe Someday

THE GRIP WEEDS: Strange Bird

THE SMITHEREENS: Got Me A Girl

--

THE TEARJERKERS: Syracuse Summer

HELLO HELLEN: Fall's Far Away

TALL POPPY SYNDROME: Come Some Christmas Eve (Or Halloween)

UNCLE GREEN: I Don't Wanna Know About It

MICHAEL OLIVER AND THE SACRED BAND FEATURING DAVE MERRITT: You Won't Do

THE LEGAL MATTERS: Don't Look Back

--

KELLEY RYAN: The Church Of Laundry

IN DEED: Peace & Quiet

P. HUX: Better Than Good

JUSTINE AND THE UNCLEAN: Vengeance

CHRIS RICHARDS: It Doesn't Sound Like You

STEPHENSON AND COMPANY: Talking Down To Me

THE SLAPBACKS: Make Something Happen

RONNIE DARK: Sarah

--

MICHAEL CARPENTER: I've Been Loving You

PAUL COLLINS' BEAT: She Doesn't Want To Hang Around With You

THE HIT SQUAD: Best Of Me

THE VILLAS: Someone To Hold On To

LISA MYCHOLS: Almost Didn't Happen

CIRCE LINK AND CHRISTIAN NESMITH: I'm On Your Side

MR. ENCRYPTO: The Last Time [a cappella]

EYTAN MIRSKY: This Year's Gonna Be Our Year

--

THE FLASHCUBES: Carl (You Da Man)

TIR'N'RR ALLSTARS: Waterloo Sunset

COMIC BOOK COVER GALLERY: Issues # 55 acquired in the '60s, '70s, and '80s

                       

Observing this fifth day of the fifth month sets up the contrived circumstances leading this week's edition of Comic Book Cover Gallery to spotlight the 55th issues of various comic book series. Yeah, like this is the first time you've ever run into something comics-related that was an eensy bit contrived.

The challenge was finding qualifying comic books I acquired within the chosen timeline. By the time I started accumulating comics in the mid 1960s, long-running titles were already waaay beyond their fifty-fifth issues, and a lot of newer titles just didn't reach that number. In later years, it became more and more common for books to restart numbering to create a new hot collectible # 1. See my above comment about contrivances.

As always, we'll be sticking exclusively to the '60s, '70s, and '80s era of acquisition I've established for these galleries. Today's selections include books I bought new, back issues I acquired after the fact (but within the timeline), and B-stock contraband originally purchased without their covers. These aren't actual photos of comics in my collection; most images are courtesy of the Grand Comics Database, which is grand indeed. But I did have each and every one of 'em at some point in time.

Batman # 208...but also 80-Page Giant 3 G-55

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

I compiled a various-artists tribute album called Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, and it's pretty damned good; you can read about it here and order it here. My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get my previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. You can read about our history here.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1335

Hearing the Ramones in TV commercials is never gonna get old for me. I've been hearing "Blitzkrieg Bop" in current commercials for Southwest Airlines, and it makes me smile every damned time. I don't think it's a sell-out. This is pop music, and it has always been pop music. The increasing ubiquity of Ramones music is another sign of the group's further deification within the mainstream. Yeah, I wish Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Marky had lived to see it. But I'm happy to see it and hear it now. As I wrote in my Ramones book:

"...And now? It wouldn’t surprise me if you saw some random kid today, someone far too young to remember the Ramones first-hand, nonetheless sporting a Ramones T-shirt. It doesn’t even matter if such kids really know the Ramones or if they just think the damned shirt looks cool. It’s evidence of the Ramones’ assimilation into the greater pop culture. In the seventies, they were outsiders, square pegs. Today, the Ramones are the Beatles, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, AC/DC, Nirvana, Batman. The Ramones are everywhere...."

As they should be. And in Syracuse, they're on the radio, where they've always belonged. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on another Sunday night in Syracuse this week.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream, and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. 

You can read all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). You can follow Carl's daily blog at Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do).

TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.

Carl's latest book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get Carl's previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download

Volume 5: CD or download

TIRnRR # 1335: 5/3/2026

TIRnRR FRESH SPINS! Tracks we think we ain’t played before are listed in bold

THE GREENBERRY WOODS: The One That Makes You Happy (Big Stir, It's All Good, Sugar...)

THE BRIEFS: She's Just A Girl On The Block (Vivid Sound, VA: He Put The Bomp In The Bomp: Greg Shaw)

RIHANNA: Shut Up And Drive (Def Jam, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded)

DAR WILLIAMS: It's Alright (Razor & Tie, End Of The Summer)

T. REX: Cosmic Dancer (Hip-O, MARC BOLAN & T. REX: 20th Century Boy: The Ultimate Collection)

AMERICA: Ventura Highway [early take]  (Omnivore, Heritage: Home Recordings/Demos 1970-1973)

--

CULT 45'S: I Woke Up In Love This Morning (Kool Kat Musik, VA: The Direct Records Story Volume Four)

THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY: Singing My Song (Razor & Tie, The Partridge Family Album)

GAME THEORY: Make Any Vows (Omnivore, The Big Shot Chronicles)

NIKKI SUDDEN AND CAPTAIN SENSIBLE: Kill City (Vivid Sound, VA: He Put The Bomp In The Bomp: Greg Shaw)

THE DRIFTERS: On Broadway (Atlantic, All-Time Greatest Hits & More 1959-1965)

DAVE EDMUNDS WITH THE STRAY CATS: The Race Is On (Omnivore, Swan Songs: The Singles 1976-1981)

--

SPECTRAFLAME: Yesterday (Jane) (n/a, Spectraflame)

CINDY LEE BERRYHILL: She Had Everything (Rhino, Who's Gonna Save The World?)

THE HALF/CUBES FEATURING GLENN BURTNICK: Bend Me, Shape Me (Jem, single)

FRANZ FERDINAND: Evil And A Heathen (Domino, You Could Have It So Much Better)

LITTLE RICHARD: Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (Specialty, The Georgia Peach)

CUB KODA: Ramblin' In My Mind (Blue Wave, Welcome To My Job)

--

THE STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK: The Sky Isn't Falling (Big Stir, single)

DWIGHT TWILLEY: Radio [demo] (Iconoclassic, Wild Dogs [expanded edition])

SORROWS: Radio (Big Stir, VA: Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes)

OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY: I Wonder (Vivid Sound, VA: He Put The Bomp In The Bomp: Greg Shaw)

DOLENZ, JONES, BOYCE AND HART: I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight (7A, Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart)

ELASTICA: Vaseline (DGC, Elastica)

--

THE FAST CAMELS: L.A. (Kool Kat Musik, Lost To This World)

AIMEE MANN: Baby Blue (Hip-O, Ultimate Collection)

THE RAMONES: Blitzkrieg Bop (Rhino, Ramones)

JACK LEE: Give Me Some Time (Alive, Anthology: Bigger Than Life)

THE HIGH FREQUENCIES: Cleanup Time (Jem, Get High)

BIG STAR: When My Baby's Beside Me (Ardent, # 1 Record/Radio City)

--

MODESTY BLAISE: The Little Things You Do [single version]  (From Lo-Fi To Disco, Melancholia)

SHOES: The Things You Do (Elektra, Tongue Twister)

THE TEMPTATIONS: The Way You Do The Things You Do (Motown, Gold)

THE WONDERS: That Thing You Do! (Play-Tone, VA: That Thing You Do! OST)

FANCY: Wild Thing (RPM, VA: Velvet Tinmine--20 Junk Shop Glam Ravers)

STAR COLLECTOR: The Best Thing (n/a, Everything Must Go!)

--

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

GENERAL JOHNSON AND JOEY RAMONE: Rockaway Beach (On The Beach) (Forward, VA: Godchildren Of Soul: Anyone Can Play)

FIRST CLASS: Beach Baby [single version edit] (Cherry Red, Beach Baby: The Complete Recordings)

KIRSTY MacCOLL: He's On The Beach (IRS, Galore--The Best Of Kirsty MacColl)

THE GO-GO'S: Beatnik Beach (IRS, Vacation)

THE FLASHCUBES: Muscle Beach (Northside, Flashcubes On Fire)

THE 'B' GIRLS: Fun At The Beach (Other Peoples Music, Who Says Girls Can't Rock)

--

THE CHELSEA CURVE: Ride (Rum Bar, single)

THE TEARDROP EXPLODES: Pure Joy (Mercury, Wilder)

THE BOYS WITH THE PERPETUAL NERVOUSNESS: I Don't Mind (Kool Kat Musik, Songs From Another Life)

THE GITS: Insecurities (Sub Pop, Frenching The Bully)

JANE VS. WORLD: 56K Hearts (Popboomerang, VA: Electric & Eclectic Rarities Volume 2)

THE BEAT: Walking Out On Love (Wagon Wheel, The Beat)

BUDDY HOLLY: Changing All Those Changes (MCA, The Buddy Holly Collection)

WIRE: Champs (Pinkflag, Pink Flag)

--

THE HOLLYWOOD STARS: I'm Not Broken (Rum Bar, Hey! LA!)

LES HANDCLAPS: Les Filles C'est Fait... (n/a, Ouh Ouh Ah!)

THE MONKEES: Pleasant Valley Sunday (Rhino, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.)

LET'S ACTIVE: Talking To Myself (Collectors' Choice Music, Big Plans For Everybody)

TEGAN AND SARA: Girls Talk (Legacy, VA: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Music From Season 5)

LETTERS TO CLEO: Cruel To Be Kind (Big Beat, VA: Girls Go Power Pop!)

THE KINKS: Better Things (Velvel, Give The People What They Want)

THE BEATLES: I Feel Fine (Apple, Past Masters)

--

THE RONETTES: Be My Baby (Abkco, The Best Of The Ronettes)

THE BEATLES: Her Majesty (Apple, Abbey Road)

Tonight on THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO

Man, we're good at this radio thing. As evidence to support our claim, we present new music from THE GREENBERRY WOODS, THE CHELSEA CURVE, THE FAST CAMELS, THE HOLLYWOOD STARS, and THE STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK, fresh archival releases by CULT 45'S and MODESTY BLAISE, and more irresistible irrefutables courtesy of THE RAMONES, SPECTRAFLAME, GAME THEORY, T. REX, DAR WILLIAMS, CINDY LEE BERRYHILL, THE KINKS, CUB KODA, LITTLE RICHARD, THE HALF/CUBES, THE FLASHCUBES, AIMEE MANN, THE TEMPTATIONS, THE MONKEES, SHOES, STAR COLLECTOR, KIRSTY MacCOLL, THE GO-GO's, LES HANDCLAPS, THE HIGH FREQUENCIES, ELASTICA, THE DRIFTERS, BIG STAR, SORROWS, and more. Yeah, we're pretty good at this radio thing. Join us: Sunday night, 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming via sparksyracuse.org, and as WESTCOTT RADIO on the Radio Garden app. The weekend stops HERE!

COMIC BOOK COVER GALLERY: For FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, some comics I loved in the '60s, '70s, and '80s

                     

For Free Comic Book Day today, let's gather cover images of a bunch of comic books I loved, issues that I read and re-read at some point in my timeline. There will be overlap with a number of previous editions of Comic Book Cover Gallery, but that's okay; we're here for the love of comic books.

(And I totally could have filled this gallery with nothing but Batman images. You've gotta admire my restraint.)

As always, we'll be sticking exclusively to the era of acquisition I've established for these galleries. Today selections include books I bought new, back issues I acquired after the fact (but within the timeline), and B-stock contraband originally purchased without their covers. These aren't actual photos of comics in my collection; most images are courtesy of the Grand Comics Database, which is grand indeed. But I did have each and every one of 'em at some point in time.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

I compiled a various-artists tribute album called Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, and it's pretty damned good; you can read about it here and order it here. My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get my previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. You can read about our history here.