Crowd shot masthead ApologetiX Logo Keith Haynie plays bassBill Hubauer plays lead guitarJ. Jackson sings leadJimmy Vegas Tanner plays drums
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03.18.24Get Multiple Downloads for One Donation
03.18.24USBs Include New Single & Next CD
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03.18.24Over 1650 Tracks for $100
03.16.24Influential Albums: 1402-1408
03.16.24New CD Slightly Delayed, BOGO Continues
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03.12.24This Week's News Bulletin
03.09.24Influential Albums: 1395-1401
03.09.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
03.09.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
03.05.24This Week's News Bulletin
03.03.24New Single: '74 Solo Smashes
03.01.24A Serious Problem We're Trying to Address
02.29.24All About Our Next CD
02.29.24Influential Albums: 1388-1394
02.29.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.29.24Clues for 2024 Single #5
02.25.24This Week's News Bulletin
02.22.24Get Ready for Our Next CD
02.22.24Influential Albums: 1381-1387
02.22.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.22.24Wayne Is Retiring, What's Next for Him and Us?
02.22.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
02.19.24This Week's News Bulletin
02.19.24New Single: Billy & The Beach
02.16.24Influential Albums: 1374-1380
02.16.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.16.24Remembering ApX Friend Paul "Doc" Nigh (1956-2024)
02.16.24Clues for 2024 Single #4
02.10.24Influential Albums: 1367-1373
02.10.24Fans Making Plans to Attend Our Big Show September 1
02.10.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.10.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
02.06.24This Week's News Bulletin
02.06.24New Single: '74 & '83
02.03.24ApX Lead Singer/Lyricist Shares His Testimony 36 Years Later
02.03.24Influential Albums: 1360-1366
02.03.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.03.24Latest CD Added to iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Etc.
02.02.24Clues for 2024 Single #3
01.29.24This Week's News Bulletin
01.26.24Influential Albums: 1353-1359
01.26.24How to Get the ApX Library, USBs, Multiple Downloads
01.26.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
01.26.24Flashback: J.'s Vision for ApologetiX in 2014
01.26.24J.'s Vision for ApologetiX in 2024
01.26.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
01.24.24Checking in With ApX Alum Drummer Fred Behanna
01.22.24This Week's News Bulletin
01.22.24New Single: '70s #1 Hits That Remade '60s Top 10 Hits
01.19.24Influential Albums: 1346-1352
01.19.24Encouraging Message from Longtime Fan in Oklahoma
01.19.24This Week's Bible-Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
01.15.24This Week's News Bulletin
01.12.24Influential Albums: 1339-1346
01.12.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
01.12.24Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
01.12.24New Testament Reading Started Wednesday
01.11.24New Worship Songs Available from ApX Alum Bill Rieger
01.08.24New Single: '81 & '83
01.08.24New CD BOGO Ends Sunday
01.08.24New USB Thumb Drives on the Way
01.05.24Clues for 2024 Single #1
01.05.24Influential Albums: 1332-1338
01.05.24Have You Heard About the Other Music City Miracle?
01.05.24This Week's Bible Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
12.29.23Influential Albums: 1325-1331
12.29.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
12.28.232023: A Record-Breaking Record-Making Year
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12.26.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.26.23New Single: 1974 & 2008
12.23.23Influential Albums: 1318-1324
12.23.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
12.23.23ApologetiX Updated Christmas Playlist
12.18.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.18.23New Samson CD Mailed to Fans, New Orders Sent as They Come In
12.16.23Influential Albums: 1311-1317
12.16.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
12.16.23New Story
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12.11.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.11.23New Single: '83 & '84
12.11.23ApX Apparel: Order by Tuesday with Express Shipping
12.07.23New ApX Apparel and More: Order Soon for Christmas
12.07.23Influential Albums: 1304-1310
12.07.23Just Reword CD Added to iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Etc.
12.07.23Clues for 2023 Single #25
12.04.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.02.23Influential Albums: 1297-1303
12.02.23This Week's Bible Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
12.02.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
12.02.23New Shirts & Other ApX Merch Coming Soon
12.02.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.28.23This Week's News Bulletin
11.28.23New Christmas Single: All '80s
11.24.23Influential Albums: 1290-1296

The 365-Day Album Challenge: Week 15
Fri., Aug. 21. 2020 2:31pm EDT

J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.

Back in May, two friends asked me to share 10 albums that influenced me on Facebook. I narrowed it down to 365. I post the cover art for a different album every day with a brief explanation of how/why they influenced me. Fans have asked me to include them in the newsletter, too. Here's are this week's entries:

99. Three Hearts – Bob Welch
I liked Bob's previous album, and I really liked the lead single from this album, "Precious Love," so much I ordered it from Columbia House, too. It's not as consistently strong as its predecessor, but I enjoyed "Three Hearts," "Oh Jenny," and "China."

100. Caught Live + 5 – The Moody Blues
Not the record most fans would pick when recommending a second Moody Blues purchase, but we decide which is right … and which is an illusion. This 8-track was dirt cheap in the bargain bin, and it was a double album! The first three sides of the album featured live versions of their best-known songs from 1967-69, but side four comprised five previously unreleased studio tracks from that era, and they're surprisingly good.

101. The Long Run – The Eagles
This is another album my friend Dave Rhodes owned first. I already knew the hits from the radio. My favorite track was a throwaway they stuck on the flip side of "I Can't Tell You Why" — a rude little ditty called "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks." In fact, I bought the single just so I could get that song. Later, I bought the whole album from Columbia House. Although it was the first Eagles album I ever owned, and I'd wind up buying all of the original six, it's my least favorite. I love "The Sad Café," though, and not just because the critics say I'm supposed to.

102. Anthology – Diana Ross and the Supremes
A triple album with 12 songs that hit #1, two songs that hit #2, four other Top 10 hits, and seven other Top 40 hits. Yeah, this album screamed "Come see about me!" And it was reasonably priced, especially by Columbia Record House standards. You never know what kind of bargain bonanzas you'll find when you shop in the name of love.

103. Real Life Ain't This Way – Jay Ferguson
I liked Jay Ferguson's big hit single "Thunder Island," from his previous album, but I liked "Shakedown Cruise," the lead single from this follow-up album, even better. So when that album finally hit the bargain section of my monthly Columbia House catalog, I pounced. "Shakedown Cruise" was a song that ApX keyboardist Bill Hubauer and I bonded over. He'd liked it, too. The big difference is that I used to pretend to play air keyboards on it, and he could do the real thing. I later became a fan of some of Ferguson's earlier endeavors with Spirit ("I Got a Line on You" and "Mr. Skin") and Jo Jo Gunne ("Run Run Run").

104. Days of Future Passed – The Moody Blues
This is probably the closest I ever got to buying classical music. The hits on this album, "Tuesday Afternoon" and "Nights in White Satin," were just the beginning. Well, actually, they were the first and last songs on side two. What kept drawing back to The Moody Blues? Those gentle voices I hear explain it all with a sigh. The front cover of the album says the orchestra was conducted by Peter Knight. I wonder if he wore a white satin tux while conducting. I can imagine Justin Hayward nudging John Lodge and saying, "Look! Knight's in white satin!"

105. The Cars – The Cars
I kept seeing this strange-looking band in my Columbia Record House catalog, and I'd heard "My Best Friend's Girl" on the radio. I figured it was worth a listen, and it turned out to be just what I needed. Wow, what a great album! Come to think of it, I bought the "Let's Go" single (from their follow-up album) even before this, so I was all mixed up. ApologetiX has spoofed four songs off of this album, plus two other Cars songs.

Note: The albums are not listed in order of preference or excellence, but in chronological order of when they influenced me. Also, just because the albums on my list influenced me back then doesn't mean I give them all a blanket endorsement now.

I started actively listening to music in the early 70's and didn't become a born-again Christian until early 1988, so it's going to be a while before we get to the Christian albums, but there will be many of those when the time comes (literally).