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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03.16.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
03.16.24Easter Season Playlist 2024
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
12.28.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
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
12.16.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
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 21
Fri., Oct. 2. 2020 3:06pm 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 are this week's entries:

141. Misfits – The Kinks
This album was originally released in 1978 (about three years before I heard it), and some of the songs haven't aged as well as others, but the title track is timeless. Another highlight was the tune that brought The Kinks back to the Top 40, "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy," which predated Bad Company's similarly-titled-but-totally-different hit "Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy" by 10 months. Alas, The Kinks only went to #30, whereas BadCo went to #13.

142. Dream Police – Cheap Trick
I think I bought this album in the winter of 1979-80, so it should be about 40-50 slots earlier on the list, but I forgot to include it till now. I didn't like it as much as its predecessor, Cheap Trick at Budokan, but who could resist "Dream Police" and "Voices"? My other favorites were "Way of the World" and "I Know What I Want." ApologetiX spoofed the title track in 2016.

143. Making Movies – Dire Straits
I had bought the "Sultans of Swing" single in early 1979 but hadn't kept up with Dire Straits after that. Michael Ranieri insisted I borrow this, their third album. I wouldn't truly appreciate the genius songwriting of Mark Knopfler till many years later, but it was hard not to like an album that featured "Tunnel of Love," "Romeo and Juliet," and "Skateaway." And that's just side one!

144. Paradise Theater – Styx
I first heard about this album in early 1981 on some radio promo that featured selected cuts. I was a sucker for concept albums, and I loved the contrast between the front and back covers. Of course, our local radio station played "The Best of Times" to death. I borrowed a cassette copy from a high-school friend and bought my own copy years later. ApologetiX has spoofed two songs from this one, "Rockin' the Paradise" and "Too Much Time on My Hands," but my other favorites are "Half-Penny, Two-Penny" and the admittedly corny "Nothing Ever Goes as Planned."

145. Love Stinks – The J. Geils Band
This album's first single, "Come Back," was my introduction to The J. Geils Band, even though they'd been around for over a decade. The second single, "Love Stinks," was the one that got me interested enough to borrow the album from Michael Ranieri. Calling them "hits" would be a bit generous — "Come Back" went to #32 and "Love Stinks" went to #38. The real hits would come on their next album. My favorites on this one were "Just Can't Wait" (the third single, which went to #78) and "No Anchovies, Please" (the flip side of that third single). I bought my own copy in the spring of my junior year in high school.

146. Reggatta de Blanc – The Police
I'd enjoyed the Police's first and third albums, so I figured it was time to investigate their second one, and it became my second-favorite Police release. The opening tracks on side one and side two — "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon" — were The Police's first two #1 hits in the UK, but my favorite cuts were "Bring on the Night" and "On Any Other Day." We played one of this album's lesser-known tracks, "It's Alright for You," in Terminal (the first band I was ever a member of), and I think we may have played "Message in a Bottle," too. I know we spoofed it in ApologetiX.

147. The Who by Numbers – The Who
This album is relatively quiet by Who standards, but it contains two of my favorite Who songs, "Slip Kid" and "Success Story." "Blue, Red, and Gray" is a pretty little song, too. ApologetiX spoofed "Squeeze Box" back in our early days.

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).