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
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03.16.24Influential Albums: 1402-1408
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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
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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 26
Fri., Nov. 6. 2020 5:32pm EST

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:

176. All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes – Pete Townshend
I bought this album because I'd heard an awesome new Pete Townshend song in 1982 called "Dance It Away." Surely it had to be on his new album, right? Nope. But that's OK — there were plenty of tracks here that I really enjoyed, including "Stop Hurting People," "Slit Skirts," "Somebody Saved Me," "Uniforms," "Face Dances, Pt. 2," "Communication," "Stardom in Action," and "North Country Girl." Ironically, "Dance It Away" eventually made it onto the reissue edition of this album in 2006.

177. The Best of Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
This is the final entry from my pre-college period. My old friend Chris Marsh turned me on to this one in 1982. Emerson, Lake & Palmer only ever had one Top 40 hit, "From the Beginning." In true prog-rock style, it wasn't included on the original 1980 edition, although they put it on the 1994 edition. My favorite tracks were "Hoedown," "Lucky Man," "Karl Evil 9, First Impression, Pt. 2," "Fanfare for the Common Man," "Still … You Turn Me On," and "Tiger in a Spotlight."

178. What Do You Want from Live - The Tubes
I liked The Tubes' 1981 album, The Completion Backward Principal, so much that I took a flyer on the discount 8-track version of this live double album, which was recorded in London in 1977. It was the first thing I played on my stereo when I moved into my dorm freshman year in college at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) — before my roommate was around — and that was the first time I ever listened to it. The Tubes sounded quite different in 1977 before producer David Foster sanitized their sound, but I was very entertained by their performances and their shticks between the songs. It sounded like fun … but not fun for the whole family … if you know what I mean.

179. It's Hard – The Who
This is the first album I remember buying as a freshman in college. I was so excited that there was a new Who release, even though I was only mildly enthusiastic about the lead single, "Athena." Just one song really captured my fancy when I played it through the first time — "Eminence Front." That became the second single, though it only reached #68. Roger Daltrey has said he thinks that was the only song on the album worthy of being released, which is really saying something, since he didn't even sing lead vocals on it. "I've Known No War" and "Cry if You Want" are probably the two other songs I like best.

180. Business as Usual – Men at Work
Oh boy, did these guys take our dorm by storm. Two #1 pop hits — "Who Can It Be Now" and "Down Under"— both of which ApologetiX has spoofed. It's crazy to think that heavy-duty rock stations were even playing Men at Work back then: "Down Under" was also a #1 mainstream rock hit, with "Be Good Johnny" going to #3 and "Underground" going to #20. I think the whole album is great, but I especially like "I Can See It in Your Eyes." I bought this album for my girlfriend at the time, but didn't appreciate it till we had broken up.

181. A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls
During freshman year, these guys were all the rage. We loved the name, we loved the hair, and we loved the hit. Actually, there were two hits on that album. Everybody knows "I Ran" — ApologetiX has even spoofed it — but "Space Age Love Song" was pretty good, too. That was freshman year. But sophomore year was when two of my roommates, Kevin "Kebo" Johnson and Joe "Flick" Flickinger played this album to death, especially side one. Two other favorites from that side were "You Can't Run" and "Messages." And I was a big fan of "Wishing (If I had a Photograph of You)," the lead single from their next album. I bought the 45 soon after it came out.

182. Combat Rock – The Clash
My old high-school classmate and bandmate Gerard Dominick first turned me on to "Should I Stay or Should I Go." I also loved "Rock the Casbah" and bought the 45. Of course, I already owned London Calling, as discussed earlier on this list. Aside from those two hits, I didn't enjoy this album nearly as much, but I did like "Know Your Rights" and "Car Jamming." ApologetiX spoofed "Should I Stay or Should I Go" in 2003.

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).