Crowd shot masthead ApologetiX Logo Keith Haynie plays bassBill Hubauer plays lead guitarJ. Jackson sings leadJimmy Vegas Tanner plays drums
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as of December 7, 2023

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12.07.23New ApX Apparel & More: Order by Sunday for Christmas
12.07.23How to Get the ApX Library, USBs, Multiple Downloads
12.07.23This Week's Bible Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
12.07.23ApologetiX Updated Christmas Playlist
12.07.23Influential Albums: 1304-1310
12.07.23Just Reword CD Added to iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Etc.
12.04.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.02.23Influential Albums: 1297-1303
12.02.23This Week's Bible Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
12.02.23How to Donate Online or by Mail
12.02.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
12.02.23New Shirts & Other ApX Merch Coming Soon
12.02.23Get Over 1600 Tracks for $100
12.02.23New USB Thumb Drives Include Next CD
12.02.23Get Multiple Downloads for One Donation
12.02.23Samson Rock Opera CD: BOGO & Program Book
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
11.24.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.24.23Clues for 2023 Single #24
11.16.23All 71 ApX CDs Available as Downloads for $9.99 Each
11.16.23Influential Albums: 1283-1289
11.16.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
11.16.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.12.23This Week's News Bulletin
11.12.23New Single: #1 Hits from '81 & '86
11.09.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.09.23Influential Albums: 1276-1282
11.09.23From a Nutty New Fan to an Avid Bible Reader
11.06.23This Week's News Bulletin
11.03.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.02.23BOGO Deal on New CD Ends Saturday
11.02.23Influential Albums: 1269-1275
11.02.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
10.30.23This Week's News Bulletin
10.30.23New Single: '76 & '83
10.27.23Clues for 2023 Single #22
10.27.23Influential Albums: 1262-1268
10.27.23Next Up: Get Ready for Our Samson Rock Opera CD
10.27.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
10.23.23This Week's News Bulletin
10.20.23Influential Albums: 1255-1261
10.20.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
10.19.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
10.15.23This Week's News Bulletin
10.15.23New Single: First Half of the '80s Revisited
10.13.23Influential Albums: 1248-1254
10.13.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
10.13.23Clues for 2023 Single #21
10.12.23All About Our Next CD
10.12.23What's on Our Next CD?
10.09.23This Week's News Bulletin
10.06.23Influential Albums: 1241-1247
10.06.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
10.06.23All About Our Upcoming CD, Just Reword
10.06.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
10.02.23This Week's News Bulletin
10.02.23New Single: 1987 & 2001
09.29.23Influential Albums: 1234-1240
09.29.23Let's Talk About the Next Four ApX CDs
09.29.23Prayers for Cowboy Bob
09.29.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
09.26.23This Week's News Bulletin
09.23.23Influential Albums: 1227-1233
09.23.23Prayers for Jeff Jennings
09.22.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Wk
09.22.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
09.19.23This Week's News Bulletin
09.19.23New Single: '64 & '91
09.14.23Influential Albums: 1220-1226
09.14.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Wk
09.14.23Happy Birthday to ApX Guitarist Tom Tincha
09.14.23Clues for 2023 Single #19
09.10.23This Week's News Bulletin
09.08.23Happy Birthday to ApX Guitarist Wayne Bartley
09.07.23Influential Albums: 1213-1219
09.07.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
09.07.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Wk
09.05.23New Single: '65 & '85
09.04.23This Week's News Bulletin
08.31.23Influential Albums: 1206-1212
08.31.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Wk
08.31.23Prayers for ApX Fan's Son
08.31.23Clues for 2023 Single #18
08.30.23Septuagint CD Added to iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Etc.
08.28.23ApologetiX Needs Help & Prayers
08.24.23Encouragement from 14 States + Canada & Hungary
08.24.23Influential Albums: 1192-1198
08.24.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
08.23.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
08.20.23This Week's News Bulletin
08.20.23New Single: '77 & '84
08.20.23New CD BOGO Ends Wednesday
08.18.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
08.18.23Influential Albums: 1192-1198
08.17.23Clues for 2023 Single #17
08.14.23This Week's News Bulletin
08.10.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week

The Numbers Behind the Songs on This Single
Sat., Feb. 11. 2023 12:55pm EST

J. Jackson, lead singer for ApologetiX here again:

Our new single spoofs a pair of Top 20 hits by well-known American rock bands from opposite ends of the country and opposite ends of the '70s: "Riders on the Storm" by The Doors from Los Angeles in 1971 and "Let's Go" by The Cars from Boston in 1979.

Just an aside: The "A" Side of this single, "Ask God," is NOT just an "A" side. It's the story of how my lovely wife, Lisa, and I met. That's why we're both on the cover this time around.

When we're getting ready to put out a single, I'm always looking for something the two songs have in common. Sometimes I have things mapped out in advance, but often I don't give it much thought until a few days before the release date. That's what happened with "Ask God" and "Riders From the Lord."

I have a pretty good idea of chart positions of songs from the 1950's-2000's, and I can always double-check them in my reference manuals and online. I knew "Let's Go" by The Cars went to #14, and I had been thinking I should double-check where "Riders on the Storm" went.

I knew it peaked higher than Top 20 but lower than Top 10 and probably Top 15. I figured it was #12 or #14, and I thought, "How cool would it be if it also went to #14?" I checked and, sure enough, it went to #14.

That's not a common chart position. Many songs that reach #14 wind up going higher. To put things in perspective, only 52 songs peaked at #14 in the entire decade of the 70's. ApologetiX had already done four of them:

"Heard It in a Love Song" by The Marshall Tucker Band
"Ebony Eyes" by Bob Welch
"Soul Man" by The Blues Brothers
"Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)" by Robert Palmer

The last two were both from 1979, same as "Let's Go," There were eight #14 songs that year, which was tied for the most #14 songs in any year in the 70's, along with 1970 and 1973.

Ironically, the most-recent parody we did before "Ask God" that alluded to Lisa (in the last verse) was "Sermon in a Love Song," which spoofed one of those #14 songs.

Furthermore, Valentine's Day is coming up in a few days on February 14 (2/14).

All of that helped me feel better about putting a song about my wife on the same single with a song about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.