Hot 100

TJS Executive Producer Randy Dominguez and I were talking and he said, “I bet there’s a lot of acts who people may not realize are from New Jersey.” That got me thinking. So this issue’s Top 10 are, indeed, artists who folks may not realize belong here.

The B-52’s hit fame as part of a scene in Georgia but founding members Kate Pierson grew up in Rutherford and Fred Schneider was born in Newark. The DeLeo Brothers of Stone Temple Pilots graduated from Point Pleasant High School. Nineties country superstar Clint Black is from Long Branch. Pantera has Zakk Wylde of Bayonne playing lead guitar. Joe Walsh—who graduated Montclair High School—gave the wimpy Southern California Eagles a much-needed shot of Jersey Grit. 070 Shake is from North Bergen. Wyclef Jean, who was born and ran for President in Haiti, grew up in East Orange. 1970s jazz-rock fusion pioneers Return To Forever had drummer Lenny White from Teaneck and guitarist Al Di Meola from Jersey City. SZA is from Maplewood.

Finally, the clip of Phoebe Snow (from Teaneck), dueting with the legendary Ronstadt, may have been shot rather amateurishly, but, still, considering how beloved both icons are, and how sadly silent they both are now, to see them at the peak of their powers on a classic track from the 1960s, is rather soul-stirring.