Wall of Voodoo was an underground New Wave band of the late 1970s and 1980s. They had a following, for sure, but their music didn’t have wide reach.
With one exception.
“Mexican Radio” (1982) was a song about the border blaster radio stations of Northern Mexico whose strong signals could be picked up in L.A. The song charted in the U.S. and overseas, and its video was in MTV’s regular rotation.
The band was a one-hit wonder. I asked AI agent Google Gemini, how much will the band make in royalties off its one hit in 2026?
The findings:
- The band had five members
- Two of those members wrote the song
- The nonwriting performers are likely to earn $150 to $400 this year
- The songwriters are on track to earn $3500 to $6500
Writing songs is more richly rewarded than playing an instrument. It is why Pete Townshend became a millionaire several years before the rest of The Who.
INSIDER TIP: When asking AI to make a complicated guess such as this one, ask it to explain its reasoning in detail each step of the way.
In Memphis magazine, Bruce V has a look at Heath’s Bar in Iris. The restaurant may be in Midtown, but Bobby Heath is a member of the Downtown family. Go see him for a well-mixed cocktail.
Sports fans, you’re starting your week with incomplete information if you don’t watch the “What’s happening at Max’s Sports Bar” reel on Facebook every Monday. It’s social media done right. The reels are captioned, so if you need to watch them with the sound off you won’t miss anything.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast comes to the Orpheum Tuesday-Sunday.
Memphis Chess Club is getting set for its summer chess camp. Learn the basics of the game, chess strategy, and play against other newbies in the community.
July 6-10th (daily options available)
Camp T-Shirt included
10% off MCC Membership upon completion
⚾ Memphis Redbirds Rooftop Evening Viewings
Back tomorrow with more news.
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