1. Heavy D, heavy, D, the, HD, rapper, late Heavy (bombardment ) 2. white, bleach, chlorine, gallon 3. Ur, ziggurat, steps, stair
For #1 and #3, the word (or a homophone) is in the list. For #2, think about the chemical properties of Clorox.
I'm beginning to think my song choice is somewhat more obscure than I thought. Still, when it was originally released, the video got regular airplay on MTV (which should help date the song). And the band is often touted as one that should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But they may have more of a cult following than widespread popularity. As a further clue, what is the pH of bleach?
If I'm remembering chemistry class correctly, substances with high pH values were also called bases, so maybe base or the homophone bass, or basic?
Oh yay. I took two other 3 hr science classes in college to avoid the one 6 hr chemistry class. Anyway I am sure one could follow that pixie dust back to an answer... edit to add: @amp Debaser by the Pixies?
@amp I would have never gotten it without @Avro Arrow and Google. Here's one that is probably more well-known now than it was in the decade of its debut.
@Jim Klag Yep, that's it. The re-creation* of the Live Aid performance for Bohemian Rhapsody made it popular again. The original performance: *(The only thing that was off about that was the lack of sweat; Mercury was a sweat machine in concert.)
Pixies will change your life. Oops, sorry, that's The Shins. I imagine listening to them today they sound like a lot of other groups. But back in the late 80s, the way songs mixed loud choruses with quieter verses was unique, and enormously influential to 90s alternative music. Both Radiohead and Nirvana cite them as major influences. Famously, Kurt Cobain said that Smells Like Teen Spirit was his attempt at writing a Pixies song.
A. It is definitely a great song - 3½ - 4 minutes of kickass rock & roll. B. It is incredibly easy - very literal photos.