THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
114-Marvin Gaye-What’s Going On.
1971-Has never charted in the UK.
Best Bit-At 1.43.Berry Gordy Jr. founder of Motown records and also the brother-in-law of Marvin Gaye did not want this song released as he thought a protest song would not go down well with Motown’s fan base and the wider general public.
The original idea for the song came from Renaldo Benson(1936-2005) of the Four Tops.He had been on the groups tour bus in Berkeley,California on May 15,1969 when he witnessed police brutality and violence in the city’s ‘Peoples Park’ during a protest held by anti war activists in what was later to become known as ‘Bloody Thursday.’Benson took his idea for the song to Motown staff songwriter Al Cleveland(1930-1996) who helped develop the song.
Benson offered the song to the Four Tops(see also best songs 650) but they refused it because of it’s subject matter,so he then took it to Marvin Gaye(see also best songs 723 and 183) who added many of his own ideas.
The song went on to peak at Number 2 on Billboard selling over 2 million copies and became Motown’s biggest selling single up to that point.
‘Picket lines and picket signs,don’t punish me with brutality.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
115-Gary Glitter-I’m the Leader of the Gang(I Am.)
1973-Number 1 single.
Best Bit-At 2.36.I can imagine many people are looking at this artists name in shock and horror,and also at it’s inclusion, that of course is totally understandable.
Many other artists in this list have also committed atrocious crimes,but Gary Glitter’s atrocities make him the most infamous.For the record I state it is the song and not the singer that is worthy of inclusion.
‘I’m the Leader of the Gang(I Am’) was co-written by Glitter and Mike Leander(1941-1996.) Leander has worked with some of the all time greats including the Beatles and The Rolling Stones,he also co-wrote Glitter’s other two UK Number 1’s,’I Love You,Love Me Love,’ from 1973 and ‘Always Yours’ from 1974.He died of Cancer at the age of 54 in 1996.
Gary Glitter was born Paul Gadd in Banbury,Oxfordshire in 1944.On 5th February 2015 he was convicted of attempted rape,four counts of indecent assault and one of having sex with a girl under the age of 13.On 27th February 2015,Judge Alistair McCreath sentenced Glitter to 16 years in prison.
‘Come on,come on,come on,come on,come on,come on,come on.’
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The countdown continues tomorrow at 1.0.pm.

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
116-Norman Greenbaum-Spirit in the Sky.
1970-Number 1 single.
Best Bit-At 3.19.It’s always nice to have something to look forward to.
Norman Greenbaum was born in Maiden,Massachusetts,United States in 1942.He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household and attended Hebrew school at the local synagogue.He is one of only a handful of artists who are truly one hit wonders(a one hit wonder is someone who has had a Number 1 single,but has never again reached the top 75 with any other song.)
Greenbaum has explained the songs meaning,’What did we grow up watching? Westerns! These mean and nasty varmints get shot and they wanted to die with their boots on.So to me that was spiritual.It wasn’t like a Christian song of praise it was just a simple song.I had to use Christianity because I had to use something.But more important it wasn’t the Jesus part,it was the spirit in the sky.’
The song has been a UK Number 1 on three separate occasions.In 1986 Doctor and the Medics took their version to the top of the chart and in 2003 Gareth Gates with The Kumars hit Number 1 with the official Comic Relief charity single for that year.
‘When I die and they lay me to rest,gonna go to the place that’s the best.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
118-David Bowie-Heroes.
1977-Number 24 single.After Bowie’s death in 2016 the song re-entered the chart reaching Number 12.
Best Bit-At 3.59.It was seeing what the Berlin Wall divided,and the sight of a couple embracing near it which inspired this tale of forbidden love.
Tired with the stresses of fame and his lifestyle Bowie uprooted for a change,moving to West Berlin in late 1976.This was where his three consecutively released Albums known as the ‘Berlin Trilogy’ were made,’Low(1977),’Heroes'(1977) and ‘Lodger'(1979.)
‘Heroes’ was co-written by Bowie and long term collaborator Brian Eno,it was produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti. Like many Bowie songs from that period the music was written before the lyrics.
Bowie(see also best songs 807-440-334-302-209 and 186) had seen Visconti embracing his lover by the Berlin Wall,Visconti at the time was still married to singer Mary Hopkin. This led to Bowie thinking of other types of forbidden love such as Gay relationships or interracial,and the symbolic Wall of Berlin dividing East from West.
Following Bowie’s death in 2016 the German government thanked Bowie for ‘Helping to bring down the Wall,’ adding,’You are now among Heroes.’
‘And the shame was on the other side,oh we can beat them forever and ever.’
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