THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

925-Prodigy-No Good (Start the Dance.)

1994-Number 4 single.

Best Bit-At 0.33.Well I suppose if you are one of the main innovators of new musical genres that are embraced by millions, then you are quite entitled to call yourselves, ‘Prodigy.’

The Prodigy were formed in Braintree, Essex, England in 1990, through a chance encounter the previous year, when Keith Flint (1969-2019) met Liam Howlett, at a ‘Rave’ that Howlett was DJing. Flint was so impressed with Howlett’s performance, and after requesting, and receiving a ‘mixtape’ from Howlett, on a cassette, they decided to get together and form the band along with Flint’s friend, the keyboardist, and dancer Leeroy Thornhill, and the vocalist Maxim Reality. The original first lineup was completed by the female dancer, and vocalist Sharky.

The Prodigy (see also best songs 151) have gone on to sell in excess of 25 million records worldwide, and along with the Chemical Brothers, and Fatboy Slim, are credited as pioneers of the ‘Breakbeat’ influenced genre ‘Big Beat,’ pushing forward the development of ‘Electronic Dance Music.’

‘No Good (Start the Dance’) was written and produced by Liam Howlett, and was taken from the bands second studio Album,’Music for the Jilted Generation.’ The songs lyrics are sampled from the dance track, ‘Your No Good To Me,’ by Kelly Charles.

‘You’re no good for me,I don’t need nobody, don’t need no one, that’s no good for me.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

926-The Who-My Generation.

1965-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 2.23.I always publish a songs chart position, but unfortunately it is no guide to a bands actual talent, as The Who never had a Number 1 single, but Westlife had 16, Boyzone had 6, and One Direction had 4. It’s a funny old world we live in.

‘My Generation’ was written by Pete Townsend (see also best songs 891- 306 and 265) at the age of 20, for the rebellious British youths known as ‘Mods,’ to express their feelings that the older generation just don’t understand today’s youth. He wrote the song while on a train ride from London to Southampton, on May 19th, 1965, the day of his birthday. Townsend has said,’My Generation was very much trying to find a place in society, I was very, very lost.’

The song contains one of the most famous lyrics in Rock N’ Roll history, ‘I hope I die before I get old.’ Townsend has said,’ Old”, meant, ‘Very rich.”Townsend has also credited Blues singer,’Mose Allison’s lyrics to his 1959 song,’ Young Man Blues,’ as inspiration, saying,’ Without Mose I wouldn’t have written My Generation.’Lead singer Roger Daltrey had always had a stutter, and it was The Who’s manager Kit Lambert who suggested that Daltrey should sing the song with a stutter to sound like a ‘Mod’ on speed. Daltrey has said,’I have got a stutter, I control it much better now. When we were in the studio Kit Lambert came up to me and said,’Stutter,’ I said, ‘What?’ He said stutter the words, it makes you sound like your pilled.’

‘Why don’t you all f-fade away,don’t try to dig what we all s-s-s-say.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

927-John Lennon-#9 Dream.

1975-Number 23 single.

Best Bit-At 2.09.Only a true genius could invent a new language, ‘Ah! Bowakawa, pousse pousse,’ and people would believe it.

‘#9 Dream’ is the opening song on John Lennon’s fifth solo studio Album, ‘Walls and Bridges,’ from 1974.Lennon has said that the song came to him in a dream, and was just ‘churned out,’ with ‘no inspiration.’ May Pang, who was Lennon’s lover at the time, has said that the repeated phrase,’Ah! Bowakawa, pousse, pousse,’ came to Lennon in the dream, and has no specific meaning.The string arrangement is very similar to Harry Nilsson’s rendition of ‘Many Rivers To Cross,’ from his 1974 Album,’Pussy Cats,’ produced by Lennon. Backing vocals on the song are provided by May Pang, who also provides the whispered ,’John,’ part.

Throughout his life John Lennon (see also best songs 6-10- 20-51-80-141-168-218-238-319-456-473 and 599) was always fascinated with the ‘Number 9,’ Two Beatles songs, have that number included in there title, ‘Revolution 9,’ and ‘One After 9.’ Lennon was born on October 9, as was his son Sean, The Beatles first gig at The Cavern Club, took place on February 9, 1961, and their manager Brian Epstein first saw them perform on May 9, in the same year. The Beatles first single,’Love Me Do,’ was released on Parlophone Records ‘R4949, and Lennon’s first home was 9 Newcastle Road, Wavertree, Liverpool, those three names each contain 9 letters, and incidentally, this song reached Number 9 on Billboard.

‘Somebody called out my name, (John,) as it started to rain.

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

928-Kylie Minogue-Can’t Get You Out of My Head.

2001-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0.15.The songs title does exactly what it says on the tin.

‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ is Kylie Minogue’s signature tune. It is her best selling song in the UK, with sales in excess of 1.16 million, and is currently the 75th best selling song of all time in Britain. Worldwide the track topped the charts in 40 countries, including Kylie’s native Australia, and every major European country that produces a chart, with the exception of Finland, where it only peaked at Number five.The song was co-written by Cathy Dennis, and Rob Davis, initially with S Club 7 in mind, but their manager Simon Fuller didn’t think it was right for their image, so it was offered to Sophie Ellis-Bexter, who also turned it down. After Rob Davis met with Kylie’s management, and she recorded a demo, the song was added to her eighth studio Album ‘Fever,’ in 2001.

Cathy Dennis started her musical career providing vocals for the group ‘D-Mob’ on their 1989 Number 15 single, ‘C’mon and Get My Love,’ she went on to have a further 10 top 40 hits, until 1987.As a songwriter, she has had even greater success, co-writing eight UK Number 1 singles, including ‘Toxic’ for Britney Spears, and ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ for Katy Perry.

Rob Davis had great success in the 1970’s as guitarist with the ‘Glam Rock’ band Mud. He wrote, or co-wrote 45 songs with them, the most successful being ‘L’L’L’Lucy,’ which peaked at Number 10 in 1975.

‘La la la, la la la la,la, la la.la.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

929-Rick Springfield-Jessie’s Girl.

1981-It was not released in the UK until 1984, when it reached Number 43.Best Bit-At 2.18.As far as I am aware this is the only song in the world ever to have the word ‘moot’ in the lyrics, if that’s not a moot point to make.

Rick Springfield was born, Richard Springthorpe on 23rd August, 1949, in South Wentworthville, New South Wales, Australia. He is an actor as well as a musician, with both professions running concurrently.As an actor he is best known for portraying Dr Noah Drake in the ‘ABC’ network daytime Soap Opera, ‘General Hospital.’ As a musician he is a far bigger star in America and Australia, than he is in the UK, where this song topped the chart in both countries.His only UK hit to date is with ‘Human Touch,’ which reached Number 23 in 1993.

In the mid 1970’s Springfield attended a course on ‘Stained Glass,’ with a friend of his called Gary. Springfield had a major crush on Gary’s girlfriend, but she showed no interest in him. A few weeks later Springfield left the course, and never saw either of them again.The thoughts of his unrequited love stayed with him, and when writing for his 1981 Album, ‘Working Class Dog,’ he finally got around to writing the song. He changed the name of ‘Gary’ to Jessie (named after American footballer, Ron Jessie,) but admits he doesn’t remember the girls name.

Springfield has said that as far as he knows, the woman who inspired the song has no idea that she is ‘Jessie’s Girl.’ He told Oprah Winfrey, ‘I was never really introduced to her, it was always just, panting from afar.

‘The ‘Oprah Winfrey Show’ tried to find her, and they got as far back as finding out that the teacher of the class had died , and that his class records had been thrown out one year after his death.

‘I wanna tell her that I love her, but the point is probably moot.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

930-The Beach Boys-California Girls.

1965-Number 26 single.

Best Bit-At 0.22.California, or Colorado, or Carolina, or Connecticut, or even Cleckheaton, as long as she’s got a pulse.

The Beach Boys (see also best songs 811-180 and 74) were formed in 1961, in Hawthorne, California, U.S., by the brothers, Brian, Dennis, (1944-1983) and Carl Wilson (1946-1948,) their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston who sang for the very first time with the band, on this song, joined in 1965.

‘California Girls’ was written by Brian Wilson (music,) and Mike Love (lyrics,) Wilson said, ‘I came up with the introduction first, I’m still really proud of that, it has a classical feel.’ He has also said that he got inspiration for the intro from ‘Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,’ (Joy,) the piece of music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1723. Mike Love who wrote the lyrics, has told the tale of Paul McCartney using the theme of ‘girls and places,’ as inspiration for the Beatles song ‘Back in the USSR.’

As well as The Beach Boys there were a total of 13 other musicians playing on this track, including Hal Blaine (drums,) and Carol Kaye (bass guitar,) both of whom feature on many other songs in this countdown.

‘And the Northern girls with the way they kiss, they keep their boyfriends warm at night.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

931-Black Legend-You See the Trouble With Me.

2000-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 1.24.The upside of being a Barry White tribute act is that you can eat as much as you want, in the knowledge that it is part of your job, the downside would be health complications in later life.

Black Legend are the two Italian music producers, Enrico Ferrari, and Ciro Sasso, they came very close to being ‘one hit wonders’ in the UK, but they are not, because their third single ‘Somebody’ reached Number 37 in 2001.

‘You See the Trouble with Me’ is the duo’s interpretation of the 1975 Barry White(see also best songs 560-476 and 153) UK Number 2 single, written by White, and Ray Parker Jr of Ghostbusters fame. Black Legend were denied the rights to sample Barry White’s vocals for the song so brought in Elroy ‘Spoonface’ Powell, who sings on the track, and also appears in the songs video. Over the years Powell has worked with many other artists including Craig David, and the Sugababes, he is also an actor, appearing in the BBC TV soap opera Eastenders, as a market trader in 2014, and he also had a part in ‘Star Wars, Episode V11-The Force Awakens,’ in 2015.

‘1975, We’re goin’ to an Album with a song. Put your hands together.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

932-Gary Moore-Still Got the Blues (For You.)

1990-Number 31 single.

Best Bit-At 5.04.If guitars could speak, this one would be saying everything you ever wanted to hear.

Robert William Gary Moore was born in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, 4 April, 1952, he died of a heart attack on 6 February, 2011, at the age of 58.

Gary Moore got his first break when joining the band Skid Row (not the American one,) which was where he met Phil Lynott, who in future years, he would team up with again many times, including as part of Thin Lizzy (see also best songs 125.)

Moore had been playing ‘The Blues’ in his youth, and after many years of playing ‘Rock,’ decided to go back to his first love, and record an Electric Blues Album in 1989. Moore has said that he owned a 1959 ‘Les Paul standard guitar,’ on which he recorded this track on, in one take.

In 2008 a German court ruled that the guitar solo on this song was plagiarised by Moore from a 1974 instrumental recording called ‘Nordrach,’ by the German group ‘Jud’s Gallery.’ Moore denied knowing of the song, but the judge ruled in favour of Jurgen Winter of Jud’s Gallery, and Moore was ordered to pay an undisclosed amount in damages. Go to ‘YouTube,’ and make up your own mind, at 6.15 minutes into the song, is a good place to start.

‘So long,it was so long ago, but I’ve still got the Blues for you.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

933-The Rolling Stones-Fool To Cry.

1976-Number 6 single.

Best Bit At 2.54.The majority of bands or artists have normally produced their best work within five years, or three Albums.The Rolling Stones were in their 14th year, and on to Album number 15.

‘Fool To Cry’ was co-written by Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards(see also best songs 662-452-160 and 77) but it is safe to say it is mainly a Jagger composition, as it is well known that Richards is not a fan of the song. Just prior to the recording of this tracks parent Album,’Black and Blue,’ Mick Taylor, the bands guitarist for the previous five years left in order to pursue other avenues, so the Stones used four different electric guitar players, over the eight tracks, with Wayne Perkins performing on this song.

And now the difficult bit, what is the meaning of the song ‘Fool To Cry,’ all about? A man comes home after working all night, he puts his daughter on his knee, and she asks him, what’s wrong.He doesn’t tell her, and she tells him he is foolish to cry.From time to time he goes to visit a woman on the other side of town, and they make love.She tries to get him to tell her what is troubling him, and she comes to the same conclusion as his daughter, that he is a fool to cry. Questions remain unanswered, such as, is this man cheating on someone? Is he suffering from depression? Or does he want his cake, and eat it?

‘Even my friends say to me sometimes, and make out like I don’t understand them.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

934-Bing Crosby and The Andrew Sisters-Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive.

1944-Has never charted in the UK, there was no chart until 1952.

Best Bit-At 1.18.It is quite possibly the first ever ‘Happy Clappy’ song.

The song was written by Harold Arden (see also best songs 634-281 and 68,) who provided the music, and Johnny Mercer (see also best songs 281 and 45,) who wrote the lyrics.Mercer explained his inspiration for the songs subject,’ I went to hear Father Divine(1876-1965) and he had a sermon, and his subject was ‘you got to accentuate the positive, and eliminate the negative,’ and I said, wow, that’s a colourful phrase.’ It would be around five years later that Mercer, when discussing songs he was working on with Harold Arden, finally put that phrase, that had stuck in his head all those years, down on paper.

The first recording of the song was by Mercer himself, with ‘The Pied Pipers,’ their version reached Number 2 on Billboard in 1944.Later on in the year, this version by Bing Crosby (see also best songs 457) and the Andrew Sisters (see also best songs 252,) also peaked at Number 2 on Billboard.

In 1944 the song was used in the American romantic comedy,’Here Comes the Waves,’ starring Bing Crosby, where he performs the song, but not with The Andrew Sisters.

‘To illustrate his last remark,Jonah in the whale, Noah in the Arc.’