THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

895-Livin’ Joy-Dreamer.

1994-Number 18 single. When re-released in 1995 it reached Number 1,

Best Bit-At 3.28.This one really is a DJ’s dream, as it will mix easily in to anything.

Livin’ Joy were one of the musical projects of Italian producers Paolo Visnadi, and Gianni Visnadi, they co-write this song along with vocalist Janice Robinson. The Visnadi brothers had already tasted success with their previous project,’Alex Party,’ having charted three times, most notably when ‘Don’t Give Me Your Life’ peaked at Number 2 in 1995.They were even more successful with Livin’ Joy, achieving five top 20 hits, between 1995-1997.

‘Dreamer’ was also co-written by Janice Robinson, due to contractual disagreements, she only sang on this song for Livin’ Joy, with Tameka Starr, replacing her on all the 11 tracks recorded for their only Album release,’Don’t Stop Movin,’ released in 1996. Robinson’s version of ‘Dreamer’ does in fact feature on the Album as a bonus hidden track, at the end of the disc.

In 2018 after a break from performing Robinson returned to the stage on ‘The X Factor’ as a contestant, she surprised the judges with the revelation that she was the songwriter, and voice behind the song. She made it through to the live shows, as part of the ‘Over 28s’ category, eventually finishing in 14th place.

‘Love life and laughter is all I believe, my saviour is pure now, because my lonely heart would bleed.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

896-Billy Paul-Me and Mrs Jones.

1972-Number 12 single.

Best Bit-At 3.37.There is a very clever hint as to what this song is about at 0.17 seconds,when the saxophone is playing the 1953 song ‘Secret Love,’ by Doris Day.

Billy Paul was born Paul Williams on December 1st, 1934, he died on April 24th, 2016. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.,and is associated with the ‘Philadelphia Soul’ music that came out of that area, predominantly in the 1970’s.

‘Me and Mrs Jones’ was co-written by Kenny Gamble, and Leon Huff (see also best songs 1001-725-648-604 and 322,) with the lyrics provided by Cary ‘Hippy’ Gilbert (1942-1993.) Other songs Gilbert wrote the lyrics for include, ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way,'(see also best songs 725,) and ‘Let’s Clean Up the Ghetto,’ for the Philadelphia International All-Stars.

Kenny Gamble has explained where he and Leon Huff got the idea for the song from.Gamble and Huff would frequent a little bar most days,’This guy used to come in to the bar everyday, a little guy who looked like a judge. We’re songwriters, so we’re always thinking about a song.The next day he came in again, and everyday after he’d come in, this girl would come in 10-15 minutes after he’d get there, and they’d sit in the same booth, then go to the jukebox, and play the same songs. We said, ‘That’s me and Mrs Jones.”

‘We meet everyday at the same cafe, six-thirty, and no one knows she’ll be there.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

897-Simple Minds-Don’t You (Forget About Me.)

1985-Number 7 single.Bet Bit-At 3.43 The moment you have said everything that needs saying, but you still can’t shut up.

This is the gem that so many passed up on.’Don’t You (Forget About Me’) was written by Keith Forsey, and Steve Schiff, pacifically for the 1985 film ‘The Breakfast Club.’ Both Forsey, and Schiff were big fans of Simple Minds, and wrote the song with them in mind, but initially the band declined the offer, with Jim Kerr saying,’We are Simple Minds, we don’t do songs that sound like Simple Minds. We are Simple Minds, we do our own songs.’ The song was next offered to Bryan Ferry, and then to Billy Idol, but both were not interested.Eventually after a lot of persuasion from their record label, and Kerr’s wife Chrissie Hynde, they recorded it,believing it would be a throwaway song, on a soundtrack, to a forgettable movie.

The rest of course is history, as The Breakfast Club would go on to become one of the most popular, and critically acclaimed films of the 1980’s. The song played out over the film’s end credits, and broke Simple Minds in America, topping the Billboard singles chart, and as of 2018, is the 485th biggest selling song ever in the United States.

‘Will you stand above me, look my way, never love me. Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling down.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

898-Buddy Holly-Peggy Sue.

1957-Number 6 single.

Best Bit-At 1.24.Air guitar for the 1950’s teenager.

‘Peggy Sue’ was written by Jerry Allison, Norman Petty (1927-1984,) and Buddy Holly (1936-1959.)The song was originally going to be called ‘Cindy Lou,’ in honour of Holly’s niece, the daughter of his sister, Pat Kaiter, but the title was changed to ‘Peggy Sue,’ in reference to Peggy Sue Gerron, the then girlfriend of Jerry Allison, who was to become his future wife.Holly’s name was only added to the list of writing credits after his death, at the insistence of Jerry Allison.

Buddy Holly(see also best songs 264,) and his fellow musicians in The Crickets, are looked upon as forerunners of what would become Rock Music, with several of the worlds greatest artists, citing Holly as an inspiration, including John Lennon, and Paul McCartney, who said they studied Holly’s records, learned his performance style, and lyricism, and based their act around his persona.Other artists who have said they owe Holly a debt, include Bob Dylan, who saw Holly perform live, and Keith Richards who has said that he modelled his early guitar playing on the song ‘Not Fade Away,’ Richards also said that Holly passed on his guitar playing, via the Beatles, and via The Rolling Stones,’He’s in everybody.

‘If you knew Peggy Sue, then you’d know why I feel blue.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

899-The Black Eyed Peas-Boom Boom Pow.

2009-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 2.58.Will. i. am’s dislike of fairies who mend shoes, surfaces again, or is he just talking a load of old cobblers.

The Black Eyed Peas (see also best songs 234) have been active since 1995, but Will. i. am (Wiiliam Adams,) Taboo (Jaime Gomez,) and apl. de. ap (Alan Lindo,) had been working together since 1988. The bands forth member, Fergie (Stacy Ferguson,) joined them for the recording of their third Album,’Elephunk’ in 2003, she remained a member until 2017 (see also best songs 909.)

‘Boom Boom Pow’ was the lead single from The Black Eyed Peas fifth studio Album ‘The E.N.D.,’ and gave them their first Billboard Number 1 single in 2009. Will i am had been in Australia filming for his role as John Wraith, for the film ‘X-Men Origins. Wolverine,’ and had been spending evenings in nightclubs in Sydney where he was influenced by the ‘Electro Music’ that he heard. He has also stated that the song ‘Planet Rock’ by Afrika Bambaataa from 1982 (see also best songs 716,) was also a major influence, which is ironic considering that this song is about what music will sound like in the future.

‘Here we go, here we go, satellite radio. Y’all getting hit with the boom boom.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

900-Diana Ross-Touch Me in the Morning.

1973-Number 9 single.Best Bit-At 2.28 It’s the best offer you’ll get all day.

The song is very fitting actually, because Diana Ross, at that time would only record her vocals in the early morning. According to Ross’ second oldest daughter Tracee Ellis Ross, her mother would put them to bed and record all night, in order to wake her children, and send them to school the next morning (see also best songs 1001-519-411-365-212-183-148 and 28.)

One of the songs co-writers Michael Masser said that Diana,’Always tried to push to get her vocals right’,calling it a ‘draining experience,’ that resulted in several near emotional breakdowns, when she wasn’t up to her abilities.

‘Touch Me in the Morning’ was co-written by Ron Miller (1932-2007,) and Michael Masser (1941-2015.) Miller was already a well established songwriter, having co-written many of Stevie Wonder’s 1960’s hits including,’For Once In My Life,’ and ‘Yester-Me, Yester-You,Yesterday,’ he also co-wrote the 1982 UK Number 1 single, ‘I’ve Never Been To Me,’ for Charlene.For the songs other co-writer, Michael Masser, this was his breakthrough hit, future successes included ‘Saving All My Love For You,’ and ‘The Greatest Love of All,’ for Whitney Houston, as well as further hits for Diana Ross, including, ‘The Last Time I Saw Him,’ and ‘The Theme From Mahogany.’

‘Wasn’t it yesterday we used to laugh at the wind behind us.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

901-Manic Street Preachers-The Everlasting.

1998-Number 11 single.

Best Bit-At 3.45.If all songs were as easy to decipher as boy meets girl, boy and girl get married, boy and girl live happily ever after, then we wouldn’t have to engage our brains.

No one can accuse the ‘Manics,’ or at least the songs lyrics writer, Nicky Wire, of not challenging us.There are many ways of trying to interoperate what Wire is telling us, so I can only offer my interpretation.

It is partly about how life can grind you down, as you grow from a carefree youth, into the dissolution, of becoming an adult.At the start of the journey,’Our smiles were genuine,’ but as you grow older, you become exhausted.

The Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh Rock Band formed in Blackwood, Wales, in 1986 by James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore, and Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards became the fourth full time member of the band, shortly after the release of their first single,’ Suicide Alley,’ in 1988.

The disappearance of Edwards in 1995 is one of Pop Music’s greatest mysteries, he has never been found, and it is assumed that he took his own life. His family had the option of declaring him legally dead from 2002 onward, but chose to wait, leaving his status as a missing person, until November 23rd, 2008,when he became officially,’presumed dead.’

‘In the beginning when we were winning, when our smiles were genuine.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

902-Sandie Shaw-(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me.

1964-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0.28. I am a great believer in that, the first version of a song you hear, will nearly always remain as your favourite version.

This is particularly prevalent with this song, as it has been recorded so many times, and in so many different styles. The original version by the Soul singer Lou Johnson (1941-2019,) reached Number 49 on Billboard in 1964. Other noteworthy versions are by R.B. Greaves (1943-2012,) who took his version to Number 27 on Billboard in 1970, and Dionne Warwick, who released it as a ‘B’ side in 1968. But the most successful American hit of the song was by British Synthpop duo Naked Eyes,who took their version to Number eight in 1984, although in the UK the song stalled at Number 59. In 1995 the Electronic duo Tin Tin Out recorded a dance version, which peaked at Number 14 in the UK.

The song was written by the legendary songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David (1921-2012,) (see also best songs 832-815-740-644 and 224 ) and recorded by Sandie Shaw as her second ever single release, and it became her first hit. Shaw would go on to become the first female artist to have three UK Number 1 singles, and her Eurovision song contest winning song,’Puppet on a String’ from 1967, is the biggest selling Eurovision song ever, with sales in excess of four million copies worldwide.

‘I walk along the city streets you used to walk along with me, and every step I take recalls how much in love we used to be.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER

903-Duran Duran-Planet Earth.

1981-Number 12 single.

Best Bit-At 2.52.What I think they are saying is, listen up world, we have something new, and original, and exciting, that we want to show you.

The ‘New Romantic’ scene had sprung up at the back end of the 1970’s, mainly in London,and Birmingham, and in 1981 bands such as Spandau Ballet, and Duran Duran, were just about to commercialise it, with their fashion, and ‘Radio Friendly’, Pop songs.

The ‘New Romantic’ movement was influenced by artists such as David Bowie, and Bryan Ferry, with the clothes they wore, and also by the ‘Romantic’ period of the late 18th Century, and early 19th Century, from where the movement took it’s name.

Duran Duran were formed in Birmingham, England, in 1978, and although other members have come and gone, the most recognisable are, Simon Le Bon (vocals,) Nick Rhodes (keyboards,) John Taylor (bass,) Roger Taylor (drummer,) and Andy Taylor (guitarist,) none of the Taylor’s are related.In the UK they have achieved two Number 1 singles, and one UK Number 1 Album. Their latest release to date, was the 2015 ‘Paper Gods’ Album, which was their 14th studio Album.

‘Like some New Romantic looking for the TV sound, you’ll see I’m right some other time.

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

904-Feeder-Buck Rogers.

2001-Number 5 single.

Best Bit-At 0.28. For the youngsters, a C.D. player was something that you could listen to music on, it was introduced many years after the Gramophone, but well before the computer.

Feeder are a Welsh Rock band, formed in Newport, in 1994 by Grant Nicholas, Jon Lee (1968-2002,) and Taka Hirose, the band are named after Nicholas’ pet goldfish.

‘Buck Rogers’ was written by Grant Nicholas, with the aim of having the American Rock Band ‘SR-71’ record it, as he thought it didn’t suit the style of music Feeder were trying to achieve, but their producer Gil Norton saw the potential, and convinced them to record it themselves.The song tells the story of a relationship ending,in which the girlfriend of the narrator leaves him for a character called Buck Rogers. The songs writer has said, ‘I was going through a break up, and it was inspired by that.’ The songs title was inspired by the television series ‘Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,’ Nicholas had been experimenting on a keyboard, and told his engineer, Matt Sime, that he thought what he was playing sounded futuristic, they both agreed a good title would be Buck Rogers.

Nicholas has stated that the lyrics are meant to be stupid and funny,he has said that people always ask him about the lyric ‘Drink Cider from a lemon,’ he has said that as a teenager he and his friends would go out drinking cider, but because of it’s taste, they would add lemonade.

‘He’s got a brand new car, looks like a Jaguar, it’s got leather seats, it’s got a CD player.’