THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

805-Jungle Brothers-I’ll House You.

1988-Number 22 single.

Best Bit-At 2.44.The world’s coolest landlords.

The Jungle Brothers were formed in New York City, United States in 1987, by Michael Small (Mike Gee,) Nathaniel Hall (Afrika Baby Bam,) and Sammy Burwell (DJ Sammy B,) they released their latest Album, ‘Keep it Jungle’ in 2020. They were one of the first (if not the first) to mix the genres of Hip-Hop, and House Music, which was to become known as ‘Hip-House,’ helping to influencing the early 1990’s Rave scene.The Jungle Brothers were also an influence on like minded Hip-Hop artists De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest.

‘I’ll House You’ blends the sounds of Chicago House with Rap, which was groundbreaking at the time.The track was produced by House Music producer Todd Terry who was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, on April 18th, 1967, when the song was completed it was added to late 1988 re-issues of the Jungle Brothers critically acclaimed debut Album ‘Straight out the Jungle’.Todd Terry also recorded a version of the song without the Jungle Brothers, using the name ‘Royal House,’ and calling the song ‘Can You Party,’ this version peaked at Number 14, in the UK in 1988.Terry has also collaborated with other artists on a further eight UK top 40 singles, including the 1995 remix of ‘Missing’ by Everything but the Girl (see also best songs 348.)

‘Round and round, and round and round, and round, hear the house music steady, steady poundin.”

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

806-Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse-Valerie.

2007-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 0.08. The voice that proves she is a worthy member of the ’27 Club.’

Amy Jade Winehouse was born on September 14th, 1983, in Southgate, London, England, and died July 23rd, 2011. Winehouse was plagued by drug and alcohol addiction, and died of alcohol poisoning, at the age of 27.She released two critically acclaimed Albums during her lifetime (‘Frank’ in 2003, and ‘Back to Black’ in 2006,’) a posthumous collection of demos, and covers called ‘Lioness, Hidden Treasures,’ was released in December 2011.

Amy Winehouse is now a member of the ’27 Club,’which commemorates artists who have died at that age.At one time it was thought that more pop stars were dying at that age than any other, but research has repeatedly disproved this. Between 1969-1971, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison all died at that age, but it wasn’t until about two and a half decades later, with the death of Kurt Cobain, that the idea of a 27 club began to catch on in public perception.In 2011, 17 years after Cobain’s death, Amy Winehouse died, she had three years earlier expressed her fear of dying at 27.

The original version of ‘Valerie’ was a Number 9 hit single for the Liverpool band The Zutons, primarily written by the bands lead singer Dave McCabe, but writing credits are given to five band members.The songs title, and subject refer to celebrity makeup artist Valerie Star, who visited McCabe when he was having a hard time, but she ended up being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, and had her license suspended.Amy Winehouse had always been a fan of the song, and when Mark Ronson (see also best songs 40) asked her to sing something on his 2007 Album ‘Version,’she chose this, which Ronson radically reworked, admitting it was influenced by the Jam’s 1982 song ‘Town Called Malice (see also best songs 59.)

‘Cause since I’ve come on home, well my body’s been a mess,and I’ve missed your ginger hair, and the way you like to dress.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

807-David Bowie-Drive-In Saturday.

1973-Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 0.53.Bowie wrote the song, with the intention of offering it to Mott The Hoople for the follow up to ‘All the Young Dudes,’however they rejected it, Bowie was very surprised at this rebuff, so drunkenly shaved his eyebrows in protest, Bowie said,’That taught them a lesson,’ (see also best songs 661 and 334.)

David Bowie wrote the song at a time when he had a fear of flying, so he used to travel a lot by train.He was on a journey between Seattle. Washington, and Phoenix, Arizona, at night, and the strange lights amidst the barren landscape got his imagination working.

‘Drive-In Saturday’ describes how the inhabitants of a post-apocalyptic world in the future (Bowie once said that the year was 2033) have forgotten how to make love, and needed to watch old films of the 1950’s, and 1960’s, to see how it is done.The lyrics name check Mick Jagger (‘When people stared in Jagger’s eyes and scored,’) the model Twiggy (‘She’d sigh like Twig the wonder kid,’) who in October 1973, would feature on the cover of Bowie’s Album ‘Pin Ups,’ and the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (1875-1961,) (‘Jung the foreman prayed at work.’)

Bowie (see also best songs 440-334-302-209-186-118-47-31 and 5) first introduced the song at a concert in Cleveland,Ohio,’It’s about a future where people have forgotten how to make love, so they go back on to video-films that they have kept from this century.This is after a catastrophe of some kind, and people are living on the streets, and some people are living in domes, and they borrow from one another, and try to learn how to pick up the pieces.

‘She’s uncertain if she likes him, but she knows she really loves him.It’s a crash course for the ravers, it’s a drive-in Saturday.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

808-Glenn Miller-Moonlight Serenade.

1939-It couldn’t chart initially, because there was no chart until 1952.When re-issued in 1954 it peaked at Number 12, and again when re-issued in 1976, it reached Number 13.

Best Bit-At 1.40. In America, on Billboard, between 1939-1943, Glenn Miller achieved 69 top 10 hits, more than Elvis Presley, with 38, and the Beatles, with 33.

Glenn Miller (see also best songs 321) was born Alton Glenn Miller on March 4th, 1904, in Clarinda, Iowa, United States. On December 15th, 1944, Miller was due to fly from the town of Bedford, in England, to Paris, in order to make arrangements to move his entire band there to entertain the U.S. troops, in the near future.His aircraft disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel, the actual cause of the crash has never been confirmed, but it was probably because the planes carburettor froze in the cold weather.His disappearance was not made public until December 24th, 1944, Miller was 40 year old.

Glenn Miller wrote the melody for ‘Moonlight Serenade’ as far back as 1935, the lyricist Eddie Heyman, added words, and the song was originally titled ‘As I Lay Me Down To Weep.’ Miller never recorded the song with those lyrics, but in 1938 used the instrumental for his radio broadcasts, on the NBC network. In 1939 the publisher ‘Robbins Music’ bought the melody, and commissioned Mitchell Parish (1900-1993) to write a new set of lyrics. At the time Miller was recording another song called ‘Sunrise Serenade,’ and it was suggested by someone at Robbins Music that Parish write something to compliment that song, as it was due for release as the ‘B’ side, so the title Moonlight Serenade was chosen.Moonlight Serenade was far more popular with the general public, and has become known as Miller’s ‘signature song.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

809-Montell Jordan-This Is How We Do It.

1995-Number 11 single.

Best Bit-At 0.09.Since recording this song Montell Jordan has become a born again Christian,so he probably doesn’t do it, like he used to do it.

Montell Jordan was born Montell Du’Sean Barnett on December 3rd, 1968, in Los Angeles, California, United States.He has released eight studio Albums, and has had eight Billboard top 40 singles, and five in the UK. In 2010 Jordan became a Baptist Minister, he said he was told by God to quit the music industry.He can be seen regularly at the Victory World Church, in Atlanta, Georgia, where he lives, and worships, with the church team called ‘Victory World Music.’

‘This Is How We Do It’ spent seven weeks at Number 1 in America in 1995, the lyrics tell the story of how Jordan would ‘party’ when he was younger.The song heavily samples Slick Rick’s 1989 ‘Children’s Story,’ which in turn had sampled the 1974 song ‘Nautilus,’ by Jazz musician Bob James, because of this Slick Rick (Ricky Walters,) is given a writing credit, alongside Jordan, and the songs producer Oji Pierce. In 2015 Dutch music producer Joe Stone remixed the song, as a House track, with Jordan providing the vocals, and the song charted in the UK, reaching Number 17.

‘Whatever it is, the party’s underway, so tip up your cup, and throw your hands up, and let me hear the party say.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

810-Billy Joel-We Didn’t Start the Fire.

1989-Number 7 single.

Best Bit-At 0.14.When the music career comes to an end, he can always become a history teacher.

William Martin Joel was born May 9th, 1949, in The Bronx, New York,United States,he is the sixth best selling recording artist, and third best selling solo artist, in America of all time,with sales in excess of 150 million worldwide.

Billy Joel (see also best songs 215) got the idea for the song when he had just turned 40 years old. He was in a recording studio, and a friend of Sean Lennon’s who had just turned 21 said to him,’It’s a terrible time to be 21.’ Joel replied ‘Yeah, I thought it was an awful time, and we had Vietnam, and y’know, drug problems, and civil rights problems, and everything seemed to be awful. Lennon’s friend replied,’Yeah, but it’s different for you, you were a kid in the fifties, and everybody knows nothing happened in the fifties.Joel replied,’Wait a minute, didn’t you hear of the Korean War, or the Suez Canal crisis?

Joel who was always mad keen on history, got the idea for this song from that conversation, he put pen to paper, and listed in chronological order several significant people, and events from the time of his birth, through to that present day,in total there are 119 different things mentioned, spanning the years 1949-1989.Billy Joel has stated that he has no plans to make a follow up, covering 1990 onward.

‘Hypodermics on the shores,China’s under martial law. rock and roller Cola wars, I can’t take it anymore.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

811-Jan and Dean-Surf City.

1963-Number 26 single.

Best Bit-At 1.22.Some say three’s a crowd, but not in this case.

William Jan Berry (1941-2004,) and Dean Torrence met while both were students at Emerson Junior High School in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States, between 1959-1966 they had 13 top 40 singles on Billboard, including this song which reached Number 1.

Surf Music is a sub-genre of Rock Music,associated with surf Culture,this song is filed under ‘Vocal Surf.’ Instrumental surf is distinguished by ‘Reverb-Heavy’ electric guitars, played to evoke the sound of crashing waves, largely pioneered by Dick Dale (1937-2019.) Dale didn’t like vocal surf,’They were surfing sounds with surfing lyrics, in other words, the music wasn’t surfing music. The words made them surfing songs, that was the difference, the real surfing music is instrumental.’

Jan and Dean had been touring with The Beach Boys (see also best songs 930-180 and 74,) when Brian Wilson told them about a song he hadn’t yet completed, and was struggling with.Jan and Dean contributed additional writing, and it went on to become the first ‘Surf Song’ to get to Number 1 on Billboard.The Beach Boys manager,who was also Wilson’s father Murry, was reportedly angry with his son, believing that Brian had wasted a Number 1 record by letting someone else record it instead of his group, The Beach Boys.

‘And there’s two swingin’ honey’s for every guy, and all you gotta do is just wink your eye.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

812-Michael Jackson-Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.

1979 Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 2.56.A tip for those who choose this as there karaoke song.There are two ‘ooh ooh’s’ at 4.27,as opposed to just the one at 2.18.You must also work your way through the minefield of vocal tics, and hiccups, and occasional grunts.

This song and it’s parent Album ‘Off the Wall’ are a defining moment in the career of Michael Jackson (1958-2009,) (see also best songs 511-249 and 191,) as it was the first time in over a decade of recording that he had full creative control over his own output.He brought in Quincy Jones (see also best songs 703-511 and 191) to co-produce with him, and they would go on to also work together on ‘Thriller,’ and ‘Bad.’

The singer/songwriter, and keyboardist, Greg Phillinganes, who has worked on many of the world’s best known artists Albums, including Michael Jackson, has said that some of this song came about through his input, and he was agreed 10% in royalties, however he was later informed that his contribution would merely be considered as an arrangement of the song.Quincy Jones has backed Phillinganes’ allegation.

When Jackson’s mother Katherine, a devout Jehovah’s Witness heard the song she was shocked by the lyrical content and felt that the title could be misconstrued as pertaining to sexual activity, Jackson reassured her that the song was not a reference to sex, but could mean whatever people wanted it to.

‘Lovely is the feeling now, fever, temperatures rising now, power is the force, the vow.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

813-Lethal Bizzle featuring Diztortion-Fester Skank.

2015-Number 15 single.

Best Bit-At 0.08. Has Maverick Sabre become a household name, or is it that he just rhymes nicely with irrelevant pager.

Lethal Bizzle was born Maxwell Ansah on September 14th, 1984, in Walthamstow, London, England.He first found success in 2002 as part of the ‘More Fire Crew,’ who had a UK Number 7 hit with the ‘Grime’ track ‘Oi!.’ The group were one of the first acts to be successful with the then new genre of ‘Grime Music,’ which is a mixture of Electronic music, UK Garage, and Jungle, Dancehall, Ragga, and Hip-Hop, and generally quick fire Rapping.After the band split Lethal Bizzle went solo, and in 2004 reached Number 11 with his first release ‘Pow (Forward’.) To date he has released three studio Albums, and has had 10 top 40 singles, with three of them peaking at Number 11.

‘Fester Skank’ was co-written by Lethal Bizzle, and Dutch music producer Raoul Chen, who goes by the working name of ‘Diztortion,’ he also produced the track. The idea for the songs title came about when Diztortion saw Lethal Bizzle doing a silly dance on You Tube, which made him think he looked like Unkle Fester from The Addams Family.

‘You might see me in a Rari, Old School fella, Atari. It’s a new dance, no Tango,anywhere I go,I make the gang go.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

814-Black Sabbath-Paranoid.

1970-Number 4 single.

Best Bit-At 0.01.I don’t know if Ozzy Osbourne has ever had paranoia, but he’s probably had everything else.

Black Sabbath were formed in Birmingham, England in 1968 by Tony Iommi (guitar,) Bill Ward (drums,) Geezer Butler (bass,) and Ozzy Osbourne (vocals,) they were active until 2006, but reformed in 2011, until retiring the band in 2017.Toni Iommi was the groups one constant, as the other three original members left, and later returned, there have also been 23 other members at some point through the years including Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan, and Cozy Powell. Black Sabbath are considered to be one of the most influential bands in popular music, influencing artists such as Nirvana, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, and Iron Maiden.

‘Paranoid’ is taken from Black Sabbath’s second studio Album of the same name, released in 1970.In his book ‘Iron Man, My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath,’ guitarist Tonni Iommi said that he and Ozzy probably had no idea what the word ‘Paranoid’ even meant at that time. They left the lyrics to bassist Geezer Butler, they considered him the intelligent one.

‘Finished with my woman ’cause she couldn’t help me with my mind.People think I’m insane, because I frown all the time.’