THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

699-Barbra Streisand-Memory,

1982-Number 34 single.

Best Bit-At 2.55. Although Andrew Lloyd Webber had intentionally composed the music for ‘Memory’ in the style of the Classical composer Giacomo Puccini, (1858-1924) he was worried that he had subconsciously copied Puccini’s work. He asked his father William Lloyd Webber, (1914-1982) who was an expert on Puccini, for his opinion on whether it sounded like one of the composers works, according to Lloyd Webber, his father responded,’It sounds like a million dollars.’

Andrew Lloyd Webber was born on March 22nd, 1948, in Kensington, London, England, he is the richest musician in the UK, having overtaken Paul McCartney in 2019, with an estimated fortune of £820 million ($1.074 billion.) He was appointed ‘Knight Bachelor’ in the Queen’s 1992 Birthday Honours for services to the arts, and he was created Baron Lloyd-Webber, of Sydmonton, in the County of Hampshire, in 1997. Andrew Lloyd Webber is the composer of 21 musicals between 1965-2021, of which several, including ‘Evita,’ (1976) ‘Cats,’ (1981) ‘Starlight Express,’ (1984) and ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ (1986) have run for more than a decade, both in the West End and on Broadway. Some of his most successful songs, for which he wrote the music, include, ‘All I Ask of You,’ (1986) from The Phantom of the Opera, (1986) ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him,’ (1970) from Jesus Christ Superstar, (1971) ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,’ (1976) from Evita, (1976) and ‘Any Dream Will Do,’ (1968) from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ (1972.)

‘Memory’ is the best known song from the 1981 musical ‘Cats,’ and is one of 21 tracks to appear on the Album ‘Cats: Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording,’ which was first issued in 1983. All of the songs from the musical ‘Cats’ have lyrics that were adapted from the poems of the American poet T.S. Eliot, (1888-1965) therefore on ‘Memory,’ Eliot receives writing credits, along with the English theatre director Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, who adapted T.S. Eliot’s words from his 1939 book of poems ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,’ with ‘Memory’ being adapted from the poems ‘Rhapsody on a Windy Night,’ and ‘Preludes.’ The music for ‘Memory’ was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who originally composed the tune for a proposed Giacomo Puccini project that he later abandoned.

It was the English singer and actress Elaine Paige who first performed ‘Memory’ live, when she originated the role of Grizabella in the West End production of Cats in May 1981. The first recorded commercial release of ‘Memory’ was an instrumental single performed by the Irish guitarist Gary Moore, (1952-2011) (see also best songs 932) it was released in early 1981 by ‘MCA Records’ to promote Cats while the musical was still in it’s development. Elaine Paige released a version of ‘Memory’ in July 1981, which went on to reach Number 6 in the UK, over the years the song has become known as her signature tune. In America the highest charting version of the song on Billboard is the 1982 recording by Barry Manilow, (see also best songs 750) which peaked at Number 39 in January 1983.

The version of ‘Memory’ I have chosen, is the recording by the American singer and actress Barbra Streisand, (see also best songs 145) who recorded her version for her compilation Album of the same name from November 1981, the Album was made up of seven previously recorded songs, and three new tracks, with the production being by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The Streisand recording which was issued as a double ‘A’ sided single with ‘Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born’) reached Number 52 in America on Billboard, and Number 34 in the UK, but did go all the way to Number 1 in Finland.

‘Memory’ is sung at the climax of the musical ‘Cats.’ The singer thinks of a time when her life was better and she was happier. She remembers a time when she knew what happiness was, and every streetlight that she sees, reminds her that happiness is fleeting, but always disappears. She begs someone to touch her, so that they can also understand what it is like to be happy. The dawning of the new day represents hope, which offers the possibility of being happy again.

‘Midnight, not a sound from the pavement, has the moon lost her memory, she is smiling alone. In the lamplight, the withered leaves collect at my feet, and the wind begins to moan.’