THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

429-Edwin Starr-Contact.

1979-Number 6 single.

Best Bit-At 4.04. ‘Oi! Mush, what’d yu’ think yur lookin’ at!’

Edwin Starr was born Charles Edwin Hatcher, on January 21st, 1942, in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, he died of a heart attack on April 2nd, 2003, in Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, England, at the age of 61. Hatcher’s professional music career began in Detroit, Michigan, in 1957, when he formed a ‘Doo-Wop’ group called the ‘Future Tones,’ As a solo artist in the early 1960’s he signed with the small independent record label ‘Ric-Tic’ records in Detroit. The owner of ‘Motown’ records Berry Gordy, (see also best songs 449-411 and 137) who didn’t want competition, bought ‘Ric-Tic’ records, and took the labels artists, one of whom was Starr, to record for him, on Motown, and it’s subsidiary’s. It was while at ‘Ric-Tic’ records that Hatcher adopted the stage name Edwin Starr, at the suggestion of the music artist manager Don Briggs.

Edwin Starr had his greatest commercial success while signed to Motown records, peaking in 1970, when his cover version of the Norman Whitfield, (1940-2008) (see also best songs 911-777-569-533-480-346 and 233) and Barrett Strong (1941-2023) (see also best songs 777 and 569) song ‘War,’ originally recorded by The Temptations, (see also best songs 1031-1001-777 and 569) went to Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks, the Edwin Starr version was also produced by Whitfield. It was Edwin Starr who introduced the musicians who would become known as ‘Rose Royce’ (see also best songs 533 and 233) to Norman Whitfield.The discography of Edwin Starr includes 15 Albums released between 1968-1991, and 53 singles released between 1965-1994, on the record labels ‘Ric-Tic,’ ‘Motown,’ ’20th Century,’ and ‘Motorcity.’ In America on the Billboard Hot 100, four of his singles, all on Motown, reached the top 40, with ‘War’ making the Number 1 spot, while ‘Contact’ stalled at Number 65, although it did reach Number 1 on the Billboard ‘Dance Club Songs’ chart. In the UK, Edwin Starr has had eight top 40 hit singles, with ‘War’ from 1970, peaking the highest at Number 3.

‘Contact’ was the second of two singles released from Edwin Starr’s ninth Album release called ‘Clean,’ from 1978, and was co-written by Starr, along with Robert Dickerson, and Arthur Pullam, with the production being by Starr. By 1978 ‘Disco Music’ was at it’s peak, and it appeared that everyone was jumping on the bandwagon. Edwin Starr was now signed with ’20th Century’ records, and recorded the Album ‘Clean,’ which contains other ‘Disco’ influenced songs, as well as ‘Contact,’ but also sees Starr perform ‘R&B,’ and ballads. Although the 12 inch vinyl single had already been around for a number of years by 1979, it was still unusual for them to sell in any great number, and ‘Contact’ was one of the first big sellers (many on coloured vinyl) to sell in excess of 100,000 copies in the UK. Edwin Starr uprooted and came to live in England in 1983, and would stay until his death. Starr was a very popular performer in the UK, especially on the ‘Northern Soul’ circuit, where many of his early recordings on ‘Ric-Tic’ records, and ‘Motown,’ have become sought-after Northern Soul classics.

‘Disco’ (taken from the abbreviated French ‘Discothèque’) is a genre of dance music that emerged in the late 1960’s in the United States. Prior to that Discothèques as a venue were mostly a French invention, imported to the United States with the opening of ‘Le Club,’ a members-only restaurant and nightclub located at 416 East 55th Street in Manhattan, by French expatriate Olivier Coquelin, on New Year’s Eve 1960. Disco music as a genre started as a mixture of music from venues popular among African-Americans, Hispanic and Latino Americans, gay Americans, and Italian Americans in New York City, (especially Brooklyn) and Philadelphia during the late 1960’s to the mid-to-late 1970’s. ‘Disco’ can be seen as a reaction by the 1960’s counterculture to both the dominance of ‘Rock’ music and the stigmatisation of ‘dance music’ at the time. Several dance styles were developed during the period of 70’s Disco’s popularity in the United States, including ‘The Bump,’ ‘The Hustle,’ (see also best songs 690) and ‘The Bus Stop’ (see also best songs 798.) There is no exact dates as to when ‘Disco’ music first became commercially successful, or as to when it finally declined, but as a rule of thumb I suggest that as a guide, ‘Rock the Boat’ by The Hues Corporation in 1974 (see also best songs 356) was the first American Billboard Hot 100 Number 1 ‘Disco’ single, and ‘Funky Town’ by Lipps Inc. in 1980, was the last Number 1 ‘Disco’ single.

‘Across the crowded disco room, through a maze of dancing people, she sits so quiet and all alone wanting to get the disco fever.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

430-M People-Moving On Up.

1993-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 4.37. The ‘Saxy’ bit.

M People were formed in Manchester, England, in 1990, by Mike Pickering, who chose the stage name ‘M People’ from the first letter of his name. He was soon joined by Paul Heard, who had previously been a member of the Acid Jazz band ‘Ace of Clubs,’ the percussionist Andrew ‘Shovel’ Lovell, whose previous band were called ‘Natural Life,’ and the vocalist Heather Small, who had just left the Soul band ‘Hot House.’ In 1999 M People went on hiatus, but have reformed on occasions to sporadically tour, and they remain active at the time of writing, although there has been no new music since 1999. The discography of M People who have sold in excess of 11 million records worldwide, includes four studio Albums released between 1991-1997, and 20 singles released between 1991-1999, there is also one extended play, (EP) one remix Album, and five official compilation Albums available. In the UK, all of their 20 singles (including the original version, and the remix of ‘How Can I Love You More?’) have reached the top 40, with ‘Moving On Up’ peaking the highest at Number 2 in 1993, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100, their only chart entry remains ‘Moving On Up,’ which made Number 34.

Mike Pickering was born on February 24th, 1958, in Manchester, England, he is a record producer, songwriter, Disc Jockey, and an A&R Executive. Prior to forming M People he had been a member of the critically acclaimed Electronic Music group ‘Quando Quango,’ who had failed to break into the mainstream, issuing one Album, and four singles between 1982-1985. Mike Pickering was also a DJ at ‘The Haçienda’ nightclub and music venue in Manchester, which became famous during the ‘Madchester’ (see also best songs 844) years of the 1980’s and early 1990’s, the club was run by the record label ‘Factory Records.’ Pickering worked for ‘Factory Records’ as an A&R Executive, where he signed artists for the label including ‘James,’ (see also best songs 490 and 109) and ‘Happy Mondays’ (see also best songs 580.)

Heather Marguerita Small MBE, was born on January 20th, 1965, in Ladbroke Grove, West London, England. Prior to joining M People, she was a singer with the English ‘Soul Music’ group ‘Hot House,’ and was the studio singer voice of the re-recorded version of ‘Ride on Time’ by Black Box (see also best songs 501.) The original idea was for M People to use different guest vocalists on each track, but after hearing Heather Small they had a change of mind, and she became a full time member. In the 2024 ‘Birthday Honours’ she was appointed ‘Member of the Order of the British Empire’ (MBE) for voluntary and charitable services. Heather Small actively supports several charities, such as ‘BeatBullying,’ the ‘Aiden Cox Foundation,’ ‘Mencap,’ ‘Show Racism The Red Card,’ ‘Barnardo’s,’ and ‘Asthma UK.’ After M People went on hiatus in 1999, she embarked on a solo career, which has seen the release of three studio Albums between 2000-2022, and 10 singles released within the same time period. In the UK, ‘Proud’ which has become her signature song has charted twice, peaking at Number 16 in 2000, and then making Number 33 when re-issued in 2005. She was one of the many artists who appeared on the 1997 UK Number 1 charity single ‘Perfect Day, (see also best songs 131) and her other chart entry was in 2000, as the featured artist on the Tom Jones track ‘You Need Love Like I Do’ (UK-Number 24.)

‘Moving On Up’ was the second of four singles released from ‘Elegant Slumming,’ the second studio Album by M People from October 1993, the Album won the 1994 ‘UK Mercury Music Prize,’ and has sold in excess of 800,000 copies worldwide. ‘Moving On Up’ was co-written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard, with the production credited to M People, The memorable saxophone that can be heard on the track was played by the session saxophonist Snake Davis.

‘Moving On Up’ went on to become one of the most popular Dance/Pop tracks of the 1990’s. Although the song sounds uplifting, and inspiring, it is actually about a woman telling her man he is no longer wanted, as he doesn’t treat her the way he should. She is taking control of the situation, and telling him to go, which of course is inspiring for people in a similar situation to hear.

‘You’ve done me wrong, your time is up. You took a sip from the Devil’s cup. You broke my heart, there’s no way back, move right out of here, baby, go on pack your bags.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

431-Lead Belly-Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

1944-It has never charted in the UK. There was no chart until 1952.

Best Bit-At 2.31. The more I read and write about music, the more I realise that if it wasn’t for the previous generations influence on the next generation, our musical heritage would be an awful lot poorer. Perhaps Lead Belly was the most influential of them all?

Huddie William Ledbetter was probably born on January 23rd, 1888, in Mooringsport, Louisiana, United States, he died on December 6th, 1949, having earlier on that year been diagnosed with Motor Neuron disease, at the age of 61. Lead Belly was known for playing a twelve-string guitar, as well as the piano, mandolin, harmonica, violin, and windjammer. He recorded in many genres including ‘Folk Blues,’ and ‘Gospel,’ and also wrote many songs himself. He acquired the nickname ‘Lead Belly’ while in prison, more than likely because of his strong local accent, with ‘Huddie William Ledbetter from Shreveport,’ being misheard as ‘Huddie Weem Leadbelly from Freeport.’ Although on many of his records he is credited as ‘Leadbelly,’ he wrote his name as ‘Lead Belly,’ and this is the spelling on his tombstone, and is also used by the ‘Lead Belly Foundation.’

Between 1915-1939, Ledbetter served several prison and jail terms in Louisiana, for a variety of criminal charges. It was the ‘Folklorists’ John Lomax, (1867-1948) and his son Alan Lomax, (1915-2002) (see also best songs 781) who ‘discovered’ Ledbetter in ‘Angola Penitentiary’ during a 1933 visit, when recording varieties of local music in the South as a project to preserve traditional music for the ‘Library of Congress,’ this was one of numerous cultural projects undertook during the ‘Great Depression.’ The Lomaxes were very impressed with Ledbetter and recorded him in prison in 1933 and 1934. Many artists have paid tribute to Ledbetter over the years, George Harrison (1943-2001) (see also best songs 737 and 726) said, ‘If there was no Lead Belly, there would have been no Lonnie Donegan, no Lonnie Donegan, (see also best songs 484 and 136) no Beatles, therefore no Lead Belly no Beatles’ (see also best songs 599-456-319-238-218-141-80-51-10 and 6.) Bob Dylan (see also best songs 792-621-358-103-36 and 7) said, ‘Somebody I’d never seen before handed me a Lead Belly record with the song ‘Cotton Fields,’ on it, and that record changed my life right there and then. ‘From the more recent crop of musicians, George Ezra (see also best songs 355) has said that he developed his singing style from listening to Lead Belly. ‘On the back of one of his records it said his voice was so big, you had to turn your record player down. I liked the idea of singing with a big voice, so I tried it, and I could.’

The discography of Lead Belly includes 19 singles released between 1935-1948, and seven Albums released between 1939-1947. His list of posthumous releases include ‘The Library of Congress’ recordings, made by John and Alan Lomax from 1934 to 1943, which were released in a six-volume series by ‘Rounder Records,’ between 1991-1995. There are also a further 18 official compilation Albums, and two live Albums made available since his death.

‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night?’ is a traditional American Folk song that developed from two songs, ‘In the Pines,’ and ‘The Longest Train, it is also known as ‘My Girl,’ and ‘Black Girl,’ and both were probably written around 1870 by an unknown source. Like many other Folk songs, ‘In the Pines’ was passed down from generation to generation, and over time lyrics have been added, and also changed. The earliest recordings of the song date back to 1925, with many versions in differing genres recorded since. Lead Belly recorded the song at least six times between 1944-1948, most often under the title of ‘Black Girl,’ or ‘Black Gal.” The American Bill Monroe (1911-1996) recorded the song in 1941 and then again in 1952, with both versions being highly influential on the ‘Bluegrass’ and ‘Country Music’ genres. In the UK the song has charted on one occasion, when the English ‘Beat’ group ‘The Four Pennies’ reached Number 20 in 1964 with their version called ‘Black Girl,’ they never released the song as a single in America. The most famous, and also critically acclaimed version of the song is the 1993 ‘MTV Unplugged’ recording by Nirvana, (see also best songs 788 and 9) which earned Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) universal acclaim from critics and fellow musicians. Neil Young (see also best songs 602 and 559) was deeply impressed with Cobain’s performance, he said,’The tortured final vocals sounded unearthly, like a werewolf, unbelievable.’

‘My girl, my girl, don’t lie to me, tell me where did you sleep last night. In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don’t ever shine.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

432-Robert Palmer-Addicted To Love.

1986-Number 5 single.

Best Bit-At 0.18. As I watch the songs iconic video, I am thinking to myself, if these girls have taken care of themselves, then they will now be very ‘glamorous grannies.’ (If you watch the video closely, you can also see Robert Palmer.)

Robert Allen Palmer was born on January 19th, 1949, in Batley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, he had been a heavy smoker since his teenage years, and died from a sudden heart attack in a Paris hotel room on September 26th, 2003, at the age of 54. During the course of his career Robert Palmer experimented and recorded in many different genres of music, including ‘Rock,’ ‘Reggae,’ ‘Bossa Nova,’ and the ‘Blues.’ Shortly after his birth his family uprooted and moved to Malta, where his father worked in British naval intelligence, he returned to England in his teens, settling in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Before setting out on a solo career Palmer joined his first band the ‘Mandrakes’ at 15 while still at school, he was then a member of ‘The Alan Bown Set’ from 1969-1970. In 1970 he joined the ‘Jazz/Rock’ group ‘Dada,’ which was where he first played with Elkie Brooks, and her husband Pete Gage, the three of them would go on to co-form the Rock band ‘Vinegar Joe’ in 1972. When they disbanded in 1974 after three studio Albums Palmer pursued a solo career, he also released two Albums with the ‘supergroup’ The Power Station’ in 1985 and 1996.

The solo discography of Robert Palmer includes 14 studio Albums released between 1974-2003, and 51 singles released within the same time period, there are also three box sets, 12 official compilation Albums, and three live Albums available. In the UK, he has had 10 top 40 singles, with ‘Addicted to Love’ charting the highest at Number 5 in 1986, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100, he has had nine top 40 hits, with ‘Addicted to Love’ making the Number 1 position.

‘Addicted to Love’ was the third of five singles released from Robert Palmer’s eighth solo studio Album ‘Riptide,’ from November 1985, the song was written by Robert Palmer, with the production being by Bernie Edwards. ‘Addicted to Love’ was issued as a single in edited form from the Album, and featured Bernie Edwards (bass) Andy Taylor (guitar) (see also best songs 903) and Tony Thompson, (1954-2003) (drums) (see also best songs 175) who had all also been part of ‘The Power Station.’ When Robert Palmer originally wrote the song, he wrote it as a duet with Chaka Khan in mind, but due to contractual problems, her record label refused permission, but Khan (see also best songs 703-228 and 85) still received credit on the Album sleeve for vocal arrangements. For his inspiration on writing the song, Palmer has said that it all started with a guitar riff he heard in a dream, ‘That noisy riff woke me up. I went downstairs, got out the tape recorder, then went back to bed. Next morning, I thought, phew, caught one there!’

Bernard Edwards (see also best songs 175 and 17) was born on October 31st, 1952, in Greenville, North Carolina, United States, he died of pneumonia on April 18th, 1996, at the age of 43. Bernie Edwards was a songwriter, and music producer, but is best remembered as being critically acclaimed for playing the bass guitar. In 1972 Bernie Edwards co-founded the ‘Disco’ group ‘Chic’ with Nile Rodgers, and they were soon joined by Tony Thompson, (drums) and Norma Jean Wright (vocals.) As well as working as ‘Chic,’ Bernie Edwards and Nile Rodgers wrote, produced, and provided musical backing for several other artists, including Diana Ross, (1980-‘Diana’ Album) Debbie Harry, (1981-‘KooKoo’ Album) and Sister Sledge (1979-‘We Are Family’ & 1980-‘Love Somebody Today’ Albums.) In 1983 Bernie Edwards released his one solo Album, ‘Glad to Be Here,’ and in 1985 he co-produced with Tony Thompson the self titled debut Album by ‘The Power Station,’ and then also produced and played bass guitar on The Power Station’s second and Final Album ‘Living in Fear in 1996. Bernie Edwards is the father of the multi-platinum record producer Bernard ‘Focus…’ Edwards, Jr. who has produced songs for artists including Beyonce, Eminem, and Christina Aguilera.

‘Addicted to Love’ is accompanied by one of the most famous and memorable video’s in Pop music history, and was directed by Terence Donovan (1936-1996.) Five glamour models were chosen to appear wearing heavy makeup, dressed seductively, and showing a mannequin-like expression, they were also told there was no need to dance in sync, and there was no need to know how to play the instruments. One of the girls, Mak Gilchrist, who was 21 at the time has said, ‘I remember feeling an acute sense of embarrassment when I first saw how sexy the video was. The most unusual place I saw it was on a huge screen on the side of a Tokyo building.’

‘Your lights are on, but you’re not home, your mind is not your own. Your heart sweats, your body shakes, another kiss is what it takes.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

433-Kid Rock-All Summer Long.

2008-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 1.07. If he can have that much fun reminiscing about ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ think how much more fun he would have had, had it been ‘Freebird.’ (see also best songs 12.)

Kid Rock was born Robert James Ritchie, on January 17th, 1971, in Romeo, Michigan, United States, he is a singer, songwriter, and musician. Kid Rock was brought up in an affluent family on his fathers six acre estate. As a teenager he became interested in ‘Hip-Hop’ music, he learnt how to break-dance, and taught himself to rap, entering talent shows around the Detroit area. His first endeavour as a professional musician was as a member of a ‘Hip-Hop’ group called ‘The Beast Crew,’ where he came to be noticed by the music producer Mike E. Clark. Kid Rock’s sound has gradually changed over the years, having began as a Rapper, he moved away from that genre, and over the course of his Albums he became a singer, encompassing ‘Rock,’ ‘Country,’ and ‘Nu Metal.’ His song ‘Cowboy’ from 1999 is considered a pioneering song in the ‘Country Rap’ genre. It would be true to say that Kid Rock has definitely pushed the boundaries with his fusing of musical genres. In the 2007 book ‘Is Hip Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music,’ the author Mickey Hess identified Kid Rock as ‘Connecting ‘Hip-Hop’ music to ‘Rap Rock,’ due to having started out as a Hip-Hop artist, before shifting his style from sample-based Hip-Hop to guitar-driven Alternative Rock that fused Hip-Hop beats, boasting and fashioned with hard rock guitar and Southern Rock attitude, influenced by classic rock and Country Music.’

The discography of Kid Rock, who has sold in excess of 35 million Albums worldwide, includes 12 studio Albums released between 1990-2022, and 41 singles released between 1990-2023, there are also three extended plays, (EP’s) two official compilation Albums, and one live Album available. In America on Billboard, eight of his Albums have reached the top 10, with ‘Rock n Roll Jesus,’ making Number 1 in 2007. In the UK, ‘Rock n Roll Jesus,’ is his only top 40 charting Album, peaking at Number 4. On the American Billboard Hot 100, Kid Rock has had three top 40 charting singles, with ‘Picture,’ featuring Sheryl Crow, or Allison Moorer, peaking the highest at Number 4 in 2002. In America ‘All Summer Long’ only reached Number 23, since Kid Rock had not made his catalogue available for legal digital download at the time, therefore, the song received no digital sales, and it’s chart position was based solely on airplay. In the UK, Kid Rock has had three top 40 charting singles, with the other two being ‘Cowboy,’ (1999-Number 36) and ‘American Bad Ass’ (2000-Number 25.)

‘All Summer Long’ was the third of six singles released from ‘Rock n Roll Jesus,’ the seventh studio Album by Kid Rock, from October 2007, the record company wanted to issue ‘All Summer Long’ as the Albums lead single, but due to the time of year it was decided to wait until March 2008, in order to give the track a chance of becoming a summer hit. ‘All Summer Long’ samples three classic tracks from the 1970’s, ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ (see also best songs 204) by Lynyrd Skynyrd,’ ‘Werewolves of London,’ by Warren Zevon, (1947-2003) and ‘Night Moves,’ by Bob Seger, and because of this there are eight official songwriters credited, the production was by Kid Rock.

The piano on ‘All Summer Long’ was played by Billy Powell, (1952-2009) who had been a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and had played keyboards on ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’ According to Kid Rock’s close associate, the DJ Uncle Kracker, ‘All Summer Long’ came about because ‘Atlantic Records’ were wanting to capitalise on the trend of ‘mashup’ songs at that time, Uncle Kracker has said, ‘One morning, he (Kid Rock) had this track from Mike Clark (music producer) where he looped ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ and ‘Werewolves Of London.’ I happened to be home off tour, and he was home off tour. He was like, ‘Man, I’ve got this banger, you’ve got to come out here. Let’s write this thing today.’ I drove out to his studio and we wrote that in probably about a half hour, I bet.’

‘All Summer Long’ sees the songs narrator reminiscing fondly about his youth. Kid Rock has said, ‘I knew the track was solid, it’s got two of the best songs of all time mashed up together. It’s got great melodies, so really, my work was done’.

‘Splashing through the sand bar, talking by the campfire, it’s the simple things in life, like when and where. We didn’t have no internet, but man I will never forget the way the moonlight shined upon her hair.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

434-Procol Harum-A Whiter Shade of Pale.

1967-Number 1 single. When it was re-issued in 1972 it reached Number 13, and in 2022 it re-entered the top 40 at Number 38.

Best Bit-At 1.18. In 1977, ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ was named joint winner, along with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen (see also best songs 3) of ‘The Best British Pop Single 1952–1977,’ at the inaugural ‘Brit Awards,’ coincidentally both songs have the word ‘Fandango’ in their lyrics.

Procol Harum were formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, in 1967, and were active until 1977, the band was reformed in 1991, and remained active until the death of the groups one constant Gary Brooker in 2022, when Procol Harum were disbanded for good. Procol Harum were founded by Gary Brooker, (1945-2022) (vocals, and piano) who had been a former member of the English ‘Beat’ group the ‘Paramounts,’ who had a 1964 UK Number 35 hit with a cover version of ‘Poisen Ivy,’ and Keith Reid, (1946-2023) (lyrics) who did not play any instruments, and did not record with Procol Harum, but wrote the lyrics for all of their original songs, with the exception of their 2017 Album, ‘Novum.’ The other musicians who who played on this track, the bands debut single, were Matthew Fisher, (Hammond organ) Ray Royer, (guitar) David Knights, (bass) and Bill Eyden, (1930-2004) (drums) who was not a band member, but a studio session musician brought in by the songs producer Denny Cordell (1943-1995.) In total since the bands inception there were 24 group members come and go. Procol Harum named themselves after a male blue Burmese cat, who belonged to a mutual friend.

The discography of Procol Harum whose music has been described as ‘Progressive Rock,’ ‘Proto-Prog,’ ‘Art Rock,’ and ‘Psychedelia,’ includes 12 studio Albums released between 1967-2017, and 34 singles released between 1967-2021, there are also three extended plays, (EP’s) 23 official compilation Albums, and 11 live Albums available. In the UK, five of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘Homburg’ from 1967, the follow up to ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale,’ giving them their only other top 10 hit, when peaking at Number 6. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, three of their singles have made the top 40, with ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ peaking the highest at Number 5.

‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ was the debut single released by Procol Harum, in May 1967, the song was co-written by Keith Reid, Gary Brooker, and Matthew Fisher, with the production being by Denny Cordell. At the time of writing’A Whiter Shade of Pale’ is still one of the top 43 best selling singles worldwide of all time, that have sold in excess of 10 million copies. It is also recognised by the ‘Phonographic Performance Limited,’ as the most played record by ‘British Broadcasting’ in the last 70 years. The songs lyrics were written by Keith Reid, and the music by Gary Brooker, but on July 30th, 2009, after many years of legal wrangling the name of Matthew Fisher who provided the distinctive Hammond organ on the song had his name added to the writing credits. At the time Matthew Fisher said, ‘This was about making sure everyone knew about my part in the authorship. One of the five judges who heard the case was Baroness Hale, who said: ‘As one of those people who do remember the ’60’s, I am glad that the author of that memorable organ part has at last achieved the recognition he deserves.’

One of the probable reasons for ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’s’ enduring popularity is it’s unusual lyrics. Keith Reid has said he was at a party and he heard someone saying to a woman, ‘You’ve turned a whiter shade of pale,’ and the phrase stuck in his mind. Of the song Reid has said, ‘I was trying to conjure a mood, as much as tell a straightforward girl leaves boy story. With the ceiling flying away, and the room humming harder, I wanted to paint an image of a scene. I wasn’t trying to be mysterious with those images, I was trying to be evocative. It’s sort of a film, really, trying to conjure up mood and tell a story. It’s about a relationship. There’s characters and there’s a location, and there’s a journey. You get the sound of the room and the feel of the room and the smell of the room. But certainly there’s a journey going on, it’s not a collection of lines just stuck together. It’s got a thread running through it. I feel with songs that you’re given a piece of the puzzle, the inspiration or whatever. In this case, I had that title, ‘Whiter Shade of Pale,’ and I thought, There’s a song here. And it’s making up the puzzle that fits the piece you’ve got. You fill out the picture, you find the rest of the picture that that piece fits into.’

‘We skipped the light fandango, turned cartwheels ‘cross the floor. I was feeling seasick, but the crowd called out for more. The room was humming harder, as the ceiling flew away. When we called out for another drink, the waiter brought a tray.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

435-The Undertones-Teenage Kicks.

1978-Number 31 single.

Best Bit-At 0.30. The late great DJ John Peel’s favourite ever song, enough said.

The Undertones were formed in Derry, Northern Island, in 1974, by John O’Neill, (rhythm guitar) Feargal Sharkey, (vocals) Michael Bradley, (bass) Billy Doherty, (drums) and Vincent O’Neill, (guitar) Vincent left the group in 1976, and was replaced by his younger brother Damian O’Neill (lead guitar.) This quintet remained active until 1983, when lead singer Feagal Sharkey who unhappy about the musical direction the band had taken, left the group to pursue a solo career. In 1999 The Undertones reformed without Sharkey who declined their invitation, so fellow Derry born Paul McLoon was drafted in as the new lead singer, and at the time of writing they remain active. It was their drummer Billy Doherty who proposed the name for the group ‘The Undertones,’ which he had discovered in his school history book. The Undertones early musical influences included ‘Punk Rock, and ‘New Wave,’ and then they also incorporated elements of ‘Rock, ‘Glam Rock,’ and ‘Post-Punk’ into material released after 1979, before citing ‘Soul’ and ‘Motown’ as the influence for the material released upon their final album before Feargal Sharkey’s departure. Feargal Sharkey has said, ‘Certainly The Undertones were a completely different band by the time we made Positive Touch (third studio Album) and the last album, The Sin of Pride, which was an even bigger departure. We thought we were doing all these good things, taking up all these challenges and, we felt, meeting them, and nobody was saying a damn thing about it. Everybody wanted us to be these 16-year-old kids covered in acne and playing ‘Teenage Kicks.’

The discography of The Undertones includes six studio Albums released between 1979-2007, and 20 singles released between 1978-2013, there are also three extended plays, (EP’s) 14 official compilation Albums, and two box sets available. In the UK, seven of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘My Perfect Cousin’ peaking the highest at Number 9 in 1980. The groups only other top 40 chart entries have been on the Irish Singles Chart in the Republic of Ireland, where four of their songs have made the top 40, with ‘My Perfect Cousin’ proving to be their greatest commercial success when also peaking at Number 9.

‘Teenage Kicks’ was written by John O’Neill in 1977, with the production credited to The Undertones, and Davy Shannon, who worked with the group on their debut extended play ‘Teenage Kicks’ in September 1978. When The Undertones signed to ‘Sire Records’ in October 1978, ‘Teenage Kicks’ was released as a single, but did not appear on their self titled debut studio Album from May 1979, but when that Album was re-issued in October 1979, it appeared as track 5 on side one. John O’Neill has said, ‘In 1978 we didn’t think ‘Teenage Kicks’ was the best song. True Confessions was the one we thought people would go for, and we only named the EP after it because we were teenagers and it seemed appropriate. When John Peel played it twice on his show we were in shock. I came-up with the title. I was an MC5 (see also best songs 155) fan and they had a song called Teenage Lust and we used to cover Route 66, so with the licks in the chorus I just made the connection. I was actually shocked that there wasn’t already a song called Teenage Kicks because it’s an obvious cliché. To be honest, I still don’t think the songs that good, it’s the band’s performance on record that gives it the special quality. We were just the right age at the right time. It’s the strength of the voice, and the urgency of the drums and guitars, it seemed to capture the moment.’

‘Teenage Kicks’ is famous for being the all time favourite song of the influential ‘BBC Radio 1’ DJ John Peel, (1939-2004) (see also best songs 728-659-409 and 336) it is said that on first hearing the song in September 1978 Peel burst in to tears. In a 2001 interview Peel stated that apart from his name, the only words he wished to be engraved on his gravestone were the opening lyrics to Teenage Kicks (‘Teenage dreams so hard to beat.’) Peel’s wife Sheila said, ‘We have put the words on the stone that he would have wanted, I wouldn’t dare do anything else.’

I’m gonna call her on the telephone, have her over ’cause I’m all alone. I need excitement, oh I need it bad and it’s the best I’ve ever had.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

436-Billie Jo Spears-Blanket on the Ground.

1975-Number 6 single.

Best Bit-At 1.10. It seems like a good idea, until you get sent to prison for lewd behaviour.

Billy Jo Spears was born Billie Jean Moore, on January 14th, 1937, in Beaumont, Texas, United States, she suffered from lung cancer in her final years, and died on December 14th, 2011, at the age of 73. Billie Jean who was one of six children was usually called ‘BJ’ during her childhood, and the nickname stuck throughout her adult life, it was in 1964 after moving to Nashville, Tennessee, that she changed her professional name to ‘Billie Jo Spears.’ Billie Jo Spears was a ‘Country Music’ singer, who in her recordings often sang about women in assertive positions, good examples of this are her 1969 recording ‘Mr. Walker, It’s All Over,’ which is a song about sexual harassment, and this song ‘Blanket on the Ground,’ which is about rekindling sexual desire. The writers Mary A. Bufwack, and Robert K. Oermann explained in their 2003 book ‘Finding her voice: The Saga of Women in Country Music 1800-2000,’ that Billie Jo Spears’ choice of material set her apart, ‘Billie Jo was unusual for a country female of the period in that she recorded hardly any ‘victim’ material. Almost all of the star’s hit ballads are of women leaving, surviving or otherwise asserting themselves.’ Talking of her career Billie Jo Spears once said, ‘I have no desire to be a Pop artist, I couldn’t go Pop with a mouthful of firecrackers.’

Billie Jo Spears who may have garnered many of her song ideas from being married five times, released 24 studio Albums between 1968-1998, and 53 singles between 1953-1991, there are also 14 official compilation Albums available. In America none of her singles have charted on the Billboard Hot 100, top 40 chart, but 26 of her singles have charted on the Billboard Country Music chart, with ‘Blanket on the Ground’ making the Number 1 position. In the UK, Billie Jo Spears has had three top 40 hits, with ‘What I’ve Got in Mind,’ peaking the highest at Number 4 in 1976.

‘Blanket on the Ground’ was the second of two singles released from Billie Jo Spears’ seventh studio Album of the same name, from February 1975, the song was written by Roger Bowling, (1944-1982) with the production being by Larry Butler (1942-2012.) Roger Dale Bowling was born on December 3rd, 1944, in Helton, Leslie County, Kentucky. United States, he committed suicide on December 26th, 1982, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer around a year earlier, at the age of 38. He was a songwriter of Country Music, and also a recording artist, having had seven chart entries on the ‘Billboard Country’ music chart, with ‘Yellow Pages,’ peaking the highest at Number 30 in 1981. As a songwriter he is best remembered for co-writing two of Kenny Rogers (1938-2020) (see also best songs 582) biggest hits, ‘Lucille,’ (1977-Billboard Number 5 & UK Number 1 single) and ‘Coward of the County,’ (1979-Billboard Number 3 & UK Number 1 single.)

‘Blanket on the Ground’ was produced by Larry Butler who was born on March 29th, 1942, in Pensacola, Florida, United States, he died in his sleep on January 20th, 2012, at the age of 69. He was a Country Music producer, and songwriter, and is the only Nashville producer to win the ‘Grammy Award’ for ‘Producer of the year.’ Prior to becoming a music producer Larry Butler relocated to Nashville in 1963, starting out as a session musician, where he was in high demand, playing piano for artists of the calibre of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Dolly Parton. In 1964 he played keyboards in the American Rock group Ronny and the Daytonas, who had A 1964 Canadian hit with ‘GTO,’ He then joined the American group ‘The Gentrys,’ playing on their only top 40 hit ‘Keep On Dancing,’ (1965-Billboard Number 4.) Larry Butler joined ‘Capitol Records’ in 1969 to become an in-house music producer, then moved to ‘CBS Records’ in 1970, where he worked closely with Johnny Cash, ((1932-2003) see also best songs 857-428 ans 199) producing some of ‘The man in black’s’ biggest hits in the 1970’s. In 1973 Butler then moved to ‘United Artists Records,’ as head of the label’s Nashville division, where he began a long and successful working relationship with Kenny Rogers. His biggest success as a songwriter was co-writing with Chips Moman, (1937-2016) (see also best songs 442) (‘Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,’ which became a Billboard Number 1 single when recorded by B. J. Thomas (1942-2021) (see also best songs 832) in 1975.

‘Blanket on the Ground’ tells of a couple who have been married for several years, and she wishes to put some spark back into their relationship by doing things that they did when ‘love was young.’

‘Just because we are married don’t mean we can’t slip around, so let’s walk out through the moonlight and lay the blanket on the ground.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

437-Scooter-‘Ramp! (The Logical Song.’)

2002-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 0.34. Guten Morgen.

If you were under the age of 18 in 2002 then your parents will have hated this song, which is what Pop Music should be all about. Every new generation needs it’s own identity.

Scooter (see also best songs 1033 and 144) were formed in Hamburg, Germany, in 1993, by Hans Peter Geerdes, better known by his stage name H.P. Baxxter, and Hendrik Stedler, who is better known as Rick J. Jordan, since their inception a further nine members have come and gone. When Jordan left the group in 2014, this left Baxxter as the bands one constant. Scooter are a ‘Happy Hardcore,’ ‘Rave,’ and ‘Techno’ music group, who have sold in excess of 30 million records worldwide, and have earned over 80 Gold and Platinum awards to date. Scooter are the most commercially successful German single-record act with 23 top 10 hits on the ‘GfK Entertainment charts,’ which is the official German provider of the weekly Top 100 singles and Album chart.

The discography of Scooter includes 21 studio Albums that have been released between 1995-2024, and 82 singles that have been released between 1993-2024, there are also five official compilation Albums, and five live Albums available. In Germany all of their studio Albums have reached the top 40, with ‘Under the Radar Over the Top,’ (2009) and ‘Open Your Mind and Your Trousers,’ (2024) both peaking the highest at Number 2. On the German singles Top 100, 44 of their singles have made the top 40, with ‘Nessaja’ peaking the highest at Number 1 in 2002. Scooter have also featured on a further four singles for charity projects under different names, with the most successful being the song ‘Love Message,’ by ‘Love Message,’ which reached Number 4 in Germany in 1996. Scooter have had 12 top 40 hit singles in the UK, with ‘Ramp! (The Logical Song’) charting the highest at Number 2 in 2002.

Scooter’s one constant is H. P. Baxxter, who was born Hans Peter Geerdes, on March 16th, 1964, in Leer, West Germany, he is the lead vocalist with Scooter, both as a singer and as a Rapper. In 1987, he formed the ‘Synth-Pop’ band ‘Celebrate the Nun,’ together with Rick J. Jordan, and his sister Britt Maxime, with ‘Celebrate the Nun,’ Baxxter released two studio Albums, in 1989, and 1991, and also released five singles between 1988-1991. In 1993, former ‘Celebrate the Nun’ members joined Baxxter’s cousin Orion Ferris Bueller to form a remix team known as ‘The Loop,’ which remained active until 1998. In 2009, H. P. Baxxter, was part of the German jury for that years ‘Eurovision Song Contest,’ and he has also appeared as one of the judges on the German version of the ‘X Factor,’ in season 3.

‘Ramp! (The Logical Song’) was the only single released from ‘Push the Beat for This Jam (The Second Chapter,’) from January 2002, the Album which was alternatively titled ‘Push the Beat for This Jam (The Singles ’94–’02’) in the UK and Australia, is the second singles compilation from Scooter, which included many of their recent singles, plus four new tracks, some live tracks, ‘B’ sides, and remixes. ‘Ramp! (The Logical Song’) was written by Roger Hodgson, and produced by Scooter. The reason why Hodgson is given as the songs sole writer is because he wrote the song that ‘Ramp! (The Logical Song’) heavily samples, which is ‘The Logical Song,’ by the English Rock band Supertramp, who in 1979 took their original version to Number 12 in West Germany, Number 7 in the UK, and Number 6 in America on the Billboard Hot 100. The The lyrical content in ‘Ramp! (The Logical Song’) includes a nod to the British Electronic band the ‘KLF,’ (see also best songs 329) who Scooter have always acknowledged as a big influence. The song features all of Scooter’s usual trademarks including high pitched voice, and vocal improvisation.

‘When I was young it seemed that life was so wonderful, a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical, and all the birds in the trees, well they’d be singing so happily, so joyfully oh playfully, watching me.’