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.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

438-Nine Inch Nails-Head Like a Hole.

1990-Number 45 single.

Best Bit-At 2.37. Nothing in Pop music is totally original. Artists are influenced by what they have heard, and the very best add their own new ideas, and thus influence the next generation.

Trent Reznor, was born Michael Trent Reznor, on May 17th, 1965, in New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States, he is a musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He came to prominence as the founder, lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and primary songwriter of the ‘Industrial Rock’ band Nine Inch Nails, whom he formed in 1988, and at the time of writing remain active. Since the bands inception Trent Reznor has employed a total of 32 musicians for studio work and for touring, including the English musician Atticus Ross, who first teamed up with Reznor in 2002, and became only the bands second full time member in 2016. The band name ‘Nine Inch Nails,’ and this songs title ‘Head Like a Hole’ was inspired by a quote by Al Jourgensen the lead singer of the American Heavy Metal group ‘Ministry’ who said,’Listening to Ministry is like having a nine inch nail hammered into your head like a hole.’ With Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor has been nominated for 13 ‘Grammy Awards,’ winning for the songs ‘Wish,’ in 1992, and ‘Happiness in Slavery,’ in 1996. In 1997 the American magazine ‘Time’ named Reznor one of its most influential people of that year, while the American ‘Spin’ magazine has described him as ‘The most vital artist in music.’ Nine Inch Nails were inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ in 2020, after being nominated in 2014 (the band’s first year of eligibility) and again in 2015.

The discography of Nine Inch Nails who have sold in excess of 20 million records worldwide, includes 11 studio Albums released between 1989-2020, and 19 singles released between 1989-2018, there are also six extended plays, (EP’s) three remix Albums, one soundtrack Album, two official compilation Albums, and one live Album available. In America on Billboard, two of their studio Albums have reached the Number 1 position, ‘The Fragile,’ (1999) and ‘With Teeth,’ (2005) while two of their singles have made the Billboard Hot 100 top 40, with ‘The Day the World Went Away,’ peaking the highest at Number 17 in 1999, and ‘Head Like a Hole’ failing to chart. In the UK, Nine Inch Nails have had six top 40 hits singles, with ‘The Hand That Feeds,’ charting the highest at Number 7 in 2005. Trent Reznor has also released music not using the ‘Nine Inch Nails’ name. With Atticus Ross he has written music for 22 films between 1994-2024, including music for ‘Natural Born Killers.’ (1994) and ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,’ (2011.) In 2013 Reznor and Atticus, and three others released a studio Album called ‘Welcome Oblivion,’ as a group called ‘How to Destroy Angels.’

Head Like a Hole’ was the second of three singles released from ‘Pretty Hate Machine,’ the debut studio Album from Nine Inch Nails, from October 1989, the song was written by Trent Reznor, with the production being by Reznor, and Mark Ellis, who is better known by his stage name ‘Flood.’ All 10 tracks on the Album were written or co-written by Trent Reznor, who was also one of five producers used on the Album. Reznor also played very nearly all of the instruments, as well as providing the vocals.

Nine Inch Nails are one of the leading exponents of ‘Industrial Rock,’ which is a fusion genre that fuses ‘Industrial Music’ and ‘Rock Music.’ In the 1990’s, Industrial Rock broke into the mainstream, with artists and bands such as Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie, and Marilyn Manson leading the way. ‘Industrial Rock’ initially originated in the 1970’s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as the English group ‘Throbbing Gristle,’ and the American band ‘Chrome.’ Industrial Rock became more prominent in the 1980’s, with the success of artists such as the English group ‘Killing Joke,’ (see also best songs 819) and the American band ‘Swans.’ ‘Industrial Music’ is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive, or provocative sounds and themes. The American on line music database ‘ALLMusic’ defines ‘Industrial Music’ as the ‘most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music,’ that was ‘initially a blend of avant-garde electronics experiments (tape music, musique concrète, white noise, synthesizers, sequencers, etc.) and punk provocation.’ The term was coined in the mid-1970’s, with the founding of ‘Industrial Records,’ by members of Throbbing Gristle, and the American artist Monte Cazazza (1949-2023.)

‘Head Like a Hole’ is a song about the control that money has over some people, and the pain associated with it. Trent Rezner has said that the song is ‘Pretty much about yelling at a beast without putting a face to it.’

‘God money I’ll do anything for you. God money just tell me what you want me to. God money nail me up against the wall. God money don’t want everything he wants it all.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

439-Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes-(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.

1987 Number 6 single. In 1990 it re-entered the chart, this time reaching Number 8.

Best Bit-At 4.39. Bill Medley was reluctant to record the song, because he thought Dirty Dancing sounded like a porno.

‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’ was co-written by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz, with the production being by Michael Lloyd (see also best songs 642.) Previte and DeNicola had previously tasted success in the early 1980’s as members of the American ‘Pop/Rock’ group ‘Franke and the Knockouts,’ achieving three American Billboard Hot 100 top 30 singles, with ‘Sweetheart,’ (1981-Number 10) ‘You’re My Girl,’ (1981-Number 27) and ‘Without You (Not Another Lonely Night’) (1982-Number 24.) Franke Previte was approached by the music producer Jimmy Lenner (see also best songs 625) to write some music for ‘A little movie called Dirty Dancing,’ of the songs Previte presented, this track, and ‘Hungry Eyes,’ which was recorded by Eric Carmen, (1949-2024) (see also best songs 625) were chosen for the Dirty Dancing film, and the films soundtrack, which has currently sold in the region of 32 million copies since it’s release. ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’ spent one week at Number 1 in America on Billboard in November 1987, while in the UK it has charted on two separate occasions. In November 1987 after the films release it peaked at Number 6, and after the film was first shown on mainstream television in 1990, it re-entered the chart, and this time reached Number 8.

Bill Medley was born William Thomas Medley, (see also best songs 782 and 91) on September 19th, 1940, in Santa Ana, California, United States, he has a bass-baritone voice, and is a leading exponent in the genre of ‘Blue-eyed soul.’ Bill Medley first met Bobby Hatfield (1940-2003) in the early 1960’s, and then after the break up of their previous bands, they joined forces to become ‘The Righteous Brothers’ in 1962. As a solo artist Bill Medley has released 19 Albums between 1968-2024, and 16 singles between 1968-1989, of which only ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,’ with Jennifer Warnes has charted on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,’ has charted on two separate occasions, and in 1988 his cover version of ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,’ also charted, at Number 25.

Jennifer Warnes was born Jennifer Jean Warnes, on March 3rd, 1947, in Seattle, Washington, United States. She started out by singing ‘Folk Music’ in the mid 1960’s, and in 1968 she joined the cast of the American variety ‘CBS’ television show ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.’ Also in 1968 she portrayed the female lead in the Los Angeles, California, production of the stage musical ‘Hair’ (see also best songs 202.) In 1971 Jennifer Warnes met the Canadian songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen, (1934-2016) (see also best songs 196) and the two remained friends. She toured Europe with Cohen’s band in 1972 and then again in 1979, first as a back-up singer, and then as a vocal arranger and guest singer on seven of Cohen’s Albums between 1973-2012. The discography of Jennifer Warnes includes nine studio Albums released between 1968-2018, and 19 singles released between 1969-1993, there are also five official compilation Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, she has had four top 40 hit singles, with ‘Up Where We Belong, with Joe Cocker, (1982) and ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,’ with Bill Medley, both reaching Number 1. In the UK she has had two top 40 hits, with ‘Up Where We Belong,’ making Number 7, and ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,’ peaking at Number 6.

The female vocals for ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,’ were initially offered to Donna Summer, (1948-2012) (see also best songs 78 and 11) but she turned it down, it was then offered to Jennifer Warnes who had already had great success with another film soundtrack song, her duet with Joe Cocker, ‘Up Where We Belong,’ from ‘An Officer and A Gentleman’ had been a Billboard Number 1, and ‘Grammy’ winning song in 1982. Once Bill Medley who had always been a fan knew Warnes was on board he accepted the role.

Because of budget restrictions the ‘Dirty Dancing’ film was filmed out of sequence, with the finale being the first thing that was shot, and since Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes hadn’t recorded their version of ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’ yet, a demo version recorded by Franke Previte and the singer Rachele Cappelli was used instead as a guide for the films actors Patrick Swayze, (1952-2009) and Jennifer Grey. When Medley and Warnes recorded their version they used the final scene of the film as their guide.

‘Just remember you’re the one thing I can’t get enough of, so I’ll tell you something, this could be love.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

440-David Bowie-Soul Love.

1972-It has never been released as a single in the UK.

Best Bit-At 1.03. Some music critics have cited ‘Five Years’ and ‘Soul Love,’ which are the opening two tracks on ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars,’ as the best start to any Album ever made.

‘Soul Love’ is track 2 on David Bowie’s (see also best songs 807-334-302-209-186-131-118-58-47-31 and 5 ) & (see also his production work 701-131 and 58) fifth studio Album ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars,’ released in February 1972. The Album wasn’t intentionally written as a concept Album, but many of the songs are about the fictional character ‘Ziggy Stardust,’ invented by David Bowie. Ziggy was a androgynous, bisexual rock star who is sent to Earth as a saviour, before an impending apocalyptic disaster (see also best songs 31.) When Bowie toured the Album, he performed in the character of Ziggy Stardust, with the three musicians who backed him, and who also played on the Album, being known as the ‘Spiders from Mars.’ The musicians were Mick Ronson, (1946-1993) (guitar, piano and synthesizer) (see also best songs 661-405-334-186-131-58-31 and 5) Trevor Bolder, (1950-2013) (bass guitar and trumpet) and Mick Woodmansey (drums.) After Bowie killed off Ziggy Stardust in 1973, the Spiders from Mars were disbanded, but in 1975 Bolder and Woomansey reformed without Ronson, and were joined by three others for the release of a self titled Album in 1976, which proved to be a final hoorah. The bands name ‘Spiders from Mars’ came from the UFO sighting on October 27th, 1954, where a stadium crowd thought they had witnessed Martian spacecraft which cast off a thin filament material, later hypothesised to be webs from migrating spiders.

‘Soul Love’ was written by David Bowie, with the production being by Bowie and Ken Scott, it was first released on David Bowie’s fifth studio Album ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars,’ from June 1972. In 1978 Bowie released his second live Album, ‘Stage,’ and to promote the Album, a live version of ‘Soul Love’ was issued as a single in Japan. On ‘Soul Love’ David Bowie provides the lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, and plays the saxophone.

Ken Scott (see also best songs 807-186-31 and 5) was born on April 20th, 1947, in London, England, he is a record producer, and engineer. Scott had shown an interest in music from an early age, and in 1964 he wrote letters inquiring about recording engineer job openings, and mailed them to several London recording studios. ‘Abbey Road Studios’ got in touch and interviewed him, and then offered him a position at the age of 16. He received the traditional Abbey Road studio training under their engineers, including Malcolm Addey, and Norman ‘Hurricane’ Smith (1923-2008.) His first success as a ‘second engineer’ came in July 1964 when the English Rock group Manfred Mann took their cover version of ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’ to Number 1 in the UK. In September 1967 he was promoted to engineer, which led to him working with the Beatles on many of their songs including ‘I Am the Walrus,’ (see also best songs 80) and ‘Hey Jude’ (see also best songs 6.) Ken Scott’s first work as a producer was his co-production of the Album ‘Hunky Dory,’ (1971) with David Bowie, he would go on to work with Bowie on a further three of his Albums. Scott’s other production highlights include ‘Crime of the Century, (1974) and ‘Crisis? What Crisis?’ (1975) for the British Rock band Supertramp, and ‘There & Back’ for Jeff Beck (1944-2023) (1980.) In 2015 Ken Scott was appointed a Senior Professor at ‘Leeds Beckett University’s School of Film, Music and Performing Arts,’ in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England,

‘Soul Love’ has three verses presenting different facets of human love. The first verse is stone love, and tells of a mother kneeling at the grave of her brave soldier son, who gave his life fighting for his country. The second verse tells of new love, a young couple find love for the first time, ‘A love so strong it tears their hearts.’ The third verse deals with religious and spiritual love, putting faith in what the priest is saying. David Bowie was 24 years old when he wrote these incredible lyrics.

‘Love is careless in it’s choosing, sweeping over cross and baby. Love descends on those defenceless, idiot love will spark the fusion. Inspiration have I none just to touch the flaming dove. All I have is my love of love and love is not loving.’