THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

457-Bing Crosby with Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra-White Christmas.

1942-There was no UK chart until 1952, since then it’s highest chart peak was in 1977, when it reached Number 5.

Best Bit-At 2.45. Today my Christmas gift to you is ‘THE BEST SELLING SONG IN THE WORLD EVER.’

Bing Crosby (see also best songs 934 and 259) was born Harry Lillis Crosby Jr. on May 3rd, 1903 in Tacoma, Washington, United States, he died after playing a round of golf at the ‘La Moraleja Golf’ course on October 14th, 1977, at the age of 74, from a massive heart attack, which killed him instantly, his last words were ‘That was a great game of golf fellas. Let’s go have a Coca-Cola.’ Crosby acquired his lifelong nickname ‘Bing’ at an early age, when a neighbour called Valentine Hobart named him ‘Bingo from Bingville’ after a comic feature in the local paper called ‘The Bingville Bugle’ which young Harry liked, over time Bingo was shortened to ‘Bing.’ Bing Crosby was a singer, actor, television producer, television and radio personality, and businessman. He is recognised as the first ‘multimedia star,’ and one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th Century worldwide. He appeared in 85 feature films between 1930-1974, being ranked the Number 1 leading ‘box office star’ five years running between 1944-1948. Four of the films he appeared in went on to be the highest grossing film of their year in America. He won an ‘Academy Award’ for ‘Best Actor’ for ‘Going My Way’ in 1944, and was nominated for the 1945 sequel, ‘The Bells of St. Mary’s.’ He received critical acclaim, and his third ‘Academy Award’ nomination for his performance as an alcoholic entertainer in ‘The Country Girl’ (1954.)

The discography of Bing Crosby who recorded over 1600 songs, and according to different sources has sold anywhere between 300 million, to 500 million records, tapes, compact discs, and digital downloads worldwide, includes 71 studio Albums released between 1939-1977, and 409 singles released between 1927-2023, there are also six extended plays, (EP’s) 83 official compilation Albums, two live Albums, seven soundtrack Albums, and 14 Christmas Albums available. In America on Billboard, 291 of his singles have made the top 40, with 45 of those tracks making Number 1, while in the UK, where there was no chart until 1952, he has had 15 top 40 hit singles, (including re-entries from ‘White Christmas’) with ‘Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy,’ with David Bowie, peaking the highest at Number 3 in 1982.

‘White Christmas’ was one of 12 songs written by Irving Berlin for the 1942 musical film ‘Holiday Inn’ starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire (1899-1987) (see also best songs 358.) Initially Bing Crosby didn’t realise how iconic the song would become, casually telling Berlin, ‘I don’t think we have any problems with that one, Irving.’ Since its release, ‘White Christmas’ has been covered by many artists, with the version sung by Bing Crosby being the world’s best selling single, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million physical copies worldwide. When the figures for other versions of the song are added to Crosby’s, sales of the song exceed 100 million.

‘White Christmas’ was written by Irving Berlin, who was born Israel Beilin, on May 11th, 1888, in Tolochin, Russian Empire, he died on September 1989, from a heart attack, and natural causes. at the age of 101. Irving Berlin was a Russian Jew who uprooted with his family in 1893 at the age of five to Ellis Island, New York City, United States. Berlin is perhaps the most celebrated songwriter of the 20th Century, having written around 2000 songs, four of which appear in this countdown (see also best songs 731-358 and 100.)

According to the Canadian author Mark Steyn in his 2008 book ‘A Song for the Season,’ Irving Berlin began writing ‘White Christmas’ on January 8th, 1942. The songwriter was in a hurry that Monday morning and shouted at his musical secretary, Helmy Kresa, (1904-1991) ‘Grab your pen and take down this song. It’s the best song I ever wrote. Hell, it’s the best song anybody ever wrote.’ Mark Steyn writes that ‘White Christmas’ owes much of its enduring popularity to World War II, specifically the attack on Pearl Harbor that led to the United States involvement, because the song adopted a significance beyond the reaches of Hollywood. ‘Had America entered the war in Europe in 1939, ‘White Christmas’ might have been just a hit-record from a so-so movie. Instead, 1942 was the American serviceman’s first Christmas away, in the Pacific, under glorious sunny skies that only made home seem even more distant.’

It is possible that the lyrics to ‘White Christmas’ held a deeper meaning for Irving Berlin, as tragedy had struck 14 years earlier in 1928, when Irving Berlin and his second wife Ellin Mackay (1903-1988) had found their infant son dead in his cot on Christmas Day morning.

‘I’m dreamin’ of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know, with the treetops glistenin’, and children listenin’, to hear sleigh bells and the snow.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

458-Pearl Jam-Alive.

1991-Number 16 single.

Best Bit-At 3.39. The lyrics are about a young man who finds out that the man he thought was his father, is actually his step father, and his real father is dead, and to top it all off, his mother ‘comes on to him,’ and you thought you were having a bad day!

Pearl Jam were formed in Seattle, Washington, United States, in 1990, by Eddie Vedder, (lead vocals, and rhythm guitar) Stone Gossard, (guitars, and keyboards) Jeff Ament, (bass, and keyboards) Mike McCready, (lead guitar) and Dave Krusen (drums.) Krusen left in 1991, and after a further three drummers, Matt Cameron joined in 1998, and at the time of writing these five make up the current line up of Pearl Jam. The group were originally called ‘Mookie Blaylock,’ but after signing to ‘Epic Records’ changed to ‘Pearl Jam.’ ‘Mookie Blaylock’ was an American professional basketball player, whose official number was ’10,’ Pearl Jam would later title their debut studio Album ‘Ten,’ from where this song ‘Alive’ was taken. The name ‘Pearl Jam’ came about as Eddie Vedder’s great-grandmother was called ‘Pearl,’ and then after the group had attended a Neil Young (see also best songs 602 and 559) concert in which Young extended his songs as improvisations (i.e. ‘jams’) of 15–20 minutes in length, the name was born.

Pearl Jam who are critically acclaimed, and are considered to be one of the most influential ‘Rock’ bands of the 1990’s, were inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ in 2017′ in their first year of eligibility. Pearl Jam play in the musical genres of ‘Alternative Rock,’ ‘Grunge,’ and ‘Hard Rock,’ and have sold in excess of 90 million records worldwide, making them one of the best selling ‘Rock’ acts of all time. The discography of Pearl Jam includes 12 studio Albums released between 1991-2024, and 46 singles released within the same time period, there is also one extended play, (EP) three official compilation Albums, and 23 live Albums available. In America all of their studio Albums have made the top 5, with five of their Albums reaching Number 1, while on the Billboard Hot 100, five of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘Last Kiss’ from 1999, charting the highest at Number 2, ‘Alive’ was never issued as a single in America, so was unable to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, Pearl Jam have had three Number 2 Albums, ‘Vs,’ (1993) ‘Lightning Bolt,’ (2013) and ‘Dark Matter,’ (2024) while 13 of their singles have made the UK top 40, with ‘Spin the Black Circle’ from 1994, peaking the highest at Number 10.

‘Alive’ was the first of four singles released from Pearl Jam’s debut studio Album ‘Ten’ from August 1991, the song was co-written by Stone Gossard, (music) and Eddie Vedder, (lyrics) with the production being by Rick Parashar, (1963-2014) and Pearl Jam. Rick Parashar was born Rakesh Parashar, on December 13th, 1963, in Seattle, Washington, United States, he died on August 14th, 2014, from complications arising from a pulmonary embolism, at the age of 50. In 1985 Parashar and his brother Raj founded the ‘London Bridge Studio,’ in Seattle, and due to Rakesh Parashar’s production work, the studio became the centre of the Seattle music scene. His credits include multi-platinum releases for Temple of the Dog, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Blind Melon, Dinosaur Jr. and Nickleback (see also best songs 415.)

The music to ‘Alive’ was one of three demos written by Stone Gossard just prior to Pearl Jam’s formation. He circulated the tracks in the hope of finding a singer, and drummer to form a band, as his previous group ‘Mother Love Bone’ had disbanded due to the death of the lead singer Andrew Wood (1966-1990.) On hearing the tracks Eddie Vedder wrote his own lyrics, and vocals, and sent them to Gossard, who was immediately impressed. The songs first verse is about Eddie Vedder’s real life experiences about finding out that he had not been told the truth about whom is real father was until it was too late to meet him, as his father was dead. The songs second verse is pure fantasy about the horror of incest, as the boy is molested by his mother. The other two demos which were sent to Vedder would become the songs ‘Once’ and ‘Footsteps,’ which continue the story. In ‘Once’ the boy goes mad and starts killing people, and in ‘Footsteps’ the boy is sentenced to death, and blames his mother, Vedder called these songs the ‘Momma-Son’ trilogy.

The extended guitar solo played by Mike McCready at 3.39. is considered to be one of the best, being ranked Number 44 on ‘Guitar World’s’ list of the ‘100 Greatest Guitar Solos.’ My own personal opinion is that if it went on a couple of minutes longer it might get somewhere close to ‘Freebird,’ (see also best songs 12) but only somewhere.

While she walks slowly across a young man’s room, she said I’m ready for you. Why I can’t remember anything to this very day, ‘cept the look, the look, oh, you know where. Now I can’t see, I just stare, I, I’m still alive.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

459-Bee Gees-New York Mining Disaster 1941.

1967-Number 12 single.

Best Bit-At 0.23. A very clever piece of marketing had everyone thinking that this was the new single from the Beatles.

The Bee Gees (see also best songs 211 and 35) were formed in 1958 by the three brothers Barry, Robin (1949-2012) and Maurice Gibb, (1949-2003) Robin and Maurice were twins. Their father Hugh Gibb (1916-1992) was a drummer, and an early influence in nurturing the brothers interest in making music. The Gibb’s were born in Douglas, Isle of Man, but Hugh moved the family to Manchester, England, in 1955 to pursue his music career. In 1958 the whole family including older sister Leslie, and infant brother Andy (1958-1988) emigrated to Queensland, Australia, where the three brothers began their recording career.They released their first two studio Albums in 1965 and 1966, along with 12 singles in Australia, and New Zealand, but felt that in order to achieve international success they needed to come to England. Before departing from Australia Hugh Gibb sent demos to the Beatles manager Brian Epstein, (1934-1967) who passed on the tapes to Robert Stigwood, (1934-2016) (see also best songs 768-306-211 and 35) who got them signed to a five year contract.

‘New York Mining Disaster 1941’ was the first of three singles released from the Bee Gees third studio Album ‘Bee Gees’ 1st,’ from July 1967, it was co-written by Barry Gibb, and Robin Gibb, with the production being by Robert Stigwood, and Ossie Byrne (1926-1983.) ‘Bee Gees’ 1st’ was the Bee Gees first international full-length recording after two Albums distributed only in Australia, and New Zealand. ‘New York Mining Disaster 1941’ was the groups first single release since arriving in England, and their breakthrough international hit, they had previously released 14 singles in Australia, and New Zealand, between 1963-1966, of which ‘Spicks and Specks’ had charted the highest at Number 5 in 1966, on the Australian ‘ARIA’ singles chart. On ‘New York Mining Disaster 1941,’ all three of the Gibb brothers provided the vocals, and were joined on the track by Colin Peterson, (drums) who was a member of the Bee Gees from 1967-1969, and Vince Melouney, (lead guitar) who was also in the group for approximately the same time period.

Ossie Byrne, who co-produced ‘New York Mining Disaster 1941,’ was born Oswald Russell Byrne, in 1926, in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia, he died in December 1983, of cancer, at the age of 57. Ossie Byrne, was the youngest of nine children, who first got in to music, playing the cornet and trumpet in a Salvation Army band. During World War II, he fought with the ‘RAAF,’ being injured and losing an eye in New Guinea. In 1961 he recorded a local group, called the ‘Del-Fi’s,’ whose recordings had some success, and then in 1965 he moved to Hurstville, Sydney, Australia, and set up a new studio behind a butcher’s shop. Although the Bee Gees early recordings were relatively unsuccessful commercially, Ossie Byrne was a fan, and in 1966 offered the group almost unlimited recording time to develop their sound, he also became the group’s co-manager. At the same time, he worked as a producer with the successful Australian pop singer Ronnie Burns. When the Bee Gees decided to go to England, Byrne went with them, he co-produced the ‘Bee Gees’ 1st’ Album, but did not work with them again after that. After his death, the Bee Gees dedicated their 1987 Album, ‘E.S.P.,’ to his memory.

Robin Hugh Gibb CBE was born on December 22nd, 1949, in Douglas, Isle of Man, he died on May 20th, 2012, at the age of 62. In 2011, he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, which had metastasised to his liver several months earlier, while it was initially reported that he died from cancer, his son Robin-John Gibb said that his father’s cancer had gone into remission by the time of his death, and the cause was kidney failure. Robin Gibb was the fraternal twin of Maurice Gibb, and was the older of the two by 35 minutes. In 1994, he was inducted into the ‘Songwriters Hall of Fame,’ and in 1997, he was inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,’ In the 2002 New Year Honours, he was appointed as a ‘Commander of the Order of the British Empire,’ (CBE) along with his brothers Maurice and Barry. As a solo artist Robin Gibb released eight studio Albums between 1970-2015, and 21 singles between 1969-2014, there are also two official live Albums, and one extended play (EP) available. In the UK, Robin Gibb has appeared on four top 40 singles without the Bee Gees, with his appearance on (‘Barry) Islands in the Stream,’ by Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon featuring Tom Jones and Robin Gibb, reaching Number 1 in 2009. while in America on the Billboard Hot 100, two of his singles have made the top 40, with ‘Oh Darling’ from 1978, peaking the highest at Number 24.

‘New York Mining Disaster 1941’ is about a miner trapped beneath the surface who wants to contact his wife, there was no such exact event, and the lyrics are totally fictional.There was no mining disaster in New York in 1941, but there was one in McIntire, Pennsylvania, which killed six people.The song though is probably inspired by the Aberfan tragedy in South Wales, in 1966.

In what was a very clever piece of marketing, promos of the song were distributed to radio stations with a blank label, with the suggestion that it was an English group whose name began with the letter ‘B,’ many DJ’s thought it was a new Beatles song, and played the track constantly.

The Bee Gees have admitted that the Beatles were a big influence on their early career. In turn this song was an influence on David Bowie’s 1969 song ‘Space Oddity,’ in style, arrangement and lyrics, as ‘Space Oddity’ is also about a trapped man who is soon to die.

‘I keep straining my ears to hear a sound, maybe someone is digging underground.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

460-Lotte Lenya-Alabama-Song.

1930-It has never charted in the UK, there was no UK chart until 1952.

Best Bit-At 2.09. It is to be hoped that the whisky is of a certain vintage, like the little boy, at least 16 years old.

The lyrics for ‘Alabama-Song,’ which is also known as ‘Moon of Alabama,’ ‘Moon over Alabama,’ and ‘Whisky Bar,’ were written in 1925 by the German playwright, theatre director, and poet Bertolt Brecht, (1898-1956) (see also best songs 43) and translated from the original German in to English by his close collaborator, the German writer Elisabeth Hauptmann, (1897-1973) then in 1927 the lyrics were set to music by the American, German born composer Kurt Weill (1900-1950) (see also best songs 43) for the play ‘Little Mahagonny.’ In 1930 ‘Alabama-Song’ was re-used as one of the 11 songs all composed by Brecht and Weill for the opera ‘Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.’

Lotte Lenya was born Karoline Wilhelmine Charlotte Blamauer on October 18, 1898, in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, she died of cancer in 1981, at the age of 83. Lotte Lenya re-recorded and performed ‘Alabama-Song’ on many occasions during her life time, she first performed the song in the role of ‘Jessie’ at the 1927 ‘Baden-Baden Festival’ performance of ‘Little Mahagonny.’ In 1930 she recorded her first vinyl version of the song, and in 1955 a re-recorded take appears on her ‘Lotte Lenya Sings Kurt Weill’ Album, Lotte Lenya had been married to Kurt Weill until his death in 1950. Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill were also the composers of ‘Mack the Knife,’ (see also best songs 43) and in the 1959 hit version by Bobby Darin, he name checks Lotte Lenya in the songs lyrics. As an actress Lotte Lenya appeared in eight films between 1931-1980, including ‘The Threepenny Opera, (1931) and ‘The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone,’ (1961) but she is probably best remembered for her role as ‘Rosa Klebb’ in the 1963 James Bond film ‘From Russia With Love.’

Lotte Lenya was married to Kurt Weill from 1926 until 1933, when they divorced. Kurt Weill was a German Jew, and with the rise of ‘Nazism’ in the early 1930’s in Germany he decided to leave the country, feeling it wasn’t safe to stay, and emigrated to Paris, France in 1933, and then relocated to New York, United States, in 1935. Although not married anymore Lotte Lenya went with him, and continued to perform in stage productions in Paris, and then in America. In 1937, Lenya and Weill remarried, and stayed together until Weill’s death in 1950. After his death, Lenya founded the ‘Kurt Weill Foundation for Music’ in 1962, to administer incomes and issues regarding rights, and to spread knowledge about Weill’s work. Lotte Lenya was present in the recording studio when Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) (see also best songs 1039-767-286-231 and 100) recorded Brecht-Weill’s ‘Mack the Knife.’ Armstrong improvised the line ‘Look out for Miss Lotte Lenya,’ and added her name to the list of Mack’s female conquests in the song.

Kurt Julian Weill was born on March 2nd, 1900, in the ‘Sandvorstadt,’ which was the the Jewish quarter in Dessau, in Saxony, Germany, he died on April 3rd, 1950, having suffered a heart attack shortly after his 50th birthday. Kurt Weill was a leading composer for the stage who was known for his collaborations with Bertolt Brecht, their best-known work together is ‘The Threepenny Opera,’ (1928) which included the ballad ‘Mack the Knife.’ Kurt Weill’s body of work includes composing seven ‘Cantatas,’ including ‘Das Berliner Requiem,’ (1928) with Bertolt Brecht. He also composed ‘Chamber Music,’ Piano Music, ‘Orchestral Music,’ and ‘Film Music,’ prolifically from 1918 until his death.

‘Alabama-Song’ was first performed by Lotte Lenya, in the role of ‘Jessie’ at the 1927 ‘Baden-Baden Festival’s’ performance of ‘Little Mahagonny,’ she first recorded the song under the title ‘Alabama-Song’ in 1930. ‘Alabama-Song’ has been recorded by many other artists down the years, most notably by the American Rock group the ‘Doors’ (see also best songs 235 and 133) for their self titled debut Album in 1967. The bands lead singer Jim Morrison changed the songs lyrics in the second verse from ‘Show us the way to the next pretty boy’ to, ‘Show me the way to the next little girl,’ and also for the third and final verse as well, ‘Show me the way to the next little dollar’ is omitted completely. Another notable recording was made by David Bowie (1948-2016) (see also best songs 807-440-334-302-209-186-118-47 and 5) in 1980, who had always been a fan of Bertolt Brecht, his version reached Number 23 in the UK.

”Alabama-Song’ has three themes, materialism, despair, and illicit pleasures.

‘Oh moon of Alabama it’s time to say goodbye, we’ve lost our good old mama and must have whiskey or you know why.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

461-Azealia Banks featuring Lazy Jay-212.

2012-Number 12 single.

Best Bit-At 2.17. Warning! Do not listen to this song if you are easily offended. Also, do not listen, even if you only get slightly offended.

Azealia Amanda Banks was born on May 31st, 1991, in New York City, United States, after her father died of pancreatic cancer when she was two years old, her mother raised her and her two siblings in Harlem. Azealia Banks has said that her mother ‘Became really abusive, physically and verbally. Like she would hit me and my sisters with baseball bats, bang our heads up against walls, and she would always tell me I was ugly.’ She made her first recordings online in 2008 using the stage name ‘Miss Banks$.’ She then sent two songs to the record producer ‘Diplo,’ (see also best songs 915 and 210) which led to her first recording contract with ‘XL Recordings,’ but due to musical differences she only remained with the label for a short period. After leaving ‘XL Recordings’ she dropped the ‘Miss Banks$’ moniker in favour of her birth name Azealia Banks. It is probably fair to say that Azealia Banks has never fulfilled her full musical potential for a number of reasons. In 2011 she topped ‘NME”s ‘Cool List’ for the year, and was touted as the ‘future of music,’ by Kanye West (see also best songs 1049-636-477 and 267.) Throughout her career, her social media presence and outspoken views, especially on U.S. politics and race, as well as disputes with other artists, have attracted significant controversy. The American media and entertainment company ‘Complex’ noted in 2014, that ‘she gets more attention for her public feuds than she does for her music.’

The discography of Azealia Banks includes one studio Album released in 2014, and 17 singles released between 2011-2023, she also appears as a featured artist on a further nine singles issued between 2012-2023, there are also three mixtapes, and two extended plays (EP’s) available. In America she has never charted on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, although her 2014 single ‘Chasing Time’ did make Number 12 on the ‘Billboard Dance Club Chart.’ In the UK, her only chart hit remains ‘212,’ which peaked at Number 12 in 2011.

‘212’ was the debut single from Azealia Banks, released in December 2011, and later added to her debut studio Album ‘Broke with Expensive Taste,’ from November 2014. ‘212’ (pronounced ‘two-one-two’) was co-written by Azealia Banks, (lyrics) and Jef Martens, (music) with the production being by Martens, using the name ‘Lazy Jay,’ for which he is also credited on the track as the featured artist. ‘212’ heavily samples the 2009 instrumental ‘House Music’ track ‘Float My Boat,’ written by Jef Martens, and his brother Toon. Jef Martens who has worked under other stage names including ‘Basto!,’ was born in Hoogstraten, Belgium, and has been active since 2005, recording in the genre of ‘Electronic Dance Music.’ He was a member of the Belgium ‘Dance’ group ‘Lasgo’ between 2010-2011, who previously had four top 40 hit singles in the UK between 2001-2004, but his greatest success to date is co-producing with Will.i.am (see also best songs 899 and 234) the 2012 UK Number 1 & Billboard Number 3 hit single ‘Scream & Shout,’ by will.i.am and Britney Spears.

‘212’ is named after the area code 212 which covers the area of Harlem a neighbourhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City, where Azealia Banks grew up. At the time she wrote the song she was struggling to pay her rent, and has said that ‘212’ ‘Came out of a place of desperation, but it also came out of a place of anger. It was like, ‘F#k all y’all. I’m the best bitch here.’ It’s about the journey to fame and stardom. It starts out, and this girl, she’s like, ‘Hey, I can be the answer.’ She’s real ambitious and she’s like, ‘Yo, I’m here. I can do this. All the same s#t that you got these bitches doing, I could do.’ Azealia Banks has said that she was talking to herself when she raps in the bridge, ‘Why you procrastinate girl? You got a lot, but you just waste all yourself. They’ll forget your name soon. And won’t nobody be to blame but yourself.’ She added that the name she was worried about people forgetting was her own.

‘212’ was recorded at a time when Banks was struggling financially, which probably explains why the songs video cost just $30 to make, and was shot entirely in black and white The video features Azealia Banks dancing in front of a brick wall, her hair in pigtails, wearing a Mickey Mouse sweater and short shorts, and close-ups of her rapping into the camera, to date the video has received over 200 million views. She has said about the making of the video, ‘I was surprised. I remember being really insecure about it because I didn’t have my hair done. I was really broke, and I felt I looked broke in the video so no one was going to like it.’ Lazy Jay does not appear in the video, but it does include appearances by the Canadian record producers Lunice and Jacques Greene. In 2021, ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine placed it on their list of the ‘100 Greatest Music Videos.’

‘Hey I can be the answer, I’m ready to dance when the vamp up, and when I hit that dip get your camera, you could see I been that bitch since the pamper.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

462-Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions-Boogie Wonderland.

1979-Number 4 single.

Best Bit-At 1.38. What do all these song titles have in common?
‘Oogie Oogie,’ ‘Reggae Woman,’ ‘Get Up and,’ ‘Jungle,’ ‘I Love To,’ ‘Blame It On the,’ ‘Yes Sir I Can,’- Yes, of course, you can ‘Boogie’ to them all.

Earth, Wind & Fire (see also best songs 916) were formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in 1969, by Maurice White, (1941-2016) (see also best songs 916 and 525) at the time of writing they remain active with 10 current members, in total 35 musicians have been band members since their incarnation. Maurice White chose the groups name from his own astrological sign, ‘Sagittarius,’ which has a primary elemental quality of fire, and seasonal qualities of earth and air, according to classical triplicities. Sagittarius in the northern hemisphere occurs in the autumn, whose element is earth, and in the southern hemisphere, it is spring, whose element is air. Hence the omission of water, the fourth classical element.

With sales in excess of 90 million records sold worldwide, Earth, Wind & Fire are one of the best selling acts of all time. Their discography includes 21 studio Albums released between 1971-2014, and 62 singles released between 1971-2021, there are also 17 official compilation Albums, and four live Albums available. On the American Billboard 200 Album chart, 14 of their Albums have reached the top 40, with ‘That’s the Way of the World’ making the Number 1 spot in 1975. On the Billboard Hot 100, 16 of their singles have made the top 40, with ‘Shining Star’ peaking the highest at Number 1 in 1975, while ‘Boogie Wonderland’ reached Number 6. In the UK, Earth, Wind & Fire have had 11 top 40 entries, with ‘September,’ (1978) and ‘Let’s Groove,’ (1981) both peaking the highest at Number 3.

‘Boogie Wonderland’ was the first of five singles released from Earth, Wind & Fire’s ninth studio Album ‘I Am,’ from June 1979, the song was co-written by Allee Willis, (1947-2019) (see also best songs 916) and Jon Lind, (1948-2022) with the production being by Maurice White, and Al McKay. Other notable works by Allee Willis include winning two ‘Grammy Awards’ for the soundtracks to the films ‘Beverley Hills Cops,’ (1984) and ‘The Color Purple’ (1985.) Jon Gus Lind was born on April 14th, 1948, in Brooklyn, New York, United States, he died from cancer on January 15th, 2022, at the age of 73. Other notable songs written by Jon Lind include co-writing two Billboard Number 1 singles, the 1985 chart topper by Madonna, ‘Crazy For You,’ and the 1989 Number 1 song ‘Save the Best For Last,’ performed by Vanessa Williams.

For ‘Boogie Wonderland’ Earth, Wind & Fire teamed up with their fellow ‘Columbia’ records label mates the Emotions, who are a ‘Gospel,’ ‘R&B,’ ‘Soul,’ ‘Disco,’ and ‘Pop’ all girl group. The Emotions were formed in 1962, in Chicago, Illinois, United States, starting out as the ‘Hutchinson Sunbeams,’ as a ‘Gospel’ singing group, made up of the sisters Wanda, Jeanette, and Sheila, and joined later by their younger sibling Pamela Hutchinson, (1959-2020) there have also been two other past non family members, and at the time of writing Wanda and Sheila continue to perform as the Emotions. By the late 1960’s they had transitioned into a ‘R&B/Soul’ act, signing to ‘Stax’ records, and being produced by Isaac Hayes, (1942-2008) (see also best songs 530-398 and 1) and David Porter (see also best songs 530.) In 1975 the Emotions signed with ‘Columbia’ records, where they first began to work with Maurice White, who would go on to produce their four Albums on Columbia between 1976-1979, as well as co-writing and co-producing their 1977 Billboard Hot 100 Number 1 single ‘Best of My Love.’ The Emotions who are considered to be one of the most influential ‘girl groups’ of all time, have released nine studio Albums between 1969-1985, and 45 singles between 1964-2003, there are also six official compilation Albums available. In America on Billboard, they have had three top 40 hit singles with ‘Best of My Love,’ reaching Number 1 in 1977, while in the UK they have charted twice with ”Best of My Love’ peaking the highest at Number 4.

‘Boogie Wonderland’ was inspired after Ailee Willis had watched the 1977 film ‘Looking for Mr Goodbar,’ which stars Diane Keaton as a lost soul who goes to clubs every night to dance away her misery. Willis explained, ‘When I saw Mr Goodbar I got kind of fascinated with people who did go to clubs every night, whose life was kind of falling apart, but they lived for the night life, though it didn’t seem to be advancing them as humans in the end. So if you really look at the lyrics of Boogie Wonderland, unlike ‘September,’ (a song she also co-wrote) it’s not a happy song at all. It’s really about someone on the brink of self destruction who goes to clubs to try and find more, but is at least aware of the fact that if there’s something like true love, that is something that could kind of drag them out of the abyss.’

‘Sounds fly through the night, I change my vinyl dreams to boogie wonderland, I find romance when I start to dance in boogie wonderland.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

463-Guns N’ Roses-Sweet Child o’ Mine.

1988-Number 24 single. When it was re-issued in 1989, it peaked at Number 6. In 2023, it re-entered the UK top 40 at Number 40.

Best Bit-At 0.01. Axl Rose wrote the romantic lyrics about his future wife Erin Everly, the daughter of Don Everly (see also best songs 799.) The groups guitarist Slash was not impressed, as according to him a Rock band don’t make songs with soppy lyrics.

‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ was the third of five singles released from ‘Appetite for Destruction,’ the debut studio Album by Guns N’ Roses, (see also best songs 8) from July 1987, the song became their only American Billboard Number 1 single, and has sold in excess of 2.5 million copies worldwide. ‘Appetite for Destruction’ is the seventh best selling Album of all time in the United States, and the best selling debut Album of all time. With sales in excess of 30 copies, it is the 22nd best selling Album of all time worldwide, at the time of writing. ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ was co-written by all five group members, W. Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler, they also share the songwriting credits on all of the other 11 tracks on the Album.

‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ was produced by the American music producer Mike Clink, who would go on to produce the next four Guns N’ Roses studio Albums between 1988-1994, he also joined forces again with ‘Slash’ in 2024, producing his second solo studio Album ‘Orgy of the Damned.’ Mike Clink has been a music producer for ‘Rock’ acts since 1986, working with artists of the calibre of ‘Whitesnake’ on ‘Slip of the Tongue,’ (1988) ‘Megadeth’ on ‘Rust in Peace,’ (1990) and ‘Sammy Hagar’ on ‘Marching to Mars,’ (1997) Of the choosing of Mike Clink for ‘Appetite for Destruction,’ Axl Rose has said, ‘We could have made it all smooth and polished with (original producer) Spencer Proffer, but it was too f#king radio, (i.e., radio-friendly) that’s why we went with Mike Clink.’

‘Slash’ was born Saul Hudson, on July 23rd, 1965, in Hampstead, London, England, he was given the nickname ‘Slash’ as a child by the American actor Seymour Cassel, (1935-2019) because he was ‘always in a hurry, zipping around from one thing to another.’ ‘Slash’ who was named after the American cartoonist and artist Saul Steinberg (1914-1999) is of mixed race, his mother was Ola J. Hudson, (1946–2009) who was a black American fashion designer and costumier from the United States, and his father is Anthony Hudson, who is an English artist. Of his mixed race background, Slash has said, ‘As a musician, I’ve always been amused that I’m both British and black, particularly because so many American musicians seem to aspire to be British, while so many British musicians, in the ’60’s in particular, went to such great pains to be black.’ Slash was the lead guitarist with Guns N’ Roses from their forming in 1985 until 1996, when parting ways on bad terms, he reconciled in 2016, and at the time of writing is still a group member. He is one of the most critically acclaimed guitarists of all time, always showing up prominently on best of lists, with the American ‘Time’ magazine naming him runner-up to Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) (see also best songs 983 and 492) on their list of ‘The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players,’ in 2009. Away from Guns N’ Roses, Slash has released two solo Albums, plus two with ‘Slash’s Snakepit,’ two with ‘Velvet Revolver,’ and a further four as ‘Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators,’ he has also released three official live Albums. Slash has issued 15 singles between 2009-2024, and has appeared on a further 15 as a featured artist, most notably on Michael Jackson’s (1958-2009) (see also best songs 812-511-249-191 and 137) 1993 UK Number 2 single ‘Give in to Me.’ Slash has spoken about how his interest in music first came about, ‘My big awakening happened when I was 14. I’d been trying to get into this older girl’s pants for a while, and she finally let me come over to her house. We hung out, smoked some pot and listened to Aerosmith’s Rocks. It hit me like a f#king ton of bricks. I sat there listening to it over and over, and totally blew off this girl. I remember riding my bike back to my grandma’s house knowing that my life had changed. Now I identified with something.

It was Slash who came up with the critically acclaimed and memorable guitar riff, on ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine,’ but apart from his input he isn’t a big fan of the song, he has said, ’You know Guns N’ Roses was always a real hardcore, sort of, AC/DC (see also best songs 797-245 and 170) kind of hard rock band with a lot of attitude. If we did any kinds of ballads, it was bluesy. This was an uptempo ballad, that’s one of the gayest things you can write. It’s a great song, I’m not knocking it, but at the time, it just did not fit in with the rest of our sort of schtick, and of course it would be the biggest hit we ever had.’

In 2015 an article by the Australian writer Nathan Jolly noted the similarities between ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ and a 1981 song by the Australian band ‘Australian Crawl,’ with their song ‘Unpublished Critics.’ Duff McKagan the bass player with Guns N’ Roses found the similarities between the two songs ‘stunning,’ but said that he had not previously heard ‘Unpublished Critics.’

‘She’s got a smile it seems to me, reminds me of childhood memories, where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky. Now and then when I see her face, she takes me away to that special place.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

464-Kaiser Chiefs-I Predict a Riot.

2004-Number 22 single. When it was re-issued in 2005 it peaked at Number 9.

Best Bit-At 2.17. The best song in the world ever to include Yorkshire Dialect, since ‘On Ilkla Moor Baht ‘at.’

It pains me to say it, being born and bred myself in Leeds, but when it comes to producing the successfully elite musicians, and the very best songs, we as a city sadly lack a long way behind the likes of Liverpool and Manchester, and the question is, why?

The Kaiser Chiefs were formed in Leeds, England, in 1996 by Ricky Wilson, (vocals) Andrew White, (guitar) Simon Rix, (bass) Nick Baines, (keyboards) and Nick Hodgson, (drums) Hodgson left the band in 2012 and was replaced by Vijay Mistry, (drums) and at the time of writing they remain active. At the time of their formation they called themselves ‘Runston Parva,’ a deliberate misspelling of a small East Yorkshire hamlet called ‘Ruston Parva.’ After ‘Runston Parva’ failed to secure a record deal, the group re-formed as ‘Parva,’ in 2000. They were signed by the ‘Beggars Banquet’ record label, but after the release of their debut Album ’22,’ and their first three singles they were dropped by the label. Realising that no label would sign a band who had already failed commercially, they decided to start afresh, changing their sound, and their look, and their stage name to the ‘Kaiser Chiefs,’ in honour of the former Leeds United footballer Lucas Radebe, who had played previously for the ‘Kaiser Chiefs Football Club’ in South Africa.

The discography of the Kaiser Chiefs includes eight studio Albums released between 2005-2024, and 33 singles released between 2004-2024, there is also one extended play (EP) ‘Lap of Honour,’ released in 2005, and one official compilation Album, ‘Souvenir: The Singles 2004–2012,’ which was released in 2012. All eight studio Albums have reached the UK top 10, with two of those Albums, ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob,’ (2007) and ‘Education, Education, Education & War,’ (2014) both reaching the Number 1 spot. Nine of their singles have made the UK top 40, with ‘Ruby,’ from 2007 reaching Number 1. In America they have met with limited success, with only ‘I Predict a Riot,’ (2004-Number 34) and ‘Ruby,’ (2007-Number 14) making the ‘Billboard Alternative Airplay’ top 40 chart.

‘I Predict a Riot’ was the second of five singles released from the Kaiser Chief’s debut studio Album ‘Employment,’ from March 2005, the song was co-written by all five group members at that time, with the production being by Stephen Street (see also best songs 940-595-256 and 21.) According to the Kaiser Chief’s manager James Sandom, the Album was recorded in a rush because the band were under very tight time constraints and touring at the time. As a result, they did not have enough time to get to know Stephen Street and relax in his company.

‘I Predict a Riot’ tell of the perils of being on the streets of Leeds at ‘chucking out time’ at night, from the pubs and clubs, although it could apply to any big city. Nick Hodgson had the original idea for the song, and has said, ‘I used to DJ with my friend Nick at the Cockpit in Leeds. We’d drive home past a big nightclub and there were always lots of police and people fighting. I went home and wrote the riff on the piano and started singing some words. It says: ‘A friend of a friend, he got beaten.’ That was a friend of Nick the DJ. At our club night, Pigs, we had a band on, Black Wire. They were going mad and so were the crowd. You could see the bouncers moving in and I said to the club’s boss, ‘I predict a riot.’ The structure was there, then everyone invented their own parts. The groups lead singer Ricky Wilson who contributed to the song has said, ‘The only way to write a universal song is to not try to write a universal song: It’s weird because people get it when you write personally. If we’d have tried to write a song about being at a club and having a time, it wouldn’t work because it wouldn’t be us. So, we’ve gone back to that on this record, which is don’t worry about the outside world; be yourself, and the rest will fall into place.’

The lyrics to ‘I Predict a Riot’ mention ‘John Smeaton,’ (1724-1792) who was a very successful civil engineer, and a son of Leeds. The song also makes reference to an ‘Old Leodensian,’ which is a former pupil of ‘Leeds Grammar School,’ which Smeaton, and Ricky Wilson both had been. At ‘Elland Road,’ the home of Leeds United football club, the song continues to grow as an anthem, and is played regularly after the football team wins a game.The song thrives on it’s Yorkshire heritage, with the use of pronouns such as ‘thee’ and ‘thou,’ words that are still in use to some extent in areas of Yorkshire to this day.

‘Watching the people get lairy, is not very pretty I tell thee. Walking through town is quite scary and not very sensible either.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

465-The Mock Turtles-Can You Dig It?

1991-Number 18 single. It was also remixed and reissued in 2003, reaching Number 19.

Best Bit-At 0.27. In 2002 Vodafone wanted to use the track in a £25 million advertising campaign and needed the songs writer Martin Coogan’s permission, he said, ‘Where do I sign.’

The Mock Turtles were formed in 1985, in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England, by Martin Coogan, (vocals, guitar, and percussion) Martin Glyn Murray, (guitar) Steve Cowan, (drums) Steve Green, (bass) and Krzysztof Korab, (keyboards) the group have never officially split, although there has been no new music since 1991. There have been eight different official members come and go, with Martin Coogan, and Martin Glyn Murray, being the groups only two constants. Martin Coogan is the elder brother of both the comedian Steve Coogan, and the television presenter Brendan Coogan. The Mock Turtles took their name from the fictional character devised by Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) (see also best songs 512-157 and 80) in his 1865 book ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.’ Because of the bands name some people thought (including myself) that The Mock Turtles were a spoof band, and were just imitating the ‘Madchester’ (see also best songs 844-580-490 and 489) sound of the early 1990’s. The discography of The Mock Turtles includes one studio Album ‘Turtle Soup,’ released in 1990, and 10 singles and extended plays (EP’s) released between 1987-2003, there are are also three official compilation Albums available. In the UK, ‘Can You Dig It?’ is their only top 40 hit, having charted twice, in 1991, and then as a remix in 2003, while that songs follow up in 1991, ‘And Then She Smiles,’ made Number 44.

‘Can You Dig It?’ was one of four singles released from The Mock Turtles only studio Album to date ‘Turtle Soup,’ from 1990, the song was co-written by Martin Coogan, with the production being by Martin Coogan, and Pete Smith, who began his career as an engineer in 1979. His first work as a producer was with the English ‘New Wave’ band ‘Re-Flex’ in 1980, who were on tour with the ‘Police,’ (see also best songs 1020 and 727) which led to him producing the Police’s 1983 live Album ‘Live!’ He has since gone on to produce two solo Albums for Sting, and worked with other artists of the calibre of Gary Moore, (1952-2011) Squeeze, and Joe Cocker (1944-2014.)

‘Can You Dig It?’ was originally released as the ‘B’ side to The Mock Turtles fourth single release ‘Lay Me Down,’ from 1990, but after new guitar parts were added, it was deemed worthy of an ‘A’ side release. Martin Coogan had been watching the 1979 American thriller film ‘The Warrior’ which features the rallying call ‘Can You Dig It? and thought it would make a good title for a song. Martin Coogan has said, ‘We recorded a track called ‘Lay Me Down’ and my manager said: ‘What’s the B-side?’ I said: ‘I haven’t written it yet.’ He said: ‘Just give me a title.’ I said: ‘Can You Dig It?’ The following evening I had friends round for dinner and had to excuse myself to write the song in the back room. When we signed to Siren they wanted us to re-record ‘Can You Dig It?’ and it was a hit.’ Coogan has also said that the song had been loosely based on the theme from a children’s television programme with ghosts and a pantomime horse.

The Mock Turtles can be filed under the musical genres of ‘Indie Dance,’ ‘Baggy,’ and ‘Shoegazing,’ (see also best songs 336.) ‘Baggy’ is a British ‘Alternative Dance’ genre which was popular in the late 1980’s, and early 1990’s, and was generally associated with the Northern UK’s ‘Madchester’ scene. The style saw ‘Alternative Rock’ bands draw influence from ‘Psychedelia,’ as well as ‘Dance Music.’ The genesis of ‘Indie-Dance’ was the ‘Balearic’ beat scene where there were DJ’s playing an eclectic mix of records, including such ‘Rock/Dance’ crossovers like the 1987 track ‘Jesus on the Payroll,’ by the English Rock band Thrashing Doves, and there were also producers like Paul Oakenfold, (see also best songs 580) and also the ‘Indie Music’ scene in the North West of England, which featured Tony Wilson’s (1950-2007) (see also best songs 844) ‘Factory Records,’ and former ‘Post-Punk’ band the Stone Roses (see also best songs 979 and 253) in Manchester. The name ‘Baggy’ came from the way that followers of the genre dressed, wearing baggy jeans, often flared, alongside brightly coloured or tie-dye casual tops, and in general 1960’s style became fashionable, first in Manchester, and then across the country, frequently topped off with a fishing hat in the style sported by the Stone Roses’ drummer Reni.

In 2002 the British multinational telecommunications company. ‘Vodafone’ used ‘Can You Dig It?’ in UK television advertisements. On the strength of that Martin Coogan commissioned a remix of the track by Fatboy Slim (see also best songs 760-387 and 95) and Simon Thornton, which saw the new version re-enter the UK top 40, and reach Number 19 in 2003, Vodafone continued their advertising campaign using the remix instead of the original.

‘Can You Dig It?’ tells the story of someone coming out of a relationship where he has been mistreated. His ex partner thinks they only have to snap their fingers and he will come running back, but they are wrong because now he is stronger.

‘Can you understand me now, I’ll get through somehow. You won’t ever get me down, won’t see me hanging around.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

466-The Moments & The Whatnauts-Girls.

1975-Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 2.03. Anything with a pulse.

The Moments, and The Whatnauts were two separate male vocal groups who were both signed to the same record label, and joined forces for this one off single. The record label was ‘Stang,’ which was a subsidiary of ‘All Platinum Records,’ which had been founded in 1967 by the legendary Sylvia Robinson, (1935-2011) (see also best songs 597-523-290-87 and 17) and her husband Joe Robinson (-2000.) The Whatnauts were an American ‘R&B,’ and ‘Soul’ group who were formed in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, in 1969, consisting of five founding members, they remained active until 1983. Their discography includes three studio Albums released between 1970-1972, and 13 singles released between 1970-1983. They never charted within the Billboard Hot 100 singles top 40, although three of their single did reach the lower end of the Hot 100, with ‘I’ll Erase Away Your Pain,’ peaking the highest at Number 71 in 1971. The Whatnauts did have five top 40 hits on the ‘Billboard Hot R&B’ chart, with their debut single ‘Message from a Black Man’ peaking the highest at Number 19 in 1970. In the UK, their only chart hit was ‘Girls’ with The Moments, which made Number 3 in 1975. The music of The Whatnauts has been sampled by many artists, including Kanye West on his track ‘Late, (2005) Nas on his track ‘You Can’t Stop Us Now,’ (2008) and ‘How Ya Doin’? by Little Mix (2012.)

The Moments were formed in Washington, D.C. United States, in 1965, none of the three original members of that group appeared on ‘Girls.’ The Moments signed with ‘Stang’ records in 1968, and immediately found chart success. Further personnel changes occurred, with the three group members who sang on ‘Girls’ being Al Goodman, (1943-2010) Harry Ray, (1946-1992) and Billy Brown, these three would leave ‘Stang’ records in 1978 due to a contractual dispute, and sign with ‘Polydor’ records. Due to ‘Stang’ owning the rights to their name, they could no longer use the stage name ‘The Moments,’ and so became known as ‘Ray, Goodman & Brown.’ In total there have been 13 official different members of ‘The Moments,’ or ‘Ray, Goodman & Brown,’ with Billy Brown, and two others still performing shows as ‘Ray, Goodman & Brown’ at the time of writing.

The discography of the group as ‘The Moments’ includes nine studio Albums released between 1969-1978, and 34 singles released between 1968-1981, there are also four official compilation Albums, and two live Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 they had three top 40 singles, with ‘Love on a Two-Way Street,’ from 1970 peaking the highest at Number 3, they also had 23 top 40 hits on the Billboard ‘Hot R&B’ top 40. In the UK, they had three top 40 hits, with ‘Girls,’ with the Whatnauts, peaking the highest at Number 3 in 1975. The discography of the group as ‘Ray, Goodman & Brown’ includes seven studio Albums released between 1979-1988, and two official compilation Albums, issued in 1996, and 2002, they also released 15 singles between 1979-1988. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, their only top 40 single was their debut release ‘Special Lady,’ which reached Number 5 in 1979, they had a further seven entries on the Billboard ‘Hot R&B’ top 40, while none of their tracks have ever made the UK top 40 singles chart.

Billy Brown was born William Arthur Brown, on June 30th, 1944, in Swainsboro, Georgia, United States. Prior to joining The Moments, he had been a member of a vocal group called ‘The Broadways,’ who released four singles between 1966-1967, then in 1968, he was asked by Sylvia Robinson to join The Moments, and he became their lead singer. After the break up of Ray, Goodman & Brown, he has continued to perform live. In September 2016, he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by ‘The National R&B Music Society,’ in Philadelphia, PA.

‘Girls,’ or ‘Girls’ (Part 1) as it is also known, as the ‘B’ side (Part 2) was the songs instrumental, was the only joint effort released by The Moments & The Whatnauts, it was co-written by Harry Ray, Al Goodman, and V. Dodson, with the production credited to Harry Ray, and Al Goodman. In my opinion both groups would be called sexist in this day and age, but back in the mid 1970’s no one (as far as I know) thought twice about the songs lyrics, which today would be highly controversial and severely frowned upon by ‘Women’s lib.’

‘Girls, I like ’em fat, I like ’em tall, some skinny, some small, I got to get to know them all. I’d like to be on an island with five or six of them fine ones, even one that ain’t good lookin,’ they’re the ones that do the best cookin.”