Turn on the radio, what do you hear?
I got tagged 16 years ago (and boy are my arms tired!) to complete a few memes and I'm just now able to catch up. The first was ganked from MonkSeal whose powers include thwarting the Websense system. Well done sir.
You know a band have truly made it into the national consciousness when you can ask the average man in the street “what is your favourite song by X” and know you’re pretty much going to get an answer. And the answer is going to be selected from more than about 4 or 5 songs.
So I have personally sat down and decided my favourite song, via a tortuous process of sitting with the Guiness Book Of Hit Singles on my lap, looking through all the releases by a particular band, and then sifting out a chosen one. And then maybe racking my brain a little to think if there’s a non single that I like, although I’m not really a music historian, so that’s not really the case for many of them.
Yeah, so basically I'm ganking his list and putting my fave song, and you can feel free to gank this list and put your fave song by said artist. To mix it up I'm going to take out five of Chris's artists and put in five of my own that are considered very popular(and that I know because they're American, heh).
1. Elvis Presley : "A Little Less Conversation". Love the original, love the remix, love everything about it. I was never huge on Elvis as a vocalist but the man knew how to entertain. I still haven't posted pics from Elvis Fest, but I will sometime. Anyhow, this song is perfect and timeless to me, and the lyrics are fun.
I also find that "In the Ghetto" song absolutely hilarious in the wrongest way. So double points there.
2. The Beatles : I really like "Hey Jude". I don't know if that's cliche or not. I only like it because of the "better, betTER, beTTER, BETTER" and "NAHHHH NA NA NANANA!!!" parts, but still. Great song.
(ps. I like The Monkees better, heh. SUCK ON IT!)
3. Queen : "Bohemian Rhapsody" naturally, no matter how camp it still gets the crowd going. Even those who grown at its beginnings will get into some crazy song within the song. I'm also pressure to Under Pressure even without the Vanilla Ice drama. Tssss.
(ps. I was looking at JoistMonkey's answers and he reminded me it was indeed Queen who sang "I Want to Break Free" which I forgot I loved. Not as much as BR though.)
4. Madonna: "Human Nature". Love it, love the video, fab.
5. Elton John : "Rocket Man (I hadn’t even heard this all the way through until last year, but it’s such a perfect Elton John song)"
Chris said this and I've got to agree. Except I will say (and he'll probably hate me for this) my all time fave song f. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN MR.ELTON JOHN! is... you've guessed it, DON'T LET THE SU-UN!! GO DOWN ON ME-E!!! That song is my crack, I think it must have been played to me in the womb, I have no music 101 reasons for loving it. I JUST DO.
6. Michael Jackson : Chris mentioned "In the Closet" which I love without reserve, though I think sentimentally speaking my fave is "Man in the Mirror". I dont' know, I was 8 or so when I heard it and it spoke to me. Shut up. Ooh, and that Egyptian one he did where Eddie Murphy was the Pharoah! Ooh, and that song he did with Eddie Murphy! HA! Eddie Murphy!
7. Takout(David Bowie : It's not that I don't know a David Bowie song, it's that I know a lot of songs that I'm pretty sure are him, just not well enough to name any. I did like "Baby's on Fire" by Maxwell Demon in Velvet Goldmine, I know, shut up.)
Adding:
Boyz II Men: Jesus Lord, I can't choose! I think I'll have to go with "Please Don't Go" off the CooleyHighHarmony album. Such a great mix of '90s instrumentation, banging harmonies, and cute accessible boys who could sang your panties off. II was probably the greatest followup album ever producing hit after hit after hit. "Water Runs Dry is still my joint though "On Bended Knee" was the anthem for a long time.
8. U2 : There's a mix of "And I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" that has a choir on the chorus and I like that part. With or Without You is nice. And I like that Hello, Hello (Hola!) song. I'm pretty meh on U2. I like all their stuff, but not enough to hold an opinion.
9. Takeout (Frank Sinatra : I don't care enough to answer this, heh.)
Adding:
Luther Vandross: Everyone says "Superstar" and rightly so, and even "Hello" which is also lovely, but both are remakes. For original Luther one song I love is "Holds My Heart":
"I'd rather have bad times with you, than good times with someone else.
I'd rather stick with you through the storm, than safe and warm all by myself.
I'd rather have hard times together than to have it easy apart.
I'd rather have the one who holds my heart."
Awww, so pretty and sweet.
10. Diana Ross : Keep Me Hanging On. I've always loved it, like to play with the lyrics "If you don't love me, why don't you babe?" Love it, so lush and simple and airy, but totally tugs on the heart strings.
11. The Rolling Stones : "Paint It Black". Sure, why not?
12. Take Out (ABBA : I'm sorry, I just don't know enough about them to care. I like parts of "Dancing Queen" and "Fernando", but that's about the extent of my knowledge.)
Adding:
The Mamas & The Papas - Monday Monday. Love the multiple parts and fun roundness of the song. Good times.
13. Meat Loaf : A conversation:
Him: But what won't he do? He's all, But I won't do that, but he never says!
Me: It's cheat. He says it right after the chick is all, "Sooner or later, you'll be screwin' around!" and then he says, "but I won't do that." The real question is why he evidently considered cheating being something done for love.
Him: What?
14. Tom Jones : "It's not unusual" Yeah, pretty basic and I don't care.
15. Oasis : "Don't Look Back at the Champagne Supernova on my Wonderwall" Honestly I can rarely tell these songs apart and when I start singing one I somehow transport it to another and I MAKE IT WORK! Love it, and love the crazy insanity that is Oasis.
16. Stevie Wonder : I like this song called "Always", the first time I heard it was on The Best Man soundtrack and I bought it just to hear that song and it wasn't there! I MUST HAVE THIS SONG!
17. The Carpenters : "You're so Vain". Yeah, but I love it, love the drama behind it, love singing it randomly to people, it's just an overall fun song and probably one of two that I know are by the Carpenters.
18. The Bee Gees : "You Should Be Dancin" Sure, why not?
19. Take Out (Bob Dylan: I don't think I actually know a Bob Dylan song. I did like that One Headlight song though...)
Adding:
The Monkees: Shut up, I love them. Okay, I really like the style of "Going Down" and "Laugh" albeit predictably, makes me smile. "Words" has great vocals, and let's not forget the great instrumentation of "Listen to the Band" or "Randy Scouse Git", but overall I'd have to say my favorite Monkees song is "Love is Sleeping" with lead vocals by the incomparable Michael Nesmith. Such a lush sentiment put into really sensitive lyrics and music. The emotion just rides through the entire song and it's slightly upbeat, but wholly mesmerizing.
20. Tina Turner : "Nutbush City Limits" Yeah, "Rolling Down the River" is great karaoke fun, and "Mountain High" is fabulous, but "Nutbush..." is pure Tina soul and absolutely fantastic.
21. Prince : Okay, "Diamonds and Pearls" is the official ish, especially when they start spelling in the middle? Pure bliss. Even "Cream" is sexy in the most raunchy and classy way. But nothing will ever compare, Prince will never do better to me than he did with "SEVEN". OH MY LAWD I love that song!
"There will be a new city with the streets of gold-uh, young so educated they'll never grow old-uh. And there will be no death, with every breath, the voice of many colors sings a song that's so o o o ol ol old, sing as we watch them fall."
And the way the lines just kind of meander and collide into one another over Indian infused strumming and Lake Minnetonka beats, it's just.... it's my wonderland. I could listen to that song all day and find something new and wonderful in it each time, it's just that good.
22. Whitney Houston : "Run to You"? I think so. I'm trying to think of a song by Whitney that I just die over, and I can only come up with The Bodyguard album which I still contend is some of her most perfect work. Yeah, let's say "Run to You".
23. Eurythmics : Does Annie Lennox count? Like, could I say "Why?" or "Walking on Broken Glass" and still be good. I guess perhaps I should take time to see exactly who the Eurythmics are... be right back.
Ahh, so yes, it counts. I love "Sweet Dreams" naturally, and "Here Comes the Rain Again" is gorgeous, but... wow, it's a toss up between "Walking on Broken Glass", and "Why?". Or is it "Sweet Dreams"? I can't decide, she's too extravagant to only have one favorite!
24. Take Out (Take That) : Could It Be Magic? (Literally the only Take That song I like, so this one’s easy)
Adding:
Beyonce's Child: I really love their cover of "Emotions" and think it's one of the most melodically pleasing selections from their ouvre. It's one of the few songs I can listen to endlessly and not worry about pedantic lyrics or over production. I also like "Yes" from Beyonce's first "solo" album, and of course "Irreplaceable" is still the jam.
25. George Michael: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN MR. ELTON JOHN! Okay, okay, actually I like "Faith" a whole lot, and there's a song he did with Aretha Franklin that was good. I think I like his dance remix of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" most of all though. And for that I do apologize.
You know a band have truly made it into the national consciousness when you can ask the average man in the street “what is your favourite song by X” and know you’re pretty much going to get an answer. And the answer is going to be selected from more than about 4 or 5 songs.
So I have personally sat down and decided my favourite song, via a tortuous process of sitting with the Guiness Book Of Hit Singles on my lap, looking through all the releases by a particular band, and then sifting out a chosen one. And then maybe racking my brain a little to think if there’s a non single that I like, although I’m not really a music historian, so that’s not really the case for many of them.
Yeah, so basically I'm ganking his list and putting my fave song, and you can feel free to gank this list and put your fave song by said artist. To mix it up I'm going to take out five of Chris's artists and put in five of my own that are considered very popular(and that I know because they're American, heh).
1. Elvis Presley : "A Little Less Conversation". Love the original, love the remix, love everything about it. I was never huge on Elvis as a vocalist but the man knew how to entertain. I still haven't posted pics from Elvis Fest, but I will sometime. Anyhow, this song is perfect and timeless to me, and the lyrics are fun.
I also find that "In the Ghetto" song absolutely hilarious in the wrongest way. So double points there.
2. The Beatles : I really like "Hey Jude". I don't know if that's cliche or not. I only like it because of the "better, betTER, beTTER, BETTER" and "NAHHHH NA NA NANANA!!!" parts, but still. Great song.
(ps. I like The Monkees better, heh. SUCK ON IT!)
3. Queen : "Bohemian Rhapsody" naturally, no matter how camp it still gets the crowd going. Even those who grown at its beginnings will get into some crazy song within the song. I'm also pressure to Under Pressure even without the Vanilla Ice drama. Tssss.
(ps. I was looking at JoistMonkey's answers and he reminded me it was indeed Queen who sang "I Want to Break Free" which I forgot I loved. Not as much as BR though.)
4. Madonna: "Human Nature". Love it, love the video, fab.
5. Elton John : "Rocket Man (I hadn’t even heard this all the way through until last year, but it’s such a perfect Elton John song)"
Chris said this and I've got to agree. Except I will say (and he'll probably hate me for this) my all time fave song f. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN MR.ELTON JOHN! is... you've guessed it, DON'T LET THE SU-UN!! GO DOWN ON ME-E!!! That song is my crack, I think it must have been played to me in the womb, I have no music 101 reasons for loving it. I JUST DO.
6. Michael Jackson : Chris mentioned "In the Closet" which I love without reserve, though I think sentimentally speaking my fave is "Man in the Mirror". I dont' know, I was 8 or so when I heard it and it spoke to me. Shut up. Ooh, and that Egyptian one he did where Eddie Murphy was the Pharoah! Ooh, and that song he did with Eddie Murphy! HA! Eddie Murphy!
7. Takout(David Bowie : It's not that I don't know a David Bowie song, it's that I know a lot of songs that I'm pretty sure are him, just not well enough to name any. I did like "Baby's on Fire" by Maxwell Demon in Velvet Goldmine, I know, shut up.)
Adding:
Boyz II Men: Jesus Lord, I can't choose! I think I'll have to go with "Please Don't Go" off the CooleyHighHarmony album. Such a great mix of '90s instrumentation, banging harmonies, and cute accessible boys who could sang your panties off. II was probably the greatest followup album ever producing hit after hit after hit. "Water Runs Dry is still my joint though "On Bended Knee" was the anthem for a long time.
8. U2 : There's a mix of "And I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" that has a choir on the chorus and I like that part. With or Without You is nice. And I like that Hello, Hello (Hola!) song. I'm pretty meh on U2. I like all their stuff, but not enough to hold an opinion.
9. Takeout (Frank Sinatra : I don't care enough to answer this, heh.)
Adding:
Luther Vandross: Everyone says "Superstar" and rightly so, and even "Hello" which is also lovely, but both are remakes. For original Luther one song I love is "Holds My Heart":
"I'd rather have bad times with you, than good times with someone else.
I'd rather stick with you through the storm, than safe and warm all by myself.
I'd rather have hard times together than to have it easy apart.
I'd rather have the one who holds my heart."
Awww, so pretty and sweet.
10. Diana Ross : Keep Me Hanging On. I've always loved it, like to play with the lyrics "If you don't love me, why don't you babe?" Love it, so lush and simple and airy, but totally tugs on the heart strings.
11. The Rolling Stones : "Paint It Black". Sure, why not?
12. Take Out (ABBA : I'm sorry, I just don't know enough about them to care. I like parts of "Dancing Queen" and "Fernando", but that's about the extent of my knowledge.)
Adding:
The Mamas & The Papas - Monday Monday. Love the multiple parts and fun roundness of the song. Good times.
13. Meat Loaf : A conversation:
Him: But what won't he do? He's all, But I won't do that, but he never says!
Me: It's cheat. He says it right after the chick is all, "Sooner or later, you'll be screwin' around!" and then he says, "but I won't do that." The real question is why he evidently considered cheating being something done for love.
Him: What?
14. Tom Jones : "It's not unusual" Yeah, pretty basic and I don't care.
15. Oasis : "Don't Look Back at the Champagne Supernova on my Wonderwall" Honestly I can rarely tell these songs apart and when I start singing one I somehow transport it to another and I MAKE IT WORK! Love it, and love the crazy insanity that is Oasis.
16. Stevie Wonder : I like this song called "Always", the first time I heard it was on The Best Man soundtrack and I bought it just to hear that song and it wasn't there! I MUST HAVE THIS SONG!
17. The Carpenters : "You're so Vain". Yeah, but I love it, love the drama behind it, love singing it randomly to people, it's just an overall fun song and probably one of two that I know are by the Carpenters.
18. The Bee Gees : "You Should Be Dancin" Sure, why not?
19. Take Out (Bob Dylan: I don't think I actually know a Bob Dylan song. I did like that One Headlight song though...)
Adding:
The Monkees: Shut up, I love them. Okay, I really like the style of "Going Down" and "Laugh" albeit predictably, makes me smile. "Words" has great vocals, and let's not forget the great instrumentation of "Listen to the Band" or "Randy Scouse Git", but overall I'd have to say my favorite Monkees song is "Love is Sleeping" with lead vocals by the incomparable Michael Nesmith. Such a lush sentiment put into really sensitive lyrics and music. The emotion just rides through the entire song and it's slightly upbeat, but wholly mesmerizing.
20. Tina Turner : "Nutbush City Limits" Yeah, "Rolling Down the River" is great karaoke fun, and "Mountain High" is fabulous, but "Nutbush..." is pure Tina soul and absolutely fantastic.
21. Prince : Okay, "Diamonds and Pearls" is the official ish, especially when they start spelling in the middle? Pure bliss. Even "Cream" is sexy in the most raunchy and classy way. But nothing will ever compare, Prince will never do better to me than he did with "SEVEN". OH MY LAWD I love that song!
"There will be a new city with the streets of gold-uh, young so educated they'll never grow old-uh. And there will be no death, with every breath, the voice of many colors sings a song that's so o o o ol ol old, sing as we watch them fall."
And the way the lines just kind of meander and collide into one another over Indian infused strumming and Lake Minnetonka beats, it's just.... it's my wonderland. I could listen to that song all day and find something new and wonderful in it each time, it's just that good.
22. Whitney Houston : "Run to You"? I think so. I'm trying to think of a song by Whitney that I just die over, and I can only come up with The Bodyguard album which I still contend is some of her most perfect work. Yeah, let's say "Run to You".
23. Eurythmics : Does Annie Lennox count? Like, could I say "Why?" or "Walking on Broken Glass" and still be good. I guess perhaps I should take time to see exactly who the Eurythmics are... be right back.
Ahh, so yes, it counts. I love "Sweet Dreams" naturally, and "Here Comes the Rain Again" is gorgeous, but... wow, it's a toss up between "Walking on Broken Glass", and "Why?". Or is it "Sweet Dreams"? I can't decide, she's too extravagant to only have one favorite!
24. Take Out (Take That) : Could It Be Magic? (Literally the only Take That song I like, so this one’s easy)
Adding:
Beyonce's Child: I really love their cover of "Emotions" and think it's one of the most melodically pleasing selections from their ouvre. It's one of the few songs I can listen to endlessly and not worry about pedantic lyrics or over production. I also like "Yes" from Beyonce's first "solo" album, and of course "Irreplaceable" is still the jam.
25. George Michael: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN MR. ELTON JOHN! Okay, okay, actually I like "Faith" a whole lot, and there's a song he did with Aretha Franklin that was good. I think I like his dance remix of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" most of all though. And for that I do apologize.