613. Keep Passing The Open Windows - Queen (1984)

 

 

You just gotta be strong and believe in yourself

Forget all the sadness 'cause love is all you need

 

Freddie Mercury's anti suicide song from 'The Works'. 'Keep Passing The Open Windows' is a recurring phrase in the John Irving novel The Hotel New Hampshire and this song was written for the film adaptation but ended up not being used.

 

 

 

612. All Over The World - Electric Light Orchestra (1980)

 

 

LA,New York,Amsterdam

Monte Carlo,Shard End

 

From the 'Xanadu' soundtrack,a party anthem that's probably more popular now than it was at the time it came out. Jeff Lynne's Shard End birthplace is included in the lyrics.

 

611. The Actor - The Moody Blues (1968)

 

 

Put out your problems with the cat

Escape until a bell you hear

 

From their album 'In Search Of The Lost Chord',this was written and sung by Justin Hayward. I like the flute and acoustic guitar on this and Justin's fantastic vocal.

 

610. Like A Prayer - Madonna (1989)

 

 

When you call my name it's like a little prayer

I'm down on my knees,I wanna take you there

 

Madonna's fifth no.1 single and one of her signature songs. I like the production with just the right amount of drums and gospel singing to add to Madonna's vocals.

 

609. Enola Gay - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1980)

 

 

It's eight fifteen

And that's the time that it's always been

 

A synth pop classic with its memorable keyboard riff. The Enola Gay plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima at 8.15 was named after the pilot's mother Enola Gay Tibbets. She was still alive when this record came out,dying three years later at the age of 90.

 

 

608. Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out) - Arcade Fire (2004)

 

 

Ice has covered up my parents' hands

Don't have any dreams,don't have any plans

 

The third single from the 'Funeral' album. The song was inspired by the North American ice storm of 1998 which left parts of Canada without any power for weeks. Unusually,the pace of the track is the same from the first note to the last.

 

607. Going For The One - Yes (1977)

 

 

Now the verses I've sang

Don't add much weight to the story in my head

So I'm thinking I should go and write a punch line

But they're so hard to find

In my cosmic mind

 

This is Yes' second highest charting single,reaching number 24. The song was written by Jon Anderson a few years earlier but was rejected for previous albums. The last two minutes of this are fantastic with the vocals,piano and guitars all together.

 

606. Bring My Family Back - Faithless (1998)

 

 

There was a time when my walls were decorated

And under my roof children were educated

But now paint's faded,windows are all smashed

A crash in the economy robbed me of my family

 

A top 20 hit for Faithless from 'Sunday 8PM'. I like the soulful backing vocals on this one as well as Maxi's lyrics.

 

Enola Gay is great! The keyboard riff is great, as is the vocal. One of the first big synthpop hits, and it sounds great for 1980.

 

Like a Prayer is quite the epic! Has been one of my favourite Madonna songs for a long time now, and I also enjoyed the Mad'house dance version in 2002.

Edited April 16, 20187 yr by The Snake 🐍

605. New York Minute - Don Henley (1989)

 

 

He had a home,the love of a girl

But men get lost sometimes,as years unfurl

 

This is not on youtube but I've tracked it down somewhere else. It's an 80s song that I only discovered a couple of years ago after hearing it on the radio and I've been playing it on Spotify since then. It only got to number 97 in the UK.

 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=don+he...6&FORM=VIRE

 

 

604. The Mother We Share - Chvrches (2012)

 

 

Come in misery where you can seem as old as your omens

And the mother we share will never keep your proud head from falling

 

The sixth and final song in my chart by Chvrches which isn't bad for a group who have only released two albums. This is their most well known song and only top 40 hit.

 

 

 

603. Easter - Marillion (1989)

 

 

A tattered necklace of hedge end trees

On the southern side of the hill

Betrays where the border runs between

Where Mary Dunoon's boy fell

 

From 'Seasons End',the first album Marillion released with their new singer Steve Hogarth. He was quickly accepted by the fanbase and this was a top 40 hit,despite being the third single from the album. It's about the troubles in Northern Ireland. Post Fish,Marillion songs have often included codas at the end and the one in 'Easter' is very good,taking the song in a different direction.

 

602. Poor Leno - Royksopp (2001)

 

 

Where you'll be I'll know

Where you'll be I'll find you

 

An early single by Royksopp. It was seeing this video on MTV a lot that first made me aware of their music. Vocals on this are by Erlend Oye.

 

601. White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) - Grandmaster & Melle Mel (1983)

 

 

Either up your nose or through your vein

With nothing to gain except killin' your brain

 

Grandmaster Flash made no contribution to this old school hip hop classic but I've shown the same artist name as was on the record. This was Melle Mel on his own but Grandmaster's name was included to help it sell. The single spent 17 weeks in the top 40 in 1984,but if you've been watching the TOTP repeats recently,you will know it was never shown. Even though the lyrics are anti drugs,the mere mention of them was enough for it to be banned. In total,the record spent 60 weeks in the top 100,a very long stay for the 80s. The bassline is from 'Cavern' by Liquid Liquid. It's not a sample,but a re-recording.

 

600. Life On Mars - David Bowie (1971)

 

 

See the mice in their million hordes

From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads

Rule Britannia is out of bounds

To my mother,my dog and clowns

 

David Bowie's signature song with its surreal lyrics and wonderful musical arrangement. The piano was played by Rick Wakeman. Originally appearing on his 1971 album 'Hunky Dory',it wasn't released as a single until 1973,reaching number 3.

 

599. Do You Know,Do You Care? - Phil Collins (1982)

 

 

You're lying,you're lying,you've done it this time

I'm sick of all the cheating

 

From his second solo album 'Hello,I Must Be Going!' This is a big sounding song with big drums and big vocals. The mix is completed by Phil's tinkly piano sound and Daryl Stuermer's guitar.

 

598. Thousand Eyes - ELO Part Two (1991)

 

 

Let it work its magic

 

The second of two songs in my chart from the other version of ELO with Louis Clark's swirly string arrangement. Bev Bevan brought the group to a close in 2000 but the others soldiered on,changing their name to The Orchestra to avoid Jeff Lynne's legal action. Amazingly,they are still touring regularly with violinist Mik Kaminski the only surviving member from the 70s ELO line-up.

 

Edited April 17, 20187 yr by King Rollo

597. Precious - Depeche Mode (2005)

 

 

I pray you learn to trust

Have faith in both of us

And keep room in your hearts for two

 

A song Martin Gore wrote about the effect his divorce had on his children. This is one of three Depeche Mode singles to reach number 4,their highest chart position. I remember at the time being pleasantly surprised that they could still have a top five hit well into the noughties.

 

596. One - U2 (1991)

 

 

We're one,but we're not the same

We get to carry each other

Carry each other

 

The third and final song in my countdown by U2. It's not just my favourite,it seems to be generally regarded as their finest moment. The vocals,lyrics and guitar work on this are all top quality.

 

595. Dream Of Me (Based On Love's Theme) - OMD (1993)

 

 

I had an idea

Based on a love theme

 

This is basically a cover of the instrumental by Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra from 1973 with some vocals added on. I like the use of echoes on Andy McCluskey's vocals and the addition of the female backing vocals.