566. The Story Of The Blues - Wah! (1982)

 

 

First they take your pride

Then turn it all inside

And then you realise you got nothing left to lose

 

Another big hit from the same year,this got to no.3. Pete Wylie's vocals on this are really powerful as is the overall production.

 

565. Spaceship Earth - Tandy & Morgan (1985)

 

 

Until the hands of time get back to 1992

 

The second and final song in my chart from the ELO spinoff group. I recently entered this song into Unknown Pleasures,bemusing most of the voters,and it finished last. The video was filmed a few years ago for the re-mastered re-release of the Earthrise album. The man in the record shop is the spitting image of David Walliams but the credits at the end confirm it is not him.

 

Edited April 27, 20187 yr by King Rollo

Pariah pretty high up already :o It was my favourite song of last year though and probably the best thing he's ever done, such a beautiful piece of music.

 

I've been meaning to check out more OMD, Enola Gay is one of my all time favourites. The combination of the glorious synths, lyrics delivery and political context always gets to me so much.

564. The Sky Above The Rain - Marillion (2012)

 

 

She loves him

But she doesn't want him

 

A 10 minute epic ballad from Marillion's 17th album 'Sounds That Can't Be Made'.

 

 

 

 

563. Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell (1968)

 

 

And I need you more than want you

And I want you for all time

And the Wichita lineman is still on the line

 

There are few songs that sound more American than this one. The orchestration provided by The Wrecking Crew is gorgeous.

 

562. Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty (1978)

 

 

He's got this dream about buying some land

He's gonna give up the booze and the one night stands

 

A song that will always be remembered for the saxophone riff which takes the place of the chorus. I also like the percussion and the guitar solo at the end. As well as reaching number 3 in the UK,the single spent six weeks at number 2 in the US,prevented by Andy Gibb's 'Shadow Dancing' from topping the chart.

 

Wichita Lineman is a really lovely song.

 

Baker Street is a great song, I have of course been to Baker Street in London before and the saxophone riff did come to my mind whenever I was on it. The decent enough (but not as good as the original of course) Undercover cover of it was a big hit in the year I was born, 1992.

561. Exogenesis : Symphony - Muse (2009)

 

 

Spread our codes to the stars

You must rescue us all

 

An ambitious 13 minute orchestral epic which was written over several years. It's divided into three parts:Overture,Cross Pollination and Redemption. This video of clips from sci-fi movies that someone has made to accompany the song takes it onto another level for me. Wonderful.

 

560. Shame - Eurythmics (1987)

 

 

You with yer brand new shoes and

you with yer greasy hair and

you with yer mother's pride and poetry

Don't you want to feel the shame?

 

From Eurythmics seventh album 'Savage' when they returned to more of a synthpop sound. A video was made for every song and I think I remember seeing the whole video album being shown on Channel 4. 'Shame' peaked just outside the top 40 at number 41. I like the bells on the intro and the layered vocals later on.

 

 

559. Cloudbusting - Kate Bush (1985)

 

 

On top of the world

Looking over the edge

You could see them coming

 

A song about the psychologist Wilhelm Reich and his son Peter. I like the cello arrangement on this one. The video,starring Donald Sutherland,would have to be somewhere in my top 10 music videos. One line from the song was sampled in the Utah Saints' 'Something Good'.

 

 

558. Drive - The Cars (1984)

 

 

Oh,you know you can't go on

Thinking nothing's wrong

 

A beautiful song which was a top 5 hit in 1984 and then again a year later after it was used as the soundtrack for a video at the Live Aid concert with the lyrics taking on a new meaning.

 

557. Don't Stop Me Now - Queen (1978)

 

 

I'm burning through the sky

Two hundred degrees

That's why they call me Mr Fahrenheit

 

A Queen song that is more popular now than it was at the time,ideal for any party or wedding reception.

 

556. All Through The Night - Cyndi Lauper (1983)

 

 

We have no past,we won't reach back

Keep with me forward all through the night

 

A top 5 single in the US,but this only got to number 64 over here. It's my favourite song from her and should have been a bigger hit. The melody on the chorus is very similar to Freiheit's top 20 single 'Keeping The Dream Alive' from 1988 and I've often thought that she should have claimed some of their royalties for that song but now I see that 'All Through The Night' is actually a cover version and was written and recorded earlier in 1983 by Jules Shear who is less likely to have the funds to take anybody to court.

 

555. Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognized Anthem Of World Contact Day) - The Carpenters (1977)

 

 

We've been observing your Earth

And one night we'll make a contact with you

We are your friends

 

This is the second song tonight I didn't know was a cover version. It was originally recorded by Canadian group Klaatu the year before. I like the big scale of the Carpenters version with the orchestra and choir. World Contact Day actually occurred in 1953 when all the members of the 'International Flying Saucer Bureau' sent out a telepathic message at the same time which began with the words "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft".

 

554. When Love Breaks Down - Prefab Sprout (1984)

 

 

Oh my,oh my,have you seen the weather

The sweet September rain

Rain on me like no other

Until I drown,until I drown

 

A gorgeous song with Wendy Smith's backing vocals complementing Paddy McAloon's lead vocal. This was Prefab Sprout's first top 40 single when it was re-issued in 1985.

 

553. If You Leave - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1986)

 

 

I touch you once I touch you twice

I won't let go at any price

 

This only got to number 48 in the UK but it was a huge hit in the US,reaching number 4,after its use in the final scenes of the movie 'Pretty In Pink'.

 

'Drive' is lovely, the Prefab Sprout song sounds very nice enough but I prefer the more fun 'King Of Rock and Roll' from them with its bizarre chorus about the hotdogs and dancing frogs. The Cyndi Lauper song sounds good, but my fave from her would be 'Time After Time'. 'Don't Stop Me Now' is very good but wouldn't be amongst my favourite Queen songs. I like the original 'Cloudbusting' and the Utah Saints remix is brill. 'Calling Occupants' is quite the epic, I have heard it before. Had no idea it was a cover!

Edited May 1, 20187 yr by The Snake 🐍

552. Driving Away From Home (Jim's Tune) - It's Immaterial (1986)

 

 

I'll tell you what

Why don't we cross the city limit

And head on down the M62

 

Only in the 80s would you get whimsical songs like this one in the top 20. It's Immaterial were a Liverpool band and the lyrics describe a car trip from their home town up to Glasgow.

 

551. Heaven For Everyone - The Cross (1988)

 

 

This world could be fed

This world could be fun

 

The second and final song in my chart by Roger Taylor's band. There are three versions of the song. My favourite is the album version with Freddie Mercury as a guest vocalist but I have put the single version with Roger Taylor's lead vocal here as this is the one that has a video. It only got to number 84. Seven years later Queen's version of the song using Freddie's 1988 vocal track reached number 2.

 

550. EFL - The Art Of Noise (1987)

 

 

A quirky track from the Art Of Noise's third album 'In No Sense? Nonsense!'