That version of MacArthur Park sounds very different to the Donna Summer version I am more familiar with. Great though.

 

This World Of Water sounds great, and seems to be the one of the first hits to use electronically pitched vocals (which of course have been everywhere in pop in the last few years)!

 

Rubber Bullets is good, has that rock and roll inspired groove that seems to have been popular in the 70s. Lyrically it seems to be about some all too trigger happy and not very nice law enforcement officers.

 

'Can't Keep Me Silent' sounds great. I am more familiar with 'It's My Turn' by Angelic.

 

'Master And Servant' sounds great, they used a lot of sampled industrial sounds to create an underground sounding dance tune, and the fact it has a hard hitting instrumental 'drop' in place of the chorus makes it sound quite modern too.

Edited July 23, 20187 yr by The Snake

I adore Depeche Mode and think their back catalogue is hugely underrated these days, their songwriting is really rather special and their contribution to electronic music is surely up there with the best acts of the past 40 years.

396. Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together) - Queen (1976)

 

 

Hikario tomoshi

Itoshiki oshieo idaki

 

From Queen's fifth album 'A Day At The Races' and written by Brian May,this is another of their anthemic types of song. It was only released as a single in Japan and two choruses are sung in Japanese.

 

 

395. The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn) - Yes (1973)

 

 

What happened to wonders we once knew so well

Did we forget what happened,surely we can tell

 

From the infamous double album 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' which contained four 20 minute songs,each one taking up one of the four sides. The lyrics were written by Jon Anderson and Steve Howe and were based on Hindu scriptures. Rick Wakeman didn't like it all and left the group after the tour to support the album. Despite a mixed reception from the music press,'Topographic Oceans' was Yes' first number 1 album and this is the side 1 track.

 

 

394. Dreamtime - Daryl Hall (1986)

 

 

I never saw anybody fall apart so fast

Living in dreamtime you know it ain't gonna last

 

With Dave Stewart from Eurythmics on guitar,this is a lively rock/pop song with an ELO style string section. It got to number 5 in the US and was Daryl's biggest solo hit over here,reaching number 28.

 

393. This Is The 21st Century - Marillion (2001)

 

 

Nobody's gonna give you anything

For nothing in return

There's a man up in a mirrored building

And he just bought the world

 

Another track from 'Anoraknophobia',there's a trip hop sound to the drums,while the highlight is Steve Rothery's guitar playing,especially towards the end of the song.

 

 

 

 

392. Miss Sarajevo - Passengers (1995)

 

 

Is there a time for first communion

A time for East 17

Is there a time to turn to Mecca

Is there a time to be a beauty queen

Here she comes

 

Passengers were U2 and Brian Eno with Luciano Pavarotti joining them for this song. It's about the 'Miss Besieged Sarajevo' beauty pageant held in a basement to avoid constant sniper attacks. After the war was over,the winner,Inela Nogic,was invited to a U2 concert in Sarajevo. The guitar,strings and both vocals combine to make this a beautiful piece of music.

 

Edited July 25, 20187 yr by King Rollo

391. The Sun Always Shines On TV - A-ha (1985)

 

 

All my powers waste away

I fear the crazed and lonely looks

The mirror's sending me these days

 

The third and final song on my chart by A-ha,their only UK no.1 single. I like the big sweeping keyboard sounds on this. The video was filmed in a disused church in Teddington.

 

 

390. Stanlow - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1980)

 

 

And as she turned we always knew

That her heart was never there

 

From OMD's second album 'Organisation',a track that takes its inspiration from the Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere Port,Cheshire. It has a minimal and moody sound to it.

 

 

391. The Sun Always Shines On TV - A-ha (1985)

 

This was always my favourite of the A-ha hits - Matt Morgan (writer and occasional radio host) thought when he was younger that the song was written about when the sun shines on your TV in your living room and you can't see what's on it and have to close the curtains. :lol:

Good story. :D

389. Every Man Must Have A Dream - Liverpool Express (1976)

 

 

But all these things that you're doin'

Leave me in a ruin

In the same old way

 

I don't remember this well from the 70s but I became aware of it when it was shown on the TOTP repeats on BBC4. It's a lovely ballad with that typical 70s orchestral sound to it. It was one of three number 1 singles Liverpool Express had in Brazil. They are still going,under the name L.E.X. No doubt Brazil would be one of the countries they tour.

 

 

'The Sun Always Shines On TV' is fantastic, definitely one of the best songs of the 80s I think.

388. Watcher Of The Skies - Genesis (1972)

 

 

Creatures shaped this planet's soil

Now their reign has come to an end

 

I would certainly put the intro to this song,dominated by Tony Banks' mellotron keyboard,somewhere in my top 5 intros list and it's possibly the best intro to a prog rock song. The track is from the 'Foxtrot' album.

 

 

387. Tug Of War - Paul McCartney (1982)

 

 

We expected more

But with one thing and another

We were trying to outdo each other

In a tug of war

 

The fifth and final song by Paul McCartney on my chart. It's from the album of the same name,the first one released since John Lennon's death,and the lyrics here seem to be about him. Produced by George Martin,the song was put out as a single but surprisingly failed to reach the top 40.

 

 

 

386. One Of The Broken - Prefab Sprout (1990)

 

 

Hi,this is God here

Talking to me used to be a simple affair

Moses only had to see a burning bush

And he'd pull up a chair

 

Featuring God on vocals,this is a beautiful song from the marvellous 'Jordan:The Comeback' album.

 

 

385. The Whole Of The Moon - The Waterboys (1985)

 

 

Flags,rags,ferryboats

Scimitars and scarves

Every precious dream and vision

Underneath the stars

 

The Waterboys' signature song,this only got to number 26 in 1985 but took its rightful place in the top 3 when it was re-issued in 1991 to promote their 'best of' compilation. It's one of those timeless songs that doesn't really fit into any genre.

 

The Whole Of The Moon is great. Genre wise I would say it was upbeat indie/alternative rock (almost a precursor to Britpop) but some might say it was pop rock/indie pop.

Edited July 26, 20187 yr by The Snake

The Whole Of The Moon is great. Genre wise I would say it was upbeat indie/alternative rock (almost a precursor to Britpop) but some might say it was pop rock/indie pop.

 

 

Yes,and also some jazz and folk influences.

 

384. How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths (1984)

 

 

I am human and I need to be loved

Just like everybody else does

 

Easily The Smiths' best song. I am not a big fan of their other singles but this has a different sound to it with its oscillating guitar chord. It was originally the B side of the 'William,It Was Really Nothing' 12 inch single but was released as a single in its own right after heavy airplay on Radio 1.