344. Angel - Massive Attack (1998)

 

 

One of Massive Attack's most recognisable songs as its been used on countless TV programmes and films especially the menacing sounding intro which is longer on the album version than this single edit. The vocal here is by Horace Andy. I'm familiar with most of their videos but I don't think I've seen this one before.

 

343. 15 Storey Halo - ABC (1985)

 

 

All the rebel boys got payrolled

Now they're queuing outside the bank

Like 14 carat playboys

On a trans-cool trans-world tramp

 

For their third album,'How To Be A...Zillionaire',ABC were down to Martin Fry and Mark White so they added David Yarritu (Howdy,disco citizens) and Eden who didn't really play any instruments but were there more as cartoon characters. This track is a great toe-tapping piece of dance/pop.

 

 

342. God Only Knows - The Beach Boys (1966)

 

 

I may not always love you

But long as there are stars above you

You never need to doubt it

I'll make you so sure about it

 

One of the all-time classics now. There are many different instruments being played here but the production never sounds cluttered and the vocal harmonies are wonderful. The single reached number 2 and was kept off the top of the chart by The Beatles' Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby. Many years later Paul McCartney declared 'God Only Knows' to be his favourite song of all time.

 

341. Between II Worlds - Nero (2015)

 

 

The title track from Nero's second album. This is an instrumental with some spoken vocals. The section from 3.30 to 5.30 is sonically amazing,one of the best two minute segments from any song on my chart.

 

340. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight - Genesis (1973)

 

 

Easy now,sit you down

Chewing through your Wimpy dreams

They eat without a sound

Digesting England by the pound

 

The opening track from 'Selling England By The Pound' which many would consider to be their best album. The lyrics are a commentary on the state of England at that time.

 

 

339. Chronologie Part 4 - Jean Michel Jarre (1993)

 

 

This is pure trance,a few years before it became popular. The single reached number 55 and a few momths later,a remix got to number 56. Presumably,it was the same people buying both releases.

 

 

338. Snobbery And Decay - Act (1987)

 

 

Come tomorrow,the dream might blow away

Guilt and sorrow,the price you have to pay

 

After leaving Propaganda,Claudia Brucken hooked up with Scotsman Thomas Leer to form Act. This was their first single,getting to number 60. With Stephen Lipson once again producing,it has a similar polished synthpop sound to it. Act released a full album after this but then went their separate ways.

 

 

337. Autobahn - Kraftwerk (1974)

 

 

One of the most influential musical recordings by anyone. So much synthpop,ambient and electronic dance music is derived from this. A lot of the acts featured in my countdown have cited Kraftwerk as an influence. This is the full 23 minute album version. The various sounds on the track are an attempt to re-create the noises and changes of pace you would have on a long car journey.

 

 

336. Reload - Sebastian Ingrosso and Tommy Trash featuring John Martin (2013)

 

 

This is free love

That's what we are made of

 

A fairly recent top 3 single from the Swedish/Australian combination. I like the 'drop' in particular. The drop is one of the terms that young people use that I have learnt since I joined this forum. This is the single edit but it's the full extended version that's part of my chart.

 

 

335. Refuge - Steven Wilson (2017)

 

 

Hold on to life

In this refuge of dirt

And search for a place you can breathe again

 

The highlight from Steven Wilson's recent album is not 'Pariah' which did so well finishing 2nd in the BJSC and was further down my countdown,it's this track. Somebody's made a powerful unofficial video for the song which fits the lyrics and music so well,it takes the song to another level for me now,I hadn't seen it before.

 

 

 

334. The Power Of Love - Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1984)

 

 

I'll protect you from the hooded claw

Keep the vampires from your door

 

Frankie Goes To Hollywood's third number 1 single from 1984,a song always associated with Christmas due to its Nativity video,directed by Godley & Crème,rather than its lyrics which have nothing to do with Christmas. The Hooded Claw was the villain in the cartoon series 'The Perils of Penelope Pitstop'. Trevor Horn's production of the song is excellent.

 

333. God Is A DJ - Faithless (1998)

 

 

This is my church

This is where I heal my hurts

 

One of the 90s club-goers' anthems with another memorable keyboard riff from Sister Bliss.

 

 

332. Jar Of Hearts - Christina Perri (2010)

 

 

You're gonna catch a cold

From the ice inside your soul

 

Another recent song which you will all know. This has a timeless sound to it and it wouldn't sound out of place in the 70s. The lyrics are about a real person and she sings with plenty of emotion. The song premiered on the American TV programme 'So You Think You Can Dance' before it had been released and before she had a record deal.

 

 

331. Life Is A Minestrone - 10cc (1975)

 

 

Minnie Mouse has got it all sewn up

She gets more fan mail then the Pope

She takes the mickey out of all my phobias

Like signing cheques to ward off double pneumonia

 

Written by Lol Crème and Eric Stewart,the idea for the song came about after they thought they heard someone on the radio saying "life is a minestrone". I've always loved the lyrics to this song but it has a catchy melody as well.

 

330. Jesse James Symphony/Jesse James Bolero - Prefab Sprout (1990)

 

 

Jesse James is thinking of the breaks he never had

And the gene that cursed his blood group rhesus-bad

 

I've picked a few tracks from the magical album 'Jordan:The Comeback' and this is the highest placed. It's technically two tracks but it's really one song divided into two parts.

 

Wasn't expecting to see 'Reload' in the charts. 2013 was a dire year for chart music I thought but Reload along with Wake Me Up by Avicii were two of the highlights. And indeed the term 'the drop' has only been used recently, even though what is referring to has been in some songs for ages (Einstein A Go-Go which iirc appeared earlier in your list has quite a good one)!.

 

God is a DJ is great, Life is a Minestrone is good fun, and both The Power Of Love and Jar Of Hearts are very nice ballads. Frankie following up the uber energetic Two Tribes with a track that couldn't be more different in style, you wouldn't get that much of a difference between successive singles of any chart act now!

 

 

 

 

Yes,it would be good to see Dua Lipa or Little Mix come out with a big ballad,maybe with Trevor Horn producing.

 

They've just played a bit of Reload at the televised county cricket match right now.

God Only Knows is very much a candidate of mine for greatest single of all-time, nobody has ever successfully covered it, partly because it's deceptively difficult to sing without the angelic Carl Wilson vocals/ Beach Boy harmonies, partly because it's a perfect record already, witness the London Symphony Orchestra remake making it sound a bit karaoke.

 

Power of Love is also brilliant, and anything 10CC has got my vote.

 

I love loads of tracks with fab "drops", as the young'uns like to call a sudden catchy change of tempo, but it's nothing new, it's just a new name for what used to be a hook, a catchy beat, a chorus, a segment of a song and so on. prob make a good Lounge Discussion: find fab "drops" in 20th century songs :)

329. Somebody To Love - Queen (1976)

 

 

I work (he works hard) every day of my life

I work 'till I ache my bones

 

When most groups want some gospel backing vocals,they bring in a gospel choir,but not Queen,they do it themselves. All the backing vocals here are by Freddie,Brian and Roger. This is such a well put together song. It got to number 2,being kept off the top of the chart by 'Under The Moon Of Love' by Showaddywaddy. Queen finally got the song to number 1 with George Michael's help in 1993.

 

 

328. Tubular Bells Part One - Mike Oldfield (1973)

 

 

Two slightly distorted guitars

Mandolin

Spanish guitar and introducing acoustic guitar

Plus,tubular bells

 

This ranks alongside 'Autobahn' as a landmark early 70s recording. Mike Oldfield was only 19 years old when he composed this prog/new age almost classical piece of music. I have chosen the whole of side one of the album which is 25 minutes long. The LP was the first release on Richard Branson's new Virgin label and sold slowly until the opening section was used in 'The Exorcist'. It finally reached number 1 in 1974 and has spent almost 300 weeks on the album chart.