261. Hearts - Yes (1983)

 

 

One heart's for love

One's for giving

Two hearts are better than one

 

The fourth and last song on my chart from the 90125 album. While the other three were all singles and had a pop/rock sound to them,this one has more of their 70s prog rock sound. It's the only song on the album written by all five members of the group.

 

Wasn't sure if I knew this one, (I am more familiar with Faithless' other big hit from 2001, 'We Come 1'), but listening to 'One Step Too Far' now, it sounds familiar. I notice it has the distinctive 'organ house' production in the verses. Very nice chilled dance tune anyway!

 

It got played a lot on the music video channels.

I have heard 'Hearts' before. Although the chorus is really nice, I like the part of the song before the first chorus the best especially that Far Eastern sounding instrumentation and chanted vocals. It's weird how it all builds up to a slow ballad-type chorus, when you would expect the chorus to be faster from the buildup. Good song anyway.

That's a very good description of the song. :)

260. I'm Not Scared - Pet Shop Boys (1988)

 

 

Tonight the streets are full of actors

I don't know why

Oh,take these dogs away from me

Before they,they bite

 

The Pet Shop Boys wrote this song for Patsy Kensit's group,Eighth Wonder,who had a top 10 hit with it in 1988. Later in the same year,they recorded their own version,seven minutes long,for their 'Introspective' album. I love the production on this one.

 

 

259. Say Hello Wave Goodbye (12 inch version) - Soft Cell (1982)

 

 

I'll find someone

That's not going cheap in the sales

A nice little housewife

Who'll give me a steady life

And won't keep going off the rails

 

This is easily Soft Cell's best song,reaching number 3,and it has to be the 12 inch version which starts with the wonderful clarinet solo. The part at 1.25 when the synth organ comes in for the first time still sends shivers down my spine. After a few minutes,Marc Almond's vocals come in. The lyrics are another highlight of the song.

 

 

 

 

 

258. Keeping The Dream Alive - Freiheit (1988)

 

 

The game will never be over

Because we're keeping the dream alive

 

The third and final song on my chart by Freiheit and the one for which they are best known. This was a top 20 single for them. The orchestration on this is fantastic. For some reason,this is now regarded as a Christmas song but at least that means it gets played in shops or the radio once a year. Munchener Freiheit,as they are known in their own country,are still going and have released sixteen albums. They represented Germany in the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest,finishing 18th.

 

257. Hide And Seek (Orchestral Version) - Howard Jones (1987)

 

 

There was a time when there was nothing at all

Nothing at all

Just a distant hum

 

'Hide And Seek' was a number 12 hit for Howard Jones in 1984 but I have chosen the later version,recorded with an orchestra at Abbey Road studios,for my chart. You've probably noticed by now I do like a bit of orchestral pop. This version was included as a bonus track on the 'Little Bit Of Snow' cassette and 12 inch singles. I didn't think of this song when the Reinvention spin off was held recently. There doesn't seem to be anything in the rules to say you can't enter someone's reinvention of their own song. Never mind,I'm sure most of the voters would have snubbed it in the same way that they snubbed Peter Gabriel's orchestral version of 'Heroes'.

 

 

256. Counterpoint - Delphic (2009)

 

 

Late at night,I'll run through streets and empty corridors

I'll find my counterpoint,inside a red room locked behind a door

 

The second appearance by Delphic on my chart. This was their debut single. It's a great,fast paced piece of synth pop.

 

 

255. Americana Panorama - 10cc (1983)

 

 

Pretzel logic does apply

Oh fast food junk food gets you by

You've got delis,diners,southern fries

And burger queens with hungry eyes

 

Just two days after the first one,here is another song from 'Windows In The Jungle'. The outro from track three 'Yes I Am' segues to the intro of this track so it really needs to be heard as part of the album. The lyrics are some musings on the USA at the time the song was written. 10cc have always been preoccupied with America and have probably written more songs about that country than they have about their own country.

 

 

254. You're A Big Girl Now - Black (1988)

 

 

It's so hard to be humble

When you know you're worth more

To live and learn

Is all we can hope for

 

From Black's second album 'Comedy',this was released as a single but only got to number 86. Colin Vearncombe's vocals on this are amazing and if I were rating every song purely on vocals,this song might be in the top 10.

 

253. Daybreaker - Electric Light Orchestra (1973)

 

 

Most ELO albums contain an instrumental and this is one of two from 'On The Third Day'. The keyboard part sounds quite advanced for 1973 and the strings,guitars and drums all combine to make this a great piece of music which doesn't go on for too long.

 

 

 

252. Not Gonna Get Us - t.A.T.u. (2003)

 

 

We're gonna run,nothing can stop us

Even the night that falls all around us

 

The follow-up single to their number 1,'All The Things She Said',which was further down my chart. Once again,Trevor Horn handles the production and he makes a great job of it. The high-pitched vocals might be considered to be annoying but I don't mind them.

 

251. Sugar Mice - Marillion (1987)

 

 

So if you want my address it's number one at the end of the bar

Where I sit with the broken angels clutching at straws and nursing our scars

 

From the 'Clutching At Straws' album,the lyrics for this one were inspired by a strained phone call Fish made from an American motel room to his wife back in Britain. There are some emotional vocals from Fish and a great guitar solo. The single got to number 22.

 

 

 

 

 

Didn't think 'Not Gonna Get Us' would be higher in your chart than 'All The Things She Said'. Good song though, it is indeed very good production wise. It combines breakbeat with trance influences for the production, perhaps it was inspired by Sonique back in in 2000 who combined these two things too!

 

Say Hello Wave Goodbye is a great song indeed!

Edited August 31, 20186 yr by TheSnake

250. Protection - Massive Attack with Tracey Thorn (1994)

 

 

You tell her she can manage

And you can't change the way she feels

But you could put your arms around her

 

A top 20 hit for Massive Attack with vocals by Tracy Thorn from Everything But The Girl. The video,directed by Michel Gondry,is outstanding and would certainly be somewhere in my top 10 music videos. The song samples 'The Payback' by James Brown.

 

 

 

A top 20 hit for Massive Attack with vocals by Tracy Thorn from Everything But The Girl.

 

*wonders if their best known song is going to/has already made this countdown*

I like 'Missing' and have it in my collection but it didn't make it into my countdown.

249. Memorial - Susanne Sundfor (2015)

 

 

Hope you'll come back again

Even though I know you are heartless

'Cause you took off my dress

And you never put it on again

 

A beautiful ten minute epic from Susanne's fourth album 'Ten Love Songs'. After four minutes of vocals,comes a wonderful classical sounding orchestral/piano section before her vocal returns at the end. She did all the orchestral arrangements herself.

 

I like 'Missing' and have it in my collection but it didn't make it into my countdown.

 

:(

 

I am quite sure the Todd Terry remix that was the version that charted would make it into my top 1000 songs of all time (if I ever have the time to compile them)!