Top 5 Most Played Songs of the Week

1. Dusty Springfield – I Only Want to Be with You

 

I recently got a compilation album with her greatest hits and I fell in love with her powerful voice and her catchy, beautiful songs. This was her first solo single (1963) after having been with The Springfields for a while and one of the first hits of the British Invasion in the US. It’s strange to think this is usually labeled as Pop, putting it in the same category as most of the appalling Pop outings nowadays, when this is so enthrallingly soulful and honest. Beautiful song and what a voice Dusty had!

2. Joao Gilberto and Caetano Veloso - Garota de Ipanema

 

Music by the wonderful Tom Jobim and written by the hand of a poet (Vinicius de Moraes), this is one of the all-time classics and one of the primary exponents of Bossa Nova. The authors attributed the song’s composition to Helô Pinto, a striking woman they watched pass by as they sat in a now famous bar, which was fittingly renamed “A Garota de Ipanema” after the song’s success. This song has such an intangible sadness, and yet it is so gorgeous: a simple, understated arrangement with beautifully dreamy lyrics.

3. Amy Winehouse – Tears Dry on their Own

Album: Back to Black (2006)

My favourite track on this incredible album and her second most successful single (after the unstoppable “Rehab”). This song combines Amy’s unique, jazzy, soulful voice singing melancholy lyrics and the upbeat, cherry music from Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. The lyrics speak to me about a woman in a sexual relationship who unwisely falls in love with the man, who quite obviously is not interested in having a serious relationship with her. Amy's lyrics reflect her uncertainty, seeming at times hopeful and at other times defeated. It just sounds honest and incredibly humane, as everything Amy produces. 

4. Billy Joel – My Life

Album: 52nd Street (1978)

Peaking at #3 in Billboard’s Hot 100, this song is a single from one of Joel’s best albums and it’s a fine representation of the quality present in the album. It’s just perfect for those moments when someone is pestering you with advice and telling you how to live your life, when you would just rather be left alone. Contagious beat, great vocals (I love the little growls) and fantastic lyrics, as always.

5. Siouxsie – Into a Swan



Album: MantaRay (2007)

First single out of Siouxsie’s first solo album, after years fronting the bands Siouxsie and the Banshees and later The Creatures. Magnificent beat, I loved it instantly, and every time I listen to it my body just wants to dance. It actually reminded me a lot of Goldfrapp, and interestingly enough, I recently discovered that one of Goldfrapp’s producers worked in this album. Just like the lyrics constantly repeat, “Into a Swan” feels so much like the unstoppable force Siouxsie describes and I can totally identify with those kinds of strong feelings and the passion with which Siouxsie sings them. And I just love it when she goes: “do-do-do-do”…!

Top 5 Most Played Songs of the Week

I decided to start a new series on my Blog which will basically consist of posting my Top 5 favourite or most played songs of the week every Sunday. I'm definitely not the best music savvy out there but I thought this would be interesting and that it could perhaps inspire the readers (if there are any) to check out the artists, songs or albums I'll be mentioning here. Needless to say, comments, suggestions, recommendations and whatnot are more than welcome.

1. The White Stripes - Ball and Biscuit

Album: Elephant (2003).

This song has a fantastic bluesy sound to it and it's the best example of modern (old school) Rock 'n' Roll that I've ever heard. The lyrics could be about sex or they might simply be a group of words that sounded good together (with a few facts thrown in here and there - Jack is the seventh son-). According to Jack, "ball and biscuit" is a kind of vintage microphone, but regardless of the lyrics, this song is all about Jack's guitar solos: raw, highly-distortioned and apparently improvised in studio; and the best part is that they are always different when he plays it live. YouTube it; you won't be disappointed! The only thing that it's not perfect about the song is Meg White's drumming. Trust me, I am definitely not a hater and I think her drumming is incredibly effective in most of their songs, but they're a bit boring in this one.

2. Blondie - The Hardest Part

Album:  Eat to the Beat (1979).

This song was released as a single in the US in 1980 reaching #84 in Billboard's Hot 100. Commercially appealing but still maintaining the Blondie/Debbie Harry edge, this song is incredibly catchy and has one rocking bridge. Again, the lyrics can be interpreted as sexual and Debbie sings them with incredible attitude and smashing sex appeal. Fantastic drumming by Clem Burke and awesome guitar playing by Chris Stein, who co-wrote this song with Debbie. Such a great, ahead-of-its time video too!

3. Goldfrapp - Strict Machine

Album: Black Cherry (2003).

Another song from a 2003 album, although this one is almost an antithesis to Ball and Biscuit. While the latter has substandard production values and a minimalistic approach, simply relaying on the power of Jack's guitar and vocals to make it work, Strict Machine is a psychedelic elcetronic-dance song, highly stylised and carefully crafted. It was released as a single and it was successful in both the US and the UK. Alison Golfrapp claimed this song was about lab rats being connected to electrodes that were attached to the pleasure centres in their brains, which "told them" to love and enjoy what the scientist made them do. However, I think there's another level to this song and that is about the nature of BDSM relationships. Whatever the meaning of the song might be, I cannot help but dance when I listen to its fantastic bass line and Alison's entrancing vocals.

4. The Smiths - Still Ill

Album: The Smiths (1984).

Much like every song written by Morrissey, the lyrics are meaningful and absolutely essential to the song's effectiveness: full of witty references to historical or political issues but always keeping a primary theme. Because there are so many layers to his songs, it is pointless to "state" what this song is about, but one should rather attempt to describe what it means to oneself. To me, they are talking about depression, especially after a romantic disappointment. Whatever he is saying though, the lyrics are painfully sad and depressing and contrast ironically with the upbeat, cheery Johnny Marr riffs. 

5. The Cranberries - Dreams

Album: Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (1993).

What a gorgeous song! The lyrics are simple and yet strangely relatable. Because they are rather vague and universal, anyone can apply their own meaning to them. I personally think they are about love and falling in love, but sometimes I feel they are more about life in general and one suddenly waking up and seeing everything in a different light. Such is the nature of Dolores O'Riordan's innocent, hopeful lyrics and together with Noel Hogan, they created the most beautiful melody to go with it. Interestingly enough, Faye Wong did a wonderful cover of this song in Mandarin, which features in one of my favourite films: Chunking Express.