A sexy song does not really have to be about sex. Just talking about having sex or wanting to have sex or describing sexual situations isn't sexy. It's sex. Sexy songs are a visceral blend of tone and melody, of harmony and beat, of lyric and music, of intent and sound. Sexy is a mixture of romance and desire, an interplay of emotion and longing, passion and sensation. Sexy is about feeling. Sex can be sexy, but without all the psychological, emotional, and physical stimuli, it is just sex. These are my Top 20 Sexy Songs.
1. Melissa Etheridge - Nowhere to Go
2. Amistades Peligrosas - Me Haces Tanto Bien
3. INXS - Need You Tonite
4. Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On
5. Chris Isaak - Wicked Game
6. Joe Cocker - You Can Leave Your Hat On
7. Michael Buble - Fever
8. Cirque Du Soleil - Querer
9. Melissa Etheridge - I Want to Come Over
10. Chris Isaak - Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing
11. Pussycat Dolls - Don't Cha
12. Alannah Miles - Black Velvet
13. La Lupita - Gavilan o Paloma
14. Lou Rawls - You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine
15. Bruce Springsteen - I'm on Fire
16. Diana Krall - The Look of Love
17. Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
18. Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg.- La Decandense
19. Exile - Kiss You All Over
20. Michelle Pfeiffer - Makin' Whoopie
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Top 20 Versions of Bohemian Rhapsody
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Which has been the greatest song ever recorded? Well, many people seem to agree that the award goes to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, despite never actually reaching #1 in the Billboard Hot 100. The Guinness Book of Records names it the Best British Single of all Time, and its groundbreaking video is considered the video that launched the MTV age. Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango? This is definitely a groundbreaking song... incorporating opera and heavy metal... and I wondered... How could dare cover such a song?... Some results are bewildering, some a hideous... be prepared to amaze and to nauseate yourself... These are my Top 20 Versions of the Bohemian Rhapsody as Freddy turns in his grave.
1. Queen - Original Version & Video
2. The Muppets - Bohemian Rhapsody Parody
3. Queen - Live at Live Aid 1985 (Bohemian Rhapsody / Radio Gaga)
4. Cast of WWRY - Bohemian Rhapsody
5. Cast of Glee - Bohemian Rhapsody (Journey to the Regionals)
6. Constantine Maroulis - Bohemian Rhapsody (American Idol)
7. Queen + Paul Rodgers - Bohemian Rhapsody (Live in Ukraine)
8. Elton John / Axl Rose - Bohemian Rhapsody (Tribute to Freddy Mercury Concert)
9. The Ten Tenors - Bohemian Rhapsody
10. Monserrat Caballe / Bruce Dickinson - Bohemian Rhapsody
11. The UC Berkley Men Octet - Bohemian Rhapsody
12. Suzie McNeil - Bohemian Rhapsody (INXS Rock Star)
13. Pink - Bohemian Rhapsody (Funhouse Tour)
14. Edgar Cruz - Bohemian Rhapsody (Instrumental)
15. Newton Faulkner - Bohemian Rhapsody
16. Emilie Autumn - Bohemian Rhapsody
17. Mullieris - Bohemian Rhapsody
18. Hayseed Dixie - Bohemian Rhapsody
19. Weird Al Yankovic - The Bohemian Polka
20. Molotv - Rap, Soda & Bohemia
Which has been the greatest song ever recorded? Well, many people seem to agree that the award goes to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, despite never actually reaching #1 in the Billboard Hot 100. The Guinness Book of Records names it the Best British Single of all Time, and its groundbreaking video is considered the video that launched the MTV age. Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango? This is definitely a groundbreaking song... incorporating opera and heavy metal... and I wondered... How could dare cover such a song?... Some results are bewildering, some a hideous... be prepared to amaze and to nauseate yourself... These are my Top 20 Versions of the Bohemian Rhapsody as Freddy turns in his grave.
1. Queen - Original Version & Video
2. The Muppets - Bohemian Rhapsody Parody
3. Queen - Live at Live Aid 1985 (Bohemian Rhapsody / Radio Gaga)
4. Cast of WWRY - Bohemian Rhapsody
5. Cast of Glee - Bohemian Rhapsody (Journey to the Regionals)
6. Constantine Maroulis - Bohemian Rhapsody (American Idol)
7. Queen + Paul Rodgers - Bohemian Rhapsody (Live in Ukraine)
8. Elton John / Axl Rose - Bohemian Rhapsody (Tribute to Freddy Mercury Concert)
9. The Ten Tenors - Bohemian Rhapsody
10. Monserrat Caballe / Bruce Dickinson - Bohemian Rhapsody
11. The UC Berkley Men Octet - Bohemian Rhapsody
12. Suzie McNeil - Bohemian Rhapsody (INXS Rock Star)
13. Pink - Bohemian Rhapsody (Funhouse Tour)
14. Edgar Cruz - Bohemian Rhapsody (Instrumental)
15. Newton Faulkner - Bohemian Rhapsody
16. Emilie Autumn - Bohemian Rhapsody
17. Mullieris - Bohemian Rhapsody
18. Hayseed Dixie - Bohemian Rhapsody
19. Weird Al Yankovic - The Bohemian Polka
20. Molotv - Rap, Soda & Bohemia
Monday, August 16, 2010
Top 20 Songs from Jukebox Musicals
Jukebox musicals have been lately gaining a lot of strength and credibility in musical theater. A jukebox musical is a stage, film or TV musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score. Usually the songs have in common a connection with a particular popular musician or group and are contextualized into a dramatic or comedic plot - most often than not, comedic. These are my top 20 songs from Jukebox Musicals.
1. Glee - Don't Stop Believin'
Glee is a musical comedy-drama television series that focuses on a high school show choir (a modern glee club) called "New Directions", at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. Originally conceived as a film, the series features numerous song covers sung onscreen by the characters. Musical segments typically take the form of performances, as opposed to the characters singing spontaneously, as the intention is for the series to remain reality-based.
2. Moulin Rouge - Elephant Love Medley
Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 jukebox musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth and on Giuseppe Verdi's opera, La Traviata. It tells the story of a young, English poet/writer, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress and courtesan Satine.
3. Jersey Boys - Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical based on the lives of one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons. The musical opened on Broadway in 2005, and has had a North American National tour, along with productions in the West End, various US cities, Toronto, and Melbourne. Jersey Boys won four 2006 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, making it one of the most successful stage jukebox musicals ever.
4. Mamma Mia! - Voules Vouz
Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical with a book by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. It was an early example of the jukebox musical genre and helped to popularize the form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syI6dvZUTTY
5. Rock of Ages - I Wanna Rock / Don't Stop Believin'
Rock of Ages is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D'Arienzo, built around classic rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Asia, among other well-known rock bands.
6. We Will Rock You - Somebody to Love
We Will Rock You (abbreviated as WWRY) is a jukebox musical, based on the songs of Queen and named after their hit single of the same name. The musical was written by British comedian and author Ben Elton in collaboration with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor. This production has been so successful that not only a film is in the works, but also a sequel.
7. Beauty & the Beast - Be Our Guest
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical. Beauty ran on Broadway for 5,464 performances between 1994 and 2007, becoming Broadway's sixth-longest running production in history, although it has since been pushed to seventh.
8. American Idiot - 21 Guns
American Idiot is a one-act stage musical adapted from rock band Green Day's concept album of the same name. Additional Green Day songs were interpolated from other sources, including the recernt 21st Century Breakdown album.
9. Movin' Out - River of Dreams / Keeping the Faith
Movin' Out is a jukebox musical featuring the songs of Billy Joel. Conceived by Twyla Tharp, the musical tells the story of a generation of American youth growing up on Long Island during the 1960s and their experiences with the Vietnam War. The show is unusual in that, unlike the traditional musical, it essentially is a series of dances linked by a thin plot, and none of the dancers sing. All the vocals are performed by a pianist and band suspended on a platform above the stage while the dancers act out the narrative sans dialogue, making the show, in essence, a rock ballet.
10. Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar - Un Ano Mas
Hoy no me puedo levantar is a Spanish musical, with music and lyrics by Nacho Cano, former member of the band Mecano. Based on 32 of the band's greatest hits and named after their first single, the musical centers on a pair of impoverished musicians trying to be part of La Movida Madrileña, after the fall of Francisco Franco's dictatorship.
11. Across the Universe - I am the Walrus
Across the Universe is a musical film directed by Julie Taymor.cThe script is based on an original story credited to Taymor, Dick Clement, and Ian La Frenais. It incorporates 34 compositions originally written by The Beatles. The film's plot and narrative structure interweave the stories of several characters whose lives cross paths during events set against the backdrop of the turbulent middle/late 1960s. The story apparently takes place from about late 1965 to mid 1969.
12. The Lion King - The Circle of Life
The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice along with the musical score created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical.
13. Daddy Cool - Wanna Be My Lover / Can't Stand The Rain / Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool is a musical based upon the works of Boney M and other Frank Farian produced artists. It premiered in the West End in 2006, followed by UK and international tours. The musical tells the story of Sunny, a young man who lives for his music. Caught up in local rivalry between East and West London crews, he meets and falls in love with Rose, daughter of the East End’s notorious club owner Ma Baker.
14. Footloose the Musical - Footloose
Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow (among others), the lyrics by Dean Pitchford (with additional lyrics by Kenny Loggins), and the book is by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.
15. Mary Poppins - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Mary Poppins is a Walt Disney Theatrical musical based on the similarly-titled series of children's books by P. L. Travers and the Disney 1964 film. The stage musical is a fusion of various elements from the film and the books. Some elements from the Mary Poppins series of children's books that had been omitted from the film were restored, such as the walking statue and the ladders rising to the stars. Others were removed, such as the scene in which Uncle Albert gets caught on the ceiling, laughing.
16. Saturday Night Fever - Stayin' Alive medley
Saturday Night Fever is a musical with a book by Nan Knighton (in collaboration with Arlene Phillips, Paul Nicholas, and Robert Stigwood) and music and lyrics by the Bee Gees. Based on Nik Cohn's 1975 New York Magazine article "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night" and Norman Wexler's 1977 screenplay it inspired, it focuses on Tony Manero, a Brooklyn youth whose weekend is spent at the local discotheque. There he luxuriates in the admiration of the crowd and a growing relationship with Stephanie Mangano, and can temporarily forget the realities of his life, including a dead-end job in a paint store and his gang of deadbeat friends.
17. Xanadu on Broadway - Don't Walk Away
Xanadu is a musical comedy with a book by Douglas Carter Beane, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, based on the 1980 cult classic film of the same name which was, in turn, inspired by the 1947 Rita Hayworth film Down to Earth. The story of the musical focuses on a Greek muse, Clio, who descends from Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California in 1980 on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest creation of his life - a roller disco. But, when Clio, disguised as an Australian roller girl named Kira, falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation, and Clio risks eternal banishment to the underworld.
18. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Got To Get You Into My Life
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a musical film released in 1978. Its soundtrack features new versions of songs originally written and performed by The Beatles. It tells the loosely-constructed story of a band as they wrangle with the music industry and battle evil forces bent on stealing their instruments and corrupting their home town of Heartland. The film is presented in a form similar to that of a rock opera with the Beatles' songs providing "dialogue" to carry the story, with only George Burns having spoken lines that act to clarify the plot and provide further narration.
19. Come Fly Away - That's Life
Come Fly Away is a dance revue conceived, directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp, around the songs of Frank Sinatra. The musical, set in a New York City nightclub, follows four couples as they look for love.
20. Happy Feet
Happy Feet is a 2006 computer-animated comedy-drama film with music, directed and co-written by George Miller.Happy Feet is a jukebox musical, taking previously recorded songs and working them into the film's soundtrack to fit with the mood of the scene or character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7vjxhqMPng
1. Glee - Don't Stop Believin'
Glee is a musical comedy-drama television series that focuses on a high school show choir (a modern glee club) called "New Directions", at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. Originally conceived as a film, the series features numerous song covers sung onscreen by the characters. Musical segments typically take the form of performances, as opposed to the characters singing spontaneously, as the intention is for the series to remain reality-based.
2. Moulin Rouge - Elephant Love Medley
Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 jukebox musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth and on Giuseppe Verdi's opera, La Traviata. It tells the story of a young, English poet/writer, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress and courtesan Satine.
3. Jersey Boys - Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical based on the lives of one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons. The musical opened on Broadway in 2005, and has had a North American National tour, along with productions in the West End, various US cities, Toronto, and Melbourne. Jersey Boys won four 2006 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, making it one of the most successful stage jukebox musicals ever.
4. Mamma Mia! - Voules Vouz
Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical with a book by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. It was an early example of the jukebox musical genre and helped to popularize the form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syI6dvZUTTY
5. Rock of Ages - I Wanna Rock / Don't Stop Believin'
Rock of Ages is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D'Arienzo, built around classic rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Asia, among other well-known rock bands.
6. We Will Rock You - Somebody to Love
We Will Rock You (abbreviated as WWRY) is a jukebox musical, based on the songs of Queen and named after their hit single of the same name. The musical was written by British comedian and author Ben Elton in collaboration with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor. This production has been so successful that not only a film is in the works, but also a sequel.
7. Beauty & the Beast - Be Our Guest
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical. Beauty ran on Broadway for 5,464 performances between 1994 and 2007, becoming Broadway's sixth-longest running production in history, although it has since been pushed to seventh.
8. American Idiot - 21 Guns
American Idiot is a one-act stage musical adapted from rock band Green Day's concept album of the same name. Additional Green Day songs were interpolated from other sources, including the recernt 21st Century Breakdown album.
9. Movin' Out - River of Dreams / Keeping the Faith
Movin' Out is a jukebox musical featuring the songs of Billy Joel. Conceived by Twyla Tharp, the musical tells the story of a generation of American youth growing up on Long Island during the 1960s and their experiences with the Vietnam War. The show is unusual in that, unlike the traditional musical, it essentially is a series of dances linked by a thin plot, and none of the dancers sing. All the vocals are performed by a pianist and band suspended on a platform above the stage while the dancers act out the narrative sans dialogue, making the show, in essence, a rock ballet.
10. Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar - Un Ano Mas
Hoy no me puedo levantar is a Spanish musical, with music and lyrics by Nacho Cano, former member of the band Mecano. Based on 32 of the band's greatest hits and named after their first single, the musical centers on a pair of impoverished musicians trying to be part of La Movida Madrileña, after the fall of Francisco Franco's dictatorship.
11. Across the Universe - I am the Walrus
Across the Universe is a musical film directed by Julie Taymor.cThe script is based on an original story credited to Taymor, Dick Clement, and Ian La Frenais. It incorporates 34 compositions originally written by The Beatles. The film's plot and narrative structure interweave the stories of several characters whose lives cross paths during events set against the backdrop of the turbulent middle/late 1960s. The story apparently takes place from about late 1965 to mid 1969.
12. The Lion King - The Circle of Life
The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice along with the musical score created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical.
13. Daddy Cool - Wanna Be My Lover / Can't Stand The Rain / Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool is a musical based upon the works of Boney M and other Frank Farian produced artists. It premiered in the West End in 2006, followed by UK and international tours. The musical tells the story of Sunny, a young man who lives for his music. Caught up in local rivalry between East and West London crews, he meets and falls in love with Rose, daughter of the East End’s notorious club owner Ma Baker.
14. Footloose the Musical - Footloose
Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow (among others), the lyrics by Dean Pitchford (with additional lyrics by Kenny Loggins), and the book is by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.
15. Mary Poppins - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Mary Poppins is a Walt Disney Theatrical musical based on the similarly-titled series of children's books by P. L. Travers and the Disney 1964 film. The stage musical is a fusion of various elements from the film and the books. Some elements from the Mary Poppins series of children's books that had been omitted from the film were restored, such as the walking statue and the ladders rising to the stars. Others were removed, such as the scene in which Uncle Albert gets caught on the ceiling, laughing.
16. Saturday Night Fever - Stayin' Alive medley
Saturday Night Fever is a musical with a book by Nan Knighton (in collaboration with Arlene Phillips, Paul Nicholas, and Robert Stigwood) and music and lyrics by the Bee Gees. Based on Nik Cohn's 1975 New York Magazine article "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night" and Norman Wexler's 1977 screenplay it inspired, it focuses on Tony Manero, a Brooklyn youth whose weekend is spent at the local discotheque. There he luxuriates in the admiration of the crowd and a growing relationship with Stephanie Mangano, and can temporarily forget the realities of his life, including a dead-end job in a paint store and his gang of deadbeat friends.
17. Xanadu on Broadway - Don't Walk Away
Xanadu is a musical comedy with a book by Douglas Carter Beane, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, based on the 1980 cult classic film of the same name which was, in turn, inspired by the 1947 Rita Hayworth film Down to Earth. The story of the musical focuses on a Greek muse, Clio, who descends from Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California in 1980 on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest creation of his life - a roller disco. But, when Clio, disguised as an Australian roller girl named Kira, falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation, and Clio risks eternal banishment to the underworld.
18. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Got To Get You Into My Life
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a musical film released in 1978. Its soundtrack features new versions of songs originally written and performed by The Beatles. It tells the loosely-constructed story of a band as they wrangle with the music industry and battle evil forces bent on stealing their instruments and corrupting their home town of Heartland. The film is presented in a form similar to that of a rock opera with the Beatles' songs providing "dialogue" to carry the story, with only George Burns having spoken lines that act to clarify the plot and provide further narration.
19. Come Fly Away - That's Life
Come Fly Away is a dance revue conceived, directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp, around the songs of Frank Sinatra. The musical, set in a New York City nightclub, follows four couples as they look for love.
20. Happy Feet
Happy Feet is a 2006 computer-animated comedy-drama film with music, directed and co-written by George Miller.Happy Feet is a jukebox musical, taking previously recorded songs and working them into the film's soundtrack to fit with the mood of the scene or character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7vjxhqMPng
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Top 20 Spoken Songs
Here, I'm not looking for a song with a spoken part. Instead, I'm looking for songs that are completely or mostly spoken (at least 50% spoken) without being considered rap songs. The question is... When does a spoken song stops being a song to become a poem set to music? You tell me... These are my top 20 spoken songs...
1. Les Crane - Desiderata
2. Baz Lurhmann - Everybody's Free to Wear Sunshine
3. Charlie Daniels Band - The Devil Went Down to Georgia
4. Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side
5. Eric Burdon - Spill the Wine
6. Shawn Mullins - Rockabye
7. Murray Head - One Night in Bankok
8. Jim Morrison - Ghost Song (Awake)
9. Donovan - Atlantis
10. Pink Floyd - The Trial
11. Leonardo Favio - La Abuelita Zenaida
12.Jimmy Dean - Big Bad John
13. Ray Stevens - The Streak
14. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
15. Butthole Surfers - Pepper
16. Nick Cave - Till the End of the World
Nick Cave - (I'll Love You) Till the End of the World
Cargado por atom_icq. - Videos de música, entrevistas a los artistas, conciertos y más.
17. Jim Steinman - Love & Death of an American Guitar
18. Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant
19. Nada Surf - Popular
20. William Shatner - Rocket Man
1. Les Crane - Desiderata
2. Baz Lurhmann - Everybody's Free to Wear Sunshine
3. Charlie Daniels Band - The Devil Went Down to Georgia
4. Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side
5. Eric Burdon - Spill the Wine
6. Shawn Mullins - Rockabye
7. Murray Head - One Night in Bankok
8. Jim Morrison - Ghost Song (Awake)
9. Donovan - Atlantis
10. Pink Floyd - The Trial
11. Leonardo Favio - La Abuelita Zenaida
12.Jimmy Dean - Big Bad John
13. Ray Stevens - The Streak
14. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
15. Butthole Surfers - Pepper
16. Nick Cave - Till the End of the World
Nick Cave - (I'll Love You) Till the End of the World
Cargado por atom_icq. - Videos de música, entrevistas a los artistas, conciertos y más.
17. Jim Steinman - Love & Death of an American Guitar
18. Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant
19. Nada Surf - Popular
20. William Shatner - Rocket Man
Monday, August 2, 2010
Top 20 Songs with Titles Not in the Lyrics
I like it when songwriters don't choose an obvious title for their songs. I mean, Phil Collins repeats "One More Night" more than 30 times in the song whose title is, obviously, "One More Night". That doesn't happen here at all. Some of these titles are so obscure that nobody, but the songwriter, knows what is the connection between the lyrics and the titles, if any at all... These are my top 20 songs with titles that are not part of the lyrics.
1. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Freddie Mercury wrote most of "Bohemian Rhapsody" at his home in Holland Road, Kensington, in west London. Music scholar Sheila Whiteley suggests that "the title draws strongly on contemporary rock ideology, the individualism of the bohemian artists' world, with rhapsody affirming the romantic ideals of art rock." Commenting on bohemianism, Judith Peraino said that "Mercury intended... [this song] to be a 'mock opera,' something outside the norm of rock songs, and it does follow a certain operatic logic: choruses of multi-tracked voices alternate with arialike solos, the emotions are excessive, the plot confusing."
2. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
The Beatles started this with the working title "In The Life of..." The beginning of this song was based on 2 stories John Lennon read in the Daily Mail newspaper: Guinness heir Tara Browne dying when he smashed his lotus into a parked van, and an article in the UK Daily Express in early 1967 which told of how the Blackburn Roads Surveyor had counted 4000 holes in the roads of Blackburn and commented that the volume of material needed to fill them in was enough to fill the Albert Hall. Lennon took some liberties with the Tara Browne story - he changed it so he "Blew his mind out in the car."
3. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Kurt Cobain came up with the song's title when his friend Kathleen Hanna, at the time the lead singer of the Riot Grrrl punk band Bikini Kill, spray painted "Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit" on his wall. Since they had been discussing anarchism, punk rock, and similar topics, Cobain interpreted the slogan as having a revolutionary meaning. What Hanna actually meant, however, was that Cobain smelled like the deodorant Teen Spirit, which his then-girlfriend Tobi Vail wore. Cobain later claimed that he was unaware that it was a brand of deodorant until months after the single was released.
4. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
"Sympathy for the Devil" was written by singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, though the song was largely a Jagger composition. The working title of the song was "The Devil Is My Name", and it is sung by Jagger as a first-person narrative from the point of view of Lucifer.
5. David Bowie - Space Oddity
Released to coincide with the first moon landing, "Space Oddity" tells the story of Major Tom whose space adventure ends in tragedy as he floats away from the spaceship. Bowie's creation of Major Tom was certainly influenced by Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey." Bowie is said to have written his song shortly after seeing the movie. "Space Oddity" obviously is a pun on "Space Odyssey."
6. Led Zeppelin - D'yer Mak'er
This song was meant to imitate reggae and its "dub" derivative emerging from Jamaica in the early 1970s. Its genesis is traced to Led Zeppelin's rehearsals at Stargroves in 1972, when drummer John Bonham started with a beat similar to 1950s doo-wop, and then twisted it into a slight off beat tempo, upon which a reggae influence emerged. The title of the song is intended to be pronounced in a British non-rhotic accent as "Jamaica", /dʒəˈmeɪkə/)
7. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
The song was originally titled "The Paranoid" by Geezer Butler. "I wrote the lyrics and Ozzy just read them as he was singing it," he says. The antisocial nature of the words didn't hinder the song's popularity in the slightest. In fact, the honesty in downer lines like "I tell you to enjoy life/I wish I could but it's too late" seemed to appeal to disenchanted youth of the early '70s. "In actual fact the Paranoid album was going to be called War Pigs," recalls Ozzy, "and then we wrote 'Paranoid' at the very last minute. I mean, if you look at the album sleeve, it's got a guy in a pink leotard and a shield and a sword. That was supposed to represent the War Pig. A pink pig. They printed the album sleeve and changed it to Paranoid at the very last minute."
8. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Karn Evil 9
This is ELP's most popular song from their most popular album. The song is most commonly interpreted as ELP's take on a shortened history of the world into a futuristic tale. The First Impression begins on the "Cold and misty morning" of the Earth's birth, through the ice age ("Where the seeds have withered, silent faces in the cold"), and to man's growing lust for money ("Now their faces captured in the lenses of the jackals for gold"), which leads to various wars. Afterwards, the world is described as a carnival, wherein various elements of humanity are reduced to circus sideshows ("A bomb inside a car," "Pull Jesus from a hat"), representing the human race's growing selfishness and indifference toward others. Even human misery is described as a "specialty" in the "show." The second part of the First Impression focuses on the growing artificialization of the world, describing something as natural as "A real blade of grass" as some bizarre circus attraction. Despite the fact that the world is becoming more and more consumed by artificiality and given control to computers (see Third Impression), the human race insists that it is still in control, as it created all that the "Carnival" encompasses ("We would like it to be known the exhibits that were shown were exclusively our own."). The title is a pun on the word "Carnival".
9. John Denver - Annie's Song
"Annie's Song" was written as an ode to Denver's then-wife, Annie Denver (née Martell). Denver "wrote this song in about ten-and-a-half minutes one day on a ski lift" to the top of Bell Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, as the physical exhilaration of having "just skied down a very difficult run" and the feeling of total immersion in the beauty of the colors and sounds that filled all senses inspired him to think about his wife.
10. The Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
The Goo Goo Dolls were asked to write a song specifically for the City of Angels (1998) soundtrack. John Rzeznik, the lead singer and songwriter for the band, had been suffering from writer's block for several years. However, this was the challenge he needed. After seeing the City of Angels, he sat down and wrote the song Iris in one hour. As for the song's name, many thought it was named after Greek messenger of the gods, Iris. But the name "Iris" was inspired by a Country singer named Iris DeMent, whose name Rzeznik came across while reading a magazine. John said he just thought Iris was a nice name so he chose it for the title.
11. Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
While Dylan was not a member of the original Beat circles of the 1950s, Kerouac's The Subterraneans, a novel published in 1958 about the Beats, has been cited as a possible inspiration for the song's title. Stretching further back, the title alludes to Notes from Underground, a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, whose works were popular with Beat writers such as Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
12. Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
The song's title is a reference to a nameless black Labrador retriever that wandered around the Headley Grange studios where Led Zeppelin was recording its 4th album. The dog has nothing to do with the song lyrics, which are about desperate desire for a woman's love and the happiness resulting thereby.
13. The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 popular song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. Rerecorded in 1965, it became one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages. In 1955, North used the music as a theme for the obscure prison film Unchained, hence the name. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. Les Baxter (Capitol Records catalog number 3055), released an instrumental version which reached #2. Then song recordings were released by Al Hibbler (Decca Records #29441) reaching #3 on the Billboard charts, Jimmy Young which hit #1 on the British charts, and Roy Hamilton (Epic Records no. 9102) reaching #1 on the R&B Best Sellers list and #6 on the pop chart. Hundreds of other recordings followed. It was the July 1965 version by The Righteous Brothers that became a jukebox standard for the late 20th century, regaining massive popularity when used in the 1990 blockbuster film Ghost.
14. Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth
While the song has come to symbolize worldwide turbulence and confrontational feelings arising from events during the 1960s (particularly the Vietnam War), Stills reportedly wrote the song in reaction to escalating unrest between law enforcement and young club-goers related to the closing of Pandora's Box, a club on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. The song's title appears nowhere in its lyrics; it is more easily remembered by the first line of chorus: "Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down." Stills said in an interview that the name of the song came about when he presented it to the record company executive Ahmet Ertegun who signed the Buffalo Springfield to the Atlantic Records owned ATCO label. He said: "I have this song here, for what it's worth, if you want it." Later they decided that should be its name.
15. Green Day - Basket Case
The song was written by front man Billie Joe Armstrong about his struggle with anxiety; before he was diagnosed with a panic disorder, he thought he was going crazy. Billie Joe once commented that "The only way I knew how to deal with it was to write a song about it.
16. Butthole Surfers - Pepper
The relationship between the lyrics and title is not made clear, nor is the exact connection between the different types of piqued awareness presented in the different sections. All in all, the song involves people committing suicide, trying to commit suicide, and overall carnage. It basically says life is shitty and overwhelming for some people, which recounted the somewhat sordid stories of several high school students in Texas. The lyrics of the verses list ten characters and describes how each either dies or escapes a brush with death. Each incident, whether brought about by idiotic recklessness or meaningless bad luck, finds the victim romanced or invigorated by facing death.
17. Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins, Not Tragedies
The title of the song refers to Douglas Coupland's novel Shampoo Planet, wherein the main character, Tyler Johnson, says: "I am writing a list of tragic character flaws on my dollar bills with a felt pen. I am thinking of the people in my universe and distilling for each of these people the one flaw in their character that will be their downfall--the flaw that will be their undoing. What I write are not sins; I write tragedies." It can also be noted that the song lyrics are not related to the title of the song, although they can be applied to the music video.
18. Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet with Butterfly Wings
The title is derived from the classic Ray Bradbury short story, "The Sound of Thunder." Life is like a bullet and you're steering it with butterfly wings. According to singer/songwriter Billy Corgans: "The simplest way that I can understand therapy is that we're born a certain way, we're taught to be something different, and we spend our whole lives trying to unravel it and ultimately align ourselves with who we really are. So the bullet represents what people are pushing you to be, and the butterfly wings are you trying to become who you really are. so he's trying to say its not easy to be yourself in this world."
19. Savage Garden - Affirmation
"Affirmation" is a song by Savage Garden. It is the second single of the album of the same name. The lyrics are a series of statements each starting with "I Believe" for instance the "I believe you can't control or choose your Sexuality" or "I believe that trust is more important than monogamy".
20. System of a Down - Chop Suey
Chop Suey is a Chinese stew made with meat or fish, plus bamboo sprouts, onions, rice and water chestnuts. They used it for the name of the song because it describes their musical style, with lots of stuff thrown together. Suey-cide! In an interview, Daron Malakian explained, "the song is about how we are regarded differently depending on how we pass. Everyone deserves to die. Like, if I were now to die from a drug abuse, they might say I deserved it because I abused dangerous drugs. Hence the line, "I cry when angels deserve to die." The lyric "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit" is a reference to Jesus' death on the cross, as, according to the Gospels, it was one of the seven things Jesus said while dying."
1. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Freddie Mercury wrote most of "Bohemian Rhapsody" at his home in Holland Road, Kensington, in west London. Music scholar Sheila Whiteley suggests that "the title draws strongly on contemporary rock ideology, the individualism of the bohemian artists' world, with rhapsody affirming the romantic ideals of art rock." Commenting on bohemianism, Judith Peraino said that "Mercury intended... [this song] to be a 'mock opera,' something outside the norm of rock songs, and it does follow a certain operatic logic: choruses of multi-tracked voices alternate with arialike solos, the emotions are excessive, the plot confusing."
2. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
The Beatles started this with the working title "In The Life of..." The beginning of this song was based on 2 stories John Lennon read in the Daily Mail newspaper: Guinness heir Tara Browne dying when he smashed his lotus into a parked van, and an article in the UK Daily Express in early 1967 which told of how the Blackburn Roads Surveyor had counted 4000 holes in the roads of Blackburn and commented that the volume of material needed to fill them in was enough to fill the Albert Hall. Lennon took some liberties with the Tara Browne story - he changed it so he "Blew his mind out in the car."
3. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Kurt Cobain came up with the song's title when his friend Kathleen Hanna, at the time the lead singer of the Riot Grrrl punk band Bikini Kill, spray painted "Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit" on his wall. Since they had been discussing anarchism, punk rock, and similar topics, Cobain interpreted the slogan as having a revolutionary meaning. What Hanna actually meant, however, was that Cobain smelled like the deodorant Teen Spirit, which his then-girlfriend Tobi Vail wore. Cobain later claimed that he was unaware that it was a brand of deodorant until months after the single was released.
4. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
"Sympathy for the Devil" was written by singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, though the song was largely a Jagger composition. The working title of the song was "The Devil Is My Name", and it is sung by Jagger as a first-person narrative from the point of view of Lucifer.
5. David Bowie - Space Oddity
Released to coincide with the first moon landing, "Space Oddity" tells the story of Major Tom whose space adventure ends in tragedy as he floats away from the spaceship. Bowie's creation of Major Tom was certainly influenced by Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey." Bowie is said to have written his song shortly after seeing the movie. "Space Oddity" obviously is a pun on "Space Odyssey."
6. Led Zeppelin - D'yer Mak'er
This song was meant to imitate reggae and its "dub" derivative emerging from Jamaica in the early 1970s. Its genesis is traced to Led Zeppelin's rehearsals at Stargroves in 1972, when drummer John Bonham started with a beat similar to 1950s doo-wop, and then twisted it into a slight off beat tempo, upon which a reggae influence emerged. The title of the song is intended to be pronounced in a British non-rhotic accent as "Jamaica", /dʒəˈmeɪkə/)
7. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
The song was originally titled "The Paranoid" by Geezer Butler. "I wrote the lyrics and Ozzy just read them as he was singing it," he says. The antisocial nature of the words didn't hinder the song's popularity in the slightest. In fact, the honesty in downer lines like "I tell you to enjoy life/I wish I could but it's too late" seemed to appeal to disenchanted youth of the early '70s. "In actual fact the Paranoid album was going to be called War Pigs," recalls Ozzy, "and then we wrote 'Paranoid' at the very last minute. I mean, if you look at the album sleeve, it's got a guy in a pink leotard and a shield and a sword. That was supposed to represent the War Pig. A pink pig. They printed the album sleeve and changed it to Paranoid at the very last minute."
8. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Karn Evil 9
This is ELP's most popular song from their most popular album. The song is most commonly interpreted as ELP's take on a shortened history of the world into a futuristic tale. The First Impression begins on the "Cold and misty morning" of the Earth's birth, through the ice age ("Where the seeds have withered, silent faces in the cold"), and to man's growing lust for money ("Now their faces captured in the lenses of the jackals for gold"), which leads to various wars. Afterwards, the world is described as a carnival, wherein various elements of humanity are reduced to circus sideshows ("A bomb inside a car," "Pull Jesus from a hat"), representing the human race's growing selfishness and indifference toward others. Even human misery is described as a "specialty" in the "show." The second part of the First Impression focuses on the growing artificialization of the world, describing something as natural as "A real blade of grass" as some bizarre circus attraction. Despite the fact that the world is becoming more and more consumed by artificiality and given control to computers (see Third Impression), the human race insists that it is still in control, as it created all that the "Carnival" encompasses ("We would like it to be known the exhibits that were shown were exclusively our own."). The title is a pun on the word "Carnival".
9. John Denver - Annie's Song
"Annie's Song" was written as an ode to Denver's then-wife, Annie Denver (née Martell). Denver "wrote this song in about ten-and-a-half minutes one day on a ski lift" to the top of Bell Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, as the physical exhilaration of having "just skied down a very difficult run" and the feeling of total immersion in the beauty of the colors and sounds that filled all senses inspired him to think about his wife.
10. The Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
The Goo Goo Dolls were asked to write a song specifically for the City of Angels (1998) soundtrack. John Rzeznik, the lead singer and songwriter for the band, had been suffering from writer's block for several years. However, this was the challenge he needed. After seeing the City of Angels, he sat down and wrote the song Iris in one hour. As for the song's name, many thought it was named after Greek messenger of the gods, Iris. But the name "Iris" was inspired by a Country singer named Iris DeMent, whose name Rzeznik came across while reading a magazine. John said he just thought Iris was a nice name so he chose it for the title.
11. Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
While Dylan was not a member of the original Beat circles of the 1950s, Kerouac's The Subterraneans, a novel published in 1958 about the Beats, has been cited as a possible inspiration for the song's title. Stretching further back, the title alludes to Notes from Underground, a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, whose works were popular with Beat writers such as Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
12. Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
The song's title is a reference to a nameless black Labrador retriever that wandered around the Headley Grange studios where Led Zeppelin was recording its 4th album. The dog has nothing to do with the song lyrics, which are about desperate desire for a woman's love and the happiness resulting thereby.
13. The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 popular song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. Rerecorded in 1965, it became one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages. In 1955, North used the music as a theme for the obscure prison film Unchained, hence the name. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. Les Baxter (Capitol Records catalog number 3055), released an instrumental version which reached #2. Then song recordings were released by Al Hibbler (Decca Records #29441) reaching #3 on the Billboard charts, Jimmy Young which hit #1 on the British charts, and Roy Hamilton (Epic Records no. 9102) reaching #1 on the R&B Best Sellers list and #6 on the pop chart. Hundreds of other recordings followed. It was the July 1965 version by The Righteous Brothers that became a jukebox standard for the late 20th century, regaining massive popularity when used in the 1990 blockbuster film Ghost.
14. Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth
While the song has come to symbolize worldwide turbulence and confrontational feelings arising from events during the 1960s (particularly the Vietnam War), Stills reportedly wrote the song in reaction to escalating unrest between law enforcement and young club-goers related to the closing of Pandora's Box, a club on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. The song's title appears nowhere in its lyrics; it is more easily remembered by the first line of chorus: "Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down." Stills said in an interview that the name of the song came about when he presented it to the record company executive Ahmet Ertegun who signed the Buffalo Springfield to the Atlantic Records owned ATCO label. He said: "I have this song here, for what it's worth, if you want it." Later they decided that should be its name.
15. Green Day - Basket Case
The song was written by front man Billie Joe Armstrong about his struggle with anxiety; before he was diagnosed with a panic disorder, he thought he was going crazy. Billie Joe once commented that "The only way I knew how to deal with it was to write a song about it.
16. Butthole Surfers - Pepper
The relationship between the lyrics and title is not made clear, nor is the exact connection between the different types of piqued awareness presented in the different sections. All in all, the song involves people committing suicide, trying to commit suicide, and overall carnage. It basically says life is shitty and overwhelming for some people, which recounted the somewhat sordid stories of several high school students in Texas. The lyrics of the verses list ten characters and describes how each either dies or escapes a brush with death. Each incident, whether brought about by idiotic recklessness or meaningless bad luck, finds the victim romanced or invigorated by facing death.
17. Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins, Not Tragedies
The title of the song refers to Douglas Coupland's novel Shampoo Planet, wherein the main character, Tyler Johnson, says: "I am writing a list of tragic character flaws on my dollar bills with a felt pen. I am thinking of the people in my universe and distilling for each of these people the one flaw in their character that will be their downfall--the flaw that will be their undoing. What I write are not sins; I write tragedies." It can also be noted that the song lyrics are not related to the title of the song, although they can be applied to the music video.
18. Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet with Butterfly Wings
The title is derived from the classic Ray Bradbury short story, "The Sound of Thunder." Life is like a bullet and you're steering it with butterfly wings. According to singer/songwriter Billy Corgans: "The simplest way that I can understand therapy is that we're born a certain way, we're taught to be something different, and we spend our whole lives trying to unravel it and ultimately align ourselves with who we really are. So the bullet represents what people are pushing you to be, and the butterfly wings are you trying to become who you really are. so he's trying to say its not easy to be yourself in this world."
19. Savage Garden - Affirmation
"Affirmation" is a song by Savage Garden. It is the second single of the album of the same name. The lyrics are a series of statements each starting with "I Believe" for instance the "I believe you can't control or choose your Sexuality" or "I believe that trust is more important than monogamy".
20. System of a Down - Chop Suey
Chop Suey is a Chinese stew made with meat or fish, plus bamboo sprouts, onions, rice and water chestnuts. They used it for the name of the song because it describes their musical style, with lots of stuff thrown together. Suey-cide! In an interview, Daron Malakian explained, "the song is about how we are regarded differently depending on how we pass. Everyone deserves to die. Like, if I were now to die from a drug abuse, they might say I deserved it because I abused dangerous drugs. Hence the line, "I cry when angels deserve to die." The lyric "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit" is a reference to Jesus' death on the cross, as, according to the Gospels, it was one of the seven things Jesus said while dying."
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