1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die - Robert Dimery

This book offers more than any previous book in the series. While each main entry profiles and illustrates 1,001 primary songs, it places that song into a contextual web of music history with references to other songs that are musically related. From the Beatles to Beyoncé, from Elvis to Elvis Costello, from Frank Sinatra to Rufus Wainwright, the full spectrum is covered chronologically and includes additional ancillary lists of "must-hear" songs grouped by subgenre and other special categories. Each song is analyzed by an international team of critics who explain why you must hear it. Included are key details such as lyricist, composer, producer, and label, making this a music treasure trove perfect for anyone into music, addicted to downloading, or those just getting started.

A Quintessence Book

First published in the UK in 2010 by Cassell Illustrated

a division of Octopus Group Limited

Endeavour House, 189 Shaftesbury Avenue

London, WC2H 8JY

www.octopusbooks.co.uk

An Hachette UK Company

www.hachette.co.uk

This eBook first published in 2011

By Octopus Publishing Group Ltd

Copyright © 2010 Quintessence

Reprinted in 2011

All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the permission of the copyright holder.

Project Editor Philip Contos

Associate Editor Bruno MacDonald

Editors Irene Lyford, Fiona Plowman, Frank

Ritter

Editorial Assistant Simon Ward

Designer Jon Wainwright

Design Assistant Tom Howey

Production

Manager Anna Pauletti

Editorial Director Jane Laing

Publisher Tristan de Lancey

The moral right of the contributors of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988

Minnie the Moocher

Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Mal hombre

Hula Girl

Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)

Cross Road Blues

Hellhound on My Trail

Strange Fruit

Over the Rainbow

The Gallis Pole

Rum and Coca-Cola

This Land Is Your LandLili Marleen

(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66

Nature Boy

Saturday Night Fish Fry

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry

Chapter 2: The Fifties

How High the Moon

London Is the Place for Me

They Can’t Take That Away From MeDust My Broom

Foi Deus

Le gorille

Singin’ in the Rain

Just Walkin’ in the Rain

Please Love Me

Crying in the Chapel

Riot in Cell Block No 9

Love for Sale

The Wind

My Funny Valentine

Shake, Rattle and Roll

(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock

I Get Along Without You Very Well

In the Wee Small Hours of the MorningTutti Frutti

Only You (and You Alone)

Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)

I’ve Got You Under My Skin

Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye

Be-Bop-A-Lula

Heartbreak Hotel

I Put a Spell on You

Just a Gigolo / I Ain’t Got NobodyRock Island Line

Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going OnThat’ll Be the Day

Little Darlin’

Great Balls of Fire

When I Fall in Love

You Send Me

It’s Only Make Believe

Johnny B Goode

Move It!

One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)

Le poinçonneur des Lilas

Nel blu dipinto di blu

All I Have to Do Is Dream

To Know Him Is to Love Him

Brand New Cadillac

What’d I Say (Parts 1 & 2)

I Only Have Eyes for You

Ne me quitte pas

Shout (Parts 1 & 2)

Mack the Knife

It Ain’t Necessarily So

Chapter 3: The Sixties

September Song

Shakin’ All Over

Non, je ne regrette rien

Spanish Harlem

Mad About the Boy

Lazy River

Back Door Man

The Red Rooster

Johnny Remember Me

I Fall to Pieces

Stand by Me

Blue Moon

Tous les garçons et les fillesYou’ve Really Got a Hold on MeBoom Boom

Leader of the Pack

Les copains d’abord

Samba malato

Walk On By

Don’t Gimme No Lip Child

E se domani

The Girl from Ipanema

A Change Is Gonna Come

Dancing in the Street

I Just Don’t Know What to Do with MyselfYou’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling

You Really Got Me

The House of the Rising Sun

Go ’Way from My Window

Ticket to Ride

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

The Tracks of My Tears

Mr Tambourine Man

Like a Rolling Stone

People Get Ready

Who Do You Love

The Carnival Is Over

Psycho

I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (to Stop Now)Stop! In the Name of Love

Subterranean Homesick Blues

The Sounds of Silence

Eight Miles High

Sunny Afternoon

Paint It Black

Summer in the City

God Only Knows

(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone

Mas que nada

Dead End Street

The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Any MoreSeason of the Witch

Friday on My Mind

I’m a Believer

Dirty Water

I Feel Free

You Keep Me Hangin’ On

Happenings Ten Years Time Ago

Tomorrow Never Knows

For What It’s Worth

The Look of Love

I’d Rather Go Blind

(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & HigherStrawberry Fields Forever

White Rabbit

Purple Haze

I’m a Man

Venus in Furs

Fire

Waterloo Sunset

Ode to Billie Joe

The Dark End of the StreetSuzanne

Respect

Montague Terrace (in Blue)

A Day in the Life

Alone Again Or

Tin Soldier

See Emily Play

A Whiter Shade of PaleThe Tears of a ClownSunshine of Your LoveCold Sweat

The First Cut Is the Deepest

I Say a Little Prayer

The Snake

Oh Happy Day

She Moves through the FairMany Rivers to Cross

In the Ghetto

Oh Well, Parts 1 & 2

The Real Thing

Je t’aime moi non plus

Is It Because I’m Black?

I Want to Take You HigherThe Court of the Crimson KingWhole Lotta Love

I Wanna Be Your Dog

Kick Out the Jams

I Want You Back

The Thrill Is Gone

Chapter 4: The Seventies

Up Around the Bend

Into the Mystic

Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex MachineOhio

The Only Living Boy in New York

When the Levee Breaks

Surf’s Up

Theme from Shaft

The Revolution Will Not Be TelevisedIt’s Too Late

Dum Maro Dum

Tired of Being Alone

Won’t Get Fooled Again

Vincent

City of New Orleans

Peace Train

Superstar

A Nickel and a Nail

Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone

I’ll Take You There

Soul Makossa

Superstition

Elected

Sam Stone

Today I Started Loving You Again

Il mio canto libero

Living for the City

I Can’t Stand the Rain

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Future Days

Essiniya

Carpet Crawlers

Águas de março

Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City

(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday NightSweet Home Alabama

Piss Factory

Evie

Free Man in Paris

I Will Always Love You

The Grand Tour

Withered and Died

Louisiana 1927

You Haven’t Done Nothin’

This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of UsOnly Women Bleed

Jive Talkin’

Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet

Boulder to Birmingham

Fight the Power (Parts 1 & 2)

That’s the Way (I Like It)

Walk This Way

Wish You Were Here

Time of the Preacher

(Don’t Fear) The Reaper

More Than a Feeling

Sir Duke

The Killing of Georgie (Parts I & II)Dancing Queen

Blitzkrieg Bop

Love Hangover

Cokane in My BrainPolice and Thieves(I’m) Stranded

New Rose

Anarchy in the U.K.Poor Poor Pitiful MeUnderground

God Save the QueenTrans-Europe ExpressSweet Gene Vincent

By This River

Dum Dum Boys

Com’è profondo il mare

Ghost Rider

Orgasm AddictHolidays in the SunPeaches

Black Betty

Born for a PurposeZombie

Wuthering HeightsUptown Top Ranking

I Feel Love

Peg

Marquee MoonLike a HurricaneThe PassengerStayin’ Alive

Whole Lotta Rosie

Blank Generation

Bat Out of Hell

Lust for Life

Milk and Alcohol

Don’t Stop Me Now

Teenage Kicks

You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)

Human Fly

Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)

(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea

One Nation under a Groove

Das Model

Shot by Both Sides

Another Girl, Another Planet

Germ Free Adolescents

Runnin’ with the Devil

Black Eyed Dog

Are “Friends” Electric?

Boys Don’t Cry

Chapter 5: The Eighties

The Winner Takes It All

Rapture

While You See a Chance

Heartattack and Vine

Kings of the Wild Frontier

Redemption Song

Dead Souls

Master Blaster (Jammin’)

Everybody’s Got to Learn SometimeI’m Coming Out

It Must Be LoveTom Sawyer

Under PressureOur Lips Are SealedGenius of LoveGhosts

Tainted Love

Walking on Thin IcePlease Don’t TouchSuper Freak

Don’t Stop Believin’Pretty in Pink

Save It for Later

Great Southern LandParty Fears II

I Feel for You

The Killing Moon

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)The Boys of Summer

Rock You Like a Hurricane

The Sun Always Shines on T.V.

Into the Groove

Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)West End Girls

She Sells Sanctuary

Close to Me

Under Mi Sleng Teng

Cruiser’s Creek

Life in a Northern Town

The Whole of the Moon

Marlene on the Wall

How Will I Know

Wide Open Road

There Is a Light That Never Goes OutSome Candy Talking

No Sleep Till Brooklyn

Just Like Heaven

The One I Love

Fairytale of New YorkParadise City

Never Let Me Down AgainFaith

Need You Tonight

With or Without You

Freak Scene

Follow the LeaderWhere Is My Mind?Waiting Room

Touch Me I’m SickFeed Me with Your KissBuffalo Stance

W.F.L (Think about the Future)

Getting Away with It

Monkey Gone to Heaven

Can’t Be Sure

Lullaby

Free Fallin’

Nothing Compares 2 U

The Humpty Dance

Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)Nothing Has Been Proved

Headlights on the Parade

Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns

Rhythm Nation

Chapter 6: The Nineties

Painkiller

Calling All Angels

I Can’t Make You Love MeJesus Built My Hotrod

No More Tears

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Weather with You

You Got the Love

Blind Willie McTell

Move Any Mountain–Progen 91How I Could Just Kill a ManCop Killer

Pretend We’re Dead

My Drug Buddy

Shake Your Head

Motorcycle Emptiness

Killing in the NameConnected

Inkanyezi NezaziSodade

Animal Nitrate

La solitudineRumba ArgelinaLoser

French DiskoInto Dust

Rid of Me

Laid

Open Up

Possession

Cannonball

C.R.E.A.M

Because the Night

Ching söörtükchülerining yryzy

It Ain’t Hard to Tell

Inner City Life

Black Hole Sun

Interstate Love Song

Hell Is Round the Corner

Born Slippy Nuxx

You Oughta Know

Back for Good

I’ll Be There for You

The Beautiful People

Criminal

Crash into Me

On & On

Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check

No Diggity

Woke Up This Morning

Block Rockin’ Beats

Breakdown

Chan Chan

Between the Bars

Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)4,3,2,1

Kelly Watch the Stars

You Get What You Give

Music Sounds Better with YouErase/Rewind

Caught Out There

Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?

I Try

U Don’t Know Me

Race for the Prize

Chapter 7: The Noughties / Tens

One Armed Scissor

Hate to Say I Told You So

Frontier Psychiatrist

One More Time

Stan

Oh My Sweet Carolina

Fuck the Pain Away

Feel Good Hit of the Summer

Oiça lá ó Senhor Vinho

You and Whose Army?

Romando y tomando

New York City Cops

Fell in Love with a Girl

Get Ur Freak On

21 Seconds

Stay Together for the Kids

A Little Less Conversation

Gimme the Light

I Believe in a Thing Called Love

Ashes of American Flags

Quelqu’un m’a dit

You Know You’re Right

All the Things She Said

Mein Teil

Portland, Oregon

Points of Authority

The Art Teacher

Dry Your Eyes

Ain’t No Other ManSupermassive Black Hole

We Are Your FriendsPop the Glock

of a toilet roll, that stored about two minutes ofmusic or recitation—that was the limit of themedium Made of wax compounds, cylinderslasted for just a few dozen plays, until they wereworn smooth As for the sound, it was tinny andawful, degenerating more with every playing.Cylinders made of plastic, a superior medium,later became the standard and lasted longer,although the music still sounded as if it wasrecorded in a chip-frying factory Undismayed, thepublic was hooked on buying singles.

Edison was smiling all the way to the bank

when an upstart inventor, Emile Berliner,introduced a new form of recording and playbackmedium: the flat platter Revolving at seventy-eightrevolutions per minute, the disc came in basicblack, just like Mr Ford’s Model T Berlinercould argue that his platter produced a superiorsound (it did), and also that it offered an additionaltwo minutes of music on its reverse side Despitethe obvious merits of Berliner’s invention, Edisonfoolishly defended his cylinder format to the point

of bankrupting his company as he tried to maintainits status as the only recorder in town Berliner notonly defeated Edison (as did Nikola Tesla, theinventor of alternating current), he also invented,inadvertently, the musical B-side—but more aboutthat later

My father, Anthony, was an avid collector ofsingles As a boy I would watch his 78s spin at adizzying speed and try to freeze the label with ablink of my eye Music poured out of our recordplayer—short jazzy tunes by the Glenn MillerOrchestra, the Dorsey Brothers (Tommy and

Jimmy), close-harmony singing by The Pied Pipers(lead singer Frank Sinatra), even Egyptian singlessung in Arabic from Arab immigrant shops onAtlantic Avenue in Brooklyn I would observeDad’s ritual of sliding a precious black shellac-based disc out of its sleeve and carefully placing it

on the turntable, see the delicate descent of the tonearm into the lead-in grooves, and breathlesslyanticipate the moment when the loud scratchysurface noise suddenly became music—this was anexperience I would relive countless times in mylife, despite having been told not to even think oftouching my dad’s records or his record player

I had to learn the hard way to respect thisdelicate recording medium At the age of four Iwas suddenly inspired to hold the brittle10-inchshellac discs parallel to the floor, release them,and delight in seeing them smash into many smallpieces I had decimated a serious part of hiscollection in the space of five minutes when my notvery well padded posterior became the recipient

of several hard whacks, accompanied by a flood of

tears, not just from me but from him, too.

On a brighter note my father loved comicalmusic records In the 1940s he gleefully played methe surreal parodies of contemporary pop songs bybandleader Spike Jones and his City Slickers Myfavorite was the comic song “All I Want forChristmas Is My Two Front Teeth,” in which thetooth-whistling singer (trumpeter George Rock)made me laugh by the way he sang the word

“Christmas,” enunciating both S’s with a like trill But when I heard Jones’s “Cocktails forTwo,” I instinctively knew that the band could notplay their instruments and produce those garishsound effects at the same time (I was already ayoung and enlightened ukulele player) Somethingfishy was going on in the studio and I wanted toknow what it was and how to do it Suffice to say,I’ve spent countless hours in recording studiossince then, trying to perfect the arcane art of doingsomething fishy!

canary-The first record I bought for myself was FatsDomino’s “Blueberry Hill.” By this time I was

responsible enough to operate Dad’s phonograph,and I played the shiny black 78-rpm single until Ihad memorized every nuance, from the eight solopiano notes of the intro to the snare-drum flourishthat brings the last dying chord to an abrupt halt Iplayed the second side even more, because I neverheard that song on the radio The B-side was

“Honey Chile,” sung with such a thick NewOrleans accent (for me at the time) that I couldn’tdecipher the first line of the song, although Imemorized it phonetically This single was myproperty, my cultural property! It was a wonderfulstart to my small collection of 78-rpm singles,which grew to include “Tutti Frutti” by LittleRichard and “Flying Saucer” by Buchanan andGoodman (I was still enjoying comical music) Iwould play these three records (and the B-sides)incessantly after school, and often my dad wouldcome home from work and bellow: “Shut thatdamn record off!” My father’s music was mymusic, but my music was not my father’s music—clearly!

Shortly after I started the addictive hobby ofrecord collecting, I became a victim of the nowall-too-familiar format wars Almost unbreakablevinyl was the new medium, with a durable surfacethat could stand the wear and tear of the tone arm

to a far greater extent than its predecessor Vinylsingles were smaller and more compact thanshellac, and many of them fitted into a highlyportable box with a little plastic handle that I stillown I was an only child, and my 45s were myconstant companions I bought singles by mysinging guitar heroes: Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry,Buddy Holly, Buddy Knox, and Mickey (Baker) &Sylvia (Vanderpool), whose “Love Is Strange” (B-side “No Good Lover”) was the epitome of guitartone Working on my guitar, I gleaned everything Icould from Mickey “Guitar” Baker’s style byplaying that 45 over and over again In 1957 I met

my hero outside the stage door of the BrooklynParamount Mickey and Sylvia were on the bill,playing up to six shows a day Mickey, who wasrushing out after the morning show, probably to get