1970s – my experience of death as my pet rabbit died. Sad Cafe were a sub standard 10cc IMHO but sill great.
1980s – Kayleigh by Marillion. Truly a great song.
1990s – REM Losing My Religion by REM. Being jilted three weeks before a planned weeding hurt deep. This song helped me recover.
1990s – I am allowed two in the 1990s. Meeting my current love and mother to my two kids – Marillion again. No one Can Take you Away From Me,
Cars – My Best Friend’s Girl friend…and she used to be mine
Joe Jackson- Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Dylan – If You See Her Say Hello
Getting an idea of the theme here? All around the same time. Each one, to borrow Bob, like a corkscrew to my heart.
70s: Carpenters – Goodbye to Love (I was young when it came out, but still recognised heartbreak in that voice)
80s: George Michael – One More Try (the end of my first adult relationship)
90s: Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2U (Just a great song, wonderfully sung)
Tomorrow Is A Long Time by Rod Stewart. A Dylan song of course, but unreleased by him at the time, and I was well into Rod and Never A Dull Moment. I remember being on the tube after breaking up with my college girlfriend and bursting into tears thinking about this song….still have that memory when I hear it to this day after 44 years. I now seem to have something in my eye….
Oh! A List!!!!
1950’s – You Make Me Feel So Young – Frank Sinatra.
I bought Songs For Swinging Lovers in the 90’s when I was at Uni and this song just captivated me with it’s bounce and joie de vivre. Nothing quite like it had ever connected.
1960’s – God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
Played at my wedding. Not only my favorite love song, but my favorite song.
1970’s – The Look Of Love – Isaac Hayes
Ok I know it’s a bit “Chef from South Park” but the first time I heard this, on the compilation This Is Easy, again in the 90s, I was just blown away. Ten minutes of pure SEX. But really tender.
1980s – How Soon Is Now – The Smiths
Is it a ballad? I know it’s not a love song, but anyone who was ever awkward ever can indentify with this. Morrissey is ace when he’s arch, but he tips into greatness when he’s sincere and this was sincere stuff.
1990’s – I Think I’m In Love – Spiritualized
Yes I know he’s probably actually singing about heroin. I don’t care, if he is then it’s a love song to heroin done lovely.
2000’s – I Know My Love – James Yorkston
My favorite modern singer.
2010’s – I am actually struggling here.
So there you go. All blokes. Go figure…
Sorry but I can’t do just one song for the ’60s.
That was the decade of my teens and was also the decade of the teen love song.
“When a Man Loves a Woman”, “Raining In My Heart”, “(I Know I’m) Losing You”, “You Better Move On”, “Stand By Me”, “Spanish Harlem”. “Just One Look”… Need I go on?
I give up.
Those rascally optimists, Richard and Teddy Thompson.
Songs can be great, rocking, tuneful. This is one of the ones that I call ‘beautiful’
Lovely song. Co-written with Tim Finn out of Split Enz and Crowded House, of course. Melodically I can hear more of Finn in that song than RT.
An instrumental from the soundtrack to Sweet Talker to which Tim Finn subsequently added lyrics. Rumour has it Nil Fun helped with the middle eight.
Ooooh! A nod to the Finns to haul me out of this extended Afterword hibernation. A bit off-topic but had, at age 21, my radar picked up on the Frenzy album in 1978 then Stuff and Nonsense would have won the prize for the 70s. This stellar rendition was my introduction to Finn-best-mate Eddie Vedder. What a performance.
Hope the link works
Lovely track. Lovely to see you again, homebaked.
And lovely to be here. Thankyou for your welcome 🙂
So Tim only wrote the lyrics to Persuasion? Makes a mockery of my theory, then. Although the harmonies are very brothers Finn
From the Beesweb Q&A archive;
re: Persuasion: The question I’ve never heard answered (or even asked) is this: Why did Tim Finn add lyrics? Was he watching the movie or listening to the CD one day and the words popped into his head? Was he asked to write the lyrics? Or perhaps his girlfriend or wife was humming the tune one day and said, “What a lovely tune, Tim. A shame Richard never wrote words for it?”
As I remember, Tim was at my old flat in Santa Monica, and he asked me to play ‘Persuasion’, as he’d heard it and liked the tune. He suggested we write some words for it, but that didn’t go too well, so he said he should go away and write the lyrics, which I thought was a fine idea. He did a great job, and I accompanied Tim on an acoustic version in the studio – don’t know if that ever came out.
I’ve also heard that Neil Finn wrote the bridge. Any truth to that?
Tim told me that Neil had either written the bridge, or helped out on the bridge, I can’t remember which. Neil asked to be uncredited, so it was probably the latter. The original tune, as it stood, worked fine as an instrumental piece, but has too big a range, with too many jumps, to be sung with any pleasure. So it was necessary to bend it around a bit.
Here are a few slow dances, as we say in Ireland (or used to..)
50s: The Flamingos – I Only Have Eyes For You
60s: Richard Harris – MacArthur Park/ Bobbie Gentry – Ode To Billie Joe
70s: Carpenters – Close To You
80s: Joe Cocker + Jennifer Warnes – Up Where We Belong
90s: Bob Dylan – Make You Feel My Love/ Take That – How Deep Is Your Love
00s and beyond: This, not quite a ballad
Man of the World will be my 60s, already realising already what lay ahead……
The one that always had me weeping at med school discos, maudlin and alone at the end (aaaah) was the uber cheese of Nights in White Satin (as if!!) That’d be 70s then, even tho’ it came out in 67. It was always played as the witching hour approached.
Don’t You Want Me probably assessed the 80s, right at the beginning of said decade. The theme thickens.
could be my 90s, probably showing I wasn’t doing much dancing?!
Could this be allowed for the 00’s? Either of the Warren Zevon or Anthony Heagarty versions of Knockin’ On Heavens Door. Again showing a bit out of touch with the radioplay of the day zeitgeist, I guess. (Love song or deathwish?)
1950s – Summertime -Ella Fitzgetald 1960s – If I Fell – The Beatles 1970s – Long Distance Love – Little Feat 1980s – Rainy night in Soho – The Pogues 1990s – Stupid thing – Aimee Mann 2000s – My Dad – Paul Westerberg 2010s – Royals – Lorde..
Top choice with Aimee Mann. That is a truly top tune.
It is indeed.
See also Mr Harris.
Currently in Dubai airport so not in ever such a thinking mood but can I have “what about love” by Heart for the 80s?
60s – Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye – Bettye Swann
70s – Still It Doesn’t Ring – The Distractions
80s – Apology Accepted – The Go Betweens
90s – Into My Arms – Nick Cave
00s – Challengers – The New Pornographers
10s – I Always Fall Apart – Sharon Van Etten
60s – You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me – Dusty
70s – Drive In Saturday – Bowie
80s – The Power Of Love – FGTH
90s – Glory Box – Portishead
00s – Coles Corner – Richard Hawley
50s – I’ll Come Running Back To You (Sam Cooke)
60s – Femme Fatale (Velvet Underground)
70s – They Shoot Horses Don’t They (Racing Cars)
80s – Nobody (Paul Simon)
90s – Damaged (Primal Scream)
00s – Lover, Love Her (Steve Pilgrim)
10s – At Your Best(You Are Love) (Frank Ocean / Isley Brothers cover)
1970’s; Air Supply – I’m All Out of Love.
1980’s; Any Trouble – Wrong End of the Race.
1990’s; Expose – I’ll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me.
2000’s; Songs from the Blue House – In My Arms.
I love a happy ending…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anGs46Pkze0
All Out of love is another favourite of mine from 1979 – a great year for music (I would think that though as I was 14!)
Spooky was scrolling and thought of that song too. Air Supply is the definitive guilty pleasure
70’s – David Cassidy – I Think I Love You – Can’t remember why just a heartbreaking song I can barely listen to for how it makes me feel in the pit of my stomach. It must have some connection the the under 10 me
80’s – Madonna – Crazy For You – Brought for the girlfriend love of my life then she dumped me. Too much Dave, too much…….
90’s – Del Amitri – Be My Downfall – Grown up love stuff now, too messy
Always read the question..! Clearly I didn’t last night!!
50s – The Ballad Of Davy Crockett – Dick James. Yes, yes….not really what was behind the thread I fancy, but this means a lot to me. The very first record I ever owned, a 78 bought for me by my Auntie Valerie (double A side with Robin Hood) with a red Parlophone label. In the 60s I realised this was the very same Dick James who signed the Beatles to music publishing and created DJM records etc. Much later I learned it was produced by one George Martin. I was clearly meant to be a Beatles fan.
60s – And I Love Her – The Beatles. Just a gorgeous song and totally blew me away in 1964.
70s – Tomorrow Is A Long Time – Rod Stewart. A Dylan song of course, but unreleased by him at the time, and I was well into Rod and Never A Dull Moment. I remember being on the tube after breaking up with my college girlfriend and bursting into tears thinking about this song….still have that memory when I hear it to this day after 44 years. I now seem to have something in my eye….
80s – when The Day Goes Down – Eurythmics. The last track on the last Eurythmics album of the 80s was a wonderful closer and never fails to move me. Annie Lennox caresses the vocal superbly.
The Shirelles – Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (1960s)
I may have been a child but, without understanding its full meaning, I knew this was a gorgeous song.
10cc – I’m Not In Love (1970s)
Captures gawky, clumsy teenage longing perfectly.
Sister Sledge – Thinking Of You (1980s)
Oh, the joy of being in love, even when the object of your affection is away!
Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U (1990 – technically the end of the eighties or, is it the beginning of the nineties)
Utter heartbreak.
Massive Attack – Teardrop (1990s)
Love is so precious and fragile, please take care.
Beyonc̩ РCrazy In Love (2000s)
More joy. This time insane joy.
Adele – Rolling In The Deep (2010s)
The bitter aftermath, angry, determined and strong.
70s “Sarah” – Thin Lizzy
“You are all I want to know, You hold my heart so don’t let go”
80s “Time After Time” – Cyndi Lauper
“If you fall I will catch you, I’ll be waiting”
90s “Straight To You” – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
“I am captured”
00s “Untouchable” – Girls Aloud
“In my dreams it feels like we are forty stories tall, when you’re around we’re untouchable”
10s “Crickets in the Rain” – Allo Darlin
“Nothing feels the way it did before and I am grateful for that. Truth is, when I realised I loved you it was like everything I had ever lost, had come back”
60’s – Stay with me baby…….Lorraine Ellison
70’s – My Love…….Wings
80’s – Have I told you lately…….Van Morrisson
90’s – Born in Time ………Bob Dylan ( Bootleg version)
60’s In My Life – Beatles
70’s I Believe (When I fall in Love It Will Be Forever) – Stevie Wonder
80’s Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic – Police
90’s To The End – Blur
00’s Tonight the Streets Are Ours – Richard Hawley
10’s Viva Love- ABC
Hmm. All male singers. I wonder what a female equivalent would look like.
60’s Ain’t No Mountain High enough – Diana Ross
70’s The Man With The Child In His Eyes =- Kate Bush
80’s Love At The Five And Dime – Nanci Griffith
90’s Seal My Fate – Belly
00’s Underneath The Stars – Kate Rusby
10’s when the Master Calls The Roll – Rosanne Cash