Okay, so I have a massive list of my favourite songs of all time continually floating around in my head and I decided to have a bit of fun with that list and pick one for each letter of the alphabet [counting XYZ as one letter, giving two dozen songs in all]. Obviously, ignore “The” or “A” at the beginning of titles.
If you find this idea tedious or unworthy, don’t bother posting to tell me so; just join in if you want to. We may have done this before. But you may have time on your hands, as I do.
America [Simon & Garfunkel]
Bell Bottom Blues [Derek & The Dominoes]
Cinnamon Girl [Neil Young]
Days [The Kinks]
Everything Means Nothing To Me [Elliott Smith]
Famous Blue Raincoat [Leonard Cohen]
Gan To The Kye [The Unthanks]
Harvest For The World [Isley Brothers]
Into Temptation [Crowded House]
Just Like A Woman [Bob Dylan]
Kangaroo [Big Star]
Life’s A Gas [T Rex]
Mojo Pin [Jeff Buckley]
Next [Jacques Brel]
Ode To Billy Joe [Bobbie Gentry]
Paranoid Android [Radiohead]
Quicksand [David Bowie]
Rainy Night House [Joni Mitchell]
Strawberry Fields Forever [The Beatles]
Tin Soldier [Small Faces]
Up The Junction [Squeeze]
Virginia Plain [Roxy Music]
Wild Horses [Rolling Stones]
You And Me [Damon Albarn]
If you want a song which begins with a number, imagine the number is spelt out [eg, put Prince’s “1999” under N]. You could probably have worked that out for yourself.
These are all from my iTunes library, except for “P” (found on YouTube).
Couldn’t find one for Q or Z (and J is a bit of a cheat).
“A” Train Lady – Mink Deville
B + A – The Beta Band
C Moon – Wings
D. Scott Parsley – Lambchop
E = MC2 – B.A.D.
F.E.A.R. – Ian Brown
G.O.M.D. – J. Cole
H Eyes – The Ruts
I – The Velvets
J’ai Connais Pas – Rickie Lee Jones
K Dub 05 – Jah Wobble
L – Tycho
M’$ – ASAP Rocky
N O P – Wasis Diop
O Me O My – Son Little
“P” – Jaden Smith
Q
R U Mine – Arctic Monkeys
S.O.S. – ABBA
‘T’ Plays It Cool – Marvin Gaye
U – Kendrick Lamar
V-2 Schneider – David Bowie
W.F.L. – Happy Mondays
X & Y – Coldplay
Y Mas Gan – The Abyssinians
Z
All night long (all night)
Born to run
Come together
Day in the life
Every day I write the book
Fashion
Get back
How does it feel
I am the walrus
Jumping Jack Flash
King Midas in reverse
Lady Madonna
Mysterious ways
No more mister nice guy
Outside (Stiltskin)
Polythene Pam
Queen bitch
Revolution (fast version)
Someone saved my life tonight
Telegram Sam
Up the junction
Victoria
While my guitar gently weeps
Xanadu (Rush & ONJ/ELO)
You win again
Ziggy Stardust
I have gone for a list of names.
X and Y defeated me. Z may be a stretch, but what’s the punishment for going that bit further? I also have to admit to never hearing BJH’s Ursula until today. I had to search that one out.
A – Amber Jean; Neil Young & the International Harvesters
B – Ben McCulloch; Steve Earle
C – Cynthia; Bruce Springsteen
D – Donald and Lydia; John Prine
E – Elizabeth; Roy Harper
F – Fancy; Bobbie Gentry
G – Guinevere; Crosby, Stills & Nash
H – Helen Of Troy; John Cale
I – Izabella; Jimi Hendrix
J – Jesus On A Greyhound; Shelby Lynne
K – Kelly’s Blues; The Triffids
L – The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan; Marianne Faithfull
M – Stand Down, Margaret; The Beat
N – Nicola; Bert Jansch
O – Oliver’s Army; Elvis Costello & the Attractions
P – Pancho and Lefty – Emmylou Harris (though Townes van Zandt’s original and Wille Nelson’s take are good too)
Q – The Mighty Quinn; Bob Dylan
R – Rosalie – Thin Lizzy or Bob Seger’s original
S – Sally Was A Cop; Alejandro Escovedo
T – Thumbelina Farewell; Ron Sexsmith
U – Ursula; Barclay James Harvest
V – Valerie; Steve Winwood
W – Willie Mays Is Up At Bat; Chuck Prophet
X –
Y –
Z – Zu Zu Mamou; Dr John
Y could be Yvonne – The Saw Doctors
Thank you.
Helen of Troy is a belter
Another Y: Yolanda Hayes (Fountains of Wayne)
Avalanche – Jean-Louis Murat
Believe in Me – Todd Rundgren
Christian Animation Torch Carriers – Guided by Voices
Draining the Pool for You – The Go-Betweens
Eine Symphonie des Grauens – The Monochrome Set
The Fire – The Lemon Twigs
The Ghost at Number One – Jellyfish
Hometown Farewell Kiss – The Triffids
If you Don’t Want Me to Destroy You – Super Furry Animals
Jackass – Beck
Knife in the Head – The Laughing Clowns
Like Flies on Sherbert – Alex Chilton
Manhoo – Cardiacs
New French Girlfriend – The Auteurs
Outdoor Miner – Wire
Paranoid Android – Radiohead
¡Que Vida! – Love
Rawhide – Scott Walker
The Sun, a Small Star – The Servants
Transport to Central – The Associates
Untitled Melody – Orange Juice
Venus – Television
Waterloo Sunset – The Kinks
Yer Eyes – The House of Love
I’ve just gone for good songs!! Quick and dirty, off the top of my head with no looking up or cheating.
A: Andmoreagain by Love
B: By the time I get to Phoenix , the Isaac Hayes version.
C: Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
D: Down on the Corner by Creedence Clearwater Revival
E: Eloise, the Damned version (sorry, Barry!)
F: Fog on the Tyne by Lindisfarne (with Gazza nowhere in sight!)
G: Get off of my cloud by the Rolling Stones
H: Hi ho, Silver Lining by Jeff Beck
I: In a broken dream by Python Lee Jackson
J: Jesamine by the Casuals
K: Kashmir by the Led Zeppelin (assuming tunes count also)
L: Long Train Runnin’ by the Doobie Brothers
M: McArthur Park y Richard Harris
N: Ninety nine red balloons by Nena
O: Oh wot a dream by Kevin Ayers
P: PopMusic by M
Q: Queen of the Silver Dollar by Dr Hook and the Medicine Show
R: Rikki, don’t lose that number by Steely Dan
S: Sorry has to be the hardest word by Elton John
T: Take on me by Aha
U: Unbelievable by EMF
V: Valerie by Stevie Winwood
W: (We don’t need this) fascist groove thang by Heaven 17
X: X-offender by Blondie
Y: Yeh yeh by Georgie Fame
and
Z: Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie
Q:
Excellent work. I was giving folks the chance to cheat with one title covering X, Y or Z, but everyone seems to be coping manfully.
I’d buy that lot in a motorway service station. Maybe use the ‘skip’ function for the “cakes out in the rain” nonsense half way through, but otherwise solid from start to finish!
I love lists. I compile them to keep my mind ticking over. I have dozens, but I don’t have this one. I do have a list of my favourite 250 songs though (which is a few years old and in desperate need of updating), and every letter was represented apart from X, which was easy to add. So, at risk of being diagnosed with COVID-19 owing to my lack of taste, from my soon to be updated list…
All the Air – Frazier Chorus
Babies – Pulp
Creeque Alley – The Mamas and The Papas
Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright – Bob Dylan
Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey – The Beatles
Forever J – Terry Hall
Guitar Man – Elvis Presley
Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
I’m Mandy, Fly Me – 10cc
Jackie – Scott Walker
King Creole – Elvis Presley
Left To My Own Devices – Pet Shop Boys
The Model – Kraftwerk
Needle Mythology – Stephen Duffy
Oliver’s Army – Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Pure – The Lightning Seeds
Queen Bitch – David Bowie
Regret – New Order
Silver Lady – David Soul
Thieves Like Us (Extended Version) – New Order
Unfinished Sympathy – Massive Attack
Victims – Culture Club
The Wanderer – Dion
X Offender – Blondie
Yes Sir, I Can Boogie – Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Zoom – Fat Larry’s Band
Silver Lady. Dearie me.
Soft spot for that!
Some absolute favourites, padded out with the first ones I thought of – an insight into how my brain is wired:
Another Girl, Another Planet – Only Ones
Butterfly Collector – Jam
Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd
Don’t Let Me Down – Beatles
England’s Glory – Ian Dury / Max Wall
First Time – The Boys
Geno – Dexys Midnight Runners
How Does It Feel – Slade
Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin
Just – Radiohead
Kiss Me Deadly = Generation X
Landed – Ben Folds
Making Plans For Nigel – XTC
Never Say Die – Black Sabbath
Ordinary World – Duran Duran
Pretty Vacant – Sex Pistols
Queen Of Denmark – John Grant
Radar Love – Golden Earring
Stay With Me – Faces
Teenage Kicks – Undertones
Uh Huh Oh Yeh – Paul Weller
Van Diemen’s Land – U2
Whole Lotta Love – AC/DC
X Offender – Blondie
You Love Us – Manic Street Preachers
Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
America – The Nice
Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen
Can’t Find My Way Back Home – Blind Faith or Bonnie Raitt
Disaster – The Besnard Lakes
E=MC2 – BAD
Four and Twenty – CSNY
Good Day Sunshine – Beatles
Hi-Heel Sneakers – Tommy Tucker
I See The Light – Simon Dupree & The Big Sound
Jesus Was A Crossmaker – Judee Sill
Keep On Chooglin – CCR
LA Woman – The Doors
Man Of The World – Fleetwood Mac
Nobody Girl – Ryan Adams
Over You – Roxy Music
Peaches – The Stranglers
Question – Moody Blues
Ride Your Pony – Lee Dorsey
Still Raining Still Dreaming – Jimi Hendrix
Tomorrow Never Knows – Beatles
Unsquare Dance – Dave Brubeck
Ventura – Lucinda Williams
Watch The Sunrise – Big Star
X Offender – Blondie
You Can’t Always Get What You Want – Rolling Stones
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah – James Basket
Way too late to edit but the mists have cleared…
Zig-Zag Wanderer – Capt Beefheart!!
Time for a reappraisal of the ultimate AW song. At the moment it seems that Blondie’s X-Offender should be considered!
It’s certainly knocked ONJ’s Xanadu and all those many other X songs for six…
A third of these are songs I perform at folk clubs and festivals, so they do more than float around in my head, per the OP. I live and breathe and love them, and they often make me cry. Inevitably, as I am a folkie, most of these fall in the reflective singer songwriter category. Multiple entries from two of our finest – RT and the late Bill Caddick
Ancestors – Bjork. You want singing? You got throat singing. Utterly stunning.
Beeswing
Cloud Factory – Bill Caddick. My favourite song to sing.
Dark Swift and Bright Swallow – Martin Simpson. My second favourite.
Easter Theatre – XTC
Felton Lonnen – trad, as sung by The Unthanks
Goodbye To Love – The Carpenters
Hejira – Joni
I want to see the bright lights tonight
Joy of Living – Ewan MacColl, as sung by Jackie Oates
King of the Mountain – Kate
Laughing Boy – Julian Cope
My Friend the Sun – Family
1952 Vincent Black Lightning
Once in a Lifetime – Talking Heads. My favourite single ever.
Palaces of Gold – Leon Rosselson. Written shortly after Aberfan and still resonating.
Queen of Dreams – Strawbs
River Man – Nick Drake
She’s Leaving Home
This town ain’t big enough for the both of us
Unicorns – Bill Caddick again
Virginia Plain
Water of Tyne – trad. My mother taught it to me; I sang it at her funeral. ’nuff said.
Xylophone Track – Magnetic Fields. I have no idea what this sounds like, though I do have a Magnetic Fields album. I googled it. It may be an instrumental.
Yuli Yuli – Fox. Tails of Illusion is a most surprising album and is deep under my skin.
Ziggy Stardust. How I wanted the Bonzo’s Zelda here, but alas, she is Beautiful Zelda.
Wonderful eclectic list, chesh. Thanks to everyone so far for some unusual and inspiring choices.
I don’t have a balcony, but I have a hedge. There are three households in our tiny hamlet, and I am going to sing for them next week.
Nice list. Good to see Fox get a mention. The ‘Yellow Dog’ album by Herbie and Kenny is also very good – another one that seemed to go under the radar at the time.
Atmosphere – Joy Division
Beyond Belief – Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Cactus – Pixies
Do It Again – Steely Dan
Easy To Slip – Little Feat
Fight The Power – Public Enemy
Get Lucky – Daftpunk
Help! – The Beatles
I Heard It Through The Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
Johnsburg, Illinois – Tom Waits
Kiss – Prince
Lose Yourself – Eminem
The Message – Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
No Woman, No Cry – Bob Marley & The Wailers
Over You – Roxy Music
Papa Was A Rolling Stone – The Temptations
Quicksand – David Bowie
Roadrunner – Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
Shame – Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King
Teardrop – Massive Attack
Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
Village Ghetto Land – Stevie Wonder
(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais – The Clash
XTC vs Adam Ant – They Might Be Giants
You’re A Big Girl Now – Bob Dylan
Zoo Station – U2
Love it!
Helen of Troy is a belter
A – Z
A – America – Simon & Garfunkel
B – Bright Horses – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
C – Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo – Mascagni
D – Do I Move You? – Nina Simone
E – Emmylou – First Aid Kit
F – Fire & Rain – James Taylor
G – Georgia On My Mind – Ray Charles
H – [Oh,] Happy Day – The Edwin Hawkins Singers
I – Into The Mystic – Van Morrison
J – Jesus Was A Cross Maker – Judy Sill
K – Knockin’ On Heavens Door – Bob Dylan
L – Love Vibration – Josh Rouse
M – The man In Me – Bob Dylan
N – Northern Sky – Nick Drake
O – The Only Living Boy In New York – Simon & Garfunkel
P – People’s Parties – Joni Mitchell
Q – Quiet Life – Japan
R – Rave On – Buddy Holly & The Crickets
S – Saturday Night – The Blue Nile
T – This Woman’s Work – Kate Bush
U – Uncertain Smile – The The
V – Viva La Vida – Coldplay
W – Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell
X – Xodus – Bob Marley
Y – The Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Song – The Flaming Lips
Z – I-Zimbra – Talking Heads
1 – 1 Small Step [Feat. Baaba Maal & Nana Tsiboe] – 1 Giant Leap
2 – 29 #Strafford APTS – Bon Iver
3 – 3 Speed – Eels
4 – 4 A.M. At Toumanis – Malian Musicians/Damon Albarn [Mali Music]
5 – 5th Letter – Grand Drive
6 – 6am Jullandar Shere (original version) – Corner Shop
7 – 7th Sevens – Bonobo
8 – 8.30 Mowbray Morning – Martin Stephenson & The Daintees
9 – 9-5 – Dolly Parton
10 – 10/10 – Paolo Nutini
Thumbs up for the Mascagni. Top, TOP tune.
Yeah, why not?
Across the Border – Bruce Springsteen
Black Man in a White World – Michael Kiwanuka
California – Joni Mitchell
Drift Away – Dobie Gray
Everyday – Weyes Blood
For What it’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield
Good Golly Miss Molly – Little Richard
Honest Life – Courtney Marie Andrews
I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free – Nina Simone
Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues – Bob Dylan
Keep On Chooglin- Creedence Clearwater Revival
Love is Here Where I Live – Everything But the Girl
Mother of Pearl- Roxy Music
Next Time – Laura Marling
Oliver’s Army – Elvis Costello
Pistol Slapper Blues – Rory Gallagher
Queen of the Slipstream – Van Morrison
Rednecks – Randy Newman
Superstition- Stevie Wonder
Twist and Shout – The Beatles
Up Above My Head – Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Venus – Television
When You Walk In The Room – The Searchers
You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones
Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
How could U forget X = Xanderdu /o (sic) Dave Dee, Dozy, Tich & Mick etc
More Dave Dee, Dozy, Frank & Ian
Zabadak
They should have done a song called Ya Ya Ya Yamanka, and ten they would’ve covered the end of the alphabet
The title was “The Legend of Xanadu” so only suitable as an “L” entry.
“Xanadu” by Olivia Newton-John and ELO would go, though.
You’re right! Xanadu by Ms Olivia- John it is.
Though to be honest if I was going to have an ONJ classic (and why not?) it would have to be this one. But then that would meaning losing The Beatles and that would never do
to b precise “The Legend … comes under T – do it knot (sic)???????
try this X: X by Herratik
If “Leg of Xanadu” comes under “L” – THIS SHOULD PREVAIL (The) X-Stream by Voivod
I’ve deliberated and cogitated and here we go. I’ve thought of songs I go back to often, apart from a few cases where the letter of the alphabet has not thrown up any obvious choice. Then again certain letters like S give you too much choice. I also want a bit of variety in style, era and mood.
Ashes To Ashes – Bowie
Be My Baby -Ronettes
Ceremony – New Order
Down By The River – Neil Young
Echoes – Pink Floyd
Found A Job – Talking Heads
Goin’ Back – The Byrds
Honey – Robyn
I Feel Love – Donna Summer
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Kid – Pretenders
Let Down – Radiohead
Marquee Moon – Television
Name Of The Game – Abba
One More Cup Of Coffee – Dylan
Pull Up To The Bumper – Grace Jones
Queen Jane Approximately – Dylan
Rock & Roll – Velvet Underground
Strawberry Fields Forever – Beatles
This Guy’s In Love With You – Herb Alpert
Under The Pressure – War On Drugs
Venice Bitch – Lana Del Rey
When My Baby’s Beside Me – Big Star
Xanny – Billie Eilish
Your Gold Teeth – Steely Dan
Zoo Eyes – Aldous Harding
That, sir, is a very good list indeed.
Glad you like it. Took a lot of head scratching.
Zuton Fever – The Zutons
Ziggy Sitar Dust Ragga – Acid Mothers Temple