Archive for: streaming music

The Changing Face of Pop – The Billboard Hot 100 since 1950

Here it is – every top song from the Billboard Hot 100 for every year since 1950. A few unexpected little gems in there, some stuff you won’t have heard before, some stuff you have, and some stuff you’ll cringe at. Like it or not it’s quite an interesting trip through evolution of pop. One of the amazing things that I discovered while researching this is that ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Sexual Healing’ and ‘Every Breath You Take’ were all released with a year of each other, and all of them frighteningly close to ‘Faith’ by George Michael. Surely something has gone wrong with the space/time continuum. Also, if you bought the Macarena, hang your head in shame.

It all started to go wrong for me about 1982, which is ironic, because that’s about the time I was learning to talk.

Here’s the link:

http://open.spotify.com/user/d45hiel/playlist/7zN7mXKas6PcKH7zC9fCrk

and here’s the listing:

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 1950 Gordon Jenkins & The Weavers – “Goodnight Irene”

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 1951 Nat King Cole – “Too Young”

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 1952 LeRoy Anderson – “Blue Tango”

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 1953 Percy Faith – “Songs From Moulin Rouge”

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 1954 Kitty Kallen – “Little Things Mean A Lot”

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 1955 Perez Prado – “Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White”

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 1956 Elvis Presley – “Heartbreak Hotel”

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 1957 Elvis Presley – “All Shook Up”

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 1958 Domenico Modugno – “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)”

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 1959 Johnny Horton – “The Battle Of New Orleans”

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 1960 Percy Faith – “Theme From ‘A Summer Place’”

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 1961 Bobby Lewis – “Tossin’ And Turnin’”

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 1962 Mr. Acker Bilk – “Stranger On The Shore”

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 1963 Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs – “Sugar Shack”

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 1964 The Beatles – “I Want To Hold Your Hand”

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 1965 Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs – “Wooly Bully”

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 1966 Ssgt. Barry Sadler – “The Ballad Of The Green Berets”

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 1963 Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs – “Sugar Shack”

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 1964 The Beatles – “I Want To Hold Your Hand”

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 1965 Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs – “Wooly Bully”

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 1966 Ssgt. Barry Sadler – “The Ballad Of The Green Berets”

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 1967 Lulu – “To Sir With Love”

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 1968 The Beatles – “Hey Jude”

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 1969 The Archies – “Sugar, Sugar”

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 1970 Simon & Garfunkel – “Bridge Over Troubled Water”

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 1971 Three Dog Night – “Joy To The World”

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 1972 Roberta Flack – “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”

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 1973 Tony Orlando & Dawn – “Tie A Yellow Ribbon ‘Round The Ole Oak Tree”

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 1974 Barbra Streisand – “The Way We Were”

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 1975 Captain & Tennille – “Love Will Keep Us Together”

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 1976 Wings – “Silly Love Songs”

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 1977 Rod Stewart – “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)”

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 1978 Andy Gibb – “Shadow Dancing”

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 1979 The Knack – “My Sharona”

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 1980 Blondie – “Call Me”

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 1981 Kim Carnes – “Bette Davis Eyes”

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 1982 Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – “I Love Rock & Roll”

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 1983 The Police – “Every Breath You Take”

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 1984 Prince & The Revolution – “When Doves Cry”

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 1985 Wham! f/ George Michael – “Careless Whisper”

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 1986 Dionne Warwick & Friends – “That’s What Friends Are For”

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 1987 Bangles – “Walk Like An Egyptian”

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 1988 George Michael – “Faith”

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 1989 Chicago – “Look Away”

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 1990 Wilson Philllips – “Hold On”

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 1991 Bryan Adams – “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)”

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 1992 Boyz II Men – “End Of The Road”

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 1993 Whitney Houston – “I Will Always Love You”

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 1994 Ace of Base – “The Sign”

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 1995 Coolio f/ L.V. – “Gangsta’s Paradise”

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 1996 Los Del Rio – “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)”

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 1997 Elton John – “Candle In The Wind 1997/Something About The Way You Look Tonight”

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 1998 Next – “Too Close”

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 1999 Cher – “Believe”

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 2000 Faith Hill – “Breathe”

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 2001 Lifehouse – “Hanging By A Moment”

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 2002 Nickelback – “How You Remind Me”

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 2003 50 Cent – “In Da Club”

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 2004 50 Cent – “In Da Club” Usher f/ Ludacris & Lil Jon – “Yeah!”

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 2005 Mariah Carey – “We Belong Together”

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 2006 Daniel Powter – “Bad Day”

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 2007 Beyonce – “Irreplaceable”

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 2008 Flo Rida f/ T-Pain – “Low”

Rob Sherman’s Balcony TV Session

you would make an attractive hawkRob Sherman is a very tall young man who owns a lot of musical instruments, including a ukulele, mandolin, thumb piano and full size glockenspiel. He uses them (along with his trusty Takamine acoustic guitar) to write beautiful, intriguing contemporary folk music, influenced by the likes of Mumford and Sons, Johnny Flynn, Laura Marling and Damien Rice. His music often tells stories, and paints vivid pictures of scenes and events from history and literature, made all the more pleasing by lyrics which could easily be read alone as poetry. Philosopher Blues, for example, is imaginative, thoughtful and reflective, while Oh Empire! is nostalgic and stirring. What sets Rob apart from the swathes of folkish singer-songwriter types is his conviction and passion, as well as his pleasant baritone. Joined on record by fellow folk heroes Hollie Rogers and Rowan Fisk, Rob is set to release his debut EP in the near future, and it promises to be one of the most exciting folk records of the year. He’s also written, produced and directed a play called “The God In The Well” that’s being staged in Exeter this weekend, if you happen to live in that neck of the woods.

New songs now online over at http://www.myspace.com/robshermanmusic

The Self Indulgent Friday Playlist: Classical (Pop)

Click here for a nice Spotify playlistAnother Friday, another playlist. A few of my favourite classical pieces to waft you through the last few working hours of the week – I’m sure that these are cringingly pop to anyone who knows anything about clasical music, but I think they’re amazing. The variation of the simple theme in the Moonlight sonata has got to be one of the best things ever to come out of a human brain.

http://open.spotify.com/user/d45hiel/playlist/0fCs4oABSFjHiJZ1R3exk9

The Self Indulgent Friday Playlist – Mostly Otis

http://rocketdock.com/images/screenshots/spotify.pngI don’t know whether anyone else is enjoying these playlists, or how long we’ll carry them on, but here’s something to phase out your Friday in a painless, soulful way. It reflects my limited knowledge of modern soul, and the fact that I am a sucker for a bassline, Otis Redding’s voice, and ridiculously long mixes. Also probably that I listen to music on headphones rather than speakers at the office. If anyone fancies making a playlist for me then post something in the comments; if I like it, I’ll give it it’s own post :)