This is song #5, skip and finish with it. You'll be glad you did.😎🎶
Last year I decided to retire the Guilty Pleasure Song List because after compiling a list of songs, they disappear all too often from YouTube. I dislike having dead links on a blog. That said, Old Man Winter will soon leave us, opening the door for optimism. It's time to come out of hibernation and turn up the music. So despite my misgivings, I'm compiling yet another Guilty Pleasure Song List: Let's call it Guilty Pleasure Songs: Performer's POV - Music from the point of view of the person performing on stage.
1) Fame by Irene Cara (1980): In the beginning there's the dream, the ambition, the talent, the training, the hours of practice, practice, practice, as well as, the wait to be given the chance to showcase a talent.
2)Turn The Page by Bob Seger (1976): Bob Seger wrote a memorable story-song about being up on stage! (What a coincidence.😅) Featuring a soulful saxophone, it's really about the ups and downs ... the endless, grueling time a singer spends on the road to make and sustain a career. Touring is tough, but it's how a musician develops his craft and makes money. I've heard talent talk about how being on the road is a necessary evil for the 2 hours of performance that they enjoy. Yet, a life on the road takes a toll!
3) Possession by Sarah McLachlan (1993): Some people mistake the composition for a love song. It is not. The tune were inspired by a creepy fan letter singer, Sarah McLachlin, received from an "admirer." The lyrics are written from the point of view of an obsessed, stalker-like "fan," which a performer might for a wee moment think about as they face an audience of fans. Is he out there?
4) Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple (1972): Listen to the song. No ... seriously avoid looking at the hippy-dippy shirtless garb and just listen. The lyrics tell the true story of the band's performance in Switzerland, during which, someone in the audience shot a flare gun catching the venue, a gambling casino, on fire and burning it to the ground. Luckily, everyone got out, with nobody seriously hurt. They were also booked to record new music, using an expensive mobile studio, but were left with no place to stay (and thus watched smoke on the water). The electric guitar riff, a 4 note blues scale melody in G is iconic! It's likely you know it.
5) [See the top ↑ video] While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, Dhani Harrison (George's son!) and Prince - A Tribute to George Harrison (2004): Sometimes the music outlives the man, and the man becomes a legend. Beatle George Harrison was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, not once but twice. Using personification in a catchy phrase that the whole world knows, he is paid tribute by his wildly famous friends who perform Harrison's song at his posthumous induction ceremony. Features the virtuosity of another great, Prince, who really does make his guitar weep! Ah, life is short, so many of the well-known on that 2004 stage are now gone too. Perhaps onto a final, bigger stage ... which is a leap of faith. If any of the Guilty Pleasure Songs disappear from YouTube just search for them. What song(s) would you add? You may also enjoy: Guilty Pleasure Songs 4 What's On Your Play List? The Southern Cross (Crux) Thinking About Father's Day
Several months ago I wrote a post on the subject of Guilty Pleasure Songs, the songs you might be slightly embarrassed to admit to liking. Well, today let's revisit the subject to come up with another list of songs. But let's change it up a bit: This new list would not open you up to the laughter of friends like your previous Guilty Pleasure Songs might -- because the 2nd list will comprise songs that many critics agree, are well crafted songs. Just for fun let's now come up with a list of songs we never, ever grow tired of listening to. So the guilty pleasure element of my new list of songs (below) is this: Even though they have been around for a few years, I can still listen to them a sickening number of times. I love listening to my list of songs, even though I have heard each and every song over and over and over again. Someone else may think it obsessive, but I get the same pleasure out of playing them one more time. ♬♪♪♫♪♪
Listing only one song per artist is the challenge. In many cases I love an entire album. I could easily list 3 songs by Jimi Hendix alone; but for my Guilty Pleasure List, I will only list one of his, or any other artist's songs. Also, I will leave off early iconic rock and rollers, since any one of the early artists, such as The Everly Brothers, could make up my entire list. And I'm not including recent songs, like Somebody That I Used To Know (by Gotye) or Crazy (CeLo Green) or Blue Jeans (Laura Del Rey) or Telephone (Lady Gaga) since without the test of time, who knows if I'll grow tired of them. So, here is my list in no particular order:
Best Loved Pop Songs(a/k/a, songs I'm not ashamed to play 10,000 times, or more):
7. Super Freak - Rick James: RJ really, really likes his groupies and pays tribute.
8. Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
9. House of the Raising Sun - The Animals
10. Heartbreaker - Rolling Stones: I love the Mick Taylor period of the band the best.
11. Aqualung - Jethro Tull
12. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
13. Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix
14. Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
15. Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin: There's a good reason radio stations play this classic to death.
16. Time Of The Season - The Zombies
17. Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress - The Hollies: Very underestimated band and lead singer, Alan Clarke. I like so many of their songs, I keep switching my selection.
18. Behind Blue Eyes - The Who
19. Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf:Everybody knows this ultimate biker song. I like it even though I will never ride a bike on a highway for fear of becoming a human missile if in an accident.
20. Layla - Derek And The Dominoes: Eric Clapton and Duane Allman playing blues rock is bliss.
21. Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top: Billy Gibbons is an underrated guitarist, who is still very much alive. Click here.
22. Put A Little Love In Your Heart - Jackie DeShannon: I know you're tapping a toe just thinking of how the tune goes.
23. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted - Joan Osborne with The Funk Brothers here: The FB are Motown's house band. {Want to hear more of JO? Click here.}
24. I Heard It Through The Grapewine - Marvin Gaye: The more paranoid, the better, examplehere.
25. Alone - Heart
26. Come As You Are - Nirvana
27. All Right Now - Free
28. Iron Man - Black Sabbath: About a superhero gone wrong. Male cousins, thus the influence.
29. Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
30. Black Magic Woman - Santana
After you move past the tabloid stories, what you have is a sophisticated songwriter and a gorgeous vocalist. When George Michael is feeling a song, few other singers can touch him. Father Figure was a US #1 hit in 1988, but I love this more mature rendition. For another lovely one, click here. GM has several fine albums after Faith.
