Paris, je t'Aime - a playlist from "la Cité de la Lumière"

Paris, the most romantic city on earth - also referred to as "la Cité de la Lumière" - is the object for a playlist I've compiled for my good friends over at the awesome Borte Best blog. Vibeke has written a love letter to Paris and she asked me if I could compile a list to go with it. "Easy peasy", was my obvious answer, and so I've assembled 40 great tracks from, or referring to, that beautiful city (a few of them may just be French but still give off a Paris vibe) for everyone's enjoyment. So here's your opportunity to bask in the glories of Joe Dassin, Juliette Gréco, Yann Tiersen and Michel Legrend, as well as international acts such as The Style Council, Rufus Wainwright, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong and even the Norwegian pop group deLillos. Follow the link below to gain access to the list in Spotify and if you're Norwegian also read Vibeke's article.

Paris, je t'aime

Audrey Hepburn in Paris - yay!

Happy birthday,Björn Ulvaeus - my life with ABBA with THE playlist

Hooray for ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus who turns 70 today! One of the best ever pop songwriters, he and partner Benny Andersson wrote practically everything ABBA recorded, and their legacy is undeniably great! Last November I wrote an essay for Universal Music about my life as an ABBA fan (they were my first musical love of note), so this is a repost to mark Ulvaeus' anniversary. Enclosed in the link is the essay (written in Norwegian) as well as music videos and the ultimate ABBA playlist featuring what I consider their 36 best songs. All hail Björn!

Read, watch and listen

Music to watch the ocean by

"Music To Watch Girls By" is a song written and recorded by Bob Crewe, but the best-known version belongs to Andy Williams. "Music to watch the ocean by" on the other hand? Not a song as far as I know, but I have compiled a playlist for my good friends behind the travel blog Borte Best. My on and off travel companion Vibeke asked me for some songs to go with a story about a sort of "writer's retreat" on wonderful Lanzarote, a request I took seriously enough to come up with a playlist featuring 25 great songs to watch the ocean by. Ranging from Ravel to Frank Ocean it's fair to say there's something for everyone here, and hopefully you'll find all these tracks good. I know I do.

Playlist

Foto: Fran Fernandez

California Dreamin' - a playlist

Today winter returned to Oslo - with a vengence! It's currently snowing, and snowing, and snowing, and... well, you get the picture. Mysteriously, even though all bus traffic has been halted, I got to work only five minutes late, but sitting here watching the weather outside the window really makes me want to be somewhere else. Lucky for me then that I recently made a Spotify playlist for some friends of mine who's running a travel blog, bortebra.no, with 100 songs from sunny California. Not all of them are that sunny in disposition (i.e. Ice-T's "Home Of The Bodybag"), but still... you get the drift when you put it on listening to The Mamas And The Papas, The Beach Boys, Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg, Weezer, Albert Hammond and more.

Playlist

Mark Knopfler - an essay

On commision for Universal Music I have written an essay about the esteemed Mark Knopfler, who just happens to be the only (as far as I know) rock star who's had a dinosaur named in his honour. As he's just released his excellent new album Tracker I have taken a look back on his career. Apologies to those that don't know any Norwegian. For you I can only recommend some classes or at least utilizing Google Translate. Also, I have added a playlist with my favourite Knopfler tracks, from "Down To The Waterline" and onwards. Enjoy!

Read the essay

Playlist

St. Patrick's Day special playlist

"Oh Katherine, take my hand, I've got three pounds and change, and I'll sing you songs of love again, and when I get too drunk to sing, we'll walk in the Irish rain."

Well, it's Saint Patrick's Day again and so we celebrate with this fabulous playlist featuring a whopping 75 songs that are Irish or very closely related to Ireland. The above lyric is an excerpt from the American bluegrass band California and their jubilant tribute to the green island of Eire. It sounds at least as Irish as more well-known songs present on the list, such as "Whiskey In The Jar", "Seven Drunken Nights" or "Carrickfergus", so it'll do nicely. It perfectly describes the true Irish staples love, lack of money, song, drunkenness and bad weather in a few lines.

You will find a lot of proper Irish classics though, old and new, and a few more recorded by foreigners such as Bruce Springsteen and Norwegian sibling duo Eriksen. They nail traditional Irish songs "Mrs. McGrath" and "The Water Is Wide" as if these songs were part of their DNA. Happy St. Patrick's Day and, as they say, Sláinte!

Playlist

Al Di Meola to Norway - ultimate playlist here

Larvik Gitar Festival is a small festival with some big names. The last weekend in March the quaint little town in the south of Norway will turn into guitar heaven for a few select people. The big draw this year is the legendary American jazz/fusion guitarist Al Di Meola, and this is actually huge, a booking to be proud of. At least to one of the organizers, Atle Rasmussen, who has dreamt of booking Di Meola since they started out six years ago. Last year he went to see Di Meola play in Hamar with his fellow organizer Anders Buaas and spoke to him after the show. According to Rasmussen this may be the reason why they finally succeeded in securing Di Meola for their small festival. Only 500 people will be able to see him on the festival's last day, but they are in for a treat. Rasmussen has compiled a short playlist with his favourite Al Di Meola tracks for the listening pleasure of those who are interested, and you should be. Although not the kind of music I normally listen to, it's easy for me to understand why guitar players and fans alike are so fascinated with Al Di Meola. He's one of the world's most respected guitar players and, may I add, quite inventive as well.

Other acts this year are Knut Reiersrud & Iver Kleive, Andy Timmons Band and Freak Kitchen. Check out their website here.

Spotify playlist

Al Di Meola flanked by organizers Anders Buaas (left) and Atle Rasmussen.

Happy Valentine! 30 love songs in one beautiful playlist

It's Valentine's Day, and if you're not that into anything resembling 50 Shades Of Grey you may enjoy my playlist featuring 30 wonderful love songs. A few of them definitely revolves around sadness and broken hearts, true, but that's also part of this mysterious thing we called love. Most of them, however, are upbeat, celebratory love songs, and all of them are stunning in their different ways. Happy Valentine's, y'all!

Spotify

WiMP

Elvis at 80 - the ultimate playlist

Today it's 80 years since Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. He died at the early age of 42, in August 1977, but boy did he leave behind a legacy! Along with a few other acts such as Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Chuck Berry, he basically invented rock'n'roll as we know it, and went on to become the biggest star of them all. I've compiled a playlist featuring 80 of his most important performances to mark the occasion, both in Spotify and WiMP. Play it loud!

WiMP

Spotify

 

New Year's Eve Party Playlist

OK, it's time for another New Year's celebration, and in order to do that properly, we need good party music. Here is a list featuring 100 party songs, many of them classics, many of them hated too, and quite a few newer songs as well. I have compiled the list in both WiMP and Spotify, and yes, ABBA's "Happy New Year" is on it. Happy new year, everybody, and enjoy the party!

Spotify

WiMP

Christmas playlist

OK, so here's a Christmas playlist featuring some of my favourite seasonal songs. They range from the well-known and familiar (even hated by many) to the obscure and, hopefully in a few cases, surprising. There are even a few songs in Norwegian. All I care about is really that I think they're all good, and will brighten any Christmas party. The list is only in WiMP, but if you're a Spotify user, do compile the list yourself. It's worth it. Merry Christmas!

Playlist

2014 - the year's best music

Hooray, it's that time of the year again in which we compile our nerdy lists, telling anyone who bothers to listen what we consider to be the best music of the year that's soon behind us. Unfortunately I don't think 2014 was as good as 2013, but then again, that was a remarkable year. I still had a hard time compiling my lists of the best songs and best albums of 2014, and many had to go. There are 30 albums and 50 songs listed below, with links to my writings about them wherever possible, as well as playlists in WiMP and Spotify. A few are not available for streaming, but you get most of the songs and handpicked album tracks in handy playlists below.

Songs:

1. OnklP & De Fjerne Slektningene – Styggen på ryggen

2. Magic! – Rude

3. deLillos – Drøm

4. Hedegaard – Happy Home

5. Oslo Ess – Midnatt

6. Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne – Rather Be

7. DJ Cassidy feat. Robin Thicke & Jessie J –Calling All Hearts

8. Broods – Never Gonna Change

9. Sondre Lerche – Sentimentalist

10. Kaja Gunnufsen – Faen ta

11. Candi Staton – Where Were You?

12. Kråkesølv – Ikke rart vi bli sprø

13. Echosmith – Cool Kids

14. Coldplay – Midnight

15. Dierks Bentley – Pretty Girls

16. Ingrid Michaelson – Girls Chase Boys

17. Hiss Golden Messenger – Mahogany Dread

18. I Was A King – One Of Us

19. Todd Terje – Delorean Dynamite

20. Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters –Embrace Another Fall

21. Ed Sheeran – All Of The Stars

22. Kiesza – Hideaway

23. The Autumn Defense – Why Don’t We

24. Future Islands – Seasons (Waiting On You)

25. Sturgill Simpson – The Promise

26. Sondre Justad – Nu har du mæ

27. SOHN – Lights

28. Arthur Beatrice – Midland

29. Say Lou Lou & Lindstrøm – Games For Girls

30. Katy B – Crying For No Reason

31. Sval – Tidsfrist

32. Sigrid Raabe – Two Fish (Loveless Remix)

33. Johnny Marr – Easy Money

34. Jessie Ware – Tough Love

35. Sassybeat – Chances Of Changes

36. Razika – Syndere i sommersol

37. Hamilton Leithauser – 11 O’Clock Friday Night

38. The Ting Tings – Wrong Club

39. Julia Holter – Don’t Make Me Over

40. Lamark – Storgata 6

41. Marit Larsen – I Don’t Want To Talk About It

42. Sam Smith – Not In That Way

43. Mr. Probz – Waves (Robin Schulz Remix)

44. Cole Swindell – Chillin’ It

45. Rainy Milo – Deal Me Briefly

46. Gorgon City feat. MNEK – Ready For Your Love

47. Kyla La Grange – Cut Your Teeth (Kygo Remix)

48. Stockhaus & Vilde Tuv – Svømmebasseng

49. Bryan Ferry – Soldier Of Fortune

50. Vance Joy – Riptide

Playlist in WiMP 48 out of 50 tracks, Robert Plant and Rainy Milo excluded

Playlist in Spotify 48 out of 50 tracks, Robert Plant and Rainy Milo excluded

Album

1. Rumer – Into Colour

2. John Fullbright – Songs

3. Kaja Gunnufsen – Faen Kaja

4. Lucinda Williams – Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone

5. Emilie Nicolas – Like I’m A Warrior

6. Robert Ellis – The Lights From The Chemical Plant

7. Highasakite – Silent Treatment

8. Rosanne Cash – The River & The Thread

9. Roddy Frame – Seven Dials

10. Ben Watt – Hendra 

11. Neil Diamond – Melody Road

12. Rodney Crowell – Tarpaper Sky

13. Kråkesølv – Kråkesølv

14. Röyksopp – The Inevitable End

15. Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots

16. Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters – Lullaby And… The Ceaseless Roar

17. Sondre Lerche – Please

18. Leonard Cohen – Popular Problems

19. Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour

20. Real Estate – Atlas

21. Todd Terje – It’s Album Time

22. SOHN – Tremors

23. Wild Beasts – Present Tense

24. King Creosote – From Scotland With Love

25. Jenny Lewis – Voyager

26. Sisyphus – Sisyphus

27. Restore To Past – Restore To Past

28. The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream

29. The Captain & Me – Peter Gabriel

30. James Vincent McMorrow – Post Tropical

Playlist in WiMP 29 out of 30 tracks, Rumer excluded

Playlist in Spotify 28 out of 30 tracks, Rumer and Roddy Frame excluded

The 100 best songs of the 2000's

The time has finally come to end the madness with the 100 best songs of the oughties, from 2000 until the end of 2009, that is. More than any of the previous lists, this was really hard to edit down to a managable 100 acts, and I had to sacrifice lots of favourites. Nevertheless, this is an awesome list, and I waited until now to publish it because my favourite song of the entire decade, The Margarets' pop jewel "Alain Delon", was not on WiMP. By greasing a few wheels it will be available come Friday, so until then you "only" have 99 greats songs to enjoy. So be sure to tune back in on November 14.

Listen

1. The Margarets - Alain Delon
2. Daft Punk - One More Time
3. Richard Hawley - Hotel Room
4. Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better
5. Madrugada - The Kids Are On High Street
6. Odd Børretzen & Lars Martin Myhre - Sommersang
7. Wilco - Impossible Germany
8. Jace Everett - Bad Things
9. Josh Rouse - Come Back (Light Therapy)
10. Odd Nordstoga - Kveldssong for deg og meg

11. Sigur Rós - Untitled 5
12. Elbow - Friend Of Ours
13. Klovner I Kamp - Nattens sønner
14. The Roots feat. Cody Chesnutt - The Seed (2.0)
15. Prefab Sprout - Music Is A Princess
16. Alison Krauss - You're Just A Country Boy
17. Henning Kvitnes - Sånne som oss
18. Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around.../...Comes Around
19. Hal - Play The Hits
20. Shakira - Underneath Your Clothes

21. Sondre Lerche - Days That Are Over
22. Weezer - Island In The Sun
23. Michael Bublé - Haven't Met You Yet
24. Sufjan Stevens - John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
25. Elvira Nikolaisen - Love I Can't Defend
26. Eminem feat. Dido - Stan
27. The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You
28. Sade - By Your Side
29. Lily Allen - LDN
30. Muse - Uprising

31. Paal Flaata - Laura Mills
32. R.E.M. - Leaving New York
33. Rosanne Cash - Motherless Children
34. Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation - Shine It All Around
35. Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head
36. Jason Mraz - Make It Mine
37. Solomon Burke - Fast Train
38. Britney Spears - Oops! ... I Did It Again
39. MGMT - Time To Pretend
40. Fountains Of Wayne - Hackensack

41. Stereophonics - Maybe Tomorrow
42. Kings Of Convenience - I'd Rather Dance With You
43. Gyllene Tider - Du måsta skämta
44. Rodney Crowell - I Wish It Would Rain
45. The Divine Comedy - Absent Friends
46. Jim Stärk - Do It Right
47. Bob Dylan - Thunder On The Mountain
48. Pet Shop Boys - Did You See Me Coming?
49. Jarle Bernhoft - Sunday
50. The Waterboys - Everybody Takes A Tumble

51. Motorpsycho - Go To California
52. Marit Larsen - If A Song Could Get Me You
53. Duffy - Mercy
54. Röyksopp feat. Erlend Øye - Poor Leno
55. The Killers - Human
56. Super Furry Animals - Juxtaposed With U
57. Minor Majority - Alison
58. Razorlight - America
59. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
60. Manu Chao - Me Gustas Tu

61. Elton John - This Train Don't Stop Here Anymore
62. Mercury Rev - Vermillion
63. George Michael - Amazing
64. Scissor Sisters - I Don't Feel Like Dancin'
65. Bright Eyes - Soul Singer In A Session Band
66. Nelly Furtado - I'm Like A Bird
67. Paperboys with Madcon - Barcelona
68. Veronica Maggio - Måndagsbarn
69. Paolo Nutini - Candy
70. The Black Eyed Peas - Shut Up

71. Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott - 4 My People (Basement Jaxx Remix)
72. Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor
73. Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
74. Badly Drawn Boy - Once Around The Block
75. Lloyd Cole - Woman In A Bar
76. The Coral - Dreaming Of You
77. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Easy Money
78. Neil Diamond - Man Of God
79. Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell Williams - Drop It Like It's Hot
80. The xx - Night Time

81. Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl
82. Outkast - Hey Ya!
83. Johnny Cash - The Mercy Seat
84. Coldplay - Fix You
85. Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
86. Eddie Vedder - Society
87. Gluecifer - Easy Living
88. Rilo Kiley - The Absence Of God
89. Adele - Chasing Pavements
90. Foo Fighters - Wheels

91. Tinariwen - Cler Achel
92. Lady Gaga - So Happy I Could Die
93. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Murder On The Dancefloor
94. Lene Marlin - You Weren't There
95. Sugababes - Freak Like Me
96. Fun Lovin' Criminals - Mi Corazon
97. Alicia Keys - Fallin'
98. Madonna - Hung Up
99. Travis - Sing
100. Rufus Wainwright - Dinner At Eight

Music To Make You Smile - mørketidsspesial

I've compiled a new playlist for Norwegian streaming service WiMP, featuring 100 songs that should make you smile. It helps during the winter months, trust me. Below is the text I wrote in Norwegian (Hello, Google Translate!) and of course a link to the actual music.

Mørketid, schmørketid... Høstmørket er her, og snart er det enda dypere vintermørket over oss. Det betyr ikke at vi bare trenger å fyre opp i peisen, åpne rødvinsflaska og mure oss inne med dystre og melankolske låter med for øvrig utmerkede artister som Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell eller Nick Cave. Vi går like gjerne i motsatt retning.

De siste tre årene har jeg lagt ut temalisten Music To Make You Smile på forsommeren for å feire den lyse, fine tida - med til dels florlett, happy feelgoodmusikk. Men så slo det meg at det kanskje er nå vi trenger noen musikalske lykkepiller for å holde den kalde, fine tida på en armlengdes avstand. Det hender jo at det er litt OK.

Av de 100 låtene på lista er de aller fleste udiskutable feelgoodlåter, men jeg har også lagt inn noen få sanger som er mer melankolske og dvelende - og triste. Det disse likevel har felles er at de er såpass positive og oppstemte at de fortjener en plass her. Så hvis du stusser over at Lars Beckstrøm synger om bekjente som dør i "Drøm" eller at fortellerstemmen i Fountain Of Waynes vakre "Hackensack" låter litt sørgmodig når han synger til barndomskjæresten, er det altså en tanke bak.

Nok om det. Nå er det bare å skru på musikken og la solskinnet falle inn i øregangene dine. Her er mer enn seks timer med udiskutabel glede i Music To Make You Smile-redaksjonens eksklusive "mørketidsspesial". Kos deg!

Listen (WiMP)

Spotify

The 50 best songs of the 1950's

Well, the madness finally continues, but has been decimated. A friend of mine pointed out that he would look like a poseur if he compiled a list of 100 songs by different acts from the 1950's, and the same goes for me. 50 songs on the other hand is no problem, so here you go, playlist in WiMP and all. Enjoy the feast!

Listen

1. Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode
2. Peggy Lee - Fever
3. The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five
4. Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me
5. Elvis Presley - That's All Right
6. Johnny Cash - I Walk The Line
7. Sam Cooke - My Foolish Heart
8. Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues
9. Little Richard - Lucille
10. The Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream

11. Buddy Holly - Rave On
12. Jacques Brel - Ne me quitte pas
13. Dion And The Belmonts - A Teenager In Love
14. Bobby Darin - Beyond The Sea
15. Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps - Be-Bop-A-Lula
16. Marty Robbins - El Paso
17. Ray Charles - What'd I Say (Parts 1 & 2)
18. Jesse Belvin - Goodnight My Love
19. Erroll Garner - Misty
20. Dinah Washington - Mad About The Boy

21. Louis Armstrong - La Vie En Rose
22. Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls Of Fire
23. Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You
24. Louis Prima - Buena Sera
25. Bill Haley & His Comets - (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock
26. Miles Davis - So What
27. Hank Williams - Hey Good Lookin'
28. Carl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes
29. Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - Why Do Fools Fall In Love?
30. Frank Sinatra - You Make Me Feel So Young

31. Chubby Checker - Let's Twist Again
32. Sidney Bechet - Dans les rues d'Antibes
33. Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons
34. Bob Grabeau/Disney Choir - Bella Notte
35. Little Anhony & The Imperials - Tears On My Pillow
36. Nat King Cole - Autumn Leaves
37. George Jones - White Lightning
38. Richie Valens - Come On, Let's Go
39. Duane Eddy - Rebel Rouser
40. Roy Orbison - Ooby Dooby

41. Patsy Cline - Walkin' After Midnight
42. The Isley Brothers - Shout (Parts 1 & 2)
43. The Platters - Only You (And You Alone)
44. Dean Martin - That's Amore
45. John Coltrane - Blue Train
46. Harry Belafonte - The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)
47. Barbara Pittman - I Need A Man
48. The Champs - Tequila
49. Mitch Miller - Theme From The River Kwai - Colonel Bogey
50. The Five Satins - In The Still Of The Night

Neil Diamond is out with a brilliant new album - essay, videos and music

Melody Road is the title of legendary singer/songwriter Neil Diamond's new album and his first featuring new material in six dry years. This one differs quite a lot from his last two Rick Rubin-produced efforts though as it is full of instruments, horns a-plenty, strings and back up-singers, sounding just as good as he did fortysome years ago, with the songs to back up his play. My part-time job writing for Universal Music has resulted in essay in which I muse a bit about Diamond's new album as well as his past, and I have also compiled a 40 song introductory playlist in Spotify. It serves as both an introduction to new listeners and a celebration for old fans, and by following the link you can also see behind the scenes footage from the recording of Melody Road, a couple of music videos and of course listen to the entire album. Please do enjoy!

Read, watch, listen

The 100 best songs of the 1960's

And the hits just keep on coming! Roll out the 1960's as we go back to classics from The Beach Boys and The Band, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra and Scott Walker, Sam Cooke and Barbara Lynn, John Coltrane and Donald Byrd, and many more as I sum up the 100 best songs of the decade. Be adviced though, there are no Beatles, Led Zeppelin and a few others that should have been there due to the fact that they are not up for streaming in WiMP. It's still an awesome list, maybe the best of the bunch so far.

Listen

1. Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
2. Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone
3. Frank Sinatra - My Way
4. The Isley Brothers - Twist And Shout
5. The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
6. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
7. James Brown And The Famous Flames - I Got You (I Feel Good)
8. Glen Campbell - By The Time I Get To Phoenix
9. The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
10. Martha And The Vandellas - Dancing In The Street

11. Elvis Presley - In The Ghetto
12. Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman
13. Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely
14. Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walkin'
15. Miles Davis - Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio)
16. The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
17. Dionne Warwick - I Say A Little Prayer
18. Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World
19. Nilsson - Everybody's Talkin'
20. Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash

21. Ben E. King - Stand By Me
22. James Carr - The Dark End Of The Street
23. The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
24. Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline
25. The Hollies - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
26. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough
27. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
28. The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night
29. John Coltrane - Everytime We Say Goodbye
30. The Temptations - My Girl

31. Charlie Rich - San Francisco Is A Lonely Town
32. Barbara Randolph - I Got A Feeling
33. The Box Tops - The Letter
34. Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues
35. The Doors - The End
36. .Sly & The Family Stone - Hot Fun In The Summertime
37. David Bowie - Space Oddity
38. Bee Gees - I Started A Joke
39. Getz/Gilberto feat. Antonio Carlos Jobim & Astrud Gilberto - The Girl From Ipanema
40. Jackie Wilson - (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher

41. Aaron Neville - Tell It Like It Is
42. Patsy Cline - Crazy
43. Erma Franklin - Piece Of My Heart
44. The Supremes - Stop! In The Name Of Love
45. The Velvet Underground - I'm Waiting For The Man
46. Scott Walker - Jackie
47. The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City
48. The Mamas And The Papas - Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon)
49. Booker T. And The M.G.s - Green Onions
50. Leonard Cohen - Bird On The Wire

51. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
52. The Who - Substitute
53. Love - Alone Again Or
54. Scott McKenzie - San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)
55. Nina Simone - Just In Time (live)
56. Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl
57. Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth
58. Santana - Evil Ways
59. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
60. Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound Of Silence

61. Tommy James & The Shondells - I Think We're Alone Now
62. Dusty Springfield - All I See Is You
63. Wilson Pickett - Land Of 1000 Dances
64. The Percy Faith Orchestra - Theme From A Summer Place
65. Jackie DeShannon - What The World Needs Now Is Love
66. The Kingsmen - Louie Louie
67. Nick Drake - River Man
68. Ennio Morricone - Il Buono, Il Cattivo, Il Brutto
69. Jane Birkin et Serge Gainsbourg - Je t'aime... moi non plus
70. Tony Joe White - Polk Salad Annie

71. Lalo Schiffrin - Mission: Impossible
72. Aretha Franklin - Respect
73. Andy Williams - Music To Watch Girls By
74. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Foxy Lady
75. The Love Affair - Bringing On Back The Good Times
76. Peter Sarstedt - Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)
77. The Monkees - Daydream Believer
78. Crosby, Stills & Nash - Helplessly Hoping
79. Donald Byrd - Cristo Redentor
80. John Stewart - July, You're A Woman

81. The Moody Blues - Nights In White Satin
82. Dion - Runaround Sue
83. The Bobby Fuller Four - I Fought The Law
84. Barbara Lynn - You'll Lose A Good Thing
85. The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind
86. Dinah Washington & Brook Benton - A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around And Fall In Love)
87. The Impressions - People Get Ready
88. Julie London - Fly Me To The Moon
89. Dr. John - I Walk On Guilded Splinters
90. Barbara Lewis - Hello Stranger

91. The Stone Poneys - Different Drum
92. Zager & Evans - In The Year 2525
93. Les McCann & Eddie Harris - Compared To What
94. The Miracles - Going To A Go-Go
95. Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild
96. The Four Seasons - Cherry
97. Neil Young - Down By The River
98. Ike & Tina Turner - River Deep Mountain High
99. The Zombies - She's Not There
100. Townes Van Zandt - Waitin' Around To Die

The 100 best songs of the 1990's

The madness continues as me and a few Facebook (and real life) friends go on making definitive lists. When compiling my 90's list I was surprised to find how much I actually liked the decade. I have alwys regarded the 90's as somewhat inferior, but I see now that I was wrong. It was really difficult to narrow the list down to 100 songs. See what you thing. Here are all the entries as well as the entire list for streaming in WiMP. And if I have failed to mention it before, on these lists I have only included songs available there.

Listen

1. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Summertime
2. Son Volt - Tear Stained Eye
3. Everything But The Girl - Lullaby Of Clubland (Jay "Sinister" Sealee Remix)
4. U2 - One
5. Hellbillies - Ei krasafaren steinbu
6. Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You
7. Kirsty MacColl - Soho Square
8. Sinéad O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
9. R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
10. The The - Slow Emotion Replay

11. The Boo Radleys - Wake Up Boo!
12. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
13. Leonard Cohen - The Future
14. Squeeze - The Truth
15. Crowded House - Four Seasons In One Day
16. Jill Sobule - Supermodel
17. New Radicals - You Get What You Give
18. George Michael - Praying For Time
19. The Waterboys - How Long Will I Love You?
20. Nanci Griffith with Arlo Guthrie - Tecumseh Valley

21. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand
22. Diana King - Shy Guy
23. The Cure - Friday I'm In Love
24. Unni Wilhelmsen feat. Paal Flaata - This Means You To Me Now
25. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach - God Give Me Strength
26. Steve Wynn feat. Johnette Napolitano - Bonnie & Clyde
27. Folk & Røvere - Yess!
28. Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg - Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang
29. The Wallflowers - One Headlight
30. Toad The Wet Sprocket - All I Want

31. US3 - Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)
32. Arrested Development - People Everyday (Metamorphosis Mix)
33. Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing
34. Bel Canto - Shimmering, Warm And Bright
35. Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus
36. The La's - There She Goes
37. En Vogue - My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)
38. Sade - No Ordinary Love
39. Tom Waits - Georgia Lee
40. MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This

41. deLillos - Glemte minner
42. Massive Attack - Safe From Harm
43. Tindersticks - Tiny Tears
44. House Of Pain - Jump Around
45. Dave Alvin - From A Kitchen Table
46. Jackie Leven - Call Mother A Lonely Field
47 Propellerheads feat. Miss Shirley Bassey - History Repeats
48. Apache Indian - Boom Shack-A-Lak
49. TLC - No Scrubs
50. Bo Kaspers Orkester - Vi kommer aldrig att dö

51. kd lang - Constant Craving
52. The Lemonheads - The Outdoor Type
53. Prefab Sprout - Doo-Wop In Harlem
54. Ronan Keating - When You Say Nothing At All
55. Primal Scream - Rocks
56. Daniel Lanois - The Messenger
57. Steve Earle & The Del McCoury Band - Pilgrim
58. Lars Demian - Fyllot & Miss World
59. Paul Simon with Marc Anthony - Satin Summer Nights
60. Bob Dylan - Cold Irons Bound

61. Teenage Fanclub - I Don't Want Control Of You
62. Stereo MC's - Connected
63. Public Enemy - Can't Truss It
64. David Sylvian - I Surrender
65. Tasmin Archer - Sleeping Satellite
66. Johnny Cash - Kneeling Drunkard's Plea
67. World Party - Put The Message In A Box
68. Smash Mouth - Walkin' On The Sun
69. Cracker - Low
70. C+C Music Factory feat. Freedom Williams - Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

71. Ricky Martin - Livin' La Vida Loco
72. Madonna - Human Nature
73. Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealousy
74. Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
75. Sigur Rós - Ágætis Byrjun
76. Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
77. Neil Young - Harvest Moon
78. Santana feat. Rob Thomas - Smooth
79. Pet Shop Boys - A Red Letter Day
80. Björk feat. David Arnold - Play Dead

81. James McMurtry - Candyland
82. The Jayhawks - Trouble
83. Counting Crows - Mr. Jones
84. Electronic - Forbidden City
85. Willy DeVille - Hey Joe
86. Angelo Badalamenti - Twin Peaks Theme
87. John Mellencamp - What If I Came Knocking
88. Ministry - Jesus Built My Hotrod
89. Cowboy Junkies feat. John Prine - If You Were The Woman And I Was The Man
90. Midnight Choir - Mercy Of Maria

91. Guy Clark feat. Emmylou Harris - I Don't Love You Much, Do I
92. Paul Westerberg - Dyslexic Heart
93. Tom Jones feat. Mousse T - Sexbomb
94. Paul Weller - Wild Wood
95. The Black Crowes - Hard To Handle
96. Eric Clapton - My Father's Eyes
97. Anymore Time Between
98. Robbie Williams - The Road To Mandalay
99. Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories - Stay (I Missed You)
100. Placebo - Every Me Every You

The 100 best songs of the 1970's

The nerdy fun on Facebook about compiling definitive music lists is still raging, and my latest addition to the madness is my all time favourite 70's tracks. As I made this playlist more than a full day ago I deeply regret that I have now remembered quite a few definitive songs that are not on my list, but it's still a very, very good one. There's a link below to the entire list in WiMP, but if you're a Spotify user you can always assemble it yourself. Anyway, I hope you like my list as well as I do. And please, do not ask me about the ranking. If anything, it's good for the first three entries, at the most ten. The rest is pure whim.

Listen

1. Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road (live)
2. Tom Waits - I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You
3. Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up
4. Nick Lowe - Cruel To Be Kind
5. The Clash - London Calling
6. Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Blue Sky
7. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
8. Neil Young - Like A Hurricane
9. Pretenders - Brass In Pocket
10. Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded By The Light

11. 10CC - I'm Not In Love
12. Warren Zevon - Desperadoes Under The Eaves
13. David Bowie - Changes
14. Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive
15. Little Feat - Willin'
16. Eagles - Hotel California
17. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
18. Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street
19. Blue Öyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
20. Townes Van Zandt - Pancho & Lefty

21. The Police - Message In A Bottle
22. Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On
23. Michael Nesmith - Some Of Shelly's Blues
24. Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop
25. Donna Summer - Bad Girls
26. Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Talk To Me Of Mendocino
27. Kris Kristofferson - Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
28. Gladys Knight & The Pips - Midnight Train To Georgia
29. The Motors - Airport
30. ABBA - Dancing Queen

31. The Staple Singers - Respect Yourself
32. Santana - Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen
33. Nick Drake - Hazey Jane II
34. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Get Up, Stand Up (live)
35. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Mr. Bojangles
36. The Five Stairsteps - O-o-h Child
37. The Association - P.F. Sloan
38. The Doors - Riders On The Storm
39. Dire Straits - Once Upon A Time In The West
40. Tom Robinson Band - 2-4-6-8 Motorway

41. Steely Dan - Do It Again
42. The Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight
43. Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights
44. Bob Dylan - You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
45. Don McLean - American Pie
46. Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Breakdown
47. Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage
48. Gordon Lightfoot - If You Could Read My Mind
49. Sweet - Ballroom Blitz
50. Lou Reed - Perfect Day

51. Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
52. Fleetwood Mac - Landslide
53. Joy Division - She's Lost Control
54. Gary Shearston - I Get A Kick Out Of You
55. Supertramp - School
56. Leonard Cohen - Famous Blue Raincoat
57. Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You
58. Neil Diamond - Song Sung Blue
59. Steve Miller Band - The Joker
60. Jackson Browne - My Opening Farewell

61. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Oliver's Army
62. Patti Smith Group - Because The Night
63. Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star
64. Iggy Pop - The Passenger
65. Linda Ronstadt - Hasten Down The Wind
66. Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill
67. Gram Parsons - In My Hour Of Darkness
68. Elton John - Someone Saved My Life Tonight
69. Barry White - You're My First, My Last, My Everything
70. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Run Through The Jungle

71. Nilsson - Without You
72. Rolling Stones - Wild Horses
73. T. Rex - Get It On
74. The Byrds - Chestnut Mare
75. Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes
76. Johnny Cash - Man In Black
77. Stevie Wonder - Superstition
78. Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer
79. The Temptations - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
80. Grateful Dead - Friend Of The Devil

81. James Brown - The Payback
82. Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around With Jim
83. Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed
84. The Stranglers - The Raven
85. Steve Forbert - Romeo's Tune
86. Randy Newman - Louisiana 1927
87. Foreigner - Cold As Ice
88. Roxy Music - Love Is The Drug
89. Sham 69 - If The Kids Are United
90. America - Horse With No Name

91. The Chi-Lites - Stoned Out Of My Mind
92. Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine
93. Madness - My Girl
94. Cat Stevens - Father And Son
95. Bread - Baby I'm-A Want You
96. James Taylor - Fire And Rain
97. Harold Melvin And The Bluenotes - Wake Up Everybody
98. Pere Ubu - Final Solution
99. Lene Lovich - Bird Song
100. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Grevling i taket