Right, friends, a bit of an experiment for you this week in lieu of any other ideas for our ‘top’ column. We’ve already covered most of the best AAA albums by now, but what are the very best individual AAA songs, oblivious of how good or how bad the album they come from is? What, in fact, would I rescue from my collection if I could only choose 101 (our traditional website number) songs to keep forever more? That’s what I’ve been challenged to say by one of my followers anyway, but rather than sticking to his remit of ten songs (way way way too hard!) here’s a hundred AAA songs everyone should know but probably don’t. Frankly, if it really came to that choice for real I’d go mad, no question, but I’m always interested by revealing lists like this (perhaps you have one or your own you want to post in response – and no, you don’t have to list all 100 unless you want to!) The only rules are that I want to go for the more obscure songs here that people don’t often talk about – so there’s no space on my chart for any top ten songs (sob! Goodbye ‘Tin Soldier’ ‘Coming Up’ ‘Pipes Of Peace’ ‘The Boxer’ ‘Lady Eleanor’ ‘Live Forever’ ‘See Emily Play’ and ‘Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay’!) simply to make this lists more interesting (although I can almost guarantee that none of you will have any of those songs on your lists too). Flop singles (of which there are many in my list), B-sides and album tracks are all eligible though. For fun/interest/desperation, these songs are all listed in chronological order. Oh and there’s no great long description this time around – hopefully these songs will all be covered by the end of this website’s lifespan and a pretty high percentage of them have been already (as ever, scroll to the middle of the website and you’ll see a list of links to each album review we’ve written so far!) Please note, as ever with these lists my favourite songs could (and will) change at any time...
1) The Searchers “He’s Got No Love” (single, 1965, available on most good best-ofs)
Psychedelia a full two years early, with Liverpool’s second greatest band using echo and unusual guitar sounds to great effect on superb flop single that should have re-booted their career, not killed it. Given the Spring 1965 release date this record is so far ahead of its time it even beats what The Beatles were doing then (and I say that as a huge fan of ‘Help!’) A criminally under-rated record. He’d give the world to know someone would care for him, he hopes someone will share their love with him
2) The Byrds “Set You Free This Time” (Turn! Turn! Turn!, 1965)
The early Byrds albums are terribly patchy, but Gene Clark is light years ahead of the opposition with a turbulent, heart-wrenching song that packs decades’ worth of fear and guilt into two-and-a-half minutes. Most of Gene’s songs are break-up songs (the other Byrds used to deliberately try to break him and his girlfriends up when they needed new material!), but each one went somewhere new and this Dylanesque song from the only songwriter Dylan ever feared as his superior goes somewhere so new for the pop market of 1965 that sadly very few followed it. I have never been so far out in front that I could ask for what I want and have it anytime
3) The Hollies “So Lonely” (B-Side ‘Look Through Any Window’, 1965)
Simple it may be, but this haunting melancholy song is an absolute emotional rollercoaster that rises and falls in a mist of harmonies and feedback. The sound of Tony Hicks’ guitar is much copied but never bettered and the full-frontal display of sadness here is almost overwhelming. Like many a self-written Hollies B-side, this should have been the A-side. I get so lonely, I get so lonely without you – I get lonely for you
4) The Searchers “Til I Met You” (B-side ‘Goodbye My Love’, 1965)
Simply one of the sweetest ballads committed to tape, with the contrast between Mike Pender’s serious deep voice and Chris Curtis’ innocent falsetto is a real treat and this song, too, is way ahead of its time (few other bands were sounding this vulnerable in 1965). The A-side is a pretty fine piece of work too, but like so many Searchers B-sides its beaten head and shoulders by this lesser known song. Now that I’ve learnt all about I’m going to make you see, that from now on till forever you belong with me
5) The Beatles “Nowhere Man” (Rubber Soul, 1965)
Seeing as I can’t have ‘Help!’ (a #1, you see), here’s another early piece of Lennon’s development as a songwriter, a catchy-but-deep singalong that manages to be both sneering and sympathetic at the same time. The song came to Lennon in a dream, making it his equivalent of McCartney’s ‘Yesterday’, and features a suitable hazy dream-like quality until a fiery and superb George Harrison solo finally cuts through the murk. Doesn’t have a point of view, knows not where he’s going to, isn’t he a bit like you and me?
6) Simon and Garfunkel “He Was My Brother” (Wednesday Morning, 3 AM, 1965)
Paul Simon may have written deeper and more intelligent songs over the years, but few have the emotional weight of this early recording, written for a classmate who died in Vietnam. Every line is extended into a yell, causing both Simon and Garfunkel to fight for breath every step of the way and makes each sentence sound like a sob. Garfunkel commented on the album sleeve ‘I loved the way this song made me feel’ – an emotion I’ll second! He was my brother – and he died so his brothers could be free!
7) The Kinks “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” (B-Side ‘Sunny Afternoon’, 1966)
Few ‘pop’ bands were this sombre and serious in 1966 and this famous Kinks B-side sounds like it comes from a different planet when compared to everything else. In many ways it was – The Kinks always did their own thing and in many ways this is their ‘theme’ song. The brother Davies are at their peak as a team here too, with Ray’s most personal lyric to date delivered note-perfectly by his more brooding brother Dave while Ray chants broodingly in the background. Don’t want to float about like everybody else, and I don’t want to live my life like everybody else, and I won’t say that I feel fine like everybody else, ‘cause I’m not like everybody else
8) The Beatles “Rain” (B-side ‘Paperback Writer’, 1966)
My candidate for the Beatles’ best performance as a band (even Ringo gets things right for once!), with Lennon’s clever multi-layered lyrics about so much more than just the weather. The backwards tape effects (reportedly done by Lennon in error when he tried to lace his demo machine up one night in a pill-induced fog) somehow makes perfect sense in a song about viewing the world through different eyes, where lesser bands would have made it a ‘gimmick’. This one song is the entire template for the Oasis sound too because, frankly, the Beatles were never cooler than they were here Can you hear me that when it rains and shines, it’s just a state of mind, can you hear me?...nnnnaaiiiirrrrrrr!
9) The Beach Boys “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times” (Pet Sounds, 1966)
Generally I consider ‘Pet Sounds’ to be one of the weakest Beach Boys albums as Brian Wilson tries too hard to write songs other people will identify with – but not so this melancholic slab of autobiography from a man born at least 50 years too early, writing songs for audiences that can’t comprehend what they hear. Well, apart from me and other fans of this near-perfect song! Most people who love this record dislike this song, but it oh so desperately needs to be there, wild forward-looking theremin and all. I keep looking for a place to fit in where I can speak my mind, and I’ve been trying hard to find the people that I won’t leave behind
10) The Beatles “For No One” (Revolver, 1966)
‘Eleanor Rigby’ might be better known (and as another #1 not eligible for this list), but ‘For No One’ covers the same ground just as well: Paul McCartney’s sensitive lyrics about the end of a relationship and the coldness and casualness that replaces warmth and excitement are among his most finest work. Surely he can’t have been just 23 when he wrote this piece, allegedly inspired by a downturn in his relationship with Jane Asher and his idea of what life might have been like for them in old age? Your day breaks, your mind aches, you find that all her words of kindness linger on when she no longer needs you
11) The Beatles “Tomorrow Never Knows” (Revolver, 1966)
Anyone who wanders why The Beatles were so respected clearly hasn’t heard this song, which is The Egyptian Book Of The Dead set to scary music and psychedelic tape-loops, opening dozens of new enticing doors simultaneously without sacrificing its musicality. Lennon reportedly asked for ‘the sound of a hundred monks chanting at the end of the world’ and the band came close thanks to McCartney’s inventive collection of tape loops and the chopped up guitar solo from ‘Taxman’ spewing forth at random in the middle. All play the game, existence to the end of the beginning....
12) The Hollies “Rain On My Window” (Evolution, 1967)
The perfect template for writing a song: the story is all there and develops bit by bit, tied together with a clever chorus, one of the best riffs in the business and those classic Hollies harmonies at full flight. A classic song of miscommunication, the narrator falls in love, she seems cold and distant but suddenly lets her emotions show on a rainy night in front of a warm fire and yet the next day she’s more distant than ever. Another song way ahead of its January 1967 release date. As the rain beat on my window did she understand that in the glow of dying embers everything was planned?
13) The Monkees “Shades Of Gray” (Headquarters, 1967)
In which The Monkees prove why they more than deserved the chance to play their own instruments, suddenly turning adult for a simply glorious song about growing old and a note-perfect arrangement the band made themselves. Davy Jones was never better, finally singing in the deeper baritone that suited him more than his teeny-bopper tenor, but its Peter Tork who excels, both with his counter-vocal and circular piano riff. When the world and I were young, just yesterday, life was such a simple game a child could play...
14) Buffalo Springfield “Expecting To Fly” (Buffalo Springfield Again, 1967)
Neil Young’s first intended solo song is a haunting, ethereal work of power and beauty that after an album full of folky Dylan-like numbers seemed to come from nowhere. Fragile and delicate and on the edge of breaking, the words and music are the perfect match for each other and like many fans I curse the fact that Neil and orchestrator Jack Nietsche spent such little time working together – this song is evidence of what a good fit their talents were for each other. It was hearing this song that inspired Graham Nash to write ‘Wings’ and encouraged him to add Neil to CSN. I tried so hard to stand as I stumbled and fell to the ground, so hard to laugh as I fumbled and reached for the love I found, knowing it was gone
15) Rolling Stones “We Love You” (A-side, 1967)
The Stones’ most impressive moment recorded directly in the wake of Mick and Keef’s drugs arrest, which cleverly serves as a double ‘thankyou’ to their fans and a ‘fuck you’ to their enemies. (Is the ‘we love you’ chorus heartfelt or sarcastic? Probably a bit of both). Brian Jones’ improvised mellotron howl at the end is one of the scariest sounds in music, while Lennon and McCartney crop up on the chorus, repaying the favour of the Stones appearing on ‘All You Need Is Love’, a song the Stones beat hands down. The darker side of Psychedelia. We don’t care if you hound we and lock the doors around me, with locks upon your mind – ‘cause we love you! (Of course we do!)
16) Lulu “Morning Dew” (B-side ‘To Sir With Love’ 1967)
Lulu had an impressive run of singles during her years with producer Mickie Most. This is the best of the songs you might not know, an anti-war folk song written after the author saw the film ‘On The Beach’ and delivered perfectly by an 18-year-old Lulu who was at the peak of her powers here (the Grateful Dead recorded it too). I thought I heard a young man crying baby, thought I heard a young man crying today, you didn’t hear no young man crying baby, you didn’t hear no young man crying at all
17) Simon and Garfunkel “Patterns” (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, 1967)
A forgotten early slice of Paul Simon’s thoughtfulness in song, less immediate than ‘Sounds Of Silence’ perhaps but still a powerful song about the routines and restrictions that make us who we are. As we said in our review, every song on ‘Parsley Sage’ seems to be engaged in a debate with another song and this is the flipside of the better known ‘Feelin Groovy’s careless, directionless patter. Patterns still remain on the wall where darkness fell, and its fitting that it should for in darkness I must dwell, like the colour of my skin or the day I grow old, my life is made of patterns that can scarcely be controlled
18) The Hollies “Elevated Observations” (Butterfly, 1967)
The Hollies repeat ‘Look Through Any Window’ by standing on top of a mountain-top and ruminating about the everyday routines of the people below them and not liking what they see. The chorus (‘ego is dead!’) is the summer of love in a nutshell, as a sped up backing track plays havoc with your senses and Graham Nash sings about the ‘levels’ there are to life. The band at their most psychedelic and memorable and one of the very best songs releases in the year 1967. Climb up here, jump up here, skip up or run up, but get up here somehow ‘cause you’ll find your head, finally finding the level you’re after, ego is dead! Ego is dead! Aaaaah!!!!!!
19) The Beatles “The Fool On The Hill” (Magical Mystery Tour, 1967)
Surely Paul McCartney’s career best song, taking an outsider’s eye view of the world with a tune that manages to be both uplifting and haunting and some sensitive lyrics. The backing of flutes and mellotrons is unusual but memorable, with the song sounding both traditional and progressive together. Day after day, alone on a hill, the man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still
20) Jefferson Airplane “Won’t You Try?> Saturday Afternoon” (After Bathing At Baxters” (1967)
If any song will make you want to run away and join a hippie circus this is it: by turns angry, sweet, strident and belligerent, it’s an epic medley that packs the whole of the 1960s into four short minutes. Like any Airplane concert, the song wobbles so much you’re never quite sure if they’ll make it to the end intact, but the sudden moment when they all telepathically charge as one in a storm of noise and freedom is quite quite brilliant. Saturday Afternoon, yellow clouds rising in the noon, acid incense and balloons, Saturday Afternoon, people dancing everywhere, loudly shouting ‘I don’t care!, it’s a time for growing and a time for knowing love!
21) The Monkees “The Door Into Summer” (Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd, 1968)
Songwriter Bill Martin, who worked on the Monkees TV series as an extra, got through to the last eight in the Monkees auditions and hung around long enough to provide them with this winning folk-rock song about misers and scrooges recorded by Mike Nesmith in the Colgems bathroom (the only place with the right echo!) He would have made a fine Monkee given the few songs of his that were ever released, especially this one with its Pleasant Valley Sunday-style tale of ‘fool’s gold’ and material illusions. With his fool’s gold stacked up all around him, from a killing in a market on a war, the children of King Midas there as they found him, in his counting house where nothing counts but more.
22) The Small Faces “Afterglow (Of Your Love)” (Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake, 1968)
One of the great things about Small Faces songs is that they always sound like they mean it and are always living on the edge. ‘Afterglow’ starts off a simple sweet pop song that’s quirkier than any of the band’s novelty records before suddenly lurching into heavy metal rock five years early. This song quickly becomes so much more than any novelty, raised to screaming point by Steve Marriott at his most intense and despite not quite lasting three minutes this track leaves you emotionally exhausted. I;m happy just to be with you, and loving you the way I do, there’s everything I need to know, just resting in your afterglow!
23) The Byrds “Change Is Now” (The Notorious Byrd Brothers, 1968)
A song celebrating the gift of change and a ‘dance to the day when fear is unknown’, this has always been a special song for me. The melody cleverly copies the words throughout, never sitting still for a second and switching between Psychedelia and pure country without a second glance. The song climaxes in one of the best instrumentals ever committed to tape which somehow manages to sound totally different to anything else ever recorded and yet perfectly natural in the context of the song, full of phased synthesisers, clanging speaker-hopping guitars and burbling bass lines. Change is now, all around, dance to the day when fear is unknown!
24) Big Brother and the Holding Company “Ball and Chain” (Cheap Thrills, 1968)
Instead of rushing into things like Big Brother so often did, here they held back and string this simple song out to eight agonising minutes of cat-and-mouse in which Janis Joplin puts in one of the great vocal performances of all time. Love isn’t a light, happy, enjoyable experience here – its torture. Sitting down by my window, looking out at the rain....
25) Grateful Dead “That’s It For The Other Ones” (Anthem Of The Sun, 1968)
A psychedelic epic that starts with questions of birth and pre-destiny, takes a detour via a psychedelic bus-journey and ends up collapsing into a five minute surge of pure noise, confusion and chaos. Like the rest of ‘Anthem Of The Sun’ this psychedelic journey takes place four times over all at the same time, the band suddenly jumping sideways from one live performance to another as the faders move up and down. What a wonderful trip it’s been. Tall the children they were learning from books that they were burning, could be they were turning to watch him die
26) Rolling Stones “Child Of The Moon” (B-Side ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash, 1968)
The Stones at their most beautiful, this song is even better than the better known A-side, waving goodbye to the summer of love with one last beautiful rush of emotion and hope. Mick Jagger’s never sounded quite so sincere as here, Bill Wyman’s chugging synthisiser bass is wonderfully exotic and the band’s sweet-and-sour harmonies are never better. She shivers, by the light she is hidden, she flickers like a lamp laden vision, child of the moon rub your rainy eyes, child of the moon, give me your wide awake pleasant shade smile
27) The Monkees “As We Go Along” (HEAD, 1968)
Micky Dolenz proves why he might just be the greatest pop singer of them all on a simply gorgeous song full of ringing Rickenbacker guitars and a mega-complicated 7/4 rhythm that Micky handles effortlessly. That’s Neil Young as one of the guitarists by the way on a Carole King song that somehow manages to tell a love story, the plot of the Monkees’ wonderful film ‘Head’ (still the greatest movie ever made) and life experiences on earth for all of us at the same time. You shouldn’t be shy because I’m not going to try to hurt you or heal you or steal your star
28) Pink Floyd “Remember A Day” (Saucerful Of Secrets, 1968)
A forgotten gem of a song about memories of childhood and times past, which was the perfect way for founder Syd Barrett to say goodbye, even though its his partner Rick Wright who wrote the song. This isn’t an innocent carefree, happy childhood either – well, not given by the backing full of nightmarish slide guitar, thumping drums and toy pianos anyway – or then again maybe its the narrator’s past that’s creepy instead. Either way a classic forgotten gem. Why can’t we stay this way? Why can’t we roll the years away? Blow away...
29) The Beatles “Long Long Long” (The White Album, 1968)
In which George Harrison outlines his whole spiritual ethos in three perfectly judged minutes, ending with a ‘happy accident’ of a vibrating wine bottle that makes for the perfect conclusion (surely, surely, this is the narrator passing over into death at the end? And surely it was always destined to end this way, whatever the Beatle biographies say?!) So understated it almost isn’t there, this humble song has been overlooked for far too long nestled between noisier, more immediate songs and is my candidate for the best fab four song of them all. So many years I was searching, so many tears I was wasting, oh-ahhh!
30) The Beach Boys “Cabinessence” (Smile via 20/20, 1967/1969)
‘Smile’ was light years ahead of any music ever made and still no one has caught up with yet – chances are they never will. Here’s the first of two examples why, ostensibly a song about American pioneers in a log cabin turned into a pocket symphony via the hardest-hitting waltz ever recorded. Some (the band included) complain that the lyrics make no sense, but heck, they make perfect sense, working on several layers at once, especially since Brian finished his song cycle and made this song the conclusion of his ‘American History’ suite where the two sides of the American Dream are perfectly summed up. Who ran the iron horse?!
31) Crosby, Stills and Nash “Long Time Gone” (Crosby, Stills and Nash, 1969)
David Crosby often talked about this song being where he ‘found his voice’ despite five years of singing with The Byrds. Certainly he never sounded as good as he did when singing this inspired but tortured song of political anguish and frustrated inequality, inspired by the assassination of Robert Kennedy. The pulsing organ note throbbing throughout the song is particularly magical but its Crosby’s weary and strained vocal – as well as Stills’ bluesier downbeat interruptions – that make this song the classic that it is. You know there’s something going on around here, it won’t, surely won’t, last the light of day!
32) Pentangle “Once I Had A Sweetheart” (Basket Of Light, 1969)
Pentangle’s greatest achievement, linking the old and the new with their sitar-driven arrangement of an old folk song several centuries old that’s so gorgeous it isn’t true. The solo in the middle lifts the song to whole new level, the sitar circling higher and higher, far past the point of what sounds possible, before two Jacqui McShee’s singing in harmony pounce back onto the melody and get a grip back on the song again. I sang songs of silver and steered t’ward the sun, and my false love will weep for me after I’m gone
33) The Small Faces “Autumn Stone” (The Autumn Stone, 1969)
My favourite Small Faces song by far is ‘Tin Soldier’ – a hard hitting and catchy outpouring from the heart with an R and B pulse that’s never been bettered as far as singles go. It just made the top 10, however, which leaves me with this haunting ballad from the band’s final days as my next choice, on which Steve Marriott proves he can do subtle and sensitive as well as play the demented rocker. Goodness knows what an Autumn Stone is, but this is a cracking track and almost a goodbye to the band with the lines Yesterday is dead! But not my memories...
34) The Kinks “Shangri-La” (Arthur, 1969)
Or everything that’s wrong with the Western World in five minutes. Arthur – the character who narrates the whole album more or less - is retired and should be enjoying the rewards of life after a difficult adulthood interrupted by wars, warring relations and the lack of a post-war dream. But no – the pressure of keeping up with neighbours, bureaucracy gone mad and lack of ambition is really a cunning trap set by the people in power to keep us in our place and is a cage waiting for us all one day however clever we are at escaping it at first. A clever, clever song that starts off sounding so lovely it can’t be true (it isn’t) before suddenly exploding into fury in a marvellous middle eight that simply keeps hitting and hitting and hitting again. Powerful stuff. The man who runs to get the train got a mortgage hanging over his head, but he’s too scared to complain ‘cause he’s conditioned that way
35) Janis Joplin “Work Me, Lord” (I Got Dem Ol Kozmik Blues Again Mama!, 1969)
In which Janis bargains with her maker in a desperate attempt to get her life back on the rails after a fall from grace that left her with nothing. The lurch in the middle when things seem to right themselves and even the horn section sounds happy, only to fall over again on a sudden switch to a minor key, still makes me cry whenever I hear it. With her background steeped in blues Janis was born to sing this song – and indeed it might have been written for her as composer Nick Gravenites (once in the band ‘Electric Flag’) may have written it for her as the pair were good friends. Don’t you know how hard it is trying to live all alone? Every day I keep trying to move forward, but something is driving me ---- back!
36) Cat Stevens “I Think I See The Light!” (Mona Bone Jakon, 1970)
Growing from a growl to a falsetto shriek, there’s a lot of Cat Stevens invested into this revealing song which manages to achieve a lot despite featuring little more than a piano and a lead vocal. Despite appearances it actually pre-dates his Muslim conversion; it’s actually about adjusting to the ‘real’ things in life that matter after the 18-year-old singer almost died from TB and saw his career disappear overnight. The fact that he came back with a new sound so different and yet so perfectly formed is one of the great success stories in popular music. My heart was made of stone, I saw only misty gray, until you came into my life girl I saw every one that way!
37) The Who “Amazing Journey > Sparks” (Live At Leeds, 1970)
Rock and roll’s greatest ever riff delivered by the world’s greatest rock and roll band at the peak of their powers. The peaks and valleys in this song make for a mesmerising ride, an ‘amazing spiritual journey’ that just keeps coming in wave after wave – and the predecessing song isn’t bad either. This song is from ‘Tommy’ of course, and the way the deaf, dumb and blind title character experiences life without his senses. Frankly if his whole childhood was spent hearing music this powerful he’d have gone mad, that’s all I’m saying. The studio version isn’t bad either, but as every Who fan knows ‘Tommy’ is an album better heard live and the complete Live at Leeds show may be the single best concert ever put onto tape. Sickness will surely take the mind where minds won’t usually go, come on the amazing journey and learn all you should know!
38) Lindisfarne “The Clear White Light Part 2” (Nicely Out Of Tune, 1970)
Lindisfarne’s gorgeous, distinctive harmonies are simply perfect on this Alan Hull song about the question of life after death (the question isn’t ‘I believe’ so much as ‘do I believe?’) The long slow fadeout is stunning, with a sudden glow of life from a wheezy organ dragging the rest of the band with it and – hopefully – into the spiritual light. Do you believe the clear white light is going to guide us all?
39) Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young “Ohio” (single, 1970)
The single most important political statement made in music, as CSNY respond to Nixon’s orders to shoot peaceful protestors on an American campus with a song that fights back as best it can in a howl of despair, outrage and horror that can’t believe what’s just taken place at a time when no one else dared questioned those in power. Amazingly this was in the charts (but not quite top 10) within a fortnight of the incident and two years before ‘Watergate’ meant everyone else started joining in the Nixon-bashing too. Impeaching was too good for him, what happened to the prison sentence he should have had?! Tin soldiers and Nixon’s coming, we’re finally on our own, this Summer I hear the drumming, four dead in Ohio.
40) Paul McCartney “Maybe I’m Amazed” (McCartney, 1970)
In which Macca has a nervous breakdown after the difficulties in the final Beatles years, retreats to his farm in Scotland and comes to terms with the fact that the only thing that makes sense in his life anymore is his love for wife Linda. A simply fabulous song and just about the best of the finest run of love songs in the business, my friends still don’t believe me when I tell them this song was never a single except in a live version from six years later).Maybe I’m a man, maybe I’m a lonely man in the middle of something he doesn’t really understand
41) The Hollies “Too Young To Be Married” (Confessions Of The Mind, 1970)
The Hollies follow in CSN’s footsteps with a song of social outrage at the traps of poverty for the working classes, sensitively handling an awkward subject in a marvellous collage of harmonies, flamenco guitar solos and empathy. After all, what could the characters do? They were going to have a baby, the most natural thing in the world turned into the most ostracising event imaginable by humans who don’t know any better. She starts to dream, but no she’s fooling
42) The Byrds “All The Things” (Untitled, 1970)
Roger McGuinn’s best song, intended for a musical about Peer Gynt rather than a Byrds album but very welcome to the record all the same. A song about suddenly realising how wonderful life can be and an admission that the narrator has spent all his years till now ‘talking to prove I weren’t afraid’, this is a classy ballad with a moving chorus that’s really powerful. The skies singing songs I could have played, but I was too busy talking to prove I’m not afraid
43) Cat Stevens “Miles From Nowhere” (Tea For The Tillerman, 1970)
In which Cat Stevens wonders what might be waiting for him on the other side when he dies and whether he’s lived his life the right way so he can be proud of it. This song is an epic, however you look at it, but its actually mighty short and features only a piano and some rolling drums. Just listen to that vocal though which is frighteningly real and heartfelt. In my mind it’s always been a medley with next and similar track ‘But I Might Die Tonight!’ but sadly there wasn’t enough room to include both. I have my freedom, I make my own rules, oh yeah, the ones that I choose
44) John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band “Working Class Hero” (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, 1970)
John Lennon always told it like it was, but never more than on this rulebook for coping with life, where your teachers will hate you whatever you do and everyone will put you down your whole life through, whether you’re clever or stupid. Lennon’s got some flack for writing this song over the years – in 1970 because it used the ‘f’ word twice (although Jefferson Airplane were the very first to use it on record) and later for his middle-class upbringing. Frankly both arguments are nonsense: swear words are only words and they shock far less here than the dawning truth of what Lennon is saying and too Lennon always acted working class his whole life through, much to his Aunt Mimi’s horror and disdain, and The Beatles were the key symbol for the working classes in the 1960s whatever his childhood was like. As soon as you’re born they make you feel small, by giving you no time instead of it all
45) George Harrison “Beware Of Darkness” (All Things Must Pass, 1970)
A gentle but stern warning from the world’s greatest big brother, George Harrison. Here are three verses full of all the things to avoid in life, from material illusions to wayward record companies to our own egos on a song that’s half fairy tale and half folk protest, with a haunting melody and a chorus that speaks the truth so well life will never seem the same again (‘It can hit you, it can hurt you, make you sore, and what is more, that is not what you are here for’).
46) The Beach Boys “Surf’s Up” (Smile via Surf’s Up, 1967/1971)
The second ‘Smile’ song on the list, which takes in the rise and fall of civilisations, Brian’s own impending collapse and the history of America in four blissful minutes accompanied by one of the greatest melodies of all time. And I defy anyone not to cry during the ‘children’s song’ coda from this re-recording, which doesn’t appear in early versions but fits so well that it was surely always meant to be. The conclusion of the second ‘childhood’ suite on ‘Smile’, this song – like the very next one on the list – is about how we were closer to the ‘truth’ of life in childhood than we’ll ever be as adults. A children’s song, have you listened to what they say? Their song is love and the children know the way!
47) David Crosby “Laughing” (If Only I Could Remember My Name, 1971)
David Crosby has spent his whole life looking for answers, but every time he thinks he’s found the truth and someone he can believe in it turns out that he’s wrong again. The closest answer to the truth of life he can find is the sound of a child happily laughing in the sun – not what the religious leaders, politicians or celebrities tell him at all. Dozens of AAA musicians are on this gorgeous slow-burning song which is slow and stately but beautifully laidback, climaxing in Jerry Garcia’s greatest playing and Joni Mitchell’s playful harmonies. The sound of Crosby’s twin guitars is fabulous, too, warm and full and perfect for one of my all-time favourite songs. I was mistaken, only reflections of a shadow that I saw
48) David Crosby “What Are Their Names?” (If Only I Could Remember My Name 1971)
The same cast again on a very different song from the same album, in which anger at the casual way those in power treat those under their rule turns to boiling point. Unusually for Crosby, this song started as a poem before the singer found he had already got the perfect backing thanks to perhaps the greatest ever improvised jam ever committed to tape. Neil Young, Jerry Garcia, Jorma Kaukanen and Crosby himself all play the guitars and are at their absolute best here on an inspired gift of a song that sadly sounds truer every day our corrupt Coalition Government grinds us down! I wonder who they are? The men who really run this land? And I wander why they run it with such a thoughtless hand?
49) The Moody Blues “One More Time To Live” (Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, 1971)
A fight between the duality in life, pitting the beauty and wonder of the world against the desolation and chaos that so often occurs in it. The band never quite come down on the side of one or the other either on this cleverly constructed and perfectly played song, in which the serenity of the opening passage comes back in in cycles despite a noisy chorus listing every word ending in ‘tion’ under the sun. The spirit of every revolt and overthrow of Government across time is in this song somewhere as time and time again the leaders get greedy and turn from ‘solution’ to ‘desolation’ and the cycle starts all over again. Desolation! Creation! Evolution! Pollution! Saturation! Population! Annihilation! Revolution! Confusion! Illusion! Conclusion! Salvation! Degradation! Humiliation! Contemplation! Inspiration! Salvation! Communication! Compassion! Solution...
50) The Moody Blues “You Can Never Go Home” (Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, 1971)
There were no bigger stars around in 1971 than The Moody Blues. Their albums stayed in the charts, literally, for years and for a time they even had their own chartered Moody Blues lear jet (complete with its own fire place). But instead of getting big headed like most stars do (take a bow, Justin Bieber!), the band went inward, doubting everything about their existence and writing some of the best head-scratching, soul-searching songs around. Here’s one of them, a gorgeous Justin Hayward lament where every path you take in life – however profitable – takes you away from where you started from. I don’t know what I’m searching for, I should never have opened the door...
51) Paul Kantner and Grace Slick “When I Was A Boy I Watched The Wolves” (Sunfighter, 1971)
The ex-Jefferson Airplane members excel themselves here on a story about trying to fit in, using the metaphor of the wolfpack to explore human relationships and how severely and suddenly people can change personalities. Grace Slick’s unusual rolling piano is joined by some wonderful charging feedback drenched guitar and a melody that is a pretty good mirror for a bunch of wolves. Run with the wolfpack! Get down! Be quiet! Go Back! Run with the wolkfpack!
52) The Who “Bargain” (Who’s Next, 1971)
Another ‘dual’ song where the price is high and the narrator has to go through hell to get his reward, but a sensitive middle eight from Pete Townshend at his best makes it all worthwhile. The juxtaposition of Roger Daltrey’s fire and Pete Townshend’s weedy insecurities is never better contrasted and this song manages to out-rock any heavy metal band without sacrificing its beauty or its romance. I sit looking round, I look at my face in the mirror, I know I’m worth nothing without you
53) Crazy Horse “Look At All The Things” (Crazy Horse, 1971)
Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten didn’t live long, but the songs he was writing at the end of his short life were nearly all masterpieces. Here’s one of the least known but in my opinion one of the very best, a hymn to the greatest wonders in life from a man who knew he wasn’t going to live very long to see them, held together by a scary, circular chorus that seems to mock him for wasting so much precious time on drugs. Just give me time, oh precious time, and I’ll come home, but for now I’ve got to go and I’ve got to go alone
54) Stephen Stills “Word Game” (Stephen Stills II, 1971)
The best song about racism bar none, a fast talking blues that was written by Stills after watching a documentary on the subject that made his blood boil so much it spilled into a song. The extended last verse that goes on and on, pitching the guitarist into bigger and bigger froths of indignation, is simply brilliant and despite its simplicity (it features just Stills with his guitar) its still one of the most ‘rounded’ and complete songs ever put on tape. I have seen these things with my very own eyes, and defended my bally soul till it must be too tough to die, American propaganda, South African lies, will not force me to take arms that’s my enemies pride, and I won’t fight by his rules that’s foolishness besides, his ignorance is going to do him in and nobody’s going to cry, because his children they are growing up and plainly tired of putting up with bigots and their silver cups, they’re fed up, they might throw up on you!
55) Grateful Dead “Wharf Rat” (Grateful Dead aka Skulls and Roses, 1971)
The Dead’s most poetic moment, an eight minute epic built around one single chord about a hobo living by the docks and making promises to get himself out of the gutter that he himself only half believes in. The middle eight – when ‘August West’ declares that he’ll ‘fly away’ to escape his problems - is one of the most exciting moments on this list, while the doom-laden crashing piano chords sends a chill through the spine. Half of my life I spent doing time for some other fucker’s crime, but I’ll get back on my feet someday, the good lord willing, if he says I may, I’ll find a new start and live the life I should
56) Pink Floyd “Echoes” (Meddle, 1971)
This is the big one, a 23 minute prog rock epic that grows in stature from a quiet sonic ‘ping’ to a knock-out instrumental section that simply refuses to follow its natural conclusion for several minutes so that when it finally does it sounds like nothing less than the sun coming out. The lyrics, vocals, melody and playing on this song are all spot-on almost all the way through, with just three minute of random crow sound effects in the middle to spoil things. No one helps me close my eyes, and no one knows the where or whys, but something stirs and something tries to fly towards the light...
57) 10cc “Waterfall” (B-Side, ‘Donna’ 1972)
The song that 10cc intended to be their first A-side (until their record label promoted the fun but frivolous B-side) would have set them down a very different path as a more serious pop band. For me the original quartet’s harmonies were never better than they are here and 10cc’s always-strong production techniques are way ahead of their time, throwing everything into a mix that somehow never sounds cluttered. The perfect pop single, even if ultimately it never became one. Going to be there in the hand, going to take you by the hand, going to get out of the city, going to get back to the land!
58) Nils Lofgren and Grin “Moon Tears” (1+1, 1972)
A two minute burst of pure passion, this song goes through so much so quickly it sounds like its playing on fast speed. Fed up of being dumped, again, and being told he’s been so understanding about it all Lofgren’s narrator loses it here, climaxing on what must be one of the best guitar solos of all time. Ask me ‘is it right to love another guy?’ At first I say yes and then I cry why?!
59) Stephen Stills/Manassas “So Begins The Task” (Stephen Stills/Manasass, 1972)
Poetry set to beautiful music as Stills philosophically tries to move on from a loved one he can’t quite forget. The short-lived Manassas band (including ex-Byrd Chris Hillman) are superb here and on most of their other songs, offering a backing that blends country, rock, blues and folk into a song that sounds like all four simultaneously. Camping on the edge of your city I wait, hoping one day you might see beyond yourself, shadows on the ceiling, hard but not real, like the bars that cage you within yourself
60) The Moody Blues “For My Lady” (Seventh Sojourn, 1972)
One of the greatest love songs ever written and a beautiful, simple, uplifting song from the Moodies’ last original and bitterest record. Ray Thomas’ contributions to the band often get overlooked, but at his best his work was as good as anything Justin Hayward brought to the band. A boat sails stormy seas, battles oceans filled with tears, at last my port’s in view now that I’ve discovered you
61) Lindisfarne “Poor Old Ireland” (Dingly Dell, 1972)
Poor old Ireland indeed, especially during the ‘Bloody Sunday’ period when many AAA writers put pen to paper to express regret over the British empire’s handling of the affair (all of them took Ireland’s side, by the way, despite them all being English themselves). This song is the best, though, halfway between a gospel record and a protest song, with Alan Hull’s empathy for the underdog never better or more believable than here. He’s disguised himself well with his book and bell, but evil is still his name
62) The Hollies “I Had A Dream” (B-side of ‘Magic Woman Touch’ 1972)
A truly beautiful song from the Terry Sylvester years (who wrote this song), it breaks my heart that so people know this B-side to a flop single from an era that even big Hollies fans don’t tend to listen to much. For me Mickael Rickfor’s vocals are superb on this song of memory and lost loves while the Hollies harmonies were never better. Lying alone I feel your golden hair, skyline with silver blue, trying to find words to pacify my feelings of loneliness for you
63) The Kinks “Celluloid Heroes” (Everybody’s In Showbiz, Everybody’s A Star, 1972)
Ray Davies does it again, on a song about mortality and fame that tries to tell the story of the stars of screen but ends up as a salute to all the lesser known names who gave their all only to be forgotten. The climax, where celluloid heroes never really die – unlike the rest of us – never fails to make me cry. Like ‘Shangri-La’ another flop single that should have made #1. I wish my life was a non-stop Hollywood film show, a fantasy world of celluloid villains and heroes, because celluloid heroes never feel any pain, and celluloid heroes never really die
64) Pentangle “People On The Highway” (Solomon’s Seal, 1972)
Pentangle’s ‘goodbye’ song, as Bert Jansch basically declares ‘it’s been fun and I’ve loved it, but it’s better to keep moving than stay still’. The interplay between the much missed Bert and Jacqui McShee is exquisite and a fitting farewell to a most under-rated of bands. Going to move on, buddy, leave my worries and troubles behind, find a new road to rest my uneasy mind
65) Graham Nash “Another Sleep Song” (Wild Tales, 1973)
In which Graham Nash calls out for someone to wake him up from his sleepwalking state and help him to enjoy life again, written in the wake of an awful tragedy where his girlfriend of the time was murdered by her own brother. The song’s slow, lumbering tune is hauntingly beautiful and Nash’s ex Joni Mitchell adds a note-perfect counter-harmony on a song clearly close to Graham’s heart. All I need is someone to awaken me, much of me has gone to sleep – and I’m afraid to wake-up
66) Pink Floyd “Us and Them” (Dark Side Of The Moon, 1973)
‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ isn’t always as good as its reputation suggests, but this song certainly is. An achingly beautiful, slow ballad that looks at prejudice and differences the world over, the contrasts between the laidback verses and the killer choruses are sublime, as the Floyd ruminate on tragedy and suffering everywhere and the oft-surprising frailty of humanity. With, without, and who denies it’s what the fighting’s all about?
67) Cat Stevens “100 I Dream” (Foreigner, 1973)
Cat Stevens tries to tell us a happy moral story here, he really does. He wants us to become truer to ourselves and less in slave to the expectations of those around us, but somehow something else cracks through the surface. In probably the single best middle eight ever written Cat implores us ‘not to let your weaknesses destroy you’ as he feels he’s been destroyed and that, however much we try to escape ‘the world will follow, so let your reasons be true!’ The mask slips back on again all too quickly but, for a few seconds there, we know we’ve heard the truth. Pick up the pieces you see before you, don’t let your weaknesses destroy you, you know wherever you go the world will follow, so let your reasons be true, to you
68) Yoko Ono “Death Of Samantha” (Approximately Infinite Universe, 1973)
Yoko is a terribly under-estimated artist, although sadly for Mrs Lennon her best work is always inspired by personal loss and tragedy. ‘Universe’ is her best record by light years, a double set where nearly every song is first-class and it all deals with her slow breakup of marriage of Lennon and the abduction of her daughter by her ex-husband (who she won’t see again for another 20 years). This song is the best by a nose, with Yoko repeating her public mantra as a ‘cool chick’ ruffled by nothing, but letting slip just what a mess she is underneath her mask some four minutes in. It was an accident, part of growing up...
69) Jack The Lad “Lying On The Water” (It’s Jack The Lad, 1974)
Remember, remember, what good times you had, when you were just a boy of nine? Well, I can’t (what a horrible age to be), but the pull of childhood nostalgia is so strong on this uptempo country-rocker by Lindisfarne spin-off group Jack The Lad and is painted in terms so irresistible this song had to make the list. The ending – where all the band members pick up percussion instruments one by one for a blissful 20 second epic ending only to hurl them all at the ground together in a cacophony of broken dreams and frustration – is one of the greatest AAA moments of them all. When you’re lying on the water you know the water’s way, it can take you where you want and bring you back some day!
70) Jack The Lad “Turning Into Winter” (It’s Jack The Lad, 1974)
And this is Jack The Lad’s second masterpiece. A gorgeous, classy bit of ballad-writing about how the memories of summer will have to ‘be strong’ to survive the cruelties that winter can bring. One of the prettiest AAA songs of all, this is Billy Mitchell at his best on an ‘answer’ song to Lindisfarne’s nearly-as-pretty ‘Winter Song’. Will you ever see the sun shining again?
71) John Lennon “Scared” (Walls and Bridges, 1974)
This is John’s view of his ‘lost weekend’ and its every bit as unhappy as verse by verse he’s ‘scared’ ‘scarred’ and ‘tired’ of living alone estranged from his one true love with the guilty knowledge that he brought this on himself. The song opens with the howl of a lonely wolf and gets more morose from there. Hatred and jealousy, gonna be the death of me, guess I knew it right from the start!
72) Cat Stevens “Sun/C79” (Buddha And The Chocolate Box, 1974)
Cat Stevens Junior asks his dad the perennial question ‘why are we here?’ After stalling with a lovely opening section about fate, destiny, stars and dreams Cat realises he’s fooling himself and tells the tale about when he met the boy’s mother at a hotel, chanting the room number like it holds the answers to all the secrets in life. If the opening solitary keyboard hook has ever been bettered I’ve never heard it. A thousand hours I’ve looked at her eyes, but I still don’t know what colour they are!
73) Neil Young “Borrowed Tune” (Tonight’s The Night, 1975)
Neil is tired. Tired of seeing his friends die from drug overdoses, tired of being forced to come up with hits and tired of protecting those he loves from the darker side of life. He’s too tired, in fact, to write his own tune, stealing The Stones’ ‘Lady Jane’ (which only just missed this list in its own right) in his weariness. ‘Tonight’s The Night’, a requiem for Crazy Horse’s Danny Whitten is an extraordinary album, a drunken shambling deep black record about the worst of humanity and this song isn’t often seen as one of the better moments but it offers a heart and humanity the other often-bitter songs don’t always share. I’m singing this borrowed tune, my head in the clouds, I’m hoping it matters, I’m having my doubts
74) The Who “Blue, Red and Gray” (The Who By Numbers, 1975)
This album, too, may well be the most depressing album ever made. Pete Townshend tried to pretend in his autobiography that he was in a ‘good’ place, making this record, but no – it’s a suicide note, plain and simple. Except for this simple, humble song which somehow makes the surrounding half hour of pain and tears seem worth living, with the narrator slowly realizing that he loves ‘every minute of the day’. The people on the hill, they say I’m lazy, but when they sleep I sing and dance
75) Paul McCartney “Waterfalls” (McCartney II, 1980)
A surprise flop single, peaking at #11, which is a sad reflection on the tastes of the music-buyers out there in 1980 but a good thing in the sense that I can add this song to my list of 100 songs legitimately. This song makes much more sense as an album track anyway, especially on the original double-LP version of ‘McCartney II’ where it comes after the most extreme 15 minutes in Macca’s catalogue and then tells us not to risk our lives ‘jumping waterfalls’ or ‘feeding polar bears’ because ‘sometimes we make mistakes. Some fans hate the simple synth backing but I think it works far better on this humble song than any amount of overdubs and production would have done. Don’t go jumping waterfalls, please keep to the lake
76) Grace Slick “The Hard Way” (Dreams, 1980)
Poor Grace has just been kicked out of the band that made her famous, has split up with her husband/guitar player and fallen into alcoholism in a big way. Her next move – a wonderful, autobiographically rich LP – dies a death but true fans like me recognise its worth. This self-kicking song about stubbornness is the best track on it, a truly magnificent piece of work. She’ll break right through the sign saying ‘this is the end of the ride’, until there’s no one by her side
77) John Lennon “Borrowed Time” (Milk and Honey, 1982)
Lennon’s first message from beyond the grave may be unfortunately titled but it was the perfect tonic for a world starved of his talent. Lennon sounds relaxed, resilient and even has time for a tongue-in-cheek lecture on the fadeout on the only reggae-tinged song in his discography, as well as some marvellous lyrics about growing old and caring about other people less. It’s sad given the timing but after the ‘Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’ and ‘Walls and Bridges’ its just great to hear Lennon so happy again. Good to be older ah-ah, less complications and deep despair
78) Crosby, Stills and Nash “Daylight Again” (Daylight Again, 1982)
There’s an even more stunning version of this song doing the rounds on bootleg, in which Stills recounts the American Civil War and claims it still continues, ending in a thrilling climax of ‘Find The Cost Of Freedom’, a song made famous as the B-side of ‘Ohio’ 12 years earlier (and therefore the only single where both sides made this list). This later, lesser version still chills with its lucid storytelling, however and its lyrics about needless inequality are superb (‘When everyone’s talking while no one is listening, how can we decide?’) That’s fellow AAA star Art Garfunkel singing with CSN, by the way. Find the cost of freedom buried in the ground, mother Earth will swallow you, lay your burden down
79) Crosby, Stills and Nash “Delta” (Daylight Again, 1982)
Another hauntingly beautiful CSN song from the4 same album and quite probably the last song Crosby wrote for some six years, as drug abuse befuddled and preoccupied his brain. Crosby’s sub-conscious knows something is wrong, ‘thinking in my sleep’ of a wonderful life full of ‘choice and chance’ but Crosby is too ill to hear, finding time stopping for him instead as he looks on enviously. A truly heartbreaking, beautiful song. The river seems dreamlike in the daytime, someone keeps thinking in my sleep
80) Paul Simon “Hearts and Bones” (Hearts and Bones, 1983)
In which Paul Simon bids goodbye to wife Carrie Fisher (yes, that’s right, Princess Leia!) on a wonderful stream-of-consciousness folk song full of understanding, apprehension, confusion and realisation. Paul’s always been one of the world’s best lyricists and this is one of his very finest sets of lyrics. The arc of a love affair
81) Dire Straits “Telegraph Road” (Love Over Gold, 1983)
I love Mark Knopfler’s short lived ‘social crusader’ period best and, with an epic running time of 14 minutes, this song offers him the most space to offload his thoughts on the downside of modern living. This is the story of a city that grows so fast and so hap-hazardly that everyone becomes trapped in it, envying the birds on the telegraph poles ‘who can always fly away from this rain and this cold’ and aren’t left paying ridiculous taxes for things they don’t need. Believe in me baby and I’ll take you away, from out of this darkness and into the day!
82) 10cc “24 Hours” (Windows In The Jungle, 1983)
In 1982 Eric Stewart had a serious car crash that nearly killed him and suddenly life didn’t seem so funny anymore. Desperate to get his thoughts about his sudden insight into the importance on life down on paper he came up with a suite of songs for the final 10cc album that are simply superb, highlighted by this opening song that almost shouts at its routine-loving narrator to escape his chains now before it’s too late. Letterbox noise snapping the day into life, newspaper boy cutting the mist like a knife, we’re beginning to rise, curtain up and drama begins, it’s the start of the race all of us wanting to win
83) The Kinks “Living On A Thin Line” (Word Of Mouth, 1985)
Some things never change is the message of this song, in which Dave Davies trumps anything his brother wrote for the Kinks that decade. A winning song of social outrage and disquiet, it’s plainly inspired by the damage Thatcher and her cronies were causing to Britain back then and has a sombre, haunting melody that sounds like a national anthem being slowly unwound and put back into it’s box. What am I, what are we, supposed to do?
84) Paul McCartney “Footprints” (Press To Play, 1986)
Writers don’t often write sequels, generally for good reason as most are horrid, but this second ‘Eleanor Rigby’ – co-written with 10cc’s Eric Stewart – is ever so nearly as good as the original. This time the widow is a man and he collects not rice from churches but uneaten breadcrumbs from his garden, haunted by the changes in his life he can’t adjust to (for which the snow is a perfect metaphor). Snow white blanket, covers the traces of tears she didn’t see, snow white blanket, covers the memories of all that used to be
85) Human League “The Stars Are Going Out” (Romantic?, 1989)
The Human League are rather badly served on this site – every time we try to review them something breaks down! Most of their best songs were all top 10 singles anyway, but their best album for me is definitely the overlooked ‘Romantic?’, which is darker and less poppy than its predecessors. This track is a good example, a scary paranoid depiction of a life falling apart. We used to be so tough, but just not tough enough, that’s all.
86) Paul Simon “The Rhythm Of The Saints” (1991)
‘To overcome an obstacle or an enemy, to dominate the impossible in your life, you’ve got to reach in the darkness’. So begins this delightful finale to one of Paul Simon’s most unfairly overlooked albums on which a bunch of Brazilian drummers and a poetic, fragmented, surreal lyric unite to make music that sounds quite unlike any other album in my collection (and it’s all so so so much better than ‘Graceland’!) The middle instrumental, when the singers drop out and the song pulses to the throb of dozens of drummers from around the world, really does sound like the discovery of the ‘lost chord’ of life.
87) Nils Lofgren “Sticks and Stones” (Silver Lining, 1991)
We haven’t covered this on the website yet – mainly because I don’t have this rare album on CD and it’s a pain to play cassettes these days – but I can’t wait till the day I do. The narrator has just had a row and asks his loved one that the next time she gets cross with him to have him beaten up by thugs rather than have to listen to what she really thinks of him. The painful finale, which ends in a howl of feedback and noise, is quite something. Sticks and stones can break my bones, but your words they break my heart.
88) Oasis “Slide Away” (Definitely Maybe, 1994)
Oasis’ debut became as successful as it did because it was so upbeat and so perfect for the times when a new generation really did feel they were ‘gonna live forever’ and become ‘rock and roll stars’. But at his best Noel Gallagher’s never been bettered as a songwriter dealing with the harder, nastier times and this one song where the narrator doesn’t get his own way is a masterpiece in howled anguish and emotion. For the only time to date Lima’s vocal is all over the place, cracking under the strain and emotion, but it’s one of his very best as he finds his dreams crashing all around him. The Oasis wall of noise has never sounded more claustrophobic. Don’t know, don’t care, all I know is you can take me there!
89) Oasis “Talk Tonite” (B-Side ‘Live Forever’ 1994)
Oasis have split or nearly split so many times down the years their final one in 2009 passed by almost un-noticed. Here’s a song about the first, a beautiful acoustic ballad on which only Noel appears, all about a conversation he had with a fan who persuaded him to patch up his differences with his brother because the work was more important than either of them. Most Oasis B-sides are something special, especially when Noel sings solo - this one is especially moving. I want to talk tonite, till the morning light, ‘cause you and me see how things are.
90) Belle and Sebastian “The State I Am In” (Tigermilk, 1995)
Stuart Murdoch writes songs like no other writer, his music closer to essays or short stories than what most pop writers come up with. This opening track on the opening Belle and Sebastian album seemed to come out of nowhere fully formed, as the narrator uses the song as a confessional, writing down his dreams, ideas, hopes and doubts into a guide-manual for others (in typical B+S style the narrator of the last track says it has been published and she has read it ‘but it didn’t seem to help at all!’) The sigh when the guitar accompaniment finally kicks in some 30 seconds into the song is tremendously effective and clever. A truly extraordinary and unique song. Gave myself to sin and I’m there and back again, oh yeah.
91) Belle and Sebastian “We Rule The School” (Tigermilk, 1995)
‘You know the world was made for men’ runs most of this song, as two misfits throw their lot in together and encourage each other to stay true to themselves and ignore their peer group. Murdoch’s tunes are nearly always superb and this is one of his best, tinged through with sadness and bleary-eyed nostalgia that only ends with a finale, superb cascade of that chorus ‘you know the world was made for men’, adding a final sad lonely tagline that says it all (‘and not us’). Do something pretty while you can, don’t fall asleep!
92) Neil Young “Dangerbird” (Live Version) (Year Of The Horse, 1997)
The studio version of ‘Dangerbird’ (from ‘Zuma’) is a great song anyway, a harrowing tale of betrayal, nervous breakdowns and hallucinations inspired by the end of Neil’s second marriage. However this live version turns up the emotional levels a hundredfold, every note sounding like it might be Neil’s last and Crazy Horse’s ragged counterpart harmonies sounding like the grim reaper. Neil’s outrageous guitar playing has never been more guttural or more closely wired into his heart. Where he used to be strong, now he thinks about you all day long, long ago, in the museum, with his friends.
93) Brian Wilson “Cry” (Imagination, 1998)
Brian Wilson’s inspiration may have gradually fizzled out from his productive 60s days, but on his day he can still write music more powerful and more unique than anyone else around. This song starts off as just another pop song about an emotional breakup, but suddenly whole choirs of Brians take over for an extended mesmerising vocal interpretation of hell, guilt and rage. The production on this quite simple song is superb too, with a full minute’s worth fade on percussion instruments rattling in turn. How could I have left you alone like that to cry? Leave her alone!!!
94) Buffalo Springfield “Four Days Gone” (Demo Version) (recorded 1968, unreleased until ‘Buffalo Springfield’ box set in 2001)
‘Could somebody shut the door to the studio please?’ slurs Stephen Stills before launching himself into the best version of one of his most forgotten songs. A Vietnam draft dodger, forced into hiding and relying on the kindness and secrecy of others, the heartbreak in this song is moving but kept under control as much as possible, with Stills’ simple piano accompaniment a blur after 36 hours’ straight work that day and night. From the Government madness I ran away
95) Belle and Sebastian “Family Tree” (Fold Your Hands, Child, You Walk Like A Peasant, 2001)
Sarah Martin is the dark horse of Belle and Sebastian, contributing only a handful of songs during the band’s career. I wish she’d write more because this tale of outsider solidarity – a character who dates back ‘to the Romans’ and probably further - is moving indeed, an ‘I’m Not Like Everybody Else’ for a modern world of people ‘like manikins, being stupid, being used and being thin’. The way they act I’d rather be fat than be confused
96) Art Garfunkel “The Kid” (Everything Waits To Be Noticed, 2003)
The most recent addition to this list, fittingly given the album title I never noticed for years how beautiful this song was. Art’s narrator starts as ‘the kid’ dreaming out of the world outside the classroom window, getting into trouble for not paying attention and ending up doing routine tasks in a circus he ran away to in an attempt to avoid exactly that. But, as Art sighs, ‘I could no more stop dreaming than I could make them all come true’.
97) Neil Young “Let’s Impeach The President” (Living With War, 2005)
With all the talk on our site about what a wicked, rotten, evil, despicable, bloodsucking, spineless, hopeless, pathetic leader David Cameron is I forget sometimes that until comparatively recently George Bush was pretty awful too and had a lot more power. The lies told over 9/11, the Iraq War and Afghanistan went on and on in one of the worst cases of media brainwashing on record. I waited in vain for years for a ‘new’ act to take up the reigns and carry on where CSNY left off when Nixon got thrown out of office. Sadly no one else stepped forward so Neil Young simply carried on, lampooning a president who gave conflicting responses to every statement he made, rigged election wins, went to war over faked documents he knew weren’t true and who killed innocent families for the sake of oil. How the hell was Clinton impeached for what was a private affair when Bush was left to roam free after committing so many heinous crimes? Surely an anti-coalition song can’t be far off (although another quick plug here for my good friend Martin Kitcher’s anti-ATOS song ‘Not Fit To Live’, which is superb). Let’s impeach the president for lying and misleading our country into war, abusing all the powers that we gave him, shipping all our money out the door
98) Dennis Wilson “Only With You” (Unreleased till 2006 and CD issue of ‘Pacific Ocean Blues’)
More Dennis Wilson heartbreak, but this time its a heart breaking from joy. Goodness knows how Dennis and cousin Mike Love stopped fighting long enough to write a song together but they did, the two toughest Beach Boys revealing their soft and gentle side when left alone to write. Carl Wilson re-recorded this song for ‘Holland’ and its perfectly respectable, but this first version with Dennis’ gruff vocal rings truest on what must be one of the loveliest melodies ever written. All I want to do is spend my life with you
99) Neil Young “A Man Needs A Maid” (Live At Massey Hall, recorded in 1972, released in 2007)
Possibly the most revealing autobiographical song from a songwriter who doesn’t often reveal much about himself, this is a dazed and confusion expression of love to someone the singer doesn’t even know yet (although he will, in fact, marry the actress he falls in love with onscreen). Much criticised by the women’s lib movement and misunderstood by many fans over the years, this song is actually more about the narrator’s faults and his fear of longterm commitment than any social comment. Gorgeous as the finished version is, this bare-bones piano version (played as a medley with the first verse of ‘Heart Of Gold’) is greater still without Harvest’s sappy orchestration and with extra verses cut from the record that make the song even more revealing and open. I fell in love with the actress, she was playing a part that I can understand, afraid, a man needs a maid
100) Beady Eye “Wigwam” (Different Gear, Still Speeding, 2010)
To modern times, now, and the Liam Gallagher half of Oasis who, in my eyes, started off with a bang with their debut album which beat the last couple of Oasis albums by a mile. Sadly it didn’t sell and most people seemed to go for his brother’s rather lesser effort. Listen out to this song though if you missed it the first time round: a weary, worried, despairing narrator can’t do anything right, even when he tries to concede in arguments he knows he should have won. And yet suddenly, through some psychedelic colour it all turns right as Liam nicks one of Paul McCartney’s best songs with the words ‘I’m coming up!’ and an extended Hey Jude-like finale that suddenly flowers into happiness and joy. Beady Eye are meant to have a second album out soon – if there’s any song half as good as this I can’t wait! I’m coming up! I’m coming u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-p!
101) Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds “Stop The Clocks” (Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, 2011)
By contrast, I thought most of this album was awful, but at least Noel had the sense to revive some of the best oasis outtakes rather than carry on pushing through his writer’s block. This song from 1999, with a minimal amount of overdubs, was always the jewel in the bootleggers’ Oasis crown, a haunting song about what might happen when we die. Will we know when it happens? And will death be silent or filled with music? Just in case its silent Noel tears into his greatest ever guitar solo, a howling, feedback laden shriek of despair, one last act of rebellion before silence overtakes him and us. A simply stupendous song. And when the night is over there’ll be no sound...
Looking at the list, then, a few things come to mind. There’s one heck of a gap between 1975 and 1980 – which, to be honest, really wasn’t that great a period for music – and I’m surprised that there are more songs here from the 1970s (40) than the 1960s (35). Ballads outscore rockers by about 2:1 approximately, while a very neat 51 out of these 101 tracks (so more or less half) come from the 101 album reviews we reviewed first on this site as our ‘core’ collection. At the time of writing there are still 18 of these songs that we haven’t got round to covering thus far on our reviews, but the rest you can read as part of the full album coverage below (or, if you happen to reading this in the far future, surely surrounded by hover-cars android doubles and 3D sculptures dedicated to the Spice Girls, they’re probably all been covered by now!)
So, what do you think? Appalled at only three Pink Floyd songs? Knocked out by the inclusion of your favourite Mark Knopfler?! Tickled by our 10cc’s?!? Drop us a line what you think using the comment box and – if you have the time and the same mad urge to discuss music that we have – why not drop us your own list (note: you don’t have to list 100 songs, although you can if, like us, you can’t make your lists any shorter!) Do join us next week for more news, views and music – unless we talk to you first in the comments section of course!
A NOW COMPLETE List Of Top Five/Top Ten/TOP TWENTY Entries 2008-2019
1) Chronic Fatigue songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/08/news-views-and-music-issue-1-top-five.html
2) Songs For The Face Of Bo http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-2-top-five.html
3) Credit Crunch Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-3-top-five.html
4) Songs For The Autumn http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-4-top-five.html
5) National Wombat Week http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-top-five-national.html
6) AAA Box Sets http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-6-top-five.html
7) Virus Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-7-top-five.html
8) Worst AAA-Related DVDs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issu-8-top-five.html
9) Self-Punctuating Superstar Classics http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-9-top-five.html
10) Ways To Know You Have Turned Into A Collector http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-9-top-five.html
11) Political Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/news-views-and-music-issue-11-top-five.html
12) Totally Bonkers Concept Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/news-views-and-music-top-five-totally.html
13) Celebrating 40 Years Of The Beatles' White Album http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/top-five-issue-13-40-years-of-beatles.html
14) Still Celebrating 40 Years Of The Beatles' White Album http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-14-top-five.html
15) AAA Existential Questions http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-15-top-five.html
16) Releases Of The Year 2008 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-16-top-five.html
17) Top AAA Xmas Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-17-top-five.html
18) Notable AAA Gigs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/news-views-and-music-issue-19-top-five.html
19) All things '20' related for our 20th issue http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/news-views-and-music-issue-20-aaa-songs.html
20) Romantic odes for Valentine's Day http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/news-views-and-music-issue-22-top-five.html
21) Hollies B sides http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-23-top-five.html
22) 'Other' BBC Session Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-24-top-five.html
23) Beach Boys Rarities Still Not Available On CD http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-25-top-five.html
24) Songs John, Paul and George wrote for Ringo's solo albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-26-top-five.html
25) 5 of the Best Rock 'n' Roll Tracks From The Pre-Beatles Era http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-27-top-five.html
26) AAA Autobiographies http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-28-top-five.html
27) Rolling Stones B-sides http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-29-top-five.html
28) Beatles B-Sides http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-30-top-five.html
29) The lllloooonnngggeesssttt AAA songs of all time http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-31-top-five.html
30) Kinks B-Sides http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-32-top-five.html
31) Abandoned CSNY projects 'wasted on the way' http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-33-top-five.html
32) Best AAA Rarities and Outtakes Sets http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/news-views-and-music-issue-34-top-five.html
33) News We've Missed While We've Been Away http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-35-top-five.html
34) Birthday Songs for our 1st Anniversary http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-37-top-five.html
35) Brightest Album Covers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-37-top-five.html
36) Biggest Recorded Arguments http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-38-top-five.html
37) Songs About Superheroes http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-39-top-five.html
38) AAA TV Networks That Should Exist http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-40-top-five.html
39) AAA Woodtsock Moments http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-41-top-five.html
40) Top Moments Of The Past Year As Voted For By Readers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-42-top-five.html
41) Music Segues http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/news-views-and-music-issue-43-top-five.html
42) AAA Foreign Language Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/news-views-and-music-issue-44-top-five.html
43) 'Other' Groups In Need Of Re-Mastering http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/news-views-and-music-issue-45-top-five.html
44) The Kinks Preservation Rock Opera - Was It Really About The Forthcoming UK General Election? http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-46-top-five.html
45) Mono and Stereo Mixes - Biggest Differences http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-47-top-five.html
46) Weirdest Things To Do When A Band Member Leaves http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/nerws-views-and-music-issue-48-top-five.html
47) Video Clips Exclusive To Youtube (#1) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-49-top-five.html
48) Top AAA Releases Of 2009 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/news-views-and-music-issue-50-top-five.html
49) Songs About Trains http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/news-views-and-music-issue-51-top-five.html
50) Songs about Winter http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/news-views-and-music-issue-52-top-five.html
51) Songs about astrology plus horoscopes for selected AAA members http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/news-views-and-music-issue-53-top-five.html
52) The Worst Five Groups Ever! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/news-views-and-music-issue-54-top-five.html
53) The Most Over-Rated AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/news-views-and-music-issue-56-top-five.html
54) Top AAA Rarities Exclusive To EPs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/news-views-and-music-issue-57-top-five.html
55) Random Recent Purchases (#1) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/news-views-and-music-issue-58-top-five.html
56) AAA Party Political Slogans http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-60-top-five.html
57) Songs To Celebrate 'Rock Sunday' http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-61-top-five_21.html
58) Strange But True (?) AAA Ghost Stories http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-61-top-five.html
59) AAA Artists In Song http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/news-views-and-music-issue-63-top-five.html
60) Songs About Dogs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/news-views-and-music-issue-65-top-five.html
61) Sunshiney Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-67-top-five.html
62) The AAA Staff Play Their Own Version Of Monoploy/Mornington Crescent! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-68-top-forty.html
63) What 'Other' British Invasion DVDs We'd Like To See http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-69-top-five.html
64) What We Want To Place In Our AAA Time Capsule http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-issue-70-top-five.html
65) AAA Conspiracy Theroies http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-issue-72-top-ten.html
66) Weirdest Things To Do Before - And After - Becoming A Star http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-top-ten-aaa-stars.html
67) Songs To Tweet To http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/news-views-and-music-issue-74-top-five.html
68) Greatest Ever AAA Solos http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/news-views-and-music-issue-75-top-ten.html
69) John Lennon Musical Tributes http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/news-views-and-music-issue-77-top-five.html
70) Songs For Halloween http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/news-views-and-music-issue-78-top-five.html
71) Earliest Examples Of Psychedelia http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-79-top-five.html
72) Purely Instrumental Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-81-top-five.html
73) AAA Utopias
74) AAA Imaginary Bands http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-82-top-five.html
75) Unexpected AAA Cover Versions http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-83-top-five.html
76) Top Releases of 2010 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-84-top-five.html
77) Songs About Snow http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-85-top-five.html
78) Predictions For 2011 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_01_02_archive.html
79) AAA Fugitives
80) AAA Home Towns http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/news-views-and-music-issue-88-home.html
81) The Biggest Non-Musical Influences On The 1960s http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/news-views-and-music-issue-89-top-five.html
82) AAA Groups Covering Other AAA Groups http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-90-top.html
83) Strange Censorship Decisions http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-91-top-ten.html
84) AAA Albums Still Unreleased on CD http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-92-top-five.html
85) Random Recent Purchases (#2) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/news-views-and-music-issue-93-top-ten.html
86) Top AAA Music Videos http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-94-top-ten.html
87) 30 Day Facebook Music Challenge http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-95-top.html
88) AAA Documentaries http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-top-five-aaa.html
89) Unfinished and 'Lost' AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-97-top-ten.html
90) Strangest AAA Album Covers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/newsa-views-and-music-issue-98-top-ten.html
91) AAA Performers Live From Mars (!) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-99-top-ten.html
92) Songs Including The Number '100' for our 100th Issue http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-100-top-five.html
93) Most Songs Recorded In A Single Day http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-101-top-five.html
94) Most Revealing AAA Interviews http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/news-views-and-music-issue-102-top-five.html
95) Top 10 Pre-Fame Recordings http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/news-views-and-music-issue-103-top-ten.html
96) The Shortest And Longest AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-104-top-ten.html
97) The AAA Allstars Ultimate Band Line-Up http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-105-top.html
98) Top Songs About Sports http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-106-top-ten.html
99) AAA Conversations With God http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-107-top-ten.html
100) AAA Managers: The Good, The Bad and the Financially Ugly http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-108-top-ten.html
101) Unexpected AAA Cameos http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-109-top-ten.html
102) AAA Words You can Type Into A Caluclator http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-110-top-five.html
103) AAA Court Cases http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-111-top-five.html
104) Postmodern Songs About Songwriting http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-112-top-five.html
105) Biggest Stylistic Leaps Between Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-113-top-ten.html
106) 20 Reasons Why Cameron Should Go! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-114-top.html
107) The AAA Pun-Filled Cookbook http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-115-top-five.html
108) Classic Debut Releases http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-116-top-five.html
109) Five Uses Of Bird Sound Effects http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-118-top-five.html
110) AAA Classic Youtube Clips Part #1 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-119-top.html
111) Part #2 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-120-top.html
112) Part #3 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-121-top.html
113) AAA Facts You Might Not Know http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-122-top-ten.html
114) The 20 Rarest AAA Records http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-123-top.html
115) AAA Instrumental Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_04_archive.html
116) Musical Tarot http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/news-views-and-music-issue-125-top-23-i.html
117) Christmas Carols http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_18_archive.html
118) Top AAA Releases Of 2011 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_25_archive.html
119) AAA Bands In The Beano/The Dandy http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/news-views-and-music-issue-128-top-five.html
120) Top 20 Guitarists #1 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/news-views-and-music-issue-129-top-ten.html
121) #2 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_15_archive.html
122) 'Shorty' Nomination Award Questionairre http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_22_archive.html
123) Top Best-Selling AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_29_archive.html
124) AAA Songs Featuring Bagpipes
125) A (Hopefully) Complete List Of AAA Musicians On Twitter http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_02_19_archive.html
126) Beatles Albums That Might Have Been 1970-74 and 1980 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_02_26_archive.html
127) DVD/Computer Games We've Just Invented http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_11_archive.html
128) The AAA Albums With The Most Weeks At #1 in the UK http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_18_archive.html
129) The AAA Singles With The Most Weeks At #1 in the UK http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_25_archive.html
130) Lyric Competition (Questions) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_15_archive.html
131) Top Crooning Classics http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_22_archive.html
132) Funeral Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/news-views-and-music-issue-142-top-five.html
133) AAA Songs For When Your Phone Is On Hold http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-143-top-five.html
134) Random Recent Purchases (#3) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-144-top-five.html
135) Lyric Competition (Answers) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-146-top.html http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-145-top-five.html
136) Bee Gees Songs/AAA Goes Disco! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-issue-147-top-five.html
137) The Best AAA Sleevenotes (And Worst) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-issue-148-top-ten.html
138) A Short Precise Of The Years 1962-70 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-149-top-eight.html
139) More Wacky AAA-Related Films And Their Soundtracks http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/top-five-for-news-views-and-music-150.html
140) AAA Appearances On Desert Island Discs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/top-eight-aaa-desert-island-discs.html
141) Songs Exclusive To Live Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/news-views-and-music-issue-153-top-10.html
142) More AAA Songs About Armageddon http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/aaa-armageddon-songsalbums-top-5-for.html
2) Songs For The Face Of Bo http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-2-top-five.html
3) Credit Crunch Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-3-top-five.html
4) Songs For The Autumn http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-4-top-five.html
5) National Wombat Week http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-top-five-national.html
6) AAA Box Sets http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-6-top-five.html
7) Virus Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-7-top-five.html
8) Worst AAA-Related DVDs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issu-8-top-five.html
9) Self-Punctuating Superstar Classics http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-9-top-five.html
10) Ways To Know You Have Turned Into A Collector http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-9-top-five.html
11) Political Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/news-views-and-music-issue-11-top-five.html
12) Totally Bonkers Concept Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/news-views-and-music-top-five-totally.html
13) Celebrating 40 Years Of The Beatles' White Album http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/top-five-issue-13-40-years-of-beatles.html
14) Still Celebrating 40 Years Of The Beatles' White Album http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-14-top-five.html
15) AAA Existential Questions http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-15-top-five.html
16) Releases Of The Year 2008 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-16-top-five.html
17) Top AAA Xmas Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-17-top-five.html
18) Notable AAA Gigs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/news-views-and-music-issue-19-top-five.html
19) All things '20' related for our 20th issue http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/news-views-and-music-issue-20-aaa-songs.html
20) Romantic odes for Valentine's Day http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/news-views-and-music-issue-22-top-five.html
21) Hollies B sides http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-23-top-five.html
22) 'Other' BBC Session Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-24-top-five.html
23) Beach Boys Rarities Still Not Available On CD http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-25-top-five.html
24) Songs John, Paul and George wrote for Ringo's solo albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-26-top-five.html
25) 5 of the Best Rock 'n' Roll Tracks From The Pre-Beatles Era http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-27-top-five.html
26) AAA Autobiographies http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-28-top-five.html
27) Rolling Stones B-sides http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-29-top-five.html
28) Beatles B-Sides http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-30-top-five.html
29) The lllloooonnngggeesssttt AAA songs of all time http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-31-top-five.html
30) Kinks B-Sides http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-32-top-five.html
31) Abandoned CSNY projects 'wasted on the way' http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-33-top-five.html
32) Best AAA Rarities and Outtakes Sets http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/news-views-and-music-issue-34-top-five.html
33) News We've Missed While We've Been Away http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-35-top-five.html
34) Birthday Songs for our 1st Anniversary http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-37-top-five.html
35) Brightest Album Covers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-37-top-five.html
36) Biggest Recorded Arguments http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-38-top-five.html
37) Songs About Superheroes http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-39-top-five.html
38) AAA TV Networks That Should Exist http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-40-top-five.html
39) AAA Woodtsock Moments http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-41-top-five.html
40) Top Moments Of The Past Year As Voted For By Readers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-42-top-five.html
41) Music Segues http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/news-views-and-music-issue-43-top-five.html
42) AAA Foreign Language Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/news-views-and-music-issue-44-top-five.html
43) 'Other' Groups In Need Of Re-Mastering http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/news-views-and-music-issue-45-top-five.html
44) The Kinks Preservation Rock Opera - Was It Really About The Forthcoming UK General Election? http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-46-top-five.html
45) Mono and Stereo Mixes - Biggest Differences http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-47-top-five.html
46) Weirdest Things To Do When A Band Member Leaves http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/nerws-views-and-music-issue-48-top-five.html
47) Video Clips Exclusive To Youtube (#1) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-49-top-five.html
48) Top AAA Releases Of 2009 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/news-views-and-music-issue-50-top-five.html
49) Songs About Trains http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/news-views-and-music-issue-51-top-five.html
50) Songs about Winter http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/news-views-and-music-issue-52-top-five.html
51) Songs about astrology plus horoscopes for selected AAA members http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/news-views-and-music-issue-53-top-five.html
52) The Worst Five Groups Ever! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/news-views-and-music-issue-54-top-five.html
53) The Most Over-Rated AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/news-views-and-music-issue-56-top-five.html
54) Top AAA Rarities Exclusive To EPs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/news-views-and-music-issue-57-top-five.html
55) Random Recent Purchases (#1) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/news-views-and-music-issue-58-top-five.html
56) AAA Party Political Slogans http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-60-top-five.html
57) Songs To Celebrate 'Rock Sunday' http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-61-top-five_21.html
58) Strange But True (?) AAA Ghost Stories http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-61-top-five.html
59) AAA Artists In Song http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/news-views-and-music-issue-63-top-five.html
60) Songs About Dogs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/news-views-and-music-issue-65-top-five.html
61) Sunshiney Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-67-top-five.html
62) The AAA Staff Play Their Own Version Of Monoploy/Mornington Crescent! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-68-top-forty.html
63) What 'Other' British Invasion DVDs We'd Like To See http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-69-top-five.html
64) What We Want To Place In Our AAA Time Capsule http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-issue-70-top-five.html
65) AAA Conspiracy Theroies http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-issue-72-top-ten.html
66) Weirdest Things To Do Before - And After - Becoming A Star http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-top-ten-aaa-stars.html
67) Songs To Tweet To http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/news-views-and-music-issue-74-top-five.html
68) Greatest Ever AAA Solos http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/news-views-and-music-issue-75-top-ten.html
69) John Lennon Musical Tributes http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/news-views-and-music-issue-77-top-five.html
70) Songs For Halloween http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/news-views-and-music-issue-78-top-five.html
71) Earliest Examples Of Psychedelia http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-79-top-five.html
72) Purely Instrumental Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-81-top-five.html
73) AAA Utopias
74) AAA Imaginary Bands http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-82-top-five.html
75) Unexpected AAA Cover Versions http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-83-top-five.html
76) Top Releases of 2010 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-84-top-five.html
77) Songs About Snow http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-85-top-five.html
78) Predictions For 2011 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_01_02_archive.html
79) AAA Fugitives
80) AAA Home Towns http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/news-views-and-music-issue-88-home.html
81) The Biggest Non-Musical Influences On The 1960s http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/news-views-and-music-issue-89-top-five.html
82) AAA Groups Covering Other AAA Groups http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-90-top.html
83) Strange Censorship Decisions http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-91-top-ten.html
84) AAA Albums Still Unreleased on CD http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-92-top-five.html
85) Random Recent Purchases (#2) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/news-views-and-music-issue-93-top-ten.html
86) Top AAA Music Videos http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-94-top-ten.html
87) 30 Day Facebook Music Challenge http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-95-top.html
88) AAA Documentaries http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-top-five-aaa.html
89) Unfinished and 'Lost' AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-97-top-ten.html
90) Strangest AAA Album Covers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/newsa-views-and-music-issue-98-top-ten.html
91) AAA Performers Live From Mars (!) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-99-top-ten.html
92) Songs Including The Number '100' for our 100th Issue http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-100-top-five.html
93) Most Songs Recorded In A Single Day http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-101-top-five.html
94) Most Revealing AAA Interviews http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/news-views-and-music-issue-102-top-five.html
95) Top 10 Pre-Fame Recordings http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/news-views-and-music-issue-103-top-ten.html
96) The Shortest And Longest AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-104-top-ten.html
97) The AAA Allstars Ultimate Band Line-Up http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-105-top.html
98) Top Songs About Sports http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-106-top-ten.html
99) AAA Conversations With God http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-107-top-ten.html
100) AAA Managers: The Good, The Bad and the Financially Ugly http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-108-top-ten.html
101) Unexpected AAA Cameos http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-109-top-ten.html
102) AAA Words You can Type Into A Caluclator http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-110-top-five.html
103) AAA Court Cases http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-111-top-five.html
104) Postmodern Songs About Songwriting http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-112-top-five.html
105) Biggest Stylistic Leaps Between Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-113-top-ten.html
106) 20 Reasons Why Cameron Should Go! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-114-top.html
107) The AAA Pun-Filled Cookbook http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-115-top-five.html
108) Classic Debut Releases http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-116-top-five.html
109) Five Uses Of Bird Sound Effects http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-118-top-five.html
110) AAA Classic Youtube Clips Part #1 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-119-top.html
111) Part #2 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-120-top.html
112) Part #3 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-121-top.html
113) AAA Facts You Might Not Know http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-122-top-ten.html
114) The 20 Rarest AAA Records http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-123-top.html
115) AAA Instrumental Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_04_archive.html
116) Musical Tarot http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/news-views-and-music-issue-125-top-23-i.html
117) Christmas Carols http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_18_archive.html
118) Top AAA Releases Of 2011 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_25_archive.html
119) AAA Bands In The Beano/The Dandy http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/news-views-and-music-issue-128-top-five.html
120) Top 20 Guitarists #1 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/news-views-and-music-issue-129-top-ten.html
121) #2 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_15_archive.html
122) 'Shorty' Nomination Award Questionairre http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_22_archive.html
123) Top Best-Selling AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_29_archive.html
124) AAA Songs Featuring Bagpipes
125) A (Hopefully) Complete List Of AAA Musicians On Twitter http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_02_19_archive.html
126) Beatles Albums That Might Have Been 1970-74 and 1980 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_02_26_archive.html
127) DVD/Computer Games We've Just Invented http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_11_archive.html
128) The AAA Albums With The Most Weeks At #1 in the UK http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_18_archive.html
129) The AAA Singles With The Most Weeks At #1 in the UK http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_25_archive.html
130) Lyric Competition (Questions) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_15_archive.html
131) Top Crooning Classics http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_22_archive.html
132) Funeral Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/news-views-and-music-issue-142-top-five.html
133) AAA Songs For When Your Phone Is On Hold http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-143-top-five.html
134) Random Recent Purchases (#3) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-144-top-five.html
135) Lyric Competition (Answers) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-146-top.html http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-145-top-five.html
136) Bee Gees Songs/AAA Goes Disco! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-issue-147-top-five.html
137) The Best AAA Sleevenotes (And Worst) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-issue-148-top-ten.html
138) A Short Precise Of The Years 1962-70 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-149-top-eight.html
139) More Wacky AAA-Related Films And Their Soundtracks http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/top-five-for-news-views-and-music-150.html
140) AAA Appearances On Desert Island Discs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/top-eight-aaa-desert-island-discs.html
141) Songs Exclusive To Live Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/news-views-and-music-issue-153-top-10.html
142) More AAA Songs About Armageddon http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/aaa-armageddon-songsalbums-top-5-for.html
What difference does a name make? Arguably not much if you’re already a collector of a certain group, for whom the names on the album sleeves just...
This week’s top ten honours the humble motor car. The death trap on wheels, the metaphor for freedom, the put-down of capitalism, a source of...
This week we’re going to have a look at the 10 AAA singles that spent the most weeks at number on the American chart ‘Billboard’ – and it makes for...
Following on from last issue’s study of the American Billboard charts, here’s a look at which AAA albums spent the most weeks on the chart. The...
There are many dying arts in our modern world: incorruptible politicians, faith that things are going to get better and the ability to make decent...
This week we’ve decided to dedicate our top ten to those unsung heroes of music, the session musicians, whose playing often brings AAA artists (and...
Naturally we hold our AAA bands in high esteem in these articles: after all, without their good taste, intelligence and humanity we’d have nothing to...
What do you do when you’ve left a multi-million selling band and yet you still feel the pull of the road and the tours and the playing to audiences...
‘The ATOS Song’ (You’re Not Fit To Live)’ (Mini-Review) Dear readers, we don’t often feature reviews of singles over albums or musicians who aren’t...
In honour of this week’s review of an album released to cash in on a movie soundtrack (only one of these songs actually appears in ‘Easy Rider’...and...
Hic! Everyone raise a glass to the rock stars of the past and to this week’s feature...songs about alcolholic beverages! Yes that’s right, everything...
154) The human singing voice carries with it a vast array of emotions, thoughts that cannot be expressed in any other way except opening the lungs and...
Everyone has a spiritual home, even if they don’t actually live there. Mine is in a windy, rainy city where the weather is always awful but the...
Having a family does funny things to some musicians, as we’ve already seen in this week’s review (surely the only AAA album actually written around...
Some artists just have no idea what their best work really is. One thing that amazes me as a collector is how consistently excellent many of the...
159) A (Not That) Short Guide To The 15 Best Non-AAA Bands http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/a-not-that-short-guide-to-15-of-best.html%20%0d160
160) The Greatest AAA Drum Solos (Or Near Solos!) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-greatest-aaa-drum-solos-or-near.html%20%0d161
161) AAA Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame Acceptance Speeches http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/aaa-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame.html%20%0d162
162) AAA Re-Recordings Of Past Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/aaa-re-recordings-of-past-songs-news.html%20%0d163
163) A Coalition Christmas (A Fairy Tale) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/a-coalition-christmas-news-views-and.html%20%0d164
164) AAA Songs About Islands http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/aaa-songs-about-islands-news-views-and.html%20%0d165
165) The AAA Review Of The Year 2012 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2012-news-views.html
166) The Best AAA Concerts I Attended http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-best-aaa-concerts-i-attended-news.html
167) Tributes To The 10 AAA Stars Who Died The Youngest http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/tributes-to-10-aaa-stars-who-died.html
168) The First 10 AAA Songs Listed Alphabetically http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-first-10-aaa-songs-if-listed.html
169) The Last 10 AAA Songs Listed Alphabetically http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-last-10-aaa-songs-listed.html%20%0d170
170) Tributes To The 10 AAA Stars Who Died The Youngest http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-10-youngest-aaa-stars-at-time-of.html%20%0d171
171) The 10 Best Songs From The Psychedelia Box-Sets ‘Nuggets’ and ‘Nuggets Two’ http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-best-of-two-nuggets-psychedelia.html%20%0d172
172) The 20 Most Common Girl’s Names In AAA Song Titles (With Definitions) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/girls-names-in-aaa-song-titles-from.html
17 3) NME/Melody Maker Questionairres Filled Out By AAA Bands http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/nmemelody-maker-questionairres-filled.html
174) Top Ten AAA Bootlegs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/top-10-aaa-bootlegs-news-views-and.html
175) Days Of The Week AAA Style http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/days-of-week-aaa-style-news-views-and.html
176) AAA Musicals http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/aaa-musicals-news-views-and-music-issue.html
177) Interesting AAA Line-Ups That Were Or Nearly Were http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/ten-interesting-aaa-line-ups-that-were.html
178) The 101 Greatest AAA Songs Of All Time (Maybe?!) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-greatest-101-aaa-songs-well-ish-see.html
179) Mrs Thatcher Meets The Devil http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/mrs-thatcher-meets-devil-plus-intro-for.html
180) First Recordings By Future AAA Stars http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/first-
181) The Ten Oldest AAA Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-ten-oldest-aaa-songs-news-views-and.html
182) AAA Artists (Books Of Paintings) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/aaa-artists-books-of-paintings-news.html
183) AAA Appearances on TV Show 'Colour Me Pop' http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/aaa-appearances-on-colour-me-pop-tv.html
184) AAA Years In Song http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/aaa-years-in-song-news-views-and-music.html
185) A Tribute To Storm Thorgerson Via The Five AAA Bands He Worked With http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/a-tribute-to-hipgnosis-via-five-aaa.html
186) Five Top AAA Apps http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/top-five-aaa-apps-news-views-and-music.html
187) The Ultimate Grateful Dead Concert Setlist http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/the-ultimate-grateful-dead-concert-top.html
188) Surprise! Celebrating 300 Album Reviews With The Biggest 'Surprises' Of The Past Five Years Of Alan's Album Archives! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/celebrating-300-album-reviews-10.html
189) Top Ten Dave Davies Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/top-ten-dave-davies-songs-news-views.html
190) Comparatively Obscure First Compositions By AAA Stars http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/comparatively-obscure-debut.html
191) Famous AAA Fathers: http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/famous-aaa-fathers-news-views-and-music.html
192) The Best Five AAA Re-Issue CD Series http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/the-best-five-aaa-re-issues-series-news.html
193) Evolution Of A Band: Comparing First Lyric With Last Lyric: http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/evolution-of-band-comparing-1st-lyric.html
194) Ten Of The Best AAA Riffs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/ten-of-best-aaa-riffs-news-views-and.html
195) Twenty AAA Milestone Moments Part One 1956-66 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/twenty-aaa-milestone-events-part-one.html
196) Twenty AAA Milestone Moments Part Two 1967-80 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/twenty-aaa-milestone-events-part-two.html
197) Eleven Random Recent Purchases http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/eleven-random-recent-purchases.html
198) Five AAA Outcasts Who Know More Than They Let Onhttp://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/five-aaa-outcast-characters-who-know.html
199) That's Why They Call It The (Top Ten) Blues! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/thats-why-they-call-it-bluesaaa-top-ten.html
200) The Monkees In Relation To Postmodernism (University Dissertation) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/university-dissertation-monkees-in.html
201) The Music Never Stopped: AAA Youtube Video #5 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/the-music-never-stopped-alans-album.html
202) Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain': Was It About One Of The AAA Crew? http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/carly-simons-youre-so-vain-was-it-about.html
203) Ten AAA Stars In Further Education http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/aaa-stars-in-further-education-top-five.html
204) AAA Dramas and Plays http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/aaa-dramas-and-plays-news-views-and.html
205) Abandoned AAA Album Covers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/abandoned-aaa-album-covers-top-ten-news.html
206) Chinese Horoscopes AAA Style http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/chinese-horoscopes-aaa-style-top-twelve.html
207) Top Ten Songs The Beatles 'Gave Away' http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/top-ten-songs-beatles-gave-away-news.html
208) AAA Song Titles That Are The Same As Other AAA Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/aaa-songs-with-same-titles-as-other-aaa.html
209) Updates to Our 'Special Editions' #1 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/updates-to-our-special-editions-on.html
210) Most Parodied AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-most-parodied-aaa-album-covers-news.html
211) Longest Average AAA Songs Per Album http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-longest-average-aaa-songs-per-album.html
212) Shortest Average AAA Songs Per Album http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-shortest-average-aaa-songs-per.html
213) An AAA Guide To The Twenty Best Dr Who Stories http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-20-best-doctor-who-stories-aaa.html
214) AAA Songs and Albums Based On Books http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/aaa-songsalbums-based-on-books-and.html
215) Top Ten AAA Concert Quotes http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/top-aaa-quotes-from-concerts-top.html
216) Top Ten Surrealist AAA Lyrics http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/top-ten-sureallist-aaa-song-lyrics-news.html
217) AAA 'Christmas Presents' we'd most like to have next year http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/aaa-christmas-presents-wed-most-like-to.html
218) Review Of The Year 2013 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/review-of-year-2013-news-views-and.html
219) Nominate This Site For A Shorty Award 2014 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/nominate-this-site-for-shorty-award-2014.html
220) A Tribute To Phil Everly http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/a-tribute-to-phil-everly-everly.html
221) Dr Who and the AAA (Five Musical Links) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/dr-who-and-five-musical-links-to-alans.html
222) Five Random Recent Purchases http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/five-random-recent-purchases-news-views.html
223) AAA Grammy Nominees http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/02/aaa-grammy-nominees-top-twelve-news.html
224) Ten AAA songs that are better heard unedited and in full http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/02/ten-aaa-songs-that-are-better-unedited.html
225) The shortest gaps between AAA albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-shortest-gaps-between-aaa-albums.html
226) The longest gaps between AAA albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-longest-gaps-between-aaa-albums.html
227) Top ten AAA drummers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/03/top-ten-aaa-drummers-news-views-and.html
228) Top Ten AAA Singles (In Terms of 'A' and 'B' Sides) http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/top-ten-aaa-singles-and-b-sides-news.html
229) The Stories Behind Six AAA Logos http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-stories-behind-six-aaa-logos.html
230) AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!! The Best Ten AAA Screams http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-best-aaa-screams-top-ten-news-views.html
231) An AAA Pack Of Horses http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/aaa-songs-about-horses-top-ten-news.html
232) AAA Granamas - Sorry, Anagrams! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/aaa-anagrams-news-views-and-music-issue.html
233) AAA Surnames and Their Meanings http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/aaa-surnames-and-their-meanings-news.html
234) 20 Erroneous AAA Album Titles http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/twenty-erroneous-aaa-album-titles-news.html
235) The Best AAA Orchestral Arrangements http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/fifteen-great-aaa-string-parts-news.html
236) Top 30 Hilariously Misheard Album Titles/Lyrics http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/top-thirty-hilariously-misheard-aaa.html
237) Ten controversial AAA sackings - and whether they were right http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/ten-controversial-aaa-sackings-news.html
238) A Critique On Critiquing - In Response To Brian Wilson http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-critique-on-critiquing-in-response-to.html
239) The Ten MusicianS Who've Played On The Most AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/the-ten-musicians-whove-played-on-most.html
240) Thoughts on #CameronMustGo http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/thoughts-on-cameronmustgo.html
241) Random Recent Purchases (Kinks/Grateful Dead/Nils Lofgren/Rolling Stones/Hollies) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/six-random-recent-purchases-kinksg.html
242) AAA Christmas Number Ones http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/aaa-christmas-number-ones.html
243) AAA Review Of The Year 2014 (Top Releases/Re-issues/Documentaries/DVDs/Books/Songs/ Articles plus worst releases of the year) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/aaa-review-of-year-2014.html
244) Me/CFS Awareness Week 2015 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/mecfs-awareness-week-at-alans-album.html
245) Why The Tory 2015 Victory Seems A Little...Suspicious http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/why-tory-victory-seems-deeply.html
246) A Plea For Peace and Tolerance After The Attacks on Paris - and Syria http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/a-plea-for-peace-and-toleration.html
247) AAA Review Of The Year 2015 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2015.html
248) The Fifty Most Read AAA Articles (as of December 31st 2015) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/the-fifty-most-read-aaa-posts-2008-2015.html
249) The Revised AAA Crossword! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2016_07_10_archive.html
250) AAA Review Of The Year 2016 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2016.html
251) Half-A-Dozen Berries Plus One (An AAA Tribute To Chuck Berry) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/an-aaa-covers-tribute-to-chuck-berry.html
252) Guest Post: ‘The Skids – Joy’ (1981) by Kenny Brown https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/guest-post-skids-joy-1981.html
253) AAA Review Of The Year 2017 https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2017.html
254) Guest Post: ‘Supertramp – Some Things Never Change’ by Kenny Brown https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2018/06/guest-review-supertramp-some-things.html
255) AAA Review Of The Year 2018 https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2018.html
256) AAA Review Of The Year 2019 plus Review Of The Decade 2010-2019 https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-alans-album-archives-review-of-year.html
257) Tiermaker https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2019/06/alans-album-archives-on-tiermaker.html
258) #Coronastock https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2020/04/coronastock.html
259) #Coronadocstock https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2020/05/coronadocstock.html
