Favorite Songs

[Athenayama 1,081]

15 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

And while we're at simple and beautiful, this one keeps on growing on me each and every time.

 

Good one! And nice lyrics too. No wonder it grows on you.

[Yamanashi 3,904]

On 08/02/2021 at 23:46, Akinomaki said:

I made a list of my Japanese favorites - first the ones up to 1980 (without what's already posted here)

赤い鳥　Akai Tori (The Red Birds) - Takeda no Komoriuta (Takeda Lullaby) 竹田の子守唄
ちあきなおみ Naomi Chiaki - Kassai 喝采
ゴダイゴ Godaigo (GODIEGO) - Gandhara ガンダーラ
Judy Ongg - Miserarete 魅せられて
海援隊　Kaientai - Okuru Kotoba 贈る言葉
北島三郎 Saburo Kitajima - Yosaku 与作
太田裕美　Hiromi Ota - Momen no Hankerchief 木綿のハンカチーフ
チューリップ Tulip - Kokoro no Tabi 心の旅
和田アキ子 Akiko Wada - Ano Kane wo Narasu no ha Anata あの鐘を鳴らすのはあなた (spot Wajima & others in the 1st second)
山口百恵 Momoe Yamaguchi - Ii Hi Tabidachi いい日旅だち
由紀さおり Saori Yuki - Yoake no Scat 夜明けのスキャット

A belated note on this list, which I've been going through.  The video for Takeda no Komoriuta showed scenes from "Grave of the Fireflies", but I see that it's about a young buraku girl.  A haunting song.

Some of the links are gone, but I've seen the Judy Ongg video (an interesting "international" singing style!) and Hiromi Ota (very beautiful and lively voice, more pop style rather than Enka?)

 

[Athenayama 1,081]

Not for all ears. A piece from the jazz fusion era in the 70's with Jean Luc Ponty playing the (electric) violin we don't hear much. Even if only one listener who didn't know about him liked it, I'd be a happy man.
 

 

 

Edited July 25, 2022 by Athenayama

[Yamanashi 3,904]

5 hours ago, Athenayama said:

Even if only one listener who didn't know about him liked it, I'd be a happy man.

Well, here's one listener, although I knew about him.  This brings me back to the Jazz Fusion era (Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, etc.)

[Jakusotsu 6,052]

Sorry to disappoint you, but if I want something like Zappa, I perefer the original.

[Athenayama 1,081]

Something like that maybe?

 

[Jakusotsu 6,052]

Excellent!

[sumojoann 1,268]

I tend to like "Epic" music.  Here's one of my favorites -- "Protectors of the Earth" by Two Steps From Hell. 

 

[Jakusotsu 6,052]

I guess something like this was in your head everytime Hakuho entered the ring.

[sumojoann 1,268]

15 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

I guess something like this was in your head everytime Hakuho entered the ring.

Haha!  As a matter of fact, I first heard that song on an Asashoryu video on Youtube!  I loved the music -- so heroic.  On another video featuring Asashoryu, the same uploader used "Ashes to Ashes" by Groove Addicts.  I liked that one, also.  Then I heard "Serenata Immortale" by Immediate Music (NOT on a sumo video!) and really got sucked into "Epic" music.  Here is "Serenata Immortale". 

 

[sumojoann 1,268]

Just one more -- another favorite.  This was the other one that was used on an Asashoryu video.  (Those 2 videos have been taken down but have been replaced by 2 other videos, both of which use "Ashes to Ashes").

 

Edited July 26, 2022 by sumojoann

[Yamanashi 3,904]

I have found myself more and more realizing that there is no longer any distinction between the song title and the band title.  I would think nothing of hearing a song titled "Two Steps from Hell" by Protectors of the Earth, or "Groove Addicts" by Ashes to Ashes.  Or even "Sixpence None the Richer" by Breathe Your Name.

[sumojoann 1,268]

2 minutes ago, Yamanashi said:

I have found myself more and more realizing that there is no longer any distinction between the song title and the band title.  I would think nothing of hearing a song titled "Two Steps from Hell" by Protectors of the Earth, or "Groove Addicts" by Ashes to Ashes.  Or even "Sixpence None the Richer" by Breathe Your Name.

So true!  That's why I made a point of putting quotation marks around the song name to distinguish it from the band name.  Sometimes the only way to tell is to check to see if Protectors of the Earth has put out any more songs!

[sumojoann 1,268]

Immediate Music (also known as "Immediate"), composers of "Serenata Immortale" (see above), is basically a music factory based out of Santa Monica, CA, that specializes in composing music for movie trailers.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immediate_Music

[Athenayama 1,081]

Before we enter the maelstrom of next basho...

 

[Bugman 384]

I heard this on Scala radio just now :)

Edited August 23, 2022 by Bugman

[Athenayama 1,081]

@Bugman Nice one and perfectly relaxing. For special moments. 

[Randomitsuki 2,843]

I am very close to finishing a huge personal project that fits this thread quite well: I am tuning into each and every song that has ever been listed in the US Billboard 100 or in the UK Top 100 charts (about 50,000 songs). Though I think that the charts represent the most boring part of popular music, my approach at least gave me a clear structure of what to listen to (and in what order). Those who know me will not be surprised that the whole project (running for 15 months now and being finished in a few days) was accompanied by the creation of countless silly statistics: my favorite three songs for each month (since November 1952), my favorite five songs for each year, my 10 favorite songs of each decade, a points system for artists and genres and whatnot...

Of course, to many of the musical connoisseurs in this thread, my chart selections might be boorish and boring, but I decided to share my Top 10 for each decade anyway  

I'll start with the 1950s (YT links attached)

1. The Flamingos: I Only Have Eyes for You

2. Santo & Johnny: Sleep Walk

3. Peggy Lee: Fever

4. Bill Doggett: Hold It

5. Peggy Lee: Sweetheart

6. Ray Anthony and His Orchestra: Peter Gunn

7. Andre Previn and David Rose: Like Young

8. Tony Bennett: Close Your Eyes

9. Kay Starr: Comes-A-Long A-Love

10. Julie London: Cry Me A River

 

[Randomitsuki 2,843]

My favorite chart songs of the 1960s:

1. The Left Banke: Pretty Ballerina (certainly a contentious choice, but this song sounds to me like it came 50 years too early)

2. Etta James: At Last

3. The Beatles: Eleanor Rigby

4. The Turtles: Lady-O

5. The Beach Boys: God Only Knows

6. Aretha Franklin: Respect

7. The Beatles: Yesterday

8. Marvin Gaye: I Heard It Through the Grapevine

9. Louis Armstrong: What A Wonderful World

10. Joe Cocker: With A Little Help From My Friends

 

My favorite chart songs of the 1970s:

1. Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody

2. Bill Withers: Ain't No Sunshine

3. 10cc: I'm Not in Love (sure, it's pure kitsch, but I was flabbergasted upon reading that the song is not from the 1980s and doesn't use synthesizers)

4. Earth, Wind and Fire: Can't Hide Love

5. Colin Blunstone: Say You Don't Mind

6. Steve Miller Band: The Joker

7. The Doors: Riders On the Storm

8. King Floyd: Baby Let Me Kiss You

9. George Benson: On Broadway

10. Kate Bush: Wow

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by Randomitsuki

[Randomitsuki 2,843]

My favorite chart songs of the 1980s:

1. Talk Talk: Life's What You Make It

2. David Sylvian: Let the Happiness In

3. David Bowie and Pat Metheny Group: This Is Not America

4. Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

5. The Cure: Lullaby

6. The Art of Noise: Moments In Love

7. Genesis: Mama

8. Tears For Fears: Shout

9. Prince: Sign O' the Times

10. Rod Stewart: In My Life (I dislike Rod Stewart with a vengeance; but this Beatles cover swept me off my feet)

 

My favorite songs of the 1990s:

1. Rage Against the Machine: Killing in the Name

2. Lenny Kravitz: Let Love Rule

3. The Verve: Bitter Sweet Symphony

4. Gravediggaz: Six Feet Deep

5. Red Hot Chili Peppers: Give It Away

6. Massive Attack: Angel

7. Björk: Army of Me

8. House of Pain: Jump Around

9. Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit

10. Portishead: Glory Box

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by Randomitsuki

[Randomitsuki 2,843]

My favorite chart songs of the 2000s:

1. Martin Grech: Open Heart Zoo

2. Nick Drake: River Man (it caught me by surprise that this song was actually from 1969; but it wasn't in the charts back then)

3. Radiohead: Pyramid Song

4. Muse: Feeling Good

5. Alicia Keys: Fallin'

6. Goldfrapp: Human

7. Missy Elliott: Get Ur Freak On

8. The Herbaliser Feat. Seaming To: Something Wicked

9. Led Zeppelin: Stairway to Heaven (weirdly enough, this classic wasn't in the US or UK charts until 2007!)

10. Simian: La Breeze

 

My favorite chart songs of the 2010s:

1. James Blake: Retrograde

2. Radiohead: Burn the Witch

3. Billie Eilish: bury a friend

4. Pharrell Williams: Happy

5. Laura Mvula: Green Garden

6. The 1975: People

7. Rox: My Baby Left Me

8. Jessie Ware: Midnight

9. The Weeknd: Earned It

10. Kendrick Lamar Feat. Bilal, Anna Wise, and Snoop Dogg: Institutionalized

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by Randomitsuki

[sumojoann 1,268]

Your project is absolutely amazing!!  I am 73 years old so of course the songs from the 50s and 60s affected me deeply at the time, and still do.  Thank you so much.  I loved many of your other choices, too.

[Yamanashi 3,904]

@Randomitsuki:

Well, I'm not in my 70's (yet) but I like songs from the 30's and 40's too [how do I do it? Just damn hard work].

Any list will have surprises, but I noticed in several cases you chose a lesser-known song by an artist rather than their best-known song (e.g. Left Banke, Tears for Fears,  Earth Wind and Fire, a Colin Blunstone song vs a Zombies song).  That tells me a) you have a clear individual taste in music; b) you really did shovel through all those songs!

I'm familiar with ~80% of these, so there's work to be done.  Thanks for posting this, and my awe is practically unmeasurable.

[Yarimotsu 594]

@Randomitsuki I thought about doing something like this myself - perhaps your posts will be the inspiration for me to start. Where did you get the comprehensive chart information? I'd like to look into doing it based off Japan's top charts. Actually, from a quick google this looks like a good starting point: https://tsort.info/music/charts.htm

[Randomitsuki 2,843]

@Yarimotsu
I took the information from the official charts pages

https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/

https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/

I programmed a little macro that allowed me to get the information into Excel, and then copied the Excel info into the Spotify (or Youtube) search field.

It’s huge fun if you do it in chronological order as you can relive the excitement when something really new popped up on the scene. And of course, there are some songs to be discovered which will stay with you until the rest of your life. That being said, it can get tedious at times. For instance, I don‘t like House music at all, and sifting through 1990s UK charts with sometimes 25 new house tracks per week wasn‘t big fun for me. The good thing is that one learns to recognize music very fast. So when I heard the characteristic House chord progression I knew after about 3 seconds that it is time for the next song.