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search results for “hook”
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List songs by Song title | Performer | Year

You searched for ‘hook’, which matched 65 songs.
click - person recommending, year, performer, songtitle - to see more recommendations.
ano zero  performed by egberto gismonti  1972
Recommended by 77lemming [profile]

astonishingly beautiful, early 70s brazilian masterpiece. a classical piece disguised as a pop song, with a simple piano playing a wistful melody punctuated by an amazing unexpected ascending chord hook. gismonti sings the original version, with a string section and morricone-like wordless vocal backing him. for the final minute the key changes and the vocals and accompaniment stop, and the solo piano veers off into satie territory, before resolving back into the refrain. gismonti re-recorded this a few times, after finding success in europe as an avant/classical composer. this song also inspired the guitar and mandolin trio agua e vinho, who cover it on their self-titled album along with a few other gismonti compositions.

from agua e vinho (EMI), available on CD


As it is, when it was  performed by New Order  1986
Recommended by delicado [profile]

A classic 80s pop song, with New Order trademarks such as a super heavy bassline, strong drums and some frenetic guitar work. The lyrics aren't too bad for Bernard Sumner either - it's a touching (if not entirely coherent) story about lost love. A great song which fills me with nostagia.

from Brotherhood (Factory), available on CD




  frmars: No melody, poor voice, binary drums, rough and gritty instrumentation, It is a very bad song.
Blowfly’s Rap  performed by Blowfly  1980
Recommended by JoNZ [profile]

From the godfather of filthfy rap comes this FUNKY,slamming tune. It tells the story of trucker with a CB radio(timewarp) who is, in his mind anyway, the baddest bastard around. On his journey he picks up a transvestite hooker, masterbates, has a fight with the Grand Dragon of the klu klux klan, claims to be related to Mohammed Ali, and drinks a bottle of wine. The killer rhyme is "We got to the room, pulled off her clothes, and the funk from her p***y started f**king with my nose." If you don't mind that sort of talk, you'll love this cut.

from X-Rated Blofly's Party (Weird World lp-2034)



  delicado: I don't have this record, but must confess that I find Blowfly strangely compelling. The mix of toilet humour, offensiveness, and authentic funk sounds is very potent indeed.
bonnie and clyde  performed by serge gainsbourg  196?
Recommended by olli [profile]

Come on! how come nobody's recommended this yet?
great repetitive, driving string backing, fantastic hiccup-monkey-like vocal hooks, faboulous performance.
essential.
(stereolab has an absolutely fantastic slow twangy version of this on the album spacey double spiral. very, very highly recommended.)


available on CD - comic strip



  ronin: Relentless violin beat, depressing song, memorable, moves toward its inescapable conclusion...makes me think of a well loved coworker who died in '01.
  sonore: the "stereolab version" wouldn't happen to be the Luna (feat. Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab)'s hidden track from the Penthouse LP would it? Anyway, the Luna f. Laetitia version of Bonnie & Clyde is absolutely fantastic. : )
burning skies  performed by tones on tail
Recommended by javaviolet [profile]

This has to be one of the most hypnotizing songs I have ever heard. It is a very dark, goth like song. And from the moment you hear Daniel Ash's opening gutiar, I was hooked.




By Design  performed by Big Sky  2003
Recommended by deese411 [profile]

Guitar-driven original pop-rock single with intellegent lyrics and catchy hooks.

from By Design


Come On People  performed by Grobschnitt  1979
Recommended by john_l [profile]

Most so-called "progressive rock" was really progressive pop, but not this track, which does rock out and which has a great big guitar hook (you'll know it when you hear it), which resolves several different ways within the song, i.e. the band were creative. It kicks off the last of their big three LPs ("Jumbo" and "Rockpommel's Land" were the first two), and according to the liner notes was a concert favourite.

from Merry Go Round, available on CD (Motor Music)


Conversations  performed by Cilla Black  1969
Recommended by Mister C [profile]

This was Cilla's longest single, clocking in at over 4 minutes, an oddly paced ballad that gradually builds, it is one of those songs that takes a while to take hold, but once it has you're hooked. This is one of Cilla's best performances on disc, and it deservedly reached No. 7 in the UK in 1969

from The Abbey Road Decade 1963-1973 (EMI 7243 8 57053 2 8)


Corazon  performed by Titan  1999
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

Its a delightful track, modern big beat sensibility with a great tune, a groover of the highest quality, sounds great in a car, in a club or at home. Full of hooks, vocal, guitar and rhythmic. One of the things I love about the band as well are the crappy pictures of themselves they use on their covers. Theres a promo 12 with a remix on it that is all Bongo's and Organ that didn't make it to release thats pretty good too.

from Elevator, available on CD



cybele’s reverie  performed by stereolab
Recommended by licoricewhipped [profile]

my first stereolab, its what got me hooked. absolutely gorgeous vocals.




dedication  performed by Chuck and mary
Recommended by moondog [profile]

If the free design had come from greenwich village and opted for a more folk pop approach they could have sounded like the candian siblings Chuck and Mary. Their songs perhaps doesn´t have the same strong song hooks as "the design" but way more make up for it in their timeless sound and magical voices. Especially on this heartrending track which you can find in an orchestrted version on their second album or acoustic on their first.I´d go for the acoustic one.


available on CD - the last word or life is a stream (rev-ola)


Dollhouse  performed by Switchblade Symphony  1995
Recommended by straitjacket [profile]

The bell chimes on the intro both haunt me and pull me into the song. From that point on I'm hooked until the end. Nice guitar hook in the middle. I just find it quite flawless as a song. Everything was layered out rather neatly.

from Serpentine Gallery (Cleopatra)


Dreams Never End  performed by New Order  1981
Recommended by Genza [profile]

New Order fans always love Technique. So do I. Some prefer Brotherhand, Lowlife - or the substandard Republic. But for me, there's only one Movement.

Slated by critics for sounding like a doomy post Joy Division clone - the album actually benefits from sharp rhythm guitar and sustained synth chords.

Key moment is the awesome Dreams Never End. The song thrashes around like a caged beast. And it's only brought down by bass player Peter Hook's dreary singing - but hey, I can live with that.

from Movement (Factory Fact 50)



  delicado: This track is utterly spine-tingling. I like the Technique album, but it really doesn't have the intensity of the best early tracks. It's worth noting that this track sounds instrumentally exactly like mid-80s Cure.
  zazz: erm.....dreams never end is a masterpiece for the very reason that hookies vocals are in stark contrast ....probably my favourite new order/joy division track...probably an accidental classic.
El-Harba Wine  performed by Khaled (feat Amar)  1999
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

I have this on the original CD (or at least a CD-R of it) and a French remix 12, which has 3 good mixes including a fantastic one by Manta 1000. Both are very good. The song itself is a mix of the traditional and the modern (with Production by aging Gong-ster Steve Hillage), Arabic and Indian. Violins, Bollywood style singing from Amar blending with Khaleds' gruffer style - all with an irrisistable rhythm underpinning it. Another one chock full of great hooks, where I can't understand a word, perhaps I should take up the study of languages.

from Khaled, available on CD




  Difool: Hi.. I just want to say that i love that song!!! El-Harba Wine. And as you say, i dont understand a singel word of what they sing. That only makes it more fun. Do you know of any other songs like this one?
  n-jeff: It seems from one site I've found that "El Harba Wine" means "To run but where". That aside, Khaled (aka Cheb or Young Khaled) has quite a few album's out, this track is from "Kenza", and is also on a comp "The King of Rai".
You could also check out another Algerian artist Cheb Mami - The "Prince of Rai" but the album of that name is from the 80's and a little dated. I'm also quite fond of Egyptian star Hakim, who adds Spanish guitar touches and the accordian. My favourite track is possibly called "Habibi" from the LP "Comosuena". His most recent LP "2004" has either big samples or a guest appearance from James Brown.

frozen warnings  performed by Nico  1971
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

At first appearance, its not the most appealing of combinations, that deep flat voice accompanied by the unforgiving Harmonium alone. And it is quite stark, but at the same time strangely warm and hypnotic.
The song itself has a strong chorus and there are well played hooks. Slow, dark, magnificent. And it strangely is a pop song where the rest of the EP isn't.

from Peel Sessions (Strange Fruit SFPS064)


Get With You  performed by DMX Krew  1999
Recommended by StinkyMarco [profile]

This is a song by a one-man band, the DMX Krew. He's from England, and he uses only recording equipment and instruments that predate 1985. As you might guess, this guy has an affinity for a trademark 80s synth sound...but this song somewhat deviates from his normal style.
This song is fast, catchy as all get out, and features some of the most striking robot vocals I've ever heard in a song. There's a catchy guitar riff throughout, with a jet distortion sound that makes you feel like you're on an airplane, with a driving electronic beat under it that will make you want to move your head about. This song is just utterly fantastic. I work in a record store and have reccommended it to many people, and I've yet to meet a person who already knew this song...or that didn't instantly LOVE this song. I've gotten hoards of people hooked on this band.

from We Are DMX, available on CD



  frmars: Sigh... How dishonest one can be... Tempted � allured � by the short text above, I spent some time looking for this ignored genius that "hoards of people" got hooked on. I found myself with an extremely shallow new-wave, something half way between a tasteless copy of human league and a gross imitation of Howard Jones, with sometimes a talentless allusion to New order... Alas, the whole album is just a piece of... very very bad music.
  StinkyMarco: Sorry you didn't like it...I enjoyed it because its a cheesy synth setting that has somewhat desperate lyrics (simple and yet better than anything Human League could come up with)...But "dishonest" is hardly the case. It's a matter of taste, my discerning friend. If I were dishonest I would tell you to listen to this even though I personally think its crap (not the case--this is a reccomendatio, after all)...And yes, "hoards of people" is not an exagerration.
  delicado: Don't worry about it Marco - if you check out mr. frmars's other comments you'll see that he's basically Marvin the paranoid android.
  StinkyMarco: Wow, couldn't agree more.
  frmars: which might be a compliment from biffa bacon and son...
  sinferno: frmars, you dont know what you are talking about... dmx krew took generic dance music and perfected it. everything ed dmx does is classic. this shit is catchy and yeah its dancy, but its composed so well. new order? human league? give me a break.
granite state destroyer  performed by scissorfight  1999
Recommended by angelica [profile]

scissorfight are probably the heaviest band i've ever seen... their songs are incredibly intense, with deep, grinding bass lines, slow, thundering drums and aggressive vocals. granite state destroyer could be their theme song - it embodies both their musical aesthetic and their lyrical philosophy...

"weed, guns and axes / we don't pay our taxes / 'cause we don't exist / on any government list / ... / our battle cry / live free or die"

this is the song that hooked me on the band, and every time i hear the heavy yet pared-down opening riffs my tailbone starts shakin' and i can't stop.

from New Hampshire, available on CD


Hometown Unicorn  performed by Super Furry Animals  1996
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Super Furry Animals are one of a select group modern bands I really like. In a sense, they are too 'rock' for me, but they are so furiously inventive and original that I'm always impressed by their songs - even the ones which I wouldn't necessarily listen to by choice. 'Hometown Unicorn' is a masterful pop anthem with a rich Bowie-like 1970s feel to it. The lyrics are also masterful, and concern the late 70s story of Frankie Fontaine, who claimed to have been abducted by an alien spacecraft. From the first line of the song, I was hooked - 'I was lost, lost on the bypass road...' Many thanks must go to my friend and fellow site user, phil for introducing me to this track and this band.
ps, the group are incredibly good live as well.

from Fuzzy Logic, available on CD



I Feel Good  performed by Earl Hooker
Recommended by djfreshmoney [profile]

Stinging instrumental version of James Brown's "I Feel Good". Earl is a great blues guitarist and the band is tight.


available on CD - sweet black angel



I Got You  performed by Split Enz  1980
Recommended by BillyG [profile]

I first played this back in 1980 when I worked at my college radio station, its one of those records that jumped out of the speakers and stunned me.

Even though I have become a huge Finn Brothers (solo, together and Crowded House) this is one track I always keep coming back to. Its a little dated sounding with all those synths, but has such killer hooks and lyrics about being parinoid about your lover...just brilliant Kiwi Pop!

from History Never Repeats (A&M)
available on CD - History Never Repeats - The Best of Split Enz (A&M)


i want you, but i don't need you  performed by Momus  1997
Recommended by king8egg [profile]

i'm more familiar with momus because of the songs he has written for kahimi karie, but upon hearing this song i knew i had to own the album it came from. the music is sort of whimsical reminding me of fairgrounds for some reason. but the lyrics are what hooked me. with lines like "i lick you, i like you to like me to lick you. but i don't need you. if your pleasure turned into pain i'd still lick for my personal gain. la la la." i knew i had to hear more.

from ping pong, available on CD



Icarus - Bourne on Wings of Steel  performed by Kansas  1975
Recommended by JimBarry [profile]

An over-the top introduction to Kansas. This was the song that hooked most Kansas fans.

It showcases the band members individual talents:
Dave Hope's excellent bass
Robbie Steinhart's violin and vocals
Rich William's guitar work, often harmonizing nicely with Robbie's violin
Steve Walsh on keyboards and vocals
Kerry Livgren's Lead guitar, and hopeful, powerful lyrics.

from Masque (Kirshner / Sony)
available on CD - Best of Kansas


Kick Start My Heart  performed by Motley Crue
Recommended by blackbison2008 [profile]

Distortion, hair metal era but it doesn't sound typical of that style. It's hard to describe. Cool sounding vocals, pretty sweet guitar hook.

from Dr. Feelgood, available on CD


Last Night  performed by Vitamin C  2003
Recommended by unathanthium [profile]

I used to be such a boy,but I have seen the terror of my ways.The Strokes have cornered a few hooks and terrorized them into submission,using them to tantalize testosterone top-heavy lads,making them dance like innocents caught in American/Iraqi crossfire;but I'm past that age where testosterone tampers with my thought processes.

Vitamin C,real name Colleen Fitzpatrick,ex-singer of Eve's Plum,has made Last Night,by blending it with Blondie's Heart of Glass,into the pop song it always wanted to be.Gone is the nasal whine of the original replaced by cool clear vocals that caress rather than puncture the ears.

On the 12" you get three versions.If you want a good dance work out you'll pick the A side.I favour track two,not so hurried I think it's slightly more reflective tenor illuminates where other versions obfuscate.





  gaymod: oh come on unathanthium, I iike your style, Last Nite, is a great song but it is a very obvious sub motown parody...and Dr. Feelgood- She Does It Right does it a milllion times better
  unathanthium: Sub motown,I love sub motown.Parody,I love that too.And if Dr.Feelgood do it better,congratulations to them.A million times better,though,hm,that's an awful lot of noughts.And I don't think we need a pub rock revival.
Losin Yo Head  performed by Monsters of Folk  2009
Recommended by vinnyshades [profile]

Jim James from My Morning Jacket sings this rock masterpiece with his new super-group side project Monsters of Folk (with M. Ward, Conor Oberst, and Mike Mogis). Totally catchy with a brilliant theme. Not too "hooky," but very melodic and catchy. Jim's voice will MAKE you sing along to this song every time.

from Monsters of Folk


Love Vigilantes  performed by New Order  1985
Recommended by delicado [profile]

I heard this track again recently and it had an almost chemical effect on me. Why? It's hard to say. I can't claim to be especially moved by the lyrics, but the song captures a certain mood which makes me want to shake around. The track has a nice balance of instrumentation - New Order trademarks like strong, crisp drums and prominent bass, and a melody played on the melodica.

The other highlight of the song for me is the manically strummed guitar break near the end - a great moment. Maybe it's just nostalgia, but this track still has a lot of power for me.

from Low Life, available on CD



Love Will Tear Us Apart  performed by Nouvelle Vague  2004
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Nouvelle Vague is the project of Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, who basically took classic late 70s/early 80s new wave songs and transformed them into light, easy going, predominantly bossa tinged tracks, including heavily accented, whispery Longet-esque vocals. They claim these young vocalists never even heard the original songs. It works brilliantly for sure on "Love will tear us apart" where they manage to interpret the song as a melancholic, chilled stroll down a beach with sparse percussion, acoustic bass and guitar, vibraphone and some samples of waves rushing on the seaside. I'd like to think even Ian Curtis might smile down on this cover version...

from Nouvelle Vague, available on CD



Lovely Head  performed by Goldfrapp
Recommended by tuktman [profile]

This reminds me of Portishead but it's not as downright depressing. There's a really cool whistle/mellotron hook in it.




Lullaby (the Divorce Song)  performed by Stephen Lynch  2000
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Stephen Lynch is what happens when psychosis goes unchecked... he is also a comic genius! Make no mistake, he is twisted beyond repair, but it is hilarious to listen to his crazed ramblings and sick observations and he is a master at guitar work. This song is written in the style of a father singing his little girl to sleep. He explains in a kind soothing voice that mommy won't be back because, "daddy likes porno and $10 whores, daddy gets wasted and robs liquor stores, daddy likes rubbing against little boys on the bus, i think that's why your mommy left us". Definitely a great amusement when drunk or in a crowd of rowdy friends. I've got several of my friend's hooked on this CD. His other CD 'Superhero' which is all performed live includes excellent participaton by the audience on this track... but it is only available thru mailorder from his record company or at live shows, the version on amazon/cdnow does not include this track

from A Little Bit Special, available on CD



Manon  performed by Serge Gainsbourg  1969
Recommended by delicado [profile]

A lovely, dark, haunting song with an intricate string arrangement; this really got me hooked on Gainsbourg as soon as I heard it. Musically, the song dazzles me - the arrangement flows beautifully and sounds very original (to me, anyway; if I'm wrong, please help steer me in the direction of more recordings like this!). Serge is a great vocalist here as well. At times he whispers, but some lines he really spits out - 'a quel point je HAIS......ce que tu es...' The guy was a genius.

from Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg, available on CD




  Mike: I must agree with you (it seems pretty appropriate to do so as you introduced the song to me yourself a few years ago) - this is a very beautiful song, very beautifully and expressively sung, and the arrangement is frankly stunning. This is definitely one of those Gainsbourg tracks which really hits the heights in every department. Surely worth a listen, even to those who can't stand the bulk of Serge's output.
  tempted: Scott Walker has some similarly haunting orchestral arrangements but as a singer he's a sheep whereas Serge's a wolf. A great sheep, though.
Mr Peacock  performed by Orange Colored Sky  1969
Recommended by Ron1967-1970 [profile]

A non-lp track... I went nuts where I first played this. If you want a song that will stuck in your mind for the rest of the week, then play this one :) Very very catchy and lyrics that will put a smile on your face "Mr Peacock, Mr Peacock, no one else can be so groovy". A song full of surprising hooks, building to a harmony climax. Man oh man ... this IS music ... makes you wonder how it all turned sour in the mid 70s... when orchestras and catchy melodies were replaced by synthesizers and drum-pads ...





  moe: Based on your enthusiastic description, I tracked this song down (it wasn't an easy task!), and I can't say I was disappointed. Very groovy indeed! The best song ever written about peacocks.
  deathshadow: For those who don't know - the song is from the movie "The Love God" starring Don Knotts.
My Colouring Book  performed by Arthur Lyman  1965
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

I'll assume the english spelling.

Not the most obvious song by the late Athur Lyman for a favourite, but I was given the LP 'Blowing in the wind' when I'd never heard of Exotic music, let alone Denny or Lyman. This track was the one taht got me hooked, its a song I can remember from my childhood (god knows who by), and Lyman performs it beautifully, I can't remember if theres any accompaniment, but I doubt it (there isn't I checked). all I can remember is the vibes.

Theres a great dynamic spectrum on this track from still to speaker crackling and back to still again.
And all at about 2 minutes long.

from Blowin' in the wind (HiFi L014)


Noah’s Dove  performed by 10,000 Maniacs  1992
Recommended by Yammer [profile]

For admirers of classic pop song construction, production, and performance, Noah's Dove is jaw-dropping in its perfection. The subtle piano hook, deep and dark chord changes, and the warm, dry-eyed, heartbreakingly acute singing grab your ears, while the lyrics (an unhurried, unsparing epitaph to a relationship with a cheating scumbag) clench your heart. The best part may be that it introduces Our Time In Eden, a collection of finely-crafted folk-pop songs that served as a worthy finale for the Maniacs.

from Our Time In Eden


Ol� Mulholland  performed by Frank Black  1994
Recommended by Fig Alert [profile]

No diss on the Pixies, especially being a big fan myself, but there are times that I think Mr. Black Black has displayed a far more interesting range since breaking up the band. Teenager of the Year will always be up for consideration on my all-time top ten. I think that it's sadly and unfairly dismissed by too many people. But maybe I can assuage and tempt some of those doubters with this gem.

Inspired by real history and/or the movie "Chinatown," the subject matter is about bringing the Colorado river to the thirsty City of Angels, by hook or by crook, and all the fortune and fame to be had by the one to do it, thus the title. That's what makes the lyrics so fun.

But the real thrill is the "fukk yeah!" abandon of this melodically-twisting tune. It plain rocks...and is brain food to boot. I swear Eric Drew Feldman, of Pere Ubu fame, who produced and played on this album, takes Black's songs to magnificent heights. I've yet to hear a better album of his work.

This sample is an outro-guitar slide into homebase supplied by Lyle Workman. Standing as one of my all-time fave guitar parts, it is at once fret-adept, rhythmically punchy, and pure electrical flow exhiliration. Ol�!

from Teenager Of The Year (4AD/Elektra 61618-2)



Our Drive to the Sun / Can a Man Mark it?  performed by Tripping Daisy  1998
Recommended by trivia [profile]

I was really into the Polyphonic Spree record about a year ago and read somewhere that frontman Tim Delaughter was the singer in Tripping Daisy. There were some pretty rabid recommendations on Amazon for the third TD album - "Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb," so I ordered a used copy. It took a few spins to get into, but damn it's a keeper. Melodic art pop heaven. If ya care: it's produced by Eric Drew Feldman - who was a member of Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, played keyboards for Pere Ubu for a while, and also produced some of Frank Black's earlier solo stuff.

Anyways, as its title suggests, "Our Drive to the Sun / Can a Man Mark it?" comes in two parts. "Our Drive ..." is sunshiney modern pop in the vein of the Flaming Lips, with hooks galore (there are like four parts that could qualify as killer choruses). At about the four minute mark, the track morphs into "Can a Man ...", which sounds something like a Gary Numan song remixed by Kevin Shields. Great change ups throughout and just a real nice listen.

from Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb, available on CD


Out of my hands  performed by Richard x Heyman  1998
Recommended by moondog [profile]

Music for pussies producer Steve Albini once answered when he shared his thoughts about the genre powerpop. So, perhaps that makes me one then but anyone who likes melodies got to admit that the genre has produced some gems over the years. Richard x Heyman is one of the standouts in the genre. When he doesn´t tune his rickenbacker in his tabbey road studio in new york he goes out searching for homeless cats. So, maybe now i got you all concvinced that the man differs a bit from the average powerpopper. Out of my hands is taken from the mighty fine cornerstone and is overflowing with hooks,hooks my friends which is exactly what i need right now.

from cornerstone


Phone Tap  performed by The Firm  1997
Recommended by lionson76 [profile]

Gangsta rap hit its peak in the early 90's on the West Coast with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dee Oh Double Gee. Since then, it's been all downhill for the genre and it's playas. However, while some may say gangsta rap is dead, Dr. Dre and his disciples have managed to keep it alive since the foundation of Deathrow Records began to crumble. For "Phone Tap", Dre laid down yet another phat track this time for the lyrical stylings of Nas Escobar, AZ, and Nature. He even does the vocals for a mad catchy hook: "We got cho' phone tapped. Whachu gon' do? Cuz sooner or lata, we'll have your whole crew. All we need now is the right word or two... To make it all stick like glue, then you through."

from The Firm - The Album, available on CD



Photobooth Curtain  performed by School for the Dead  2004
Recommended by catmarigold [profile]

Poppy Rocky Indie. This song is kind of funny but also kind of sad. Power-pop instrumentation with lots of harmonies. Great lyrics and melody, very cool arrangement.

from The New You, available on CD


Plantation  performed by The Young Hookers
Recommended by ZeldaPeach [profile]

energetic and super catchy

from Happy Birthday


Requiem pour un con  performed by serge gainsbourg
Recommended by olli [profile]

unbelievably cool track, one of my top ten gainsbourg compositions. great jazzy sex beat, smooth vocals.
it's one of his more agressive songs, similar to the also recommended "un poison violent c'est l'amour".
there seems to be a bit of a bit of a prog vibe going on (in lack of better words, i'm not exactly an expert in the technicalities of music).
nice guitar hook. though the track is pretty repetitive, it's by no means boring. the repetition only helps to make it more intense and interesting.
taken from the film le pacha. i think a lot of gainsbourg's soundtrack work is pretty interesting stuff, though some of it often seems a bit rushed or too similar to other cool compositions from the same era (hey, i'm a sucker for plagiarism...)
the soundtrack to cannabis comes especially recommended.


available on CD - le ciin�ma de serge gainsbourg, initials b.b and a bunch of othe



  n-jeff: There is an instrumental version on a twelve inch I have that sounds remarkably prescient of Metal Box era PiL: heavy repetetive bass, odd guitar noises and something about the drums, too. Great track, vocal or no.
  olli: oh, that�s awesome, n-jeff! i always wondered if there was an instrumental version...one of the funkiest white tracks ever
Round & Round  performed by New Order  1989
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

"Technique" is widely regarded as New Orders best album and i surely second that opinion: No fillers, all killers and the balance between "live" sounding songs and balearic, synthesized songs is just perfect. "Round & Round" falls in the latter category: Energetic, multi-layered, sequenced synth stuff going on, with some guitar by Sumner and, for me most importantly probably, Peter Hook's distinctive, emotional bass sound. I guess it's Hook's hooks i dig the most in the New Order soundscape, always delivering a consistency in their sound over many musical changes during the years. It's unmatched for me how that man evokes such emotions and melody out of a bass guitar.

from Technique, available on CD




  kohl: yes. awesome song.
Ruby  performed by The Apples in Stereo  1997
Recommended by two-headed boy [profile]

A classic pop gem with the quintessential catchy, sing-along melody. Pristinly written, performed & produced by E6 Godfather Robert Schneider and his Apples in Stereo. With a chorus determined to make you hum in your sleep, or over a dozen pints with your mates, or loud enough for your co-workers to secretly dispise your chummy disposition, this song will never lose its appeal. Piano, guitar, snare and bass bring back the days of 'ole, and they do it in style. This has to be someone's favorite song somewhere!

from Her Wallpaper Reverie
available on CD - Her Wallpaper Reverie, EP




  opl3003: I agree, this is one of the best tracks by The Apples in Stereo! And of of my overall favorite songs! I can listen to it over and over..
Sail  performed by AWOLNATION
Recommended by countofbluecars [profile]

Alt-rock, currently popular. It's got a catchy hook but is unique in its sound too. The vocals are especially interesting.




Sandmen - Thelma (Fallout mix)  performed by DIY  1993
Recommended by alkine [profile]

well there isn't much to say, it's a drum machine and someone saying 'celebrate life'. i remember this lp from 8 years ago, and probably we were wasted, but it was the most played vinyl in the flat. found without knowing who or why, and now thanks to www.bleep.com, i found it again. not much happens until 3'40, and then, in the right mood, you realise why music is so great, some dude with a drum machine and a cheesy hook, manages to encapsulate joy in sound.

from Strictly 4 Groovers (Warp WARP18)


Sem Essa #5  performed by Jorge Ben  1975
Recommended by gregcaz [profile]

I own pretty much every Jorge Ben album, and I can say that this song is easily in my all-time top 5 Ben tracks. Only that it isn't on any of them!! An updated (and much-improved) version of a song he wrote for Gilberto Gil in 1968 called "Queremos Guerra," this is two minutes and 53 seconds of pure, propulsive joy. Charging, upbeat rhythm, an infectious hook, Jorge at his rocking best.

from Maximo De Sucessos No. 13 (Fontana)


Senza Una Donna  performed by Zucchero; Paul Young  2004
Recommended by HaliburtonZeke [profile]

A great song with two great singers. "Without a Woman" in English. It's a great album with Macy Gray, John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crowe, BB King, and more.

from Zu & Co


Sex Type Thing  performed by Stone Temple Pilots
Recommended by blackbison2008 [profile]

'90s rock, with guitar, drums, and bass. I like the vocals and the guitar hook (best heard in the intro). That grungy sound is great, too. This is one of my favorite songs.

from Core



  brooksyinc: Good song, like most other stp songs
Song to the Siren  performed by Tim Buckley
Recommended by stoneworks [profile]

My favorite love song, or at least in the top five. I first got hooked on the version by This Mortal Coil sung by Elizabeth Frazer, and I really couldn't choose absolutely between the two. I listed Tim Buckley because he is the originator (though it was actually written by his one-time musical partner Larry Beckett). It's also now got a specially deep meaning for me because my wife and I walked down the aisle to it.





  MoeShinola: You know, Damon And Naomi's live double-disc is called Songs To The Siren. It's quite beautiful.
  prufrock68: Wow, that's very interesting that you chose that Buckley song to accompany your wedding ceremony, since I've always associated it with a love that cannot be possessed, a helpless love...it's a beautiful song, but very mournful to my ears.
Street Woman  performed by My Echo  2004
Recommended by honestmustard [profile]

Hooky alt Rock band from London England, Two song Writers Henry Gomez and Peter Martin with there band bob and johnathan stoute. Music with alot of energy and feeling. Check Them out. www.myecho.co.uk


available on CD - yes


Summer  performed by Buffalo Tom  1995
Recommended by MoeShinola [profile]

This is Buffalo Tom's best single, off their last 90s studio album Sleepy Eyed(Big Red Letter Day was a better album). It opens with an unorthodox chord progression played on an alternate-tuned guitar that desperately wants to resolve but makes you wait for the cathartic chorus. The insistent nature of the chord progression in the verses is what hooked me and it still does just as much as the first time I heard it.

from Sleepy Eyed (Beggars Banquet)


Sweet Lips  performed by MONACO  1997
Recommended by beautifulmutant [profile]

The best New Order song New Order never recorded (bt which features Peter Hook).
Excellent lyrics, sing-along chant / chorus...
I would've though I'd've outgrown this song after 7+ years, but I still get emotional for some reason when I hear this song. It struck a nerve I cannot explain. Beautiful song.

from Music For Pleasure (Polydor)



  eftimihn: Yeah, i still remember this really hooked (kinda lame pun, i know) me when it came out. At the time the prospect of New Order ever coming together again was very unlikely, so this was a welcome substitute at least for me. The first single off "Music For Pleasure", "What Do You Want From Me", was equally New Order-esque with Potts' voice sounding strikingly similar to Sumners'.
Swing, Swing  performed by The All-American Rejects  2003
Recommended by izumi [profile]

I love the organ used in this song's intro, and Tyson Ritter has really yummy vocals. :D Okay, well, besides that, it's a soppy, lovey-dovey song about loneliness and heartbreak and losing your girlfriend (I guess). The lyrics may seem a bit tacky but it's still a cool melodic song with lots of catchy hooks and a great sing-along!

from The All-American Rejects (Polydor 4504606)


Temptation  performed by New Order  1982
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Although far less well known than the 12" version and the 1987 'substance' rerecording, I'm utterly in love with this 7" version. I think perhaps the band hate it, since it doesn't seem ever to have appeared on CD, and was not even on the recent 'Retro' box set. At a little over 5 minutes long, it just seems much more focused and affecting to me than the overlong 12" version and the scrappy 1987 version.

It opens with that hypnotic beat/synth sound that has become famous since the song was used in various film soundtracks (most famously, Trainspotting, and most recently, 24 hour party people. Both used the later, rubbish version though). On this version, there's a twangy guitar sound added over the top of the introduction. The other main difference from other versions is vastly improved vocals (particularly over the 1987 version), and that wonderful early New Order guitar sound, as witnessed on other classic tracks like 'Ceremony' and 'Procession'. Like a handful of other tracks I've recommended, it's hard for me to be completely objective about this one, because I've adored it since my mid-teens. But having just bought an extra copy of the single, I'm happy to report that it sounds as brilliant as ever.

This recording showcases a raw and under-appreciated New Order/Joy Division sound that mixes early synth sounds and beats with punky guitars in a really beautiful and affecting way. I still enjoy their later stuff, but it's tracks like this that really attract me to the band.

from the single Temptation (Factory fac63)




  n-jeff: I've not heard the 7 since I was at college in 82, but there is also a version about 15-20 minutes long on one of the first "Touch" cassettes, where they have cut it with an interview. The whole thing seems to have been a lengthy Jam, edited differently for different releases. So the 7 would give you the most focused version. Compare the 7 and 12 edits of the KLF's "3am Eternal" for the enhancing effect of a great edit.
  Genza: I totally agree with everything delicado says. Early New Order rocks. Everything after and including Blue Monday is more poppy - and I can live with that. But most of their albums are very patchy - with half the tracks good and the other half almost unlistenable. But Temptation is an utter, utter classic. And I just love Dreams Never End, Cries and Whispers and In a Lonely Place. Well, any early New Order - it all that has tinny dance-music quality but still holds that desolate Joy Division sound.
The Circus  performed by Take That  2008
Recommended by geezer [profile]

The cornertstone of their spectacular return was the songwriting and this piano led ballad is a fine example .A delicate melody that could easily become a "little old wine drinker me" standard at the hand of future lounge vegas artistes .The hook line and stinger is "everybody loves a circus show but im the only clown youll ever know",OUCH!!.A rare example of pop being allowed to grow up and turn into something more substantial.

from The Circus, available on CD


The day the earth stood still  performed by David Essex  1969
Recommended by Ron1967-1970 [profile]

THE perfect popsong ? Not sure, but it comes close to it. The tune has that typical late 60s "sound". Bombastically orchestrated in the "Barry Ryan style"... it's a melodrama with lots of
catchy hooks... IF you can find it, you will love it ... I usually rate a song not higher than
8/10, but this one... well, what can I say... 11/10 !!!




The Evenings Young  performed by YELLO  1981
Recommended by beautifulmutant [profile]

Dieter Meier is a hero of mine. Some say I resemble him. If only I had as much suave and cool in my whole body as he possesses in one note, I would be happy. This is synthetic underground dance music at it's finest. They kep on producing albums which may tread familiar territory, but which are never stale or old. I first saw the video for "The Evening's Young" on USA Networks "Nite Flite" TV show and was hooked by the throbbing synths and odd vocal delivery. I became hooked on Yello. This is a quintessential song IMO

from Claro Que Si (Polygram / Mercury)


The Moon  performed by The Microphones  2001
Recommended by ispoketofoxes [profile]

The Glow Pt. 2 was on so many "best of 2001" lists that it pretty much had to be true. The biggest Microphones fans even state The Glow Pt. 2 as being their favorite. That has to show something.
From the opening track you are immediately hooked. The first two tracks build up for my personal favorite, "The Moon." The moon has such a beautiful beginning that that alone makes it my favorite. The lyrics tell a little romance but still remain to keep the weird feeling when listening to The Microphones. Fuzz, drums, piano, and horns make up the pretty sounds that carry the song along. Of all the great songs this album contains, "The Moon" contains Phil Elvrum at his best.

from The Glow Pt. 2, available on CD


The Very Best Of Neil Diamond  performed by Super Furry Animals
Recommended by komodo [profile]

With a glam stomp, middle eastern rhythms, electro inflections, Furry invention and a monstrous hook, this is one of the many highlights from SFA's latest album "Dark Days/Light Years".
The album is chock full of brilliance to be honest, it may be the best thing they have done in 10 years, it is that good!

Genius. SFA OK.


available on CD - Dark Days/Light Years (Rough Trade)


Tiao bra�o forte  performed by Marcos Valle  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

A sophisticated and understated pop bossa. This song can breeze by the first time you hear it, but the unexpected hooks and chord changes make for addictive listening. There are strings, a gentle and high male vocal and a rhythmic piano. It really is heavenly. I should add that the CD compilation this appears on, 'the essential...volume 2', is really one of the very best single-artist compilations I've ever heard. The liner notes are not perfect though - this song is erroneously listed as 'Tiao branco forte'. Great compilation though, one which showed me that Marcos really is a genius.

from Viola Enluarada (Odeon)
available on CD - The Essential Marcos Valle, Vol 2 (Mr Bongo)



Una Tromba a Dallas  performed by Ennio Morricone  196x
Recommended by olli [profile]

"Frontier Psychiatrist" by the Avalanches was built around the �bercool vocal hook from this. catchy and simple tune, the feel lies somewhere in between go-go, epic drama and mariachi music. Dig the way the drums and piano work together. (Is that a harpsichord later on?) Never seen the film this is from, but i'd be dissappointed if this song wasn't used in a great scene.


available on CD - Svegliati E Uccidi & Sacco E Vanzetti




  delicado: Thanks for recommending this! I actually really like the avalanches song, and of course however much Morricone I think I know/have, there's always more!
  dominb: The "Svegliati e Uccidi" s/track is available at allofmp3.ru,though the best version of Lisa Gastoni singing "Una Stanza Vuota" is not on it only a 7" single version which omits the guitar section which makes the song IMO,the better version of this song features on the "Canto Morricone 60's" record.
Ur So Kute  performed by The Love Dolls  2007
Recommended by jzbass [profile]

Pop rock guitar oriented very hooky

from The Love Dolls (Doll House)
available on CD - www.myspace.com/thelovedollsband


Vapour Trail  performed by Ride  1991
Recommended by delicado [profile]

However you look at it, this song is simply too good to have not yet been recommended by me on this site. The final track on Ride's 1991 debut, this is simple, formulaic even, but very nicely executed. It opens with the same nice chord sequence that makes up most of the song, played on a solo guitar. Mark Gardner's vocals are wavering and delicate (ok, they're a little out of tune as well), but charming. The drum beat hints at the indie-dance sensibility of the time, and is extremely catchy without being ridiculous.

The real hook of the song for me lies in the harmonies introduced by the string parts which periodically underlay the chords. As the song builds, these string arrangements become more full. The rest of the band fades away and leaves them at the end. I'm surprised at how much I still enjoy this.

from Nowhere, available on CD




  shaka_klaus: ye-ye! nice one!
  andrew76: first you look so strong then you fade away the sunlight blinds my eyes i love you anyway - pure genius - and then one of them joined Oasis. Bugger.
Vesti Azul  performed by Wilson Simonal  1967
Recommended by gregcaz [profile]

Merely one of dozens of killer Simonal tracks (my favorite male Brazilian voice outside of Milton Nascimento), this one is a stellar example of joyous 60s pop, impossible to hear without seeing images of mini-skirt-clad girls dancing away on American Bandstand or something. Handclaps, a "pa-pa-pa-pa-pa" hook in the chorus, Stax-style horns, Simonal's deep, rich wonder of a voice, what more do you want?

from Alegria, Alegria!! (Odeon)



Wishing Now  performed by Glen Campbell  1974
Recommended by [email protected] [profile]

Absolutely incredibly hooky, soaring, romantic pop song, very much in the same world as some of the best Terry Sylvester solo stuff, those wonderful Mark Lindsay solo records, "Dusty in London," Peter Shelley's "Love Me, Love My Dog" etc.

from Reunion, available on CD


Zero  performed by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Recommended by komodo [profile]

A piledriving slab of synth rock with HUGE hooks. Think Atomic era Blondie, perhaps a touch of Moroder, but with a much, much bigger sound. Not subtle, but overdriven, oversexed and overwhelming. Not normally my cup of tea, this sort of music, but this track is great.


available on CD - It's Blitz (Interscope Records)


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