Awash with ads for travel, clothing, leisure, painkillers, marijuana, vegetables, and even items to boost sex life? Well, it’s time to be entertained by a string of non-existent ones, framed in snappy marketing musical form, with playlists picked by guest magicman from last week’s topic
Read morePlaylists: songs with androgynous vocals
Who is singing? It’s a magical moment of uncertainty. In a highly subjective topic, not only with non-binary artists but with those whose gender is better known, guest of the week ParaMhor picks perfectly balanced playlists of excellent and ambiguous gender vocals from last week’s topic nominations
Read morePlaylists: songs that give you goosebumps
Was it the music, the voice, the lyrics, or all three? In a truly hair-raising (in the all the right ways) opener to 2023, guest playlister Maki creates two superbly shivery and inspiring lists from a wide choice of possibilities from last week’s topic
Read morePlaylists: songs about taxation and wealth distribution
Feeling taxed? Get some relief here. Blues, reggae, funk, punk, post-punk and more, we’ve got a full revenue of great music in store with no duty to pay, courtesy of an excellent distribution by guest playlister Severin picked from last week’s topic
Read morePlaylists: songs about formal agreements
Reggae to punk contracts and beyond, it’s time to sign on the dotted line, but only when you’ve read all the small print. With no obligation to express your reaction until you’ve heard it all, come and check out these fabulous playlists picked by guest Tatanka Yotanka from last week’s theme and nominations
Read morePlaylists: songs about omens and prophecies
Visions, prophets, psychics, spanning history and the future, with good news and bad – inspired by many nominations from last week’s topic, these superb playlists, picked by guest amylee, journey through time and space
Read morePlaylists: songs about the rhythm, beat or boogie
Three keywords that have inspired legions of songs from disco to reggae, pop to hip hop, blues to rock and more. Guest AmyLee compiles a sequence of brilliant beating heart playlists that refer to them all from huge wave of nominations
Read moreIn full swing: songs and instrumentals from New York City
It’s the city of the world that never sleeps, but this week let’s explore what kind of music, particularly instrumentals, but also lyrics, capture the particular spirit, culture, feel and rhythms of its extraordinary five boroughs
Read morePlaylists: songs pertaining to music venues and spaces
Glasgow to Chicago, London and Liverpool to Lisdoonvarna and all the way to Mali, inspired by many reader nominations around the globe, this week’s playlister pejepeine takes us on a tantalising tour of magical musical locations
Read moreSpread the groove: 12-inch singles and remixes up to 1979
Dub and reggae, funk and disco, hip hop, punk postpunk, pop, electronica and more, this week let's span the 60s-70s period that gave birth to this format and spin favourite records it highlighted
Just keep on dancing: songs about staying and remaining
We’re not leaving, but showing endurance, fortitude and steadfastness. There’s a whole lot of staying power going on in this week’s topic, from physical to mental strength …
Read morePlaylists: bright songs about dark subjects
Death, depression and other dark matter is given the jaunty, upbeat treatment by guest playlister DJ PP99, spinning superb and starkly contrasting styles and subjects from last week’s nominations
Read moreSerene syncopation: songs influenced by reggae, ska and rocksteady
This week we're searching out the effect of these core styles of 1960s Jamaican music on other genres across the globe, from punk to pop and rock, African to dance, and how they evolved. It's a very sound system …
Read morePlaylists: songs featuring honorific titles
King, Queen or Lord, Big Chief to Brigadier, Corporal and more, from a list of titles nominated as long as history itself, this week's playlist writer, Sir Severin, serves up superb lists that would honour any ears
Read morePlaylists: incidental music and songs
From unforgettable film and TV soundtracks to readers' associated memories, this week's guest director EnglishOutlaw calls the action on a wide variety of genres inspired by last week's topic
Read morePicture this: songs about painters, painting and drawing
This week the Bar becomes a special gallery filled with music stars' work! Peruse the paintings and name their famous creators, and suggest songs inspired by art and artists from any period or genre
Read morePlaylists: songs about news, reporting and media
How did it all unfold on election night? Narrated through perfect playlists of running coverage, our guest reporter EnglishOutlaw, inspired by last week's topic, cleverly sneaked inside No 10 Downing Street …
Read morePlaylists: songs about propaganda
George Orwell to the Emperor's New Clothes, Mao Tse Tung to Tiananmen Square, this week's guest writer Marco den Ouden skilfully picks songs from last week's topic that perfectly play with the truth
Read morePlaylists: Easter egg songs – hidden or ghost album tracks
Digging out treasures of all shapes and sizes from last week's topic, guest playlister Maki cracks open songs ranging from Gorillaz to The Jam, REM to Nick Drake
Read moreEaster egg songs? Find those hidden or ghost album tracks …
Hidden tracks between vinyl grooves to ghost tracks in pre-gaps or at the end of albums on CD, this week's Easter special is all about finding those secret treasures, jokey or serious, but always tasty
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