By The Landlord
I, the appointed returning officer for the many constituencies of Song Bar, hereby announce the results of last week’s election on what are the most popular songs about popularity from those nominated by our learned readers and contributors.
Within each group of 15, songs are not necessarily in the order of the most votes, but curated to flow thematically and musically … as follows:
The Most Acclaimed A-List Playlist:
1) The Boswell Sisters - Everybody Loves My Baby
A perky opener from 1932:
Everybody loves my baby
But my baby don't love nobody but me
Nobody but me
Now, everybody wants my baby
But my baby don't want nobody but me
That's plain to see
2) Carl Perkins - Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby
The Fabs will have their say, so Carl gets his time (with one of a handful of ‘baby’ popularity paradoxes)
3) Brenda Lee - Everybody Loves Me But You
She's popular... But, yet another problem.
4) Lloyd Price - Personality
Some have what it takes. Lloyd is an admirer, a fool in love, but lists some of the key characteristics.
5) William Bell - Everybody loves a Winner
Once I had fame
Oh, I was full of pride
There were a lot of friends
Always by my side
But my fame, oh, it died
And now my friends begin to hide
6) John Lennon - Nobody Loves You When You're Down & Out
Another warning about the fickleness of popularity. As described: “John knew a thing or two about popularity, and his single Help! was his first honest reaction to it all. This song, from Walls and Bridges is one of his very best, noting that "everybody loves you when you're on cloud nine". and also "...when you're six feet underground". but that essentially ..."it's all showbiz”.
7) Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings - Look At Miss Ohio
A beautiful song about beauty queens, who are also popular, but it’s a short-lived fantasy…
8) The Carpenters - Superstar
Telling the starstruck fan they loved them and they'll be coming back. Yeah, right. It was a Delaney And Bonnie song originally, but Karen’s vocal performance owned it, even though they changed the sleep with you again phrase to be with you again. She had that good girl image to consider. How appearances can be deceptive…
9) Kirsty MacColl - Fifteen Minutes
Mr Warhol, we've been expecting you. The much-missed Kirsty consoles herself with Andy's "everybody will be famous for 15 minutes" dictum, here with a decidedly UK sensibility and a reference to the TV gameshow:
In Sunday papers every week
The silly words you love to speak
The tacky photos and the phoney smiles
Well it's a bozo's world, and you're a bozo's child
Then there's always the cash
Selling yourself for some trash
Smiling at people that you cannot stand
You're in demand
Your fifteen minutes start now
Then there's always the fame
Autographs now and again
People who saw you on Blankety Blank
10) Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
The fabulous Fiona has never courted popularity and this tool is all about escaping it. As Barbryn reports, when she was just 20, she called out the whole showbiz world during an acceptance speech at an awards ceremony: "This world is bullshit. And you shouldn’t model your life — wait a second — you shouldn’t model your life about what you think that we think is cool and what we’re wearing and what we’re saying and everything. Go with yourself.”
11) Sparks - Popularity
The Mael brothers capture the empty blandness of it with droll lines such as:
What a night, we all drive into town
Where we'll park our cars and meet the rest of our friends
At a place that's called, I forget what it's called
But it's really great and all our friends will be there
12) Franz Ferdinand - The Dark Of The Matinée
A banger from the friends of Sparks, who together did the FFS album. Before that though, on this belter, more droll delivery:
So I'm on BBC Two now
Telling Terry Wogan how I made it and
What I made is unclear now
But his deference is and his laughter is
My words and smile are so easy now
Yes, it's easy now, yes, it's easy now
13) The Kinks - David Watts
Definitely the most popular nomination of the week (well done, to Suzi), and later covered by the Jam, but Ray Davies is the boss, and captures that school jealousy to perfection:
He is the head boy at the school
He is the captain of the team
He is so gay and fancy free
And I wish I could be like David Watts
And all the girls in the neighbourhood
Try to go out with David Watts
They try their best but can't succeed
For he is of pure and noble breed
14) The Byrds - So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star
Another teenage dream where aspiration begins. Lots of good and bad advice on how it could happen …
15) The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored
More twinkling, shimmering guitars, this time from the Manchester band - a lengthy classic closer capturing what it’s all about.
Stay tuned …
The Bubbling Under But Still Beloved B-List Playlist:
1) Dobie Gray - The ‘In’ Crowd
Dressin' fine, makin' time
We breeze up and down the street
We get respect from the people we meet
They make way day or night
They know the in crowd is out of sight
2) Nina Simone - Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out
Sublime performance from the legendary singer and pianist who had many of her own popularity ups and downs…
Once I lived a life of a millionaire
Spending my money honey, oh I didn't care
Takin' my friends out for a mighty good time
Drinkin' that good gin, champagne and wine
Aww, just as soon as my money got low
Couldn't find my friends and I had no place to go
3) Doris Day - Everybody Loves A Lover
Everybody loves me, yes they do
And I love everybody
Since I fell in love with you
Who's the most popular personality?
I can't help thinkin' it's no one else but me
4) Ariana Grande - Popular
The US pop princess plays Glinda in the film version of the musical Wicked, and teaches social outcast and one-time enemy Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) how to be popular.
5) Johnny Cash - Tennessee Flat Top Box
We’re slippin' away from home and puttin' jewelery in hock
To take the trip, to go and listen
To the little dark-haired boy that played the Tennessee flat top box
And he would play…
6) Jake Thackray - The Bull
Jake cuts the crap with more lyrical brilliance, but be warned, wear a bit hat …
7) The Move - Vote For Me
What all the songs called out a bit for this week.
8) The Beatles - Baby, You’re A Rich Man
How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people?
9) Colin Blunstone - She Loves The Way They Love Her
The life of a showgirl…
She stands by the lights at the front of the audience
Smile on her face, just taken in their every glance
She loves the way they love her
And she smiles
She loves every sweet talking lie
10) The Undertones - His Good Looking Girlfriend
Another ironic situation:
He's never been so popular since he met Marie
He never went to parties and he's drinking wine for free
He says he doesn't know why he never stays at home
Doesn't he know ?
11) Living Colour - The Cult of Personality
Heavy sound, big ideas. Great cross-over rock/funk 80s band still going strong.
The definition, still very relevant right now:
A cult of personality, or a cult of the leader, is the result of an effort which is made to create an idealized and heroic image of an admirable leader, often through unquestioning flattery and praise.
12) Skee-Lo - I Wish
It often starts in high school. Slick delivery of some ambitions…
I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller
I wish I had a girl who looked good, I would call her
I wish I had a brand new car so far, I got this hatchback
And everywhere I go, yo, I gets laughed at
13) Wham! - Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do)
More rapping and an early breakthrough George and Andrew …
Hey, everybody, take a look at me, I got street credibility, I may not have a job but I have a good time, with the boys that I meet down on the line.
14) Bros - When Will I Be Famous?
It’s happening very soon, but, waste it lads, and it’ll be very short-lived …
15) Sparks - The Number One Song In Heaven
Sublime influential electro-disco, with another from the Mael bros.
How to get a leg up in popularity. “Face it, you’re nowhere man, if you’re out of it, looks wise … “ I feel a bit sorry for the drummer here.
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: Vote for: songs about popularity. The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
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