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A world united? Live Aid, 13th July 1985
It will be 40 years ago this weekend. An extraordinary event and background story, and a global sense of positivity, but what did all mean then, and now? To mark the anniversary, let’s celebrate and reflect with this theme
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Selling out? Who’s up for it?
‘Tis the season to be funny or serious, satirical, cerebral or sensual, simple or complex, abstract or expressive, imaginative and ingenious in suggesting songs for existing or fictional products that could appear in ads that don’t exist
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Jarvis Cocker’s student pass for the art course he took when aged 25
Days of college, university, polytechnic, art school, institute or more, this week we examine education after secondary or high school and graduation, what it all means, from learning to social experience, captured though the prism of song
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Pride: coming out from black and white
Coded 30s black blues to a 1950s Mexican diva, 1970s and 80s politics to full on out dirty disco in 2021, this week’s guest playlister Pop Off! celebrates a personal birthday with Gay Pride parade that goes beyond the obvious anthems
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Get on the retro (dance) floor …
This week we look back to look forward with artists who wrote new songs with a style from the past, ignoring their zeitgeist and harking back to a former era or decade though musical stylings, choice of instruments, lyrics and more
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Spread of styles? Swan Lake Madness …
Intercutting genres with anything from musical saws to theremins, from electric to acoustic, jazz to hip hop, this week’s playlists, picked by guest Nilpferd, inspired by last week’s topic, truly traverse the ages
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Spanning the ages in 3/4: OMD’s Maid of Orleans
Beethoven to Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin to Funkadelic, Joe Cocker to Cocteau Twins, it’s time to waltz into a set of lists that swing across time and genres, picked expertly by guest playlister DJ Bear from a mass of nominations
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Gratuitous gif of Freddie and Roger from a song that is nothing to do with this topic
It’s time for some lockdown relief. While doing them, let’s also think up and sometimes dance to some numbers about those chores we all must now face, not just cleaning or sorting, but also the psychological cleanse and clear out
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Bootsy Collins. The bass line being he ticks more than one star box
From astronomy to celebrity, shapes to symbols, this week we escape earthly concerns and reach into the musical firmament for a rich lyrical topic that will cover all aspects and life as well as death. It’ll be stellar production
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Pop art? The playlist is the thing … and Shakespeare comes in many colours
Prithee, come along, the bell doth ring! Hear thy song, the playlist is the thing! Rock, classical, funk, soul, hip hop, the Bard is present in all genres, here played out in three splendid acts by guest magicman from a cast of nominations
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What will be your weapon of choice this week?
Music and film are often intertwined commercially, but where does a video become an artform to the level that the visual elements enhance, complement and become symbiotic with the song? Let the action commence …
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Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy aka Will Oldham, and friend
It may be the most precious love of all, but sometimes not fully felt until it’s gone. Guest playlist writer EnglishOutlaw tells a moving tale alongside beautiful, emotional songs from last week’s topic
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The art of incongruity: This is Spinal Tap
This week we look at titles that appear to have nothing to do with the songs they signpost, using words that don’t appear in the lyrics, and seem to create an interesting and entertaining dissonance
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Roy Orbison: he drove all night …
From personal obstacles to the wider struggle in war, this week’s selections by guest playlister Marco den Ouden meet the challenges of hundreds of nominations with wonderful vim, vigour and variety
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Prince. His guitar was a symbol of so many things …
Thrum! This week let's pluck out out songs that mention guitars in lyrics or title, whether electric, acoustic or bass, and what role or meaning they have – companion, inspiration, religion, weapon, language or more
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La laaaaaaaaa !!!
Male or female, soul or opera stars to pop or metal rockers, boy sopranos to countertenors, this week we elevate our range to pick out how a high-range voice can lift a song even greater heights
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The art of the opening
Profound statements to emotional exclamations, sexual provocation to oddball situation, suggest your favourite and outstanding starter lyrics as we examine a host of musical and literary examples at the bar
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1) Keith Richards by Ronnie Wood
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
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Tina Turner ... turning suffering into art just like JMW Turner (see below)
Hurt can be the source of most songs, but this week we look at the when pain can be positive, and suggest songs that take the upbeat, or even pleasurable view of pain in the mind and body
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Who's going big on a Saturday night? Kirsty MacColl, of course.
Lazy Sundays to stormy Mondays, wet Wednesdays to going big on Saturday night, our guest writer EnglishOutlaw fills out a week of wonderful music inspired by our most recent topic
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