• Themes/Playlists
  • New Songs
  • Albums
  • Word!
  • Index
  • Donate!
  • Animals
  • About/FAQs
  • Contact
Menu

Song Bar

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Music, words, playlists

Your Custom Text Here

Song Bar

  • Themes/Playlists
  • New Songs
  • Albums
  • Word!
  • Index
  • Donate!
  • Animals
  • About/FAQs
  • Contact

Playlists: songs about getting older

October 22, 2025 Peter Kimpton

Paul Kelly: a perennial Song Bar favourite storyteller

Time waits for no one, but many songs are ageless. With perspectives looking back and forward, and many great stories, guest of the week Barbryn picks a fabulous selection inspired by last week’s topic

Read more
Tags songs, playlists, ageing, David Bowie, Sage Francis, Chuck Berry, The Long Blondes, Game Theory, Skyhooks, Hank Williams, Jill Sobule, Amy Rigby, Pulp, Paul Kelly, John Mayer, Lori McKenna, Lee Hazelwood, Matraca Berg, paul simon, The Ramones, Kenickie, Françoise Hardy, Bonny Light Horseman, Dar Williams, Avett Brothers, The Modern Lovers, Eels, Idlewild, Edwin Morgan, The Kinks, George Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Emily Breeze, Frida Hyvönen, Wolf Alice, Barbryn
Comment

Playlists: songs about physical gestures

March 27, 2024 Peter Kimpton

Sound waves and beyond …

Pointing, clapping, nodding, waving, thumbs up, thumbs down, high fives and much more, there’s no end to the lyrical gesticulation on offer signalled from last week’s topic by guest playlister Loud Atlas, whose presentation and choices should attract a salute and long applause

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, psychedelia, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional, trip hop Tags gestures, psychology, human behaviour, AC/DC, Marvin Gaye, Little Simz, Obongjayar, Brenton Wood, Alanis Morissette, Jake Bugg, Sufjan Stevens, Loyle Carner, Stevie Smith, The Bevis Frond, Richard Thompson, The Meters, Alfred Apaka, The Chiffons, Little Eva, Neil Diamond, Henry Hall, BBC Concert Orchestra, Dan Donovan, Soft Cell, The Lowest Pair, Was (Not Was), Herbie Hancock, The Fairfield Four, Mama Cass Elliot, Vanity Fare, The Guess Who, Slobberbone, Beck, Don McLean, Wreckless Eric, The Ramones, United Bottles, Tom Lehrer, Kismet Original Broadway Cast, Alfred Drake, Dropkick Murphys, Ludovico Bource, The Black Crowes, Ben Platt, Loud Atlas
Comment

Revealed! Lesser-known original songs more famously covered or reworked

May 18, 2023 Peter Kimpton

Not lesser known, but definitely a revealing and true original …

This week it’s time to dig deep for those original songs overshadowed by hit or well-known covers. We can also include remixes and other reworkings, as well as lesser known songs so heavily sampled they make a prominent core more famous version

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, calypso, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, krautrock, metal, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, psychedelia, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, covers, Little Richard, NIck Lowe, The Ramones, Yoko Ono, John Lennon, The Beatles, Oasis, artificial intelligence, Aisis, Breezer, Blondie, The Slits, The Stranglers, The Flying Lizards, Randy & The Rainbows, The Paragons, The Marvelettes, Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker, Rufus Thomas, Tommy Dorsey, Smokey Robinson, Barrett Strong, Soft Cell, Gloria Jones, Wigan Casino, Happy Mondays, The Happy Mondays, Shaun Ryder, John Kongos, Daft Punk, Beyonce, Edwin Birdsong, The Chi-Lites, Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Bryan Ferry, Roxy Music, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Ellie Goulding, Barry Manilow, Austin Mahone, Patti Smith, M. Ward, Hank Williams, Curtiss Maldoon, Gwen McCrae, Lori Lieberman, Sonny Dae, The McCoys, The Nerves
Comment

Playlists: songs about the media of listening to recorded music

February 15, 2022 Peter Kimpton

What goes around …

Record players and vinyl, cassettes and stereo systems, 8-tracks, radios and cassettes, this week we’ve got it taped on every format as guest MussoliniHeadkick spins superb playlists inspired by nominations from last week’s topic

Read more
In avant-garde, calypso, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, metal, jazz, music, musical hall, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags music technology, turntables, stereo systems, cassettes, vinyl, Flanders and Swann, Todd Snider, Ben Lee, The dB's, Stereolab, Corinne Bailey Rae, Criminal Element Orchestra, Supergrass, Reggae Roast, Brian Setzer, LL Cool J, Big Audio Dynamite, Billy Childish, Bow Wow Wow, Darren Hayman, Slade, Hall & Oates, The Ramones, Aerosmith, Cliff Richard, Dub Syndicate, Lana Del Rey, Misty's Big Adventure, This Poison!, Nurse With Wound, MussoliniHeadkick
Comment

Goth, gore and more: scary, creepy, horror-inspired songs

October 21, 2021 Peter Kimpton

Nosferatu, 1922

Whether inspired by fictional horror in books or film, or indeed horrors of the real world, physical or psychological, stylishly goth or gruesomely gory, this Halloween-inspired topic is all about songs that send a shiver up the spine

Read more
In African, blues, avant-garde, classical, comedy, country, dance, drone, disco, dub, electronica, experimental, funk, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, ska, showtime, rocksteady, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, horror, Film, film soundtrack, books, fiction, Mary Shelley, Charles Baudelaire, Bram Stoker, H.P. Lovecraft, Truman Capote, Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Alfred Hitchcock, Joseph Conrad, Francis Ford Coppola, Marlon Brando, Halloween, Bela Lugosi, architecture, Mervyn Peake, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, The Damned, Killing Joke, Theda Bara, Washington Irving, Georges Méliès, FW Murnau, Max Schreck, Kate Bush, David Byrne, Luis Bunuel, Bob Dylan, Blue Oyster Cult, Deep Purple, Vampire Weekend, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Ramones, Robert Bloch, The Simpsons, Stanley Kubrick
Comment

Playlists: songs about masks

September 23, 2020 Peter Kimpton
A signature cover version

A signature cover version

Whether current or the historic, for survival or entertainment, metaphorical, literal, medical, protective, theatrical, comical or disguise, inspired a sea of masks in last week’s topic, guest playlister severin has got it totally covered

Read more
In African, avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, electronica, experimental, folk, funk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, showtime, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks, traditional Tags songs, playlists, masks, Billy Bragg, The Ramones, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Jussi Björling, Iggy Pop, Nancy Wilson, Robyn Hitchcock, Loreena McKennitt, Captain Beefheart, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Kurangan, Peter Hammill, Clinton Fearon, Dave Matthews Band, They Might Be Giants, Grace Jones, The Skids, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Ditty Bops, Carolyn Crawford, Max Romeo, Graham Parker, Idles, Johann Strauss II, The Mountain Goats, Fugees, Lou Reed, Thaikkudam Bridge, George Benson, Susanne Sundfør, Rob Brydon, Severin, severin
Comment

In full swing: songs and instrumentals from New York City

July 18, 2019 Peter Kimpton
There’s more than one way of having in ball in New York. The 1930s …

There’s more than one way of having in ball in New York. The 1930s …

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 more
In avant-garde, blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, disco, experimental, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, musicals, musical hall, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, showtime, ska, songs, soul, soundtracks Tags songs, playlists, New York, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Beastie Boys, LCD Soundsystem, Henry Ford, Duke Ellington, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, Staten Island, David Byrne, Talking Heads, George Gershwin, Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Neil Diamond, Sonny Bono, paul simon, Broadway, Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, Andy Warhol, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Blondie, The Ramones, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, B-52s, The New York Dolls, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Dee-Lite, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Led Zeppelin, Joe Strummer, The Clash, Television (band), Prince, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Harlem, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Milos Forman, John Updike, Bette Midler, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Film, film soundtrack, Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, gangs, Statue of Liberty
Comment

Playlists: songs about hitchhiking

July 3, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Who will get a pickup this week?

Who will get a pickup this week?

Breakdowns to what’s around the bend, picking up from last week’s topic’s many passengers, our guest driver takeitawayGuru takes us on a fabulous rockin’ rollin’ journey with his pick of songs that really catch a musical ride

Read more
In blues, comedy, country, dance, folk, indie, instrumentals, jazz, metal, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, songs, soul, traditional Tags songs, playlists, hitchhiking, Sheryl Crow, Tom Robinson, Savoy Brown, Boston, Vanity Fair, Bruce Springsteen, Earl Wright and his Orchestra, Dolly Parton, David Allan Coe, Lyle Lovett, Travis Tritt, Attila The Stockbroker, Simon & Garfunkel, Pearl Jam, The Ramones, Gov't Mule, The Grateful Dead, Tom Waits, The White Stripes, The Mutton Birds, Roger Waters, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Red City Radio, Heart, Black Ace, Green Day, takeitawayGuru
Comment

Playlists: songs about electricity

May 8, 2019 Peter Kimpton
Where will lightning strike in this week’s playlists?

Where will lightning strike in this week’s playlists?

Ancient lightning gods and rods to pioneers of current, this week’s bright spark EnglishOutlaw connects nature, history and scientific experiment into musical form with playlists inspired by last week’s electrifying topic

Read more
In avant-garde, comedy, country, dance, electronica, experimental, folk, indie, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, rock, reggae, soul Tags songs, playlists, electricity, science, Screeching Wheel, White Noise, The Grateful Dead, MGMT, Buzzcocks, The Decemberists, The Bee Gees, Laurie Anderson, Peter Gabriel, Frank Sidebottom, Photomartyr, Band of Holy Joy, The Cure, They Might Be Giants, The Waterproof Candle, Man or Astro-Man?, The Ramones, Jenny Hval, Joni Mitchell, Barenaked Ladies, Albert Hammond, Captain Beefheart, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, The Cravats, Mischief Brew, EnglishOutlaw
Comment

Playlists: songs about oddballs, outcasts and outsiders

August 29, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Bunny Wailer

Bunny Wailer

Bunny Wailer, Blind Melon, Beastie Boys, Blur … there all here, you know, and very different. And that’s just a few of the Bs. This week’s guest playlist writer amylee gives you a whole lot more than fantastic playlists inspired by last week’s topic.

Read more
In blues, colours, comedy, country, dance, disco, dub, electronica, folk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul Tags Songs, playlists, outsiders, outcasts, eccentricity, oddballs, Monty Python, The Ramones, Le Tigre, The Lewis Sisters, Arcade Fire, The Cure, Bunny Wailer, Blind Melon, Beastie Boys, Barbara Manning, Blur, Chumbawumba, Jackie Leven, Julian Cope, David Bowie, The Charlatans, The Shins, Barenaked Ladies, Mitski, The Strawbs, Dexys Midnight Runners, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Betty Davis, Was (Not Was), Cameo, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, The Fall, Stratford Mercenaries, Okkervil River, Joni Mitchell, Todd Rundgren, Susan McKeown, Belle & Sebastian, Beck, Soundgarden, AmyLee
Comment

Playlists: songs about nursing and healthcare

July 11, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Feeling better yet? It's all part of the service …

Feeling better yet? It's all part of the service …

Hospital care, pills, patients and patience, we’ve got a musical medicine cabinet of the finest healthcare for you, administered by guest playlist writer Dr Severin and readers nursing great song suggestions

Read more
In blues, country, dance, electronica, folk, indie, jazz, music, musicals, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul Tags songs, playlists, medicine, nursing, health, NHS, Vainica Doble, ナース (The Nurse), Jesca Hoop, The White Stripes, Country Joe McDonald, The Rolling Stones, Bo Diddley, PJ Harvey, Manic Street Preachers, Sinead O'Connor, Ministry, Gruff Rhys, Tiger, Joni Mitchell, Parsnip, Budgie, The Ramones, Billy Bragg, Poison Girls, The Who, The Taxpayers, The Buff Medways, Billie and De De and Their Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Goldfrapp, The Black Angels, The Marvelettes, Champion Jack Dupree, The Raw Herbs, Lee Perry, Frida Hyvönen, Frightened Rabbit, The Velvet Underground, Courtney Barnett, A Spectre Is Haunting Europe, Severin
Comment

Playlists: songs about anonymity

March 28, 2018 Peter Kimpton
That's not us.

That's not us.

Who are you? Who are they? Hackers to the hidden, secret societies to strangers in crowds, masked meetings to sexual liaisons, this week's playlists are superbly assembled by a famous but Anonymous figure

Read more
In soul, ska, rock, reggae, punk, postpunk, pop, playlists, music, indie, hip hop, dance, country, electronica, folk, blues Tags Songs, playlists, Anonymous, anonymity, Tom Petty, Bob Seger, The Cramps, David McWilliams, Suzanne Vega, The Cravats, Courtney Barnett, Traffic, The Who, Soft Cell, Kate Bush, Poison Girls, Alicia Keys, Andrés Calamaro, Elvis Costello, The Taxpayers, Sigrid, Buffy Sainte-Marie, UB40, Belle & Sebastian, Carly Simon, Gene Vincent, Van Morrison, The Chordettes, The Ramones, The Upsetters
Comment

Playlists: personal theme and entrance songs

February 21, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Make your entrance here at the Bar. Strict door policy, obviously …

Make your entrance here at the Bar. Strict door policy, obviously …

There's a big 2nd anniversary gig going on at the bar, but who will perform after all the songs and bands put forward last week? The Landlord invites you to witness the whole variety show, and also stay for a second stage afterparty

Read more
In blues, classical, comedy, country, dance, electronica, folk, hip hop, indie, metal, music, playlists, pop, punk, rock, songs, soul, postpunk, soundtracks Tags Songs, playlists, The Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Undertones, George Baker Selection, Jacques Brel, Mohammed Safi, Bollywood, Quentin Tarantino, film soundtrack, Dave Grusin, Henry Mancini, Etta James, Over The Rhine, Tom Petty, HM Coldstream Guards, Monty Python, Richard Wagner, Donald Trump, James Brown, The JBs, The Ronettes, Ronnie Spektor, Peggy Lee, Amy Irving, Jessica Rabbit, Echobelly, Norma Tanega, Betty Carter, Al Green, Barry White, Van McCoy, Ron Grainer, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, George Friederic Handel, Joel Grey, Roy Budd, Takeshi Terauchi and The Bunnys, The Stranglers, Ken Nordine, Mick Weaver, Shawn Phillips, Dudley Simpson Orchestra, TV themes, The Grateful Dead, CCS, The Rolling Stones, The Mother Hips, The Feelies, New Model Army, Klark Kent, The Dogs D'Amour, Adam and the Ants, Prince, Kendrick Lamar, Dizzee Rascal, Volbeat, David Rose & His Orchestra, Ethel Merman
Comment

Playlists: songs with provocative, strange or humorous titles

February 7, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Mac users: Amon Düül II

Mac users: Amon Düül II

Psychological perspectives to sexual proclivities, social commentary to downright silliness, our guest playlist writer attwilightlarks covers a large articulate range of the human psyche in the wordy titles from last week's topic

Read more
In blues, classical, country, comedy, dance, electronica, folk, hip hop, indie, music, playlists, pop, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul Tags Songs, playlists, titles, sex, philosophy, Carl Jung, Martin Heidegger, Amon Düül II, A Sunny Day In Glasgow, The Deep Freeze Mice, Garfunkel And Oates, They Might Be Giants, Los Campesinos, Joan Armatrading, The Soft Machine, The Turtles, Jackie Leven, Felt, Indians In Moscow, The Movement, Billie Holiday, The Gourds, The Ramones, The Faces, Tony Joe White, Sam The Sham And The Pharoahs, Mental As Anything, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Ricky Warwick, Desmond Dekker, attwilightlarks
Comment

Sing out for unsung heroes: songs with great backing vocals

December 28, 2017 Peter Kimpton
The Andantes: backing vocal mainstays of Motown – Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow and Louvain Demps. Who didn't they sing for?

The Andantes: backing vocal mainstays of Motown – Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow and Louvain Demps. Who didn't they sing for?

They're the brilliant singers who blend beautiful and really make the music. From Motown and soul to to church and gospel, barbershop to pop or even punk, suggest songs made backed brillliantly by the unknown or famous

Read more
In classical, folk, indie, music, playlists, pop, punk, reggae, rock, songs, soul Tags songs, backing vocals, singers, The Primettes, The Supremes, Diana Ross, Elvis Presley, Las Vegas, church music, choirs, gospel, Jordanaires, Foggy River Boys, The Sweet Sensations, Emily 'Cissy' Houston, Dee Dee Warwick, Dionne Warwick, The Drinkard Singers, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Wilson Pickett, Lisa Harrigan, Solomon Burke, The Andantes, The Andrews Sisters, Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, Louvain Demps, Martha Reeves, The Vandellas, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Jimmy Ruffin, Edwin Starr, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, The Isley Brothers, Gino Washington, John Lee Hooker, James Velvet, Eddie Holland, Motown, Holland-Dozier-Holland, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, The Pips, George Harrison, Phil Collins, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, Ava Cherry, Robin Clark, Luther Vandross, The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Carly Simon, The Neville Brothers, The Mamas and Papas, Prince, New Power Generation, The Revolution, Fleet Foxes, Kings of Leon, The Unthanks, Everything Everythng, The Seekers, The Bachelors, The Drifters, Burt Bacharach, The Kingsmen, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Everything Everything, Franz Ferdinand, Vampire Weekend, Take That, Sugababes, Le Mystere des voix Bulgares, The Ramones, The Mahotella Queens, Mahlathini, Simon & Garfunkel, Freddie Mercury, barbershop, Sly & The Family Stone, Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, Whitney Houston, Gwen Stefani, Pink
Comment

Playlists: songs about reunions

December 6, 2017 Peter Kimpton
Guess which boys are back for a reunion in this week's A-list …

Guess which boys are back for a reunion in this week's A-list …

Allman Brothers to Viv Albertine, Rolling Stones to Robert Earl Keen, Lene Lovich to Thin Lizzy, this week brings a wonderful wave of reunion and homecoming in playlist form, compiled by Ravi Raman from last week's topic

Read more
In blues, folk, indie, country, pop, rock, songs, soul Tags Songs, playlists, reunions, The Allman Brothers Band, Gram Parsons, Bert Jansch, John Sebastian, Lene Lovich, Viv Albertine, The Rolling Stones, Tony Carey, John Mayer, Robert Earl Keen, Thin Lizzy, Dar Williams, Mrs Ackroyd Band, The Adverts, The Who, June Tabor, G Love and Special Sauce, Jennifer Warnes, The Mountain Goats, The Ramones, Roy Orbison, Louis Armstrong, Father John Misty, Sparklehorse, Pulp, ZZ Top, David Ackles, The Statler Brothers, Ravi Raman
Comment

Playlists: songs about rooms

August 30, 2017 Peter Kimpton
Room for imagination. House shown in picture may differ from that which is advertised …

Room for imagination. House shown in picture may differ from that which is advertised …

Leaving plenty of room for the imagination from a palace of nominations from last week's topic, guest agent EnglishOutlaw presents a musical property currently on the market that's a must-see and listen

Read more
In music, playlists, songs Tags songs, rooms, property, The Pretenders, Cream, Half Man Half Biscuit, Frazier Chorus, Bill Fay, The Ramones, The Cure, The Strokes, Elvis Costello, The Bangles, Tom Petty, Everything But The Girl, Bessie Smith, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Kate Bush, Phish, Lee Scratch Perry, Klymaax, John Cooper Clarke, Fugazi, Dropkick Murphys, Kings of Leon, Eminem, Cadaver Club, EnglishOutlaw
Comment

Playlists: songs about bad decisions, poor judgement and U-turns

April 5, 2017 Peter Kimpton
The Ramones … slightly regretting opening that door …

The Ramones … slightly regretting opening that door …

Brexit or breakup? Heartbreak or international crisis? Hitting the hurt and mistakes hard, from Ramones to Radiohead, guest writer Violet Vivid tells a personal tale of woe with a wonderful set of playlists from last week's topic

Read more
In playlists, music, songs Tags Songs, playlists, The Woodentops, Kim Weston, The Rose of Avalanche, The Dirtbombs, Soft Cell, Cadaver Club, Half Man Half Biscuit, Everything But The Girl, The Adverts, KKKKitchens, The Long Blondes, The Ramones, Megadeth, Radiohead, Meatload, Meatloaf, New Model Army, The Housemartins, Bobby Vee, Fela Kuti, Public Image Limited, Cassette Boy, UK Subs, Mischief Brew, Sex Pistols, Desmond Dekker, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Stranglers, Cornershop, Violet Vivid, KK Kitchens
Comment

Putin on the Ritz: songs and music from or about Russia

January 19, 2017 Peter Kimpton
Vladimir, in a gesture of true hospitality, is taking his friend Donald for a ride

Vladimir, in a gesture of true hospitality, is taking his friend Donald for a ride

Language need be no barrier. Let’s reveal, explore, inaugurate, even celebrate, from classical, film to pop, from inside and out, the rich musical heritage inspired by this vast, contradictory country

Read more
Tags Songs, Russia, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Winston Churchill, Paul Robeson, Nikolai Gogol, US presidential election, Peter the Great, Catherine The Great, Andrei Sakharov, folk, classical, Eduard Khil, Leonid Kharitonov, Vitas, Shostakovich, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Andrei Tarkovsky, Sergei Eisenstein, film, Anton Chekhov, Moscow, Blondie, The Vibrators, Ronald Reagan, Cold war, Otto von Bismark, marxism, Tony Benn, Pussy Riot, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Marc Almond, The Ramones, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Adam Curtis, Garry Kasparov, Rudolph Nureyev
Comment

Playlists: songs about fighting

June 15, 2016 Peter Kimpton
Frazier, Foreman and Ali. All friendly like.

Frazier, Foreman and Ali. All friendly like.

Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Liston, and Louis? You can bet this week's round of themed song selections by guest writer Ravi Raman packs a punch – and check out even more music moves with kung fu and karate …

Read more
Tags songs, boxing, fighting, martial arts, Sonny Liston, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, kung fu, Paul Kelly, Memphis Minne, Mark Knopfler, Johnny Wakelin, Everlast, BIg Youth, Styx, Garbage, Brad Paisley, Carl Douglas, Afu Ra, Masta Killa, Morrissey, Joe Ely, Genesis, The Rolling Stones, Jackie Leven, Primus, Bob Dylan, Oi Polloi, Tom Russell, The Ramones, David Essex, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Colin Hay, Boomtown Rats, Simon & Garfunkel, Just Dave, Ravi Raman
Comment
music_declares_emergency_logo.png

Sing out, act on CLIMATE CHANGE

Black Lives Matter.jpg

CONDEMN RACISM, EMBRACE EQUALITY


Donate
Song Bar spinning.gif

DRINK OF THE WEEK

Constant comment tea


SNACK OF THE WEEK

black-eyed peas


New Albums …

Featured
Tyler Ballgame - For The First Time Again.jpeg
Jan 30, 2026
Tyler Ballgame: For The First Time, Again
Jan 30, 2026

New album: With that sublime, soaring, soulful voice, and echoes of Roy Orbison, the Rhode Island-raised singer-songwriter’s truly gorgeous debut LP captures all the range of of the love – warmth, longing, tenderness and heartbreak through classy and crafted retro sound of 60s and 70s rock

Jan 30, 2026
Tessa Rose Jackson - The Lighthouse.jpeg
Jan 29, 2026
Tessa Rose Jackson: The Lighthouse
Jan 29, 2026

New album: Beautiful, intricate, understated, poetic and intelligent, this warm, inviting experimental folk by the Dutch-British singer-songwriter is the first LP under her own name, having previously released three as the artist Someone

Jan 29, 2026
Lucinda Williams - World's Gone Wrong.jpeg
Jan 28, 2026
Lucinda Williams: World's Gone Wrong
Jan 28, 2026

New album: The acclaimed veteran country, rock and Americana singer-songwriter and multi-Grammy winner’s latest LP has a title that speaks for itself, but is powerful, angry, defiant and uplifting, and, recorded in Nashville, features guest vocals from Norah Jones, Mavis Staples and Brittney Spencer

Jan 28, 2026
Clotheline From Hell.jpeg
Jan 27, 2026
Clothesline From Hell: Slather On The Honey
Jan 27, 2026

New album: His moniker mischievously named after a wrestling move, a highly impressive, independently-created experimental, psychedelic rock debut the the Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Adam LaFramboise

Jan 27, 2026
Dead Dads Club.jpeg
Jan 27, 2026
Dead Dads Club: Dead Dads Club
Jan 27, 2026

New album: Dynamic, passionate, heart-stirring indie rock in this project fronted by Chilli Jesson (formerly bassist of Palma Violets) with songs spurred by the trauma of losing his father 20 years ago, retelling a defiant and difficult aftermath, with sound boosted by producer Carlos O’Connell of Fontaines D.C.

Jan 27, 2026
The Paper Kites - IF YOU GO THERE, I HOPE YOU FIND IT.png
Jan 25, 2026
The Paper Kites: If You Go There, I Hope You Find It
Jan 25, 2026

New album: Warm, tender, gently-paced, calmly reflective, beautifully soothing, poetic, melancholic alternative folk and Americana by the band from Melbourne in their seventh LP in 15 years

Jan 25, 2026
PVA - No More Like This.jpeg
Jan 24, 2026
PVA: No More Like This
Jan 24, 2026

New album: Inventive, alluring, sensual, mysterious, minimalistic electronica, trip-hop and experimental pop by the London trio of Ella Harris, Joshua Baxter and Louis Satchell, in this second album following 2022’s Blush, boosted by the creativity of producer and instrumentalist Kwake Bass

Jan 24, 2026
Imarhan - Essam.jpeg
Jan 20, 2026
Imarhan: Essam
Jan 20, 2026

New album: A mesmeric fourth LP in a decade by the band from Tamanrasset, Algeria, whose name means ‘the ones I care about’, their Tuareg music mixing guitar riffs, pop melodies and African rhythms, but this time also evolves slightly away from the desert blues rocky, bluesy influence of contemporaries Tinariwen with electronic elements

Jan 20, 2026
Courtney Marie Andrews - Valentine.jpeg
Jan 20, 2026
Courtney Marie Andrews: Valentine
Jan 20, 2026

New album: Emotional, beautiful, stirring, Americana, folk and indie-pop by singer-songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona, in this latest studio LP in of soaring voice, strong melodies, love, vulnerability and heartbreak, longing and bravery

Jan 20, 2026
Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore - Tragic Magic.jpeg
Jan 18, 2026
Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore: Tragic Magic
Jan 18, 2026

New album: Delicate, beautiful, ethereal, meditative new work by the two American experimental composers in their first collaborative LP, with gentle understated vocals, classic synth sounds, and rare harps chosen from from the Paris Musée de la Musique Collection

Jan 18, 2026
Sleaford Mods- The Demise of Planet X.jpeg
Jan 16, 2026
Sleaford Mods: The Demise of Planet X
Jan 16, 2026

New album: The caustic wit of Nottingham’s Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn return with a 13th LP of brilliantly abrasive, dark humoured hip-hop and catchy beats, addressing the rubbish state of the world, as well as local, personal and social irritations through slick nostalgic cultural reference, some expanded sounds, and an eclectic set of guests

Jan 16, 2026
Sault - Chapter 1.jpeg
Jan 14, 2026
SAULT: Chapter 1
Jan 14, 2026

New album: As ever, released suddenly without fanfare or any publicity, the prolific experimental soul, jazz, gospel, funk, psychedelia and disco collective of Cleo Sol, Info (aka Dean Josiah Cover) and co return with a stylish, mysterious LP

Jan 14, 2026
The Cribs - Selling A Vibe.jpeg
Jan 14, 2026
The Cribs: Selling A Vibe
Jan 14, 2026

New album: A first LP in five years by the likeable and solid guitar indie-rock Jarman brothers trio from Wakefield, now with their ninth - a catchy, but at times with rueful, bittersweet perspectives on their times in the music business

Jan 14, 2026
Dry Cleaning - Secret Love.jpeg
Jan 9, 2026
Dry Cleaning: Secret Love
Jan 9, 2026

New album: This third LP by the London experimental post-punk quartet with the distinctive, spoken, droll delivery of Florence Shaw, is packed with striking, vivid, often non seqitur lyrics capturing life’s surreal mundanities and neuroses with a sound coloured and polished by Cate Le Bon as producer

Jan 9, 2026

new songs …

Featured
Robber Robber band.jpeg
Jan 30, 2026
Song of the Day: Robber Robber - The Sound It Made
Jan 30, 2026

Song of the Day: Striking, dynamic, noisy stop-and-start, stylish experimental post-rock and post-rock by the band from Burlington, Vermont, fronted by Nina Cates, heralding their new album, Two Wheels Move the Soul, out on 3 April via on Fire Talk

Jan 30, 2026
Holly Humberstone - To Love Somebody.jpeg
Jan 29, 2026
Song of the Day: Holly Humberstone - To Love Somebody
Jan 29, 2026

Song of the Day: Shimmeringly catchy and singalong, effervescent Abba-esque and Fleetwood Mac-ish piano and synth pop with an eye-catching, vampiric-themed video by the British singer-songwriter from Grantham, heralding her second album Cruel World out on 10 April via Polydor/Universal.

Jan 29, 2026
Nathan Fake.jpeg
Jan 28, 2026
Song of the Day: Nathan Fake - Slow Yamaha
Jan 28, 2026

Song of the Day: Hypnotic electronica with woozy layers of smooth resonance and a lattice of shifting analogue patterns by the British artist from Norfolk, taken from his forthcoming album, Evaporator, out on InFiné Music

Jan 28, 2026
Charlotte Day Wilson - Lean.jpeg
Jan 27, 2026
Song of the Day: Charlotte Day Wilson - Lean (featuring Saya Gray)
Jan 27, 2026

Song of the Day: Stylish, striking, sensual experimental electro-pop and R&B in this fabulous collaboration between the two Canadian singer/ multi-instrumentalist from Toronto, out on Stone Woman Music/ XL Recordings

Jan 27, 2026
Lime Garden - 23.jpeg
Jan 26, 2026
Song of the Day: Lime Garden - 23
Jan 26, 2026

Song of the Day: Wonderfully catchy, witty, quirky indie pop about age and adjustment by the Brighton-formed quartet fronted by Chloe Howard, heralding their upcoming album Maybe Not Tonight, out on So Young Records on 10 April

Jan 26, 2026
Madra Salach - It's A Hell Of An Age - EP.jpeg
Jan 25, 2026
Song of the Day: Madra Salach - The Man Who Seeks Pleasure
Jan 25, 2026

Song of the Day: A powerful, slow-simmering and gradually intensifying, drone-based original folk number about the the flipsides of love and hedonism by the young Irish traditional and alternative folk band, with comparisons to Lankum, from the recently released EP It's a Hell of an Age, out on Canvas Music

Jan 25, 2026
Adult DVD band.jpeg
Jan 24, 2026
Song of the Day: Adult DVD - Real Tree Lee
Jan 24, 2026

Song of the Day: Catchy, witty, energised acid-dance-punk with echoes of Underworld and Snapped Ankles by the dynamic, innovative band from Leeds in a new number about a dodgy character of toxic masculinity and online ignorance, and their first release on signing to Fat Possum

Jan 24, 2026
Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night - War Child - HELP 2.jpeg
Jan 23, 2026
Song of the Day: Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night (for War Child HELP 2 charity album)
Jan 23, 2026

Song of the Day: A simmering, potent, contemplative new track by acclaimed Sheffield band, their first song since 2022’s album The Car, with proceeds benefiting the charity War Child, heralding the upcoming HELP (2) compilation out on 6 March with various contributors

Jan 23, 2026
White Denim - Lock and Key.jpg
Jan 22, 2026
Song of the Day: White Denim - (God Created) Lock and Key
Jan 22, 2026

Song of the Day: The Austin, Texas-formed LA-based rockers return with an infectiously catchy groove fusing rock, funk, dub, soul, and down-dirty blues with some playful self-mythologising and darker themes, heralding 13th album, 13, out on 24 April via Bella Union

Jan 22, 2026
Holy Fuck band.jpeg
Jan 21, 2026
Song of the Day: Holy Fuck - Evie
Jan 21, 2026

Song of the Day: The Canadian experimental indie rock and electronica quartet from Toronto return with a pulsating new track of thrumming bass and shimmering keyboards, heralding their forthcoming new album Event Beat, out on 27 March via Satellite Services

Jan 21, 2026
KAVARI.jpeg
Jan 20, 2026
Song of the Day: KAVARI - IRON VEINS
Jan 20, 2026

Song of the Day: Exciting, cutting-edge electronica and hardcore dance music by innovative the Birkenhead-born, Glasgow-based artist Cameron Winters (she), with a stylish, striking video, heralding the forthcoming EP, PLAGUE MUSIC, out digitally and on 12-inch vinyl on 6 February via XL Recordings

Jan 20, 2026
Asap Rocky - Punk Rocky.png
Jan 19, 2026
Song of the Day: A$AP Rocky - Punk Rocky
Jan 19, 2026

Song of the Day: The standout catchy hip-pop/soul/pop track from the New York rapper aka Rakim Athelston Mayers’ (also the husband of Rihanna) recently released album, Don’t Be Dumb, featuring also the voice of Cristoforo Donadi, and out on A$AP Rocky Recordings

Jan 19, 2026

Word of the week

Featured
Zumbador dorado - mango bumblebee Puerto Rico.jpeg
Jan 22, 2026
Word of the week: zumbador
Jan 22, 2026

Word of the week: A wonderfully evocative noun from the Spanish for word buzz, and meaning both a South American hummingbird, a door buzzer, and symbolic of resurrection of the soul in ancient Mexican culture, while also serving as the logo for a tequila brand

Jan 22, 2026
Hamlet ad - Gregor Fisher.jpg
Jan 8, 2026
Word of the week: aspectabund
Jan 8, 2026

Word of the week: This rare adjective describes a highly expressive face or countenance, where emotions and reactions are readily shown through the eyes or mouth

Jan 8, 2026
Kaufmann Trumpeter 1950.jpeg
Dec 24, 2025
Word of the week: bellonion (or belloneon)
Dec 24, 2025

Word of the week: It sounds like a bulbous, multi-layered peeling vegetable, but this obscure mechanical musical instrument invented in 1812 in Dresden consisted of 24 trumpets and two kettle drums and, designed to mimic the sound of a marching band, might also make your eyes water

Dec 24, 2025
Hangover.jpeg
Dec 4, 2025
Word of the week: crapulence
Dec 4, 2025

Word of the week: A term that may apply regularly during Xmas party season, from the from the Latin crapula, in turn from the Greek kraipálē meaning "drunkenness" or "headache" pertains to sickness symptoms caused by excess in eating or drinking, or general intemperance and overindulgence

Dec 4, 2025
Running shoes and barefoot.jpeg
Nov 20, 2025
Word of the week: discalceate
Nov 20, 2025

Word of the week: A rarely used, but often practised verb, especially when arriving home, it means to take off your shoes, but is also a slightly more common adjective meaning barefoot or unshod, particularly for certain religious orders that wear sandals instead of shoes. But in what context does this come up in song?

Nov 20, 2025

Song Bar spinning.gif