Music you need
I haven't checked out the store yet (I mostly use PC's, but don't tell anyone) but I agree that there is a great market for one hit wonders and singles. There was a time when albums didn't really mean much and it was just singles. And some artists and types of music are just better suited to singles. When I find a good album, I'll buy it, but it has to mean something as whole or have a lot of good songs on it.
Here are some of my very favorite album fragments (in one folder, so they're alphabetical):
Beach Boys - Good Vibrations (I don't think you need much else by them; but this is great)
Ben Folds Five - Brick (very pretty, not sure I want the whole album)
C+C Music Factory - Things That Make You Go Hmmm
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen (like 3 songs in one; all great)
Don McLean - American Pie (what else did Don Mclean ever do?)
Don McLean - Vincent (oh yeah)
Donovan - Season of the Witch
Dusty Springfield - Son of a Preacher Man
Elton John - Tiny Dancer (why isn't this on a greatest hits album?)
Eddie Grant - Electric Avenue (fun song)
Etta James - At Last
Fatboy Slim - Praise You
Glenn Miller - Moonlight Serenade (only jazz song you need)
Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing (you know funk when you hear it)
Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit (acid rock, this is it)
Jimmy Cliff - Vietnam (Bob Dylan said it was the best protest song ever)
Leon Redbone - I Want to be Seduced (who doesn't)
Lipps, Inc. - Funky Town (after this disco sold out)
Morrissey - Every Day is Like Sunday
Norman Greenbaum - Spirit in the Sky (nice song about Jesus)
Patsy Cline - I Fall to Pieces (only country song you need)
Peter, Paul, and Mary - Leaving on a Jet Plane (written by John Denver, who really did leave on a jet plane, well, almost)
? and the Mysterians - 96 Tears
Radiohead - Creep (try other Radiohead albums, but not this one)
REM - What's the Frequency Kenneth? (REM is great, but this album wasn't)
REM - Lion Sleeps Tonight (you need to get it by somebody and this version is good)
Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy (catchy)
Run DMC - It's Tricky (only rap song you need, though I bought the album once I remembered My Adidas ("we rocked the stage / at Live Aid / the people gave / and the poor got paid / My Adidas") and You Be Illin'; actually just buy the album and it will be the only rap album you'll ever need)
Rusted Root - Send Me on My Way (nice song, popularized by Ice Age)
Smiths - Unloveable, What Difference Does it Make, How Soon is Now (all three great but no Smiths compilation has all three)
Soft Cell - Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go (*the* one hit wonder; good luck finding the right version)
Terrence Trent D'Arby - Wishing Well (never heard from again)
Tracy Chapman - Give Me One Reason (to buy the album . . .)
U2 - Numb (love it or hate it; the only reason I bought that album, and the reason I didn't feel so bad downloading instead of buying albums for one good song)
Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London (still looking for another great Zevon song; I'd like to meet his tailor)
ZZ Top - La Grange (everything else is a variation of the original)
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Comments (1)
Dear Uncle Ted,
We are sitting at our laptop reading your list of songs. Morrissey and The Smiths have put out some great ones... How Soon Is Now? is maybe one of the best songs of all time. My friend Allyson recently met Smiths' guitarist Johnny Marr and he played her favorite Smiths song on guitar! (the one that goes "ask me, ask me, ask meeee," but I don't remember the song title)
Kelly says Hi, and she likes Things That Make You Go Hmmmm.....
Posted by Nicole and Kelly | May 19, 2003 4:32 PM