Ten Tip Top Tunes for Tom: Being a list of songs that I’m listening to over and over again at the moment and which if you had less conscience and were prepared to (immorally) steal music through some kind of file-sharing application, you should probably download immediately. Bearing in mind that I couldn’t countenance such behaviour obviously.
- Lonesome Tears, by Beck
The most played song I own (says Mr iTunes), Lonesome Tears has been played about a gajillion times since Sea Change was released last month. Best song on the album. Wonderful. - Temptation, Heaven 17
I miss power pop like this – escalating chords in this song quite alarmingly resemble the end of Lonesome Tears. I always wonder if the woman who belts out the twirly bits was brought in afterwards to spice up a slightly boring song or not… - Nutbush City Limits, Tina Turner
Because post-Ike Tina Turner may have been a great big-haired 80s power balladeer, but 70s Tina Turner was a spiky hardcore edgy song-belter with enough spine to scale many a dinosaur. - Poplife, Prince
Liking Prince only became a crime when Prince’s music became criminally awful. I’d suggest this was when he started thieving from temples. Personal opinion of course – many people like his crapper work. Nonetheless, there’s got to be a place in life for Pop Life. Because life it ain’t too funky. Unless it’s got that pop. - Top of the World, Shonen Knife
You know what’s great? Happy Japanese Punk-Pop Pixies singing bouncy Carpenters’ songs with quite bad accents. Kurt Cobain loved Shonen Knife. And then he killed himself. - God Save the Queen, Sex Pistols
The most tuneful and iconic of the Sex Pistols’ ouevre is just a bloody good laugh when you’re in the lift by yourself in the mornings (carrying your green soya smoothie with spirulina to your creative desk-job – sigh…). - Get Free, The Vines
“I’m gonna get free, I’m gonna get free, Ride into the Sun.” For some reason this and Randy Crawford belting out “Someday I’ll fly away” have been stuck in my head for the last few holiday-free months. - The Killing Moon, Echo and the Bunnymen
Donnie Darko biking down a moutain road in the early morning light cracking through the branches as 80s indie icons get cruelly kissed as the sky’s all hung with jewels. Fate, up against your will. Through the thick and thin. Whatever… - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John
This boys too young, but he’s not too proud, to be singing these Elton John inspired blues. Back to the howling old owl in the woods. Hunting the horny back toad. I’ve finally decided my future lies beyond the Yellow Brick Road. - I’d Love to Change the World, Ten Years After
From a film where liberal intellectuals kill all the right-wing bastards they can, until they meet the ultimate bastard, who then persuades them not to kill him, before killing them and becoming a satanic President of the USA. Everywhere is freaks and hairies, dykes and fairies… Good film…