Graeme's Colossal Countdown Recap! (Episode 4: #451-436)

I'm back with a recap of my Colossal Countdown! Now, I didn't upload my blog last week, but perhaps during Winter Break I will catch up on any submissions I may have missed. But since this Saturday's weather is much lousier than last Saturday's, I'm nestled up in my dorm room and ready to write (unlike last week). So if you missed last night's colossal countdown episode, stick around and read on! And even if you didn't... here's some more fun facts about each of the songs I played last night.

#451: Hello, I Love You (The Doors, 1968)

I started off last night with a song that's short and sweet, but certainly is a great example of Jim Morrison's powerful, baritone rock 'n roll voice. It has its share of controversy, because it allegedly plagiarized "All Day and All of the Night" by the Kinks. Personally, I hear nothing more than a passing resemblance with the riffs. Then, the more diehard Doors fans dislike this song due to its commercial nature. Well, there's a couple cool things about the Doors to me. First, is Jim Morrison's strong bravado and stage presence. Second, it's the well-known hits, such as this one.

#450: Yes It Is (The Beatles, 1965)

John Lennon described this as a failed rewrite of "This Boy", but as usual, he was his own harshest critic. Both songs are fantastic, in my opinion. Beatles Bible does indeed note the similarities between the two tunes. Much like "This Boy", this song is in a 12/8 time signature, features beautiful 3-part harmony, and is based on the 50s doo wop chord progression. No wonder I like it! This was written at a time when the Beatles were starting to transition from their lovey dovey romance tunes into something more substantial. And while this could be seen as a love song, the lyrics are more meaningful than say, "I Feel Fine".

This is arguably the Beatles most complex 3-part harmony. It's dissonant and spooky!

#449: Little Bitty Pretty One (Thurston Harris & The Sharps, 1957)

Bobby Day may have had "Rockin' Robin", but perhaps most of his career earnings came off royalties from this song. After all, artists like Frankie Lymon, Clyde McPhatter, and the Jackson Five all went on to cover it! But of course this is the most popular version, and this is the one we're focusing on. This Aladdin Records version by Thurston Harris features the Sharps on backing vocals. And they play a vital role in this song, singing the epic hummed intro. Also, the Sharps would later go on to become The Rivingtons and record "Papa Oom Mow Mow". Interesting!

#448: Rainbow (Meghan Trainor, 2022)

Meghan Trainor had plenty of power ballads on her debut album Title in 2015. While she is known for her catchy hooks, her voice is perhaps even better suited for these beautiful slow jams. We'll cover quite a few more throughout my list, as of course I am a huge fan of MTrain! But, her debut on this list comes from her latest album, Takin it Back. MTrain is known for being a strong ally of the LGBT community, and so she recorded this pretty song "Rainbow" in honor of people struggling to come out. Apparently, Meghan just had her second son. Congrats to her and her husband, I hope it's another redhead!

#447: Daddy and Home (Jimmie Rodgers, 1929)

I noted on the show that Jimmie Rodgers is my "favorite lunger" (i.e. TB sufferer). Well, my Dad informed me that he can truly only be my second favorite, behind Doc Holliday from Tombstone. Sorry, I forgot about you, Doc! But speaking of Dads... this song is about Jimmie's Dad, whose name was Aaron Rodgers. As far as I know though, he bears no relation to the Jets quarterback that unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury on the fourth play of the season. But in any case, this song is a beautiful tribute to silver-haired Dads, almost 100 years later.

This is one of three songs that Jimmie recorded for his film "The Singing Brakeman". At the dawn of the "talkie" era, no less!

#446: Alison (Elvis Costello, 1977)

I try to keep everyone somewhat happy with my show, and have songs that reflect all my listeners' tastes in music once in a while. Well, this was one for my Mom. I noted on the show that the single didn't even chart at the time, and yet it would later go on to make one of Rolling Stone's Top 500 songs lists. So, it did have some sort of lasting legacy! Costello said it was recorded about some woman he saw in a grocery store, and like the other Elvis before him, he borrowed a song element from black singers. Apparently, the staccato way he sings the chorus was inspired by how The Detroit Spinners sang their song "Ghetto Child".

#445: Big Balls (AC/DC, 1976)

Not everyone was a big fan of this song last night, needless to say! But I do know there's one other big AC/DC fan in the audience, so perhaps she could enjoy the genius lyrics of frontman legend Bon Scott. Although, I'm sure the Young brothers Malcolm and Angus must have also contributed to the mischievous lyrics of this innuendo-filled ditty. Sometimes, I'm not going to put songs on the list because they're musically good. Rather, I will put them on the list because they're clever and give me a good laugh. This fits much more in the latter category, I would say. Same applies with "Mr. Custer" from last week, or our very first song "C is For Cookie".

#444: Jolene (Dolly Parton, 1973)

It's now been 50 years since this blonde legend has recorded what can now safely be considered her signature song. Though I personally have two of Dolly's songs higher on my list, the critics gush over this beautiful tune even more than I do. The proof is in the pudding... Rolling Stone put this at #217 on their original Top 500 list; on their revised list, it now rocks #63. I mentioned on the show how it was a redhead bank teller flirting with Dolly's husband that inspired this song. Yes, us gingers are truly devilish! And it has even been explored whether Dolly wrote this song due to her own attraction to Jolene. She described that interpretation simply as "another take on it". Not explicitly denying it, I see!

I'm proud to own this album on vinyl.

#443: Six Nights a Week (The Crests, 1959)

I've mentioned before on this blog what made The Crests a unique doo wop group. First of all, they were one of the few ethnically mixed groups at the time. They had three black singers, one Puerto Rican, and one Italian. And that Italian is another thing that made the group unique; John Peter Mastrangelo had quite the beautiful tenor voice. I of course am referring to the birth name of Johnny Maestro, who I suppose changed his name up to be a bit more commercially viable. In any case, his vocals shine on this particular song, which has been kept alive by my Grandpa's group, Spare Parts.

#442: Earth Angel (The Crests, 1960)

It's sometimes hard to find what year exactly these more obscure doo wop songs come from. Since the Crests were in the spotlight last night, I played them back to back. And while The Penguins' original quite clearly comes from 1954, it's harder to find when the Crests recorded their fantastic cover. But I think the best answer is that it's from 1960 off of Coed Records. I originally was going to play the classic Penguins version on this show, I swear that was my Plan A. But then, I was listening to my Dad's doo wop playlist a few weeks before school started. This song popped up, and I thought, "I didn't know Johnny Maestro covered this!".

#441: Sixteen Tons (Tennessee Ernie Ford, 1955)

There will be two songs written by, but not sung by, Merle Travis on my list. This is the first of the two. Travis was a 1940s country singer-songwriter that helped expose the poor conditions that coal miners worked in. He was a true singing muckraker, a legend of his time. But then his songs would go onto be recorded by more talented, deeper-voiced country singers. Case in point, Tennessee Ernie Ford had himself a huge crossover country hit at the end of 1955. Not only was this a country #1 hit for 10 weeks, it was a pop #1 hit for 8 weeks as well. Perhaps it had some inherent pop appeal with its use of the clarinet, not exactly a well-known country instrument!

Between that husky voice and that mustache, I'd probably be scared of this man, to be honest.

#440: When You Dance (The Turbans, 1955)

I mentioned on the show how what The Turbans did was the original "cultural appropriation". For those unfamiliar, it's a modern day woke term for one culture ripping off another culture, perhaps by dressing in their garb. After all, it was part of the Turbans shtick to wear turbans on their head... despite the fact that they were probably not Sikhs, as they were four black guys. They may also have very well invented the term "doo wop" on this tune, which is now an iconic and well-loved song among doo wop fans. I think it has one of the best saxophone solos you'll hear on a doo wop song. And then right after it, you hear "Whe-ee-ee-een" from falsetto lead singer Al Banks. Good stuff!

I was not kidding about their look, folks.

#439: I Want To Tell You (The Beatles, 1966)

The Beatles' iconic album Revolver has so many iconic songs that I feel bad for leaving many of them off the list. Whether it be "Eleanor Rigby", "Here, There, and Everywhere", or "For No One", there's plenty I could've included. But perhaps I just have an anti-Paul bias or something, because I think very few Beatles fans would put this unheralded George gem ahead of those more well-loved Paul songs. But guess what, it's my list, so it's my rules! I find the lyrics incredibly interesting, as George deals with his self-doubt. And then the piano is just gritty... not to mention the fading guitar into that is reminiscent of "Eight Days a Week".

#438: Think For Yourself (The Beatles, 1965)

The mid 60s, George Harrison-led Beatles got the spotlight on my show last night. And it was well-deserved, because George was truly starting to mature as a songwriter. A year later, he'd go on to take down the "Taxman" on the same album that the previous tune was on, Revolver. But before he got all political, he was directing this jabbing song at... well, I thought it was some relationship conflict with Pattie Boyd or something. But as it turns out, George said it was to target narrow-minded thinking, and perhaps the British government. George definitely had a libertarian bend, I suppose! Indeed, he already was political, even if it wasn't so obvious!

#437: Paper Doll (The Mills Brothers, 1942)

I mentioned on my show how this song was wildly popular. Indeed, it's one of fewer than 40 singles to have sold more than 10 million physical copies. In the World War II era, it had millions of men around the country saying "women, am I right?". After all, that's the main message of the song. Just cut out a paper doll for yourself, rather than have a fickle-minded real life girl! The song was originally written over a century ago in 1915 by Johnny S. Black, after he was indeed jilted by his girlfriend. So whether it's now or 108 years ago, Black's message lives on in the form of this Mills Brothers song. 

My brother and I actually lip-synced a cover of this song, about 9 years ago.

#436: Women and Drinkin' (The Persuasions, 1977)

As soon as you hear Jimmy Hayes's bass voice sing "Listen my man, let me talk to you for a minute"... you know you're in for some sort of ride. And this song is quite the ride indeed, lasting almost 7 minutes long. The Persuasions were of course known for their legendary a capella covers of songs, but I can't seem to find an original for this one. It leads me to believe that this song was about their own lived experiences, perhaps about what lead singer Jerry Lawson himself experienced. Their anthem to hard livin' just had to make my list.

So then, what do you think of these song selections? Let me know if you have any comments, and be sure to stay tuned for Episode 5 of Graeme's Colossal Countdown!

Graeme's Colossal Countdown Recap! (Episode 2: #482-#467)

Did you miss this Friday's episode of the Colossal Countdown? Or do you just want a recap of the songs I played, with some bonus fun facts attached? Either way, read on to find out the stories behind the songs for Episode #2 of Graeme's Colossal Countdown!

#482: Wild Thing (The Troggs, 1966)

Many of these songs on the list will be from an epic mix CD my Dad made about 10 years ago. We played it over and over again, but I rarely got sick of many of those songs. The first song on the list was "Time Has Come Today", which you'll be hearing a lot later on down the list. But the second song? Well, it grabbed your attention right away with that opening guitar slide + riff! That's because "Wild Thing" was indeed a bit wild for its era. Described on Wikipedia as garage rock or proto-punk, it was a bit different from what listeners typically heard in the mid 60s. And it was rewarded with a #1 spot on the pop charts.

#481: Black Night (Charles Brown, 1951)

This one I found out about all by myself, when doing research on R&B songs for "Graeme's Golden Oldies", a show I did spring semester of sophomore year. It's a pure blues song that was recorded for Aladdin Records, and the audience of African-American listeners absolutely loved it. It remained at the top position of the R&B charts for 14 straight weeks, which was longer than any other single at the time. Its bleak lyrics, coupled with smooth piano and saxophone, make it a very interesting listen more than seven decades later.

#480: Photograph (Def Leppard, 1983)

Well, I guess it's back to crediting Dad with influencing my music taste! This glam rock song from 1983 was a key feature of the MTV era. It was a #12 hit on the pop charts, but a #1 hit in the "mainstream rock" category. Phil Collen plays a monster guitar solo on this one, and Joe Elliott does a great job on lead vocals. Elliott described this song as about "something you can't ever get your hands on". Well, considering the music video prominently featured Marilyn Monroe, and considering she was dead by then... I guess they were right!

Well, it was a Marilyn Monroe impersonator. But, you get the point.

#479: Electroman Adventures v2 (Waterflame, 2015)

Sometimes I gotta play to my audience, but at other times... yeah, I'm gonna play something from my era that chances are only I will like. I had to give a shoutout in one way or another to the way that Geometry Dash music influenced me during my early teen years. And one of those songs was "Electroman Adventures" by Waterflame, a fantastically energetic EDM (electronic dance music) song. Well, Waterflame made a sequel to it... and in this case, the sequel was actually better than the original! With its high-octane guitars and groovy beat, this just had to earn a spot on my list. 

#478: My Way (Frank Sinatra, 1969)

There could not be a much more drastic shift in genres with the next selection on my list! This is back-to-back weeks with Sinatra on my list if you're keeping track, and this one is often considered his "signature song". Well considering Sinatra got sick of this song and hated performing it, there's two of his songs later on my list that could earn the title "signature song" a lot more. But I have to give credit where its due, because Sinatra's powerful vocals, alongside a stirring orchestra, made this a worthy last-minute addition to my list. But what truly inspired this selection? Well, it would be the numerous AI parodies on YouTube. And even I got in on the fun there!

#477: Why Do Fools Fall in Love (Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, 1956)

This iconic song of the doo wop era got a well-earned spot on my list. And in case you're wondering if this spot is too low, well... iconic status alone does not get you a spot! Despite the large quantity of doo wop songs on my list, many of the most popular do not make it. I still have to personally find something special about it. And between Lymon's vocals and the rockin' saxophone solo, I can see why so many were a big fan of this tune in the mid 50s. This song was a huge influence on Veronica Greenfield (later Ronnie Spector). We know Frankie Lymon wrote some of it, but other members Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant would later get credit as co-writers.

Worthy rock 'n roll hall of famers... with more songs to come on the list!

#476: Rock Island Line (Johnny Cash, 1957)

Rarely will only one minute earn you a spot on this list, but in this case... Johnny Cash's very first LP track earns that distinction. Yes, the song is indeed 2 minutes and some change in its length. But the first half is spent with him rambling on about how he is trying to cheat the guy at the toll gate. But the second half of the song kicks off with him declaring "I fooled you! I fooled you!". And from then on out, it's a grand one-minute burst of energy that just had to get a spot on this list. Hell, if "C is For Cookie" made it, why not this? Johnny also hits some pretty rare high notes during this one-minute burst. It's worth a listen, needless to say!

#475: Tears Dry on Their Own (Amy Winehouse, 2006)

Amy would go on to influence other soulful British singers, most notably Adele. Her tragic passing in 2011 coincided with Adele's triumphant release of her album 21. But back in 2006, it was Amy's time to shine with her album "Back to Black". There will be more tracks from this album on the list later on, but I certainly had to include this 60s influenced song. After all, its callback to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's song "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is something that caught my attention right away the first time I listened to it.

#474: Things We Said Today (The Beatles, 1964)

On Friday, I was wearing my Paul McCartney shirt I got at the rock 'n roll Hall of Fame. But in typical Graeme fashion, I spilled melted chocolate on it before I could even get into the station. So, I wore a more appropriate shirt in that case, one that said "Feast Mode". Sorry Paul, but at least I played a fantastic song of yours from early on in The Beatles career! He and his girlfriend Jane Asher were on pretty disparate paths in this era. But he wrote beautiful love songs for her anyway, considering that he truly had to treasure the time he could spend with her. I understand Paul, I was apart from my girlfriend for two months this summer!

A Hard Day's Night... a true masterpiece album with more songs to come.

#473: Waiting For a Train (Jimmie Rodgers, 1929)

If ever there were an anthem for the Great Depression, this tune would be it. Well, Jimmie Rodgers recorded other songs during that era that may also be considered "Great Depression anthems". After all, he was a man stricken with TB, and with his gaunt smile and looks that only a mother could love... he appealed to the hobos and railroad bums. He had a face for the radio, which lucky for him, was one of the only available mediums to listen to music back then. But I could imagine being in some shack, listening to him through crackled shellac on the old phonograph. "I'm a thousand miles away from home, just waiting for a train". Your music lives on, Jimmie!

#472: Remember (Walking in the Sand) (The Shangri-Las, 1964)

I mentioned on the show how this was an appropriate song to play after Amy Winehouse, considering the Shangri-Las were one of her biggest influences. And indeed, Amy used to play this song live. Anyway, George "Shadow" Morton, the writer of this song, was some washed up doo wop singer by the time 1964 came along. He claimed to be some bigshot songwriter (he was not). But producer Jeff Barry challenged him to prove his legitimacy, and he later came up with this song, as well as "Leader of the Pack". Well, the rest as they say, is history!

#471: She Works for KGB (Igor and the Red Elvises, 2019)

Musik Fest is a truly great time for the Lehigh Valley to come together and listen to some unique musical acts. But none are more unique than this group, who I was initially drawn into because its lead singer talked of singing "sad songs about Russian orphans". He then proceeded to play something very upbeat! That is the humor with which Igor Yuzov approaches his songwriting and stage presence, and that humor shines during the chorus of this song. "I work for Taco Bell... she works for KGB!". Now, the lineup of his band is always in flux. But considering I've seen him 4 of the last 5 years (with the one obvious exception being 2020), the Red Elvises remain my favorite band! Well, favorite current band.

The uncomfortably large triangle guitar is certainly part of what makes their band distinctive.

#470: Loving a Girl Like You (The Harptones, 1954)

I initially had this song at 1961, considering that's what Discogs told me. As it turns out, Discogs was unreliable, and I pretty much knew it. 1961 sounded way too late considering the recording quality of the song. So, my Grandpa, with his more proper musical encyclopedias, informed me that the recording date was 1954. Well, despite its imperfect recording quality, one cannot mistake the beautiful voice of Willie Winfield, backed powerfully by The Harptones on this very underrated tune. It's only thanks to r/doowop that I found this as a last minute addition to the list!

#469: The Shrine of St. Cecelia (The Harptones, 1957)

Ah yes, back to back Harptones songs on my list! Now, this phenomenon used to be called "2 For Tuesday" on my radio show. But considering I stole that line from 99.9 The Hawk, and considering I host my shows on Friday... I decided to scrap this line. There will be plenty more times throughout this list where I give an artist a "spotlight". In other words, I hold two of their songs in such similar regard, that I play them back to back on the show. And in this case, "The Shrine of St. Cecelia" is another beautiful slow jam from this legendary group.

#468: Love You Most of All (The Persuasions, 1973)

As a diehard Persuasions fan, I had heard just about everything from their 70s glory days. Whether it be Spread the Word, We Came To Play, or Chirpin... I had heard just about all of it. But among the last albums I listened to was "We Still Ain't Got No Band". And let me tell you, it's just as good as any of the others! And this short but sweet song is proof. There is way more guts in this sub-2 minute song than there ever was in the Sam Cooke version (sorry Sam, you know I love your music too). Sam's original version from 1958 was good... this version 15 years later is great.

Still Ain't Got No Band... still ain't on Spotify!

#467: (They Long To Be) Close to You (The Carpenters, 1970)

The Carpenters' tender music was quite the iconic sound in the early 70s. Whether it was Karen's beautiful alto voice, or the smooth backing from her brother Richard, the Carpenters had themselves a string of hits during this era. And this #1 pop hit has particular significance in our family. That's because during the GTV era, when my Dad made music videos of my brother and I, this was Robert's official baby song. Now, my official baby song will be later on the list (sorry Robert, it's better). But, I still had to give my little brother a shout out!

Graeme's Colossal Countdown Recap! (Episode 1: #500-#483)

If you missed my first episode of Graeme's Colossal Countdown, not to fear! On this here blog, it is my intention to give a recap of what I played the previous night. That way, you will not be out of the loop as we count down from #500, all the way to my #1 song throughout the entire school year. It was an eclectic first episode, and for those who listened, that's gonna be the theme throughout this entire show! The only two things you can probably expect are doo wop and Beatles. Besides that, who knows what you'll get? Well, I do... but that's beside the point. Even if you did tune in last night, you can still read this article if you want a little extra commentary on each song.

#500: C is For Cookie (Cookie Monster, 1971)

Full disclosure, this is the shortest song on my list, and possibly the most ridiculous. Clocking in at just 1:29, this is a kid's song. Surely it is not meant to make the Top 500 list of anyone who takes this stuff so seriously, right? I would dare Rolling Stone to put this on their next list, they won't! Anyway, Jim Henson directed this brilliant song, to which Frank Oz was Cookie Monster's puppet master. I dare say that Oz's greatest work is not Yoda, but rather Cookie Monster. It is due to him, that the very first words from a song on this show are "Now what starts with the letter C?".

#499: Round And Around Hitler's Grave (Almanac Singers, 1942?)

There is a lack of historical record about when this song truly came out, but I can guestimate it was anywhere from 1942-44. The point is, it was in an era where putting Hitler in a grave was very important to the American public. And one leftie folk singer and his gang of Almanac Singers were singing quite the joyful tune about that. That leftie folk singer? None other than Pete Seeger, who I saw perform live when I was a little kid. This song is full of legendary lines, such as "I'm gonna go to Berlin, to Mr. Hitler's town, I'm gonna take my 44 and blow his playhouse down". If this song had better recording quality, I swear it would be up 100 spots.

#498: Someone Like You (Adele, 2011)

I almost feel bad about a lack of songs from my era on this list. Like I know the quality of music generally got worse, but there are still plenty of talented singers out there! Case in point, I had to give a well-earned spot to Adele. There were a couple of other songs of hers I was considering putting on the list, including "Rolling in the Deep" and "Set Fire to the Rain". But I ultimately settled on this beautiful ballad speaking of lost love. As Adele poignantly sings, "Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead".

I mentioned on the show how 21 year olds can indeed accomplish a lot!

#497: Octopus's Garden (The Beatles, 1969)

As much as I felt bad about the lack of songs from my era on the list, I would feel bad if I didn't give good 'ol Ringo some sort of love as well. So, that's where his self-penned song about peace, love, and octopi comes in. Full disclosure, there are 50 Beatles songs on this Top 500 list, and I firmly believe that this Ringo song is worthy of being up there with them. His relaxed vocals perfectly fit the peaceful vibe of this track. And I should mention, the guitar from George Harrison is sublime as well. It belongs on Side 1 of Abbey Road more than "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" does, okay?

#496: There's a Tear In My Beer (Hank Williams, 1950)

'Ol Hank's 100 year birthday celebration is coming up soon (September 17th, to be exact). But unfortunately, he didn't get to live most of those 100 years. A life of hard livin' can do that to a man, and no song displays that evidence quite like this one does. With lines like "I'm gonna keep drinkin till I can't even think", it's quite reminiscent of Peter Griffin saying "Let's go drinking till we can't feel feelings anymore". I mentioned on the show that Hank's son, Hank Jr, also did a decently popular cover of this song. But all his Dad needed was his voice and a guitar!

#495: In The Mood (Glenn Miller Orchestra, 1939)

When I was first discussing the ideas for this Top 500 list, my Grandpa said I had to include this famous WWII-era song on there. And I agreed, knowing full well that its iconic status deserved a spot. I particularly like the ending of this song, where the instruments get quiet, but then burst out in a sudden fortissimo at the very end. My girlfriend Caitlin mentioned to me that this song is in a movie she likes, "The Parent Trap". Well in any case, I'm sure this song was playing on plenty of radio sets in the early 1940s, followed right up by an FDR fireside chat.

This man was truly awesome.

#494: No Not Again (The Jive Five, 1962)

I mentioned on my show last night how I surveyed the r/doowop subreddit recently, to find out what some of their favorite doo wop songs were. There were only 8 responses (including mine), but from this I was able to amass a Top 100 list. You can read the results here. In any case, I was impressed by some of the songs I wasn't familiar with. And towards the top of that list was this unheralded Jive Five tune. We all know songs like "My True Story", but the late, great Eugene Pitt had plenty more to offer.

#493: You Make Me Feel So Young (Frank Sinatra, 1956)

Frank Sinatra still managed to have some relevance in the era of rock 'n roll, as he had quite the album full of classics in 1956. While Elvis Presley was racking up hits on the chart, Sinatra had the classier crowd under his skin. Oh, and he would indeed tell you they're classier. Sinatra had quite the beef with rock 'n roll a year later in 1957, saying "it smells phony and false. It is sung, played, and written for the most part by cretinous goons and by means of its almost imbecilic reiteration and sly, lewd, in plain fact, dirty lyrics... manages to be the martial music of every side-burned delinquent on the face of the earth". Take it easy there, Frankie! Elvis has his value, too, as you'll see later on this list.

#492: My Chinese Girl (The Five Discs, 1959)

I mentioned on my show how prevalent Asian stereotypes are in doo wop. I wrote "Rang Tang Ding Dong" in as an honorable mention on a previous blog, as I used to think that was the most over-the-top offensive doo wop song I'd ever heard. Well, that was until I heard this Five Discs record! With references to bowing, poor grammar, and made-up Chinese gibberish, this song truly has it all. For any of the more easily offended viewers of my show, I told them to keep in mind that it was a different time. And if you're more interested in Asian-themed doo wop songs, someone gave me an entire list (scroll down to the comments). 

A group of Italians and blacks poking fun at Asians... now isn't that something?

#491: The Promise (When In Rome, 1987)

I mentioned on my show how this song is a true encapsulation of 80s music. Between the synthesized instrumentals, the drum machine, and the sensitive-sounding male lead singer... everything about it screams 80s. And unlike my Dad before me, I'm not the hugest fan of 80s music. It's not what I grew up with, but I still have some respect for it. I can recognize a good tune when I hear it, and singer Clive Farrington sings with plenty of emotion on this one. If you're gonna be a one-hit wonder, you might as well have a hit that sneaks onto my Top 500 list!

#490: Heart and Soul (The Cleftones, 1961)

There was an original way for "Heart and Soul" to be performed, as it was a jazz song written in 1938. If you want a demonstration of that original form, just click the link here to see how Brian and Stewie sing it. However, if you want the superior, doo wop version, than by all means listen to the Cleftones! Their version is much more uptempo and energetic than the original jazzy versions, and is just an all-around exciting doo wop song. I also mentioned on the show that The Cleftones recorded for the Gee label, the same one that recorded Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.

#489: There's a Place (The Beatles, 1963)

This song is nothing short of underrated, early Beatles magic. It gets overshadowed by a lot of the other famous songs on Please Please Me. And trust me, we'll get to those as the list goes on. However, the magic of the Lennon-McCartney harmonizing can not be underestimated on this track. As for this song's inspiration, it's musically Motown, while the title comes from the West Side Story song "There's a Place for Us". When I was a younger, edgier Beatles fan, I may have had this song even higher on this list just to be a nonconformist. But even now, I'll still let it stick on the list.

I have come to the conclusion over the years, that early career Beatles are just as great as the later ones.

#488: Oh My Love (John Lennon, 1971)

I got a book for Christmas once that had a list of musical prompts, including "songs you would most want to be serenaded with". And the prime example they gave for this was "Oh My Love by John Lennon". Looking at the cartoonish drawing of the long-haired, bespectacled Lennon that was in that book, I knew the author made the perfect choice. That is partly why I dedicated the song to Caitlin on the show last night. But in any case, John Lennon had an album that was rife with emotional tunes, all in his 1971 masterpiece Imagine. There's still a couple more songs from that album coming up later.

#487: Do I Worry (The Ink Spots, 1941)

My show last night was full of plenty of World War II era entertainers. And something I noted that was kinda strange was that two of the key entertainers died before the war was even over. There was Glenn Miller, who went MIA in 1944. But there was also the Ink Spots' bass singer, Orville "Hoppy" Jones. He too died in 1944. But despite the short lives of these men, their talents do not go unappreciated by me. And y'know what, it may be generous calling Hoppy a bass singer, he was more of a bass talker. But boy, his talking bass lines were the perfect complement to Bill Kenney's high tenor.

#486: Slam (Onyx, 1993)

There was actually an era in hip hop history where rappers didn't mumble over an annoying beat, and actually put some heart and soul into what they were rapping about. You won't find that today, but surely you found that in the early 90s, which I consider the golden age of hip hop. Now, a lot of those songs won't find their way on my list, because I do like to keep it PG-13. However, Onyx certainly made the cutoff for PG-13 with their commercially acceptable hit "Slam". It's too bad they were a one-hit wonder that couldn't capitalize off of "Slam Again".

Scenes from their lovely music video.

#485: G.T.O (Ronnie and the Daytonas, 1964)

It was quite interesting how this song landed on my list. I was solving a crossword puzzle at my Dad's house, and I said "Pontiac model, hm... it's G, T, something". My Dad said, "G.T.O" and that immediately made him say "Alexa, play G.T.O". Well, after that I discovered I had a new song I really liked! Now, Ronnie and the Daytonas are clearly a less talented Beach Boys knock off. That should be duly noted. However, they had a level of balls on this song that is not exhibited on many of the early Beach Boys surf-rock style songs. So yeah, this finds its way on the list, while "Surfin' USA", for example... does not!

#484: To Be Loved (Joe Russell, 1977)

Technically this song is credited to The Persuasions, but really it's only one man who sings this. This completely solo performance is the song that ends the album "Chirpin", and what a perfect way to end it. Few men have ever possessed the singing gifts that Joe Russell has, and boy is that evident in the passionate recording of this Jackie Wilson song. The original was made in 1958, and Wilson does a great job with it as you'd expect. But Russell takes it to a whole other level, all without any swelling orchestra or backing vocalists behind him!

#483: What's New Pussycat? (Tom Jones, 1965)

I had room for #483 on my show yesterday, when I thought I'd stop only at #484. And that was perfect room for this short but sweet song, sung by a certain Welsh man who the ladies loved! But a young John Mulaney loved Tom Jones even more than women did, as evidenced by him playing this exact song over and over again at The Salt and Pepper diner one day. I decided not to torture my listening audience yesterday, and only play this song once. However, this song is so short that if I had an extra 2 minutes, I probably would've played it again. Why not?

Ladies and gentlemen, that's the face of sex appeal right there.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my first colossal countdown recap. Be sure to stay tuned for Episode 2 of my show, which will be next Friday, September 8th!