But in the meantime, and ripped from the headlines, here's an obviously pertinent fun little project for all of us:
Best or Worst Post-Elvis Pop, Rock or Soul Songs Referencing Arabic Numerals in Their Titles or Lyrics
And my totally top of my head Top Ten (heh) are:
10. The Byrds -- 100 Years From Now
My favorite song on Sweetheart of the Rodeo, and possibly my favorite song written by Gram Parsons period.
9. Wilson Pickett -- 99&1/2 Won't Do
This guy had soul. I think we can all agree on that.
8. The Beatles -- Eight Days a Week
Have I mentioned that I'm a huge fan of the Procol Harum cover of this?
7. Love -- Seven and Seven Is
Proto-LA punk rock, and it was one of the great thrills of my life that I got to see the latter day version of the band covering it live some time (90s) at a NYC reunion show.
6. The Lovin' Spoonful -- Six O'Clock
You know, the older I get the more I think these guys were the best NYC band ever.
5. The Vogues -- Five O'Clock World
A bunch of greasers from Pittsburgh, of all places, and a glorious slice of Brill Building pop despite their home town.
4. The Youngbloods -- Four in the Morning
A late night blues classic from one of the all time great folk-rock albums. God bless Jesse Colin Young.
3. Jefferson Airplane -- Triad
A great song, musically, and really icky when it's sung by its composer David Crosby. So thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster that this version is sung by Grace Slick.
2. The Beatles -- Two of Us
Say no more (I can say no more).
And the number one song featuring what might be a Roman Numeral in its soubriquet is -- A TIE!!!
1. Harry Nilsson -- One
...and...
U2 -- One
I think you can guess which of the two songs is my favorite.
Alrighty -- what would YOUR choices be?
Have a great weekend, everybody!!!
Original lineup of Love was a great band. Too bad that Arthur Lee didn't want to tour.
ReplyDeleteAnother "number" is Stones' 2000 Light Years from Home... best song on TSMR.
In no particular order:
ReplyDeleteFeist - 1234
Otis Redding and Carla Thomas - It Takes Two
David Bowie (or Marti Jones) - Five Years
Grant Hart (or Marshall Crenshaw or Robert Forster) - 2541
The Who - 5:15
The Who - I'm One
The Who - A Quick One
The Byrds - 8 Miles High
Tommy Tutone - 867-5309/Jenny
Toots and The Maytals - 54-46 Was My Number
Aimee Mann's version of Nilsson's One is worthy, too.
- Paul in DK
You could do a whole set of songs of Dylan with numbers in the title, but I will leave that as an exercise for the reader.
ReplyDeleteSo free associating before I leave for work:
Prince 1999
The Marvelettes Beachwood 45789
Elvis Costello 13 Steps Lead Down
Rolling Stones (and everyone else) Route 66
Rolling Stones 19th Nervous Breakdown
Tom Waits 16 Shells from a Thirty Ought Six
Tom Waits (or the Eagles) Ol' 55
Randy Newman Dayton Ohio 1903
In the year 2525 - zaeger
Deleteand evans
3 little birds - Marley
I know that this is not a band that comes up often on this here blog, but may I suggest Chicago and "25 or 6 to 4"?
ReplyDeleteI prefer the Gram Parsons vocal-only version of the Byrds song. Pleasantly surprised that the original versions with Gram's vocals (The Christian Life is another example) were included in the boxed set instead of the SOTR versions.
ReplyDelete1910 Fruitgum Company: 1 2 3 Red Light
ReplyDeleteWire: 12XU
Mott the Hoople: One of the Boys
Roky Erikson: Two-Headed Dog
Pink Floyd: Free Four
John Lennon: #9 Dream
David Bowie: TVC15
T. Rex: 20th Century Boy
The Kinks: 20th Century Man
Happy Mondays: 24 Hour Party People
Patti Smith Group: 25th Floor
Chuck Berry: 30 Days
Humble Pie: 30 Days in the Hole
Suzi Quatro: 48 Crash
B-52s: 52 Girls
? and the Mysterians: 96 Tears
The Stooges: 1969
Prince: 1999
ELO: 10538 Overture
12"30 Young Girl's are coming to the Canyon - Mama's and Papas
ReplyDelete409, - Beach Boys
ReplyDelete40000 Headmen
ReplyDeleteIf 5,was 9
Whoops (6)
ReplyDeleteOne after 909 The Beatles
ReplyDelete8:05 Moby Grape
Six and Seven Books Toots & the Maytals
Seventh Son Johnny Rivers
Beatles - When I'm 64
ReplyDeleteDylan - 115th Dream
Springsteen - 10th Avenue Freeze Out
The Fugs - Nothing (zero was invented in Mesopotamia, so sue me)
Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There
Janis Ian - At Seventeen
The Dead - Casey Jones
Yardbirds - I Ain't Got You
The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
KInks - Well Respected Man
Since you brought up David Crosby (being Melissa Etheridge's icon of IQ)... didn't he write "Almost Wiped My Ass"? To quote Grace "Was that wrong? Was it cruel? Was it stupid? Was it sarcastic? Did it work?"
ReplyDelete...and of course, The Proclaimers: I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles).
ReplyDeleteThis list is dead to me without Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings' "100 Days, 100 Nights."
ReplyDeleteAlphabeat - "10000 Nights" (2007)
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/ySHHdO-YTK4
Just about anything from XTC and Fountains of Wayne.
ReplyDelete