And now I share them with you guys, hope you like them. Hello and be welcome to my second music post of this 2024. Here you will find cool songs from various decades of the great 20th century, and from a wide variety of styles.
“Here comes the rain again, falling on my head like a memory, falling on my head like a new emotion.” – Here Comes the Rain Again by Eurythmics
The vast world of music is full of great songs you’ve never even heard about, and it’s always great when you find an old song that you suddenly love and makes you wonder how come that one never crossed your path before. Besides, it’s always a good feeling when you discover something new.
Most of these hidden gems come from the great decade of the 1980s, but you will find also music from others such as the seventies and nineties, and even one from the 1940s that will really surprise you.
Some come courtesy of great legendary musicians, others are from people you have never heard of, but they all have one thing in common: they’re all great and I know you will love them.
By the way, none of the songs on this list is infected with autotune, nor has a list of 7, or 12, or even 15 people in the writing credits. Just real musicians doing what they’re supposed to do. So, without further ado, let’s begin:
12 – Slash – By the Sword (feat. Andrew Stockdale) (2010)
Slash - "By The Sword" (feat. Andrew Stockdale)
The only song from this 21st century I decided to include here. It was the first single of Slash’s debut album as a solo artist in 2010, and features Andrew Stockdale of Aussie band Wolfmother on vocals. It has good lyrics and a fine guitar solo by Slash. The video has a pretty good cinematography and presents a post-apocalyptic Mad Max-like future. The only song I remember from Slash in that year 2010 was the one with Fergie in the vocals; I don’t understand why By the Sword wasn’t played like that one if it’s so much better. This is one of the most underrated rock songs of all time. What a piece of great music we were missing.
11 – Kim Wilde – Cambodia (1981)
Kim Wilde - Cambodia (Official Music Video)
A pop video I discovered one evening while changing channels. Kim Wilde is a British pop singer who released her first album in 1981, at age 21, and became widely popular during the glorious 1980s. Cambodia was the first single of Wilde’s second album, it was released in late 1981, and was written by her father and her brother. The lyrics deal with the disappearance of a pilot during the Vietnam War, and are rather mature and great at the same time. Though it was not released in the US, this song became an international hit reaching the Top 10 in several European countries. The video is rather pathetic, but give it a break, ok? Videos weren’t great back then, and the woman looks so sexy in it. A great keyboard intro and vocals make this old song better than anything you have to endure every time you get out of your house.
10 – Love and Rockets – So Alive (1989)
Love and Rockets - So Alive HD
I don’t remember exactly how I discovered this one; I think it appeared suddenly, one evening, on my YT recommendations. From an alternative British band that made a fusion of rock with elements of pop and had a few minor hits back in the eighties. This cool, quiet, but powerful and sexy song, was the second single from the band’s fourth album of 1989. It is their most successful song and even reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. I love the whole aesthetics of the video, the mixture of reds, blues, and black and white, and the sexy legs of those women. Oh, those eighties, man, what a time to be alive….
9 – R.E.M. – Crush with Eyeliner (1995)
R.E.M. - Crush With Eyeliner (Official Music Video)
I’m somewhat of a casual R.E.M. fan, I own three cds from them, so it caught me by surprise when I discovered this nice song I’ve never heard of. Turns out this was the third single from their multimillion-selling album Monster, released in 1994, which included hits I used to love such as What's the Frequency, Kenneth?, and Bang and Blame. The video was directed by Spike Jonze and has a cool nineties vibe where you can see a bunch of Japanese kids playing this song live. Apparently the song is about being fake as eyeliner, and was one of the first songs Michael Stipe wrote after a period of depression that lasted five months caused by the sudden death of River Phoenix, who was friends with Michael. Wish I had discovered this one back in the day, it has a catchy vibe, and the guitar and bass are truly nice.
8 – Bon Jovi – Only Lonely (1985)
Bon Jovi - Only Lonely
I can’t remember exactly how I discovered this one, and being somewhat of a Bon Jovi fan I was really surprised as how good this lost gem is. From the much underrated 7800° Fahrenheit of 1985, Only Lonely was the first single from that album and while it didn’t reach the greatest of heights, it shows a more mature band that is preparing for something big. I like the video where you can see the band playing intercut with images of their struggling life and Jon’s relationship with a very sexy girl. They usually don’t play it live and, as of 2024, this song has been played live only 124 times since its release. Enjoy and sing out loud!
7 – Tom Petty – It's Good To Be King (1995)
Tom Petty - It's Good To Be King [Official Music Video]
I don’t know about you, but for me (and I’m not the only one who says it) something changed for Tom Petty after 1993 when drummer Stan Lynch left the band; things weren’t the same again and the band took a more Dylan-esque sound which I didn’t like. Although they continued making good music and their final album even went to number one, the heartland rock band we all used to love was gone; Mary Jane’s Last Dance, released in 1993, was the last hit for the band. But enough that, in 1995 they managed to release It's Good To Be King, and you can still feel something of the old band there. It was written by Tom Petty himself and was the third single from Tom Petty’s second solo studio album without The Heartbreakers in the name (although they served predominantly as musicians on the album). I like the lyrics of this one, what man wouldn’t like to be a king?, very few, I think. I wish I would have discovered it earlier.
6 – Hank Williams – Move It on Over (1947)
Move It on Over (Remastered)
Born in Alabama in 1923, Hank Williams was a beloved country singer who recorded dozens of singles, most of which reached the Top 10 in the country charts. In 1947, he released this song about a man coming home late at night and not being allowed inside the house by his wife. But what is curious about this one is how similar it sounds to Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets, the first rock song that made it big in the world, and many people had noticed that throughout the years. Williams died in 1953, at age 29, and is considered one of the most influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century. I guess by Bill Haley & His Comets liked this fantastic song so much that they couldn’t stop playing it around the clock. You gonna love this one.
5 – The Rolling Stones – Tell Me (1964)
The Rolling Stones – Tell Me
It was common for new bands back in the 1960s to record covers of songs by their own personal favorite artists, The Beatles certainly did it (remember Twist and Shout?, and the Stones did it also quite often. But their song on this list it’s not a cover. Released in 1964, Tell Me was the second single from the Stones’ debut studio album. Written by both Jagger and Richards, and performed by the original line-up of the band, which included the late and great Brian Jones, this nice pop ballad managed to reach the Top 25 on the charts. I discovered it while checking a list online about the best Rolling Stones songs that were never number one. You gotta love it.
4 – Sweet – Love Is Like Oxygen (1978)
Sweet - Love Is Like Oxygen - Disco 20.03.1978 (OFFICIAL)
I discovered this 1970s band in the mid-2000s when I bought a second-hand cd, the soundtrack of Dazed and Confused. Sweet are a glam rock band from London who had a few hits back in those days. Love Is Like Oxygen was the first single of their sixth album. You could say this was their last hit, since it’s the last song they released that entered the Top 40. The video of this song appeared one day in my YT recommendations and I haven’t stop watching it. The riff at the beginning is terrific and the vocals are great. Classic good old rock n’ roll. Enjoy.
3 – Eurythmics – Here Comes the Rain Again (1984)
Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - Here Comes The Rain Again (Remastered)
Last year, a cousin of mine was visiting and told me about this song. It was 1984, he was 14, and used to skip classes in high school to just wander around and play video games at an arcade, and this is the song he used to sing during those days. Written by both Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, it was released as the third and final single from the third Eurythmics’ album. The video could have been better, but I like the little house on an island Annie is in, with the windows and the candles. I haven’t stopped listening to it since I discovered it, and it has become my favorite Eurythmics song. I hope you like it too.
2 – Tanita Tikaram – Twist In My Sobriety (1988)
Tanita Tikaram - Twist In My Sobriety (Official Video)
A song I discovered while changing channels and I was just amazed by it. Tanita Tikaram is a British pop singer of Malaysian and Indo-Fijian parentage, who released her debut album in 1988 where this song was included. Written by Tikaram herself when she was just 19 years old and released as the second single from the Ancient Heart album, it is her most commercially successful song reaching the Top 10 in several countries. The lyrics apparently deal with the deception of becoming an adult, when everybody is so indifferent to you; also about being too scared to get involved in things. It has the feeling of someone telling you a biblical story while you’re on a road trip, watching the landscape. The instrument of the solo is an oboe. The video, shot in Bolivia, must be one of the best videos ever shot in sepia. It may be somewhat of a one hit wonder, but what a wonder it is… you never get tired of listening to it, it is a perfect song for the road.
1 – Echo & The Bunnymen – The Killing Moon (1984)
Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon (Official Music Video)
Echo & The Bunnymen is an alternative/new wave English rock band that is often cited as a major artistic influence in many articles, lists and so on, and are said to be the band that made U2 raise their standards to become big. The Killing Moon, the first single from their 4th album, rose into the UK Top 10 and stayed in the chart for six weeks; it is one of their biggest hits and is considered their best song ever. The lyrics, dealing with destiny, life and everything else, are mesmerizing; and I love the whole pace of the song, dark, mysterious, and inspiring at the same time. This great song was also featured in one of the best movies of this 21st century, that is Donnie Darko. “No one else has a song like The Killing Moon, not even Bowie”, those are the words of front man Ian McCulloch. A quiet song for listening at night that makes you want to fade away with destiny.
Conclusion
So that’s it for today, guys. Hope you have enjoyed reading this post. Remember to always choose the best music that’s possible and listen to real musicians.
But, now I want to hear from you , have you ever listened to these great songs? Did you discover something new? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comment section.
This will be my last post about the year 2023, in case you missed them check the others right here:
Ten great old movies I discovered in 2023:
@thereadingman/10-great-old-movies-i
The ten best books I read in 2023:
@thereadingman/here-they-are-the-10-96162100bf6ff
Five great movies released in 2023:
@thereadingman/5-great-movies-of-2023
And my five favorite songs of 2023:
@thereadingman/my-top-5-favorite-songs
(Image at the beginning via google.com)
Follow my blog for more content like this one.
Thank you for stopping by, share this post and please don’t forget to upvote!
Have a great weekend!
Until Next Time
Take care
Orlando Caine.
