We live much of our waking lives in them – working and socialising, swivelling to dining to reclining, sofas and couches, ornate thrones to humble stools, beanbags, pouffes, to the office, barber’s, dentist’s and beyond, but how do they sit up in song?
Read morePlaylists: songs featuring finger-clicking, toe-tapping and foot-stomping
Foot stomping and clogging to the click of fingers, flamenco and castanets, these playlists, picked by guest Marco den Ouden from last week’s topic, take a tour of the world from Canada to Mexico, Spain to Japan, with music that’s right on tap
Read morePlaylists: songs about memorabilia and souvenirs
Memories fond to tragic, travel to mementos of lost lovers, all kinds of objects and emotions are on display this week as guest Loud Atlas picks out a colourful and poignant range of objects and songs to spark stories and feelings
Read moreSign here, please: songs about formal agreements
Contracts, bonds, anything to employment to marriage to loans, record deals and other business, putting our signatures to things governs personal and public lives. But how do any formal agreements get referenced in song?
Read morePlaylists: songs about life in the 19th century
It brought enduring global change, from the Industrial Revolution to the American Civil War and abolition of slavery. Inspired by last week’s song nominations, guest Shiv SideCar captures the century in a series of historic playlists
Read morePlaylists: songs with music as nutrition
Some music feels so good you can just eat it. With a whole shopping spree of tasty ingredients and treats about the nutritious benefits of song, guest of the week ParaMhor prepares a three-course meal that’s bound to boost your health
Read moreFood for the soul: songs about music as nutrition
Music is indisputably good for you, but how is this expressed in song, for improvement of mood, brain and body? Firstly this might come up lyrics, but also this topic can get more subjective and more impressionist with songs that really hit the spot
Read moreMission? Songs about the impossible
Love, death, survival, creativity – at times they all seem impossible or insurmountable. After a seemingly inconceivable recent world history, it’s time to play with the idea of impossible in song, and work out what really is from what isn’t. Is it all down to perception?
Read morePlaylists: songs with a distinctly retro style
The opposite of cover versions, some new songs sound like they’ve come straight from a time machine from decades before. This week’s guest music timelord, Dr philipphilip99, presents playlists recreating pasts with a perfect retro fit
Read moreGet your kicks: songs about fun
It comes in so many forms that this week’s topic has to mention fun, or its synonyms specifically, from getting your kicks to seeking your pleasure or leisure, frolic or merrymaking, carousing or joy. Let the games begin!
Read morePlaylists: songs from or about Italy
This week, it’s the full Italian job! And there’s far more to it than exploding cars – a whole queue of hooting horns, gesticulation and finest food and wine in musical form, all picked by excellente playlister philipphilip99 from a fleet of nominations
Read morePlaylists: songs and music in three-four time signatures
Beethoven to Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin to Funkadelic, Joe Cocker to Cocteau Twins, it’s time to waltz into a set of lists that swing across time and genres, picked expertly by guest playlister DJ Bear from a mass of nominations
Read morePass these out: adult lullabies and other songs about inducing sleep
Rockabye? Close your eyes, but open your ears. This week let's expand the idea of the lullaby beyond children to any song that uses the term or encourages, whether loudly or softly, a state of drifting into the unconscious
Read moreThe undercurrent world: songs about quiet
Tranquillity, calm and serenity, or concentration, slow stirring, unrest, plotting and revolution? There are all kinds of quiet out there, and this week it’s time to explore these as described or captured in song lyrics
Read morePlaylists: songs about Hollywood
It’s time to break out the popcorn, sit back and soak up the soundtrack of multiple movies and stories, hopes and dreams below those famous hills, perfectly projected from many nominations by guest director, philipphilip99
Read morePlaylists: songs about trust
Sometimes you can believe, yet it doesn’t work out. But sometimes it does. This week it has, at least through hundreds of brilliant song nominations, and playlists equal that by guest Severin, spanning genres, mood and eras
Read morePlaylists: songs about or expressing empathy
Best pals to the pangs of parenthood, lost lonely souls to lovers entwined, this week’s lists explore closeness in all forms through empathy, with emotionally powerful work chosen by guest Marco den Ouden from last week’s topic
Read morePlaylists: songs from New York City
It’s time to take the A Train and continue across the five boroughs on a musical journey. Inspired by last week’s topic, NY resident magicman takes us on fabulous tour of work recorded in, and capturing the spirit of the Big Apple
Read morePlaylists: songs influenced by gospel
Hallelujah! This week’s divine lists, picked by guest magicman from countless nominations, not only shines light on gospel’s music in soul to jazz, disco and more, but will lift hearts and minds though dark times
Read moreFoul play? Songs about conspiracy theories and paranoia
No, it’s not the World Cup. Or is it? This week let’s delve into music’s interpretation of the murky world of imagined or otherwise undercover plots from Roswell to JFK, 9/11 to Russian interference, and er … lizards
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