A truly upbeat and positive way to start off 2022, a deliciously mix of disco, funk and pop, folk and more from Detroit to Scotland, Chile to Africa and beyond, picked by guest DJ PopOff! from last week’s many song suggestions
Read moreThank you for the music: songs about gratitude
From formal politeness and etiquette to the deeply unexpressed and private, it’s time to find all forms of thankfulness in song form, covering a range of subject matter, from the self to others, simplicity in nature to wider society
Read moreReflections on 2021: in news, music and snakes
This week it’s time to look back at 2021, and with a wry introduction here, various events, stories, and experiences, and so to share favourite music that came out, was newly discovered, topics enjoyed and thoughts on 2022
Read morePlaylists: songs about tradition
Ancient religions to strange festivals, drinking rituals to counting sheep to chasing cheeses, small slices of history to long formed social behaviour, enjoy wonderful stories and playlists picked by guest Marco den Ouden from last week’s topic
Read morePlaylists: songs from and about North East England
Canny! Champion! Famous sons and daughters of Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and beyond bring a beautiful, humorous and moving portrait of this charismatic region, picked with a huge write-up, rich in historical and musical reference, by guest playlister Alaricmc
Read moreSign of the Tyne: songs from and about North East England
Songs that capture the character and style, landmarks, culture, people and history for the area that’s defined by the likes of Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Durham, Darlington, Northumberland and more
Read morePlaylists: songs about crowds
Forming an orderly queue or going mob-handed in an unruly bunch, it’s time to join the throng in enjoying these fabulous selections by guest Loud Atlas, picked from an even bigger crowd of numbers from last week’s topic
Read moreSurf this: songs about crowds
Good mass gatherings to bad, random or organised, peaceful marches to riots, gigs, sports events, and even songs that feature crowd noises, join the in-crowd and suggest your songs that describe and capture the behaviour of the collective conscious
Read morePlaylists: songs about nuts and edible seeds
Coconuts to nutmeg and kandy corn, peanuts to pistachio to pecans, the seed store has been filled up to the brim with tasty musical treats from last week’s topic, picked and served up in a delicious set of lists by clever top nut Tatanka Yotanka
Read moreCrack on: songs about nuts and edible seeds
What’s the crack? This week we’re taking on a tasty topic of these edible forms of shelled fruit, from peanuts to coconuts, pecans, pistachios to walnuts, pumpkin seeds and more, as the primary subject or prominently mentioned in lyrics
Read morePlaylists: songs about tomorrow
When is it coming? When do you want it? Now? After waves of nominations, tomorrow comes in many parties and parts, in imagination, on the clock, in emotions, and more, in a mammoth collection of clever categories chosen by guest playlister Nicko
Read moreHappening now: songs about tomorrow
It’s linked to today and yesterday, but the anticipation or idea of tomorrow is the focus, and in this theme, not just word that appears somewhere in lyrics, but plays a central or prominent role or within it, expresses in many ways
Read morePlaylists: Boastful songs
Bombastic braggadocio to self-applauding swagger, sexual prowess and stamina to super-clever slick, non-stop self-description, guest playlister ShivSidecar picks supremely sharp and entertaining sets of songs from early rock’n’roll to soul, hip hop and beyond
Read moreThis topic is the greatest! Boastful songs
This week, from lyrical non-ironic self-proclamation to nuanced false narrators, a brimming edition of self-aggrandisement with a dash of arrogance, of big-headed and bombastic braggadocio, of cockiness, conceited crowing and crazed confidence, with a dollop of self-delusion …
Read morePlaylists: songs about elephants and mammoths
Huge size, unusual grace and beauty to how humans behave towards them, reggae to rock, pop, folk and jazz, classical and traditional, guest Severin took on a mammoth task from all the nominations to create great playlists to trumpet about
Read moreTrumpet this: songs about elephants and mammoths
The big tusk ahead: actual or metaphorical, fictional, real, or idiomatic, in nature or captivity, it’s time to gather the herd, stroll or stampede through your musical collections and celebrate these magnificent huge creatures of trunk in song
Read morePlaylists: songs about outlaws and rebels
From an infamous armour-plated Australian to a whole rogues’ gallery of bandits, buccaneers, and highwaymen, a huge response to last week’s topic brought forth musical guest gang leader Maki who made rich pickings with everything from folk to reggae and rock
Read moreWanted, dead or alive: songs about outlaws and rebels
Catch this if you can. It’s time to stand, or sit, and deliver. Figures real or fictional, outlaws or those against the establishment, or the spirit of rebellion in all forms, let’s explore this primal instinct in myth, romance and fact via story and song
Read morePlaylists: gothic, creepy, scary, horror-inspired songs
After a marvellously monstrous nomination response to this topic, guest playlister Amylee picks out a huge house of horror to be enjoyed, from scary soundtracks to freaky folk traditional, zombie rock apocalypses to gruesome gore. The devil has all the best tunes …
Read moreGoth, gore and more: scary, creepy, horror-inspired songs
Whether inspired by fictional horror in books or film, or indeed horrors of the real world, physical or psychological, stylishly goth or gruesomely gory, this Halloween-inspired topic is all about songs that send a shiver up the spine
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