Time To Make Some Music – Alphabetically!

No better way to kick off a new year than by going into the past to highlight songs that resonate with me over the years – and I’m doing it by highlighting “songs from A to Z!”

How it works is simple: I choose a song that begins with the letter “A” – and here are my first ten, beginning with an Icon who passed away far too soon:

“Absolute Beginners” by David Bowie

This 1986 hit song was written by Bowie for Director Julian Temple to use in his film of the same name. It’s classic 80’s Bowie, with a strong hook and great melody….plus the lyrics are terrific:

If our love song
Could fly over mountains
Could laugh at the ocean
Just like the films
There’s no reason
To feel all the hard times
To lay down the hard lines
It’s absolutely true

Nothing much could happen

Nothing we can’t shake

Oh we’re absolute beginners

With nothing much at stake

As long as you’re still smiling

There’s nothing more I need

I absolutely love you

But we’re absolute beginners…

Here is the music video:

Wikipedia said that one critic described “Absolute Beginners” as “the gem of Bowie’s post- “Let’s Dance” ’80s output, calling it “a big, breathtaking ballad allowing him to indulge the Frank Sinatra croon that’s driven many of his best performances”. It was chosen by Jeremy Allen in The Guardian as one of Bowie’s “ten of the best” songs.

Another of his greatest songs was this collaboration with Queen – click here for the wild story behind “Under Pressure!”

Sometimes, one song can define an Artist – in a good way, and for Singer Songwriter Bill Withers, this is the one:

“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers

This popular singer created an iconic song that is still popular today – here is a live performance:

Here’s great trivia: when he wrote the song, Withers used the phrase “I know I know I know I know” 26 times as a placeholder while he continued to work on lyrics – but his record label loved how it sounded and so it stayed!

Next up, one of alternative rock’s most legendary bands wrote and recorded an “A” song “About A Girl”:

“About A Girl” by Nirvana

Kurt Cobain was a tortured Artist to be sure, but Nirvana’s music lives on…

I need an easy friend
I do, with an ear to lend
I do think you fit this shoe
I do, but you have a clue

I’ll take advantage while
You hang me out to dry
But I can’t see you every night
Free (I do, I do)

Here is the band performing the song live in 1991.

The greatest band of the modern music era probably wrote a hit song in every letter of the alphabet, so let’s get started with “A”:

The Beatles – “All You Need Is Love”

While there will always be a few detractors, you cannot argue against the magnitude of this band’s achievements in 6 short years:

From the iconic cover photo of their masterpiece “Abbey Road” to “Beatlemania” and everything in-between – this band was revolutionary…like when the fab four premiered this song live – an unprecedented video broadcast live to the entire world:

A timeless classic!

Of course, you can see all of The Beatles’ promo videos like this on their blu-ray collection – check out the list of great moments here:

Another “A-List” song comes from one of the world’s most iconic bands:

“Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)” by Pink Floyd

This was the band’s concept album – a look at how life’s hardships create a wall around us,, alienating us from society and each other…here’s how this hit song was described:

“Within the context of the full album, the phrase “another brick in the wall” refers to events in Pink’s life that serve as “bricks” in the construction of the metaphorical wall that isolates him from others.”

We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teacher, leave them kids alone

Hey, teacher, leave them kids alone
All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall
All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall

Here is the unique music video:

The film by Alan Parker is also a fascinating work of art…and all fans know about how their masterpiece “Dark Side Of The Moon” was made in sync with the film “The Wizard Of Oz”, right?

It’s one of music’s most unique mysteries – see why some think this is true by clicking here!

Well, that’s a funny musical mystery to unravel, now onto an “A” song by Elvis!

“Accidents Will Happen” by Elvis Costello

Costello that is! This terrific Artist is still making music, but this terrific song is from his 1979 album “Armed Forces.”

Oh, I just don’t know where to begin
Love doesn’t wait forever
It’s now or never
But she keeps ’em hangin’ on
The silly champion
She says she can’t go home without a chaperone

Accidents will happen
They only hit and run
You used to be a victim now you’re not the only one
Accidents will happen
They only hit and run
I don’t want to hear it cause I know what I’ve done

Here is the music video:

Next up is a legendary band that I saw live at a concert called “Earth, Wind & Fireworks!”

“After The Love Has Gone” by Earth, Wind & Fire

Formed in the 1970’s, this group mixed pop, funk, jazz and disco into a blend that has lasted forever – I saw them just a few years ago at the iconic Hollywood Bowl!

Yes it came with fireworks!

One of their most beautiful songs is “After The Love Has Gone” – here is the video:

Another band from the 70’s started as a rock band before becoming one of the most acclaimed jazz/pop fusion bands of all time:

“Steely Dan” was the late Walter Becker and Donald Fagan, and they had hit songs like “Reeling In The Years”, “Ricki Don’t Lose That Number” and “Do It Again” before they shifted their focus to a more melodic jazz approach and released this masterpiece:

“Aja” by Steely Dan

A stunningly beautiful album, it was filled with hits like “Deacon Blues”, “Josie” and the title track – take a listen:

Sadly, Becker passed away and Fagan continued to tour as Steely Dan – oh and if you didn’t know the name is from the book “Naked Lunch” and was the name of someone’s dildo!

Click here for more on the origins of the band:

Time to look at a Singer/Songwriter who had some huge smash hits – for others! She wrote big hit singles for Barbra Streisand, The Fifth Dimension, Three Dog Night and Blood, Sweat & Tears!

Laura Nyro wrote the classic song “And When I Die” – check it out, a much more raucous, joyous version than the hit single released by Blood Sweat & Tears:

Nyro was a muse to Todd Rundgren, who wrote such smash hits as “Hello It’s Me”, “Can We Still Be Friends” and the joyous “Bang On The Drum” – and he has discussed Laura’s influence on his music many times – see the story here:

As A Todd Rundgren fan, I can share with you one of his most beautiful songs:

“A Dream Goes On Forever” – Todd Rundgren:

He may be one of the most overlooked Artists of his time, but Todd Rundgren has an incredible catalog of songs like this one:

“A million old soldiers will fade away
But a dream goes on forever
I’m left standing here, I’ve got nothing to say
All is silent within my dream…”

Here is Todd’s beautiful ballad, performed live:

This song is from his terrific album “Todd” – see more about that album, and hear more of his beautiful music, by clicking on my story here:

Here’s a song you may know, even if the artist isn’t familiar:

“All Shook Up”

Ok, bad joke – it’s the “other” Elvis, and this was the song that made him a superstar!

Click here to see him perform “All Shook Up” on his 1968 comeback special, which just confirms how much stage presence he had!

Time now to take you back to a decade that featured this look:

“Antmusic” – Adam And The Ants

Well, who can argue with those outfits! Adam And The Ants had a nice run of hits in the 80’s but their debut song is the one I love the best, with some of my favorite lyrics ever:

“So unplug the jukebox
And do us all a favor
That music’s lost its taste
So try another flavor
Antmusic!”

Check out the video:

If you love this stuff, click here to see more 80’s music from such classic Artists as A Flock Of Seagulls!

There you go, 10 example of “music with an A!”

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