Celebrating Music With The Letter “D”!
OK, you know the drill – I am sharing music by the letter of the alphabet, and we are now up to songs beginning with the letter “D” – so many to have fun with, let’s begin with a song that literally gets you out of your seat to dance!
10 – “Dancing Queen” by ABBA
ABBA are a Swedish pop supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group’s name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome.
They achieved superstardom with such smash hits as “Knowing Me Knowing You”, “Fernando” and of course the infectiously danceable “Dancing Queen!”
Enjoy!
They stopped recording for decades before reuniting and releasing a new album two years ago – which was nominated for Album Of The Year!
Next up is a band that at one time had the best-selling album of all time!
Bernie Leadon, Don Henley, Randy Meisner and Glenn Frey were The Eagles – and their music captured the Southern California rock sound that includes songs like “Hotel California”, “One Of These Nights”, and this classic:
9 – “Desperado” by The Eagles
One of the most iconic bands in the world, this song was one of their most poignant ballads. Here they are singing it live on the band’s farewell tour underway now:
While a beloved classic now, the song and album both bombed when they were released…it was a concept album about the links between rock’n’roll Artists and wild west outlaws – here is that story:
Next up is a terrific song from a very under-rated band:
8 – “Dance Hall Days” by Wang Chung
This 1983 hit by Wang Chung was a catchy slice of the new 80’s sound that was a celebration of life and dance:
“Take your baby by the hand
And make her do a high handstand
And take your baby by the heel
And do the next thing that you feel
We were so in phase
In our dance hall days
We were cool on craze
When I, you and everyone we knew
Could believe, do and share in what was true
I said
Dance hall days love”
Here is the music video:
The band ended up doing the entire soundtrack for the 1985 action film “To Live And Die In L.A.” by Director William Friedman – a great film!
Here is another great “song with a D” with an infectious beat!
7 – “Dance The Night Away” by Van Halen
Van Halen took the world by storm in 1979 when this classic rock track was released form their second album. Singer David Lee Roth and Guitarist Eddie Van Halen had a blast with this song:
The band was huge well into the 80’s, and another of their classic songs is “Jump!”
Here is the video for “Dance The Night Away”:
Now onto my next “song with a D”, which comes from Seattle, where I was born and raised:
6 – “Daughter” by Pearl Jam
They were, along with a few other bands like Nirvana and Soundgarten, the “Godfathers of Grunge” – an aggressive style of rock that took over music in the early 90’s…
Lead Singer and Songwriter Eddie Vedder told stories of alienation, isolation and more, and “Daughter” is a perfect example:
The song is about a girl that has a learning disability and her parents, particularly her mother, doesn’t understand it.
“Alone, listless
Breakfast table in an otherwise empty room
Young girl, violence
Center of her own attention
The mother reads aloud, child tries to understand it
Tries to make her proud
The shades go down, it’s in her head
Painted room, can’t deny there’s something wrong
Don’t call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don’t call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don’t call me
She holds the hand that holds her down
She will rise above, ooh, ooh”
Here is the song:
As I said, the band hailed from Seattle and there is a terrific Hotel there that has a Pearl Jam room – and my wife rocked it!
Yes, the room comes with a Guitar and amp! It also had a record player with Pearl Jam albums, and tour posters and more! Check it out and see The Beatles room where they fished as well!
One of my favorite bands is next – with an album that has two titles:
5 – “Death And All His Friends” by Coldplay
The song I’m focused on is “Death And All His Friends” from the band’s “Viva La Vida” album but as you see it was called both!
Coldplay Singer Chris Martin said that the name of the song was supposed to be the theme of the album. He said, “We’re aware of all the bad stuff in life, you know, but that doesn’t mean you should ever give in to it, you know? So we all sing that bit together really loudly, as kind of a message to ourselves: never giving up and never focusing on the bad stuff too much.”
The song begins with Martin singing softly to a piano accompaniment before morphing into an uplifting arrangement featuring drums, chiming guitars, and a choir recorded in an art gallery in Barcelona.
Here’s an incredible live version by Coldplay in Melbourne Australia:
Next up is one of the most iconic Musical Artists of our time, who changed genres almost as fast as he changed his look in the 70’s:
4 – “Diamond Dogs” by David Bowie:
This early 70’s concept album imagined a post-apocalyptic world, with bleak lyrics and a very catchy tune:
“The Halloween Jack is a real cool cat
And he lives on top of Manhattan Chase
The elevator’s broke, so he slides down a rope
Onto the street below, oh Tarzie, go man go!”
Here is a great live version from 1996:
That’s an original print taken for the cover album…he was quite the entertainer, and music fans still mourn his death – he made incredible music, perhaps never more so than when he dropped in on Queen and the result was the majestic “Under Pressure”:
See the story of the incredible recording session here:
Next up is a song that was inspired by a disaster movie!
3 – “Disco Inferno”
Surprised? I sure was – listen to the history of this classic song!
This infectious dance song was released by The Trammps in 1977, but it was the following year, when included on the “Saturday Night Fever:” movie soundtrack, that the song became a massive hit!
But guess what movie was actually the inspiration for the movie!
“The Towering Inferno!”
Yes, this is the movie that inspired the song! You see, it was originally recorded by the Trammps in 1976 and released as a single – and check out the lyrics – inspired by the 1974 blockbuster film, in which a party in a top floor ballroom is threatened by a fire that breaks out below!
“To my surprise, one hundred stories high
People getting loose y’all, getting down on the roof
Folks are screaming, out of control
It was so entertaining when the boogie started to explode
I heard somebody say
disco inferno
(Burn baby burn) burn that mother down
(Burn baby burn) disco inferno
(Burn baby burn) burn that mother down”
Learn something new every day!
Here is this classic track:
Oh, and about that movie – did you know the two stars hated each other?
Yes, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen did NOT get along – see their offscreen battle and more great celebrity catfights by clicking on my story here:
Speaking of music inspired by movies, I am reviewing all of the James Bond movies in order – and since they are known for their classic theme songs, here is one of the best:
2 – “Diamonds Are Forever”
This was the 7th James Bond film, released in 1971 – by now, theme songs had been done for the series by Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra and Shirley Bassey, who returned from her legendary “Goldfinger” theme song for this one:
It’s another classic performance:
“Diamonds are forever, they are all I need to please me
They can stimulate and tease me
They won’t leave in the night
I’ve no fear that they might desert me
Diamonds are forever, hold one up and then caress it
Touch it, stroke it and undress it
I can see ev’ry part, nothing hides in the heart to hurt me
I don’t need love, for what good will love do me?
Diamonds never lie to me”
Here is the theme song:
As I said, Bassey also did the theme song for “Goldfinger”:
This was the film that made James Bond 007 a superstar – the fastest grossing film of all time!
See my review of the film – and find out how they painted that Actress solid gold – by clicking on my story here:
Finally, a criminally under-appreciated Artist who gave us this terrific power pop rocker:
1 – “Determination” by Todd Rundgren
Yes, Todd joins the “D” list with this power pop classic –
“Girl, the last time I saw you
You were crying my name
When I put you on the spot
Will you still feel the same?
Show me some determination
Show me the measure of your dedication
I need to see just a reflection of your inspiration
Don’t you break down on me”
Listen to him belt it out live:
The song is from his masterpiece “Hermit Of Mink Hollow” – and it’s a great example of his prowess with power pop…see why here:
If you are hungry for more great music, how about the “A” list?
Yes, Aerosmith is classic rock with a big “A” – one of several great songs or bands with that letter – here are more:
And if you love to surf, then you’ll love the music from the “B” list:
Timeless classics from The Beach Boys, The Beatles and Bowie of course – all right here:
Finally, here is a great song starting with a “C” from a “C” band as well!
See more great songs with a “C” right here:
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Categories: 70's Cinema, 70's Music, Art, Classic Rock, Music, Obscure Music, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, Todd Rundgren
johnrieber 
I like your well-rounded musical tastes, John. My wife and I saw Air Supply ten days ago in Rohnert Park. Abba formed in 1972, a few years before Air Supply in 1975. Two of the originals are still part of the band. It was a decent show. The most disappointing part is we’ve both been dealing with Covid a few days after the concert.
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lots of good ‘d’ songs to dance to, and I have always wondered what ‘daughter’ was about, now it makes sense and is so sad
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Yes, their songs in the early days were very much about the disenfranchised, outcasts and people living on the fringe…it was the “grunge” sound for a reason!
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Thanks, John. Dancing Queen is my favorite.
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A good mix today, John. Desperado is one of my alll-time favourites, and you know I love Bowie. Wang Chung is a great band, overlooked now.
Best wishes, Pete.
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A very enjoyable selection, John. My favourite is Wang Chung – I’ve always liked that one. Two suggestions of D songs for you: Day Tripper, by the Beatles, and Dancing In The Dark by Bruce Springsteen.
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Those are both classics to be sure – will make the next round!
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You’ve certainly packed a lot into this post, John. ABBA were wonderful and so was David Bowie. I remember this photograph of Alex with the guitar.
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Another song that starts with D is Don’t you forget about me by Simple Minds. Thanks for posting these, some bring back childhood memories. Hope you will do more, I am enjoying this
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That’s a great one! I will include that on my next go around – thanks for the comment!
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What about:
🙃
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Some great songs here, John. Thanks for the memories. I had no idea that Paul Newman and Steve McQueen hated each other; probably both wanted centre stage, lol.
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Thank you for commenting! Yes, apparently McQueen wasn’t happy at all with Newman – and this is I think the first film where they solved the issue of who gets first credit by putting the second credit on the right slightly higher on the poster – that’s Hollywood for you!
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Too many alpha males, lol.
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