When I was young I used to listen to ‘pop’ music, especially that broadcast on the Pirate Radio stations, like Radio Caroline. I grew out of it in my late twenties onwards; for me, most pop music nowadays is just a noise, and few of its ‘stars’ can sing, only screech. Here are a few that I still enjoy, including 
Cher singing “Believe” and Bette Midler with “The Rose”.
Posing for publicity in 1964:
L-R: Eric Burdon [Vocals],
Alan Price [Keyboards],
Chas Chandler [Bass],
Hilton Valentine [Guitar],
John Steel [Drums].
Chorus:
We’ll drink a drink a drink
To Lily the Pink the pink the pink
The saviour of our human race
For she invented, medicinal compound
Most efficacious in every case.
Here are the lyrics:
Mr Freers had sticky out ears
And it made him awful shy
And so they gave him medicinal compound
And now he’s learning how to fly
Brother Tony was notably bony
He would never eat his meals
And so they gave him medicinal compound
Now they move him round on wheels
[Chorus]
Old Ebenezer thought he was Julius Caesar
And so they put him in a home
Where they gave him medicinal compound
And now he’s Emperor of Rome
Jonny Hammer, had a terrible st st st st stammer
He could hardly sssay a word
And so they gave him medicinal compound
Now he’s seen, but never ’eard
[Chorus]
Aunty Milly ran willy nilly
When her legs they did recede
So they looked on medicinal compound
Now they call her milipede
Jennifer Eccles, had terrible freckles
And the boys all called her names
But they gave her medicinal compound
Now he joins in all the games
[Chorus]
Lily the Pink she turned to drink
She filled up with parafin inside
And despite her medicinal compound
Sadly piccalilli died
Up to heaven her soul ascended
All the church bells they did ring
She took with her medicinal compound
Hark the herald angels sing
[Chorus]
See YouTube;
I prefer Grace Jones’s version to the more famous one by Edith Piaf: Edith’s better with Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
More of ‘Imagine’ on YouTube
Other Beatles classics for me include ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘She’s Leaving Home’, ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’, indeed most of ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’)
Imagine there’s no Heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
YouTube has several versions, here’s one.
This record reminds me of my teenage years helping out backstage at an amateur charity concert — the guy operating the sound equipment kept playing this at full volume whenever he could during rehearsals, and it has stuck in my mind ever since.
Bronski Beat were a popular British synthpop trio who achieved success in the mid 1980s, particularly with the 1984 chart hit Smalltown Boy. All members of the group were openly gay and their songs reflected this, often containing political commentary on gay-related issues. At the height of their popularity the band consisted of singer Jimmy Somerville backed by Steve Bronski and Larry Steinbachek, both of whom played keyboards and percussion. Somerville [see photo] went on to have success as lead singer of The Communards and as a solo artist.
The Pogues aren’t the kind of pop group I’d usually like, but Fairytale of New York with Kirsty MacColl has a certain appeal about it. They are a Celtic punk group, and this is their Christmas song from 1987. They also performed with The Dubliners and this is their version of The Irish Rover from Top of the Pops.
They were at their peak in the 1980s, have broken up, rejoined,...
My favourite of their many recordings is Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), released in 1983.
See Annie Lennox’s web site and Dave Stewart.
[Left] The Eurhythmics performing at Rock am Ring in Nürburgring, Germany in 1987.
My partner, Ash, has an aptitude for singing and enjoys karaoke. Here he is performing
The Climb
Don’t Stop Believin’ in a duet with Babs
Spirit in the Sky
Dance With My Father
You’ll Never Walk Alone
All video clips courtesy of Babs & Steve on YouTube.
Queen in concert in 1984:
John Deacon [far left],
Freddie Mercury [centre stage],
Brian May [foreground],
Roger Taylor [drums]; see YouTube
And what about ‘Barcelona’, sung by Freddy Mercury and the opera soprano Montserrat Caballé?
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson (vocals), with Paul Rutherford (vocals, keyboards), Peter Gill (drums, percussion), Mark O’Toole (bass guitar), and Brian Nash (guitar).
The group’s debut single Relax was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and subsequently topped the UK singles chart for five consecutive weeks, going on to enjoy prolonged chart success throughout that year and ultimately becoming the seventh best-selling UK single of all time (as of May 2006).
Sultans of Swing was the first single release of the British rock band Dire Straits. Although it first appeared in 1978, it was the 1979 re-release that caused it to become a hit in both the UK and the USA. The song was written by Mark Knopfler whilst in a bar in South London. The inspiration came from a jazz band playing in the corner of an otherwise deserted pub. Sultans of Swing was the name of Mark Knopfler’s band during his teenage years when he was a student at Gosforth High School in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Lou Reed and his band, Velvet Underground, achieved enormous influence over artistes like David Bowie and Andy Warhol. His ground-breaking music gave rise to many genres, including punk. Walk on the Wild Side on YouTube.
Holly came from Miami F.L.A.
Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A.
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she
She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side,
Said, hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.
Candy came from out on the island,
In the backroom she was everybody’s darling,
But she never lost her head
Even when she was giving head
She sayes, hey baby, take a walk on the wild side
Said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
And the colored girls go,
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Little Joe never once gave it away
Everybody had to pay and pay
A hustle here and a hustle there
New York City is the place where they said:
Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
I said hey Joe, take a walk on the wild side
Sugar Plum Fairy came and hit the streets
Lookin’ for soul food and a place to eat
Went to the Apollo
You should have seen him go, go, go
They said, hey Sugar, take a walk on the wild side
I said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side, alright, huh
Jackie is just speeding away
Thought she was James Dean for a day
Then I guess she had to crash
Valium would have helped that bash
She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
I said, hey honey, take a walk on the wild side
And the colored girls say
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the official singles chart [Aha! A real diamond jubilee!], the Official Charts Company has ranked the top UK million-selling singles. See which songs make the list and which have sold the most.
The most authoritative chart ever of the UK’s million-selling singles shows Elton John ranked highest for sales for his double A-side Something About The Way You Look Tonight/ Candle in the Wind. Released after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, the song is at the top of the UK million-sellers chart with 4.9 million copies sold. Do They Know It’s Christmas? by Band Aid released in 1984 is in second place with 3.69 million singles bought in the UK.
There are some interesting results.
It is a chart in which Don’t You Want Me? by the Human League sits just outside the Top 20 but immediately above the Beatles’ Can’t Buy Me Love.
Lennon and McCartney’s 1964 hit is in turn just ahead of I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, followed by Baddiel and Skinner and the Lightning Seed’s Three Lions and then Ken Dodd’s Tears. The records are ranked by sales in the first-ever authoritative chart of the UK’s million-selling singles.
The list of 123 singles includes million-selling singles from artists such as Queen, The Beatles, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Adele. Even the Teletubbies make an appearance with 1.11 million copies of Teletubbies Say “Eh-Oh!” sold in the UK.