Here's a little game for all of you - especially those like me who have advanced Asperger's - to go and play on a boring Bank Holiday afternoon when you've got nowt better to do with your time but with energy to burn.
Have a look through your record collection (or, your iPod download collection if you're under the age of thirty five) to find the earliest recording that you have. Found it? Good. Now - what year was it released? The object of the game is to find one record from every year thereafter that you, quite simply, couldn't live without. (I know there'll be loads of years where there's fifty seven but, that's the fun of the game - it's about prioritising.)
There are few rules - you can't include The Beatles (far too obvious) and you can only have one song by one group or artist so if you've used up Elvis by 1956 but you want 'If I Can Dream' for your 1968 choice, tough, one of them'll have to go. And, once you've made your initial list you can't change it even if, like me, you discover that you've missed out lincluding anything by The Velvet Underground, David Bowie, Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix and, for that matter, The Dentists. (Years of release are negotiable, within reason - a year either way.)Have fun.
1925 Blind Lemon Jefferson - Chock House Blues
1926 Johnny Hamp's Kentuchy Serenaders - Black Bottom
1927 Blind Willie Johnson - In My Time of Dying (Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed)
1928 The Carter Family - John Hardy Was A Desperate Man
1929 Hoagy Carmichael - Stardust
1930 Bing Crosby - Just A Gigalo
1931 Cab Calloway - Minnie The Moocher
1932 Rudy Vallee & His Conneticut Yankees - Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1933 Frances Langford - Stormy Weather
1934 Scott Wood & His Orchestra - I Only Have Eyes For You
1935 Blind Willie McTell - Lay Some Flowers On My Grave
1936 Robert Johnson - Cross Roads Blues1937 Benny Goodman - Sing, Sing, Sing
1938 Count Basie & His Orchestra - Panassie Stomp
1939 Fats Waller & His Rhythm - Your Feet's Too Big
1940 Leadbelly - The Midnight Special
1941 Washboard Sam - She Belongs To The Devil
1942 Lionel Hampton Sextet & Dinah Washington - Evil Gal Blues
1943 Louis Jordan - Is You Is Or Is You Ain't (My Baby)?
1944 Woody Guthrie - This Land Is Your Land1945 The Nat 'King' Cole Trio - (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
1946 Amos Milburn - Down The Road Apiece
1947 Phil Harris - That's What I Like About The South
1948 Lightnin' Hopkins - Baby, Please Don't Go
1949 Anton Karas - The Harry Lime Theme
1950 Bill Monroe & The Blue Grass Boys - Blue Moon Of Kentucky
1951 Jackie Brenton & His Delta Cats - Rocket 881952 Hank Williams - You Win Again
1953 Big Joe Turner - Honey Hush
1954 Elvis Presley - That's All Right (Mama)
1955 Muddy Waters - The Mannish Boy1956 Frank Sinatra - I've Got You Under My Skin
1957 Billy Lee Riley & His Little Green Men - Flying Saucers Rock 'N' Roll
1958 Vic Damone & The Percy Faith Orchetsra - On The Street Where You Live
1959 Ray Charles - What'd I Say?
1960 Gene Vincent - Pistol Packing Mama
1961 Bobby Parker - Watch Your Step1962 Arthur Alexander - Soldier Of Love (Lay Down Your Arms)
1963 Smokey Robinson & The Mircales - You've Really Got A Hold On Me
1964 Bob Dylan - Girl From The North Country
1965 The Animals - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
1966 The Beach Boys - Caroline No
1967 The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset1968 The Who - Magic Bus
1969 The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
1970 Van Morrison - Caravan
1971 Lindisfarne - Meet Me On The Corner
1972 Stevie Wonder - Superstition
1973 The Faces - Ooo La La
1974 Neil Young - Revolution Blues
1975 Bob Marley & The Wailers - No Woman No Cry1976 Buzzcocks - Time's Up
1977 The Clash - Complete Control
1978 The Ruts - Babylon's Burning
1979 The Jam - When You're Young
1980 Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
1981 The Teardrop Explodes - Treason (It's Just A Story)
1982 The Chameleons - In Shreds
1983 R.E.M. - Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)
1984 Frankie Goes to Hollwood - Two Tribes (Surrender)
1985 The Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey
1986 The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out1987 M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up The Volume
1988 A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray
1989 The Stone Roses - Waterfall
1990 James - Sit Down
1991 Primal Scream - Movin' On Up
1992 Curve - Ten Little Girls
1993 The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds
1994 Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You
1995 Dreadzone - Little Britain
1996 The Prodigy - Firestarter
1997 Underworld - Pearl's Girl
1998 Massive Attack - Angel1999 Sigur Ros - Svefn-g-englar
2000 Oasis - Fuckin' In The Bushes
2001 The Be Good Tanyas - Light Enough To Travel
2002 Johnny Cash - Personal Jesus
2003 Rilo Kiley - Jenny, You're Barely Alive
2004 Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot2005 Goldfrapp - Ooh La La
2006 The Zutons - Valerie
2007 Richard Thompson - Oops! I Did It Again
2008 Elbow - Mirrorball
Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to come up with your own list (and then - please - file it, safely, in a draw of your choice because I certainly don't want to see it).
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