Sunday, December 31, 2017

2017: Top 25 Albums

First posted 1/8/2021.

Dave’s Music Database:

Top Albums of 2017

Based on a combination of year-end lists and overall status in Dave’s Music Database, these are the top 25 albums of 2017:

  1. Kendrick Lamar Damn.
  2. Ed Sheeran ÷ (Divide)
  3. Lorde Melodrama
  4. The Greatest Showman soundtrack
  5. Taylor Swift Reputation
  6. Jay-Z 4:44
  7. SZA CTRL
  8. Luke Combs This One’s for You
  9. Beck Colors
  10. LCD Soundsystem American Dream

  11. Drake More Life
  12. The War on Drugs A Deeper Understanding
  13. Chris Stapleton From a Room: Volume 1
  14. The National Sleep Well Beast
  15. Roger Waters Is This the Life We Really Want?
  16. Tyler, the Creator Flower Boy
  17. St. Vincent Mass Education
  18. Khalid American Teen
  19. U2 Songs of Experience
  20. Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile Lotta Sea Lice

  21. Harry Styles Harry Styles
  22. Bob Dylan Triplicate
  23. Pink Beautiful Trauma
  24. H.E.R. H.E.R.
  25. Lana Del Rey Lust for Life

Resources and Related Links:

Pop Vortex: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Pop Vortex:

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Here’s what the website (PopVortex.com) says about this list:

“There have been plenty list available that rank the top 100 greatest albums of all time. What makes this list different is that it compiles and aggregates data from other best of lists, including both critics lists such as Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums books and fan polls such as Q magazine’s 100 Greatest Albums Ever poll. The goal of this list to find not only the greatest albums of all time but also the most influential and culturally significant albums as well, so in addition to just the opinions of critics and fans to compile the list other metrics where used as well such as Billboard chart statistics, RIAA sales figures and several others to help determine the final rankings of the best albums.”

“In all 236 different albums were eligible for the list of greatest albums…and they span from the earliest days of rock in the 1950s through today, covering many different genres and styles of music. In the end these are the must have albums that every serious music fan should have in their vinyl, CD or mp3 collection.”

While the website claims the chart is not meant to be static, there’s no indication it has ever been updated. There’s also no indication when the list was first published although there are links on the page to “year-end lists” which don’t go past 2017.

Check out other publications and organizations’ best-of album lists here.

1. The Beatles The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (1968)
2. The Beatles Revolver (1966)
3. The Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
4. The Beatles Abbey Road (1969)
5. Nirvana Nevermind (1991)
6. The Beach Boys Pet Sounds (1966)
7. Michael Jackson Thriller (1982)
8. The Beatles Rubber Soul (1965)
9. U2 The Joshua Tree (1987)
10. Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977)

11. The Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street (1972)
12. Marvin Gaye What’s Going On (1971)
13. Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks (1975)
14. Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde (1966)
15. Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
16. The Clash London Calling (1979)
17. Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
18. Bruce Springsteen Born to Run (1975)
19. Velvet Underground & Nico Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
20. The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced? (1967)

21. Joni Mitchell Blue (1971)
22. Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
23. The Who Who’s Next (1971)
24. The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed (1969)
25. Van Morrison Astral Weeks (1968)
26. David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
27. Eagles Hotel California (1976)
28. Miles Davis Kind of Blue (1959)
29. U2 Achtung Baby (1991)
30. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

31. Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
32. Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (soundtrack, 1984)
33. Carole King Tapestry (1971)
34. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin I (1969)
35. Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
36. Pink Floyd The Wall (1979)
37. The Doors The Doors (1967)
38. The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland (1968)
39. Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987)
40. Prince Sign ‘O’ the Times (1987)

41. The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers (1971)
42. Elvis Presley The Sun Sessions (archives: 1954-55, released 1976)
43. Radiohead OK Computer (1997)
44. Portishead Dummy (1994)
45. Stevie Wonder Innervisions (1973)
46. David Bowie Hunky Dory (1971)
47. Love Forever Changes (1967)
48. R.E.M. Automatic for the People (1992)
49. Patti Smith Horses (1975)
50. Oasis (What’s the Story) Morning Glory (1995)

51. Van Morrison Moondance (1970)
52. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II (1969)
53. Radiohead The Bends (1995)
54. The Stone Roses The Stone Roses (1989)
55. The Band The Band (1969)
56. AC/DC Back in Black (1980)
57. Paul Simon Graceland (1986)
58. The Smiths The Queen Is Dead (1986)
59. Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti (1975)
60. Bob Marley & the Wailers Legend (compilation: 1973-83, released 1984)

61. Michael Jackson Off the Wall (1979)
62. Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here (1975)
63. Ramones Ramones (1976)
64. Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995)
65. The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night (soundtrack, 1964)
66. John Lennon Plastic Ono Band (1970)
67. R.E.M. Out of Time (1991)
68. Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)
69. Pearl Jam Ten (1991)
70. U2 The Unforgettable Fire (1984)

71. Aretha Franklin Lady Soul (1968)
72. The Allman Brothers At Fillmore East (live, 1971)
73. Oasis Definitely Maybe (1994)
74. Various artists (Bee Gees et al) Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack, 1977)
75. James Brown Live at the Apollo, Volume 1 (live, 1962)
76. The Police Synchronicity (1983)
77. Bob Marley & the Wailers Exodus (1977)
78. Neil Young After the Gold Rush (1970)
79. Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
80. The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet (1968)

81. Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
82. Curtis Mayfield Superfly (soundtrack, 1972)
83. The Who Tommy (1969)
84. Portishead Dummy (1994)
85. Prince 1999 (1982)
86. David Bowie Low (1977)
87. Beck Odelay (1996)
88. James Brown Sex Machine (live, 1970)
89. Otis Redding Otis Blue (1965)
90. Sly & the Family Stone Stand! (1969)

91. The Band Music from Big Pink (1968)
92. Elvis Presley Elvis Presley (aka Rock ‘N’ Roll) (1956)
93. Little Richard Here’s Little Richard (1957)
94. Al Green Greatest Hits (compilation: 1971-73, released 1975)
95. The Beatles Meet the Beatles! (1964)
96. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Trout Mask Replica (1969)
97. Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
98. Radiohead Kid A (2000)
99. Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
100. The Jimi Hendrix Experience Axis: Bold As Love (1967)


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First posted 10/5/2024.

Top 50 Songs of 2017

Dave’s Music Database:

Top 50 Songs of 2017

These are the top 50 songs of the year based on their overall performance in Dave’s Music Database, which is determined by combining chart data, sales figures, streaming, video views, and aggregates from year-end lists.

Check out “Top Songs and Albums of the Year” lists here.

    DMDB Top 1%:

  1. Ed Sheeran “Shape of You
  2. Luis Fonsi with Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber “Despacito
  3. Ed Sheeran with BeyoncĂ© “Perfect
  4. Maroon 5 with Cardi B “Girls Like You
  5. Camila Cabello with Young Thug “Havana
  6. Post Malone with 21 Savage “Rockstar
  7. The Chainsmokers with Coldplay “Something Just Like This”
  8. Bebe Rexha with Florida Georgia Line “Meant to Be
  9. Cardi B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
  10. Kendrick Lamar “Humble

    DMDB Top 2%:

  11. Lizzo “Truth Hurts”
  12. Portugal.the Man “Feel It Still”
  13. Imagine Dragons “Thunder”
  14. Imagine Dragons “Believer”
  15. DJ Khaled with Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, & Lil Wayne “I’m the One”
  16. Sam Hunt “Body Like a Back Road”

    DMDB Top 5%:

  17. Dua Lipa “New Rules”
  18. Taylor Swift “Look What You Made Me Do”
  19. Charlie Puth “Attention”
  20. DJ Khaled with Rihanna & Bryson Tiller “Wild Thoughts”

  21. Lil Uzi Vert “XO Tour Llif3”
  22. Logic with Alessia Cara & Khalid “1-800-273-8255”
  23. Future “Mask Off”
  24. Harry Styles “Sign of the Times”
  25. Sam Smith “Too Good at Goodbyes”
  26. French Montana & Swae Lee “Unforgettable”
  27. NF “Let You Down”
  28. Ed Sheeran “Castle on the Hill”
  29. Taylor Swift “Delicate”
  30. Demi Lovato “Sorry Not Sorry”

  31. Imagine Dragons “Whatever It Takes”
  32. Camila Cabello “Never Be the Same”
  33. Zedd with Alessia Cara “Stay”
  34. Keala Settle & the Greatest Showman Cast “This Is Me”
  35. Julia Michaels “Issues”
  36. MĂ„neskin “Beggin’”
  37. Brandi Carlile “The Joke”
  38. Kendrick Lamar “DNA”
  39. Lorde “Green Light”
  40. Khalid “Location”

  41. Khalid “Young, Dumb & Broke”
  42. G-Eazy with Halsey “Him & I”
  43. G-Eazy with A$AP Rocky & Cardi B “No Limit”
  44. Bazzi “Mine”
  45. Niall Horan “Slow Hands”
  46. U2 “You’re the Best Thing About Me”
  47. Arcade Fire “Everything Now”
  48. Beck “Up All Night”
  49. Kendrick Lamar with Zacari “Love”
  50. Taylor Swift “Ready for It?”

Resources/Related Links:


First posted 12/26/2021; last updated 1/17/2023.

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Phil Spector: Top 50 Songs

image from thoughtco.com

Phil Spector

Top 50 Songs

Phil Spector was born December 26, 1939 in the Bronx, New York. He is best known as a record producer who developed what has been called “the Wall of Sound,” an approach to producing a dense orchestral asthetic within studio recordings. His personal life was troubled by a history with gun violence and in 2003 he was convicted of second degree murder. In honor of his birthday, here are his 50 biggest hits as a writer and/or producer:

Click here to see other best-of lists from performers and here to see other best-of lists from songwriters and/or producers.

Awards:


Top 50 Songs


Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards.

1. John Lennon “Imagine” 1971)
2. The Beatles “Let It Be” (1970)
3. The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964)
4. The Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody” (1965)
5. George Harrison “My Sweet Lord” (1970)
6. The Ronettes “Be My Baby” (1963)
7. Ike & Tina Turner “River Deep, Mountain High” (1966)
8. The Crystals “Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)” (1963)
9. John Lennon “Instant Karma (We All Shine On)” (1970)
10. The Dixie Cups “Chapel of Love” (1964)

11. The Crystals “He’s a Rebel” (1962)
12. The Beatles “The Long and Winding Road” (1970)
13. Ben E. King “Spanish Harlem” (1960)
14. The Teddy Bears “To Know Him Is to Love Him” (1958)
15. John Lennon “Jealous Guy” (1971)
16. John Lennon “Stand by Me” (1975)
17. The Crystals “Then He Kissed Me” (1963)
18. John Lennon “Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)” (1971)
19. George Harrison “Give Me Love, Give Me Peace on Earth” (1973)
20. George Harrison “What Is Life” (1971)

21. John Lennon “Mother” (1970)
22. John Lennon “Working Class Hero” (1970)
23. Paris Sisters “I Love How You Love Me” (1961)
24. John Lennon “God” (1970)
25. Ramones “Rock and Roll High School” (1979)
26. The Beatles “Across the Universe” (1970)
27. The Ronettes “Baby I Love You” (1963)
28. John Lennon “Power to the People” (1971)
29. The Ronettes “Walking in the Rain” (1964)
30. Curtis Lee & the Halos “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” (1961)

31. The Crystals “There’s No Other Like My Baby” (1961)
32. The Righteous Brothers “Just Once in My Life” (1965)
33. The Crystals “He’s Sure the Boy I Love” (1962)
34. Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” (1962)
35. Sonny Charles & the Checkmates Ltd. “Black Pearl” (1969)
36. The Ronettes “Do I Love You?” (1964)
37. The Righteous Brothers “Ebb Tide” (1965)
38. Connie Francis “Second Hand Love” (1962)
39. Ray Peterson “Corrine, Corrina” (1960)
40. The Crystals “Uptown” (1962)

41. George Harrison “Bangla-Desh” (1971)
42. The Ronettes “Born to Be Together” (1965)
43. Darlene Love “Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry” (1963)
44. Darlene Love “A Fine, Fine Boy” (1963)
45. John Lennon “Woman Is the Nigger of the World” (1972)
46. Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans “Why Do Lovers Break Each Others’ Hearts” (1963)
47. Gene Pitney “Every Breath I Take” (1961)
48. Ramones “Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio” (1980)
49. George Harrison “Isn’t It a Pity” (1970)
50. The Ronettes “The Best Part of Breakin’ Up” (1964)


Resources and Related Links:

First posted 12/26/2017; updated 7/19/2021.

Saturday, December 23, 2017

December 23, 1806: Beethoven's Violin Concerto premiered

Last updated August 27, 2018.

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61

Ludwig van Beethoven (composer)


Composed: 1806


First Performed: December 23, 1806


Sales: --


Peak: --

Quotable: “one of the most important works of the violin concerto repertoire” – Wikipedia


Genre: classical > violin concerto


Parts/Movements:

  1. Allegro ma non troppo
  2. Larghetto
  3. Rondo, Allegro

Average Duration: 43:30

Review:

Beethoven composed his Violin Concerto for colleague Franz Clement who debuted the work at a benefit concert at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on December 23, 1806. Beethoven reportedly finished the solo part so late Clement had to sight-read part of the performance. The premiere was not well received, sending the sending the work into decades of obscurity. In 1844, 12-year-old violinist Joseph Joachim revived the piece alongside the London Philharmonic Society conducted by Felix Mendelssohn. It has since become one of the best-known violin concertos. WK

The concerto was written at the height of Beethoven’s creative, so-called “second” period, representing one of his crowning achievements in his exploration of the concerto. WK “At over 25 minutes in length, the first movement is notable as one of the most extended in any of Beethoven’s works, including the symphonies.” MR “The second movement takes a place among the most serene music Beethoven ever produced.” MR

Possibly as a result of the concerto’s initially poor reception, Beethoven revised it for piano and orchestra. He crafted a “lengthy, somewhat bombastic first movement cadenza which features the orchestra’s timpanist along with the solo pianist. This and the cadenzas for the other movements were later arranged for the violin (and timpani).” WK


Review Source(s):


Awards:


Related DMDB Link(s):


Ed Sheeran hit #1 with "Perfect"

Perfect

Ed Sheeran with Beyoncé

Writer(s): Ed Sheeran (see lyrics here)


Released: September 26, 2017


First Charted: March 25, 2017


Peak: 16 US, 19 BA, 18 DG, 11 ST, 12 RR, 122 AC, 19 A40, 16 UK, 16 CN, 18 AU, 12 DF (Click for codes to charts.)


Sales (in millions): 10.0 US, 2.4 UK, 21.4 world (includes US + UK)


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 4.0 radio, 4807.0 video, 2548.03 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

“Perfect” first hit the charts in March 2017 when Ed Sheeran’s third studio album, Divide (÷) was released. All sixteen of the album’s tracks debuted in the top 20 in the UK and Sheeran occupied nine of the top 10 slots that week, with “Perfect” coming in at #4. WK In the U.S., ten of the album’s songs debuted on the charts with “Perfect” launching at #37. WK Six months later it was officially released as a single and in December an acoustic duet version with BeyoncĂ© was released. The latter pushed the song to #1 on the pop charts in the U.S. The song also topped the charts in the UK and nineteen other countries. WK

The song became Sheeran’s third to spend more than a year on the Billboard Hot 100, following “Shape of You” and “Thinking Out Loud.” He was the first solo artist to do so with three separate singles. SF

“Perfect” was the first Sheeran wrote for his third album, was a romantic ballad about his girlfriend Cherry Seaborn. He initially met her in school and then then reconnected when she was working in New York. He said the lyrical inspiration came from a visit to fellow singer James Blunt’s house in Ibiza, where they listened to the music of rapper Future, WK specifically “March Madness.” SF After he wrote it, he sent it to Cherry in New York, but didn’t get to see her reaction to the song. SF He told Zane Lowe in an interview that he wanted to outdo previous ballad “Thinking Out Loud” because “I know that song was going to define me.” WK

As a final wish of his grandmother, Sheeran collaborated with his brother Matthew, who provided string orchestration on the song. WK The full orchestration was used in a third version of the song, known as “Perfect Symphony,” which featured Andrea Bocelli. Parts of the instrumentation were used in the original version. WK

The video was directed by Jason Koenig, who also helmed Sheeran’s chart-topping “Shape of You.” It was filmed at an Austrian ski resort and depicted Sheeran and actress Zoey Deutch on a ski trip, dancing in the snow, and ending up in a cabin together. MTV UK’s Ross McNeilage called the video a “Christmas dream.” WK It wasn’t actually a Christmas song or video, but the snow gave it a wintery theme.


Resources:


Related Links:


Last updated 7/25/2023.

Friday, December 22, 2017

December 22, 1808: Beethoven premiered his 6th symphony

Last updated August 28, 2018.

Symphony No. 6 in F major (Pastorale), Op. 68

Ludwig van Beethoven (composer)


Composed: 1806-1808


First Performed: December 22, 1808


Sales: --


Peak: --

Quotable: --


Genre: classical > Romantic symphony


Parts/Movements:

  1. Allegro ma non troppo (Awakening of happy feelings on arriving in the country)
  2. Andante molto moto (Scene by the Brook)
  3. Allegro (Peasant’s merrymaking)
  4. Allegro (The storm)
  5. Allegretto (Shepherds’ song. Joyous thanksgiving after the storm)

Average Duration: 41:33

Review:

“For roughly 175 years, the music appreciation racket has told us that Beethoven composed symphonies in contrasting odd-even pairs after 1803, none more startling than the heaven-storming Fifth and bucolic Sixth. Originally, however, he assigned the designation of ‘No. 5’ to the Pastoral for their shared debut on surely the most historic night in Western music, December 22, 1808. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the unheated Theater an der Wien, he premiered both symphonies, the Fourth Piano Concerto, ‘Choral’ Fantasy, ‘Ah! perfido!’ (a concert aria from 1796), and introduced a Viennese audience to excerpts from the C major Mass, an EsterhĂĄzy commission of 1807 that Prince Nicolaus II disliked when he heard it.” RD

“Beethoven began making specific notes for a ‘Sinfonia pastorale’ in 1806, but didn’t complete the work until 1808, in the village of Heiligenstadt northwest of Vienna. If this had been an unlikely hatchery in 1807 for the fist-brandishing Fifth Symphony, it perfectly suited – as he noted in his sketchbook – ‘recollections of country life...more the expression of feeling than of painting’ in his ensuing woodwind-drenched symphony (although violins get first crack at nine of its 12 significant themes).” RD

Cheerful impressions wakened by arrival in the country’ (Allegro ma non troppo, in F major, 2/4) is the first movement. It is in sonata form, pretty much by the book, with violins introducing all themes. The second-movement Scene by the brook (Andante molto moto, in B flat major and 12/8 time) is a Sonata structure again, but more relaxed, with a limpid main theme for violins and a bassoon sub-theme. In the coda, the flute impersonates a nightingale, the oboe a quail, and the clarinet a cuckoo.” RD

“The third movement, Merry gathering of country folk (Allegro, 3/4 time, F major), is an expanded song-and-trio, with a 2/4 section in ‘tempo d’Allegro’ that creates the effect of an ABCABCA structure, leading without pause to the fourth movement, Thunderstorm; tempest (Allegro; F minor, 4/4). From the first raindrop to last, this is purely depictive music.” RD

“It is followed by a 10-bar chorale that segues the final Shepherd’s song; glad and grateful tidings after the storm (Allegretto; F major, 6/8), a sonata-rondo, whose C-section some have called a development section. The fun includes a sly parody of amateur musicians before the long, progressively tranquil coda that ends with a pianistic gesture: two fortissimo chords.” RD


Review Source(s):


Awards:


Related DMDB Link(s):

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