DB's Song of the Day: THE STORY SO FAR . . .

Today marks the start of “week twenty-six” of the Song of the Day posts. Which means we’re halfway through 2014. And that also means I’ve got 182 posts to show for myself. The sequence of songs is listed below. The number in parentheses after the date indicates how many songs from that decade have appeared. After that listing comes a listing of the songs so far posted on, broken down by year, with bolded artist names indicating those with more than one selection. So, on this page, then, you can pretty much see the lay of the land, for the first half.

Back there a ways I speculated about which decade would dominate. It’s easy to see that the Seventies rule—with 53 selections to date—and will continue to do so. The Sixties and the Eighties are neck-and-neck at this point, 34 and 33 respectively. The Nineties, with 21, just recently got surpassed by the Aughts, with 22, a fact that surprises me a bit since I thought I liked the Nineties considerably more. The most recent decade, the Teens, and the oldest, the Fifties, haven’t even broken ten, but, at 9, the Fifties will certainly do so. With 6, the Teens have some work to do. Will there even be a dozen songs apiece for those two decades?

I’m not trying for parity, but on the other hand I’ve noticed that I’ve begun looking at “most recent” work by some artists rather than the time-honored stuff. That’s what gave the Aughts the push. As the year goes on that tendency may become more pronounced, indicating that I’m finally making my peace with the 21st century. But that still can’t offset that fact that the main era of my acquisition—the Sixties through the Eighties—offer the most to me for purposes of commentary and personal reflection, to say nothing of familiarity. Clearly, this series is all about the retrospective nature of memory and, as I’ve said, acknowledging the ghosts that remain, not so much about hitting on some newbie for the sake of contemporary buzz.  As I’ve seen all-too-often with tapes I’ve made—tapes with some upstart added to a mix of favorites—the flash-in-the-pan stuff can be pretty annoying when its time is done. This is all about staying the course.

Not least, for me; to see if I can keep ‘em coming and make the voyage there and back. At halfway, I can say “I’m there.” It began on January 2nd with a high temperature of 29 and a low of 11. And today, July 2nd, the high should be 84 and the low 73. Now it’s time to start the long journey “back” to January 1st.  Cyclical and linear, that’s why I like the seasons so much.

The sequence:

January

1. Forever Young—Dylan and The Band 1978 (1)

2. Time Fades Away—Neil Young 1973 (2)

3. Cold, Rain and Snow—The Grateful Dead 1980 (1)

4. Camera—R.E.M. 1984 (2)

5. Bye Bye Love—The Everly Brothers 1957 (1)

6. Jugband Blues—Pink Floyd 1968 (1)

7. Who Knows Where the Time Goes?—Fairport Convention 1969 (2)

8. Teenage Wildlife—David Bowie 1980 (3)

9. Black Dog—Led Zeppelin 1971 (3)

10. Reason to Believe—Rod Stewart 1971 (4)

11. Pretzel Logic—Steely Dan 1974 (5)

12. The Wind Cries Mary—Jimi Hendrix Experience 1967 (3)

13. Suddenly Everything Has Changed—Flaming Lips 1999 (1)

14. I Bought Myself a Liarbird—XTC 1984 (4)

15. Ice Cream for Crow—Captain Beefheart 1982 (5)

16. The Good Old Days—The Libertines 2002 (1)

17. NYC—Steve Earle 1997 (2)

18. Common People—Pulp 1995 (3)

19. Me and Bobby McGee—Janis Joplin 1971 (6)

20. A Change is Gonna Come—Sam Cooke 1964 (4)

21. The Greatest—Cat Power 2007 (2)

22. Winter—The Rolling Stones 1973 (7)

23. In the Aeroplane over the Sea—Neutral Milk Hotel 1998 (4)

24. Cracklin’ Rosie—Neil Diamond 1970 (8)

25. Return to Sender—Elvis Presley 1962 (5)

26. ’Cause Cheap is How I Feel—Cowboy Junkies 1990 (5)

27. The Cutter—Echo & The Bunnymen 1983 (6)

28. Ohm—Yo La Tengo 2013 (1)

29. Coming Back to Me—Jefferson Airplane 1967 (6)

30. 30 Days in the Hole—Humble Pie 1972 (9)

31. Home–PIL (1986) (7)

February

32. Waist Deep in the Big Muddy—Pete Seeger 1968 (7)

33. Golden Hair—Syd Barrett 1970 (10)

34. Hedda Gabler—John Cale 1978 (11)

35. Shot With His Own Gun—Elvis Costello & The Attractions 1981 (8)

36. No Quarter—Led Zeppelin 1973 (12)

37. No Woman No Cry—Bob Marley 1980 (9)

38. She Loves You—The Beatles 1963 (8)

39. Make Up—Lou Reed 1972 (13)

40. The Needle and the Damage Done—Neil Young 1972 (14)

41. O Death—Camper van Beethoven 1988 (10)

42. Your Ghost—Kristin Hersh 1994 (6)

43. Gouge Away—The Pixies 1989 (11)

44. Strawberry Fields Forever—The Beatles 1967 (9)

45. The River—Tim Buckley 1969 (10)

46. Moonlight Mile—The Rolling Stones 1971 (15)

47. Only You and Your Ghost Will Know—Mekons 2002 (3)

48. Meet Me Down the Alley—Paul Westerberg 2003 (4)

49. Cold, Cold Ground—Tom Waits 1987 (12)

50. The Tears of a Clown—Smokey Robinson 1970 (16)

51. All Apologies—Nirvana 1993 (7)

52. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle—The Smiths 1984 (13)

53. Stink-foot—Frank Zappa 1974 (17)

54. The Dark of the Matinee—Franz Ferdinand 2004 (5)

55. Another Small Thing in Her Favour—Richard Thompson 2013 (2)

56. Train of Love—Bob Dylan 1999 (8)

57. Folsom Prison Blues—Johnny Cash 1956 (2)

58. A Song for Europe—Roxy Music 1973 (18)

59. Biko—Peter Gabriel 1980 (14)

March

60. The Big Country—Talking Heads 1978 (19)

61. Doin’ the Things that We Want to—Lou Reed 1984 (15)

62. The Speed of Things—Robyn Hitchcock 1996 (9)

63. Lost in the Supermarket—The Clash 1979 (20)

64. Sat in Your Lap—Kate Bush 1982 (16)

65. The Narrow Way—Pink Floyd 1969 (11)

66. Time—Tom Waits 1985 (17)

67. The Jungle Line—Joni Mitchell 1975 (21)

68. Paris 1919—John Cale 1973 (22)

69. My Home is in the Delta—Muddy Waters 1964 (12)

70. Feelin’ Alright?—Traffic 1968 (13)

71. Albion—BabyShambles 2005 (6)

72. There She Goes, My Beautiful World—Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 2004 (7)

73. All Tomorrow’s Parties—Velvet Underground 1967 (14)

74. Family Affair—Sly & the Family Stone 1971 (23)

75. Perfect Example—Hüsker Dü 1985 (18)

76. The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn—The Pogues 1985 (19)

77. Muzzle—Smashing Pumpkins 1995 (10)

78. Lookin’ Out My Back Door—Creedence Clearwater Revival 1970 (24)

79. Green Man—XTC 1999 (11)

80. The Beast and Dragon, Adored—Spoon 2005 (8)

81. Village Green Preservation Society—The Kinks 1968 (15)

82. Mama, You Been on My Mind—Bob Dylan 1964 (16)

83. Ruby Tuesday—Rolling Stones 1967 (17)

84. Madman across the Water—Elton John 1971 (25)

85. Chain of Fools—Aretha Franklin 1967 (18)

86. Someone’s Missing—MGMT 2010 (3)

87. King of Birds—R.E.M. 1987 (20)

88. Brilliant Disguise—Bruce Springsteen 1987 (21)

89. Bell Bottom Blues—Eric Clapton 1970 (26)

90. Heartbreak Hotel—Elvis Presley 1956 (3)

April

91. The Boy from Tupelo—Emmylou Harris 2000 (9)

92. What’s Going On—Marvin Gaye 1971 (27)

93. Beeswing—Richard Thompson 1994 (12)

94. In a Station—The Band 1968 (19)

95. Where Did You Sleep Last Night?—Nirvana 1994 (13)

96. (I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain—Frank Black 1994 (14)

97. Grand Hotel—Procol Harum (1973) (28)

98. Ne me quitte pas--Jacques Brel (1959) (4)

99. Domino–Van Morrison (1970) (29)

100. Everybody Knows—Leonard Cohen 1988 (22)

101. Please—John Cale (1970) (30)

102. Boots of Spanish Leather—Bob Dylan (1964) (20)

103. Art Lover—The Kinks (1981) (23)

104. Lazy Projector—Andrew Bird (2012) (4)

105. Taxman—The Beatles (1966) (21)

106. Son of a Preacher Man—Dusty Springfield (1968) (22)

107. O Lucky Man!—Alan Price (1973) (31)

108. Gloria (in excelsis deo)—Patti Smith (1975) (32)

109. The Soft Parade—The Doors (1969) (23)

110. Superstar—Murray Head (1969) (24)

111. In Between Days—The Cure (1985) (24)

112. Gotta Git It in Your Soul—Charles Mingus (1959) (5)

113. Dum Dum Boys—Iggy Pop (1977) (33)

114. Indoor Fireworks—Elvis Costello (1987) (25)

115. Love for Sale–Ella Fitzgerald (1956) (6)

116. She Doesn’t Exist—Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians (1991) (15)

117. Kamera—Wilco (2002) (10)

118. Very Friendly Lighthouses—Vic Chesnutt (2001) (11)

119. Pancho and Lefty—Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan (1993) (16)

120. Sympathy for the Devil—Rolling Stones (1968) (25)

May

121. See Emily Play—David Bowie 1973 (34)

122. Talk of the Town—The Pretenders 1980 (26)

123. Wolf Like Me—TV on the Radio 2006 (12)

124. Into the Mystic—Van Morrison 1970 (35)

125. Everybody’s Everything—Santana (1971) (36)

126. The Killing Moon—Echo & The Bunnymen (1984) (27)

127. Myriad Harbour—New Pornographers (2007) (13)

128. Come On In My Kitchen—Robert Johnson (1936; 1961) (26)

129. Blue Flower—Mazzy Star (1990) (17)

130. Only You Know & I Know—Dave Mason (1970) (37)

131. Mack the Knife—Bobby Darin (1959) (7)

132. Superstition—Stevie Wonder (1972) (38)

133. Come Talk to Me—Peter Gabriel (1992) (18)

134. U.B. Jesus—David Byrne (2001) (14)

135. Under—Brian Eno (2005) (15)

136. Sartori in Tangier—King Crimson (1982) (28)

137. Pablo Picasso—Jonathan Richman (1976) (39)

138. Can’t Find My Way Home—Blind Faith (1969) (27)

139. Baba O’Riley—The Who (1971) (40)

140. The Letter—Joe Cocker (1970) (41)

141. Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again—Cat Power (2007) (16)

142. Every Day is Like Sunday—Morrissey (1988) (29)

143. Road Trippin’—Red Hot Chili Peppers (1999) (19)

144. Caribbean Wind—Bob Dylan (1981) (30)

145. Growin’ Trade—Levon Helm (2009) (17)

146. So What—Miles Davis (1959) (8)

147. Landslide—Fleetwood Mac (1975) (42)

148. Lodi—CCR (1969) (28)

149. A Salty Dog—Procol Harum (1969) (29)

150. Down South—Tom Petty (2006) (18)

151. When the Levee Breaks—Led Zeppelin (1971) (43)

June

152. Bury Me With It—Modest Mouse (2004) (19)

153. Let it Loose—The Rolling Stones (1972) (44)

154. I Wish I Was Your Mother—Mott the Hoople (1973) (45)

155. The Ocean Doesn’t Want Me—Tom Waits (1992) (20)

156. She is Mine—Psychedelic Furs (1981) (31)

157. Long Distance Runaround—Yes (1971) (46)

158. These Boots Are Made for Walking—Nancy Sinatra (1966) (30)

159. Brompton Oratory—Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (1997) (21)

160. Always True to You in My Fashion—Ella Fitzgerald (1956) (9)

161. Big White Cloud—John Cale (1970) (47)

162. (Sometimes I Feel Like) Fletcher Christian—Mekons (1988) (32)

163. Thunder Road—Bruce Springsteen (1975) (48)

164. Cuyahoga—R.E.M. (1986) (33)

165. Ashes of American Flags—Wilco (2002) (20)

166. Old Five and Dimers (Like Me)—Waylon Jennings (1973) (49)

167. Flower of the Mountain—Kate Bush (2011) (5)

168. Good Old Desk—Nilsson (1968) (31)

169. Friends to Go—Paul McCartney (2005) (21)

170. Fly—Nick Drake (1970) (50)

171. I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times—The Beach Boys (1966) (32)

172. Waterloo Sunset—The Kinks (1967) (33)

173. (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay—Otis Redding (1968) (34)

174. Unsatisfied—The Replacements (1984) (34)

175. In the Kingdom—Mazzy Star (2013) (6)

176. Billie Jean—Michael Jackson (1982) (35)

177. The Card Cheat—The Clash (1979) (51)                                    

178. King of the Road—Roger Miller (1965) (35)

179. Home—David Byrne and Brian Eno (2008) (22)

180. Up to Me—Bob Dylan (1975) (52)

181. Thrasher—Neil Young (1979) (53)

July

182. Heart of Glass—Blondie (1978) (54)

Sequence of songs by year

1956

Johnny Cash: Folsom Prison Blues

Elvis Presley (1): Heartbreak Hotel

Ella Fitzgerald (1): Love for Sale

Ella Fitzgerald (2): Always True to You in My Fashion

1957

The Everly Brothers: Bye Bye Love

1959

Jacques Brel: Ne me quitte pas

Charles Mingus: Gotta Git It in Your Soul

Bobby Darin: Mack the Knife

Miles Davis: So What

1961

Robert Johnson: Come On In My Kitchen

1962

Elvis Presley (2): Return to Sender 1962

1963

The Beatles (1): She Loves You

1964

Sam Cooke: A Change is Gonna Come

Muddy Waters: My Home is in the Delta

Bob Dylan (1): Mama, You Been On My Mind

Bob Dylan (2): Boots of Spanish Leather

1965

Roger Miller: King of the Road

1966

The Beatles (2): Taxman

Nancy Sinatra: These Boots Are Made for Walking

The Beach Boys: I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times

1967

Jimi Hendrix Experience: The Wind Cries Mary

Jefferson Airplane: Comin’ Back to Me

The Beatles (3): Strawberry Fields Forever

Velvet Underground: All Tomorrow’s Parties

The Rolling Stones (1): Ruby Tuesday

Aretha Franklin: Chain of Fools

The Kinks (1): Waterloo Sunset

1968

Pink Floyd (1): Jugband Blues

Pete Seeger: Waist Deep in the Big Muddy

Traffic: Feelin’ Alright?

The Band (1): In a Station

Dusty Springfield: Son of a Preacher Man

The Rolling Stones (2): Sympathy for the Devil

Nilsson: Good Old Desk

Otis Redding: (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay

1969

Fairport Convention: Who Knows Where the Time Goes?

Tim Buckley: The River

Pink Floyd (2): The Narrow Way

The Doors: The Soft Parade

Murray Head: Superstar

Blind Faith: Can’t Find My Way Home

Creedence Clearwater Revival (1): Lodi

Procol Harum (1): A Salty Dog

1970

Neil Diamond: Cracklin’ Rosie

Syd Barrett: Golden Hair

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles: The Tears of a Clown

Creedence Clearwater Revival (2): Lookin’ Out My Back Door

Derek & the Dominoes: Bell Bottom Blues

Van Morrison (1): Domino

John Cale (1): Please

Van Morrison (1): Into the Mystic

Dave Mason: Only You Know and I Know

Joe Cocker: The Letter

John Cale (2): Big White Cloud

Nick Drake: Fly

1971

Led Zeppelin (1): Black Dog

Rod Stewart: Reason to Believe

Janis Joplin: Me and Bobby McGee

The Rolling Stones (3): Moonlight Mile

Sly & the Family Stone: Family Affair

Elton John: Madman across the Water

Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On

The Who: Baba O’Riley

Led Zeppelin (2): When the Levee Breaks

Yes: Long Distance Runaround

1972

Humble Pie: 30 Days in the Hole

Lou Reed (1): Dressing Up

Neil Young (1): The Needle and the Damage Done

Stevie Wonder: Superstition

The Rolling Stones (4): Let It Loose

1973

Neil Young (2): Time Fades Away

The Rolling Stones (5): Winter

Led Zeppelin (3): No Quarter

Roxy Music: A Song for Europe

John Cale (3): Paris 1919

Procol Harum (2): Grand Hotel

Alan Price: O Lucky Man!

David Bowie (1): See Emily Play

Mott the Hoople: I Wish I Was Your Mother

Waylon Jennings: Old Five and Dimers (Like Me)

1974

Steely Dan: Pretzel Logic

Frank Zappa: Stinkfoot

1975

Joni Mitchell: The Jungle Line

Patti Smith: Gloria (in excelsis deo)

Fleetwood Mac: Landslide

Bruce Springsteen (1): Thunder Road

Bob Dylan (3): Up to Me

1976

The Modern Lovers: Pablo Picasso

1977

Iggy Pop: Dum Dum Boys

1978

Bob Dylan (4) & The Band (2): Forever Young

John Cale (4): Hedda Gabler

Talking Heads: The Big Country

Blondie: Heart of Glass

1979

The Clash (1): Lost in the Supermarket

The Clash (2): The Card Cheat

Neil Young (3): Thrasher

1980

The Grateful Dead: Cold, Rain and Snow

David Bowie (2): Teenage Wildlife

Bob Marley: No Woman, No Cry

Peter Gabriel (1): Biko

The Pretenders: Talk of the Town

1981

Elvis Costello (1) & The Attractions: Shot With His Own Gun

The Kinks (2): Art Lover

Bob Dylan (5): Caribbean Wind

Psychedelic Furs: She is Mine

1982

Captain Beefheart: Ice Cream for Crow

Kate Bush (1): Sat in Your Lap

King Crimson: Sartori in Tangiers

Michael Jackson: Billie Jean

1983

Echo & the Bunnymen (1): The Cutter

1984

R.E.M. (1): Camera

XTC (1): I Bought Myself a Liarbird

The Smiths: The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

Lou Reed (2): Doin’ the Things That We Want to

Echo & the Bunnymen (2): The Killing Moon

The Replacements: Unsatisfied

1985

Tom Waits (1): Time

Hüsker Dü: Perfect Example

The Pogues: The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn

The Cure: In Between Days

1986

PiL: Home

Elvis Costello (2): Indoor Fireworks

R.E.M. (2): Cuyahoga

1987

Tom Waits (2): Cold, Cold Ground

R.E.M. (3): King of Birds

Bruce Springsteen (2): Brilliant Disguise

1988

Camper van Beethoven: O Death

Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows

Morrissey: Everyday is Like Sunday

Mekons (1): (Sometimes I Feel Like) Fletcher Christian

1989

The Pixies: Gouge Away

1990

Cowboy Junkies: ‘Cause Cheap is How I Feel

Mazzy Star (1): Blue Flower

1991

Robyn Hitchcock (1): She Doesn’t Exist

1992

Peter Gabriel (2): Come Talk to Me

Tom Waits (3): The Ocean Doesn’t Want Me

1993

Nirvana (1): All Apologies

Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan (6): Pancho and Lefty

1994

Kristin Hersh: Your Ghost

Richard Thompson (1): Beeswing

Nirvana (2): Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

Frank Black: I Want to Live on an Abstract Plain

1995

Pulp: Common People

The Smashing Pumpkins: Muzzle

1996

Robyn Hitchcock (1): The Speed of Things

1997

Steve Earle: NYC

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (1): Brompton Oratory

1998

Neutral Milk Hotel: From the Aeroplane over the Sea

1999

The Flaming Lips: Suddenly Everything Has Changed

Bob Dylan (7): Train of Love

XTC (2): Greenman

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Road Trippin’

2000

Emmylou Harris: The Boy from Tupelo

2001

Vic Chesnutt: Very Friendly Lighthouses

David Byrne (1): U.B. Jesus

2002

The Libertines: The Good Old Days

Mekons (2): Only You and Your Ghost Will Know

Wilco (1): Kamera

Wilco (2): Ashes of American Flags

2003

Paul Westerberg: Meet Me down the Alley

2004

Franz Ferdinand: The Dark of the Matinee

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (2): There She Goes, My Beautiful World

Modest Mouse: Bury Me With It

2005

BabyShambles: Albion

Spoon: The Beast and Dragon, Adored

Brian Eno (1): Under

Paul McCartney: Friends to Go

2006

Cat Power (1): The Greatest

TV on the Radio: Wolf Like Me

Tom Petty: Down South

2007

The New Pornographers: Myriad Harbour

Cat Power (2): Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again

2008

David Byrne (2) and Brian Eno (2): Home

2009

Levon Helm: Growing Trade

2010

MGMT: Someone’s Missing

2011

Kate Bush (2): Flower of the Mountain

2012

Andrew Bird: Lazy Projector

2013

Yo La Tengo: Ohm

Richard Thompson (2): Another Small Thing in Her Favour

Mazzy Star (2): In the Kingdom