Topic: The. Perfect. Song.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

You get one. Not two or ten or 99,922,382,182

One.

What is it?


I have posted it and I have one in mind, but since I get the one shot I will think some more.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Ok.

Mine is "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves

Doubly gutting because my missus won a ticket for an event in the O2 Arena a few years back and I met her and didn't know it was her.

Was in a dark, dark place and I'd say that song really helped me.

So. Yeah "Walking on Sunshine" Katrina and the Waves. And I'll never meet her again.

Fucks sake

[Riquende]

my missus won a ticket for an event in the O2 Arena a few years back and I met her and didn't know it was her.

Why didn't you recognise your missus?

[LanceLink!!!!!]

That's mine as well, uncanny.

[Sangria]

Cosmos, by Momoe Yamaguchi/Masashi Sada.

Beautiful tune, beautiful singer just on the verge of becoming a great singer. Lyrics capture in perfect condensed form how memories are. No verse-chorus format. There's just one repeated line in the song, "On an unusually warm autumn evening", which is the hook for how this memory will forever be recalled in the narrator's memory, along with her mother, her words, the flowers, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P-ePLE4t3Y

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Why didn't you recognise your missus?

I walked down the line and to be fair didn't recognise Bonnie Tyler either, I shook her hand and she said "Bonnie Tyler" and I went "Oh. Er. Yeah. Er. I like your songs."

Thumbs up.

Cringe

If only Katrina had said the same thing. I'd be with her on a beach in Tahiti now or in prison

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Cosmos, by Momoe Yamaguchi/Masashi Sada.

Beautiful tune, beautiful singer just on the verge of becoming a great singer. Lyrics capture in perfect condensed form how memories are. No verse-chorus format. There's just one repeated line in the song, "On an unusually warm autumn evening", which is the hook for how this memory will forever be recalled in the narrator's memory, along with her mother, her words, the flowers, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P-ePLE4t3Y

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/9P-ePLE4t3Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/9P-ePLE4t3Y</a>

[elbow]

Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/apBWI6xrbLY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/apBWI6xrbLY</a>

[Ciara (with a capital "C")]

Perfect is really weighted but I will assume you mean perfect to the individual?

Whilst most of our choices won't be amazing technically or lyrically they are probably songs that mean the most to us. And this is definitely mine.

I would say this song changed my life. It was the song that got me first hooked on music and the first band I loved. I travelled from Ireland to London alone in 2010 to see them in concert, expecting it to be the first and last time I would see this band (there were rumours of a break up) and ended up meeting my (now) Husband there. I have seen them 14 times in total now and this song is special every time.



<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/7Xf-Lesrkuc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/7Xf-Lesrkuc</a>

[bradders1011]

I have to turn the radio off if Walking On Sunshine comes on. Cannot stand it.

Impossible Germany is a great song, had to stick it on now.

My top played song over the past 15 or so years according to iTunes/Media Monkey is Reoffender by Travis. I know it's middle of the road, it just grabs me. Could listen to it on a loop.

[Jean Girard]

Give Back My Man - The B52s

[Crosby Nick]

I walked down the line and to be fair didn't recognise Bonnie Tyler either, I shook her hand and she said "Bonnie Tyler" and I went "Oh. Er. Yeah. Er. I like your songs."

Thumbs up.

Cringe

If only Katrina had said the same thing. I'd be with her on a beach in Tahiti now or in prison

We’re you at the Royal Variety Performance?

[Crosby Nick]

Perfect is really weighted but I will assume you mean perfect to the individual?

Whilst most of our choices won't be amazing technically or lyrically they are probably songs that mean the most to us. And this is definitely mine.

I would say this song changed my life. It was the song that got me first hooked on music and the first band I loved. I travelled from Ireland to London alone in 2010 to see them in concert, expecting it to be the first and last time I would see this band (there were rumours of a break up) and ended up meeting my (now) Husband there. I have seen them 14 times in total now and this song is special every time.



<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/7Xf-Lesrkuc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/7Xf-Lesrkuc</a>

That song reminds me so much of travelling in 2001. Lived with a bloke who used to sing it non stop. Not heard it in ages.

[Terry de Niro]

I could pick many, many Beatles songs, but this one is a big stand out for me.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/FusIKjztap8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/FusIKjztap8</a>

[Fortneef]

The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" 

[red mongoose]

I came around to this embarrassingly late (i.e., in the last few years), but this is the one for me.

"Ceremony" - New Order

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/fi33-cITS0s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/fi33-cITS0s</a>

[tubby]

Thanks to a certain highlight video...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/TnrXhiPRFzw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/TnrXhiPRFzw</a>


But the real answer is something short, catchy, quick, with no fat on it and isn't over-produced within an inch of its life.  Don't really have a favourite, but it'd be something along the lines of Fell In Love With A Girl.  Bonus points if there's boy/girl vocals and a handclap or two.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/fTH71AAxXmM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/fTH71AAxXmM</a>

[redgriffin73]

I walked down the line and to be fair didn't recognise Bonnie Tyler either, I shook her hand and she said "Bonnie Tyler" and I went "Oh. Er. Yeah. Er. I like your songs."

Thumbs up.

Cringe

If only Katrina had said the same thing. I'd be with her on a beach in Tahiti now or in prison

That would have been really confusing if Katrina had said her name was Bonnie Tyler as well.

[Terry de Niro]

I walked down the line and to be fair didn't recognise Bonnie Tyler either, I shook her hand and she said "Bonnie Tyler" and I went "Oh. Er. Yeah. Er. I like your songs."

I worked/played in a bar in San Antonio, Ibiza 1984, Sgt Peppers music bar with my band and she walked in one night, but what was more amazing was she was arm linking my younger brother who had been gigging earlier down the street.
She was lovely as well.

[KillieRed]

I came around to this embarrassingly late (i.e., in the last few years), but this is the one for me.

"Ceremony" - New Order

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/fi33-cITS0s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/fi33-cITS0s</a>

You know that’s the one that first came to my mind…

I really love the Galaxie 500 cover version too.

[Crosby Nick]

I came around to this embarrassingly late (i.e., in the last few years), but this is the one for me.

"Ceremony" - New Order

Really good.

[liverbloke]

"heroes" bowie

/thread

[stara]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/Xc5MrBGqWZg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/Xc5MrBGqWZg</a>

[Ray K]

Probably this. Perfect marriage of singer and songwriter. Glen's tone is amazing and unimproveable.

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/AxSarBcsKLU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/AxSarBcsKLU</a>

I was going to suggest The Ronettes Be My Baby, but that producer isn't getting any credit from me.

[Sheer Magnetism]

But the real answer is something short, catchy, quick, with no fat on it and isn't over-produced within an inch of its life. 

Tubby gets it, and I would say the most perfect song of all time - even if it's not even his best - is Kiss by Prince. It has all of the above plus wit, sexiness and a great guitar solo. It has everything in fact, expect at a stretch, bass.

[Crosby Nick]

Think I’m in the less is more camp too. Don’t know why, but feel like the best songs have something intangible that leave you wishing they were a bit longer, even though they’re perfect as they are.

Don’t have a favourite or perfect song off the top of my head but examples of the above are:

In My Life - The Beatles
Dreaming Of You - The Coral
Timeless Melody - The La’s

I’m sure there’s examples out there from beyond Merseyside as well.

[Qston]

From the less is more camp....We are the champions - Queen.

For a whole host of reasons.

[Ciara (with a capital "C")]

This one as well for me, too - certainly melodically.

Just beautiful and one of the first ones I thought of. The story of Mic Christopher too is such a sad one, so I thinks it hits a bit differently too.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/RcnPWUxM_Sk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/RcnPWUxM_Sk</a>

[mikeb58]

I always think there's two camps here, the perfect song and the perfect single.

Too many to choose from for my perfect song and for too many different reasons, but for my perfect single it would be Metal Guru/T.Rex.

In under 3 minutes, Bolan throws everything at this track, that made it a sure fire number one record.

[redan]

The Beatles- We Can Work It Out

A lot of people wouldn’t even have this in their top 10 Beatles songs but for me it’s absolutely perfect. McCartney’s optimism twinned with Lennon’s more cynical outlook but both parts are equally catchy, melodic and memorable and all wrapped up in little over 2 mins with no fat. The greatest example of their songwriting partnership in its truest form

[jackh]

Don't Change - INXS

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/sLm3Khusq_8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/sLm3Khusq_8</a>

[So… Howard Philips]

Probably this. Perfect marriage of singer and songwriter. Glen's tone is amazing and unimproveable.

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/AxSarBcsKLU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/AxSarBcsKLU</a>

I was going to suggest The Ronettes Be My Baby, but that producer isn't getting any credit from me.

Great choice. A wonderful song and brings back fond memories of sitting in the Old House at Home in Aigburth with this on the jukie. It was a freezing cold winter then as well.

[Black Bull Nova]

Probably this. Perfect marriage of singer and songwriter. Glen's tone is amazing and unimproveable.

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/AxSarBcsKLU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/AxSarBcsKLU</a>

I was going to suggest The Ronettes Be My Baby, but that producer isn't getting any credit from me.

Yes, probably, I'd forgotten about this, it always remains in my all time top 10 regardless of what else joins or leaves, that says something. Everything about this song is perfect.

[TepidT2O]

Give Back My Man - The B52s

Can I just highlight what is frankly a fucking wild selection and one that no one else has picked up on.


I think it’s just you and me in the B52s fan club on here….

[TepidT2O]

Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys

I mean there are quite a few beach boys songs you could pick…

It’s like they they distilled the essence of 60s pop/rock into two minute slices of perfection

[sattapaartridge]

Billie Jean - Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones & Bruce Swedien.

[tinner777]

I do like lust for life, Iggy Pop, just for the extended introduction.
Perfect pop, Pulp babies
Joan Armatrading - Love And Affection is just perfect...

[Terry de Niro]

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face written by Ewan MacColl was intended to be a folk song.
Roberta Flack got hold of it and the rest was history.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/d8_fLu2yrP4&amp;t=3s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/d8_fLu2yrP4&amp;t=3s</a>

[rob1966]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/QxIWDmmqZzY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/QxIWDmmqZzY</a>