Marky B

In 1999,Paul Gambaccini presented a programme over the Easter period called Songs Of The Century on BBC Radio 2. The list was compiled by Gambaccini and Kevin Howlett from various data including listeners' choices,the votes of songwriters and music experts,record and sheet music sales and radio performance statistics. Mr Gambaccini kindly sent me the full list of 150 songs (although only the top 100 was broadcast) a couple of years ago and I am gladly going to write out every 150 songs for you. The list includes the titles,the writer(s) and the year it was published. Happy Birthday To You and We Shall Overcome are not included as they were not written in the 20th Century.

150 YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND (King) 1971
149 BLUE SKIES (Berlin) 1927
148 PASSING STRANGERS (Mitchell/Mann) 1957
147 NO WOMAN NO CRY (Marley - credited to Ford) 1974
146 THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA (Jobim/Gimbel/Moraes) 1964
145 BORN TO RUN (Springsteen) 1975
144 FIELDS OF GOLD (Sting) 1993
143 MY GIRL (Robinson/White) 1965
142 I'LL BE SEEING YOU (m.Fain/w.Kahal) 1938
141 GOD BLESS THE CHILD (Herzog/Holiday) 1941
140 MR TAMBOURINE MAN (Dylan) 1965
139 BLUES IN THE NIGHT (m.Arlen/w.Mercer) 1941
138 FOR ME AND MY GAL (m.Meyer/w.Leslie/Goetz) 1917
137 WATERLOO SUNSET (Davies) 1967
136 MISTY (m.Garner/w.Burke) 1954
135 I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU (Porter) 1934
134 ELEANOR RIGBY (Lennon/McCartney)
133 MOOD INDIGO (m.Ellington/Bigard/Mills/w.Parrish{uncredited}) 1930
132 DANCING QUEEN (Andersson/Ulvaeus/Anderson) 1976
131 I'M SO LONELY I COULD CRY (Williams) 1949
130 VINCENT (Mclean) 1971
129 SHE LOVES YOU (Lennon/McCartney) 1963
128 STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT (Kaempfert/Snyder/Singleton) 1966
127 BROTHERS IN ARMS (Knopfler) 1985
126 CHEEK TO CHEEK (Berlin) 1935
125 YOUR SONG (John/Taupin) 1970
124 THE CHRISTMAS SONG (Torme/Wells) 1946
123 AIN'T MISBEHAVING ((m.Waller/Brooks/w.Razaf) 1929
122 THE TIMES THEY ARE CHANGING (Dylan) 1964
121 DON'T BE CRUEL (Blackwell/Presley) 1956
120 PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES IN YOUR OLD KIT BAG AND SMILE,SMILE,SMILE (m.Powell/w.Asaf) 1915
119 PERFECT DAY (Reed) 1972
118 IF I LOVED YOU (m.Rodgers/w.Hammerstein II) 1945
117 OH PRETTY WOMAN (Orbison/Dees) 1964
116 PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (m.Johnson/w.Burke) 1936
115 I AM THE WALRUS (Lennon/McCartney) 1967
114 I AM NOT IN LOVE (Stewart/Gouldman) 1975
113 ALWAYS (Berlin) 1925
112 RESPECT (Redding) 1965
111 NEL BLUE DIPINTO DI BLU (Madugno/Parrish/Migliacci) 1958
110 DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS? (Geldof/Ure) 1984
109 WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR (m.Harline/w.Washington) 1940
108 A DAY IN THE LIFE (Lennon/McCartney) 1967
107 GOODNIGHT IRENE (Ledbetter/Lomax) 1936
106 LAYLA (Clapton/Gordon) 1970
105 GOOD VIBRATIONS (Wilson/Love) 1966
104 THESE FOOLISH THINGS REMIND OF YOU (m.Strachey/Link/w.Marvell)
103 CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE (WITH YOU) (Weiss/Creatore/Peretti) 1961
102 DANCING IN THE STREET (Stevenson/Gaye/Hunter) 1964
101 THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME (m.G Gershwin/w.I Gershwin) 1937
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100 STAND BY ME (Leiber/Stoller/King) 1961
99 TAKE FIVE (Brubeck) 1961
98 SWEET ADELINE (m.Armstrong/w.Gerard) 1903
97 GEORGIA ON MY MIND (m.Carmichael/w.Gorell) 1930
96 MACARTHUR PARK (Webb) 1968
95 THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT (m.Kern/w.Fields) 1936
94 SOMETHING (Harrison) 1969
93 DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA (m.Webber/w.Rice) 1977
92 TEA FOR TWO (m.Youmans/w.Caesar) 1924
91 SOMEWHERE (m.Bernstein/w.Sondheim) 1957
90 A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BERKELEY SQUARE (Maschwitz/Sherwin/Strachey) 1940
89 THE WAY WE WERE (m.Hamlisch/w.A Bergman & M Bergman) 1974
88 BROTHER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME (m.Gorney/w.Harburg) 1932
87 (EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU (Adams/Kamen/Lange) 1991
86 LET ME CALL YOU SWEETHEART (Whitson/Friedman) 1910
85 I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER (m.Bacharach/w.David) 1967
84 ROSES OF PICARDY (m.Wood/w.Weatherly) 1916
83 (SITTIN' ON THE) DOCK OF THE BAY (Redding/Cropper) 1967
82 SOME ENCHANTED EVENING (m.Rodgers/w.Hammerstein II) 1949
81 KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG (Gimbel/Fox) 1973
80 WINTER WONDERLAND (m.Bernard/w.Smith) 1934
79 EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE (Sting) 1983
78 KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING (m.Novello/w.Ford) 1915
77 THE FOLKS WHO LIVE ON THE HILL (m.Kern/w.Hammerstein) 1937
76 WALK ON BY (m.Bacharach/w.David) 1961
75 STORMY WEATHER (m.Arlen/w.Koehler) 1933
74 WHAT'S GOING ON (Benson/Cleveland/Gaye) 1971
73 SEND IN THE CLOWNS (Sondheim) 1973
72 (I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION (Jagger/Richard) 1965
71 NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN (Hayward) 1967
70 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (m.Brown/w.Freed) 1929
69 LIKE A ROLLING STONE (Dylan) 1965
68 ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE (m.Kern/w.Hammerstein II) 1940
67 BLUE MOON (m.Rodgers/w.Hart) 1934
66 IT'S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY (Judge/Williams) 1914
65 STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER (Lennon/McCartney) 1967
64 THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS (Henley/Silbar) 1983
63 DEEP PURPLE (m.DeRose/w.Parrish) 1934
62 CRAZY (Nelson) 1961
61 I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU (Wonder) 1984
60 I BELIEVE (Drake/Graham/Shirl/Stillman) 1953
59 GOD ONLY KNOWS (Wilson/Asher) 1966
58 THE POWER OF LOVE (Mende/DeRouge/Rush/Applegate) 1985
57 SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME (m.G Gershwin/w.I Gershwin) 1926
56 I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN (Porter) 1936
55 I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU (m.Warren/w.Dubin) 1934
54 MACK THE KNIFE (m.Weill/w.Brecht - English w.Blitzstein) 1928
53 LILI MARLENE (Leip/Schultz/Connor) 1915
52 HOTEL CALIFORNIA (Felder/Henley/Frey) 1976
51 TENNESSEE WALTZ (Stewart/King) 1948
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50 BAKER STREET (Rafferty) 1978
49 THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY (Simeone/Onorati) 1959
48 THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE (McCall) 1957
47 UNFORGETTABLE (Gordon) 1951
46 HOUND DOG (w.Leiber/m.Stoller) 1953
45 WITHOUT YOU (Ham/Evans) 1972
44 ALWAYS ON MY MIND (James/Carson/Christopher) 1972
43 MOON RIVER (m.Mancini/w.Mercer) 1961
42 AMERICAN PIE (McLean) 1972
41 BEGIN THE BEGUINE (Porter) 1935
40 THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER (m.Kent/w.Burton) 1940
39 LET IT BE (Lennon/McCartney) 1970
38 I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU (Parton) 1974
37 WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD (Douglas/Weiss) 1968
36 MOONLIGHT SERENADE (m.Miller/w.Parrish) 1939
35 STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN (Page/Plant) 1971
34 SEPTEMBER SONG (m.Weill/w.Anderson) 1938
33 NIGHT AND DAY (Porter) 1932
32 SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN (m.Coots/w.Gillespie) 1934
31 MY BLUE HEAVEN (m.Donaldson/w.Whiting) 1927
30 ST LOUIS BLUES (Handy) 1914
29 MY HEART WILL GO ON (m.Horner/w.Jennings) 1997
28 A WHITER SHADE OF PALE (m.Brooker/w.Reid) 1967
27 YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELING (Mann/Weill/Spector) 1965
26 HEARTBREAK HOTEL (Axton/Durden/Presley) 1956
25 WHEN I FALL IN LOVE (Heyman/Young) 1951
24 I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE (Whitfield/Strong) 1967
23 WE'LL MEET AGAIN (Burnett/Griffin) 1939
22 BLOWIN' IN THE WIND (Dylan) 1963
21 EV'RY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE (Porter) 1944
20 OL' MAN RIVER (m.Kern/w.Hammerstein II) 1927
19 ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK (Freedman/De Knight) 1955
18 BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (Mercury) 1975
17 ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND (Berlin) 1911
16 IN THE MOOD (Razaf/Garland) 1939
15 HEY JUDE (Lennon/McCartney) 1968
14 RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER (Marks) 1949
13 CANDLE IN THE WIND (m.John/w.Taupin) 1972
12 YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE (m.Rodgers/w.Hammerstein II) 1945
11 SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES (m.Kern/w.Harbach) 1933
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10 AS TIME GOES BY (Hupfield) 1931
9 OVER THE RAINBOW (m.Arlen/w.Harburg) 1939
8 SUMMERTIME (m.Gershwin/w.Heyward) 1935
7 MY WAY (m.Francois/Revaux/Thibaut/w.Anka) 1969
6 IMAGINE (Lennon) 1971
5 UNCHAINED MELODY (m.North/w.Zaret) 1955
4 WHITE CHRISTMAS (Berlin) 1942
3 BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER (Simon) 1970
2 STARDUST (m.Carmichael/w.Parrish) 1929
1 YESTERDAY (Lennon/McCartney) 1965

Well apart from any typing errors,all the information I have written is directly copied from the official list.
I hope this will provide useful information for you all.
Right,I am going to lie down
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Mark O

It most certainly is useful information being a Music lover........thank you for posting Marky!

Good to see a Judy Garland song in the top ten, I was fortunate enough to see Judy's daughter Lorna in a Concert a couple of weeks back, singing 'the songs my mother taught me'........she was absolutely great, and duetted vocally with her Mam on 'Rainbow'.......it'll stay with me forever!

Mark

Marky B

It was my pleasure,Mark. In the top 100,the only two I hadn't heard of before I heard the programme (I taped it and I have still got the tapes) was Sweet Adeline (which was used in an episode of The Simpsons - the one where Homer,Apu,Barney and Seymour formed a singing harmony group) and What's Going On which is now my favourite Motown song.
My favourite all time single got to number 27 You've Lost That Loving Feeling,the peerless Bridge Over Troubled Water and Stardust (the Nat "King" Cole version cuts you to the bone) rightfully got to the top three. I think Yesterday got to the number 1 spot mainly because it is the most recorded song in history. Personally,my favourite Beatles song is The Long And Winding Road,which got nowhere in the chart,but then again it never got into the pop charts under the Beatles' watch.
Despite his dominance over British music over six decades,Sir Cliff didn't get a mention.
Here is one for quiz buffs,Candle In The Wind is the only song in British pop history to have entered the charts three times with the same artist in the 70's,80'and 90's,but each time a different version:the original in the 70's,a live version in the 80's and of course the Princess Diana version in the 90's. Also,each time,it ascended higher in the charts.
I also found it surprising how old some songs are.
Going back to your concert,I preferred Lorna to Liza. Over The Rainbow was nearly going to be omitted from the Wizard Of Oz,but thankfully,calmed heads decided otherwise.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Mr Cosmo

Gambo is a good guy and very courteous to send all that info. He also still sounds pretty good on radio.

Marky B

I like listening to him,as he is very authoritive on popular music.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Marky B

There is a documentary on Tuesday nights about skiffle music,and how it influenced Lennon & McCartney. 10.30pm on Radio 2.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Harleybloke

What about John Kongos?

He's gonna step on you again.......................

Tokaloshe Man.......................

Stoopid fing anyway................

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

David Brent

Yeah, the words were all mumbo-jumbo.

Dave.

batman

Thanks Mark ... that is a fantastic set of songs. I have been reminded of many old songs that I had long forgotten .... looks like amazon will be taking more of my cash next month!

There are 31 excellent quizzes to bamboozle you on the Quiz Page. Just click on the 'Quick Links' icon and scroll down!

Marky B

Songs like Always On My Mind and Stardust had a second vote on whose version the listeners wanted to hear:for the former,the Elvis Presley version was voted the favourite (though I preferred the Willy Nelson version) and for the latter it was the peerless Nat "King" Cole version. They went through many versions of Yesterday until they went for the definitive version with the Beatles,even though Matt Monro had a bigger chart success with it in 1965 (in the charts for 12 weeks,peaking at number 8),and Wet Wet Wet in 1997,reaching number 4,but was in the charts less weeks than big Matt. The Beatles version only got into the charts 6 years after they disbanded.
The Peggy Lee version of the Folks Who Live On The Hill (sublime) never got into the British singles charts. It was famously orchestrated by Nelson Riddle and the orchestra was conducted by Frank Sinatra. Somewhere from West Side Story rarely fails to bring tears to my eyes.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

penfold

Good, well-informed list....and nice to see the songs of WW1 were not forgotten.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Marky B

Despite their age,they are still known today.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Marky B

As I wrote in my opening note,We Shall Overcome was not written in the 20th Century. I am assuming it was written as a protest. Does anyone know when it was written? I am thinking it might have been written during the US Civil War,where I am also assuming that the first anti-war movement had developed.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

J. J.

We Shall Overcome info

Amethyst_Isle

I would have thought that Clint Eastwood's I Talk to the Trees would be in that 150!!


Only joking of course.