Paul Morley

Words and Music (Published by Bloomsbury, 2003)

“Has pop burnt itself out? Paul Morley, author of the acclaimed memoir Nothing, takes the reader on an epic drive through the history of music to find out. The drive is inspired by the video for Kylie Minogue’s hit single ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’; it’s as if Kylie is driving towards a virtual city built of sound & ideas.

A succession of celebrities, geniuses and other protagonists led by Madonna, Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, Erik Satie, John Cage & Wittgenstein appear in Kylie’s car to give their points of view. Detours & sights along the way include Missy Elliott, Jarvis Cocker, Eminem, Human League, Radiohead, Lou Reed, Now! That’s What I Call Music, Ornette Coleman and the ghost of Elvis Presley.

It’s a journey bridging the various paradoxes of twenty-first-century culture; the avant-garde and pop, the iconic and the obscure, the mechanical and the digital, the commercial and the creative, the human and the robotic. It starts & ends with a man alone in a room with a song”.

“It’s a story full of lists. Some day music will only be air. There will be no objects to hold or fetishise and people will simply collect lists. No disc, nothing spooled or grooved, no heads to clean, no dust to wipe, no compulsive alphabetising. Nothing to put away in shoeboxes or spare cupboards and be embarrassed about. A chip inside us and inside the chip a route to all the music that there ever was, which we can compile and organise and reorganise and merge with and feel into and in whatever way possible find the time to listen to, and we’ll need the time, all the time there is, all the time that music finds to press itself into”.

File Under Popular Music (1) – 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

… in this suspicious order compiled one morning in January 2001 because an Australian magazine called File Under Popular Music asked me to.

o Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works Vol II
o A Tribe Called Quest – Low End Theory
o Au Pairs – Playing with a Different Sex
o Ayers, Kevin – Shooting at the Moon
o Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique
o Beck – Mellow Gold
o Björk – Debut
o Bowie, David – Station to Station
o Buckley, Tim – Happy Sad
o Burning Spear – Garvey’s Ghost
o Buzzcocks – Singles: Going Steady
o Cale, John – Paris 1919
o Can – Soon Over Babaluma
o Captain Beefheart – Trout Mask Replica
o Cluster – Cluster 2
o Cohen, Leonard – Songs of…
o Cure – Pornographic
o Czukay, Holgar – Canaxis
o Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
o Drake, Nick – Five Leaves Left
o Dre, Dr – The Chronic
o Dylan, Bob – Basement Tapes
o Elliott, Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ – Supa Dupa Fly
o Eno, Brian – Another Green World
o Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking
o Fall – Extricate
o Faust – IV
o Felt – Forever Breathing the Lonely Word
o Flaming Lips – In a Priest Driven Ambulance
o For Carnation – For Carnation
o Funkadelic – One Nation Under a Groove
o Gang of Four – Entertainment!
o Hendrix, Jimi – Electric Ladyland
o Henry Cow – Leg End
o Hopper, Hugh – 1984
o Hüsker Dü – Zen Arcade
o Japan – Tin Drum
o Jesus & Mary Chain – Psychocandy
o Jesus Lizard – Goat
o Joy Division – Closer
o Kraftwerk – Trans Europe Express
o Labradford – Labradford
o Leftfield – Leftism
o Love – Forever Changes
o Magazine – Correct Use of Soap
o Martyn, John – Live at Leeds
o Matching Mole – Little Red Record
o Mitchell, Joni – Hissing of Summer Lawns
o Modern Lovers – Modern Lovers
o Mothers of Invention – We’re Only In It for the Money
o Neu – Neu 2
o Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
o New Order – Low Life
o Nyro, Laura – New York Tendaberry
o Olivia Tremor Control – Dusk at Cubist Castle
o Parks, Van Dyke – Song Cycle
o Pavement – Slanted & Enchanted
o Pere Ubu – Modern Dance
o Perry, Lee ‘Scratch’ & the Dub Syndicate – Time Boom X De Devil Dead
o Pink Floyd – Piper at the Gates of Dawn
o Pixies – Surfer Rosa
o Cat Power – Moon Pix
o Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
o Raincoats – Raincoats
o Ramones – Ramones
o Reed, Lou – The Bells
o Residents – Meet the…
o Richard Hell – Blank Generation
o Riley, Terry – In C
o Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street
o Roots – Do You Want More?!!!??!
o Roxy Music – Roxy Music
o Rundgren, Todd – Todd
o Sea & Cake – Oui
o Sigur Rós – Ageitis Byrjun
o Slint – Spiderland
o Sly & the Family Stone – There’s a Riot Goin’ On
o Smith, Patti – Radio Ethiopia
o Soft Machine – Third
o Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation
o Squarepusher – Hard Normal Daddy
o Stone Roses – Stone Roses
o Stooges – Fun House
o Swans – White Light from the Mouth of Infinity
o Television – Marquee Moon
o Thompson, Richard & Linda – Shoot Out the Lights
o Tortoise – Millions Now Living Will Never Die
o T Rex – The Slider
o Underworld – Second Toughest in the Infants
o Various Artists – Heat (Soundtrack)
o Velvet Underground – Live 1969
o Walker, Scott – Scott 4
o Warwick, Dionne – Sensitive Sound of…
o Wire – Pink Flag
o Wu Tang Clan – Enter the Wu Tang Clan
o Wyatt, Robert – Rock Bottom
o Yo La Tengo – And Then Nothing Turned Inside Out
o Young, Neil – Arc/Weld
o Zappa, Frank – Freak Out!

File Under Popular Music (2) – 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

…listed in a funny order because I was asked for such a list by a local radio station in Wales.

o Anderson, Laurie – Big Science
o Barrett, Syd – Madcap Laughs
o Beastie Boys – Check Your Head
o Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night
o Björk – Selmasongs
o Boards of Canada – Music Has the Right to Children
o Bowie, David – Low
o Bryars, Gavin – Sinking of the Titanic
o Buckley, Tim – Starsailor
o Byrds – Notorious Byrd Brothers
o Cabaret Voltaire – Voice of America
o Can – Future Days
o Captain Beefheart – Safe as Milk
o Cash, Johnny – Solitary Man
o Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole
o Chic – Risque
o Cohen, Leonard – Songs of Love & Hate
o Craig, Carl – More Songs About Food & Buildings
o Death Cab for Cutie – We Have the Facts & We’re Voting Yes
o Depeche Mode – Black Celebration
o DJ Spooky – Songs of a Bad Dreamer
o Doors – Doors
o Dylan, Bob – Blood on the Tracks
o Dylan, Bob – Love & Theft
o 808 State – 808:90
o Eno, Brian – Before & After Science
o Eric B & Rakim – Paid in Full
o Fairport Convention – Liege & Lief
o Fall – Bend Sinister
o Faust – So Far
o Foxx, John – Metamatic
o Fripp & Eno – No Pussyfooting
o Funkadelic – Maggot Brain
o Hardin, Tim – Tim Hardin 1
o Hathaway, Donny – Extension of a Man
o Hendrix, Jimi – Axis: Bold as Love
o Hendrix, Jimi & the Band of Gypsys – Live at Fillmore West
o Howlin’ Wolf – Moanin’ in the Moonlight
o Hudson, Keith – Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood
o Iggy Pop – Raw Power
o Isley Brothers – Funky Family
o Jackson 5 – Diana Ross Presents the…
o Jansch, Bert – Jack Orion
o Jefferson Airplane – After Bathing at Baxters
o Jones, Rickie Lee – Rickie Lee Jones
o Kiss – Alive!
o Kraftwerk – Man Machine
o Lovin’ Spoonful – Lovin’ Spoonful
o Mayfield, Curtis – There’s No Place Like America Today
o Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime
o Moby – Everything is Wrong
o Moby Grape – Moby Grape
o New Order – Brotherhood
o New York Dolls – New York Dolls
o Nico – Marble Index
o Nirvana – Bleach
o NWA – Straight Outta Compton
o OutKast – Stankonia
o Parker, Evan – Saxophone Solos
o Parks, Van Dyke – Song Cycle
o Parsons, Gram – GP
o Pastels – Up for a Bit With the…
o Pere Ubu – Terminal Tower
o Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour
o Primal Scream – Screamadelica
o Prince – Purple Rain
o Public Image Ltd – Metal Box
o Radiohead – OK Computer
o Reed, Lou – Transformer
o Rolling Stones – Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out
o Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure
o Rundgren, Todd – Something/Anything
o Silicon Teens – Music for Parties
o Simone, Nina – ‘Nuff Said
o Sinatra, Nancy – Greatest Hits
o Sly & Family Stone – Stand!
o Smith, Patti – Horses
o Smiths – Hatful of Hollow
o Sonic Youth - Evol
o Sonics – Here Are the…
o Squarepusher – Feed Me Weird Things
o Stewart, Rod – Every Picture Tells a Story
o Suede – Suede
o Suicide – Suicide
o Them – Angry Young Them
o Thompson, Richard & Linda – Shoot Out the Lights
o T Rex – Unicorn
o Underworld – Beaucoup Fish
o u Ziq – Versus the Auteurs
o Velvet Underground – White Light/White Heat
o Wailers – Soul Revolution
o Who - Sell Out
o Wonder, Stevie – Talking Book
o Young, Neil – Tonight’s the Night
o Zombies – Odessey & Oracle

File Under Popular Music (3) – 100 Greatest Albums

… in answer to a request from a Romanian web site, listed in a fair & reasonable order.

o Afrika Bambaataa – Zulu Nation Throw Down
o Aphex Twin – I Care Because You Do
o Arrested Development – 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of…
o Associates – Sulk
o Audience – House on the Hill
o Autechre – Amber
o Bark Psychosis – Hex
o Big Brother & the Holding Co (feat Janis Joplin) – Cheap Thrills
o Björk – Vespertine
o Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
o Bland, Bobby – Two Steps from the Blues
o Blue Cheer – Vincebus Eruptum
o Blue Oyster Cult – Agents of Fortune
o Bowie, David – Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars
o Brown, James – the Payback
o Burning Spear – Rocking Time
o Buzzcocks – Another Music in a Different Kitchen
o Can – Tago Mago
o Captain Beefheart – Lick My Decals Off, Baby
o Charles, Ray – Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music
o Clinic – Internal Wrangler
o Coldcut – Let Us Play
o Common – Like Water for Chocolate
o Comus – First Utterance
o Cooder, Ry – Paradise & Lunch
o Coyne, Kevin – Marjory Razor Blade
o Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà Vu
o Daft Punk – Homework
o De La Soul – 3 Feet High & Rising
o Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy – Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury
o Dr John – Gris Gris
o Dylan, Bob – Live at the ‘Royal Albert Hall’
o Eels – Beautiful Freaks
o Electric Prunes – Underground
o Eno & Byrne – My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
o Faithfull, Marianne – Broken English
o Feathers, Charlie – Get With It
o Fennesz – Endless Summer
o Fogerty, John – John Fogerty
o Free – Live
o Gaye, Marvin – What’s Going On
o Grateful Dead – Live/Dead
o Hayes, Isaac – Hot Buttered Soul
o Henry Cow – In Praise of Learning
o Herbert – Bodily Functions
o Hood – Cold House
o Human League – Reproduction
o Ice Cube – Death Certificate
o Iggy Pop – Lust for Life
o Iggy Pop – New Values
o Incredible String Band – Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter
o Jay Z – Blueprint
o King, Carole – Tapestry
o King Crimson – Red
o Kinks – Something Else
o KLF – White Room
o Kraftwerk – Computer World
o Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
o Magazine – Real Life
o Martyn, John & Beverley – Road to Ruin
o Matmos – A Chance to Cut is a Chance to Cure
o MC5 – Back in the USA
o Mitchell, Joni – Blue
o múm – Yesterday was Dramatic Today is OK
o N*E*R*D* - In Search of…
o Neu! – Neu!
o New Order – Movement
o Nirvana – Nevermind
o Nyro, Laura & LaBelle – Gonna Take a Miracle
o Parliament – Mothership Connection
o Pastels – Mobile Safari
o Peebles, Ann – I Can’t Stand the Rain
o Presley, Elvis – From Elvis in Memphis
o Reed, Lou & John Cale – Songs for Drella
o Rhythim is Rhythim (Derrick May) – Soundtrack for the Tenth Planet
o Shangri La’s – Best of the…
o Sleater Kinney – Dig Me Out
o Sonic Youth – Sister
o Springfield, Dusty – Dusty in Memphis
o Supremes – Sing Holland Dozier Holland
o Talk Talk – Laughing Stock
o Tangerine Dream – Alpha Centuri
o Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque
o Temptations – Sing Smokey
o Throbbing Gristle – Heaven/Earth
o Tobin, Amon – Supermodified
o Toots & the Maytals – Funky Kingston
o Tortoise – Standards
o Toussaint, Allen – Southern Nights
o Trammps – Legendary Zing Album feat the Fabulous…
o T Rex – Electric Warrior
o Velvet Underground - & Nico
o Walker, Scott – Tilt
o Welch, Gillian – Time (the Revelator)

File Under Popular Music (4) – 100 or More Greatest Albums

… a fourth list of the 100 or more who’s counting greatest albums of all time off the top of my head on a live radio interview with a radio station that seemed to be twelve hours ahead or behind the time zone I was in.

o Nelson, Willie – Across the Borderline
o Cornershop – Woman’s Got to Have it
o Reed, Lou – Magic & Loss
o Luscious Jackson – Natural Ingredients
o Willner, Hal/Various Artists – Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus
o Wilson, Cassandra – Blue Light ‘Til Dawn
o Mann, Aimee – Bachelor No 2
o Smog – Dongs of Sevotion
o Lynne, Shelby – I Am…
o Gordon, Kim – SYR5
o Prine, John – Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings
o Blondie – Parallel Lines
o Sugar – Copper Blue
o Fitzgerald, Ella – Legendary Decca Recordings
o Led Zeppelin – BBC Sessions
o Björk – Telegram
o Hybrid – Wide Angle
o Pink Floyd – Meddle
o Stereolab – Dots & Loops
o Thievery Corporation – Abductions & Reconstructions
o Tricky – Maxinquaye
o Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
o Drake, Nick – Pink Moon
o Ono, Yoko – Plastic Ono Band
o U Roy – Dread inna Babylon
o Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
o Scott-Heron, Gil – Small Talk at 125th & Lennox
o Young, Neil – Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
o Pop Group – Y
o Lali Puna – Tridecoder
o Throbbing Gristle – 20 Jazz Funk Greats
o Flying Burrito Brothers – Gilded Palace of Sin
o Talking Heads – Remain in Light
o Beck – Odelay
o Various Artists/Jimmy Cliff – Harder They Come (Soundtrack)
o Roxy Music – Stranded
o New Order – Technique
o Iggy Pop – the Idiot
o Undertones – Undertones
o Cole, Lloyd & the Commotions – Rattlesnakes
o B 52s – B 52s
o Shadows – Shadows
o LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out
o Smiths – Strangeways Here We Come
o Underworld – Second Toughest in the Infants
o Siouxsie & the Banshees – The Scream
o Captain Beefheart – Doc at the Radar Station
o TLC – CrazySexyCool
o Ayers, Kevin – Shooting at the Moon
o Minogue, Kylie – Fever
o Nine Inch Nails – Downward Spiral
o Penguin Café Orchestra – Music from the…
o Tackhead – Friendly as a Hand Grenade
o Peacock, Annette – I Have No Feelings
o Wendy & Carl – Drawing of Sound
o DJ Spooky – Riddim Warfare
o Can – Ege Bamyasi
o Ronstadt, Linda – Heart Like a Wheel
o Momus – Stars Forever
o Eno, Brian – Discreet Music
o Kraftwerk – Ralf & Florian
o Jewel – Pieces of You
o Thompson, Richard – Rumor & Sigh
o Ndegéocello, Méshell – Bitter
o Catherine Wheel – Happy Days
o Flaming Groovies – Shake Some Action
o Cash, Johnny – Unchained
o Baader Meinhof – Baader Meinhof
o Bowie, David – Young Americans
o Sylvian, David – Secrets of the Beehive
o Spence, Alexander ‘Skip’ – Oar
o Durutti Column – Vinni Reilly
o Digable Planets – Blowout Comb
o Martyn, John – Solid Air
o Alice Cooper – Killer
o Art Bears – World as it is Today
o Driscoll, Julie – 1969
o Olivia Tremor Control – Black Foliage
o Jansch, Bert – Rosemary Lane
o St John, Bridget – Songs for the Gentleman
o Cale, John – Music for a New Society
o Country Joe & the Fish – Electric Music for the Mind & Body
o Depeche Mode – Music for the Masses
o Guided by Voices – Bee Thousand
o Orb – Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld
o Dylan, Bob – Nashville Skyline
o Low – Secret Name
o T Rex – Tanx
o Monkees – Monkees
o Van Der Graaf Generator – Pawn Hearts
o Sparks – Kimono My House
o Fall – Wonderful & Frightening World of the…
o Family – Music in a Doll’s House
o Mouse on Mars – Idiology
o Scritti Politti – Anomie & Bonhomie
o Auteurs – New Wave
o Bley, Carla – Escalator Over the Hill
o King, BB – Live at the Regal
o Mott the Hoople – Live
o 13th Floor Elevators – Psychedelic Sounds of the…
o Slum Village – Fantastic Vol 2
o Cat Power – Covers Record
o Sly & Robbie – Hail Up the Taxi
o DJ Shadow – Endtroducing
o Amos, Tori – Little Earthquakes
o Badalementi, Angelo – Twin Peaks (Soundtrack)
o Flaming Lips – Zaireeka
o Spiritualized – Lazer Guided Melodies

88 Albums - If You Think Radiohead’s Kid A is Weird, Then You Should Really Hunt This Music Down

“After you have listened to at least twenty-two of the following, then perhaps you can begin a discussion, with Kylie or her ghostwriter, about just what makes music weird, and then – after the weirdness – what happens, what changes, what goes on, what’s the point – is it just a pleasure listening to weirdness that is just straightforward pleasure, or is the weirdness making the world, you mind, your mind in the world, a better place thing space capsule container mind room, etc… ?”

There is an order to the following – the order that it comes in, which I thought about short and hard. I was delighted with the order. It worked perfectly…

o Lindsay, Arto – Subtle Body
o Bailey, Derek – Guitar, Drums ‘n’ Bass
o Frith, Fred Guitar Quartet – Ayaya Moses
o Niblock, Phill – Four Full Flutes
o Scott, Raymond – Manhattan Research Inc
o Branca, Glenn – Symphony No 3 (Gloria)
o Palestine, Charlemagne – Strumming Music
o Satoh, Somei – Incarnation II
o Yellow Magic Orchestra – Technodelic
o Fullman, Ellen – Body Music
o Oliveros, Pauline – Suspended Music
o Partch, Harry - Collection Vol 1
o Cowell, Henry – Piano Music
o Zorn, John – Spillane
o Faust – So Far
o Fripp, Robert – That Which Passes
o Pan Sonic – A
o Budd, Harold – Lovely Thunder
o Incredibly Strange Music Vol 1 (Various Artists)
o Cage, John – Indeterminacy
o Rich & Lustmord – Stalker
o Borden, David – Continuing Story of Counterpoint Parts 1-4
o Nikolais, Alwin – Electronic Dance Music
o Johnston, Ben – Music for Piano
o Butler, Ken – Voices of Anxious Objects
o Harrison, Lou – Rhymes with Silver
o Vangelis – L’Apocalypse des Animaux
o Cyberchump – Dreams Groove
o Reed, Lou – Metal Machine Music
o Kruth, John – Cherry Electric
o Subotnick, Milton – Silver Apples of the Moon
o Lustmord – Place Where the Black Stars Hang
o Labradford – E Luxo So
o Hassell, Jon – Surgeon of the Nightsky Restores Dead Things by the Power of Sound
o Young, La Monte – Trio for Strings
o Supersilent – Supersilent 4
o Nyman, Michael – Decay Music
o Swswthrght – Essence or Residue
o Ashely, Robert – In Sara Mencken Christ & Beethoven There Were Men & Women
o Carlos, Wendy – Sonic Seasonings
o Residents – Duck Stab
o Sonic Youth – Goodbye 20th Century
o Fennesz – Endless
o Stockhausen, Karlheinz – Kontakte
o Mad Professor – Psychedelic Dub: Dub Me Crazy Part 10
o Varese, Edgard – Arcana/Ameriques/Ionisation
o Parker, Evan – Breaths & Heartbeats
o Fila Brazillia – Maim That Tune
o King Crimson – Larks Tongues in Aspic
o Magma – Live
o Arvo Pärt – Tabula Rasa
o Holland, Dave Quartet – Conference of the Birds
o Can – Tago Mago
o Art Ensemble of Chicago – Bop Tizum
o Hendrix, Jimi – Are You Experienced?
o Ligeti, Gyorgy – Lux Aetena
o Pablo, Augustus – King Tubby Meets Roots Rockers Uptown
o Sun Ra – Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy/Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow
o Björk – Selmasongs
o Peach Orchard – In Order to Survive
o Conrad, Tony/La Monte Young/John Cale – Inside the Dream Syndicate Vol 1
o Ribot, Marc – Saints
o Towner, Ralph – Sounds & Shadows
o Sylvian, David/Holgar Czukay – Plight & Premonition
o Cabaret Voltaire – Conversation
o Grateful Dead – Dark Star
o Talk Talk – Laughing Stock
o Throbbing Gristle – In the Shadow of the Sun
o Nurse with Wound – Spiral Insana
o Hassell, Jon/Brian Eno – Fourth World Vol 1: Possible Musics
o Henry Cow – Concerts
o Moss, David – Dense Band
o Eno, Brian – Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy
o Pere Ubu – Dub Housing
o Palestine, Charlemagne – Schlingen Blangen
o Scriabin, Alexander – Preparation for the Final Mystery
o Takemitsu, Toru – Quotation of a Dream
o Mouse on Mars – Autoditacker
o Feldman, Morton – Crippled Symphony
o Frith, Fred – Clearing
o Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
o Russell, George – Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved
o Mitchell, Roscoe Sextet – Sound
o Coltrane, John – Meditations
o Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece – 1970-73
o Walker, Scott – Tilt
o Momus – 20 Vodka Jellies
o Mantler, Michael – Beckett/No Answer

110 Other Albums to Think About if you Think That Radiohead’s Kid A is Really Weird

o Dreyblatt, Arnold – Animal Magnetism
o Niblock, Phill – Touch Works, for Hurdy Gurdy & Voice
o Palestine, Charlemagne – Godbear
o Byron, Michael – Music of Nights Without Moon or Pearl
o Garland, Peter – Walk in Beauty
o Klucesvek, Guy – Transylvanian Square
o Lentz, Daniel – Point Conception
o Volans, Kevin – Cover Him with Grass
o Branca, Glenn – World Upside Down
o Doctor Nerve – Did Sprinting Die?
o Kline, Phil – Exquisite Corpses
o Inoue, Testsu – World Receiver
o Augur & Birds of Tin – Strange Seeds Come from Old Flowers
o Meloche, Chris – Recurring Dreams of the Urban Myth
o Oval – Diskont 94
o Polygon Window – Surfing on Sine Waves
o A Small Good Thing – Slim Westerns
o Feokstitov, Boris (remixed by Bill Laswell) – Russian Chants
o Merzbow – Batztoutai with Material Gadgets
o Psychic TV – At Stockholm
o Nurse with Wound – Spiral Insana
o Woob – 1194
o Braxton, Anthony – Seven Standards 1985: Vol 1
o Borden, David – Cayuga Night Music
o Frith, Fred – Speechless
o Greaves, John – La Petite Bouteille de Linge
o Zorn, John/George Lewis/Bill Frisell – News for Lulu
o Cooper, Lindsay – Music for Other Occasions
o Ribot, Marc y los Cubanos Postizos – Prosthetic Cubans
o Blegvad, Peter – Naked Shakespeare
o This Heat – Health & Efficiency
o Purple Trap – Decided… Already the Motionless Heart of Tranquillity, Tangling the Prayer Called I
o Biosphere/Deathprod – Nordheim Transformed
o Feldman, Morton – For Samuel Beckett
o TNC Culture – Screen Turned Black
o Partch, Harry – Delusion of the Fury
o Nono, Luigi – Voices of Protest
o Maeror Tri – Hypnotikum 1
o Monotrona – Hawkeye & Firebird
o Woven Hand – Woven Hand
o Boom Bip – Seed to Sun
o Wobbly – Wild Why
o Merzbow – Merzbeat
o DJ Rupture – Minesweeper Suite
o Cherry, Don – Orient
o Morricone, Ennio – Gli Occhi Freddi Della Paura
o Kid 606 – Action Packed Mentalist Brings You the Fucking Jams
o Guentnet, Markus – In Moll
o Father Moo & the Black Sheep – (same title)
o Faust – Ravvivando
o Flynt, Henry – Raga Electric: Experimental Music 1963-71
o Fog – Fog
o Full Swing – Edits
o Coh – Love Uncut
o People Like Us – Recylopedia Britannica
o Takemura, Nobukazu – Hoshi no Koe
o Talk Talk – Missing Pieces
o Tobin, Amon – Out from Out Where
o Bailey, Derek – Mirakle
o Haino, Keijo – Abandon All Words at a Stroke, So That Prayer Can Come Spilling Out
o LaBelle, Brandon – Shadow of a Shadow
o Lustmord – Purifying Fire
o Asano, Koji – Flow Argument
o Dälek – From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots
o Rachels/Matmos – Full on Night
o Thermo – Touring Inferno!
o Liberation – Jackie O Motherfucker
o Aero Mic’d – Aero Mic’d
o Jello – Voile
o Cardew, Cornelius & the Scratch Orchestra – Great Learning
o Ferrari, Lue – Presque Rien
o Henry, Pierre – Mix 03.0
o Lainhart, Richard – Ten Thousand Shades of Blue
o Maxfield, Richard/Harold Budd – Oak of the Golden Dreams
o Alog – Red Shift Swing
o Parker, Evan/George Grawe – Unity Variations
o Cowell, Henry – Mosaic
o Coil – Musick to Play in the Dark Vol 1
o Toral, Rafael – Aeriola Frequency
o Butthole Surfers – Rembrandt Pussyhorse
o Ambarchi, Oren – Suspension
o Fennesz/O’Rourke/Rehberg – Return of O Berg
o Frith, Fred – Accidental: Music for Dance Vol 3
o Xenakis, Iannis – Persepolis + Remixes Edition 1
o Yen Pox – New Dark Age
o Food – Veggie
o Wishbone Ash – Argus
o Radian – Rec. Extern
o CSSO – Are You Excrements?
o Aube – Time Mind
o Gaburo, Kenneth – Tape Play
o Vainio, Mika – Onko
o Gilbert, Bruce – This Way to the Shivering Man
o Muslimgauze – Observe with Sadiq Bey
o Cutler, Chris & Thomas Dimuzio – Quake
o Company – Epiphanies
o Zorn, John/Fred Frith – Art of Memory
o Science Group – A Mere Coincidence
o Swell Maps – Jane from Occupied Europe
o Bennink, Hans – Nerve Beats
o Drumm, Kevin – Sheer Hellish Miasma
o Taj Mahal Travelers – August 1972
o Oxley, Tony Quintet – Baptised Traveller
o Brötzmann, Peter – Fuck de Boere
o O’Rourke, Jim – I’m Happy & I’m Singing a 1, 2, 3, 4
o Zoviet France – Misfits, Loony Tunes and Squalid Criminals
o Maneri, Mat Trio – So What?
o Radar Brothers – And the Surrounding Mountains
o Bola – Fyuti
o Stars of the Lid – Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid
o Henry Cow – Western Culture

121 Songs That Explain Why Kraftwerk are Kraftwerk & Just How & Where & When Their Influence Spread & Turned

The order is precise but mysterious. This is probably more than 121 songs, but who’s counting?

o Iggy Pop – Funtime
o Bowie, David – V2 Schneider
o Summer, Donna – I Feel Love
o Ultravox – Mr X
o Normal, the – TV OD
o Suicide – Cheree
o Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force – Planet Rock
o Cybotron – Clear
o Rhythim is Rhythim (Derrick May) – Strings of Life
o Joy Division – She’s Lost Control
o Foxx, John – She’s a Liquid
o Devo – Mechanical Man
o New Order – 586/Blue Monday
o New Order – Temptation
o Human League – Circus of Death
o 23 Skidoo – Coup
o Green Velvet – La La Land
o Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls
o Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Electricity
o Numan, Gary – Are Friends Electric?
o Art of Noise – Moments in Love
o Front 242 – Headhunter
o Cabaret Voltaire – No Escape
o 808 State – Pacific
o Moroder, Giorgio – Machines
o Björk – Hyperballad
o Model 500 – Off to Battle
o Lear, Amanda – I Am a Photograph
o Plastikman – Circuit Breaker
o Destiny’s Child – Bootylicious
o Daft Punk – Digital Love
o Molvaer, Nils Petter – Platonic Love (Herbalizer remix)
o Soft Cell – Tainted Love
o So Solid Crew – 21 Seconds
o Adult – Hand to Phone
o Matmos – L.A.S.I.K.
o Tobin, Amon – Reanimator
o Laub – Filesharing
o Hybrid – Dreaming Your Dreams
o Boards of Canada – Pete Standing Alone
o Plaid – Squance
o Autechre – Nil
o Madonna – Music
o Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
o Anderson, Laurie – O, Superman
o A Guy Called Gerald – Voodoo Ray
o Sugababes – Overload
o Radiohead – Idioteque
o Orb – Little Fluffy Clouds
o Clock DVA – E Wave
o Orbital – Way Out
o DAF – Love at First Sight
o Aphex Twin – Acid Avid Jam Shred
o Elliott, Missy – Get Ur Freak On
o BT – Movement in Still Life
o DJ Shadow – Organ Donar
o Dre, Dr – Day the Niggaz Took Over
o Roni Size – Share the Fall (Way Out West remix)
o Normal, the – Warm Leatherette
o Propaganda – P Machinery
o Sparks – Number One Song in Heaven
o Future Sound of London – Papua New Guinea (Hybrid remix)
o Fuzzy Logic – Obsession
o Orbit, William – Water from a Leaf Vine
o KLF – What Time is Love?
o U2 – Lemon (Paul Oakenfold remix)
o Future Loop Foundation – Coming Down
o Mantronix – Bassline
o Slater, Luke – All Exhale
o Fischerspooner – Emerge
o Remote Viewer – Snow it Falls On
o Exzakt – Electronic Dream
o Aux 88 – Electro/Techno
o Rother, Anthony – Sex with the Machines
o Baker, Arthur – Breakers Revenge
o Visage – Frequency 7
o Jam & Spoon – Stella
o Sakamoto, Ryuichi – Riot in Lagos
o Fad Gadget – Collapsing New People
o Egyptian Lover – And My Heart Goes Boom
o Minogue, Kylie – Can’t Get You Out of My Head
o Maggotron – Welcome to the Planet of Bass
o Fatboy Slim – Everybody Needs a 303
o Rhymes Digitales, Les – Soft Machine
o Cibo Matto – Sci Fi Wassabe
o Yello – Oh Yeah
o Hancock, Herbie – Rockit
o We Are Borg – Cybernet Systems
o Underworld – Cups
o Stereo MCs – Connected
o Air – Sexy Boy (Cassius remix)
o Add N to (X) – Skills
o Mr Velcro Fastener – Number of the Beats
o Brown, Ian – Love Like a Fountain
o Simple Minds – I Travel
o Morning After - Temperature
o N*E*R*D* - Lapdancer
o Tom Tom Club – Wordy Rappinghood
o Beanfield – Planetary Deadlock
o Tarwater – Be Late
o Telepopmusik – Genetic World
o Gus Gus – Superhuman
o Photek – Knitevision
o God Lives Underwater – Behaviour Modification
o Pitchshifter – Genius
o Static – Turn On, Switch Off
o Death in Vegas – Dead Elvis
o Tosca – Chocolate Elvis
o Allison, Dot – Strung Out
o All for One – Machinelust
o Morcheeba – Tape Loop
o Pilote – Turtle (Bonobo remix)
o Döpplereffekt – Sterilization
o Orbital – Kein Trink Wasser
o Electronic – Getting Away With It
o Ladytron – I’m with the Pilots
o Mapstation – More People Than Two
o Rother, Anthony – Describe Reality
o Moby – Go
o Avalanches – Since I Left You
o *NSYNC – Pop
o Jones, Grace – Slave to the Rhythm
o Princess Superstar – My Red Hot Car
o KLF – Last Train to Transcentral
o Gotan Project – El Captalismo Foraneo
o To Rococo Rot & I Sound – Pantone
o My Computer – Vulnerabilia
o Black Box Recorder – Facts of Life
o Eve – Satisfaction
o Ono, Yoko – Walking on Thin Ice (Pet Shop Boys remix)
o Mouse on Mars – Actionist Response
o u Ziq – Hasty Boom Alert
o Pet Shop Boys – Being Boring
o Mitte Karoake – Aufschlag
o Röyksopp – Remind Me
o Audio Bullys – Real Life
o Señor Coconut – El Baile Aleman
o Swayzak – Ping Pong
o Temponauta – Kastha
o Vitalic – LaRock 01
o Bubba Sparxx – Ugly
o Prodigy – Androids
o Felix da Housecat – Strobe
o Kid 606 – Twirl (Photoshoot remix by Matmos)
o Dungeon Family – Even in Darkness
o Beck – Get Real Paid
o M – Pop Musik

Greatest Pop Single of All Time (210)

If we accept that the best length for a pop single is three minutes and thirty seconds, and we then take a second from each of the following 210 songs to make up… the greatest single of all time.

o Clark, Petula – Downtown
o Auteurs – Showgirl
o Creedence Clearwater Revival – Have You Ever Seen the Rain
o Driscoll, Julie/Brian Auger & the Trinity – This Wheel’s on Fire
o Turtles – Happy Together
o Talk Talk – It’s My Life
o Ronettes – Be My Baby
o Kinks – You Really Got Me
o Morrissey – Every Day is Like Sunday
o 2Pac & Dr Dre – California Love
o Rolling Stones – It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll
o Lauper, Cyndi – All Through the Night
o Pet Shop Boys – I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind of Thing
o Carpenters – Superstar
o Sonic Youth – Superstar
o Beck – Loser
o Devo – Whip It
o Radiohead – Creep
o Nirvana – Come As You Are
o Cure – Boys Don’t Cry
o Mott the Hoople – Roll Away the Stone
o Stone Roses – Fool’s Gold
o Byrds – Mr Tambourine Man
o Rascals – How Can I be Sure
o Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime
o Iggy Pop – Lust for Life
o Blondie – Heart of Glass
o Spears, Britney – Slave 4 U
o Monkees – Pleasant Valley Sunday
o Japan – Quiet Life
o Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows
o O’Sullivan, Gilbert – Alone Again, Naturally
o Bangles – Walk Like an Egyptian
o Police – Walking on the Moon
o Warwick, Dionne – Walk On By
o Run DMC – Walk This Way
o Human League – Human
o Chemical Brothers – Block Rockin’ Beats
o Siouxsie & the Banshees – Spellbound
o Public Image Ltd – This Is Not a Love Song
o Isley Brothers – This Old Heart of Mine
o Roxy Music – Love is the Drug
o Magazine – Light Pours Out of Me
o Flying Lizards – Money
o Collins, Edwyn – A Girl Like You
o Christie, Tony – Avenues & Alleyways
o Bow Wow Wow – I Want Candy
o Kraftwerk – Model, the
o Minogue, Kylie – Confide in Me
o Bowie, David – Fashion
o Lipps Inc – Funky Town
o Jones, Grace – Pull Up to the Bumper
o Jett, Joan – I Love Rock & Roll
o Deee Lite – Groove is in the Heart
o Abba – Winner Takes it All
o Slade – Coz I Luv You
o Wilde, Kim – Kids in America
o Garbage – Stupid Girl
o ABC – Look of Love
o Springfield, Dusty – Look of Love
o Daft Punk – Da Funk
o T Rex – Telegram Sam
o Black Sabbath – Paranoid
o Madonna – Like a Virgin
o Associates – Party Fears Two
o Cochran, Eddie – Summertime Blues
o Bush, Kate – Running Up That Hill
o Eric B & Rakim – I Know You Got Soul
o Beastie Boys – Sabotage
o Hanson – MMMBop
o Redding, Otis – (Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay
o Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood
o Destiny’s Child – Say My Name
o Supremes – Baby Love
o Furniture – Brilliant Mind
o Hawkins, Screaming Jay – I Put a Spell on You
o Prince – Sign O’ the Times
o Palmer, Robert – Addicted to Love
o Wonder, Stevie – Superstition
o Wright, Betty – Clean Up Woman
o Rufus – Tell Me Something Good
o Chic – Good Times
o Beach Boys – God Only Knows
o Saints – I’m Stranded
o Sweet, Matthew – Girlfriend
o Bunton, Emma – What Took You So Long?
o Pet Shop Boys – It’s a Sin
o S Club 7 – Never Had a Dream Come True
o Chemical Brothers – Loops of Fury
o Sex Pistols – Anarchy in the UK
o Eminem – Real Slim Shady
o Aguilera, Christina – Genie in a Bottle
o Dandy Warhols – Bohemian Like You
o Rolling Stones – Satisfaction
o Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up
o Sting – Fields of Gold
o Green, Al – Tired of Being Alone
o Marley, Bob – Stir it Up
o Reed, Lou – Satellite of Love
o Eno, Brian – I’ll Come Running
o Aphex Twin – Windowlicker
o Aaliyah – We Need a Resolution
o Streisand, Barbra – Woman in Love
o Art of Noise – Moments in Love
o Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love
o Birkin, Jane & Serge Gainsbourg – Je T’Aime Moi Non Plus
o Drell, Archie & the Drells – Tighten Up
o Dylan, Bob – I Want You
o Richman, Jonathan & the Modern Lovers – Roadrunner
o Pink Floyd – See Emily Play
o Surfaris – Wipe Out
o Blue Oyster Cult – Don’t Fear the Reaper
o Japan – I Second That Emotion
o Cole, Lloyd & the Commotions – Perfect Skin
o Love – Alone Again Or
o Buzzcocks – Ever Fallen in Love
o Ramones – Sheena is a Punk Rocker
o Jones, Rickie Lee – Chuck E’s in Love
o Free – All Right Now
o Stills, Stephen – Love the One You’re With
o Smiths – Girlfriend in a Coma
o Black, Cilla – You’re My World
o Gerry & the Pacemakers – I Like It
o Four Tops – It’s the Same Old Song
o Eddie & the Hot Rods – Do Anything You Wanna Do
o Diamond, Neil – Solitary Man
o Cline, Patsy – Crazy
o Pop Group – She is Beyond Good & Evil
o Blondie – Tide is High
o Teardrop Explodes – Reward
o Hardin, Tim – If I Were a Carpenter
o Cave, Nick & Kylie Minogue – Where the Wild Roses Grow
o Everything But the Girl – Missing
o Blur – Song 2
o Whodini – Magic’s Wand
o Brown, Arthur – Fire
o Alice Cooper – School’s Out
o Doors – People Are Strange
o Faces – Stay with Me
o Nazareth – This Flight Tonight
o Who – Acid Queen
o Turner, Ike & Tina – River Deep, Mountain High
o Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
o Bangles – Eternal Flame
o Buzzcocks – Promises
o Minogue, Kylie – Better the Devil You Know
o Human League – Don’t You Want Me
o Steps – Tragedy
o Subway Sect – Ambition
o Beatles – Ticket to Ride
o Clark, Dave Five – Glad All Over
o Ferry, Bryan – A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
o Harrison, George – If Not for You
o Hendrix, Jimi – All Along the Watchtower
o Cher – I Want You
o Cher – Believe
o Balanescu Quartet – Model, the
o BT & Tori Amos – Little Fluffy Clouds
o Jackson, Janet – Got ‘Til It’s Gone
o Pink – Get This Party Started
o Pretenders – Brass in Pocket
o King, Carole – It’s Too Late
o Rose Royce – Love Don’t Live Here Anymore
o Motörhead – Ace of Spades
o Smith, Patti – Because the Night
o Ashton, Gardner & Dyke – Resurrection Shuffle
o KLF – 3 am Eternal
o En Vogue – Free Your Mind
o Spears, Britney – You Drive Me Crazy
o ABC – Poison Arrow
o Rundgren, Todd – I Saw the Light
o Cornershop – Brimful of Asha
o Fox – SsssSingle Bed
o Blondie – Maria
o New Order – Regret
o Public Image Ltd – Rise
o Pet Shop Boys – Suburbia
o Sting – If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
o Morrissey – Suedehead
o Rowland, Kelly – Dilemma
o Dre, Dr with Snoop Doggy Dogg – Nothing But a G Thang
o No Doubt – Don’t Speak
o Beck – Devil’s Haircut
o Tavares – Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel
o Lauper, Cyndi – Time After Time
o New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle
o Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under the Bridge
o Jewel – You Were Meant for Me
o Kiss – Rock ‘n’ Roll All Nite
o Foo Fighters – Everlong
o Jackson, Michael & Janet – Scream
o Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun
o Sweet – Ballroom Blitz
o P Diddy – Bad Boy for Life
o Spears, Britney – Oops!... I Did It Again
o Sex Pistols – Pretty Vacant
o Talking Heads – Psycho Killer
o Underworld – Born Slippy
o Braxton, Toni – Unbreak My Heart
o Aphex Twin – Come to Daddy
o EMF – Unbelievable
o Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
o Buzzcocks – Orgasm Addict
o Smiths – This Charming Man
o 808 State – Pacific
o New Order – Temptation
o Electronic – Getting Away With It
o Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop





Still File Under Popular Music: 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

… that also perform the function of 100 albums you should try if you think Radiohead’s Kid A is weird, and are also 100 albums that map out the universe as it is because of Kraftwerk.

o Felix da Housecat – Kittenz & Three Glitz
o Deathprod – Imaginary Songs from Tristan da Cunha
o Muslimgauze – Suns of Arqa
o Boards of Canada – Geogaddi
o Bailey, Derek – Incus Taps
o Sun City Girls – High Asia
o Pram – Somniloquy
o Votel, Andy – Styles of the Unexpected
o Notwist – Shrink
o Dreyblatt, Arnold – Adding Machine
o Elektroids – Elektroworld
o Autechre – Confield
o Various Artists – In the Beginning There was Rhythm
o Pole – 3
o Joseph Nothing – Dreamland Idle Orchestra
o Alog – Duck Rabbit
o Fad Gadget – Best of
o A Silver Mount Zion – Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward
o To Rococo Rot – Kolner Brett
o Japanese Telecom – Virtual Geisha
o Model 500 – Classics
o Exos – My Name is Sonic
o Talk Talk – Missing Pieces
o Anti Pop Consortium – Arhythmia
o Transillusion – Opening to the Cerebral Gate
o Perry, Lee – Voodooism
o Pan Sonic – Aalopiiri
o Mum & Dad – Castle Heights
o Spaceheads & Max Eastley – Time of the Ancient Astronaut
o Illusions of Safety – In Opposition to Our Acceleration
o Radio Active Man – Machine Funk Specialists
o Stimulus – A Motion Signal
o This Heat – Deceit
o Telefon Tel Aviv – Fahrenheit Fair Enough
o Other People Place – Lifestyles of the Laptop Café
o Speiss, Peter F – Crystal Polymorphs
o Adult – Resucitation
o Cabaret Voltaire – Red Mecca
o Herbert – Secondhand Sounds
o Sachiko M – Sine Wave Solo
o Bjorkenheim/Haker Flaten/Nilssen-Lov – Scorch Trio
o Farben – Textstar
o FC Kahuna – Machine Says Yes
o Mr John Soda – No P. or D.
o Einstürzende Neubauten – Strategies Against Architecture II
o Biosphere – Shenzhou
o Legendary Pink Dots – Chemical Playskool Volumes 11, 12, 13
o Merzbow – Frog
o Fartein Velen – The Eternal
o Cluster – Grosses Wasser
o Sparks – A Woofer in Tweeter’s Clothing
o Z’Ev – Sapphire Nature
o Nurse with Wound – Man with the Woman Face
o Yello – Solid Pleasure
o Young, Neil – Trans
o 808 State – Newbuild
o Lali Puna – Scary World Theory
o Antonelli Elctr – Me, the Disco Machine
o Aphex Twin – Classics
o Appliance – Pacifica
o Yellow Magic Orchestra – Solid State Survivor
o Fennesz – Hotel Paral.lel
o Random Logic – Numrebs
o Budd, Harold – Lovely Thunder
o Botanica – Garden of Earthly Delights
o Black Dog Productions – Bytes
o B 12 – Electro Soma
o Cruise, Julee – Floating Into the Night
o Fila Brazillia – Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight
o u Ziq – Lunatic Harness
o Mouse on Mars – Autoditacker
o Two Lone Swordsmen – Fifth Mission
o Simian – Chemistry is What We Are
o Various Artists – Asthmatic Worm
o Freight Elevator Quartet – Becoming Transparent
o Plaid – Double Figure
o Metamatics – From Death to Passwords Where You’re a Paper Aeroplane
o Brinkmann, Thomas – Rosa
o Detroit Grand Pubahs – Funk All Y’All
o DJ Spooky Vs the Freight Elevator Quartet – File Under Futurism
o Faust – Freispiel
o Sense – A View from a Vulnerable Place
o Golden Boy – Or
o Hawtin, Richie – DE9/Closer to the Edit/Parts
o Nerve Net Noise – Meteor Circuit
o Sakamoto, Ryuichi – B2 Unit
o Spunk – Filtered Through Friends
o System 7/Derrick May – Mysterious Traveller
o Ye Olde Space Band – Plays Classic Rock Hits
o Front 242 – Front by Front 1988-89
o Empire, Alec – Limited Editions 1990-94
o Skinny Puppy – Remission
o Gimmik – Slow Motion Process
o Low Res – Approximate Love Boat
o Spacetime Continuum – Emit Ecaps
o Single Cell Orchestra – Dead Vent 7
o Biosphere – Microgravity
o A Guy Called Gerald – Black Secret Technology
o Bowie, David – Station to Station
o DJ Hell – Munich Machine
o Döpplereffekt – Gesamtkunstwerk
o I F – Fucking Consumer
o Goldie – Timeless
o Slater, Luke – Freek Funk
o Various Artists – Incursions in Illbient