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The six hundred and tenth album: #610 Terence Trent D'Arby - Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby

I haven't heard Terence Trent D'Arby's name before, but listening to this album I recognised the strong funk sound of, for example, Dance Little Sister. The rock background modernises the track compared to the earlier funk albums and the development works well for smooth, listenable songs that come from the same direction as Prince's works and other artists I know better. I guess this is as much of a stepping stone, though, and in the development of this sound it works incredibly well, while As Yet Untitled shows he doesn't even need the production, just his voice alone is strong enough.

The eight hundred forty-second song: Devil’s Haircut - Beck

The slightly lazy, grungey delivery of this song works well with the stoner vibe that seems to come with the song. Its polish is in the music, but nothing feels entirely focused - something that just works for the music here.

The eight hundred forty-third song: I’ll Be There for You… - Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige

The combination of hardcore rap and soft R&B tones creates a lovely combination, with a musicality that rings through. From what I understand, this was one of the first to do it, and I think the combination rarely flows as smoothly as it does here.

The eight hundred forty-fourth song: The Beautiful People- Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson's hardcore, deliberately offensive metal is quite known by now and this builds on all those influences - the title a serial killer reference, with a quote included, the driving aggression emphasizing that, and kicking against anything it can. It's a wonderfully strong hit and hits for me, but you need to be able to listen to it without clutching your pearls.

The eight hundred forty-fifth song: Criminal - Fiona Apple

This is a song my husband loves listening to and so I've heard it often enough even recently. It's good to listen to, a nice pop song with interesting, slightly dark lyrics and a good combination of sounds. I loved it. It's intense, but it works.

What a contrast with the previous song though.

The eight hundred forty-sixth song: Crash Into Me - Dave Matthews Band

I've never really sought out the Dave Matthews Band, despite being surrounded by plenty of people who are into them. His folk rock is decent, sounding quite good and working well at making its point, and this track performs it well, but there's not enough of a push that gets me, not enough of a message, not enough variation in the music or anything else that would hook me in.

The eight hundred forty-seventh song: On & On - Erykah Badu

There's something familiar to this sound of soul that we didn't hear before, but fits in that soul category. The track is intentionally sparse, with limited backup vocals and very few musics, unlike the bigger soul tracks of the past. Instead, it can really show Erykah Badu's vocals, which are strong in a specific way that really makes them stand out even further. It's a lovely track that I wasn't really expecting here.

The eight hundred forty-eighth song: Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check - Busta Rhymes

While it's tempting to explain Busta Rhymes' sound as a throwback to the earlier rap music, it feels like it takes the feeling of gangsta rap and combines it with a lighter, different sound of vocals. It's quite infectious, but creates a sound I feel others are just trying to imitate.

The eight hundred forty-ninth song: No Diggity - Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre

Blackstreet's smooth R&B has always worked so well for me, especially in this track. The vocals are so good, they really shine despite everything else going on. The music isn't too complicated - supporting those vocals more than anything - and Dr Dre's rapping is good as you'd expect, but it really doesn't need it. It's gorgeous and just not something to be ignored.

The six hundred and ninth album: #609 U2 - The Joshua Tree

While far from predictable, there's something familiar about what you get from a U2 album. It's a strong rock album, with a lot of anthem-like tracks, with incredibly strong, socially conscious lyrics that speak to the world at large. At the same time, the performance is emotional, it's driven, and it often manages to focuses on the smaller, human aspects of the subject rather than its grander story. It's skillful, it's impactful, and it works. With the Joshua Tree being one of their earlier works, there's a rawness and honesty that feels more fair, but there's always a strong undertone supporting it.

The two hundred and twenty-second classical recording: #980 Philip Glass - Violin Concerto

This is a lovely, abstract violin concerto, a bit of mystery and slower speed that gives a lot of time to contemplate and listen. It's sweeping and big, but not loud and overbearing, and the combination is one that works well here.

The two hundred and seventeenth TV show: #11 American Bandstand

I've covered Top of the Pops before and it's safe to say that built on this formula. Quite simply, they play popular contemporary music and the audience of the show dances to it. What's probably most notable is that almost all of these are recordings, rather than being performed (or at least mimed) live. I can see the appeal of being in the club without having to go out, but aside from how much feels dated, it just doesn't have as much to actually watch. I would have been almost as good as a radio show, and indeed that's how it's shaped, with the visuals not doing much. There might be a wider point here of how in these days, people are more connected and don't need this parasocial connection, but that'd just be a lot more speculation.

The six hundred and eighth episode: Pet Shop Boys - Actually

I've said a lot about my admiration of the Pet Shop Boys' music before when covering several of their songs, so it's good to reach the first album on the list as well. When listening to this album in full, rather than having the tracks in isolation, one thing that stands out is the darkness that comes through in the songs. It's clearly against the political establishment of the eighties, as well as challenging a lot of other societal expectations. It works, though, the more upbeat track getting well balanced and the darkness really having its impact. 

The eight hundred thirty-fourth song: Guilty By Association - Joe Henry and Madonna

This duet is more of a ballad than I would expect from Madonna, and it's hard to ignore that Joe Henry feels like he's taking the lead on this, his rougher vocals and stronger sound dominating over Madonna's more ethereal vocals - a sound that doesn't entirely suit it. It's a good combination, but maybe doesn't show the best of both.

The eight hundred thirty-fifth song: A irmandade das estrelas - Carlos Nunez

This is a nice Spanish folk inspired track, based on the music of Carlos Nunez's roots. It's an attractive sound where a lot of it comes together well, with a proper traditional build and overall good sound. It's different, but works.

The eight hundred thirty-sixth song: Brooklyn’s Finest- Jay-Z featuring The Notorious B.I.G.

The intro of this track is so cheesy, it really doesn't fit the gangster violence of the rap that follows. It works as a rap, coming together as a good combined song, but it references a culture I'm too far removed from.

The eight hundred thirty-seventh song: Novocaine for the Soul - Eels

This is a subdued indie rock track, one that mirrors the feelings of depression that seem to lead through the song, and the happier moments that the novocaine for the soul brings. It's a nice listen, with what sounds like string sections bolstering the mood of the track.

The eight hundred thirty-eighth song: Ready or Not - Fugees

Lauryn Hill's Ready or Not chorus dominates this song, setting a staccato trend that both contrasts with the smooth and sensual sound of the rest of the track, but also puts something mechanical in as a comment. The Fugees here, too, show a side of hip hop and rap that feel like they provide more depth and insight than the gangster rap we saw earlier and create something beautiful.

The eight hundred thirty-ninth song: Firestarter - The Prodigy

Firestarter is straightforward enough to leave an impact and become one of the early memorable and impactful moments of my secondary school life. There's something devilish in Keith Flint's sound and appearance, which is underscored by the heavy electronic dance track, while the alt rock references add extra musicality and variation to it that wouldn't be there. The clip that went with it reinforced that image, and it really feels like one of the big influences on my tastes and that of the friends I had at the time.

The eight hundred fortieth song: Professional Widow (Armand’s Star Trunk Funkin’ Mix) - Tori Amos

For a remix, it feels like a lot of the song has less in common with the track - only halfway through the extended mix do we really get a large chunk of Tori Amos' vocals, while a lot of the remainder introduces two vocal samples to the beat. It's put together really well and a great thing to listen to regardless.

The eight hundred forty-first song: Nancy Boy - Placebo

The punk-inspired, grunge sound of Placebo in this sets its tone, the tenor vocals lending a boyish charm to heavy lyrics and an even more overpowering music. It's a simple concept in a way, dealing with daily life, but the full energy adds so much more to it, while the lyrics are that much smarter and more interesting. 

The six hundred and seventh album: #607 Michael Jackson - Bad

It feels like there just isn't much to say here already. Michael Jackson is such a known name, and the songs well known enough, that I don't think I need to describe Bad or Smooth Criminal. It's his brand of pop, including funk and some rock, produced to perfection, which some evocative lyrics and a great beat serving a good track. It's varied - there are some quite touching ballads, and it all feels more real than you might expect it to be. Of course this is absolutely worth it.

The two hundred and twenty-first classical recording: #634 Ralph Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending

Short, gentle, this is a fifteen minute dream. The solo violin feels like it represents the bird, waking up and flying off through a world of beauty. It's a sweet and lovely movement, something that is exactly what it needs to be.

The two hundred and twentieth classical recording: #110 George Frederic Handel - Messiah

This is one of those classic pieces that you hear a lot of. It's not the most complex - far more choral than operatic - but the build up is quite good and there's a ot of beauty in what it's accomplishing.