The five hundred sixty-fourth song: Walking on Thin Ice - Yoko Ono
How much of this song's notability comes from one of its contributors, with this being John Lennon's final creative output? The music itself is fairly avant garde, Yoko Ono's vocals feeling like the impenetrable sound that feels closer to that of a performance artist than pure vocalists, but there's also a beauty in how it all comes together. It still feels like it needs visual - something to enhance the performance - but as her starring performance, it certainly feels like it makes its point.
The five hundred sixty-fifth song: Please Don’t Touch - Motorhead/Girlschool
Please Don't Touch is an aggressive rock song, the drive of the music amplified by two big heavy metal bands - the more well known Motorhead and the all female Girlschool, whose contributions come through equally in the track, with the vocals in particular blending amazingly well. It's short, it's straightforward in how it hits its marks, but it sounds so good and engaging when it does.
The five hundred sixty-sixth song: Super Freak - Rick James
Super Freak's riff is known well for the other places it's sampled, but it also immediately brings this song to mind - it's memorable chorus sticks in as much, and just the opening lyrics feel memorable on their own. It's smooth and sexy and a fascinating listen that keeps up so well, still that bundle of joy.
The five hundred sixty-seventh song: Don’t Stop Believin’ - Journey
Oh man, how much damage has Glee and its decline done to some tracks? There's a vulnerability to the song that musical kid energy just can't bring in, not needing the flourishes they added. Instead, just a piano and an almost cracking voice starts the track, slowly building as it continues. It works incredibly well, and the subdued anthem theme stays well here.
The five hundred sixty-eighth song: Pretty In Pink - Psychedelic Furs
The rough vocals of Pretty In Pink stand in contrast to that, making the meaning of the song harsher through its darker tone. It's a fine punk-y song, its title feeling at odds with its sound, but befitting the darker message of the track. It's a good enough song, even if I don't feel it held together as well as it should have.
The five hundred sixty-ninth song: Ghost Town - The Specials
As the title implies, there's something ethereal about this track, sounding a lot more subdued and ghost-like than most reggae-inspired songs do. The instruments are there, but the way they're layered, fading in and out, works so well here that they create a far more interesting track and become a highlight in their own right. It's unexpected, but really - yeah - feels special.
The five hundred seventieth song: I’m in Love with a German Film Star - The Passions
This feels like it feels the new wave style - a bit punky, a bit dreamy, everything feeling a bit odd and offset. It's decent, lyrically slightly changed, but I don't know if I can say it feels as good as others either - new wave took the music so much further than this.
The five hundred seventy-first song: Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.
There is a cadence to R.E.M. tracks that is why they feel so good. Radio Free Europe doesn't feel like it quite has that identity there, but the irrelevant lyrics, good rock tempo and different touches are already there to make this feel more artistic. The song is still really good.