That being said, I've been asked to write up a post detailing some non-Rock/Metal songs that I enjoy listening to so here are ten of my favourites in no particular order. Also, I'm not counting songs that have strong Rock elements so that rules out quite a few songs I enjoy such as "Super Freak" - Rick James and bands like The Beatles, assuming you call them Pop instead of Rock.
1. "Crazy" - Seal
I was torn between this one and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" - Steam. In the end, I chose this track because I felt it had less of a Rock vibe than the other, although I probably like them both the same. I don't really know many Seal songs outside of this one and "Kiss From A Rose" but I think, gun to head, I prefer this one. It may go on a bit too long but it's still got a good mix and a strong vocal-based chorus, just as good Pop songs should have.
2. "The Safety Dance" - Men Without Hats
Fair warning, this isn't the only "cheesy" 80's Pop One-Hit Wonder on this list and you're lucky I was able to condense it down to just a couple. If I had to post 20 tracks, you could've expected to see "Walk The Dinosaur" - Was (Not Was) and "Opposites Attract" - Paula Abdul, to name a few. Anyway, I fucking love this song. Sorry but I do. It's incredibly catchy, the lyrics aren't as inane as other Pop anthems and it's short enough to not get annoying.
3. "You Can't Hurry Love" - The Supremes
Cards on the table, the game Donkey Konga is probably responsible for my love of this song. It's about as inoffensive as you can get and it has a good little rhythm to it. I could probably forgive any song that you can do the Carlton Dance to without too much effort unless it's absolutely fucking terrible and fortunately, this song isn't absolutely fucking terrible. It's the aural equivalent of a hot water bottle on a cold evening, that's roughly how nice it is.
4. "Weapon Of Choice" - Fatboy Slim
To borrow the parlance of knobheads, back in the day I was really into Fatboy Slim. There were several tracks to choose from for this list such as "That Old Pair Of Jeans" and "Praise You" but I ended up going with "Weapon Of Choice" simply because I could happily sit and listen to it on repeat for hours. Even though it's the same tune over and over again (which is pretty much Pop music summarised), it's catchy enough to sound awesome.
5. "On Our Own" - Bobby Brown
Bit of 80's Hip-Hop/Pop for you! It's not exactly an amazing song and it's definitely pretty forgettable but every time I heard it, I can't help but hum along to the backing vocal melody. That's about all there is to say on this song other than it's not the only track I've picked that can be heard in Ghostbusters II...
6. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher - Jackie Wilson
Even if I first heard this song in a godawful film, my perception of the song wasn't forever tarnished by Eddie Murphy in fat drag. As soon as that bass comes in, the song is just fantastic right the way through to the end. The mix of each instrument is layered perfectly and the whole song just oozes happiness, which isn't something I usually look for in a song. However, it's abundantly present here and I'm glad for it, as should you be.
7. "Part-Time Lover" - Stevie Wonder
Another song that works perfectly with the Carlton Dance! There are several decent Stevie Wonder tracks but this is easily my favourite. I remember hearing it years and years ago but not knowing who it was by or what it was called. For years, I thought it was just an awesome cover of "Maneater" - Hall & Oates but after being used in an episode of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, I bought it straight away! It's hard to pinpoint exactly why I love this track but I reckon the general melody is probably the main reason.
8. "Cobrastyle" - Teddybears
You'll probably know this song if you listen to it, at least you might if you watch American TV shows. I wasn't sure if I should include this, as it samples the piano riff from "Good Thing" - Fine Young Cannibals (a song I was also tempted to include on this list if it had less Rock elements) but I think it belongs here, especially when you compare it to the average music I review on this blog. At the risk of sounding like a teenage moron, it's got a great beat and chorus, even if I have no idea what the guy's rapping about.
9. "Rock Me Amadeus" - Falco
Most of you will probably choose "99 Luftballoons" - Nena as the best German Synth-Pop track of the 80's. Whilst I do love that track as well, it's got to be "Rock Me Amadeus" that earns the spot on this post. It's one of those tracks that I'm determined to learn the difficult lyrics for like "We Didn't Start The Fire" - Billy Joel or "Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)" - Reunion but until then, I'll just have to enjoy this wedge of 80's goodness.
10. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & The M.Gs
You know a song is special when it's instantly recognisable and enjoyable from the first couple of notes. Since it's an instrumental track, it's quite short and doesn't have a lot going for it other than the main blues riff. However, it's a solid tune and great to hear every now and then...mind you, it's quite close to Rock what with it being a Blues track. I'm sure it'll be fine, since I've mentioned loads of other non-Rock songs throughout this blog that I also like.
Next week, I'll be back to Rock/Metal related posts but if you have any more requests, feel free to let me know either on Twitter or the comments section of this post. Also, if there are any Non-Rock/Metal songs you like that you would recommend to to me, let me know!
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