I have created a new Category for this site, Repertoire, to keep a record of songs that I play in public for the first time. It only includes songs that I have committed to memory and played in front of other people in a public space. It will not surprise anyone who knows me that I already have a record of all this information in an Excel workbook. One of the sheets is called “From18July2023”. This records every song that I have played (including repeats) since 18 July 2023. On that date I started singing and playing in public far more often than previously, for reasons explained in this piece. There are many songs that I have played with other people, copying the chord patterns while they play guitar, and many where I know the lyrics well enough to sing them from memory. But if I have not learnt the song in advance I do not include it in my list.
My overall repertoire doubled in 2024. At the start of the year I had played 159 different songs in public. By New Year’s Eve that had risen to over 320. Below is a list of all the new songs I played in 2024, divided into the following three repertoires (as in this piece for example):
- Songs that reached #1 in the UK.
- Songs that reached #1 somewhere else.
- Songs that have not reached #1 anywhere.
The column headed Count indicates the number of songs that I have played in each repertoire to date. For example, “King of the Road” was the 115th song that I added to my UK #1 repertoire, “Calendar Girl” was the 25th song that I added to my repertoire of songs that have reached #1 somewhere else.
Songs that reached #1 in the UK |
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| First Played | Year | Song | #1 Act | Count |
| Tue 2-Jan-24 | 1965 | King of the Road | Roger Miller | 115 |
| Tue 2-Jan-24 | 1963 | Bad To Me | Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas | 116 |
| Tue 2-Jan-24 | 1980 | Coward of the County | Kenny Rogers | 117 |
| Tue 2-Jan-24 | 1970 | Spirit in the Sky | Norman Greenbaum | 118 |
| Tue 9-Jan-24 | 1993 | Young at Heart | Bluebells | 119 |
| Tue 9-Jan-24 | 1982 | The Lion Sleeps Tonight | Tight Fit | 120 |
| Tue 9-Jan-24 | 1960 | Three Steps to Heaven | Eddie Cochrane | 121 |
| Tue 9-Jan-24 | 1965 | Crying in the Chapel | Elvis Presley | 122 |
| Thu 11-Jan-24 | 1977 | I Don’t Want to Talk About It | Rod Stewart | 123 |
| Thu 11-Jan-24 | 1964 | It’s All Over Now | Rolling Stones | 124 |
| Tue 16-Jan-24 | 1966 | Yellow Submarine | Beatles | 125 |
| Tue 16-Jan-24 | 1967 | All You Need is Love | Beatles | 126 |
| Thu 18-Jan-24 | 1961 | Walk Right Back | Everly Brothers | 127 |
| Thu 18-Jan-24 | 1973 | Get Down | Gilbert O’Sullivan | 128 |
| Thu 18-Jan-24 | 1957 | Young Love | Tab Hunter | 129 |
| Thu 25-Jan-24 | 1975 | Oh Boy | Mud | 130 |
| Thu 25-Jan-24 | 1975 | D I V O R C E | Billy Connolly | 131 |
| Thu 25-Jan-24 | 1981 | Don’t You Want Me | Human League | 132 |
| Tue 30-Jan-24 | 1976 | Under the Moon of Love | Showaddywaddy | 133 |
| Tue 30-Jan-24 | 1976 | Don’t Go Breaking My Heart | Elton John & Kiki Dee | 134 |
| Tue 30-Jan-24 | 1979 | When you’re in love with a beautiful woman | Dr Hook | 135 |
| Thu 1-Feb-24 | 1994 | Twist and Shout | Chaka Demus & Pliers | 136 |
| Sun 4-Feb-24 | 1965 | I Got You Babe | Sonny & Cher | 137 |
| Sun 4-Feb-24 | 1983 | Karma Chameleon | Culture Club | 138 |
| Thu 8-Feb-24 | 1990 | Sacrifice | Elton John | 139 |
| Tue 13-Feb-24 | 1987 | Stand By Me | Ben E King | 140 |
| Tue 13-Feb-24 | 1987 | Let It Be | Ferry Aid | 141 |
| Thu 15-Feb-24 | 2003 | Mandy | Westlife | 142 |
| Thu 15-Feb-24 | 1976 | Mamma Mia | Abba | 143 |
| Thu 22-Feb-24 | 1996 | Words | Boyzone | 144 |
| Tue 5-Mar-24 | 1959 | One Night | Elvis Presley | 145 |
| Wed 6-Mar-24 | 1972 | Puppy Love | Donny Osmond | 146 |
| Thu 7-Mar-24 | 2013 | Get Lucky | Daft Punk | 147 |
| Thu 7-Mar-24 | 1971 | Get It On | T Rex | 148 |
| Tue 12-Mar-24 | 1991 | Shoop Shoop Song | Cher | 149 |
| Thu 14-Mar-24 | 2003 | Beautiful | Christina Aguilera | 150 |
| Tue 19-Mar-24 | 1966 | Green Green Grass of Home | Tom Jones | 151 |
| Thu 21-Mar-24 | 2024 | Texas Hold Em | Beyonce | 152 |
| Wed 27-Mar-24 | 1999 | You Needed Me | Boyzone | 153 |
| Tue 23-Apr-24 | 1965 | Mr Tambourine Man | Byrds | 154 |
| Tue 7-May-24 | 1987 | La Bamba | Los Lobos | 155 |
| Tue 18-Jun-24 | 1972 | Amazing Grace | Royal Scots Dragoon Guards | 156 |
| Thu 27-Jun-24 | 1964 | Can’t Buy Me Love | Beatles | 157 |
| Tue 2-Jul-24 | 1997 | Candle in the Wind | Elton John | 158 |
| Tue 16-Jul-24 | 1963 | From Me To You | Beatles | 159 |
| Sat 20-Jul-24 | 2002 | Light My Fire | Will Young | 160 |
| Tue 23-Jul-24 | 1966 | Reach Out (I’ll Be There) | Four Tops | 161 |
| Tue 23-Jul-24 | 1988 | Groovy Kind of Love | Phil Collins | 162 |
| Tue 23-Jul-24 | 1983 | You Can’t Hurry Love | Phil Collins | 163 |
| Thu 25-Jul-24 | 1982 | Come on Eileen | Dexy’s Midnight Runners | 164 |
| Thu 25-Jul-24 | 1985 | You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) | Dead or Alive | 165 |
| Tue 30-Jul-24 | 1963 | She Loves You | Beatles | 166 |
| Tue 13-Aug-24 | 1994 | Stay Another Day | East 17 | 167 |
| Mon 26-Aug-24 | 1968 | Cabaret | Louis Armstrong | 168 |
| Tue 27-Aug-24 | 1996 | Don’t Look Back in Anger | Oasis | 169 |
| Thu 29-Aug-24 | 1965 | Ticket to Ride | Beatles | 170 |
| Thu 5-Sep-24 | 1964 | I’m Into Something Good | Herman’s Hermits | 171 |
| Tue 10-Sep-24 | 1984 | 99 Red Balloons | Nena | 172 |
| Wed 11-Sep-24 | 1986 | Take My Breath Away | Berlin | 173 |
| Tue 17-Sep-24 | 1971 | Grandad | Clive Dunn | 174 |
| Wed 18-Sep-24 | 2018 | Shotgun | George Ezra | 175 |
| Thu 19-Sep-24 | 1985 | Dancing in the Street | Jagger & Bowie | 176 |
| Thu 26-Sep-24 | 2001 | Angel (of the Morning) | Shaggy | 177 |
| Sun 13-Oct-24 | 1967 | Hello Goodbye | Beatles | 178 |
| Tue 5-Nov-24 | 1981 | Imagine | John Lennon | 179 |
| Tue 5-Nov-24 | 1966 | The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Any More | Walker Brothers | 180 |
| Thu 28-Nov-24 | 1975 | Sailing | Rod Stewart | 181 |
| Sun 1-Dec-24 | 1959 | What Do You Want | Adam Faith | 182 |
| Sun 1-Dec-24 | 2005 | Is this the way to Amarillo | Tony Christie | 183 |
| Thu 5-Dec-24 | 1979 | YMCA | Village People | 184 |
| Sun 8-Dec-24 | 2019 | I love sausage rolls | Ladbaby | 185 |
| Tue 10-Dec-24 | 1960 | Cathy’s Clown | Everly Brothers | 186 |
| Thu 12-Dec-24 | 1965 | I’m Alive | Hollies | 187 |
| Thu 26-Dec-24 | 1979 | One Day at a Time | Lena Martell | 188 |
Songs that reached #1 somewhere else |
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| First | Year | Song | #1 Act | Count |
| Tue 9-Jan-24 | 1961 | Calendar Girl | Neil Sedaka | n25 |
| Tue 6-Feb-24 | 1969 | In the Ghetto | Elvis Presley | n26 |
| Thu 8-Feb-24 | 1972 | A Thing Called Love | Johnny Cash | n27 |
| Thu 8-Feb-24 | 1961 | Please Mr Postman | Marvelettes | n28 |
| Thu 8-Feb-24 | 1967 | Creeque Alley | Mamas & The Papas | n29 |
| Thu 29-Feb-24 | 1956 | Hound Dog | Elvis Presley | n30 |
| Tue 5-Mar-24 | 1958 | Don’t | Elvis Presley | n31 |
| Wed 6-Mar-24 | 1974 | Bennie and the Jets” | Elton John | n32 |
| Thu 7-Mar-24 | 1972 | Sylvia’s Mother | Dr Hook | n33 |
| Thu 7-Mar-24 | 1956 | Love Me Tender | Elvis Presley | n34 |
| Tue 12-Mar-24 | 1971 | Brand New Key | Melanie | n35 |
| Thu 14-Mar-24 | 1974 | Another Saturday Night | Cat Stevens | n36 |
| Tue 19-Mar-24 | 1971 | Me and Bobby McGee | Janis Joplin | n37 |
| Thu 21-Mar-24 | 1957 | (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear | Elvis Presley | n38 |
| Thu 21-Mar-24 | 1996 | No Woman No Cry | Fugees | n39 |
| Sat 6-Apr-24 | 1987 | Faith | George Michael | n40 |
| Thu 2-May-24 | 1965 | Wonderful World | Herman’s Hermits | n41 |
| Thu 6-Jun-24 | 1972 | Garden Party | Rick Nelson | n42 |
| Tue 18-Jun-24 | 1972 | Children of the Revolution | T Rex | n43 |
| Tue 2-Jul-24 | 1971 | It’s Too Late | Carole King | n44 |
| Tue 9-Jul-24 | 1977 | Da Doo Ron Ron | Shaun Cassidy | n45 |
| Tue 9-Jul-24 | 1972 | I Can See Clearly Now | Johnny Nash | n46 |
| Tue 16-Jul-24 | 1967 | Happy Together | Turtles | n47 |
| Thu 18-Jul-24 | 1966 | Summer in the City | Lovin’ Spoonful | n48 |
| Tue 27-Aug-24 | 1986 | Holding Back The Years | Simply Red | n49 |
| Tue 27-Aug-24 | 1995 | Wonderwall | Oasis | n50 |
| Thu 29-Aug-24 | 1964 | When You Walk in the Room | Searchers | n51 |
| Tue 3-Sep-24 | 1981 | Love Will Tear Us Apart | Joy Division | n52 |
| Tue 17-Sep-24 | 1966 | Daydream | Lovin’ Spoonful | n53 |
| Tue 24-Sep-24 | 1956 | Heartbreak Hotel | Elvis Presley | n54 |
| Tue 24-Sep-24 | 1956 | I Want You I Need You I Love You | Elvis Presley | n55 |
| Tue 24-Sep-24 | 1976 | The Boys Are Back in Town | Thin Lizzy | n56 |
| Thu 17-Oct-24 | 1973 | Crocodile Rock | Elton John | n57 |
| Thu 17-Oct-24 | 1968 | Delilah | Tom Jones | n58 |
| Tue 5-Nov-24 | 1956 | Don’t Be Cruel | Elvis Presley | n59 |
| Thu 14-Nov-24 | 1965 | What the world needs now | Jackie DeShannon | n60 |
| Sun 17-Nov-24 | 1969 | Raindrops keep falling on my head | BJ Thomas | n61 |
| Sun 17-Nov-24 | 1967 | The Letter | Boxtops | n62 |
| Sun 17-Nov-24 | 1973 | Midnight Train to Georgia | Gladys Knight and the Pips | n63 |
| Tue 26-Nov-24 | 1964 | My Boy Lollipop | Millie | n64 |
| Sun 1-Dec-24 | 1994 | Zombie | Cranberries | n65 |
| Sun 15-Dec-24 | 1965 | Yesterday | Beatles | n66 |
| Sun 15-Dec-24 | 1973 | Daniel | Elton John | n67 |
| Sun 22-Dec-24 | 1983 | Love of the Common People | Paul Young | n68 |
Songs that have not reached #1 anywhere (Years are approximate in some cases) |
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| First | Year | Song | Act | Count |
| Tue 23-Jan-24 | 1965 | Love Minus Zero (No Limit) | Bob Dylan | 25 |
| Thu 25-Jan-24 | 1975 | Tangled up in Blue | Bob Dylan | 26 |
| Thu 1-Feb-24 | 1978 | Baby Stop Crying | Bob Dylan | 27 |
| Tue 20-Feb-24 | 1969 | Peace in the Valley | Johnny Cash | 28 |
| Tue 27-Feb-24 | 1969 | Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye | Clancy Brothers | 29 |
| Thu 29-Feb-24 | 1972 | Burning Love | Elvis Presley | 30 |
| Thu 29-Feb-24 | 1979 | Fields of Athenry | Dubliners | 31 |
| Tue 5-Mar-24 | 1977 | Slip Slidin’ Away | Paul Simon | 32 |
| Tue 12-Mar-24 | 1977 | Alison | Elvis Costello | 33 |
| Tue 12-Mar-24 | 1961 | The Blizzard | Jim Reeves | 34 |
| Tue 19-Mar-24 | 1967 | You ain’t going nowhere | Bob Dylan | 35 |
| Tue 19-Mar-24 | 1967 | Different Drum | Linda Ronstadt | 36 |
| Thu 21-Mar-24 | 1967 | Brown Eyed Girl | Van Morrison | 37 |
| Thu 21-Mar-24 | 1966 | You’re a big girl now | Bob Dylan | 38 |
| Tue 9-Apr-24 | 1977 | Another Suitcase Another Hall | Barbara Dickson | 39 |
| Tue 23-Apr-24 | 1979 | Goodbye Girl | Squeeze | 40 |
| Thu 2-May-24 | 1971 | Man who sold the world | David Bowie | 41 |
| Thu 2-May-24 | 1972 | Starman | David Bowie | 42 |
| Thu 2-May-24 | 1972 | All the young dudes | Mott the Hoople | 43 |
| Tue 7-May-24 | 1962 | Nothing can change this love I have for you | Sam Cooke | 44 |
| Thu 23-May-24 | 1962 | Twisting the Night Away | Sam Cooke | 45 |
| Thu 6-Jun-24 | 1959 | Touch the Hem of His Garment | Sam Cooke | 46 |
| Tue 18-Jun-24 | 1961 | Oh Carol | Neil Sedaka | 47 |
| Wed 3-Jul-24 | 1978 | Another Girl Another Planet | Only Ones | 48 |
| Thu 4-Jul-24 | 1964 | I’ll keep you satisfied | Beatles | 49 |
| Tue 9-Jul-24 | 1980 | Wednesday Week | Undertones | 50 |
| Sat 20-Jul-24 | 1943 | Baby Mine | Disney | 51 |
| Tue 23-Jul-24 | 1964 | Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying | Gerry & The Pacemakers | 52 |
| Tue 30-Jul-24 | 1971 | Working Class Hero | John Lennon | 53 |
| Tue 30-Jul-24 | 1955 | Shake Rattle & Roll | Elvis Presley | 54 |
| Fri 9-Aug-24 | 1975 | Idiot Wind | Bob Dylan | 55 |
| Thu 22-Aug-24 | 1975 | Sara | Bob Dylan | 56 |
| Mon 26-Aug-24 | 1963 | Take These Chains From My Heart | Ray Charles | 57 |
| Mon 26-Aug-24 | 1963 | The Girl of My Best Friend | Elvis Presley | 58 |
| Mon 26-Aug-24 | 1965 | Like A Rolling Stone | Bob Dylan | 59 |
| Tue 3-Sep-24 | 1971 | Everybody wants to be a cat | Disney | 60 |
| Wed 4-Sep-24 | 1972 | Lady Stardust | David Bowie | 61 |
| Mon 30-Sep-24 | 1966 | I Want You | Bob Dylan | 62 |
| Thu 3-Oct-24 | 1966 | Bang Bang | Cher | 63 |
| Sun 27-Oct-24 | 1978 | Werewolves of London | Warren Zeavon | 64 |
| Thu 7-Nov-24 | 1981 | That’s Entertainment | Jam | 65 |
| Thu 21-Nov-24 | 1972 | Don’t Cry Daddy | Elvis Presley | 66 |
| Fri 22-Nov-24 | 1975 | Diamonds and Rust | Joan Baez | 67 |
| Thu 28-Nov-24 | 1981 | Night Nurse | Gregory Isaacs | 68 |
| Tue 3-Dec-24 | 1969 | Courting in the kitchen | Clancy Brothers | 69 |
| Sun 22-Dec-24 | 1974 | Love Me Love My Dog | Peter Shelley | 70 |
| Thu 26-Dec-24 | 1963 | You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me | Beatles | 71 |
The Compartments 