Lyrics · Quiz Questions · Trivia

10 questions about UK #1s: the answers are in the lyrics

Here are 10 quiz questions based on the lyrics of UK #1 hits, in order of when they reached #1. If you know which afternoon was never ending in “Lady Madonna”, how old Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) was when he died, or what Craig David and his lady did on Sunday, you’ll… Continue reading 10 questions about UK #1s: the answers are in the lyrics

Lyrics · Music · Trivia

UK #1s containing the word “Don’t”

In this earlier piece, about the UK’s best-selling singles by year, I noted that three of the best-selling songs in the 1980s began with the word “Don’t”. We had “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” (Police, 1980) “Don’t You Want Me” (Human League, 1981) and “Don’t Leave Me This Way” (Communards, 1986). Including these titles,… Continue reading UK #1s containing the word “Don’t”

Language · Lyrics · Music · Trivia

UK #1s that contain multiple pronouns in their titles

I return to the subject of pronouns, something I wrote about in this post back in 2016. In case you need a reminder of what pronouns are, there are explanations in that earlier piece. You might receive emails these days from people who specify their preferred use of pronouns, typically he/him, she/her or they/their. I… Continue reading UK #1s that contain multiple pronouns in their titles

In the news · Lyrics · Music

Don Everly RIP, Guns ’n Roses and stories behind the songs

Rest in peace Don Everly, one half of musical duo The Everly Brothers. He died this weekend, seven years after his brother Phil. You will know plenty of their recordings: “All I Have To Is Dream”, “Cathy’s Clown”, “Wake Up Little Susie”. In this 2014 Guardian obituary for Phil Everly, Graham Nash (of The Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) is quoted about the effect of hearing… Continue reading Don Everly RIP, Guns ’n Roses and stories behind the songs

At the movies · Lyrics · Music · On the box · Word of the week

Word of the week: sonofabitch

Sonofabitch (alternatively sunuvabitch, son-of-a-bitch or even “son of a bitch”) is an old-fashioned exclamation or term of abuse that I have been hearing a lot over the last month while I work my way, very happily, through all 11 series of the sitcom “Modern Family”. (I wrote about the show in this earlier post.) I… Continue reading Word of the week: sonofabitch

Lyrics · Music · Trivia

“Up the Junction” and “Virginia Plain” revisited

Back in 2018, in this piece, I posed the following question: What do the songs “Virginia Plain” and “Up the Junction” have in common with each other, and with no other singles that have reached the UK Top 10? It’s one of my favourite pop trivia challenges. The answer was revealed in that earlier piece,… Continue reading “Up the Junction” and “Virginia Plain” revisited

Lyrics · Music · Trivia

More Pop Trivia: a few updates prompted by “Head & Heart”, the current UK #1

The current UK #1 is “Head & Heart” by Joel Corry featuring MNEK, enjoying its fourth week at the top of the charts. I hadn’t heard it until a week ago, when I used this YouTube clip to check it out. Since then I have also heard it on BBC Radio 2 and have realized… Continue reading More Pop Trivia: a few updates prompted by “Head & Heart”, the current UK #1