CJ’s iPhone Playlist – July 2015 [60 Years of Top 10 Songs]

Happy Summer! If you’re already complaining it’s too hot, just remember how miserable this past winter was and how awesome air conditioning, pools and the beach are!!!!

So….I’ve made a major change to this month’s playlist. One that I will probably continue going forward…we shall see.

Amy B., from Virginia Beach, VA, who happens to be one of my longest running readers (dating back to my TypePad Blogging days), wrote to me last month to say that I needed to make a change. She felt, “the lists seem more forced as you try to mix today’s music with that of yesterday. You always have nice blocks, and everything flows, but the lists kind of end up with the same feel. I think you can be more creative!”

I always appreciate Amy’s feedback, as well as everyone else’s, and when I took at look at where my lists have gone over the years, it was clear she was right.

So, I went back to the drawing board. I started creating a random list of songs I really love. I was about a third into the list when I realized [thanks to Wikipedia] every song up to that point was, at one time, a top 10 song either in the US or abroad. So, I made that the theme of this month – Top 10 Songs from all genres.

The list below is wild mix of Pop, rock, adult contemporary, country and R&B from artists including Queen, Billy Joel, Prince, Green Day, Amy Winehouse, TLC, Rob Thomas, Fall Out Boy, Britney Spears, Nat King Cole and Duran Duran…to name a few. The songs span over 60 years of music — with the oldest tracking dating back to 1954! Along with the song name, I’ve detailed when the song peaked on a particular chart along with the year. In most cases, the list includes the original song. However there are a few exceptions, and in that case, I have indicated who the original singer was when the song peaked on the charts.

I’ve already decided next month’s theme will be my favorite genre – New Wave!

Along with each playlist, I will also release a monthly playlist of my Top 10 Songs of the month so that I can continue the tradition of the year-end countdown going. I will release that list a day after the main playlist hits the Blog.

As always, feel free to have a listen to the playlist via Spotify by clicking here – July 2015 [60 Years of Top 10 Songs]. I’m hoping that once I figure out the inner workings of Apple Music, I’ll be able to share my playlists via that method as well.

Many thanks to one of my dearest friends, Jennifer who was the initial inspiration for this month’s playlist. My promise to her, to include “We Are the Champions” this month, made that and “We Will Rock You” (the two songs are inseparable my mind) the first songs on the play list. So, here’s to you love!

Enjoy the music!!!

Let’s Go Crazy [Prince] – #1 Billboard Hot 100 (1984)

You Mean the World to Me [Toni Braxton] – #3 Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (1994)

Breathe (2 AM) [Anna Nalick] – #4 Billboard Adult Contemporary (2005)

Come on Eileen [Dexy’s Midnight Riders] – #7 Billboard Hot 100 (1987)

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark [Fall Out Boy] – #2 Billboard Hot Rock Songs (2014)

Uninvited [Alanis Morissette] – #1 Billboard Mainstream Top 40 (1998)

Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams [Green Day] – #1 Billboard Mainstream Top 40 (2005) 

We Will Rock You [Queen] – (On and off the charts list since 1977!) #1 France (1977) #1 UK (2000)

We Are the Champions [Queen] – (On and off the charts list since 1977!) #2 UK | #4 US (1977)

Under the Boardwalk [Bette Midler] – #1 Billboard Hot 100 (The Drifters) (1964)

An Innocent Man [Billy Joel] – #1 Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks (1984)

He’s a Rebel [The Crystals] – #1 Billboard Hot 100 (1962)

Rehab [Amy Winehouse] – #7 UK Singles (2007)

River Deep, Mountain High [Celene Dion] – #3 UK (Ike & Tina Turner) (1960)

Revolver [Madonna] – #4 Billboard Dance Club Songs (2010)

Spiderwebs [No Doubt] – #5 Billboard Modern Rock Tracks (1997)

Creep [TLC]  – #1 Billboard Hot 100 (1995)

All of Me [John Legend] – #1 Billboard Hot 100 (2014)

Heaven [Bryan Adams] – #1 Billboard Hot 100 (1985)

Ever the Same [Rob Thomas] – #4 Billboard Adult Top 40 (2006)

These Are Days [10,000 Maniacs] – #1 Billboard Modern Rock (1992)

Billie Jean [Michael Jackson] – #1 Billboard Hot 100 (1993)

Take Me to Church [Hozier] – # 1 US Adult Top 40 (2015)

Forever and Ever, Amen [Randy Travis] – #1 Billboard Hot Country Song (1987)

Shameless [Billy Joel] – #1 Billboard Country Chart (Garth Brooks) – (1991)

Ordinary World [Duran Duran] – #1 U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream (1993)

To Be Loved [Michael Buble] – #7 US R&B Singles (Jackie Wilson) (1957)

Smile [Nat King Cole] – Top of the Billboard charts (1954)

That’s Life [Frank Sinatra] – #4 Billboard Hot 100 (1967)

Building a Mystery [Sarah McLachlan] – #3 Billboard Modern Rock Tracks (1997)

Torn [Natalie Imbruglia] – #1 Billboard Top 40 Mainstream (1998)

Losing My Religion [R.E.M.] – #1 US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks (1991)

Sledgehammer [Peter Gabriel] – #1 Billboard (1986)

Criminal [Fiona Apple] – #4 Billboard Modern Rock Tracks (1997)

Miss You Much [Janet Jackson] – #1 Billboard Hot 100 (1989)

People are People [Depeche Mode] – #4 UK Singles (1984)

Piece of Me [Britney Spears] – #1 Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs (2008)