Songs with a year in their title

June 21, 2006 9:31 PM

I'm compiling a collection of songs that I'm calling "The History of the 20th Century". What songs have a year in their title?

My rules are that it must have a year in the title but it doesn't have to mention the year in the lyrics but it can't just have a year added because the song was released that year. The band does not have to be famous but the song must be recorded [so I can buy it or download it - links if you have them would be great for your friend's band]. Here's where I've got to so far:

2000 Disco 2000 by Pulp
1999 Prince
1998 Sept 98 David Kilgour
1997 Eminem
1996 Blizzard of ’96 The Walkmen
1995 Luna
1994 Loudon Wainwright III
1993 Carter USM
1992 Blur
1991 Julie Ritter, Rockats
1990 The Temptations
1989 Pop Song 89 by REM
1988 Afroman
1987 Revolver
1986 Expo ’86 Death Cab For Cutie
1985 Manic Street Preachers
1984 David Bowie
1983 Lindisfarne
1982 Randy Travis
1981 PIL
1980 Hatfield, 1980 by Everything But the Girl
1979 Meat Beat Manifesto
1978 The EnemyJet
1977 The Clash
1976 RJD2
1975 Gene Clark
1974 Ryan Adams
1973 Mental As Anything
1972 Giant Sand
1971 Havin Fun in ’71 by Jim Nesbitt
1970 Mission of Burma
1969 The Stooges
1968 Richmond Fontaine
1967 The Auteurs
1966 Cobra
1965 Mitchell Froom
1964 Too Much Joy
1963 New Order
1962 Michael Fracasso
1961 Nick Heyward
1960 America
1959 Patti Smith
1958 Munich Air Disaster 1958 by Morrissey
1957 Class of 57 by The Statler Brothers
1956 Mr X & Mr Y
1955 Back to ’55 by Eddie Brian group
1954 America in ’54 by Simone White
1953 ‘53 Maserati by Bobby Previte
1952
1951 Marc Johnson
1950 Amedeo Minghi
1949 Days of ’49 by Bob Dylan
1948 The Battle Hymm of ‘48 by Paul Robeson
1947
1946
1945 Holland, 1945 by Neutral Milk Hotel
1944 1944 Stomp by James Carter
1943 Drought of ’43 by Shrimp Boat
1942 Summer of ’42 by Michael Legrand
1941 Harry Nilsson
1940
1939 Lew Anderson Big Band
1938
1937
1936
1935
1934
1933
1932
1931
1930
1929 Merle Haggard
1928
1927
1926
1925
1924
1923
1922
1921 The Who
1920 Mosaico 1920 by Johnny Ventura
1919 Paris 1919 by John Cale
1918
1917 Fiery Furnaces
1916 Motorhead
1914
1914 England 1914 by Ralph McTell
1913 1913 Massacre by Woody Guthrie
1912
1911
1910
1909
1908
1907
1906
1905 Shona Laing
1904
1903
1902
1901
1900 1900 Yesterday by Betty Everett

If you have a better song for a year please suggest it because I want the compilation to be good as well. A few of my listed songs might be wrong as some just came from an AMG search and I have no idea what they're about except the title.

I might have to change my rules for the lean years 1922 - 1938; any songs you recall with lyrics about these years or events in these years? Or a way to complete these years with a bit more lateral thinking? And ,yeah I know, 1900 is technically the 19th century but what the hell...

Why am I doing this? It's a random way to listen to new music. And who knows it might end up as a unique take on the 20th century

posted by meech to media & arts (46 comments total)

1979 by the smashing pumpkins from their mellon collie and the infinite sadness album.
posted by ashbury at 9:42 PM on June 21, 2006

2112, from 2112, by Rush, dated 1976
posted by psmith at 9:43 PM on June 21, 2006

Whoops, sorry psmith - I meant the year in the title must be between 1900 and 2000. Doesn't matter when it's recorded...
posted by meech at 9:51 PM on June 21, 2006

1940 Caroline London 1940 by SleepStation

Max Richter has a few on his album "Memory House":

1922 "Landscape with Figure 1922"
1913 "Maria, the Poet 1913"
1908 "Quartet Fragment 1908"

Also, Philip Glass' "Mishima" has some choices:

1934 "1934: Grandmother & Kimitake"
1957 "1957: Award Montage"
1962 "1962: Body Building"

Not quite "history" songs, but hey....
posted by jgee at 9:53 PM on June 21, 2006

1926 by Thalia Zedek.
Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914) by The Zombies.
Memories of Jackqueline 1906 by Olivia Tremor Control.
The World in 1984 by Shearwater.
posted by synecdoche at 9:59 PM on June 21, 2006

The Stooges also have a 1970
posted by dmo at 10:00 PM on June 21, 2006

A.D. 1928 by Styx
Dayton, Ohio 1903 by Randy Newman
Cafe 1930 by Astor Piazzolla
posted by jgee at 10:14 PM on June 21, 2006

Summer of '69, Bryan Adams
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 10:16 PM on June 21, 2006

If you just want some song ideas without any regard for quality you can just go to allmusic and enter the year into the song title search. For example I entered 1947 and found Texas, 1947 (Guy Clark) but I have no idea if this song is any good or not. I'm sure you can do something similar for all the other years.
posted by Rhomboid at 10:23 PM on June 21, 2006

"Lousiana 1927", aaron Neville
"Texas, 1947" by Guy Clark (recorded by Johnny Cash)
"1952 Vincent Black Lightning" by Richard Thompson
"acapulco 1922" by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
posted by jgee at 10:26 PM on June 21, 2006

Sorry that this doesn't fill in any holes on your list:

2000 A.D. - The Rezillo's
New York Mining Disaster 1941 - The Bee Gees (pre-disco era)
Ninteen Hundred and Eighty Five - Paul McCartney & Wings
posted by hydrophonic at 10:26 PM on June 21, 2006

Also, try searching by track on musicbrainz. I was able to find something for every year I tried. (No idea what the results sound like, though.)
posted by hydrophonic at 10:36 PM on June 21, 2006

The Connells, "1934"
posted by kirkaracha at 11:18 PM on June 21, 2006

Y'might have an easier time finding the hit version of "1900 Yesterday," by Liz Damon & Her Orient Express.

"Butcher's Tail (Western Front 1914)" by the Zombies, a stunner.

Michael Penn recorded a whole song cycle about 1947, including one song called "18 September," but with the year just implied. Can't go too wrong with Guy Clark instead.

Barracudas, "(I Wish It Could Be) 1965 Again."

"1966" has gotta be the Boys From Nowhere single. "1966, got the fastest cars and the coolest chicks!"

Spirit's song "1984" is stronger than Bowie's, though they're both kinda dopey.
posted by Scram at 11:24 PM on June 21, 2006

I second 1979 by the Smashing Pumpkins, though I have not heard the song you already have on your list.

There's April 29, 1992 by Sublime. The great thing about that one is that the song title is april 26, but in the song is that the title, as well as the actual day of the Rodney King riots, which the song is about, is April 29, 1992, but the song lyric is april 26 1992. I think you should include it just for that novelty factor.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 11:33 PM on June 21, 2006

wow. proofreading is good. What I meant to say is that the title, and the day of the riots is the 29th, while in the song, they say the 26th.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 11:35 PM on June 21, 2006

Rhomboid: I used allmusic, but just when I was checking on why I didn't have Texas,1947 I realised I had used 1901 as my main search so I'm sure I'll find a few more off allmusic but it's great getting songs that people are recommending...

Also hydrophonic, hadn't heard of that site so I'll give it a go...

Thanks everyone else, keep them coming...I'll hopefully be able to post a completed list and then the compiling can begin.
posted by meech at 11:42 PM on June 21, 2006

Randy Newman, "Louisiana 1927"
Queen, "'39"
Merle Haggard, "The Way It Was In '51"
Tom Waits, "Ol '55"
Statler Brothers, "Class of '57"
The Four Seasons, "December 1963 (Oh What a Night)"
Paul Davis, "'65 Love Affair"
Ringo Starr, "Early 1970"
Josh Rouse, "1972"
The Ataris, "Summer '79"
Randy Travis, "1982"
John Wesley Harding, "July 13th, 1985"
posted by kirkaracha at 11:42 PM on June 21, 2006

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, "1906"
Sun City Girls, "Wheelchair Massacre 1906"
The Lonely Bears, "Eastbourne 1907"
Interior, "N.Y. 1908"
Scrabbel, "1909"
1910 Fruitgum Company, "1910 Cotton Candy Castle"
posted by kirkaracha at 11:51 PM on June 21, 2006

"The Last Day of June 1934" (Al Stewart) (I remember an interview in which Al Stewart said something to the effect of "I saw that no one was writing folky-rock songs with historical themes and I said to me self, Al, thats your niche." Yeah, Al, that is your niche. No one else thought of that. Twee bastard)

Having said that, his 'Roads to Moscow' is a good song about the Eastern Front, and how many songs are there about Warren Harding? The Album "Past, present, future" is loaded with historical stuff, in particular"

I have Annie Lennox in my head singing "in the 1980s...." but I don't know what song it is.
posted by Rumple at 1:11 AM on June 22, 2006

1983...(A Merman I Should Turn To Be) by Jimi Hendrix
1972 Bronze Medalist by The Bad Plus
1979 Semi-finalist by The Bad Plus
posted by john m at 1:14 AM on June 22, 2006

1996 by Marilyn Manson
posted by ArchEnemy at 1:42 AM on June 22, 2006

The Sisters of Mercy: 1959
posted by salmacis at 2:11 AM on June 22, 2006

The Carter USM album was "1992: The Love Album", not 1993 as you've got it listed.
posted by blag at 3:21 AM on June 22, 2006

The song off the 1992:Love Album was called 1993.
posted by meech at 3:36 AM on June 22, 2006

Ooof. Sorry, my bad.
posted by blag at 4:15 AM on June 22, 2006

1903: Dayton Ohio, 1903 -- Randy Newman
posted by Opposite George at 5:15 AM on June 22, 2006

Winter Storm '98 by Cadallaca is one of my all time favourite songs - melancholic, maudlin, beautiful.
posted by pollystark at 5:24 AM on June 22, 2006

The Steinbecks, "Lighthouse Act, 1911"
Bob Schulz , "Dallas Blues 1912"
Metal Church, "Rest in Pieces (April 15, 1912)"
Al Stewart, "Somewhere in England 1915"
Sparks, "It Ain't 1918"
Herb Alpert, "Acapulco 1922"
Bob Schulz , "Tin Roof Blues 1923"
Bob Schulz , "Shine 1924"
Paul Dandy, "1925 Charleston"
Bob Schulz , "Brother Low-Down 1947"
Aaron Neville, "Louisiana 1927"
David Soul, "1927 Kansas City"
Acoustic Son, "Room in 1931"
Bruce Rowland, "1931 Melbourne Cup"
Bruce Rowland, "California 1932"
Don DiLego, "1933"
Legendary Crystal Chandelier, "1933"
Brasserie Trio, "1935"
posted by kirkaracha at 6:40 AM on June 22, 2006

The Connells - '74-'75
John Mayer - 83
Van Halen - 1984 (title track)
posted by kookoobirdz at 6:40 AM on June 22, 2006

If you can wait 600 years, I'll nominate "In the Year 2525" by Zager & Evans.
posted by polyglot at 6:58 AM on June 22, 2006

83 (1983) John Mayer
posted by DragonBoy at 7:27 AM on June 22, 2006

1985 by SR-71, recently covered by Bowling for Soup
posted by m@ at 7:35 AM on June 22, 2006

Robyn Hitchcock, "1974", off the Storefront Hitchcock OST.
posted by murphy slaw at 7:47 AM on June 22, 2006

OLGA (The Online Guitar Archive) lists these songs with "19" in the title. There are a couple that I don't see mentioned above.

Also, you can never go wrong with Guy Clark.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 8:18 AM on June 22, 2006

1*15*96 - The Ataris
posted by SisterHavana at 8:36 AM on June 22, 2006

Although you have a lot of selections for 1985, I'll add Bowling for Soup's "1985."
posted by cass at 8:42 AM on June 22, 2006

(oops, should have read more thoroughly! m@ got there first.)
posted by cass at 8:43 AM on June 22, 2006

1980-1990 - Barceolona

That'll take care of a whole decade in one fell swoop.
posted by Aznable at 9:51 AM on June 22, 2006

1915 -- Knoxville: Summer of 1915, by Samuel Barber. (I recommend the Dawn Upshaw version)
posted by Guy Smiley at 10:19 AM on June 22, 2006

for 1965, consider also White Zombies' "Thunder Kiss '65"

(Also, kirkaracha, I think the subject matter of Queen's "'39" places it firmly in a future century.)
posted by kimota at 10:39 AM on June 22, 2006

also good is "1993" by the ex (w/ tom cora)
posted by kelseyq at 5:06 PM on June 22, 2006

1991 - Thrush Hermit (B-side)
1977 - Dr. Octagon from Dr. Octagonecologyst
1972 - Josh Rouse from 1972
1969 - Boards Of Canada from Geogaddi
1939 - Hayden from Elk-Lake Serenade
posted by boost ventilator at 9:28 PM on June 22, 2006

1996 - 1996 by Marilyn Manson
1928 - Overture 1928 by Dream Theater
posted by Khalad at 7:40 AM on June 23, 2006

Does it have to have lyrics? There is an instrumental pieces on the soundtrack to The Aviator called "Long Beach Harbor 1947" and "Hollywood 1927."
posted by yankeefog at 9:17 AM on June 23, 2006

Grass Show: 1962
posted by salmacis at 2:01 AM on June 24, 2006