Comments on: Songs with a year in their title

Question: Songs with a year in their title

meech — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 21:31:22 -0800

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

By: ashbury

ashbury — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 21:42:32 -0800

1979 by the smashing pumpkins from their mellon collie and the infinite sadness album.

By: psmith

psmith — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 21:43:00 -0800

2112, from 2112, by Rush, dated 1976

By: meech

meech — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 21:51:19 -0800

Whoops, sorry psmith - I meant the year in the title must be between 1900 and 2000. Doesn't matter when it's recorded...

By: jgee

jgee — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 21:53:15 -0800

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....

By: synecdoche

synecdoche — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 21:59:42 -0800

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.

By: dmo

dmo — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 22:00:08 -0800

The Stooges also have a 1970

By: jgee

jgee — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 22:14:24 -0800

A.D. 1928 by Styx
Dayton, Ohio 1903 by Randy Newman
Cafe 1930 by Astor Piazzolla

By: nakedcodemonkey

nakedcodemonkey — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 22:16:40 -0800

Summer of '69, Bryan Adams

By: Rhomboid

Rhomboid — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 22:23:47 -0800

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.

By: jgee

jgee — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 22:26:40 -0800

"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

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 22:26:56 -0800

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

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 22:36:59 -0800

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.)

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 23:18:46 -0800

The Connells, "1934"

By: Scram

Scram — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 23:24:50 -0800

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.

By: gauchodaspampas

gauchodaspampas — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 23:33:27 -0800

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.

By: gauchodaspampas

gauchodaspampas — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 23:35:14 -0800

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.

By: meech

meech — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 23:42:13 -0800

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.

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 23:42:32 -0800

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"

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 23:51:02 -0800

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"

By: Rumple

Rumple — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 01:11:21 -0800

"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.

By: john m

john m — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 01:14:28 -0800

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

By: ArchEnemy

ArchEnemy — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 01:42:07 -0800

1996 by Marilyn Manson

By: salmacis

salmacis — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 02:11:54 -0800

The Sisters of Mercy: 1959

By: blag

blag — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 03:21:29 -0800

The Carter USM album was "1992: The Love Album", not 1993 as you've got it listed.

By: meech

meech — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 03:36:23 -0800

The song off the 1992:Love Album was called 1993.

By: blag

blag — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 04:15:26 -0800

Ooof. Sorry, my bad.

By: Opposite George

Opposite George — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 05:15:27 -0800

1903: Dayton Ohio, 1903 -- Randy Newman

By: pollystark

pollystark — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 05:24:30 -0800

Winter Storm '98 by Cadallaca is one of my all time favourite songs - melancholic, maudlin, beautiful.

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 06:40:26 -0800

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"

By: kookoobirdz

kookoobirdz — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 06:40:34 -0800

The Connells - '74-'75
John Mayer - 83
Van Halen - 1984 (title track)

By: polyglot

polyglot — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 06:58:26 -0800

If you can wait 600 years, I'll nominate "In the Year 2525" by Zager & Evans.

By: DragonBoy

DragonBoy — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 07:27:16 -0800

83 (1983) John Mayer

By: m@

m@ — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 07:35:40 -0800

1985 by SR-71, recently covered by Bowling for Soup

By: murphy slaw

murphy slaw — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 07:47:36 -0800

Robyn Hitchcock, "1974", off the Storefront Hitchcock OST.

By: SuperSquirrel

SuperSquirrel — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 08:18:49 -0800

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.

By: SisterHavana

SisterHavana — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 08:36:09 -0800

1*15*96 - The Ataris

By: cass

cass — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 08:42:28 -0800

Although you have a lot of selections for 1985, I'll add Bowling for Soup's "1985."

By: cass

cass — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 08:43:27 -0800

(oops, should have read more thoroughly! m@ got there first.)

By: Aznable

Aznable — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 09:51:37 -0800

1980-1990 - Barceolona

That'll take care of a whole decade in one fell swoop.

By: Guy Smiley

Guy Smiley — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 10:19:48 -0800

1915 -- Knoxville: Summer of 1915, by Samuel Barber. (I recommend the Dawn Upshaw version)

By: kimota

kimota — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 10:39:30 -0800

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.)

By: kelseyq

kelseyq — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 17:06:27 -0800

also good is "1993" by the ex (w/ tom cora)

By: boost ventilator

boost ventilator — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 21:28:15 -0800

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

By: Khalad

Khalad — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 07:40:26 -0800

1996 - 1996 by Marilyn Manson
1928 - Overture 1928 by Dream Theater

By: yankeefog

yankeefog — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 09:17:23 -0800

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."

By: salmacis

salmacis — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 02:01:30 -0800

Grass Show: 1962