This post has two main purposes: to help me keep track of songs I’d like to keep revisiting, and to share song recommendations with other people. I hope you find something here to enjoy.
A
About Love (Marina); Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers); Ain’t She Sweet (Gene Austin); Alive and Kicking (Simple Minds); All of Me (Billie Holiday); All or Nothing at All (Sarah Vaughan); Alors On Danse (Stromae)
American Pie (Don McLean); And She Was (Talking Heads); Angel of the Morning (Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts); Angels (The xx); Angie Baby (Helen Reddy); Anthem (Leonard Cohen)
April Come She Will (Simon & Garfunkel); At Last (Etta James); At Seventeen (Janis Ian); Autumn in New York (Billie Holiday); Autumn Leaves (Edith Piaf)
B
Bad Moon Rising (Creedence Clearwater Revival); Ball and Chain (Big Mama Thornton); Be My Baby (The Ronettes); Beam Me Up (Pink); The Best (Tina Turner); The Best Is Yet to Come (Tony Bennett, also recommend Blossom Dearie); Big Spender (Peggy Lee); Bird Song (Florence and the Machine)
Black Rat Swing (Precious Bryant); Blackbird (Nina Simone); Blue Skies (Maxine Sullivan); Blues Run the Game (Jackson C. Frank); Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen); Borrowed Rooms and Old Wood Floors (Emily Scott Robinson); Both Sides, Now (Joni Mitchell, especially the 1969 recording); The Boy in the Bubble (Paul Simon)
Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel); Bullpen (Dessa); By Myself (Judy Garland); Bye Bye Blackbird (Peggy Lee)
C
California Dreamin’ (The Mamas & the Papas); Call Me (Blondie); Call Me Irresponsible (Bobby Darin); Carnival (Natalie Merchant); Cat’s in the Cradle (Harry Chapin); The Chain (Fleetwood Mac); Change (Mozella); A Change Is Gonna Come (Aretha Franklin)
Cheek to Cheek (Ella Fitzgerald); Clown (Emeli Sandé); Coat of Many Colors (Dolly Parton); Come Softly to Me (The Fleetwoods); Copenhagen (Vienna Teng); Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen); Crazy World (Julie Andrews); Cry Me a River (Ella Fitzgerald)
D
Dacw ‘Nghariad (Eve Goodman); Dance Me to the End of Love (Leonard Cohen, also recommend Madeleine Peyroux); Dance Monkey (Tones and I); Dancing in the Street (Martha Reeves & The Vandellas); Daniel (Elton John); Diamonds and Rust (Joan Baez); The Dirt (Mirel Wagner)
Don’t Explain (Nina Simone); Don’t Let It Trouble Your Mind (Dolly Parton); Don’t Stop Me Now (Queen); Don’t Worry Baby (The Beach Boys); Don’t You (Forget About Me) (Simple Minds); Dream a Little Dream of Me (The Mamas & the Papas); Dream Lover (Bobby Darin); Dreams (The Cranberries); Dreams (Fleetwood Mac)
E
Edge of Seventeen (Stevie Nicks); Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles); Embraceable You (Ella Fitzgerald, also recommend Brent Spiner); The End (Sibylle Baier); Enjoy the Silence (Depeche Mode); Eretz Zavat Chalav (Nina Simone); Everybody Hurts (R.E.M.); Everybody Knows (Leonard Cohen)
F
Falcon in the Dive (Terry Mann); Family Affair (Mary J. Blige); Fantasy (Earth, Wind & Fire); The Fear (Lily Allen); Fear and Loathing (Marina); Feeling Good (Nina Simone); Fever (Peggy Lee, also recommend Precious Bryant)
Filigree (Alison Moyet); The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack); Fools Rush In (Peggy Lee); For Once in My Life (Stevie Wonder); For the Roses (Joni Mitchell); Forever Young (Joan Baez); La Foule (Edith Piaf)
G
Get Lucky (Daughter); Girl on Fire (Alicia Keys); Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (George Harrison); Give Me One Reason (Tracy Chapman); Giving Up Everything (Natalie Merchant)
Gloria (Laura Branigan); Goin’ Home (Dan Auerbach); The Good Life (Blossom Dearie); Good Vibrations (The Beach Boys); Goodnight New York (Vienna Teng); Graceland (Paul Simon); Green & Gold (Lianne La Havas); Green Garden (Laura Mvula); Guardian (Alanis Morissette)
H
Happy (Marina, especially the acoustic band video version); Harper Valley P.T.A. (Jeannie C. Riley); A Hazy Shade of Winter (Simon & Garfunkel); Headlong (Queen); Heard It All (Emilie Autumn); Heart of Glass (Blondie)
Home (Ellie Goulding); Home Again (Michael Kiwanuka); Hound Dog (Big Mama Thornton); House of the Rising Sun (Joan Baez, also recommend Doc Watson); How Deep Is Your Love (Bee Gees); How Low (José González)
I
I Am a Rock (Simon & Garfunkel); I Am Not a Robot (Marina); I Am Woman (Helen Reddy); I Can Change (Raleigh Ritchie); I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash, also recommend Jimmy Cliff); I Can’t Stand the Rain (Ann Peebles); I Don’t Care (Judy Garland)
I Feel Love (Donna Summer); I Feel the Earth Move (Carole King); I Got Rhythm (Ella Fitzgerald); I Have Nothing (Whitney Houston); I Hold No Grudge (Nina Simone); I Hurt Too (Katie Herzig); I Like It Like That (Tito Nieves); I Lost Something in the Hills (Sibylle Baier); I Love the Nightlife (Alicia Bridges); I Love You Always Forever (Donna Lewis)
I Put a Spell on You (Nina Simone); I See a Darkness (Johnny Cash with Bonnie “Prince” Billy); I Walk a Little Faster (Blossom Dearie); I Want It All (Queen); I Want to Break Free (Queen); I Will Always Love You (Dolly Parton); I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free (Nina Simone); I Wish You Love (Blossom Dearie)
If I Can Help Somebody (Mahalia Jackson); I’ll Take You There (The Staple Singers); I’m a Fool to Want You (Peggy Lee); I’m a Woman (Koko Taylor); I’m Going Slightly Mad (Queen); I’m Gonna Be an Engineer (Peggy Seeger); The Impossible Dream (Andy Williams)
In My Room (The Beach Boys); Innuendo (Queen); Inside Out (Imelda May); Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall (The Ink Spots & Ella Fitzgerald); Invincible (Pat Benatar); It Might Be Hope (Sara Groves); It’s a Good Day (Peggy Lee); I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (Billie Holiday, also recommend Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong in duet)
J
Johnny Got a Boom Boom (Imelda May); Just a Gigolo / I Ain’t Got Nobody (Louis Prima); Just Can’t Get Enough (Depeche Mode); Just the Two of Us (Bill Withers)
K
Killing Me Softly (The Fugees); Kind and Generous (Natalie Merchant); A Kind of Magic (Queen); King and Lionheart (Of Monsters and Men); Knock on Wood (Amii Stewart)
L
Lambada (Kaoma); Last Dance (Donna Summer); Laughing at Life (Billie Holiday); Lay All Your Love on Me (Abba); Lean on Me (Bill Withers); Leave Me Alone (Helen Reddy); Let Me Be the First to Know (Dinah Washington); Let’s Groove (Earth, Wind & Fire)
Life Is Sweet (Natalie Merchant); Lighthouse (Lucy Spraggan); Linger (The Cranberries); A Little Bit Independent (Little Jack Little); A Little Less Conversation (Elvis Presley); The Living (Natalie Merchant); Lonely Woman (Sarah Vaughan); The Longest Time (Billy Joel); The Look (Roxette); Lookin’ Out My Back Door (Creedence Clearwater Revival); Lost and Found (Katie Herzig)
L-O-V-E (Nat King Cole); Love Is Here to Stay (Blossom Dearie); Love Letters (Alison Moyet); Love Me or Leave Me (Nina Simone); Love Reign Supreme (Alison Moyet); Love, Save the Empty (Erin McCarley); Lullabye for a Stormy Night (Vienna Teng); Lulu (Natalie Merchant)
M
Mack the Knife (Bobby Darin); Mama Said (The Shirelles); The Man I Love (Billie Holiday); The Man That Got Away (Dinah Washington); The Man With the Child in His Eyes (Kate Bush); A Marshmallow World (Dean Martin); Mary Hamilton (Joan Baez); Matches to Paper Dolls (Dessa)
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (Paul Simon); Me and My Shadow (Judy Garland); Medicine (Daughter); Mess Around (Ray Charles); Milk & Honey (Hollie Cook); Milk and Honey (Jackson C. Frank); Milord (Edith Piaf); Miss Otis Regrets (Ethel Waters); Misty (Ella Fitzgerald); Misty Blue (Etta James)
Moon River (Lisa Hannigan); Moonlight Serenade (Ella Fitzgerald); Mr. Blue Sky (Electric Light Orchestra); The Music of the Night (Michael Crawford); My Chauffeur (Precious Bryant); My Funny Valentine (Ella Fitzgerald); My Guy (Mary Wells); My Heavy Load (Big Mama Thornton); My Kind of Love (Emeli Sandé); My Lagan Love (Lisa Hannigan & The Chieftains); My Skin (Natalie Merchant)
N
Ne Me Quitte Pas (Nina Simone); Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl (Bessie Smith); A Night in Tunisia (Ella Fitzgerald); No Rain (Blind Melon); Nobody (Johnny Cash); Nobody’s Fault But Mine (Abigail Washburn)
O
Oh No! (Marina); On the Sunny Side of the Street (Ella Fitzgerald); One Foot in Front of the Other (Emilie Autumn); One Way or Another (Blondie); One Year of Love (Queen)
The Only Living Boy in New York (Simon & Garfunkel); Only the Lonely (Roy Orbison); Only Time (Enya); Only Yesterday (Carpenters); Only You (The Platters); Ophelia (Natalie Merchant); Other (Alison Moyet); Over the Rainbow (Judy Garland, also recommend Israel Kamakawiwo’ole)
P
Papaoutai (Stromae); Parachute (Ingrid Michaelson); People Are Strange (The Doors); Personality (Lloyd Price); Please Don’t Go (Barcelona); Primadonna Girl (Marina); Pure Shores (All Saints); Put Your Records On (Corinne Bailey Rae)
Q
Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Queen Latifah); Quizás, Quizás, Quizás (Andrea Bocelli & Jennifer Lopez)
R
Radio Ga Ga (Queen); Ready for the Times to Get Better (Doc Watson); Reassuring Pinches (Alison Moyet); Rebel Rouser (Duane Eddy); Red Red Wine (UB40); Respect (Aretha Franklin); Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac)
The River in the Pines (Joan Baez); Rock Me Baby (Big Mama Thornton); Rootless (Marina); Round Midnight (Ella Fitzgerald); Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush)
S
Sandcastles (Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts); Sea of Love (Cat Power); Seamstress (Dessa); Self Control (Laura Branigan); The Sensual World (Kate Bush); Seven Devils (Florence and the Machine)
The Shadow of Your Smile (Blossom Dearie); Shake It Out (Florence and the Machine); Shake Sugaree (Brenda Evans & Elizabeth Cotten); Shampain (Marina); Sh-Boom (The Crew Cuts); She Works Hard for the Money (Donna Summer); She’s a Mystery to Me (Roy Orbison)
Shine On, Harvest Moon (Ruth Etting); Shout (The Isley Brothers); The Show Must Go On (Queen); Silver Threads and Golden Needles (Skeeter Davis); Smile (Nat King Cole); Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Connee Boswell)
Solitaire (Carpenters); Solitaire (Marina); Somebody to Love (Jefferson Airplane); Someone to Watch Over Me (Blossom Dearie); Something’s Got a Hold on Me (Etta James); Son of a Preacher Man (Dusty Springfield); Sophisticated Lady (Sarah Vaughan); Soul Meets Body (Death Cab for Cutie); Soulful Dress (Sugar Pie DeSanto); Soundtrack to Life (Iyeoka)
Stand By Me (Ben E. King, also recommend Tracy Chapman, especially her Live on Letterman performance); Stars (Janis Ian); Stay Up Late (Talking Heads); Stoned Loved (The Supremes); Stormy Weather (Billie Holiday); A Stranger on Earth (Dinah Washington); Stronger Than Ever (Raleigh Ritchie)
Suavemente (Elvis Crespo); Such Great Heights (The Postal Service); Sum of Our Parts (Mary Lambert); The Summer Wind (Madeleine Peyroux); Summertime (Big Mama Thornton); A Sunday Kind of Love (Etta James); Sunset (Kate Bush); Sweet Happy Life (Peggy Lee)
T
Tainted Love (Gloria Jones); Take on Me (a-ha); A Taste of Honey (Sarah Vaughan, also recommend Barbara Streisand); Tenderly (Billie Holiday); Thank U (Alanis Morissette); That’s the Way the Good Thing Go (Precious Bryant); Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (Bettye Swann)
These Are the Days of Our Lives (Queen); These Boots Are Made for Walking (Loretta Lynn); They Can’t Take That Away From Me (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong); Thieves (The Beach); This Bitter Earth (Dinah Washington); This Is the Life (Amy Macdonald)
Ticking Bomb (Aloe Blacc); Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper); Time of the Season (The Zombies); Tomorrow Is My Turn (Rhiannon Giddens); Too Marvelous for Words (Frank Sinatra); Touch the Hand of Love (Blossom Dearie); Trouble and Woe (Ruth Moody); Trust in Me (Etta James); The Truth (Precious Bryant)
U
Unchained Melody (Righteous Brothers); Under Pressure (Queen ft. David Bowie); Under the Ivy (Kate Bush); Undertow (Lisa Hannigan); Unforgettable (Dinah Washington)
Uninvited (Alanis Morissette); The Universe Is Laughing (The Guggenheim Grotto); Until You Come Back to Me (Aretha Franklin); Upside Down (Paloma Faith)
V
The Very Thought of You (Natalie Cole); La Vie en Rose (Edith Piaf, also recommend Rhiannon Giddens)
W
Walk On Boy (Doc Watson); Walk Right In (The Rooftop Singers); Walkin’ After Midnight (Patsy Cline); The Water (Johnny Flynn & Laura Marling, especially the performance filmed in a garden and posted to YouTube); Waterfalls (TLC); Waterloo (Abba); Waves (Norma Tanega); The Way We Were (Perry Como)
What a Difference a Day Makes (Dinah Washington); What a Feeling (Irene Cara); What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong); What Have They Done to My Song Ma (Melanie Safka); What I’m Looking For (Brendan Benson); What’ll I Do (Lisa Hannigan); White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane); Who By Fire (Leonard Cohen)
Wicked Game (Chris Isaak, also recommend Heather Nova); Wild Is the Wind (Nina Simone); The Wild Mountain Thyme (Joan Baez); Windmills of Your Mind (Alison Moyet); Wisdom (The Guggenheim Grotto); Wonder (Natalie Merchant); Wonderful (Lianne La Havas)
X, Y, Z
You Belong to Me (Patsy Cline); You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon); You Can’t Hurry Love (The Supremes); You Don’t Know What Love Is (Billie Holiday); You Don’t Own Me (Lesley Gore)
You Got It (Roy Orbison); You Gotta Be (Des’ree); You Keep Me Hanging On (Kim Wilde); You Make Loving Fun (Fleetwood Mac); You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) (Dead or Alive)
Your Heart Is as Black as Night (Melody Gardot); You’re My Best Friend (Queen); You’re So True (Joseph Arthur); You’ve Got a Friend (Carole King); You’ve Got a Friend in Me (Randy Newman)
#
8 Good Reasons (Sinead O’Connor); 9 to 5 (Dolly Parton)
Bright Across the Lifespan 