Worst Songs Ever 2

You didn't think there were only 21 did you? Notice, that I telegraphed that there were 40 in the total list (look at the cover closely). Yesterday was just the warm up, today is the finale. Now this pick will give you the full top 40 of the worst songs ever. Not sure why anyone would purposely try to listen to these more than once, but beauty is in the ear of the beholder they say (Or something like that). I really though I had posted these two a long time ago and someone brought up that I never followed through, so here it is. The thing that's funny is that several of these songs have been on client's Must Play list. Most were years ago, though. 

Worst Songs Ever 2

22 Des'ree - Life

23 Limp Bizkit - Nookie

24 Newsong - The Christmas Shoes

25 Sisqo - Thong Song

26 Hampton The Hampster - The Hampster Dance Song

27 Cheeky Girls - Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum) Radio Edit

28 Counting Crows Ft Vanessa Carlton - Big Yellow Taxi

29 Black Eyed Peas - My Humps

30 James Blunt - You're Beautiful

31 Nickelback - Rockstar

32 Artists For Haiti - We Are The World 25 For Haiti

33 Insane Clown Posse - Miracles

34 Justin Bieber & Ludacris - Baby

35 Cher Lloyd - Swagger Jagger

36 Rebecca Black - Friday

37 Double Take - Hot Problems

38 Alison Gold - Chinese Food

39 Play N Skillz featuring Redfoo, Lil Jon, Enertia McFly - Literally I Can't

40 Jake Paul - It's Everyday Bro

Worst Songs Ever 1

The following songs in this pick have been named by critics, broadcasters, composers, and 
listeners as the "worst ever". Examples of sources include VH1's 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever and Blender magazine's Run for Your Life! It's the 50 Worst Songs Ever!.  They are in release date order. From 1953 to 2017. Some of these songs were commercially successful, some highly catchy ear worms (see the Too Catchy series).  Most DJ's realize that the "Must Play" list and the "Do Not Play" list often overlaps. And yet at least a few of these songs will never make it to the must play list.

Worst Songs Ever 1

01 Harry Kari & His Six Saki Sippers - Yes Sir, That's My Baby

02 Napoleon XIV - !aaah-Ah, Yawa Em Ekat Ot Gnimoc Er'yeht

03 Beatles - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

04 Legendary Stardust Cowboy - Paralyzed

05 Richard Harris - Macarthur Park

06 Paul Anka with Odia Coates - (You're) Having My Baby

07 Paper Lace - Billy, Don't Be A Hero

08 Rick Dees - Disco Duck (Pt. 1)

09 Reginald Bosanquet - Dance With Me

10 The Tweets - Birdie Song

11 Paul McCartney with Stevie Wonder - Ebony and Ivory

12 Spandau Ballet - True

13 Black Lace - Agadoo

14 Phil Collins - Sussudio

15 Starship - We Built This City

16 Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy

17 Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby

18 4 Non Blondes - What's Up

19 Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart

20 Take That - Could It Be Magic

21 Mr. Blobby - Mr Blobby

World Domination 6

I've always built these the same way a good night out actually works — you don't open at full speed and you don't end there either. You find an entry point, let the room warm up, push it somewhere it didn't know it was going, then bring it back down so nobody feels mugged on the way out. This pick does exactly that, and if you listen straight through you'll feel it in your legs before you figure out what's happening. Fifteen tracks, half a dozen languages I can't speak, corners of the map I've never been to, and it all fits together like it was always supposed to. That's the whole point of this World Domination series. That has always been the whole point. One hundred and three tracks in and I'm still not done taking over.

World Domination 6

89 Waqal Studio - Dhaanto Cusub Dirgaax (Jigjiga Dhaanto Party)

90 King Sunny Ade - Ja Funmi (Mr West Remix)

91 Cornershop - Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook Remix)

92 Tiki Tokkers - Global Groove (Hana Hou)

93 Batuk featuring Lebon, Giovanni Kiyingi & Winnie - Forca Forca

94 Bajofondo Tango Club featuring Ryota Komatsu - Pa' Bailar

95 Shantel - Disko Partizani

96 Manu Dibango - New-Bell (Hard Pulsation)

97 Sergent Garcia - Acabar Mal

98 Sofi Tukker - Drinkee

99 DJ Arafat - Tapis Velo

100 Kinky - Oye Como Va (Extended Mix)

101 Coati Mundi - El Coco Loco (So So Bad)

102 Salome De Bahia - Outro Lugar (Club Mix)

103 Malcolm Mclaren - Soweto

World Domination 5

I’ve spent enough nights at SOB’s in NYC to know that "Sounds of Brazil" was always a convenient misnomer for a much wider, deeper kind of global friction. I’d sit there with those big bottles of Xingu black beer, bracing for the long taxi ride back and the inevitable late-night mess—usually involving me holding back some girl’s hair while she puked in my hotel bathroom. It was a gritty, high-fidelity education in how a relentless beat can occupy a space and the people in it. This latest pick for my ongoing quest for world domination is built on that same infectious, earth-shaking stomp. Just the kind of high-velocity rhythmic authority that doesn't need a translator to take over a room. Turn it up; the occupation has officially entered its next phase.

World Domination 5

75 Dengue Dengue Dengue - Simiolo (Dazed Dog Remix)

76 Konk - Your Life (Party Mix)

77 Talking Heads - I Zimbra (12" Version)

78 Basement Jaxx - Samba Magic

79 MC Fioti with Future, J Balvin, Stefflon Don & Juan Magan - Bum Bum Tam Tam

80 Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa featuring Ami Faku - Abalele

81 Art Of Noise - Yebo! (Mbaqanga)

82 Nicola Cruz - Colibria

83 Tejun Trouble - Bayou Boogie!

84 Chancha Via Circuito featuring Mateo Kingman - Ilalу

85 Bnot Avraham - We Build Together

86 Balkan Beat Box - Hermetico

87 Mungo's Hi Fi featuring Pupajim - Bike Rider

88 Ah Puch & Di Conch Fritters - San Pedro All Day

Swing Swing Swing 3

I'm on a Swing kick aren't I? Three in a row! But they're all good. A couple of big band versions of newer songs, but the bulk are not. But this pick is a combination of traditional swing bands and some of the new vanguard of swing. Get the last two days writeups for more. I'm tired and going to bed. Sorry, no long blurb today. And it's the same cover as before.

Swing Swing Swing 3

42 Benny Goodman - King Porter Stomp

43 Pink Turtle - Walk On the Wild Side

44 Duke Ellington - It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

45 The Flying Neutrinos - Mr. Zoot Suit

46 Squirrel Nut Zippers - Put A Lid On It

47 The Jive Aces - Bring Me Sunshine

48 Indigo Swing - Swing Lover

49 Louis Prima - Jump, Jive, An' Wail

50 Count Basie & His Orchestra - Jumpin' at the Woodside

51 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Go Daddy-O

52 Vanguard Aces - Rocco's Joint

53 Erskine Hawkins - Tuxedo Junction

54 Big Joe Turner - Boogie Woogie Country Girl

55 Steve Lucky & Rhumba Bums - Jump Back

56 Robin McKelle - Abracadabra

57 Brian Setzer Orchestra - This Cat's On A Hot Tin Roof

58 Louis Jordan - Caldonia

59 Royal Crown Revue - Barflies At The Beach

60 Lionel Hampton - Hamp's Boogie Woogie

61 Nat King Cole And His Trio - Get Your Kicks On Route 66

62 Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Brown Derby Jump

63 Ella Fitzgerald - Undecided

64 Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys - Jumping From 6 To 6

Swing, Swing, Swing 2

Volume two of this pick and the floor is still jumping — same mix of golden era heavyweights and neo-swing acts that proved the whole thing never really went anywhere, it just went underground for a while. I've said it before but there is nothing quite like a good swing tune for reminding your feet what they're supposed to be doing even when the rest of you hasn't had enough coffee. This volume gets a little wilder than the first, leans a little harder into the revival side, and somewhere in the middle there is a brand new track that is either about clean eating and healthy living or absolutely is not, depending on who's asking. Stripping away any pretense, this is just more of what the first one was — music built for a room full of people who want to move and aren't overthinking it. And I know, Happy St Patrick's Day. At least the cover is green...

Swing, Swing, Swing 2

19 Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Zoot Suit Riot

20 Benny Goodman - Stompin' At The Savoy

21 Count Basie - One O'Clock Jump

22 Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - Oo Poppa Do

23 Lionel Hampton - Flying Home

24 Atomic Fireballs - Spanish Fly

25 The New Morty Show - In The Groove

26 Tommy Dorsey - Opus One

27 Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra - Bill's Bounce

28 Gene Krupa - Bugle Call Rag

29 Duke Ellington - Cotton Tail

30 Anita Hardcok - I Need a Stiff Cocktail Tonight

31 Royal Crown Revue - Hey Pachuco!

32 Maha Mayhem - Whole Lotta Wellness

33 Artie Shaw - Frenesi

34 Harry James - Ciribiribin

35 Crescent City Maulers - Jump, Jive, an' Wail

36 Jimmie Lunceford And His Orchestra - Rhythm Is Our Business

37 Glenn Miller - Chattanooga Choo Choo

38 Cab Calloway - Minnie the Moocher

39 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Mr. Pinstripe Suit

40 Johnny Favourite Swing Orchestra - We Still Talk the Way Lovers Do

41 Woody Herman - Woodchopper's Ball

Swing Swing Swing

This pick starts with the big band era and doesn't apologize for a second — Goodman, Ellington, Basie, Miller, Sinatra, Prima, all the usual suspects doing what they did better than anyone has since, and then it opens up into some of the deeper cuts that don't get enough daylight. I've been an amateur ballroom dancer for years, emphasis on amateur, and there is nothing quite like a good swing tune for reminding your feet what they're supposed to be doing even when your brain disagrees. The playlist runs from the classic radio names through some of the neo-swing revival acts that proved the whole thing still had a pulse, and stripping away the nostalgia for a second, this music just moves — it's built for a room full of people who want to have a good time and aren't overthinking it.

Swing Swing Swing

01 Les Brown - Leap Frog

02 Benny Goodman - Sing, Sing, Sing (with a Swing)

03 Glenn Miller Orchestra - In The Mood

04 Duke Ellington - Take The A Train

05 Dean Martin - Who's Got The Action

06 Andrews Sisters - Bei Mir Bist Du Schon (Means Your Grand)

07 Dinah Washington - Christopher Columbus

08 Count Basie Band - Shiny Stockings

09 Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)

10 Dean Martin - Who Was That Lady

11 Louis Jordan - Is You Is, Or Is You Ain't (Ma Baby)

12 Louis Prima - Just A Gigolo-Ain't Got Nobody

13 Joe Liggins - The Honeydripper

14 Blue Plate Special - Night Out

15 Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - Blue Skies

16 Dem Brooklyn Bums - Baseball Bat Boogie

17 Fly-Rite Boys - Rosetta

18 Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums - Jumptown

Stripping

Yesterday and the day before were two volumes that were more about what was actually played at the strip club I worked at — this one is a different animal. This pick is more of a stripping playlist for home, the kind of tracks that have that slow-burn, take-it-off energy whether or not they ever saw the inside of a club, though a few of them did make it onto the rotation. The mix goes places you might not expect, from classic soul to new wave to pure 90s R&B, and it holds together better than it has any right to. I still have a soft spot for that whole world, even if I don't get out to those places much anymore — it was a job that taught you not to judge, and most of the people in it were a lot more interesting than you'd expect.

Stripping

01 Joe Cocker - You Can Leave Your Hat On

02 Adina Howard - Freak Like Me

03 2Pac featuring K-Ci & Jojo - How Do U Want It

04 George Michael - I Want Your Sex (Parts 1 And 2)

05 Samantha Fox - Touch Me (I Want Your Body)

06 Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

07 Bell Biv Devoe - Poison

08 Michael Buble - Feeling Good

09 Waze & Odyssey vs R. Kelly - Bump & Grind (2014 Radio edit)

10 Shandi - He's a Dream

11 Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

12 Frank Ocean - Thinkin Bout You

13 Sir Mix-A-Lot - Put 'Em On the Glass

14 R. Kelly - Bump And Grind

15 Silk - Freak Me

16 Ciara - Body Party

17 Ginuwine - Pony

18 Beyonce - Fever

19 Billy Idol - Cradle of Love

20 Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop

Stripper Songs 2

First, it's Pi day, so I have to acknowledge that — Happy Pi Day! And then this second volume of what I was spinning during my time as a strip club DJ and MC, and this one gets a little more eclectic — rock, R&B, pop, and a couple of genuine deep cuts that somehow all made sense at 11pm on a Saturday. This pick reflects how wide the range actually was; the girls picked their own songs and you learned a lot about a person from what they chose to perform to. The job had its own ecosystem — you got tipped by the dancers, you got to know people, and like any workplace there were the hardworking ones, the ones putting themselves through school, the drama queens, and everyone in between. Tomorrow I'll post the one that's a little more... personal.

Stripper Songs 2

20 Lil Wayne and T-Pain - Got Money

21 Gary Clark Jr - Bright Lights

22 Whitesnake - Here I Go Again

23 Alannah Myles - Black Velvet

24 Poison - Unskinny Bop

25 Rob Zombie - Living Dead Girl

26 Destiny's Child - Bootylicious

27 Usher - Yeah (Pop Edit)

28 Britney Spears - I'm a Slave 4 U

29 Kelis - Milkshake

30 Muse - Supermassive Black Hole

31 Van Halen - Hot For Teacher

32 50 Cent with Olivia - Candyshop

33 Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl

34 Rihanna - Pour It Up

35 Theory Of A Dead Man - Bad Girlfriend

36 Snoop Dogg - Wet

37 Traci Lords - Control

38 Nickelback - Shakin' Hands

Stripper Songs 1

I spent a few years behind the decks at a strip club and it was one of the more interesting gigs I've ever had — hard work, loud, competitive, and honestly a lot of fun once you figured out the rhythm of the room. This pick leans into the harder, rock-heavy side of what the girls actually performed to, and the range runs from classic rock warhorses to early 2000s hip hop and a few genuinely dark choices that you might not expect. Some of those dancers had serious taste. Stripping to the right song is its own art form, and these were the ones that tended to make the room pay attention. I had this awhile and hadn't posted it here, but Butterboy on his amazing site posted some burlesque strip songs and it reminded me of my own.

Strippers 1

01 Lenny Kravitz - American Woman

02 Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me

03 Warrant - Cherry Pie

04 Nine Inch Nails - Closer

05 Buckcherry - Crazy Bitch

06 Christina Aguilera - Dirrty

07 Type O Negative - Black no. 1

08 Guns N' Roses - Paradise City

09 Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg - Buttons

10 Nelly - Hot In Herre

11 Kid Rock - So Hott

12 Busta Rhymes, The Pussycat Dolls - Don't Cha

13 Kix - Girl Money

14 David Guetta & Taio Cruz - Little Bad Girl

15 Flo Rida featuring T-Pain - Low

16 AC-DC - You Shook Me All Night Long

17 Motley Crue - Girls, Girls, Girls

18 Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People

19 My Darkest Days - Porn Star Dancing

World Domination 4

Another World Domination pick. The only rule has always been the same one — would it work on the dancefloor? This time I went looking at Western bands who heard African rhythms, Caribbean beats and Asian music and just couldn't help themselves. The result fits right alongside the previous World Domination picks. I have little idea what half of it means and I still don't care, as long as it moves your feet it's in. I still think this would make a great radio station (or maybe a club night). Tell me what you would add or leave off.

World Domination 4

61 Sonido Gallo Negro - Bocanegra

62 RDB with Snoop Dogg - Singh Is Kinng

63 Altin Gun - Goca Dunya

64 Achar On The Side - Desi At Heart (Tandoor 12 inch Drop Mix)

65 Shantel - Bucovina

66 Cheb Sabr - On Danse Quand Même (1996 Rai Version)

67 Mansa Agba Gamba Ase - Fox In The Henhouse (Save the Vote)

68 Tiki Tokkers - After Dark Aloha

69 Systema Solar - Yo Voy Ganao

70 KOKOKO! - Tokoliana

71 Acid Arab - Stil

72 Candido - Jingo (Original Shep Pettibone 12 inch Remix)

73 Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band - Deputy Of Love

74 Pigbag - Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag (Original 1982 12 inch Single Mix)

What's The Connection? Brothers 2

Not going to write mush, since it was just a few days ago when I did Brothers 1. This continues where I left off, so now you get more of the songs with Brother in the title. My brother is gone and maybe I should have waited until his birthday came around again, but I am impatient, so here is the next part. That's all you get until next year, though. And these aren't just leftovers, there are some killer tracks here!

What's The Connection? Brothers 2

19 The Winstons - Amen, Brother

20 Carole King - Brother, Brother

21 Louis Armstrong - Hello Brother

22 The Spinners - Brother To Brother

23 Herbie Hancock - Lil' Brother

24 Avicii - Hey Brother

25 The Solicitors - Music for the Brothers

26 Autry Inman - Ballad Of Two Brothers

27 Todd Rundgren - Soul Brother

28 Cymande - Brothers On The Slide

29 Ohio Players - Hard To Love Your Brother

30 The Andrews Sisters - Bounce Me Brothers With A Solid Four

31 Oh-Ok - Brother

32 Tabla Beat Science - Big Brother

34 Santana - Song for My Brother

34 The Fatback Band with Johnny King - Keep On Brother Keep On

35 The White Stripes - Baby Brother

36 Blessid Union Of Souls - Brother My Brother

37 REM - 7 Chinese Brothers

38 D.A.F. - Brothers (Gabi's Mix)

39 Kinks - Brother

Soca 4

More straight-from-the-islands energy to keep things moving. Soca’s that perfect mix of calypso’s storytelling soul + Trinidad’s unbeatable rhythm section + a splash of everything the Caribbean throws in — it’s born right there in the heart of the islands, and you can feel the sun, the jump-up crowds, and the pure joy in every beat. Soca is born to make you smile and sweat at the same time. Give the whole run a listen; you’ll feel why it’s still the soundtrack to good times. This pick captures that magic: big hooks, wine commands, road march drive, and grooves that make you move without thinking twice. 

Soca 4

52 Alison Hinds - Roll It Gal

53 Super Blue - Get Something and Wave

54 Lyrikal - Cloud 9

55 Marzville - Give It to Ya

56 Nadia Batson - Fattt

57 King Bubba - Calling in Sick

58 Krosfyah - Oil Pumping

59 Erphaan Alves - Intentions (Wine & Touch)

60 Island Strategy - Put Your Peppers On

61 Motto - Uber Everywhere

62 Shal Marshall - Splinters

63 Freezy - Split in De Middle

64 Fimba - Funky Business

65 Viking Ding Dong - Leave It Alone

66 Zoelah - Wine Up On Me

67 Speady - Hold Ya Bam Bam

68 United Sisters - Whoa Donkey

69 Linky First - Rock and Come In

70 Square One featuring Andy Armstrong - Turn It Around

71 Mac Fingal - Big Belly Man

What's The Connection? Brother Bands

Today is my late brother’s birthday, and this Connection is in his honor. I’ve brought together a bunch of bands that carry the name of the bond we shared—whether by blood or by spirit. Not that he would have loved all these bands (he wouldn't have) but to honor him, I didn't just hit shuffle. I meticulously aligned every track by key and tempo so the journey is seamless, flowing from one heartbeat to the next without a single jolt. Brotherhood is a frequency that never fades. We always loved each other even though we fought a lot until we grew up. This mix is my way of staying on that wavelength with him. Happy Birthday—this one is for you, Eric!

What's The Connection? Brother Bands

01 Jungle Brothers - Doin' Our Own Dang

02 Osborne Brothers - Rocky Top

03 Mills Brothers - Paper Doll

04 Allman Brothers Band - Ramblin' Man

05 Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23

06 The Bellamy Brothers - Let Your Love Flow

07 The Louvin Brothers - My Baby's Gone

08 Chemical Brothers - Hey Boy Hey Girl

09 Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing

10 Blues Brothers - Soul Man

11 Bollock Brothers - Harley David (Son Of A Bitch)

12 The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody

13 Doobie Brothers - Takin' It To The Streets

14 The Drool Brothers - Gals Side B

15 The Statler Brothers - Do You Know You Are My Sunshine

16 Everly Brothers - Wake Up Little Susie

17 Gatlin Brothers - Night And Day

18 Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today

19 The Soledad Brothers - Rock Me Slow

20 Twinkle Brothers - Mob Fury

21 Jonas Brothers - Sucker

22 The Walker Brothers - Make It Easy On Yourself

23 Delmore Brothers - Hillbilly Boogie

What's The Connection? Brothers 1

For some reason I was inspired to make this connection for my late brother whose birthday is tomorrow, but you get this playlist today. So many songs with brother in the title, it isn't even funny. Here's the first volume of this. I have a couple more hours to put together and I will, but after tomorrow, because I have something planned for tomorrow already. Youll have to wait and see. More on him tomorrow.

What's The Connection? Brothers 1

01 Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms

02 Neil Diamond - Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show

03 Manhattan Transfer - Four Brothers

04 Bing Crosby - Brother, Can You Spare A Dime_

05 Dean Martin - Hey, Brother, Pour the Wine

06 Isley Brothers - Brother, Brother

07 Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Brothers Cup

08 Queen - Soul Brother

09 Hot Chocolate - Brother Louie

10 Earth, Wind & Fire - Blood Brothers

11 The Cult - Brother Wolf, Sister Moon

12 War - Me and Baby Brother

13 The Fall - Oh! Brother

14 Hollies - He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother

15 David Bowie - The Bewley Brothers

16 Erasure - Brother And Sister

17 Phil Manzanera - Blood Brother

18 Jungle Brothers - Jungle Brother

Soca Pick 3

I love having these here now while it is cold at my house. More high-energy Caribbean vibes straight from the islands to warm you up. These tracks bring that irresistible soca energy: jump-up anthems, wine commands, road march grooves, and pure feel-good rhythms. This pick always sounds great at gigs and makes you want to move no matter where you are. Something about this music just hots you right, even if you don't know all the tracks. Give the whole list a spin — there's something here for every part of the party. And yeah, the cover sticks to the classic soca compilation tradition: beach, sun, and a little skin. No complaints here. More soca coming soon — stay tuned! If you've got favorite current soca recommendations, drop them below — always hunting for more to add to the rotation!

Soca Pick 3

30 Ah Puch & Di Conch Fritters - San Pedro All Day

31 Kes - Savannah Grass

32 Machel Montano - Fast Wine

33 Destra - Lucy

34 Olatunji - Ola

35 Kerwin Du Bois - No Apology

36 Patrice Roberts - A Little Wine

37 Voice - Cheers to Life

38 Benjai with H2O & Phlo - Phenomenal

39 Farmer Nappy - My House

40 Hypasounds - How She Like It

41 Skinny Fabulous - BTW (Behaving The Worst)

42 Ultimate Rejects - Full Extreme

43 Bunji Garlin - Big Bad Soca

44 Ricardo Drue - Vagabond

45 Problem Child - Under Vibes

46 Nailah Blackman - Baila Mami

47 Fadda Fox - Ducking

48 Burning Flames - Swing Engine

49 General Grant - Rev the Engine

50 Iwer George - Time to Wine

51 Mr. Killa - Run Wid It

World Domination 3

This is a continuation of my World Domination series. See the previous ones for a description if you need one. I'm sure you will hear what this pick is all about as you listen to any of them. Not any specific part of the world, but there is a theme going through this. They are all danceable tracks. I'm not exactly looking for authenticity as if I was an archivist of music from around the world. I'm not, but I can listen to the beat and see if it moves my feet. Pretty much most all of this does. That it moves around the world is just the side connection.

World Domination 3

45 Tigerstyle & Sarbjeet Kaur & Billa Bakshi - Ay-Ha!

46 Alpha Blondy - Cocody Rock

47 Alaap (Channi Singh) - Bhabiye Ni Bhabiye

48 Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata

49 Manu Dibango - Soul Makossa (Original long Version)

50 AJ Harris and the Pink Tacos - Brisket Beats (Smokehouse Sonidero Mix)

51 Baaba Maal - Wango Arti

52 Bally Sagoo - Noorie

53 Kes - Savannah Grass

54 Fela Kuti - Water No Get Enemy

55 Thievery Corporation - Warning Shots

56 Celia Cruz - La Vida Es Un Carnaval

57 Manu Chao - Clandestino

58 Frey & Walz - Learing Centers (Somali mix)

59 Tinariwen - Sastanàqqàm

60 The Bhundu Boys - Hatisi Tose

Uninterrupted Silent Sustained Reading 2 (Authors)

If the first session of USSR was about the act of reading, this one is about the names on the spine. I still remember those hours in school where we all had to be quiet and at least pretend to read while the teachers took a breather. I still try to knock out at least one book a week, though the reading glasses make it a chore these days. This run gets heavy fast, moving from the Americana of Kerouac and Whitman into a dark basement with Sylvia Plath followed by a double-shot of Hemingway. That Blue Clocks Green track is the real jolt—it’s got a happy synth-pop rhythm, but the lyrics are essentially a suicide note. This Pick is for the next time you feel like digging through the library instead of the crates.

Uninterrupted Silent Sustained Reading 2 (Authors)

24 The Rolling Stones - Victor Hugo

25 10,000 Maniacs - Hey Jack Kerouac

26 Billy Bragg & Wilco - Walt Whitman's Niece

27 Graham Parker - Just Like Hermann Hesse

28 The Smiths - Shakespeare's Sister

29 The Pogues - Lorca's Novena

30 The Mountain Goats - Lovecraft In Brooklyn

31 Lou Reed - Edgar Allan Poe

32 Modest Mouse - Bukowski

33 Ryan Adams - Sylvia Plath

34 Kenny Chesney - Hemingway's Whiskey

35 Blue Clocks Green - Hemingway (12 Version)

36 Serge Gainsbourg - Baudelaire

37 James Brown - Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf

38 Blood, Sweat & Tears - The Modern Adventure Of Plato

39 Life In Exile - Ayn Rand

40 Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers - Hey Kafka

41 Steve Hackett - Jane Austen's Door

42 Golden Earring - Orwell's Year

43 Elton John - Oscar Wilde Gets Out

Happy Holi!

Happy Holi! Here's a crazy pick that is a lot like the chaos of all that color flying around. Interestingly, the acronym for the rainbow is usually ROYGBIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet), but in my school the honors class had a club and they called it Vibgyor. Somehow, I was in it. I ended up getting kicked out for being disruptive and smart alecky, which is actually a lot like the disruptive nature of the holiday itself. This is a Connection of songs that are just as disruptive, with a whole rainbow of flavors ending in the most Holi way I could think of.

Happy Holi!

01 Rolling Stones - She's A Rainbow

02 Leslie Gore - Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows

03 Bob Marley & the Wailers - Rainbow Country

04 The Box Tops - Neon Rainbow

05 Alan Jackson - Chasin' That Neon Rainbow

06 The Marshall Tucker Band - Searchin' For A Rainbow

07 Donna Summer - I'm A Rainbow

08 Salsoul Orchestra - Salsoul Rainbow

09 Katy Perry - Double Rainbow

10 Ke$ha - Rainbow

11 Kacey Musgraves - Rainbow

12 Gwen Stefani - Rainbow Connection

13 Ramones - She Talks To Rainbows

14 The B-52's - She Brakes For Rainbows

15 Man - Rainbow Eyes

16 Lemon's Chair - Vibgyor

17 Jimmy Fallon - Reading Rainbow

18 Israel IZ Kamakawiwo'ole - Over The Rainbow

19 A.R. Rahman - Rang De Basanti

What's The Connection? I Want To 1

This connection is sort of part of a series of Want connections. I Want To tell you more, but I think you will figure it out.  There are more of these songs to make another volume, but I am waiting for a short while. On my backstage area, I call this Want I To to keep it alphabetically in some order that makes sense for me. The cover of this one is similar to the other ones.

What's The Connection? I Want To 1

01 UB40 - All I Want To Do

02 Soft Boys - (I Want To Be An) Anglepoise Lamp

03 Johnny Cash - I Want To Go Home

04 Magazine - I Want To Burn Again

05 Elvis Costello - I Want To Vanish

06 Bill Withers - I Want To Spend The Night

07 Queen - I Want To Break Free

08 Eartha Kitt - I Want To Be Evil

09 Nina Hagen & Leipzig Big Band - I Want To Be Happy

10 Nazareth - I Want To (Do Everything)

11 Pet Shop Boys - I Want To Wake Up

12 Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is

13 Talking Heads - I Want To Live

14 Ultravox! - I Want To Be A Machine

15 Ohio Players - I Want To Be Free

16 John Denver - I Want To Live

17 Steve Miller Band - I Want To Make The World Turn Around

18 Toyah - I Want To Be Free

19 Eight To The Bar - I Want To Rock

What's The Connection? Talk 1

I was digging through some folders and kept tripping over the same word. There isn't a real connection here, it’s just twenty tracks where people are either talking or telling someone else to shut up. It’s a dead-on connection for the speakers, even if it's really just all talk in the end. You get everything from the art-school side like Brian Eno and Cabaret Voltaire to the straight-up radio noise of Salt 'n' Pepa and Toby Keith. If you want to keep the conversation going, I’ve got Some Kind Of Talk posted over at the other link.

What's The Connection? Talk 1

01 Brian Eno - Dead Finks Don't Talk

02 Cabaret Voltaire - Ghost Talk

03 Cheap Trick - You're All Talk

04 Paul Revere & the Raiders - Too Much Talk

05 Chocolate Watch Band - Let's Talk About Girls 

06 Tubes - Talk To Ya Later

07 Pretenders - Talk Of The Town

08 Earth, Wind & Fire - Let Me Talk

09 English Beat - Pato And Roger A Go Talk

10 Chris And Cosey - Talk To Me

11 Olivia Newton-John - Talk To Me

12 Gary Myrick And The Figures - She Talks In Stereo

13 Chris Isaak - Talk To Me

14 REM - Talk About The Passion

15 Prince - Ronnie, Talk to Russia

16 Salt 'n' Pepa - Let's Talk About Sex

17 Toby Keith - A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action

18 Alisha - Baby Talk

19 Beach Boys - Talk To Me

20 Rihanna featuring Jay-Z - Talk That Talk

What's The Connection? Trouble Double

Here's another fun connection in the series: From classic blues heartache to dubstep drops and bubble-popping chaos, Every track here doubles down on 'Double Trouble' (or bubbles it up). Trouble comes in pairs... and ends with a burst! Funny how many songs with the same or nearly the same title are completely different. I added the Bubble variations at the end just for fun. I put Team Rocket on the cover since they are the epitome of Double Trouble in the Pokemon universe. Grab the playlist, crank it up, and let the double dose of trouble roll.

What's The Connection? Trouble Double

01 Big Bill Broonzy - Double Trouble

02 Otis Rush - Double Trouble

03 Elvis Presley - Double Trouble

04 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Double Trouble

05 Travis Tritt - Double Trouble

06 Cars - Double Trouble

07 Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Double Trouble

08 Public Image Limited - Double Trouble

09 Half Japanese - Double Trouble

10 Fourplay - Double Trouble

11 Sly & Robbie - Double Trouble

12 Mad Lion - Double Trouble

13 The Roots - Double Trouble

14 Diva - Double Trouble

15 Cluster Buster - 12 Gauge Double Trouble

16 Team Rocket - Double Trouble

17 Will Ferrell & My Marianne - Double Trouble

18 Book Of Love - Trouble In A Bubble

19 M.I.A. - Double Bubble Trouble

20 Cookie Monsta - Bubble Trouble