Musicologist

Greetings ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. As I have written no fewer than five publications on popular music, I feel suitably qualified to offload some further musings on music. As someone who rarely swims with the tide of popular opinion, I see it as my role to highlight artists and tracks that haven’t yet received the recognition that they almost certainly deserve. This is something that this non-musician can painfullyrelate to! Anyhow, without further ado, let me entertain you with some bits and pieces, and do feel free to constructively criticise or make recommendations of your own.
My undying love to you all;                                             
Gary Watton; author of the following quirky popular music reference books:

The Song For Today by ‘Jimmie Oliver’   
An Essential Guide To Music In The 1970s by ‘Johnny Zero’    
A Concise Guide To Eighties’ Music by ‘Karl Vorderman’       
A Pop Revolution by ‘the invisible man’            
You Are A Tube! compiled by ‘Steven Fried PLC’

CLASSIC INSTRUMENTALS:
The 1950s:
Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White – Perez Prado*
Moulin Rouge – Mantovani*
Poor People Of Paris – Winifred Atwell*
Red River Rock – Johnny and the Hurricanes
Peter Gunn – Duane Eddy
Roulette – Russ Conway* [or Side Saddle – Russ Conway*]
The 1960s:
Theme From A Summer Place – Percy Faith
Kon Tiki – the Shadows* [ or Dance On – the Shadows* or Apache - the Shadows*]
Nut Rocker – B Bumble and the Stingers*
On The Rebound – Floyd Cramer*
Stranger On The Shore – Acker Bilk
Green Onions – Booker T and the MGs
Diamonds – Jet Harris and Tony Meehan*
Spanish Flea – Herb Alpert
Captain Soul – the Byrds
Let’s Go Away For A While – the Beach Boys [or Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys]
Beck’s Bolero – the Jeff Beck Group
Flying – the Beatles
Pow R Toc H – Pink Floyd
Classical Gas – Mason Williams
Jill’s America – Ennio Morricone
Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake – the Small Faces
Albatross – Fleetwood Mac*
Black Mountain Side – Led Zeppelin [or Moby Dick – Led Zeppelin]
Dollar In The Teeth – the Upsetters [or Return Of Django – the Upsetters]
Liquidator – Harry J. All Stars
The 1970s:
Elizabethan Reggae – Boris Gardner
Samba Pa Ti – Santana
Hot Butter – Popcorn
Amazing Grace – the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards*
Eye Level – the Simon Park Orchestra*
Obscured By Clouds – Pink Floyd [or Mudmen – Pink Floyd or When You're In - Pink Floyd]
Also Sprach Zarathustra – Deodato
The Entertainer – Marvin Hamlisch
Chase Side Shoot Up – Brian Bennett
Pick Up The Pieces – the Average White Band
The Shuffle – Van McCoy [or The Hustle – Van McCoy]
AP Special – Augustus Pablo
Arrival – Abba
Fanfare For The Common Man – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Listen – the Clash
Space – Magic Fly
Song For Guy – Elton John [or Funeral For A Friend – Elton John]
Cavatina – the Shadows
Swan Lake – Madness
The 1980s:
Space Invaders – the Pretenders
Adella – UB40 [or Signing Off – UB40 or Neon Haze – UB40 or Reefer Madness - UB40]
Another Journey By Train – the Cure [or Descent – the Cure]
Mantovani – the Swinging Cats
The Teams That Meet In Caffs – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Time Is Tight – the Clash
Europa – Blondie
Holiday Fortnight – the Specials
Chi Mai – Ennio Morricone
Droned – Phil Collins
Go For It – Stiff Little Fingers
The Opium Eaters – Madness [or The Return Of The Los Palmas 7 - Madness]
Bonzo’s Montreux – Led Zeppelin
Chariots Of Fire – Vangelis
Exodus – Bad Manners [or King Ska Fa – Bad Manners]
Somebody Up There Likes You – Simple Minds
Close To The Edit – the Art Of Noise
4^th of July – U2
Love On A Real Train – Tangerine Dream
Elegia – New Order
Oscillate Wildly – the Smiths
The Wild Cats Of Kilkenny – the Pogues
Axel F – Harold Faltermeyer
Crockett’s Theme – Jan Hammer
The Sun In The Stream – Enya [or The Longships – Enya]
Zaar – Peter Gabriel [or Of These, Hope – Peter Gabriel]
The 1990s:
Endgame – REM [or New Orleans Instrumental No.1 – REM]
Inner Flight – Primal Scream
Shepherd Moons – Enya [or The Memory Of Trees – Enya]
Surfin USM – Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out – Bentley Rhythm Ace
Everloving – Moby [or Now I Let It Go – Moby or Porcelain – Moby]
The 21^st century:
Eple – Royksopp
Ghostwriter – RJD2
Give It Away – the Zero 7
In All The Wrong Places – Ulrich Schnauss
Monika’s Summer – Future Loop Foundation
Pacific Memories – Fenomenon
Slip Into Something More Comfortable – Kinobe
Sunset Glow – 808Funk
Yachts – Coco Steel & Lovebomb
Any Other Name – Thomas Newman
*denotes UK Number One hit singles.

THE 21ST CENTURY’S FINEST:
I confess to being a student of twentieth century popular music, but nevertheless, permit me to list what I consider to be among the best offerings of the 21st century. Step forward and take a bow:
Gabriella Cilmi – Sweet About Me
Cinematic Orchestra – Build A Home
Coldplay – Viva La Vida
Depeche Mode – Halo (The Goldfrapp mix)
DJ Shadow – Seven Days
Duffy – Warwick Avenue
Fun Lovin’ Crminals – Loco
Goldfrapp – Utopia
The Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby
Keane – Everybody’s Changing
Koop – Summer Sun
Manic Street Preachers – Your Love Alone (Is Not Enough)
Maroon 5 – This Love
Morcheeba – Antidote
Morrissey – The First Of The Gang To Die
Mylo – Need You Tonite
One Self – Unfamiliar Places
Nerina Pallot – Damascus
Poloroid – So Damn Beautiful (Chris Coco mix)
Radiohead – No Surprises
The Scissor Sisters – Laura
The Stereophonics – Have A Nice Day
Sebastian Tellier – La Ritournelle
Amy Winehouse – Valerie