Here are songs that either don’t make a lick of sense or give us the opportunity to reflect on what they are trying to say, even for a professional DJ.
1. The Perculator
2. The Happening – Diana Ross & the Supremes
3. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – Iron Butterfly
4. Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind? – the Lovin Spoonful
5. Mah-Na-Mah-Na – Piero Umiliani (or the Muppets)
6. The Thing – Phil Harris
7. Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
8. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2
9. Mmm Mmm Mmm – Crash Test Dummies
10. Mellow Yellow – Donovan
11. Hypnotized – Fleetwood Mac
12. For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield
13. Behind Closed Doors – Charlie Rich
14. Missing – Everything But The Girl
15. Hole In My Shoe – Traffic
16. Ball Of Confusion (Thats What The World Is Today) – Temptations
17. Question – Moody Blues
18. 25 Or 6 To 4 – Chicago
19. I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) – Meatloaf
20. Da Da Da – Trio
21. What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
22. The Dance – Garth Brooks
23. Land of Confusion – Genesis
24. Ode To Billy Joe – Bobbie Gentry
25. Journey To The Center Of The Mind – Amboy Dukes
26. Life Is A Rock But The Radio Rolled Me – Reunion
27. In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) – Zager & Evans
28. How Can I Be Sure – Young Rascals
29. MacArthur Park – Richard Harris
30. Is There Something I Should Know? – Duran Duran
31. Rock and Roll (Part 2) – Gary Glitter
32. De do do do, de da da da – the Police
33. What’s Up – 4 Non Blondes
34. What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? – R.E.M.
35. I Started A Joke – Bee Gees
36. What’s The Matter Here? – 10,000 Maniacs
37. Everyone’s Gone to the Moon – Jonathan King.
38. Say It Right – Nelly Furtado
39. Connected – Stereo MCs
40. Yes! We Have No Bananas – Ben Selvin
41. Little Willie – the Sweet
42. Don’t Know Much – Aaron Neville & Linda Ronstadt
43. Whiter Shade of Pale – Procol Harem
44. The Bomb! – The Bucketheads
45. Blah Blah Blah – Ke$ha featuring 3OH!3
46. Book Of Love – The Monotones
47. Synchronicity II – the Police
48. I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing – James Brown
49. Mairzy Doats – Merry Macs
50. Love Plus One – Haircut 100
A fun list. I think we can put In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Purple Haze, Mellow Yellow, Hole In My Shoe and Whiter Shade of Pale under the category of written under the influence of psychedelics.
Songs like; I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, For What It’s Worth, Ball Of Confusion, What’s Going On, What’s Up, What’s The Matter Here? and What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? are rare songs that delve below the surface with commercial success. I would be grateful if more songs utilized Pop Music as a vehicle for social, cultural and political awareness. What other Pop Hits have used Pop Music to further discussion and thought of their listeners?
Of course, many of the songs on this list are just goofy songs and others that have utilized letters of the alphabet to make a chorus work. I do have to say, I am a fan of Haircut 100 and will play “Love Plus One” every now and then in the right environment.
What other tunes have been Billboard Hits that make no sense that should be added to the list?