Time Out’s 1,000 Songs To Change Your Life
by

An engrossing mix of academia and trivia

Despite what the title may suggest, and the fact it’s been put together by London’s leading listings magazine, this is not a book of lists. Rather, it’s a series of opinionated, contentious and thoroughly readable essays on popular music, each taking its heading from a well-known album and exploring a loose theme.

Thus, Born To Run discusses songs on the subject of escape, There’s A Riot Goin’ On deals in protest and Countdown To Ecstasy examines the influence (and parallels) of both drugs and religion on writers and musicians. Respected journalists such as Nick Coleman and Stephen Trousse take flight with all manner of theories, few more enjoyable than David Cavanagh’s study of humour in music, in which he claims Benny Hill’s Ernie and Jasper Carrott’s Funky Moped are prime examples of the influence of American culture on British song.

Using these essays as a starting point, the book is augmented by reprints of interviews from Time Out’s own 40-year archive, plus numerous sidebars where various musicians argue the case for their own favourite tunes. The title is also misleading because no fewer than 1,577 songs actually get a look-in, but you’ll be too busy wallowing in the sparkling debate and revealing insights to bother counting.

ISBN 9781846700828

Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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