1001 Songs Challenge #892: Feel Good Hit of the Summer (2000)

On 11 February 2019 I set myself the challenge of reading 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die by Robert Dimery (ed.) and following the book’s advice to the letter. I’ve previously read 1001 Films… and started 1001 Albums… but felt 1001 Songs… would be a sensible place to start for what I have in mind here.

My challenge is to read about one song per day and listen to it (YouTube and Spotify, I need you tonight!) before sharing my own thoughts. Some songs I will love, others I’ll hate, and I’m sure there will be those that leave me perplexed but listen to them I shall.

I’ll also try, and most likely fail, to pinpoint the best song from the 1001 on offer but I’m nothing if not foolhardy. Instead of one song, I’m predicting I’ll have about 100 favourites by the end and may have to resort to a Top 10 so far to maintain any semblance of sanity.

So long as I post every day (including Christmas) then this challenge should come to an end on Wednesday 8 November 2021. Staying with the Barney Stinson theme I am hoping that the whole experience will prove to be… legendary!

 

Queens of the Stone Age – Feel Good Hit of the Summer (2000)

 

 

We’re leaving Canada today, dear reader, and returning to the US and to California. Formed in 1996 Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) specialised in rock and at the outset of their career stoner rock. When we join them in 2000 it is with the release of their second album, R Rated, and from there 1001 Songs have lifted the track, Feel Good Hit of the Summer. 

The lyrics to Feel Good Hit of the Summer are rather limited and pretty much all of them refer to drugs. The drugs in question are nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy, alcohol and cocaine. The song is essentially a repeat of those drug names but avoided censorship as the track does not endorse them, nor does it describe anyone taking them. The song is partially tongue in cheek with the “hit” in the title have a dual meaning of both a music hit and a drug reference.  

Feel Good Hit of the Summer is driven by guitar, fast-paced and brief in length at less than three minutes. What began as a fun experiment soon became one of the group’s best known tracks and was well received by critics. Despite some disruption with their line up Queens of the Stone Age continue to perform and churn out critically pleasing albums.

 

Favourite songs so far:

The Animals – House of the Rising Sun (1964)

Simon & Garfunkel – The Sounds of Silence (1965)

The Beatles – A Day in the Life (1967)

The Doors – The End (1967)

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975)

Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell (1977)

Tracy Chapman – Fast Car (1988)

U2 – One (1991)

Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah (1994)

Radiohead – Paranoid Android (1997)