1001 Songs Challenge,  2010s,  Music

1001 Songs Challenge #1001: Dancing (2018)

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 Sunday 7 November 2021. Staying with the Barney Stinson theme I am hoping that the whole experience will prove to be… legendary!

 

Kylie Minogue – Dancing (2018)

Dancing (Kylie Minogue song) – Wikipedia

” Dancing” is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released on 19 January 2018 by Darenote and BMG, as the lead single from her fourteenth studio album (2018). Written by Minogue, Steve McEwan and Nathan Chapman, and produced by Sky Adams, “Dancing” was the singer’s first material with BMG and Liberator, after finishing her contract with British label Parlophone two years prior.

 

Lyrics (via Genius)

 

We did it, dear reader. We have reached Song #1001 and with it our musical journey comes to an end. For our final song we are leaving the US and heading down to Australia because there are worse places to have a celebratory party, right? It is a fourth appearance on our wonderful list from Kylie Minogue. The soap star turned pop star began back in the 1980s but here she is in 2018 and still going strong. Now onto her fourteenth album, Golden, 1001 Songs have listened for to an album for the last time and selected, Dancing

Dancing initially seems to be a straightforward narrative about not wanting to be stuck at home and instead to be out there dancing the night away to some truly great music. However, the song also seems to be a commentary on mortality. Not only does Kylie want to keep dancing, she wants to do so until the very end, until the final church bells have tolled and she is no longer with us. Her desire is to be able to look back at the end and to be grateful for her life and to have had no regrets. 

Dancing seems an apt way to round off our 1001 Songs list. Our journey may be over just as Kylie Minogue’s will be one day but the music always lives on and millions of us will continue to dance to it as long as our ageing bodies will allow. Critically acclaimed upon release, both Dancing and Golden did moderately well commercially but proved that Minogue’s musical path is not yet over, her longevity remaining undiminished. While Kylie goes on dancing, my own musical odyssey ends here. Thank you for listening, dear reader. It has been a great pleasure to share this journey with you.

 

My Final Top 10 Songs

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)

Radiohead – Paranoid Android (1997)

Snow Patrol – Run

My name is Dave and I live in Yorkshire in the north of England and have been here all my life. I hope you enjoy your visit to All is Ephemeral.

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