The ideal soundtrack for welcoming the new year on the dancefloor
New Year's Eve is a time for musical consensus. If you're DJing or making a mixtape for a party, it's worth remembering that no one has come to be educated, or taken on a musical journey. Much as we may agree the world is a sadder place without him, now is not the time to pay tribute to the late Captain Beefheart by playing side three of Trout Mask Replica. With that in mind, I opened up suggestions for a New Year's Eve playlist to Twitter. These are 10 of the best:
Love's Theme Love Unlimited Orchestra
Recommended as a party failsafe by no less an authority than Ed Simons from the Chemical Brothers: the 1973 single by Barry White's backing musicians is lushly romantic, funky, popular and recognisable without being ubiquitous.
Got To Be Real Cheryl Lynn
Disco is perfect for New Year's Eve: danceable, camp, uplifting and with a slight undertow of melancholy. This isn't exactly obscure ? you probably know it even if you don't recognise the title ? but nor is it I Will Survive.
Happy New Year Abba
One of the few records that actually mentions the occasion in question. Play and see if anyone notices the impossible misery of the lyrics: "All the dreams we had are dead . . . we might as well lay down and die."
It Must Be Love Madness
A record only the utterly irredeemable don't like. Play it just after midnight, watch people hug and sing it at each other, and if anyone complains, don't invite them next year.
Wonderland Janelle Monae
You don't want to appear musically snobbish on NYE, but nor should it be an excuse to break out the Macarena. You want to look as if you have some connection to cool music: this track from the soul diva's universally lauded sci-fi concept album should fit the bill.
Bad Romance Lady Gaga
There are doubtless those who will disagree ? and indeed offer a list of alternative songs drawn from their regular diet of abstruse Krautrock, grime and experimental electronica ? but this seems as close as recent pop music has got to a sure thing, the Abba-like glory of its chorus somehow undimmed by X Factor omnipresence.
Chime Orbital
Useful because a) it's great b) has vaguely Big Ben-ish bells on it, but also because playing it marks the inexorable passing of time: watch ex-ravers of a certain age "have it large" before sheepishly heading home at 1am to relieve the babysitter.
Tonight the Streets are Ours Richard Hawley
Hawley is a marvellous songwriter, but his oeuvre ? sombre, heartfelt, lovelorn ? doesn't really lend itself to festive jollity. This is the glorious exception: dizzyingly uplifting, lovely sentiment.
We Can Work It Out Stevie Wonder
You can't really go wrong with a funky soul cover of a Beatles track: see also Fats Domino's implausibly great version of The White Album's Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey.
Don't Stop Me Now Queen
One of those records that everyone, including people who hate Queen, think is amazing when they're a bit pissed.
Dachau Blues Captain Beefheart
At risk of contradicting what I said earlier, it's worth noting that there will come a point when you want stragglers to sling their hook. Perhaps a judicious selection from the late Don Van Vliet's "difficult" 1969 masterpiece has a place on your playlist after all.
The full playlist is on Spotify
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/31/perfect-new-years-eve-playlist
Brittny Gastineau Ashley Tisdale Rachel Blanchard Sienna Guillory Tricia Vessey
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