There’s a lot of debate over what the perfect night with friends would be like. The venue, food and travel can differ, but there’s usually one constant – a fun soundtrack. Songs can really help to set the mood of a night in or out, but when outside, you can’t control what you’re listening to.
Fortunately, that’s not the case for a big girls’ night in. It’s possible to play any song of your choice at home, but which songs are the most popular, and why are they chosen so much? In the UK, a survey conducted by Ladbrokes Bingo revealed some surprising (and not so surprising) choices.
Tuned in
Some of the stats from the survey revealed that being able to control what music they can listen to was a major reason behind staying in instead of heading out to the nearest nightclub or bar. A considerably large 38% of respondents said staying in meant they could choose their own music.
Other reasons were given in the survey for wanting to have a night in. 18% stated that they could do karaoke from the comfort of their own living room, while 13% liked the idea of playing their favourite songs as loudly or quietly as they wanted to.
Back to the 80’s
The gaming firm also asked women about what songs they would like to play during a girls’ night in. The list of popular songs features a number of classics from the 1980’s, when many online bingo fans will have been in their teens or early 20’s, but some of them might not seem like ideal party tunes.
Perhaps the best party tune of the 1980’s was this one-hit wonder by Dead or Alive. Even though Pete Burns’ outfit failed to score any other hits, this is still a favorite among women (and men) who were growing up at the time.
Get your hairbrush out
One of the joys of a night in is being able to sing along to classics without having to worry about looking ridiculous in front of a big crowd. The list of songs from the survey has quite a few which are begging to be sung, no matter how badly!
Tina Turner’s rousing anthem is the ultimate “hairbrush” classic. Like many other songs mentioned during the survey, it’s practically an invitation to bellow at the top of your voice, especially when the night in is in full swing.
Winding down
Some of the songs such as Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me” and R.E.M.’s “Stand” are a little more downbeat, but no less fun. They’re good to help end a night in, and often leave everyone feeling nostalgic, which is what makes choosing the music yourself so fun.
Adele has snagged an Oscar nomination for her James Bond theme from “Skyfall” while the film was snubbed. No Bond song has ever won an Academy Award for best song, but that category was a disgrace for years.
While most kids ran around the park, scrapping elbows and playing Pirates, I sprawled out on my bed and copied the lyrics of my favorite Petula Clark song. My name is Melanie, and I am the oldest 25-year old that ever lived.
I was born with the heart of a 1960s hippie, twenty years too late. I blame my folks for this. My parents spent their youth as bell-bottomed teens with a penchant for the classics, particularly music birthed from Great Britain. In turn, they passed their “peace and love, man” ideals to yours truly. In middle school, I was the musically misplaced ‘oldies fanatic’ during ‘NSYNC mania. I hummed doo-wop songs before I even knew what ‘hip-hop’ was, and Justin Timberlake had nothing on a young Paul McCartney, bowl-cut and all. (To this day, I’m pretty sure I can belt out any Beatles tune if you ask nicely.)
What’s the point of this pretentious anecdote? To showcase the moment I nearly lost faith in contemporary music, upon stumbling across Justin Bieber’s “Baby” video on MTV. Once I had processed the mind-numbing chorus of: “Baby, baby, baby, oh // Like baby, baby, baby, no // Like baby, baby, baby, oh // I thought you’d always be mine, mine,” I could only sit on the sofa, absolutely dumbfounded. I felt as if I had just witnessed the decline of all human effort, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I was the only person in the world who would actively campaign to get his songwriter fired.
To my relief, Bieber soon went bye-bye and a new video emerged like a musical Godsend. A solo artist named Gary Clark, Jr. swooped in to restore my optimism in the modern music industry. For the next five minutes, I was in guitar-riff heaven; captivated by this musician who shredded his way into my heart with a classic Gibson ES335.
Brazenly referred to as the modern-day Jimi Hendrix, Gary Clark, Jr. is the Texas-based crooner making waves with his commanding “cool cat” persona and fuzzy guitar rhythms. Though he has gained some notoriety on the indie-blues rock scene, Gary Clark, Jr. is relatively under wraps. For someone who has harnessed old-school influences to produce a modern blues vibe, this is one artist truly deserving of global recognition.
Listen to his first single, “Bright Lights,” a song chronicling his journey of self-exploration in the unforgiven metropolis of NYC. What’s your take on this up-and-coming artist? Is Gary Clark, Jr. the reincarnation of old-school rock?
If only every relationship could end in an amicable music video.
Brooklyn-based couple Jonathan and Ivory are making viral headlines with their YouTube sensation song that chronicles their relationship’s demise in light of opposing views.
According to the song’s lyrics, Ivory takes an adamant stance against having children, in contrast to her pro-kid partner Jonathan who makes clear that he “wants to have babies.” After five years of dating, the couple have concluded their conflicting desires leave no other choice but the inevitable break-up.
The song delves further with its lyrics, assuring mutual friends that they “don’t have to choose” sides, “though it will be awkward, yes.” The ex-couple additionally requests invitations to friends’ parties, assuring they will still remain cordial: “No, don’t feel weird; we love all of you! After five whole years at each other’s sides, there’s just some things no relationship can survive.”
The YouTube video concludes with an eager Jonathan admitting he wants a couple of children, juxtaposed to a negating Ivory who simply shakes her head in disagreement.
What’s your take on this couple’s breakup rendition? Do you believe this civil break-up ballad ends on a musical note, or nonsensical approach?
The 28th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees were announced on October 4, 2012, offering a list of 15 groundbreaking artists who have circulated the music scene for a minimum of 25 years, as required for the ballot.
This unprecedented event was further marked by first-time fan voting, which allowed music lovers to vote on their preferred inductees. Though voting was concluded on December 5th, fans don’t have much longer to wait; the total nominations will be revealed sometime in mid-December, serving as a pre-holiday surprise for the musicians who made the selective cut. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on April 18, 2013 at Los Angeles’s notable Nokia Theatre.
In anticipation of the event, check the list below to revel in the revolutionary talents of the past quarter century:
From doo-wop to prog-rock to gangster rap, the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees fulfill a wide-range of experimental genres that have surpassed the last two decades; culminating in triumph as musical legends, regardless of the ultimate victor.
Broadway shows are the best; they are one of the highlights of New York City. If you happen to visit NYC, you must not miss out on a Broadway show. This is one thing that is usually on people’s wish list and it is an experience that is unforgettable. Forget musicals and theaters, Broadway shows are in a whole different category. They are enchanting and magical. They make you feel as if the performers are talking to you. If you happen to get really good seats, you will be amazed with the facial expressions and the level of details that go into making a Broadway show.
A Broadway show has such power that it can change your perception, and just one show will put you in such a state of mind that you will start enjoying it (even if you can’t stay still in a seat for more than an hour). Movies have a captivating effect, and to give you a comparison if a movie captivates you and keeps you on the edge of your seat, while a Broadway show will do the same thing with the twice the intensity.
A very popular Broadway play is ‘Wicked’. Surveys suggest it is the most successful Broadway musical in the U.S. The play has also won Grammy and Tony Awards. The backgrounds and the stages are all lifelike and they keep on moving and changing as the show goes on. The lighting and sound are of such perfection that you will feel as if you are living the musical and have entered another world. Wicked is all about friendship, true love, and living your dreams. It teaches a number of lessons and some of them are quite deep. For example, true love being more than something that is skin deep. The inner beauty of love and that people should fall in love with the spirit rather than physical beauty. These are just some of the issues Wicked takes on.
Wicked New York Tickets should be bought well in advance to make sure you get some good seats if you plan on watching it. A seat closet to the stage will offer the best experience.
Reading about the characters of the Broadway is a smart thing to do as it helps you to follow the story easily. Broadway will always be one of the sources of entertainment in NYC.
