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Tribute bands are ten a penny, but parody bands, where the songs are imitative but original, are rarer and none reached the brilliance of Neils Innes' Beatles parody, the Rutles. So good in fact that the Beatles themselves loved them (Beatle George Harrison funded the documentary) and the songs are now widely recognised on their own merits. Let's be natural.

New Order were formed after the death of Ian Curtis ended the career of Joy Division. At first they struggled. They seemed to, er, quite like dance music and the first album was over-produced. But when 'Temptation' was released you knew something was afoot. Brilliant drumming, years ahead of its time and worth waiting for the lines towards the end: 'oh you've got green eyes, oh you've got blue eyes, oh you've got grey eyes'. Yes, a love song. 

More famous songs were to come, but any better than this?

Can were part of the German Krautrock (a crass label from UK journalists that stuck) or Kosmische Musik (Cosmic Music) genre of which Kraftwerk are the best known, though it was about more than electronic music as Can demonstrate with their mix of styles and experiment.

If at first it is not your thing, stick with it because it will get you. Hard to believe that it is over 50 years old.

Petula Clark was a child star in the Second World War, first as entertainer and then actress, continuing to do both until, in the 1960s, she hit her stride with a series of bangers like this one which gave her international fame. Now 92, she still performs.

Take the "A' Train was composed in 1939, after Ellington offered composer Billy Strayhorn a job and gave him money to travel from Pittsburgh to New York. Ellington wrote directions for Strayhorn to get to his house by subway. The directions began with the words "Take the A Train", referring to the then new A subway service in New York City.

Happy 2025 Bulletinies

Model railway obsessive Rod Stewart has gone through many guises in his career from the blues to that dodgy disco phase to the inevitable music royalty status of today.

But when he was good, he was very good.

Chill time.

O Sapientia (O Wisdom) is one of the seven Great Advent Antiphons sung in Christian churches dating back to the sixth century. In fact we are a little early as O Sapientia, the first of the seven, is usually sung on 17th December.

You know how it is, everything you do and see and hear puts a song in your head. Or maybe it's just a few of us. Maybe it needs a name. Maybe it already has one. Anyway, your Song of the Week Editor does a lot of running.

Keep on running Tami.

The Mills Brothers were four brothers from Piqua, Ohio who were hugely successful in the pre and post Second World War years. They were also the first black artists to have their own show on national network radio in the USA.

This song (they performed the original) has their distinctive crooner vocals and then their trademark guitar sound and vocal harmonies as it speeds up. And eternal lyrics. Enjoy.

One of the last things Buddy recorded with just him and his guitar, Peggy Sue Got Married and its predecessor Peggy Sue were written about Peggy Sue Gerron who Holly had known for many years and who had married his band's drummer Jerry Allison. The marriage was unhappy and this song, so wistful yet written by a 22 year old Holly, was about that marriage.