December playlist

Here it is at long last - the playlist that literally no one has been waiting for. It's good though, honest!

Summer here, kids! (Spotify playlist #13)

The Nineties Alternative (Spotify playlist #12)

Here we go again then. These playlists usually comprise of 32 songs but I couldn't get this one down to under 50 for the life of me. Too much fun!

Swedish Indie / Pop 4 (Spotify playlist #11)

Hello again, hepcats. How are we all today? Well, I hope. I'm fine too - well, apart from the obvious, but you know me, I don't like to go on about it. Although I'm a martyr to it, I really am. Anyway, never mind all that, let's get down to business, shall we?

Not only has it been aeons since I last posted here regularly, it's also been absolutely ages since I last put together a Spotify playlist - and even longer since my last Swedish one, but I'm glad to say I finally pulled my finger out in this regard and compiled the one spelt out below. Please do give it a listen if you have the time or the inclination, and if you like what you hear it would be great if you could subscribe. Actually, even if you hate it, subscribe anyway! I need the numbers!

The Christmas Alternative (Spotify Playlist #10)

Chriiiistmas time, mistletoe and wiii- not on my watch! Have a good one!

UK Top 40 Singles 5th January 1980 (Spotify playlist #9)

This week's playlist sees us travelling all the way back to the first chart of the 1980s - or, if you're being finicky, the final chart of the 1970s; it's for the week ending 5th January 1980 anyway, so would actually have first appeared on 29th December 1979. Hang on, I'll start again...

This week's playlist sees us travelling all the way back to the final chart of the 1970s. And what a week it was! But don't just take my word for it - cop a load of these.

(as ever, click on the link below to listen)

40 The Nolans - I'm In The Mood For Dancing
39 Booker T & The MG's - Green Onions
38 Diana Ross - It's My House
36 Boney M - I'm Born Again
35 Lena Martell - One Day At A Time
34 M - Moonlight And Muzak
33 Sheila & B. Devotion - Spacer
32 Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love
31 Dr Hook - When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman
30 Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rappin'
29 The Clash - London Calling
26 E.L.O. - Last Train To London (Double A-side with 'Confusion')
25 Matchbox - Rockabilly Rebel
24 Billy Preston & Syreeta - With You I'm Born Again
23 Skids - Working For The Yankee Dollar
22 Madness - One Step Beyond
21 Chic - My Feet Keep Dancing
20 KC & The Sunshine Band - Please Don't Go
19 Moody Blues - Nights In White Satin
18 Status Quo - Living On An Island
17 The Beat - Tears Of A Clown (Double A-side with 'Ranking Full Stop')
16 Blondie - Union City Blue
15 Rose Royce - Is It Love You're After
14 Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand - No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)
13 Elvis Presley - It Won't Seem Like Christmas (Without You)
12 David Bowie - John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)
11 Michael Jackson - Off The Wall
10 The Three Degrees - My Simple Heart
9 Gibson Brothers - Que Sera Mi Vida
8 The Police - Walking On The Moon
7 Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight
5 The Pretenders - Brass In Pocket
4 The Tourists - I Only Wanna Be With You
2 ABBA - I Have A Dream

Listen here



The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that there are a handful of numbers missing from the list (including the number 1); this is entirely down to their lack of availability on Spotify, rather than any unilateral pruning on my part.

But, to fill in the blanks, below are archive performances of the missing songs. As with some of the tracks on the actual playlist, you might not thank me for them, but here they are all the same!

37 The Ramblers - The Sparrow



28 The Greedies - A Merry Jingle



27 Mike Oldfield - Blue Peter



6 Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmas Time



3 Fiddler's Dram - Day Trip To Bangor



1 Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall



That's all for now, but don't forget to join Tommy Vance same time, same place next week. (That's except for viewers in 2011.)

Scotify! (Spotify playlist #8)

Inspired by STV's recent Scotland's Greatest Album series (you can read the final results from the viewers' vote here), I've decided to cobble together my own list of favourites by artists from north of the border (Spotify availability permitting). Unlike the TV version, however, there'll be nae Rod Stewart or AC/DC here. But I have served up lashings of cheese.

(With apologies to Hipsway, Capercaillie, Mull Historical Society, The Skids, Ballboy, Malcolm Middleton, Idlewild, Edwyn Collins, Bronski Beat, Texas, Wet Wet Wet (yeah, I know) and a shedload of other acts I could and probably should have included. (I'm sure they'll all be devastated.)

Swedish Indie/Pop 3 (Spotify Playlist #7)

They come around about as often as an M.P. when there's no election on, but I've finally managed to compile another Swedish Spotify playlist for your listening wos'name.

The Eighties Alternative II (Spotify playlist #6)

Well, my first 80s playlist seemed to go down reasonably well, so here's another; The Eighties Alternative II - or The Alternative Eighties Alternative, if you like. As ever, there are 32 songs in the list (honestly, I'm so inflexible) and it can be listened to simply by clicking on the link underneath the list of tracks. Subject to availability. Terms and conditions don't apply. Please listen irresponsibly.

1998 (Spotify playlist #5)

This latest foray into the world of Spotify playlisting takes me back to 1998 - the year I first logged onto the - at the time still relatively new-fangled - worldwide web. (I've barely logged off since, if I'm honest.)

Anyway, back then it would've taken about as long to download a single mp3 as it has for me to lovingly cobble this latest 32-song list together - i.e. quite a while really. But I hope you can spare an hour or two to give it a proper listen; the songs have been meticulously sequenced for your optimum listening pleasure (or something).

What do you reckon, have I missed something glaringly obvious? If so, let me know!

More Swedish Indie Pop (Spotify playlist #4)

It seems that there'd been a slight glitch with my previous Spotify playlists (I'd not enabled some "Social" function button) which meant that some people had been unable to access them; but I'm happy to report that this is all fixed now. Anyway, given that the original Swedish Indiepop playlist has been the most popular so far (four subscribers! Count 'em!) I've cobbled together a sequel of sorts. Or a second one, if you like. Hopefully this should scrub up fairly well also.

1991 (Spotify playlist #3)

With apologies to See See Rider, The Popguns, The Would Be's, Intastella, Curve, Bleach and Mega City Four - all of who would've made this list had the songs of theirs I was after been available - here's my playlist for the best bits of 1991; or at least the bits I liked the best. As ever, simply click on the Spotify link below to listen to the whole thing.

1 Easy Come Easy Go - Grant McLennan
2 Star Sign - Teenage Fanclub
3 Bed-In - Eugenius (Captain America)
4 Oh No Won't Do - Cud
5 Not Too Soon - Throwing Muses
6 Happy - Ned's Atomic Dustbin
7 Heaven Sent An Angel - Revolver
8 Vapour Trail - Ride
9 De-luxe - Lush
10 Suzanne - Moose
11 Mesmerise - Chapterhouse
12 Dreaming - The Lilac Time
13 Nothing Can Stop Us - Saint Etienne
14 It's Too Late - Quartz featuring Dina Carroll
15 Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack
16 Get The Message - Electronic
17 Beautiful Love - Julian Cope
18 Take 5 - Northside
19 Sheriff Fatman - Carter USM
20 One Way - The Levellers
21 Texarkana - R.E.M.
22 Chocolate Cake - Crowded House
23 The King Is Half-Undressed - Jellyfish
24 Sensitize - That Petrol Emotion
25 Dalliance - The Wedding Present
26 Unfamiliar - Ride
27 You Made Me Realise - Midway Still
28 Love Your Money - Daisy Chainsaw
29 Rave Down - Swervedriver
30 Monsters & Angels - Voice of the Beehive
31 Kinky Love - Pale Saints
32 Falling On A Bruise - Carter USM

Click to listen to 1991 Spotify playlist


What do you reckon, have I made any glaring errors? Let me know! I'm guessing there might be some Manic Street Preachers and My Bloody Valentine fans who won't be overimpressed with their omissions, for a start. (Although, in mitigation, I have at least included a version of a MBV song!)

The Eighties Alternative (Spotify playlist #2)

With apologies to Xanthi, who's unable to access these things in her part of the world (have you seen her blog, by the way? It's brilliant), I have another Spotify playlist for you. This time I've gone for indie & alternative stuff from the 1980s. As ever with these things, I was at the mercy of the Spotify library so there were plenty of songs and artists that I wasn't able to include (which can be a tad frustrating at times). Hopefully the final selection scrubs up fairly well, though.

Definitely made for these times (Spotify playlist #1)

I've just put together a Spotify playlist featuring 32 of my favourite Swedish pop songs from the past two decades. You're very welcome to have a listen if you've got the time, the inclination and, crucially, access to Spotify.