One Random Single a Day

Seeing as I’m always on the hunt for my new favorite songs, I thought I’d try out a little challenge I’ve seen floating around. Throughout 2017, I will attempt to listen to and write a short review on one random single a day. I will use Rate Your Music’s database – since it seems to be the most comprehensive and promising of some diverse stuff – and the single will mainly be generated using their randomizer option. Alternately, I may go outside this link to find a single to write about; I might use Spotify’s “Discover Weekly” option, for example.

A few rules I’ve given myself:

(1) I will only be listening to and reviewing the A-side of the single. If the single contains multiple edits/remixes of the same song, I will listen to the one that’s as close to the radio version as possible.
(2) Since my resources are limited, I will only cover the song if it is available to listen to online, be it through Spotify, YouTube, Vimeo, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, or the artist’s official website.
(3) I have to listen to it at least once, but will probably give it a few spins to try to catch stuff I may not have gotten the first time around.
(4) Most importantly, regardless whether or not I know anything about the artist, genre of music, or its home country or language, I have to listen to it and write what I think about it.

I expect this challenge to be eye-opening at best, hopefully with a few surprises thrown in along the way. If nothing else, will introduce me to a plethora of sounds that I probably wouldn’t have discovered otherwise!

TL;DR?

As with my Billboard Hot 100 challenge, I understand if there are readers out there who want to support my work but simply lack the time/energy to read through thousands of words. I understand – I do tend to write a lot. So, I’ve made a handy dandy Spotify playlist consisting of (almost) every song I have written about for the whole One Random Single challenge. The only songs it doesn’t contain are songs that I couldn’t find on Spotify, but were available online elsewhere. In any case, though, it’s still a nice, silly mix of an eclectic bunch of good – and not so good – sounds!

LET’S BEGIN…

Even though this challenge will technically begin on January 1, 2017, I wanted to ease myself into it by doing at least a few single reviews throughout December 2016.

• “Un éléphant sur mon balcon” (1970) – Roger Whittaker
• “Not Giving Up on Love” (2010) – Armin van Buuren vs Sophie Ellis-Bextor
• “Raw Cuts #3” (2008) – Motor City Drum Ensemble
• “Human” (2005) – Carpark North
• “American Life in the Summertime” (1994) – Francis Dunnery
• “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” (1979) – KISS
• “C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E” (1928) – Johnny Hamp’s Kentucky Serenaders
• “And I Was a Boy From School” (2013) – Tears For Fears
• “Vroeg of laat” (1983) – Toontje Lager
• “I Want to Break Free” (1984) – Queen

ONE RANDOM SINGLE A DAY 2017

January:

1. “Amy” (2015) – THE ORAL CIGARETTES
2. “The Jungle” (1972) – Black Heat
3. “16 no beat” (2013) – Tokyo Karankoron
4. “Frozen” (2007) – Within Temptation
5. “Mi viejo” (1969) – Piero
6. “Les valses de Vienne” (1989) – François Feldman
7. “Give It Away” (1991) – Red Hot Chili Peppers
8. “Don’t You Want to Be in a Cult” (2009) – Black Moth Super Rainbow
9. “Cipeld helyettem” (2008) – 30Y
10. “(Just Like) Starting Over” (1980) – John Lennon
11. “Frog” (1994) – Versus
12. “Mack the Knife” (1959) – Bobby Darin
13. “Everyday” (1994) – Phil Collins
14. “Rapper’s Delight” (1979) – The Sugarhill Gang
15. “Give Me the Good News” (1982) – Crocodile Harris
16. “Nun yes tú” (1989) – Los Berrones
17. “Shishuuki” (1977) – Hiromi Iwasaki
18. “Hoo Hoo Hoo” (2013) – NC.A
19. “Riding on a Storm” (1999) – Timo Maas
20. “Satellite” (1987) – The Hooters
21. “Enjoy the Silence” (1990) – Depeche Mode
22. “Waiting” (1997) – The Devlins
23. “Are You Sure” (1961) – The Allisons
24. “Paraffin” (1995) – Ruby
25. “You Can’t Do Me” (2009) – Madeleine Peyroux
26. “Run to You” (1997) – Joi Cardwell
27. “Born This Way” (2011) – Lady Gaga
28. “Perfect (Exceeder)” (2007) – Mason vs. Princess Superstar
29. “Jungle Love” (1977) – Steve Miller Band
30. “Expo 2000” (1999) – Kraftwerk
31. “Glory Days” (1991) – Lindberg

February:

1. “I Need You to Survive” (2009) – Marianna Cataldi
2. “Mon cœur qui craque” (1983) – Nathalie
3. “Come to Me” (1982) – Jennifer Warnes
4. “Linda Lu” (1959) – Ray Sharpe
5. “Crusades” (1988) – Axemaster
6. “Ich sprenge alle ketten” (1967) – Ricky Shayne
7. “Daydreams” (1962) – Johnny Crawford
8. “Bubblers” (1995) – Junior Reid
9. “Cheap Sunglasses” (1979) – ZZ Top
10. “I Wanna Know Right Now (Do You Love Me)” (1969) – Timothy Wilson
11. “Moonlight Serenade” (1939) – Glenn Miller and His Orchestra
12. “Fatal Attractions” (1989) – Kimski
13. “Fell in Love With a Boy” (2003) – Joss Stone
14. “Subdivisions” (1982) – Rush
15. “Eva” (2010) – Kimika
16. “My Boy” (1975) -Elvis Presley
17. “Don’t Stop the Party” (2012) – Pitbull
18. “Ashes to Ashes” (1997) – Faith No More
19. “White Horse” (1983) – Laid Back
20. “I Wish You Love” (1964) – Gloria Lynne
21. “Juntos por siempre” (2014) – Ximena Sariñana
22. “Up Here” (2007) – Terra Naomi
23. “Hit & Run” (1981) – Girlschool
24. “Never Together But Close Sometimes” (1978) – Carlene Carter
25. “Lullaby of Birdland” (1955) – Ella Fitzgerald
26. “Mit 17 hat man noch Träume” (1965) – Peggy March
27. “Happy?” (2003) – Intwine
28. “I Like” (1996) – Montell Jordan

March:

1. “Love Potion Number Nine” (1964) – The Searchers
2. “Madame Bijou” (2014) – Edyta Bartosiewicz
3. “Get Misunderstood” (2002) – Troublemakers
4. “Kerosene” (1992) – Big Black
5. “Staring at the Rude Boys” (1980) – The Ruts
6. “Pobre madrecita (1924) – Carlos Gardel
7. “Juffruow Toos” (1995) – One Two Trio
8. “My Story” (2008) – Puffy AmiYumi
9. “Mirage” (2014) – Powder Slut
10. “I Like What You’re Doing To Me” (1969) – Carla Thomas
11. “Blood” (2015) – Algiers
12. “Son of Your Father” (1969) – Spooky Tooth
13. “Maria” (1960) – Johnny Mathis
14. “The Break Up” (2014) – Kilmara
15. “Nord-Express” (1963) – Les Apaches
16. “Glad All Over” (1980) – Suzi Quatro
17. “Ne retiens pas tes larmes” (2005) – Amel Bent
18. “Miguel e Isabel” (1966) – Luis Aguilé
19. “Inner Disbelief” (2009) – dBridge
20. “Disco Illusion” (1979) – Stephen Encinas
21. “Love and Understanding” (1989) – Blue Rodeo
22. “A Pair of Lovers” (2014) – The Jungle Giants
23. “Man With Guitar” (2003) – Man With Guitar
24. “Tired of Waiting For You” (1965) – The Kinks
25. “Games People Play” (1983) – Sweet G
26. “Nobody” (2005) – Skindred
27. “Come Together” (1969) – Ike & Tina Turner
28. “Such a Shame” (1983) – Talk Talk
29. “Time Out for Tears” (1984) – Helen Humes
30. “Very Good, c’est si bon” (1969) – Jacqueline Boyer
31. “This is My Town” (1959) – Lita Roza

April:

1. “Mah-Na Mah-Na” (1969) – Piero Umiliani
2. “It Means a Lot to Me” (1998) – Perfidious Words
3. “Each Time You Break My Heart” (1986) – Nick Kamen
4. “Take a Look Around” (1972) – The Temptations
5. “Starting Over” (2015) – J Soul Brothers
6. “Lady Melody” (2008) – Tom Frager
7. “Blueprint” (1987) – Rainbirds
8. “Breathe” (2003) – Blu Cantrell
9. “Supermodel (You Better Work)” (1992) – RuPaul
10. “Chelsea Burns” (2005) – Keren Ann
11. “King Kut” (1985) – Word of Mouth
12. “I segreti li tengono gli angeli (Pissi pissi, bao bao)” (1960) – Gianni Meccia
13. “Drifting Back” (2011) – Genius of Time
14. “Kansi kiinni ja kuulemiin” (1976) – Juha Vainio
15. “Ik zie de zon” (1948) – Eddy Christiani
16. “Hablemos de amor” (1978) – Leonardo Favio
17. “Día Negro” (1997) – La Barranca
18. “Tzena, Tzena, Tzena” (1950) – Vic Damone
19. “Edge of a Dream” (1984) – Joe Cocker
20. “Darkness” (1997) – Dance Test Dummies
21. “Odyssey Europa” (2009) – Kirlian Camera
22. “Wild World” (1993) – Mr. Big
23. “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” (1973) – George Harrison
24. “Borderline” (1983) – Madonna