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Thirteen Songs

A sideways glance at the music scene

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  • Creating the Definitive 13
  • 13×13 (Playlist)
  • How was this a hit?
  • False memories of fame
  • Blog posts
  • My faves
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Welcome to this site

This website is something of a mixed bag. First of all you’ve the Thirteen Songs concept – the original drive for me to start this whole shebang – but as it’s developed I’ve added more to it.

On this page

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  • The definitive 13
    • One artist. One definitive 13‑song playlist
  • 13×13 (four-weekly playlists)
    • A fresh 13‑track playlist every four weeks
  • Notes and noise
    • Thoughts, opinions, and musical rambling
  • How was this a hit?
    • Chart-toppers that make no sense to me
  • Surely these were a hit
    • Songs everyone swears were hits… but weren’t.
  • Some of my fave acts
    • Artists who’ve stuck with me

The definitive 13

One artist. One definitive 13‑song playlist

The original idea for this site was to add some context to my curious curated compilation concept where I look through the output of one of my favourite artists and whittle their output to just thirteen tracks to create a perfect playlist.

perfect playlists

13×13 (four-weekly playlists)

A fresh 13‑track playlist every four weeks

Regular playlists built around mood, theme, instinct, or whatever I’m listening to that month. Thirteen tracks, thirteen times a year.

13×13

Notes and noise

Thoughts, opinions, and musical rambling

My semi-regular blog – what I’ve been up to. Thoughts and musings about nothing in particular.

my blog

How was this a hit?


Chart-toppers that make no sense to me

Some songs reach unprecedented levels of popular chart success. In this section I highlight some of them and explain just why I find their appeal so baffling.

Songs I despise

Surely these were a hit

Songs everyone swears were hits… but weren’t.

I’ve recently discovered that some of the records I own weren’t actually the top 20 smashes that I thought they were. Here I draw attention to some of the songs that the charts ignored.

Hits that weren’t

Some of my fave acts

Artists who’ve stuck with me

As a music lover, I thought it might be fun to write about the bands I love and hopefully introduce you to something you not have previously listened to.

My faves

Perfect playlists

  • Queen – whittling down to 13 ain’t easy
  • The concept

Surely these were massive

  • Kane Gang – Gun Law
  • The Blue Nile – Tinseltown in the Rain
  • Amy MacDonald: This Is The Life
  • Wang Chung: Dance Hall Days
  • Matt Bianco: More than I can bear
  • The Big Supreme – Don’t Walk
  • The Bolshoi – Away

Awful songs (IMHO

  • Sabrina Carpenter – Bed Chem
  • The Beatles – Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da
  • Nelly – Dilemma ft. Kelly Rowland

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