10 Totally Cool Songs

Don't misunderstand me - I'm not saying these are the coolest songs ever written, but I find them cool, and had a hell of a job narrowing down a list of about 150 to 10. Every time I thought of one song I found to be 'cool', another even 'cooler' one sprung to mind. So I just used 10 that seemed to fit together in some way, even though the overall vibe could be improved.

And what do I mean by 'cool' anyway? Well, sometimes I hear a song and say, 'That's beautiful', or 'That's sexy', or whatever. Then comes 'That's cool', and no other adjective occurs ... they're just cool.

I wrote the large part of this Hub back in March, then abandoned it because I didn't like the title, nor the concept. Coming back to it today, I decided the music is good, and because I still can't find a word better than 'cool' for it, I decided it will have to do.

Going through the decades from the 50s to the present, here it is ...

It was at a party in Paris in the summer of 1991 that I first heard this one, and after that I kept hearing it again and again; kind of like a word you've never heard of before that then suddenly keeps cropping up.

The Champs, a studio group, recorded 'Tequila' in 1958 as a B-side to a Dave Burgess single. Instead of the A-side, the B-side hit the top of the charts, winning the band a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording in 1959.

A friend of mine just said, "... cool song, but what do stitches have to do with witches?"

Well, don't ask me ...

No matter what this song is about, it sounds good.

Recorded by Donovan in 1966, it is one of the first songs to belong in the psychadelic genre. The cover by Lou Rawls from 1967, my favourite version, lends a polished, jazzy soulfulness, allowing it to stand the test of time.

Take a look Julie Driscoll's version, too; great fun, very 60s, very Flower Power.

I got to know this one in the 90s when I was into Nirvana, Bjork and Janis Joplin. It just seemed the perfect complimentary listening.

The author of this song is listed as Billy Roberts, but nobody seems to know where it really comes from.

This, my favourite version, was recorded in 1966 by The Jimi Hendrix Experience for their 'Are You Experienced' album.

The song has been performed by at least 400 artists, but this is the most popular.

Although I'd been listening to The Stones since I was a teenager, I first heard this just a couple of years ago on TV.

The group spent five days recording 'Sympathy for the Devil' in 1968.

Rather than being a celebration of Satan, according to Keith Richards, it's simply about the dark side of man.

If you find this sound somewhat mesmerizing, it's because of the unchanging samba beat, adding a touch of the sinister.

I love the dynamics in this song. When it gets loud, I just can't help singing along with a bit of head-banging to go with it ...

It's about somebody who turns to religion after losing a love, and is based on some of the late Kurt Cobain's own personal experiences.

This is my favourite Nirvana title, and is from the 1991 album 'Nevermind'. In the UK, the single peaked at #11, and #64 in the US - surely such a great song should have done much, much better.

Okay - time to get up!

The nitty-gritty of my sex education was received from Jackie Collins' novels, and quite often, her characters 'did it' to the pulsating beat of this one.

Released in 1970, 'Sex Machine' reached #2 in the US charts, and is, for me, the funkiest record ever made.

This one is harmonically static, and does not include the horns used in Brown's previous work. But the sound makes you want to move, and maybe more ...

A European Hit from 1981, reaching #8 in the UK and #1 in the Swiss and German Charts.

'Fade to Grey' seemed to mark the beginning of the New Romantic Era.

Steve Strange actually took singing lessons for this track, and the French vocals are performed by a student from Luxembourg.

The poduction of this great song involved such artists as Midge Ure of Ultravox fame, Gary Numan (Cars - another truly cool song), and Billy Currie.

Knowing which song to include here from the 80s was a hard choice, but I think this is about my favourite.

Back then, I found this video totally sophisticated ... What was I thinking?

Theres not really any need to say it: This song is inspired by the words of Timothy Leary.

'Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out' was originally released in 1993, but drew little interest until it was featured in a Levi's ad in 1995.

The vibe is very hip 60s, but it's still definitely 90s funk - a great, cool sound.

Having spent nine weeks at #1 in the UK Charts in 2006, the CD and vinyl listings of this song were deleted to stop people becoming 'sick of it'.

I bought this single the very first day it came out here in Germany, and played nothing else for weeks on end. This has to count as one of the coolest songs ever.

But I was disappointed by the rest of the band's (Cee-Lo Green and Danger Mouse) album, 'St. Elsewhere' - nothing on it has quite what 'Crazy' has; is it the beat, the vocals, or just the overall sound? Whatever, I still love to listen.

Taken from the 2009 'Grace/Wastelands' album, 'Last of the English Roses' reached #67 in the UK charts, and did little better elsewhere in the world - a big disappointment for Pete Doherty, who'd expected much, much more.

I don't think Doherty has ever sounded better than on this song.

The video is charismatic, and I'm still not sure if it was that that sold me the song, or the song itself. Whatever, both are cool, cool, cool ...

Having just gone through all the videos to make sure they're working, I do think the word 'cool' matches perfectly.

Hmmm - hope you found that cool, too.

Thanks for reading and listening!