Category: Male Solo

Darren Hayes – Darkness

Had it, lost it, got it back on his own terms: here’s Derek on the very wonderful Darren Hayes.

Derek Crook March 14, 2017 2 Comments

Étienne Daho – Week-end à Rome

In which familiarité breeds contentement.

Bright Light Bright Light – Little Bit

Ooh-aah, just a Little Bit: the greatest pop moment of 2016.

Randy Newman – Falling in Love

Probably the best record ever made about the fuzziness of falling in love.

Brandon Flowers – Lonely Town

My beautiful dark twisted fantasy of four top ten hits from a Brandon Flowers album.

Prince – D.M.S.R.

"DanceMusicSexRomance" - it's Dan's go-to Prince tune (and also his to-do list for Saturday nights).

Will Young – Like a River

Work hard, do good things and all your dreams will come true: not strictly the case when you're a pop star in this day and age.

In which Dan asks the question "Is 'Better Man' Robbie Williams' career-defining song?" Dan is American, and therefore has an entirely different perspective from the rest of us who are all shouting "NO, IT'S OBVIOUSLY ANGELS" right about now.

Paul Simon – Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War

Paul Simon - probably the first artist who made me sit up and think "this music lark is definitely for me".

Andy Gibb – Shadow Dancing

When a fourth musical Gibb brother appeared, America was like "OMG YES", but over here we were more "we'll just leave it, thanks" - which was patently a mistake because "Shadow Dancing" is absolutely bloody amazing.

Thomas Leer – No 1

Two years prior to "Snobbery & Decay", Thomas Leer was out-blowing the Blow Monkeys with the string and saxophone drenched "No 1".

Billy Joel – Code of Silence

Billy Joel ropes in Cyndi Lauper for a bit of help on this anthem for the emotionally repressed. AMAZING.

Malcolm McLaren & The Bootzilla Orchestra – Deep in Vogue

An extravaganza.

Kermit the Frog – One More Sleep ’til Christmas

I briefly considered adding a category of "Frog Solo" for this post, but it's a fairly small genre to be honest. Here's Kermit with one of the best Christmas songs EVER.

Sufjan Stevens – Christmas in the Room

Derek shares his love for "Christmas in the Room" by yuletide enthusiast Sufjan Stevens. A slightly less frantic way of saying "All I want for Christmas is you".