Saturday, August 3, 2013

Top ten "crazy" songs


With two young babies, I would have to be crazy to try and revive this blog site. Its not that bad - I spend most of my time thinking up the lists on the train to and from work (when I am not asleep on the train that is), but it does take time to write them up etc…

So, because I must be crazy, here are my top ten “crazy” songs….

10 - Crazy in Love – Beyonce

Yeah, yeah, this song is all right for a commercial pop song.


But I prefer this stripped back cover from English pop group the Magic Numbers


 

9 - Crazy for You – Madonna

You have to admire the way Madonna keeps reinventing herself over her career, but this is a nice little pop song from early period Madonna.


 

8 - Crazy – Seal

Seal has probably been a bit overexposed in Australia in recent times (for those not from down under he is a judge on the Australian version of the voice), but this really is a good track.


 

7 -Crazy as it Seems – Sara Storer

Time for a change of pace after the chart topping pop tracks I have started this list with and onto Australian country songbird Sara Storer. In this song she talks about some of the crazy things she does when arguing with her partner. Gotta love her voice though!


6 - She Drives Me Crazy – Fine Young Cannibals

Back to the 80’s again to hear the Fine Young Cannibals get driven crazy by a female.


Tom Jones did a good cover too:


 

5- Crazy – Patsy Cline

Possibly the most famous “crazy” song that there is, it was written by Willie Nelson (before he had become a big name in his own right), and this lovely ballad ended up being Cline’s signature tune.


 

4 - Crazy – Icehouse

Yet another song with Crazy as the title, but different to Seal and Patsy Cline’s craziness. Whereas Patsy sung about being crazy for loving someone, Iva Davies went the other way around and accused the partner of being crazy for wanting to be with a guy like him. I think we can all relate to that sentiment at times, when we wonder how our partners manage to put up with our idiosyncrasies. Great song, from a great album too.


 

3 - Most People I Know (Think That I’m Crazy) – Bill Thorpe

What is there to say about this song? Regarded as one of Australian music’s classics, it’s a brilliant piece of guitar rock from the early 1970’s.


 

2 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen

No doubt there are more complex and challenging Queen tracks that this one, but I think this is a gem. Its catchy and virtually flawless as a pop song.


 

1 - Crazy – Gnarls Barkley

There are a few catchy songs on this list, but the number one goes to Gnarls Barkley and their song Crazy. This is not the sort of genre I am normally into, but this song is brilliant.  Despite being a 2006 release with modern production and the like, it has a retro feel to it which I think makes it all the more enjoyable.


So there is my list. Was I crazy to leave your “crazy” song off?

And no crazy frogs allowed, sorry.

3 comments:

  1. Nice list - here's a few more:

    Guided By Voices - Chasing Heather Crazy
    I prefer lo-fi early GBV, but this is a good catchy song from their 2001 album "Isolation drills".
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7KiLRCxt58

    Van Morrison - Crazy love
    From his excellent "Moondance" album, this is a nice ballad.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8WMNUC1So4

    Pink Floyd - Shine on you crazy diamond
    Their tribute to founding member Syd Barrett (who went off the rails to drugs) is split into 2 tracks and bookends the excellent "Wish you were here" album.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klKCeFDnDiI

    Queen - Stone cold crazy
    Heavy early Queen from "Sheer heart attack" - even Metallica covered this one.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmt2mgmrSUw

    R.E.M. - Crazy
    Actually a cover song, this is fairly typical of the early R.E.M. sound before their hit commercial success.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSiNkbbtJFo

    Robbie Robertson - Somewhere down the crazy river
    He didn't sing a lot in The Band, and you can see why as he's not the best vocalist. This is a nice song from his self-titled debut album.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAHG4eb0Kcc

    Hank Williams - Crazy heart
    Gotta love Hank.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD0riwgKq8w

    ReplyDelete
  2. I might have had Queen at #1... but I'm also with Jeremy on Somewhere Down The Crazy River. Classic! Many of the ones on your list would have been in with a fighting chance at mine too.

    A few others...

    Prince - Let's Go Crazy

    Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years

    The Osmonds - Crazy Horses (because it sounds nothing like The Osmonds)

    Kiss - Crazy Crazy Nights

    Huey Lewis & The News - Give Me the Keys (And I'll Drive You Crazy)

    Guns n Roses - You're Crazy

    Aerosmith - Crazy

    Slade - Mama We're All Crazee Now


    Man.. I could do a Top 30 on this one!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Jeremy, thanks for your suggestions, the only one of them that I know is Shine on you Crazy Diamond, and you are right, that is a choice track that should have been on the list. That is two big omissions for me now - Closest thing to Crazy by Katie Maleua is the other one. I will check out some of your suggestions. And I just bought a Hank best of, which is a great listen, but I don't think that track was on it.

    Rol - thanks for your suggestions too. I have heard of all those bands, but only one I knew was the Paul Simon one. It was considered but didn't make the cut. Paul is having a habit of just missing out on the lists of late (and without spoiling it, he doesn't quite make the cut for my next list either, but you have to wait til the weekend for that one!

    ReplyDelete