The Worst Songs in the World
The Worst Songs in the World

Author: David Pate

Publisher: Dundurn

Published: 2024-08-06

Total Pages: 188

ISBN-13: 1459754581

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The best-known songs in the world are violent, sexist, and religious — so why do we celebrate national anthems when we should be rewriting them? The story begins in a London theatre in 1745, where the modern idea of anthems started out as triumphant expressions of national superiority. They glorified violence, claimed the support of God for their country, and mostly ignored women. David Pate says it’s time to dump lyrics about cutting throats, watering fields with blood, building walls with the bodies of enemies, and celebrating the sound of machine guns. From the author’s own youth as a schoolboy in Scotland when he was caned for refusing to sing “God Save the Queen” to the ubiquity of anthems in sports and as weapons for extreme patriotism, The Worst Songs in the World looks at the origins of many of the world’s anthems, including the movie theme song that became China’s national anthem and the English tune used for “The Star-Spangled Banner.” This wide-ranging, deeply researched narrative combines politics, personalities, humour, and vivid storytelling to argue for what we should all want: better national songs.

Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs
Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs

Author: Dave Barry

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Published: 2012-11-06

Total Pages: 69

ISBN-13: 1449437583

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The humorist asked his readers to share their least favorite tunes and chronicles the hilarious responses. When funnyman Dave Barry asked readers about their least favorite tunes, he thought he was penning just another installment of his weekly syndicated humor column. But the witty writer was flabbergasted by the response when over 10,000 readers voted. “I have never written a column that got a bigger response than the one announcing the Bad Song Survey,” Barry wrote. Based on the results of the survey, Dave Barry’s Book of Bad Songs is a compilation of some of the worst songs ever written. Dave Barry fans will relish his quirky take. Music buffs too will appreciate this humorous stroll through the world’s worst lyrics. The only thing wrong with this book is that readers will find themselves unable to stop mentally singing the greatest hits of Gary Puckett. Praise for Dave Barry’s Book of Bad Songs “Barry is his usual puckish self, but the real surprise here is how funny many of the survey respondents are.” —Kirkus Reviews “Who can resist such a book?” —Publishers Weekly

The World's Worst Records: Volume One
The World's Worst Records: Volume One

Author: Darryl W Bullock

Publisher: Bristol Green Publishing

Published: 2015-02-04

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 148262446X

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An affectionate look at some of the worst recordings ever made, The World’s Worst Records tells the extraordinary but true stories behind some of the most appalling audio crimes ever committed. Extensively researched, and featuring music by major stars, ‘outsider’ artists and almost forgotten singers and songwriters, read about how Elvis Presley came to record a rock ‘n’ roll version of the nursery rhyme Old Macdonald; discover the truth behind actor Peter Wyngarde’s one attempt at pop immortality; meet the beautifully bonkers Florence Foster Jenkins – possibly the most deluded singer in history; fi nd out which Paul McCartney record is most hated world over. Puzzle over why 60’s flower-power icon Donovan would record a song about the toilet habits of astronauts.

The Worst Band in the Universe
The Worst Band in the Universe

Author: Graeme Base

Publisher: Picture Puffin

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 48

ISBN-13: 9780140565874

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On Planet Blipp, beyond the stars, beyond the sun and moon, The world was ruled by music - but tradition called the tune. The Ancient Songs of ages past were all that could be heard, And no one was allowed to change a single note or word...

The Worst Band in the World
The Worst Band in the World

Author: Liam Newton

Publisher:

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 385

ISBN-13: 9780754103110

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10cc chalked up more Top 10 singles and albums in the UK than virtually any other band of their generation: their most famous creation, 'I'm Not In Love', is a pop classic that has been played more than 3 million times on American radio; their records have been covered by everyone from The Pretenders to the Fun Lovin' Criminals; and their admirers include REM. Yet 10cc's enormous contribution to pop music consistently gets overlooked.

Top 40 Democracy
Top 40 Democracy

Author: Eric Weisbard

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2014-11-27

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0226896188

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A capacious and stimulating tour de force of the mainstream music industry that reveals the cultural import of even the most deliberately banal performers and songs. Weisbard finds depths in our culture s shallows as he investigates and articulates the cultural construction of such phenomena as Dolly Parton, Elton John, the Isley Brothers, A&M Records, and the rise of radio populism. He further sheds new light on the upheavals in the music industry over the last fifteen years and the implications of them for the audiences the industry has shaped. Each chapter brings us to see afresh precisely that music and those musicians that have become the most familiar and overexposed, by delving into the minutiae of how pop stars and their music were made and framed for repeated consumption in the era dominated by radio."

The Worst Gig
The Worst Gig

Author: Jon Niccum

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.

Published: 2013-10-01

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13: 1402284969

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"WORST GIG is Music Appreciation 225, taught by that cool professor everyone wanted to have beers with after class. One fun nugget after another. It was harder to close than my Twitter app."—Matthew James, McSweeney's "Tawdry tales of concert catastrophes!"—Buzzfeed "Musicians' 'Worst Gig' makes for best read ever."—Salon What is the worst show you've ever played? Sometimes the worst shows inspire the best stories. After hundreds of interviews with national headliners and beloved indie acts alike, entertainment journalist Jon Niccum has crafted a collection that chronicles the most embarrassing, most hilarious and most insane live show moments ever. THE WORST GIG features outrageous stories from stars such as Wilco, Def Leppard, Tenacious D, Rush, John Mayer, and The Sex Pistols. Be it nature's wrath, equipment breakdowns or even military intervention, get the wild scoop on what really happened, straight from the artists themselves.

New Book of Rock Lists
New Book of Rock Lists

Author: Dave Marsh

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 1994-11

Total Pages: 626

ISBN-13: 0671787004

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Dave Marsh has been an editor and columnist at Creem and Rolling Stone. His books include Born to Run, Behind Blue Eyes: The Story of the Who, Glory Days, and Louie Louie. This virtual Methusaleh of rock critics currently serves as a music critic at Playboy and as editor of Rock and Rap Confidential.

Notes on the Writing of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Notes on the Writing of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Author: Robert L. Freedman

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2021-05-15

Total Pages: 76

ISBN-13: 1493055992

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The most frequently asked question about writing musicals is, "Which comes first, the music or the lyrics?" As anyone on Broadway will tell you, the answer is, "The book." Tony-winning book writer Robert L. Freedman takes you through the process of writing a new musical, including story structure, song placement, dialogue, character development, and more that led to the creation of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, the 2014 Best Musical Tony winner. With candor and insight, Freedman describes the challenging and rewarding growing pains of what the critics called "Hilarious!" and "Ingenious!" and said "Ranks among the most inspired and entertaining new musical comedies I've seen in years."

My Teenage Dream Ended
My Teenage Dream Ended

Author: Farrah Abraham

Publisher: Independently Published

Published: 2020-12-12

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13:

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Farrah Abraham's life has been front-and-center in the entertainment industry for years. Beginning with her debut on the hit series 16 and Pregnant, the young starlet has had her ups and downs splashed in the media. But there is a whole new side to every coin and Farrah's commitment to getting the most out of life for her and her daughter Sophia has made her more than a television icon.The brunette beauty's behind-the-scenes memoir is an expressive and emotional rollercoaster that will leave you commending her strength and dedication to her daughter. Read the debut novel that launched Farrah Abraham into the literary world and won her a spot on the New York Times bestseller list. See the true story behind what they don't tell you on TV. Prologue My teenage dream ended when I was seventeen. All it took was a phone call. One phone call, and my dream was gone forever.Up until that moment, I had it all. I was confident, popular, a cheerleader. Best of all, I was crazy in love. The Real Thing. We were lovers and best friends. When we were together, the rest of the world melted away. Sure we had plenty of drama. We made love, fought and broke up, then made up and made love again.Even when I accidentally got pregnant, I was convinced that everything would work out in the end. We were meant to be together. We wanted to get married and have children. It was just happening sooner than we had planned.Then a friend's voice on the phone changed everything."Derek died in a car wreck last night."Just like that, my teenage dream ended.