The musical landscape at the time of one’s birth is fun to muse upon, and the quality of the song that’s at number one in the hit parade seems disproportinately significant. I got Mull of Kintyre by Wings, which isn’t terrible, but it’s hardly Sir McCartney’s finest work; and the top 40 that week is rather a mixed bag, with the odd rock classic among some pedestrian disco (plus the rather odd but quite splendid Egyptian Reggae, by Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers).
Mrs. Monkeyshines fares somewhat better than me, with KC and the Sunshine Band’s Give It Up at number one, and a swathe of fine songs in the top ten, including Depeche Mode’s Everything Counts, which sounds like the whole of the Eighties compressed into 3 minutes and 58 seconds.
At first I was disappointed that Toby had got lumbered with Jason Derulo’s Don’t Wanna Go Home, with its weird Banana Boat refrain. But then I realised that I was looking at the wrong week, and his chart is actually pretty decent, considering the noise that passes for music these days (I don’t really believe this, but I need to start forming dad opinions such as these). Number one in the singles chart was Changed The Way You Kiss Me by Example.
Toby’s album chart topper is Progress by Take That, presumably bumped back up the charts by their current tour. As with the singles, it’s a decent top ten – you can’t cavil at any chart than includes ELO and Seasick Steve. Across the pond, Adele is heading up the Billboard Hot 100, with Rolling In The Deep; a fine song, and nice that a Brit is topping the US chart.
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