Blog Posts by Robert of the Radish

In 1979, the disco/funk outfit Chic released an album called Risqué. The first track on the album was called "Good Times" and the song was the band's second #1 hit in America. It was also voted the 224th best song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

But even more impressive is how influential the song has become in the hip-hop community, and how it continues to inspire and be sampled for new musical creations.

The funky groove this 8 minute track delivers, and the vocal-free breaks it contains, made it perfect for sampling. This playlist kicks off with the original version of "Good Times" and is followed by 10 songs that sample the original. "Good Times" is one of the most sampled songs in history, so this list only scratches the surface. Add your favorites to the comments.

The Playlist:

1. Good Times - Chic

2. Rapper's Delight - The Sugarhill Gang

3. Everything's Gonna Be Alright - Father MC

4. The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel - The Furious Five

5.

The butterfly is a powerful symbol that musicians have leveraged for eons. It can be referenced for its colorful beauty, it's delicacy, it's temporary nature, or as a symbol of transformation.

From the lowly caterpillar comes the beautiful butterfly.

The insect is also a powerful symbol that represents change, femininity, joy and love. In Christianity it represents the resurrection, and in China it symbolizes conjugal bliss. With all these powerful associations, it's no wonder that the number of songs to reference the butterfly are plentiful.

This playlist is not an all-encompassing list of butterfly songs, but does include over 30 tracks from a diverse cross-section of artists that use the insect as a central tenet.

The Playlist:

1. Butterflies - Toad The Wet Sprocket

2. Butterfly - Weezer

3. Butterfly Caught - Massive Attack

4. Butterfly - Crazy Town 

5. Butterfly + Juniper

6. Butterflies - Sia

7. Butterfly - Screaming Trees 

8. Butterfly -

In 1919 a Russian physicist named Lev Sergeivitch Termen invented a radical instrument that is played without touching it. The user moves her hands around two antennas to control pitch and volume. The result is an eerie, sci-fi sound that has been used in music as well as spooky movies of the 50s and 60s like "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "It Came From Outer Space".

Even though most people have never heard of a Theremin, everyone has heard the sound many times. This playlist contains songs that feature this whacked-out instrument.

The most well-known Theremin riff is probably found in the chorus of the Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" so listen closely. The Beach Boys used an "Electro-Theremin" as opposed to a traditional two antenna Theremin, but the sound is the same so I have included it here.

Please note that that Theremin is used in many more songs than are listed here, but this 30 song playlist will give you a great well-rounded view of what can be done with the instrument.

Today we offer up the last four playlists in our Christmas spectacular series. Hopefully, you'll find something here if nothing has appealled to you thus far.  

The four holiday playlists featued in this edition include the novelty Christmas playlist, the reggae Christmas playlist, the soul Christmas playlist and the southern rock Christmas playlist.

The Novelty Christmas Playlist
 So you laughed the first time you heard "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer", but now 25+ years later it cotributes to the teeth-grinding you've been doing in your sleep. Such is the impact of the Christmas novelty song. This playlist includes the previously mentioned track by Elmo and Patsy, as well tunes by Singing Dogs, Weird Al Yankovic, El Vez, William Hung, Pull My Finger, Bob & Doug McKenzie, Bob Rivers and others.

The Reggae Christmas Playlist
There are a lot more reggae Christmas songs around than one would think. This playlist is mostly made up of songs from reggae Christmas compilation albums

Volume 3 of our Christmas spectacular series includes four more Christmas themed playlists.

This time we focus on the indie, hip-hop/funk, country and metal/punk genres. (I had to combine metal and punk and hip-hop and funk due to the lack of available tracks)

Remember to check back tomorrow when we'll feature our last four holiday playlists in this series including the dreaded and infamous "novelty Christmas playlist".

The Country Christmas Playlist
Much of America grew up on country music, and country musicians never pass up an opportunity to record a Christmas album. This playlist contains twanged-out Christmas tunes as recorded by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Lonestar, Travis Tritt, Ricky Van Shelton and many others.

The Hip-Hop/Funk Christmas Playlist
If you like infectious grooves in your Christmas music, look no further. This hip-hop/funk Christmas playlist includes Run-D.M.C., Bootsy Collins, James Brown, B2K, 3LW and more.

The Indie

For the second installment of our Christmas playlist spectacular series we have four more compilations that are bursting with holiday cheer.

We begin with classics that will never die, by legends like Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis and others. Then we follow it up with playlists tailored specifically for children, classic rockers and fans of commercial pop.

The Christmas Classics Playlist
This is the Christmas playlist of choice for the older generation, but also appeals across the generation gap. You've probably heard these growing up, so the nostalgia value is big. Includes classics by Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Gene Autry, Elvis Presley, Jose Feliciano, Jerry Vale, Burl Ives, Johnny Mathis and more.

The Childrens Christmas Playlist
No one loves Christmas more than Children. And music should be a part of their Christmas experience. This playlist features only the catchiest Christmas ditties, and will create memories that

There are huge numbers of Christmas recordings floating around this planet. The unwritten rule seems to be that all recording artists must cut at least one Christmas album in their lifetime. Some artists, like Trans-Siberian Orchestra, have made a career out of doing nothing but Christmas music.

Around this time each year a multitude of 24-hour Christmas channels pop up on the radio and Holiday music becomes inescapable, whether you celebrate Christmas or not. For some, the constant barrage is welcome, while others find it maddening. I've tried to do my part here by creating 16 Christmas music playlists separated by genre. Each 15 song playlist will fit on a CD and can help you filter out the stuff you're simply not interested in. So whether you're a fan of the classics, blues, rock, indie, hip-hop, punk, metal, reggae, country, bluegrass or soul, it's all right here at your fingertips. Combine genres and explore full albums to create your ultimate Christmas mix tape.

I'll publish 4

Is there a better place to be at Christmas time than Paris? Although snow does not usually arrive in Paris until February, if it comes at all, the city makes up for the non-White Christmas elsewhere. Historic landmarks are adorned with thousands of twinkling lights, one can shop in some of the world's finest stores, and eat some of the world's best food. And did I mention the wine?

If you can't get away for a weekend in Paris between now and Christmas (I certainly can't), this playlist may be the next best thing. It features fourteen classic Christmas songs and carols, but sung completely in French. You will instantly recognize the melodies, but the French lyrics will help transport you.

The cathedrals of France are packed for midnight mass on Christmas Eve, and after mass, families celebrate with the Reveillon (the waking), an expansive late-night feast. It can include oysters, lobster, foie gras, wild game, escargot, turkey, chestnuts, loads of desserts and more, all washed down