Blue
Blue Train – John Coltrane, Blue Train
Arguably the best saxophonist of all time, Coltrane delivers a fierce performance on this track. He weaves through the chord changes as if possessed. The intro is unforgettable and immediately recognizable. Layers of sound wash over you. After the nine and a half minutes are up, you’ll be humming the tune for quite a while longer. After Coltrane finishes shredding, Lee Morgan contributes a solid solo on trumpet before handing it off to Curtis Fuller on the trombone. Kenny Drew holds it down on the piano and passes it along to Paul Chambers on bass before the return of the iconic refrain. Some say the train is still moving down the tracks to this day.
(Don’t Fear) The Reaper – Blue Öyster Cult, Agents Of Fortune
This song about the inevitability of death is instantly recognizable by its guitar intro. It has been used in countless movies and shows yet still doesn’t feel overplayed.
Blue Sky – Allman Brothers Band, Eat A Peach
A great song from a great band. The Allman Brothers have such a distinctive sound that has inspired many who have come after.
Alien Blues – Vundabar, Gawk
I had never heard this song before making this list. I’m glad that I discovered Vundabar though because they rock hard.
Blue Bayou – Linda Ronstadt, Simple Dreams
This is one of those songs that requires you to belt out the chorus. Ronstadt accomplishes this with the best of them. But it’s not just a loud song. There are sweet subtle parts that make the highs even more powerful.
Blue Orchid – The White Stripes, Get Behind Me Satan
If you haven’t seen the video of Jack White making a homemade single string electric slide guitar and straight shredding with it on his farm then you are missing out.
All Rise – Blue, All Rise
Blue are a cool British boy band from the era when boy bands were still cool. Who am I kidding, boy bands will always be cool. This song is equipped with everything you desire from a boy band. You’ve got each member taking a turn on a verse before joining in for the unbelievably boppin chorus and a quick but effective rap feature. Blue remind me of a British Backstreet Boys or NSYNC (two bands that defined the boy band archetype).
Blue (Da Ba Dee) – Gabry Ponte Ice Pop Radio – Eiffel 65, Gabry Ponte, Europop
This is without a doubt one of the catchiest songs of all time. You gotta love it (even if you hate it). It’ll get stuck in your head quicker than John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. The Gabry Ponte edit is the most popular but the original music video is a trip. I thoroughly enjoyed the blue alien head banging to the beat. Definitely worth checking out.
Blue Velvet – Bobby Vinton, 16 Most Requested Songs
Vinton croons with a voice as soft as velvet in this classic 50’s song. Originally sung by Tony Bennett, Vinton’s version was a hit in the 60’s. I can picture my grandparents dancing along to this song in their day.
Mr. Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra, Out of the Blue
I was really excited when this song was the Heardle a little bit ago. Side note, if you haven’t played Heardle yet you should try it. It’s similar to Wordle but for music. Sometimes you just don’t know the song but when you do it’s fun and can be a cool way to reencounter music you had forgotten about. This is such a happy song that sets the tone for a beautiful day. I dare you to be mad while listening to it. Electric Light Orchestra are a super cool band with some iconic songs. I particularly like Evil Woman and Don’t Bring Me Down.
Orange
Lost – Frank Ocean, channel ORANGE
While anything from channel ORANGE is an obvious choice for this playlist, picking a specific song proved more difficult. Picking a single track from such a well crafted album seemed impossible. I settled on Lost because it has a fun melody and a chorus that’s catchy as all get out. And hey, who doesn’t feel lost sometimes.
Charcoal Baby – Blood Orange, Negro Swan
I. love. this. song. It slaps from start to finish. The kicks at the beginning leave you no time to prepare yourself for what you are about to hear. Plus it’s got a sick saxophone solo to close things out. I don’t want to talk too much about this one. Give it a listen and find out for yourself.
Orange – Big Thief, U.F.O.F.
Let’s slow things down a bit with a delicate melody from one of the calmest rocking bands out there. Adrianne Lenker’s haunting vocals demand your focus while the guitar follows along with a quiet intensity. I thought this was deserving of the first slot in the lineup for the many songs with orange in their title because it manages to rock so hard without being loud. Big Thief are one of my favorite bands due to the fact that they constantly surprise me. You never know what version of them is going to show up. Regardless of who they choose to be they are relentlessly awesome.
SUNRISE – MICHELLE, single
This one is a bit of stretch for inclusion in the playlist. Others have direct connections to orange either in the song name, album name, or artist name. While this song lacks any of those, I feel that it belongs due to its orange album cover and subject matter. Feel free to call bullshit but hey, it’s a good song.
Orange Moon – Erykah Badu, Mama’s Gun
How good it is indeed. I love me some Badu. Listening to her takes me to a warm place where I can relax as she grows the song from a small seed into a towering tree before returning to its roots with a peaceful resolution.
Orange Colored Sky – Nat King Cole, The Nat King Cole Story
This was an easy choice to include. Nat is amazing whether he’s singing me to sleep with Christmas carols or leading a big band with his smooth crooning. He truly is the King.
Orange – CLAY, single
This was a new discovery for me when auditioning possible songs for the list. But I immediately grew to love it. Catchy, driving, and rhythmically fun. I will be checking out CLAY more.
Orange Crush – R.E.M., Green
This song is good, but my main reason for including it was that it made me crave an orange crush soda. R.E.M. march into the playlist with their anti-war anthem.
Orange Blood – Mt. Joy, single
Every song on this list bleeds orange but Mt. Joy wanted to make that abundantly clear in the title of their contribution. This calm and pensive song quickly develops into a grooving jam. The pared down drums stay solid and together with the bass drive the song forward. The finish returns to its beginnings as a quiet tune, going out with a whisper.
Orange Blossoms – JJ Grey & Mofro, Mofro, Orange Blossoms
This one is reminiscent of a classic Allman Brothers song. This bluesy rock jam track showcases the abilities of JJ Grey and his band, Mofro. The interspersed guitar licks blend perfectly with each verse and the chorus begs you to join in. I can almost smell those orange blossoms.
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