Don't Turn AroundAce of Base
Don't Turn Around
1994
Hammond and Warren's song first surfaced on a Tina Turner B-side; Aswad, then Ace of Base, found the hit inside.
★ 1.4
The Songs canon
Sourced and sung.
Every song chosen by hand, with the recording to play it.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Cathy's Clown
1960
Cut live in one take with the brothers sharing a microphone, the drums looped on tape to double them.
★ 6.3
Respect Yourself
1971
Mack Rice built it from a line Luther Ingram tossed off, and Pops and Mavis trade the sermon.
★ 6.5
Shining Star (Earth, Wind and Fire)
1975
A night walk at Caribou Ranch gave White the title, and the band their only Hot 100 number one.
★ 6.8
Downhearted BluesBessie Smith
Downhearted Blues
1923 · From The Complete Recordings
Alberta Hunter and Lovie Austin wrote it; Smith's debut record sold 780,000 copies in six months, just voice and piano.
★ 6.9
Nasty
1986
Jackson answered street harassers by demanding respect over a factory preset Jimmy Jam found on an Ensoniq Mirage.
★ 7.0
Keep Ya Head Up
1993
A Zapp groove under the Five Stairsteps hook, dedicated to Latasha Harlins, and rap's warmest tribute to Black women.
★ 7.4
Walk On By
1964
A B-side until Murray the K's listeners voted it up, cut live at Bell Sound with Warwick barely raising her voice.
★ 7.5
Soul ManSam & Dave
Soul Man
1967
Hayes lifted the title from Detroit buildings marked soul to spare them; Cropper gets shouted out mid-song.
★ 7.6
Doo-wop (That Thing)
1998 · From The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Hill wrote and produced it herself, aimed one verse at women and one at men, and debuted at number one.
★ 7.8
Mannish BoyMuddy Waters
Mannish Boy
1955 · From The Anthology: 1947-1972
Waters answered Bo Diddley's answer to his own song in 1955, holding one chord and a stop-time riff throughout.
★ 8.1
My WayFrank Sinatra
My Way
1969 · From My Way
Anka typed the lyric overnight in New York asking what Sinatra would say, then handed him a life's summing-up.
★ 8.3
Respect
1967 · From I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You
Aretha takes Otis Redding's song away from him for good, spells out the demand, and never gives it back.
★ 9.9