THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (VOLUME 1): Table Of Contents

An infinite number of songs can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns.



Yeah, I know I just did a brief update on my proposed book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) last week, and I normally wouldn't follow with another update so soon. But I've continued to tweak the book's Table of Contents, implementing changes suggested in that last update, and adding six more songs. I can't say this is the final listing, but it feels close. More updates to come.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD
DISCLAIMERS AND DECLARATIONS (A User's Guide To The Greatest Record Ever Made!)
A Fistful Of 45s
OVERTURE THE RAMONES: Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?

BADFINGER: Baby Blue

CHUCK BERRY: Promised Land
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: I Only Want To Be With You
THE SEX PISTOLS: God Save The Queen
ELVIS PRESLEY: Heartbreak Hotel
WILLIE MAE "BIG MAMA" THORNTON: Hound Dog
PATTI SMITH: Gloria
LITTLE RICHARD: The Girl Can't Help It
*NEIL DIAMOND: Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show
CRAZY ELEPHANT: Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' 
WILSON PICKETT: In The Midnight Hour
THE HOLLIES: I Can't Let Go
TRANSLATOR: Everywhere That I'm Not
LESLEY GORE: You Don't Own Me
THE SHANGRI-LAS: Leader Of The Pack
THE SHIRELLES: Will You Love Me Tomorrow
THE RAMONES: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
INTERLUDE I Dream Of Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee, and Tommy (and occasionally Marky, Richie, C.J., and/or new recruits)
*PINK FLOYD: Wish You Were Here
GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS: Midnight Train To Georgia
THE BOBBY FULLER FOUR: I Fought The Law
*MERLE HAGGARD: Mama Tried
THE TEMPTATIONS: Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
*OTIS REDDING: (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
ARETHA FRANKLIN: Respect
THE MONKEES: Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)
INTERLUDE The Night I Met Peter Tork
BUDDY HOLLY: Peggy Sue/Everyday
JOHNNY NASH: I Can See Clearly Now
SUZI QUATRO: I May Be Too Young
ALICE COOPER: School's Out
RUFUS: Tell Me Something Good
THE RARE BREED/THE OHIO EXPRESS: Beg, Borrow And Steal
PRINCE: When You Were Mine
THE 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS: You're Gonna Miss Me
THE ROLLING STONES: Get Off Of My Cloud
PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS: Just Like Me
*BOB DYLAN: Like A Rolling Stone
BARON DAEMON & THE VAMPIRES: The Transylvania Twist
NELSON RIDDLE: The Batman Theme
THE WHO: I Can't Explain
TODD RUNDGREN: Couldn't I Just Tell You
SHOES: Tomorrow Night
THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise
SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES: The Tears Of A Clown
THE NEW YORK DOLLS: Personality Crisis
THE JIVE FIVE: What Time Is It
THE EASYBEATS: Friday On My Mind
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Girls In Their Summer Clothes
*THE RONETTES: Be My Baby
KISS: Shout It Out Loud
THE LEFT BANKE: Walk Away, Renee
THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Rock And Roll Love Letter
THE KNICKERBOCKERS: Lies
THE WONDERS: That Thing You Do!
THE GO-GO'S: We Got The Beat
JAMES BROWN: Please, Please, Please
*THE MARVELETTES: I'll Keep Holding On
GRAND FUNK: We're An American Band
THE FIRST CLASS: Beach Baby
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Summer Breeze
THE RUBINOOS: I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
*P. P. ARNOLD: The First Cut Is The Deepest
BIG STAR: September Gurls
SAMMY AMBROSE: This Diamond Ring
PAUL COLLINS: Walking Out On Love
*THE KINGSMEN: Louie, Louie
ENTR'ACTE THE BEATLES: Yesterday
THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET: Take Five
*RAY CHARLES: Hit The Road Jack
*THE MUFFS: Saying Goodbye
MARVIN GAYE: I Heard It Through The Grapevine
THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Shake Some Action
MATERIAL ISSUE: Kim The Waitress
THE JACKSON FIVE: I'll Be There
THE SEARCHERS: Hearts In Her Eyes
RICK JAMES: Super Freak (Part 1)
THE FLIRTATIONS: Nothing But A Heartache
THE SPINNERS: I'll Be Around
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: Everybody Is A Star
TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS: American Girl
LED ZEPPELIN: Communication Breakdown
THE BANDWAGON: Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache
*DON HENLEY: The Boys Of Summer
*LINDA RONSTADT: You're No Good
BEN E. KING: Stand By Me
GENE PITNEY: Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa
INTERLUDE Old Time Time Rock & Roll
THE BOB SEGER SYSTEM: 2 + 2 = ?
THE SPONGETONES: (My Girl) Maryanne
THE TRAMMPS: Disco Inferno
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES: Don't Leave Me This Way
GRANDMASTER & MELLE MEL: White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)
THE BYRDS: I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: I'll Be Your Mirror
*DEL SHANNON: Runaway
THE EVERLY BROTHERS: Gone, Gone, Gone
THE COCKTAIL SLIPPERS: St. Valentine's Day Massacre
FREDDIE & THE DREAMERS: Do The Freddie
SAM & DAVE: Soul Man
*BIG BROTHER & THE HOLDING COMPANY: Piece Of My Heart
*DONNA SUMMER: I Feel Love
T. REX: 20th Century Boy
THE RUNAWAYS: Cherry Bomb
AMERICA: Sister Golden Hair
THE KINKS: Waterloo Sunset 
THE KINKS: You Really Got Me
THE SMITHEREENS: Behind The Wall Of Sleep
*THE COWSILLS: She Said To Me
FREDA PAYNE: Band Of Gold
ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS: (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
THE FOUR TOPS: Reach Out I'll Be There
LULU: To Sir, With Love [Museum Outings Montage]
*THE CONTOURS: Do You Love Me
INTERLUDE The Tottenham Sound Of...The Beatles?!
THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Any Way You Want It
*BLONDIE: (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear
WHAM!: Freedom
*THE SUPREMES: You Keep Me Hangin' On 

THE BEACH BOYS: God Only Knows
*JOAN ARMATRADING: Me Myself I
THE SELECTER: On My Radio
*MANNIX: Highway Lines
THE DRIFTERS: On Broadway
FIRST AID KIT: America
SOLOMON BURKE: Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
*CHEAP TRICK Surrender
DAVID BOWIE: Life On Mars?
*THE O'JAYS: Put Your Hands Together
THE GRATEFUL DEAD: Uncle John's Band
*THE PRETENDERS: Back On The Chain Gang
*EDDIE & THE HOT RODS: Do Anything You Wanna Do
STEVIE WONDER: I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
EYTAN MIRSKY: This Year's Gonna Be Our Year
THE JAYHAWKS: I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
An Infinite Number
INTERLUDE Underrating The Beatles
ENCORE! THE BEATLES: Rain
CODA THE T-BONES: No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)
Cruisin' Music
AFTERWORD 



Asterisks indicate chapters that have not yet been completed. The rest is all done. And I'm happy with it so far.



ABOUT THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (VOLUME 1):

I’m pleased to send you the proposal for The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1), a collection of personal essays by writer and radio host Carl Cafarelli.

Our favorite records don’t live in isolation. Each one has a story. Insisting that an infinite number of songs can each be THE greatest record ever made (as long as they take turns), Cafarelli ties together threads connecting classic rock, soul, pop, punk, and bubblegum across decades of hits, misses, critics’ darlings, one-hit wonders, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, and complete unknowns. The result reads like an irresistible mix tape in book form, compelling the reader to follow its flow from song to song and chapter to chapter as if it were a novel.

As an experienced pop historian and journalist, Cafarelli knows the importance of recording facts and figures accurately. But passion is of equal importance. We don’t crank the volume for fave rave sounds as academics; we listen as fans, as people living our complicated lives with music as not merely its soundtrack, but as its heartbeat. Records reflect our hopes, our disappointments, our successes, our mourning, our love, our bitterness, our fear, and our will to dance in spite of it all.

Why did The Monkees go from the top of the pops in 1967 to seeming has-been status in 1968? How did James Brown respond to the British Invasion? What minefields of racism, sexism, homophobia, ambition, frustration, depression, or loss were navigated by Little Richard, Dusty Springfield, The Go-Go's, Elvis, Sly and the Family Stone, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, The Supremes, and Material Issue's Jim Ellison? Were The Ramones as much a bubblegum band as they were a punk band? When does a group succeed or fail in its quixotic quest to be the next Beatles? 

And why does listening to pop music sometimes make us want to cry?

Carl Cafarelli has written for Goldmine, DISCoveries, The Syracuse New Times, Feral House, Routledge, Visible Ink Press, AHOY Comics, and Rhino Records. Since 1998, he has been the co-host (with Dana Bonn) of the internationally-renowned weekly broadcast and internet radio show This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl, and he is the author of the daily blog Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do). The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) mixes history lessons, artist appreciation, and the ways in which the records we love can deeply affect our personal lives.

The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is unlike any other rock or pop book you’ve ever seen. I look forward to discussing it with you.