If you’re just joining us, check out the About This Project link for details. Basically, I make playlists of all the singles by certain musical artists and then try to order them using the guiding principle “do I like each song more than the last song.” I define “single” in a broad enough way to include any song that was released as a purchasable single in any format in any country; as a promotional single in any country; as a video; or generally any song that I know charted anywhere. My main sources are Wikipedia (mostly reliable) and Discogs (reasonably reliable). I welcome editing feedback since sometimes I favor speed over spelling.
Whenever I work on these lists, I start by ranking every song I am familiar with. For example, if I’m looking at an artist with 45 songs and I know 31 of them well enough to rank, I’ll rank those from 1-31 and, on my playlist, temporarily rank the rest from 32-45. Since I listen to the songs in reverse order (45 to 1) this means I spend more time listening to the tracks that I don’t know that well more than the other tracks. I then plug them in on the list as I feel comfortable assigning them a rank.
After I’ve ranked everything, I listen and re-listen to the list, moving songs around as necessary. I keep doing this the whole time I’m writing about the lists. So, for example, while 91-116 are now set on this list, everything from 1-90 is still being fine tuned. Once I am confident that songs 81-90 are where they should be, I’ll start the process of working on that segment of the list.
In this section, we have songs that I like I generally like fairly well – indeed, songs that have all been ranked significantly higher at different times during this process. Lots of covers and oddities here that got knocked down for a variety of reasons. Let’s explore!
(Note: while I was writing this sequence, I learned that Costello had been named a recipient of the Order of the British Empire. This rank doesn’t allow him to be styled Sir Elvis, which is just a damn shame. None-the-less, congratulations, Mr. McManus)
100. Married to my Hack
(Artist: The New Basement Tapes)
Lyric video from The New Basement Tapes’ album Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes (2014), released as a video in 2014
The New Basement Tapes were a supergroup formed in 2015 in order to record a variety of Bob Dylan lyrics that were written in 1967 during his sessions with The Band for The Basement Tapes. The group featured Costello, Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Marcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons, Taylor Goldsmith from Dawes and Rhiannon Giddons from the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Long-time Costello collaborator T Bone Burnett was the brainchild and producer of these sessions. Dylan had provided music and the band members split up the composition duties pretty evenly. Technically, five videos were released and Costello plays on all of them, but this is the only one that features him as lead vocalist and sole instrumental composer.
Costello is a huge Dylan fan (he singled out Dylan and Joni Mitchell as especially important in his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame acceptance speech in 2003). He’s also performed with him on occasion over the years and the respect seems to be mutual. You will know that the lyrics for “Married to My Hack” were written by Dylan the moment you hear them. What’s particularly impressive here is how Costello and the rest of the band (under the leadership, presumably, of Burnett) make the music sound like classic late 60’s Dylan – I particularly like the fuzz on the electric guitars (played by Costello and Burnett). Giddons backing vocals (she basically sings a hum) are also a really nice touch. I ranked this song down a bit because the lyrics are kind of slight (“hack” is used by Shakespeare in Merry Wives of Windsor to refer to a loose woman) and because I feel like it doesn’t really reach a musical resolution (which is typical of a lot of Dylan’s work, but doesn’t always work for me) and, at under 2 minutes, feels a little incomplete.
99. From Head to Toe
(Artist: Elvis Costello and The Attractions
Stand-alone single released in 1982
Cover of a song originally written and recorded by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles in 1965
Costello and The Attractions cut this cover of a Smokey Robinson deep cut. Costello was apparently familiar with UK Merseybeat The Escorts’ 1966 cover (with Paul McCartney on tambourine!). The Escorts released a number of singles but never an album until – in 1982 – due to some work by Elvis Costello, an album of their 12 songs (6 singles A and B side) was released titled From The Blue Angel. As I’ve mentioned (and will mention again), Costello has a voluminous knowledge of music. As I’ve not mentioned (but will also mention again), he’s the kind of artist who champions his favorites and would like you to listen to them, too. So do Costello a solid and listen to The Escorts’ version of this song (linked above on the words “1966 cover”). The Attractions version has more in common with that version than Robinson’s original. It’s a fun, upbeat number (and I enjoy it when the Attractions sing the backing vocals – they sound like they’re having a blast) that wasn’t included on Get Happy!! but which was “marketed with a free copy” of that album. I like this song well enough, but like “Married to My Hack,” it seems kind of slight in comparison to his other work.
98. …This Town…
Second single from Spike (1989), released as a single in 1989
I have moved “…This Town…” all over this list. It started in the bottom five, moved up to the top 50, and I’ve finally decided it belongs here. I’ve never really been 100% sure how I feel about this song in part because I’ve always had mixed feelings about its parent album, Spike. That record came out during my senior year in college and spawned Costello’s biggest US hit, “Veronica.” If you recall, when I was writing about R.E.M. and U2, I mentioned that I abandoned both of those former favorite bands as they gained more popularity in the late 80’s. I never exactly abandoned Costello, but I grew suspicious of him when some of my less snooty friends started expressing interest in his music. “Who are these people,” I thought, “who want to play with MY toys?”
The album is a bit of a stylistic jumble – he recorded it with four cities, a different band in each city. “…This Town…” was recorded with his Hollywood band. I find the production on this song to be a little tinny and pretty jarring – contrast it with the somewhat richer sound on “Let Him Dangle,” also recorded with the Hollywood band. I would not have chosen this song as the follow up to “Veronica,” but I am not a record executive. Instead, I’d have leaned towards “Pads, Paws and Claws” (where the tinny sound kind of works in a Tom Waits way) and not just because that song is about a woman who turns into a cat (and it was co-written with Paul McCartney). Furthermore, “Pads” works great live. “…This Town…” is a bitter tune which befits this album. Costello had hoped to abandon his nom du guerre and return to his birth name, Declan MacManus, on this record. If I recall, it had something to do with the baggage attached to his stage name. Alas, it was his first for his new contract with Columbia Records and I can only imagine him trying to explain to the executives who just hired him (at least in part on the recognizability of his name) that he wasn’t going to use that name anymore. I mean, it worked for Prince and for John Mellencamp.
97. Welcome to the Working Week
Promo single given away in 2007
The “original” version of “Welcome to the Working Week” is an album track from Costello’s debut album, My Aim Is True. This version – the original demo – was released in conjunction with the compilation album Rock and Roll Music in 2007. This demo is all of about 1 :15 long (the original is under 1:30) and doesn’t suffer from the same dated 70’s production as the version on the debut album (much more on this later). It’s a fantastic album opener and was a fine introduction to Costello at the time. I appreciate the lyrics (which I’ve always assumed, perhaps incorrectly, are on the popular “work sucks” theme) but have always felt this song ends before it begins. Short songs can be awesome but songs need to be as long as they need to be and this one has always felt abbreviated to me – a thing that’s even more pronounced on this demo.
96. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
(Artist: The Costello Show)
First single from King of America (1986), released as a single in 1986
Cover of a song originally performed by Nina Simone (1964)
King of America is a fabulous album of (mostly) original country/country rock music – easily my favorite by Elvis Costello. It is a set of especially strong song by Costello, produced by T Bone Burnett and featuring a remarkable cast of musicians – including many who’d played with Elvis Presley. The titular “King of America” is, of course, Elvis Presley, though Costello cheekily wears the crown on the cover. This song was originally not part of the package. Costello writes:
When I reluctantly consented to a record company request to record a cover song to ease this more acoustic sound over to the radio stations, I proceeded to contract laryngitis on the day of the session, rendering a version of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” as unrecognizable as my voice. T Bone still managed to make a great record out of it
Elvis Costello, Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink (445)
This is not a bad cover of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” per se. The supporting musicians are excellent (many of the musicians on this single would tour with Costello as The Confederates – ouch to that name). I have a love/hate relationship with Michael Blair‘s marimba work on this track – I find the presence of the marimba distracting but can’t deny that it’s lovely to listen to. However, I originally posted it rock bottom on this list because it’s always stood out like a sore thumb on King of America. I believe I bought the 45 before the album came out, but when I finally owned the parent album on cassette, I’d fast forward over this song every time. Bad enough that he was pressured to record it, but it was the first single and was pretty unrepresentative of the record – in fact, I find the move a startling vote of “no confidence” from the record company.
Every single other track on this record is remarkable and deserved maybe a little more attention – particularly “Suit of Lights” (the one track featuring The Attractions – there’s your marketing angle, AR people), the heartbreaking “American Without Tears” (and it’s non-album sequel) and my long time favorite “Jack of All Parades.” Obviously, they could have released these as singles and had no chart success. As it happens, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” didn’t have a whole lot of chart success. If they’d released one of the other singles to equal low response, they’d at least have had some dignity intact. Perhaps my error is assuming dignity mattered to them?
95. American Tune
(Artist: The Imposter)
Stand-alone single released in 2017
Originally written and recorded by Paul Simon
I’d originally ranked this cover of a Paul Simon classic significantly higher because I wasn’t really familiar with the original. It’s a very catchy tune and both Elvis Costello and The Roots, performing together here as The Imposter, are as tight as a band as you’ve ever heard. No, the issue is that, as delightful a cover as this is, I went to listen to the original and found both a performance by Simon and Garfunkle at the 1982 Concert in Central Park and, even better, this heart wrenching version by Allen Toussaint. Both of these versions move me to tears but neither The Imposter version of the Simon solo original do this. The Imposter version is a little too low key. On the other hand, if 2017 needed a song about the state of the world, holy cats, “American Tune” is that song. Simon claims that he doesn’t usually write overtly political songs, but this one was composed just after Nixon was elected. The bridge – in the right hands – is a thing of absolute beauty (in the Concert in the Park version, Paul Simon is perfect). I don’t think Costello quite nails it here (and he is very capable of nailing strong emotions) as he opts a little more for a more low key approach to the weariness of the narrator. Anyhow, very good song, rated lower because of what it could have been, not because of what it is. Entirely unfair of me, but it does impact my enjoyment of the song.
94. All This Useless Beauty
(Elvis Costello and The Attractions)
Fifth single from All This Useless Beauty (1996), released as a single 1996
Written by Elvis Costello but originally recorded by June Tabor (1992)
Costello wrote the title track from All This Useless Beauty for folk singer June Tabor. He employs this really fascinating A/A/B/C/C/D rhyme scheme on the verses – typically two short rhyming phrases (sometimes part of a continuous sentence, sometimes not) followed by a longer non-rhyming line. It’s a challenging format to work with, especially if you’re trying to paint a specific consistent picture or develop a line of thought. Costello, of course, is an expert songwriter and his lyric here is, as the headline at Elvis Costello Song of the Week suggests, worth hanging in a museum. He weaves a tale of a woman and the heartbreaking disparity between her ideals and her reality, particularly in terms of the emotional labor she puts into her relationship with her ape-like husband. Attractions keyboardist Steve Nieve’s work is absolutely gorgeous here. There are times that I absolutely love this song, so this must have just hit me in a bad month because I just am not feeling it right now. This reflects more on me than on the song of course. I think what’s rubbing me the wrong way right now is that I’ve recently listened to this live version of the song – just Costello and his guitar – and like the song stripped down so much more than the studio single.
93. Pouring Water On A Drowning Man
Promo single from Kojak Variety (1995), released as a single in 1995
Cover of a song originally recorded by James Carr (1967)
I’m pretty sure “Pouring Water On A Drowning Man” is the last song from Kojak Variety on this list and one of the better tracks from that album. The absolute highlight on this record is James Burton‘s guitar work. Burton was the leader of Elvis Presley’s TCB Band and is one of the great rock guitarists of all time. I could listen to his parts of this track all day. The rest of the song is all right too. I confess, my feelings about most of the songs from this album are colored by the fact that I didn’t want a cover album in 1995. I should have gotten over that years ago but my brain is a resentful lump of fat. Let’s leave Kojak Variety behind with a shout out to the finest song on that record – this gorgeous cover of Ray Davies’ “Days.”
92. Distorted Angel
(Artist: Elvis Costello and The Attractions)
Fourth single from All This Useless Beauty (1996), released as a single in 1996
I realized as I started working on this list that I was sifting the six singles from All This Useless Beauty towards the lower half of the list. I quite enjoyed the album in it’s time but note that I like several of the non-single songs (the fantastic original version of “Complicated Shadows,” the McCartney/Costello collaboration “Shallow Grave,” and the Brodsky Quartet collaboration “I Want To Vanish”) considerably better than the singles. I was a little surprised to find that the understated “Distorted Angel” (“a song about turning from a boy into a man and back into a boy”) was a single. There’s some neat keyboard work from Steve Nieve and the Attractions sound quite good, but this song illustrates Costello’s point that he band ceased to be a creative unit and started to just sound like a backing band after Blood and Chocolate in 1985. This song could have been recorded by any group of excellent musicians. This doesn’t mean it’s a bad song, of course. I do like it, but it sort of breezes in one ear, gets mistaken momentarily for the superior “Sulky Girl” (coming up later) and then floats away.
91. Turning the Town Red
(Artist: Elvis Costello and The Attractions)
Double A-Side with “I Wanna Be Loved,” released as a single in 1984
I first head “Turning the Town Red” sometime in high school but I’m not sure how. I thought I’d heard it on the Times Square soundtrack (it is not on that soundtrack), but perhaps I owned the 45 of “The Only Flame In Town” that used this track as its B-Side. It was recorded to be the theme song of the UK TV show Scully (which featured Costello in an acting roll). A demo of this track with different lyrics was released in 2004 as a bonus track on the Rhino re-release of Goodbye Cruel World. Anyhow, it was a double A-Side single in the UK with “I Wanna Be Loved” (coming up) and was eventually put on the much-coveted in the US but UK only compilation album Out of Our Idiot in 1987. Double A-Sides are the thing that is currently frightening me away from ranking The Beatles’ singles but so far this is the only Costello double A-Side I’ve run into. Whew! I really like the backing vocals on “Turning the Town Red” and remember sharing it on a mix tape or two for this reason, but even ranking it this high feels like I’m pushing it a little. There’s 90 singles that I like even more.
Coming Soon: An absolute, beloved classic song ranked much lower than most of the world would probably rank it.
Elvis Costello Singles Ranked – 111-116 – 101-110 – 91-100 – 81-90 – 71-80 – 61-70 – 51-60 – 41-50 – 31-40 – 21-30 – 11-20 – 1-10