Song of the Day #2,660: ‘Photograph’ – Ed Sheeran

ed_sheeran_singIf you were expecting a modern take on the 1983 Def Leppard classic, you’ll be disappointed. No, #17 on this week’s charts is an Ed Sheeran original with the same title.

This one’s good, too.

Sheeran wrote the delicate track during his long-distance relationship with his now-ex girlfriend. But the lyrics are applicable to any unwanted separation. In the YouTube comments, several people dedicate the track to friends or family members who have recently died.

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Song of the Day #2,659: ‘Ex’s & Oh’s’ – Elle King

ele_king_exs_ohsElle King sits at Billboard’s #16 with the bawdy double entendres of ‘Ex’s & Oh’s.’ King is an L.A.-based singer and songwriter who has had moderate success since 2012 but is enjoying her first chart success with this track.

When I first Googled King, I saw a lot of returns connecting her to comedian Rob Schneider. Hollywood being how it is, I assumed she was his girlfriend. In fact, the 26-year-old is his daughter, which is both a relief and yet another reminder that I’m getting old. The “makin’ copies!” guy is 51??

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Song of the Day #2,658: ‘Hit the Quan’ – iHeartMemphis

I_love_memphis_hit_quanOMI’s ‘Cheerleader’ sits in Billboard’s 14th spot, but that’s the last repeat we’ll encounter this week. At #15 is iHeartMemphis (or iLoveMemphis, depending on how you choose to pronounce it) with the dance track ‘Hit the Quan.’

iHeartMemphis is a rapper from, you guessed it, Memphis and this is his biggest (perhaps only) hit to date. It’s one of those tracks (like Silento’s ‘Watch Me’) that catches fire mostly because of what other people do with it.

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Song of the Day #2,656: ‘Harmony’ – Elton John

elton_johnThe other day I made an unlikely comparison between Jimmy Buffett and Elton John. Both artists, I argued, have put out a dozen or more excellent songs — songs that endure after decades and are among the most moving ever committed to record — but both have also released so many albums over the years that the majority of their work is completely foreign to me.

Can it be that all of those unheard albums are filled with songs just as good as ‘Tiny Dancer,’ ‘Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters,’ ‘Come Monday, ‘Margaritaville’ and the rest of the classics? Or did these guys strike gold once or twice per album and I’m better off just knowing the hits?

Probably somewhere in between.

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