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Song of the Day #5,126: ‘Peach Trees’ – Rufus Wainwright

Here’s a track from Rufus Wainwright’s 2004 album Want Two that, like so many of his best songs, overflows with romantic longing. ‘Peach Trees’ finds Wainwright on a lonely stroll through New York City, wishing to see a lover who is either absent or non-existent.

Looking back, I’m tempted to say the Want project — which consisted of two albums released a year apart — was the last great work Wainwright released. I need to revisit the three pop albums he put out over the next 16 years to remind myself how they stack up.

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Song of the Day #5,125: ‘The Bridge I Burned’ – Elvis Costello

‘The Bridge I Burned’ is a cut from one of the extended editions Elvis Costello released in the early 2000s, in this case the 2001 reissue of 1995’s All This Useless Beauty.

At least that’s where my copy of this song lives. It was originally released as part of a 1997 greatest hits collection, a contractual obligation that allowed Costello to finish off his time at Warner Bros.

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Song of the Day #5,124: ‘Kick’ – INXS

As I’ve already demonstrated, 1987 was a great year for iconic rock albums. I can’t wait to get to this year in my Decades series. Add INXS’ Kick to the list.

I could see any number of songs from this album making an impactful appearance in the next season of Strange Things. Start with the title track (and today’s SOTD), which has a propulsive chorus that could punctuate a scene of our plucky heroes fighting back against the dark forces of the Upside Down.

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Song of the Day #5,123: ‘Where the Streets Have No Name (Live)’ – U2

If there’s a song that gives ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ a run for its money as one of the greatest openings of all time, it’s U2’s ‘Where the Streets Have No Name.’ This song kicks off 1987’s The Joshua Tree in epic fashion, stately organs giving way to one of The Edge’s iconic guitar licks.

This song would be a brilliant choice for the beginning of a Stranger Things episode, or as the backdrop to a particularly gripping sequence. Or, as I suggested for ‘Welcome to the Jungle,’ it could score an early trailer for the next season, setting the table with a nostalgic jolt. The current season used a haunting remix of Journey’s ‘Separate Ways’ in similar fashion.

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Song of the Day #5,122: ‘Welcome to the Jungle (Live)’ – Guns N’ Roses

When I started looking for songs to fit my Stranger Things “predict the next 80s viral hit” challenge, Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ was the first one I considered a slam dunk.

This anarchic classic has the perfect feel for a show about the threat of apocalypse, and the epic sweep of its soundscape — particularly in the opening minute — would beautifully match images of death and destruction.

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