Following is my response for the “Playlist with a theme” prompt from the FB group Vocal Writing Prompts. The theme I have chosen is “Colours”. Below is my list of ten songs containing a colour in the title.
So, without further delay, here is my colourful playlist.
Paint It Black – The Rolling Stones
Recorded in 1966 by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, the single spent eleven weeks on the Billboard Top 100, and was ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the greatest songs of all time.
Purple Rain - Prince
Released in 1984, Purple Rain was the sixth studio album released by American recording artist Prince, and the soundtrack to the movie of the same name. The title song is a power ballad that combines rock, R&B, gospel, and orchestra. It reached #2 on the top 100 and stayed there for two weeks.
True Blue – Madonna
The title track from her third studio album, True Blue was written by Madonna and Steve Bray. The dance-pop song released in 1986, was said to have dealt with Madonna’s feelings for her then husband, Sean Penn. It topped the charts in the UK, Ireland, and Canada, and reached #3 in the U.S.
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, it is the title track of the 1973 album of the same name. The lyrics, written by Taupin, contain autobiographical elements referring to his childhood on a farm, and express a desire to get back to one’s roots. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was a top ten hit for John in both the UK and U.S.
Fields of Gold – Sting
A song written and performed by English musician Sting, It first appeared on his fourth studio album, Ten Summoner’s Tales, in 1993.
From: Lyrics by Sting: In England, our house is surrounded by barley fields, and in the summer it's fascinating to watch the wind moving over the shimmering surface, like waves on an ocean of gold. There's something inherently sexy about the sight, something primal, as if the wind were making love to the barley. Lovers have made promises here, I'm sure, their bonds strengthened by the comforting cycle of the seasons.
99 Luftballons/99 Red Balloons
Released in 1983, “99 Luftballons” was released by the German band Nena from their self-titled album. An English-language version titled "99 Red Balloons", was also released on the album 99 Luftballons in 1984 after widespread success of the original in Europe and Japan. The English version is not a direct translation and contains somewhat different meaning. The English-language version did not chart in the U.S, while the German-language recording became Nena's only US hit.
Pretty in Pink – Psychedelic Furs
“Pretty in Pink" is a song by the English band The Psychedelic Furs, originally released in 1981. In 1986, the film of the same name was released, and the song was re-recorded and included on the film’s soundtrack. The original version of "Pretty in Pink" peaked at No. 43 on the UK Singles Chart in July 1981. The 1986 version reached No. 18 in the UK and narrowly missed the Top 40 in the U.S. peaking at No. 41.
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
A song by Northern Irish singer and songwriter Van Morrison, Brown Eyed girl was released in June of 1967. The song spent a total of sixteen weeks on the chart, peaking at #10, and it considered Van Morrison’s signature song.
Orange Crush – R.E.M.
Released as the first single from R.E.M. sixth studio album in 1988 It reached number one as a on both the Mainstream and Modern Rock Tracks, despite not being commercially released in the U.S.. It peaked at number 28 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's then-highest chart hit in Britain, where they promoted the song by making their debut appearance on Top of the Pops.
White Christmas – Bing Crosby
The variety of songs available to choose with “white” in the title is boundless. I’m sure you could find at least a few in every genre. Being a classic rock fan, some that immediately came to mind were “White Rabbit”, “White Room”, “Black and White”, “White Wedding”, “Whiter Shade of Pale”, “Nights in White Satin”, etc. Sooo, I decided to take a completely different route. (You’re welcome) with this timeless classic by Bing Crosby
Written by Irving Berlin in 1942 for the musical film “Holiday Inn”, the composition was honored with the Academy Award for best original song. “White Christmas” has been covered by many artists, but the version sung by Bing Crosby continues to be the world’s best selling single, with sales estimated above 50 million.
Thank you for checking out my Colourful Tunes playlist. Join us at Vocal Writing Prompts for more ideas. We post new prompts three times weekly for authors to share existing pieces that fit, and hopefully, give you some inspiration to come up with something new.
About the Creator
Cathy holmes
Canadian family girl with a recently discovered love for writing. Other loves include animals and sports.
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Comments (7)
Wonderfully colorful playlist with a lot of very catchy songs. I loved hearing some of these again.
Some excellent songs
Fun... Great list... Of course I know all these songs. I especially love "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," "Orange Crush," and "Pretty in Pink." My choice for the color white would be Billy Idol's "White Wedding."
This was fascinating!
Splendid!!!💖💕
Great themed playlist
Oh Cathy, I loved this! Songs like Orange Crush and bands like Psychedelic Furs...so many good choices here!