The Moon, the astronomical physique that orbits Earth, is likely one of the most inspirational objects for human creativity. It has impressed phrases from Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and Joyce, and work from Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Magritte. There have additionally been songs concerning the Moon, by artists together with The Beatles (“Mr. Moonlight”), The Rolling Stones (“Moon Is Up”) and Pink Floyd (”The Darkish Facet Of the Moon”).
In addition to prompting evergreen hits resembling “Fly Me To the Moon,” the Moon has been the topic of comedy songs (Laurel And Hardy’s “Lazy Moon,” The Stargazers’ No.1 60s hit, “I See the Moon”), political songs (Gil Scott-Heron’s “Whitey On The Moon”) and quite a few instrumentals (Enya’s “Moon Shepherdess”). The Moon and outer area are sometimes utilized in ballads to offer the imagery expressing the enormity of emotion. In 1960, Mel Tormé went so far as to file a complete album for Verve based mostly on moon songs, known as Swingin’ On The Moon.
Carpenters even recorded a tune in 1976, ”Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft”, which aimed to ship out a telepathic message to guests from outer area. The considered the loneliness of interstellar journey impressed David Bowie to put in writing “Space Oddity” and led to Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s “Rocket Man”.
Because the world celebrates the anniversary of the Moon touchdown of July 20, 1969, we honor these astral explorers with our choose of the 20 greatest songs concerning the Moon and area journey. A few of your favorites – resembling Simon And Garfunkel’s “Song About The Moon” – could have simply missed out, so tell us within the feedback if there are any songs that ought to have been on board.
20: “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” (Glen Campbell, 1974)
Jimmy Webb is likely one of the nice fashionable songwriters and his tune “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” is a shining instance of his lyrical prowess: “Though she looks as warm as gold/The Moon’s a harsh mistress/The Moon can be so cold.” Quite a few star performers have lined Webb’s moon tune, together with Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, Joan Baez and Joe Cocker. The definitive model, although, was the one by Glen Campbell for his 1974 album Reunion: The Songs Of Jimmy Webb.
19: “Moon At The Window” (Joni Mitchell, 1983)
Joni Mitchell mentioned that, although some critics dismissed “Moon At The Window’ as “eccentric,” she thought that within the tune she had “gone closer to jazz than I have ever gone while working harmonically outside the laws of jazz.” Wayne Shorter performs some intimate soprano saxophone on a monitor that took its identify from the Zen poetry of Ryoken (“The thief left it behind: the moon at my window”). The tune appeared on Mitchell”s 1983 album, Wild Issues Run Quick.
18: “Once In A Very Blue Moon” (Nanci Griffith, 1984)
Pat Algar is a revered nation music songwriter whose compositions have been lined by The Everly Brothers, Garth Brooks and Crystal Gayle. Considered one of his sweetest songs proved a seminal one for Nanci Griffith, when she recorded “Once In A Very Blue Moon,” the title monitor of her 1984 album. She later named her orchestra after the tune. “Once In A Very Blue Moon” has been lined by Mary Black and Dolly Parton.
The Moon is an inspirational object for nation musicians, and different main nation songs concerning the Moon embrace ones by Hank Williams (“Howlin’ At The Moon”), Lyle Lovett (“Moon On My Shoulder”) Patty Griffin (“Moon Song”) and Dar Williams (“Calling The Moon”).
17: “Drunk On The Moon” (Tom Waits, 1974)
It’s no shock that Tom Waits has give you unique songs concerning the Moon, together with “Grapefruit Moon.” Maybe his greatest is “Drunk On The Moon,” which was recorded for the 1974 album The Coronary heart Of Saturday Evening. The jazzy, late-night ambiance of the tune enhances creative lyrics (“The Moon’s a silver slipper/It’s pouring champagne stars”) and the monitor options fantastic enjoying from tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb, who performed with Louie Bellson, Chet Baker and Rely Basie. “Drunk On The Moon” was impressed by The Terminal bar in Denver, Colorado. “There’s all different kinds of moons – silver slipper moons and there’s cue ball moons and there’s buttery moons and moons that are all melted off to one side, and “Drunk On The Moon” is a couple of muscatel moon,” mentioned Waits.
16: “Shame On The Moon” (Bob Seger, 1982)
The primary model of “Shame On The Moon” was reduce by its creator Rodney Crowell (with spouse Rosanne Money singing concord vocals). The tune later grew to become an enormous hit for Detroit musician Bob Seger and his Silver Bullet Band. It was used as the only to advertise his 1982 album The Distance, and the monitor contains a glowing piano solo by Little Feat member Invoice Payne. “It’s like a cowboy song and the track is flawless, the best and tightest track on the album,” mentioned Seger. “We cut it in like two hours, and everyone decided it was the miracle track. But then we had to decide whether to use it or not because The Distance was going to be a real rock album… the next thing we know, the Capitol Records guys are saying, ‘That’s the single!’ I’m beholden to Rodney for writing it.”
15: “An Ending (Ascent)” (Brian Eno, 1983)
Brian Eno’s landmark album Apollo: Atmospheres And Soundtracks is being reissued, with a further album’s value of latest recordings, to have a good time the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon touchdown. The songs from Apollo, initially launched in 1983, have featured in movies, tv exhibits and commercials. “An Ending (Ascent)” was used within the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony. Among the many new tracks on the 2019 launch is a composition by Roger Eno known as “Under The Moon.”
14: “Moonlight Serenade” (Glenn Miller, 1939)
Glenn Miller’s well-known swing ballad “Moonlight Serenade” turned 80 in April 2019, and the bandleader’s signature tune is likely one of the most immediately recognisable melodies in standard music. Mitchell Parish subsequently wrote tune lyrics – “I stand at your gate/And the song that I sing is of moonlight” – which had been recorded by Frank Sinatra for a complete album of moon songs (Moonlight Sinatra, 1965). Nevertheless, it’s the instrumental model of Miller’s basic that endures. Different jazz musicians have been impressed to put in writing and carry out songs concerning the Moon, together with Duke Ellington (“Moon Mist”) and Miles Davis (“Moon Dreams”), Louis Armstrong and Oscar Peterson (“Moon Song”), and Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt (“Moonglow”).
13: “Pink Moon” (Nick Drake, 1972)
Nick Drake performed acoustic guitar and the minimalist piano solo on “Pink Moon,” the title monitor from his 1972 album, however his fairly solo appears out of kilter with the darkness of his lyrics: “Saw it written and I saw it say/Pink moon is on its way/And none of you stand so tall/Pink moon gonna get ye all.” This two-minute gem was written at a time when he was affected by melancholy and dwelling in a small flat in London’s Haverstock Hill. The pink – or blood – moon has been referenced as an evil portent since The E-book Of Revelation and gave the impression to be Drake’s prophecy of darkish days to return. It additionally offered inspiration for Sidney Bechet’s passionately expansive solo on “Blood On The Moon,” which was composed within the studio simply earlier than recording.
12: “Walking On the Moon” (The Police, 1979)
Sting’s memorable tune, which he mentioned got here to him as a riff one evening when he was drunk in Munich, went straight to No.1 in December 1979. The success of the only was helped by a full of life music video that had been filmed a few months earlier than, on the Kennedy Area Centre in Florida. The video options The Police miming to the monitor in amongst spacecraft shows, interspersed with NASA footage; Stewart Copeland performed drumsticks on a Saturn V moon rocket. A brand new model of “Walking On The Moon” seems on Sting’s My Songs album, which the singer described as “reconstructed” variations of his hits, “with a contemporary focus.”
11: “Man On The Moon” (R.E.M., 1992)
“Man On The Moon,” which appeared on R.E.M.’s eighth album, Automated For The Individuals, was an enormous hit in 1992 and stays one in every of R.E.M.’s hottest tunes. It’s the solely entry on this checklist of songs concerning the Moon to take care of the conspiracy theories concerning the 1969 moon touchdown being faked. Mike Mills, who was credited as a co-writer of “Man On The Moon,” mentioned that they’d intentionally written about Andy Kaufman within the tune due to odd theories that the comic had faked his loss of life. “He’s the perfect ghost to lead you through this tour of questioning things,” Mills mentioned in 2018. “Did the Moon landing really happen? Is Elvis really dead? Kaufman was kind of an ephemeral figure at that point, so he was the perfect guy to tie all this stuff together as you journey through childhood and touchstones of life.”
10: “Moondance” (Van Morrison, 1970)
Although Van Morrison’s glowing lyrics – “Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love” – are catchy, they had been in reality written after the Belfast singer had composed the music. “With ‘Moondance,’ I wrote the melody first,” mentioned Van Morrison in 1973. “I played the melody on a soprano sax and knew I had a song, so I wrote lyrics to go with the melody. For me, ‘Moondance’ is a sophisticated song. Frank Sinatra wouldn’t be out of place singing that.” For the recording, by the way, Morrison handed over saxophone duties to the late Jack Schroer.
9: “Blue Moon Of Kentucky” (Elvis Presley, 1954)
When Invoice Monroe recorded a model of his personal tune “Blue Moon Of Kentucky” in 1946, he reduce it as a gradual waltz. Eight years later, a younger Elvis Presley was larking about in Solar Studios with guitarist Scotty Moore and bass participant Invoice Black. “We’re taking a little break and Bill starts beating on the bass and singing ‘Blue Moon Of Kentucky,’ mocking Bill Monroe, singing the high falsetto voice. Elvis joins in with him, starts playing and singing along with him,” recalled Moore. Producer Sam Phillips recognised the potential of their interpretation and advised them to file it as an upbeat, blues-based tune. “Blue Moon Of Kentucky,” which was launched as a 7” single on 19 July 1954 – simply 12 days after being recorded – was an immediate hit.
8: “Moonshadow” (Cat Stevens, 1970)
Cat Stevens is a grasp of memorable photographs, and he mentioned that his favourite of all of the songs he has written was “Moonshadow,” which was launched as a single in September 1970, forward of its inclusion on the album Teaser And The Firecat. Stevens grew up within the bustling Holborn space of central London and mentioned that it was an expertise on vacation that prompted him to put in writing this tune of hope. “In the West End of London there were bright lights, so I never got to see the Moon on its own in the dark, there were always streetlamps,” mentioned the person now generally known as Yusuf Islam. “So there I was on the edge of the water on a beautiful night with the Moon glowing, and suddenly I looked down and saw my shadow. I thought that was so cool, I’d never seen it before.”
7: “Moon River” (Sarah Vaughan, 1963)
Although Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer’s delightfully romantic tune “Moon River” will perpetually be related to Audrey Hepburn’s model within the 1961 film Breakfast At Tiffany’s, the Oscar- and Grammy-winning tune was later lined by a number of the best singers of recent standard music, together with Judy Garland, Aretha Franklin, Rod Stewart and Amy Winehouse. There’s a nice model by Sarah Vaughan on the 1963 Verve Data album Sarah Vaughan Sings The Mancini Songbook. In order for you a transferring model by a male singer, then take a look at Louis Armstrong’s interpretation, late in his life, on the album Hi there, Dolly! His trumpet solo is good – as is the instrumental jazz model by Dizzy Gillespie. The tune’s enduring enchantment was demonstrated in 2018 with a fantastic model by Frank Ocean.
6: “How High The Moon” (Les Paul And Mary Ford, 1951)
The jazz customary “How High The Moon” was written by Morgan Lewis and lyricist Nancy Hamilton for the 1940 Broadway drama Two For The Present. Benny Goodman recorded the primary instrumental model, however the basic model was by Les Paul and Mary Ford for Capitol Data in January 1951. The husband-and-wife recording spent 9 weeks at No.1 on the Billboard chart and showcases the intricate, vibrant fashion of enjoying that made Paul such an influential guitarist. There have been tons of of canopy variations, in a spread of genres and kinds, together with variations by Chet Baker (jazz), Marvin Gaye (soul), Gloria Gaynor (disco) and Emmylou Harris (nation).
5: “Bad Moon Rising” (Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1969)
In addition to being a logo of romance and thriller, the Moon may also be a portent of doom. When creator Christopher Isherwood was making a dwelling as scriptwriter at MGM in Hollywood within the 30s, he wrote a line into the 1941 Ingrid Bergman thriller Rage In Heaven concerning the dangerous vibes from the astronomical physique: “The Moon. It’s staring at me, like a great eye.” One other bleak Hollywood film, The Satan And Daniel Webster, impressed John Fogerty to compose “Bad Moon Rising,” which options lyrics concerning the “the apocalypse that was going to be visited upon us.” “Bad Moon Rising” is properly suited to the soundtrack of the comedy-horror An American Werewolf In London (1981) and the tune has been lined by Jerry Lee Lewis and Emmylou Harris.
4: “Blue Moon” (Billie Vacation, 1952)
“Blue Moon” developed as a tune from the MGM soundtrack-writing system, with Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart penning the ultimate model for a Clark Gable movie known as Manhattan Melodrama. The attractive lyrics – “Blue moon/You saw me standing alone/Without a dream in my heart/Without a love of my own” – are tailored for any expert vocalist to interpret. One of many best variations was by Billie Vacation for Verve (with backing from jazz greats resembling Barney Kessel on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and Oscar Peterson on piano). It’s such a powerful tune that you might take your choose of variations by different artists, together with Elvis Presley, Mel Tormé, Ella Fitzgerald and Dean Martin. The wonderful Beck tune about loneliness, “Blue Moon,” suggestions a nod to Rodgers and Hart by utilizing the identical tune title.
3: “Fly Me To The Moon” (Frank Sinatra, 1964)
When songwriter Bart Howard first got here up with the lyrics for his magnificent customary “Fly Me To The Moon” he initially titled the tune “In Other Words.” There have been so many good variations of “Fly Me To The Moon” that it might be not possible to choose the very best, however among the many greatest interpretations are these by Doris Day, Anita O’Day, Astrud Gilberto, Nat “King” Cole and Julie London. Essentially the most well-known, nevertheless, is Frank Sinatra’s 1964 recording. Sinatra’s model was performed on the Apollo 10 mission which orbited the Moon in Could 1969. The tune was additionally rumored to have been the primary music ever heard on the Moon itself, when it was reportedly performed on a conveyable cassette participant by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, after he stepped on the Moon’s floor. Aldrin later mentioned he couldn’t keep in mind for positive, nevertheless.
2: “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)” (Elton John, 1972)
Elton John mentioned he was “blown away” by David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” and credited it as a serious inspiration. So when Bernie Taupin got here up together with his personal interstellar journey tune – partly impressed by a brief story in Ray Bradbury’s e book The Illustrated Man – John leapt on the likelihood to file “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time).” John even used Bowie’s producer – former Decca Data man Gus Dudgeon – to be the controller on the bottom for his inclusion on this checklist of songs concerning the Moon. In 2016, following Bowie’s loss of life, John performed an instrumental model of “Space Oddity,” which he then segued into his personal hit “Rocket Man.” John’s tune, which has been downloaded almost half 1,000,000 instances, offered the title for the hit 2019 biopic concerning the singer’s life.
1: “Space Oddity” (David Bowie, 1969)
“Space Oddity” was rushed out as a single on July 11, 1969, 5 days earlier than the Apollo 11 launch, and 9 days earlier than Neil Armstrong grew to become the primary man on the Moon. David Bowie’s major inspiration was the movie 2001: A Area Odyssey, and his tune is stuffed with eerie, melancholy lyrics a couple of Main Tom who’s stranded in area: “Here am I floating round my tin can/Far above the Moon/Planet Earth is blue/And there’s nothing I can do.”
The tune was really performed by the BBC throughout its protection of the Apollo launch. “I’m sure the BBC really weren’t listening to the lyric at all,” mentioned Bowie. “It wasn’t a pleasant thing to juxtapose against a moon landing. Of course, I was overjoyed that they did.” Bowie would later revisit his Main Tom character in “Ashes To Ashes” and “Hallo Spaceboy.”
