The Top 30 Songs Of The Day Of 2013: #30-21

It's that time of year again. That time they call "the end of the year." And when the end of the year comes around, everybody says "It's that time of year again." And then everyone nods in mutual assent that the year is indeed ending. Some people then walk in late, and they say, "What's happening?" We turn to them and say, "It's that time of year again." Then they say, "Oh, the end of the year? Yeah, I heard about that." Then we say, "Way to stay on top of things, Charlie." Finally everyone drinks and puts together their year-end lists. Like this one!

These were the 30 most popular Songs Of The Day of 2013*, tabulated by total page views by You The Page-Viewer, and this time we have nearly a full calendar year of songs to choose from. We'll count these down in batches for a few days, and we'll have something very special for you when we get to #1.

* Not including my own song on July 2 which would have finished at #3 if I were cheeky enough to count it. I'm so badass that I'm my own conflict of interest. 

30. "Universal Vagrant," The Merry Dragons (Apr. 12)
Mod clash from the '60s. Leave it to me to start off this countdown with a song that I can't remember why I put up there, except the title sounded cool.

29. "Mother," The Police (Aug. 28)
Andy Summers took over duties of lead primal screamer in this 5/4 bully from the gigantic Synchronicity album. Oedipus wrecks!

28. "I'm A Ballplayer," Lenny Randle & Ballplayers (May 20)
After this we're retiring the phrase "more cowbell." Former Seattle Mariner third baseman Randle turns his profession into an awkward font for pickup lines in this minimalist funk number from 1982. Like the large majority of at-bats of the 1982 Seattle Mariners, it didn't result in a hit.

27. "Superstar," Lydia Murdock (May 30)
From Answer Songs Week comes this blazing retort to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," in which Murdock tries to arrange for visitations with the child he fathered. There are many one-liners I can make about that situation and you'll thank me for having the good taste not to mention any of them.

26. "Stay With Me," Lorraine Ellison (Apr. 18)
I'd like to think you made this the 26th most popular Song Of The Day because it blew you out of the water.

25. "Why Did You Do It," Stretch (May 28)
Also from Answer Songs Week, this is the pain-soaked cry from the band that pretended to be Fleetwood Mac on tour in the U.S. in 1974, their protest of how Mick Fleetwood and the Mac's tour manager tossed them aside when they came home. From the sound of it they could have also pretended to be the Climax Blues Band. This song is also pretty good.

24. "Prisencolinensinainciusol," Adriano Celentano (Aug. 9)
The resurrection of a meme from a couple years ago: an Italian artist making a gibberish song that sounds like what non-Americans perceive when they hear an American speaking English. Still makes more sense than about 75% of the Fox News Channel lineup.

23. "Wild in the Streets," Garland Jeffreys (Apr. 14)
A great song whose popularity on this blog was no doubt helped by Mr. Jeffreys' kind retweet. Someday my pyramid scheme will get off the ground.

22. "Freaxxx," brokeNCYDE (Apr. 1)
An April Fools joke for which I deeply apologize.

21. "There But for the Grace of God Go I," Machine (Apr. 21)
A cutting, surprisingly bleak song from the unit of genius that is August Darnell (Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Dr. Buzzard's Incredible Savannah Band), this became one of my favorite disco songs shortly after I discovered it.

Come back tomorrow, we'll have more of this.