Here are the Top of the Blubs

1. Brian Kennedy – Captured
2. Jade – Fly on Strangewings
3. Van Morrison – Coney Island
4. Joni Mitchell – A Case of You
5. Clifford T Ward – Home Thoughts from Abroad
6. Tracy Chapman – Fast Car
7. Tom Baxter – Almost There
8. Wendy & Lisa – The Life
9. Tracey Thorn – By Piccadilly Station I sat down and Wept
10. Indigo Girls – History of Us
11. Simply Red – Maybe Someday
12. Mount Desolation – Coming Home
13. Amy Macdonald – What Happiness Means to Me
14. Olafur Arnalds – 3055
15. A Certain Ratio – The Big E (I won’t stop loving you)
16. Bob Dylan – Workingman Blues #2
17. Cat Stevens – Lilywhite
18. Cathy Burton – Hollow
19. Clare Maguire – Hope there’s someone
20. Damien Rice – Cold Water
21. Five for Fighting – 100 Years
22. Fleetwood Mac – Landslide
23. Gerry & the Pacemakers – You’ll never walk alone
24. Horse – Careful
25. Leon Russell – A Song for You
26. Level 42 – It’s Over (remix)
27. Mike Scott – What do you want me to do
28. Renaissance – Northern Lights
29. Shelagh McDonald – Stargazer
30. Something Corporate – Konstantine
31. The Fat Lady Sings – Arclight
32. The Hollies – He ain’t heavy
33. The Psychedelic Furs – The Ghost in You
34. Guillemots – We’re Here
35. Willie Nelson – you were always on my mind

Nick Clegg recently admitted that he sometimes cried when listening to certain pieces of music. In the same interview he also said that he didn’t want to become a ‘human punchbag’ for the Coalition Government. It is not recorded whether the two things are connected. As someone who is urging us to put on a brave face as his Government do a ‘repair job’ on the economy, I would ask which of his two faces should we emulate? Anyway, as CS Lewis put it, we are sometimes ‘surprised by joy’ in our everyday lives and this can include music, inducing tears and other forms of emotion. An experience triggered by strong memories, the loss of a loved one, the start or end of a relationship or by just experiencing the wonders of nature on a beautiful Spring day whilst listening on an iPod. For the first time, Nick set me to thinking. Which songs have moved me to tears of exhilaration as well of sadness? Tear smudged and peppered with sparkles of happiness they follow below:

1.  Brian Kennedy – the most beautiful male voice in the world kills you in the last refrain
2. Jade – for a moment in the Sixties everything was possible..
3. Van Morrison – ‘Why can’t it be like this all the time?’
4. Joni Mitchell – Joni the woman sings Joni the girl. The insight of age tugs at you.
5. Clifford T Ward – a small death abroad, Keats, Browning and other romantic poets..
6. Tracy Chapman – We’ve all driven a fast car and left people behind.
7. Tom Baxter – A relationship that didn’t quite make it. Exquisite.
8. Wendy & Lisa – Not just any life, the Life.
9. Tracey Thorn – The saddest voice in the world singing about crying. Perfect.
10. Indigo Girls – Don’t listen to this alone. The references to Paris will pierce your soul.
11. Simply Red – Mick Hucknall knew how to manipulate your heartstrings. On this he means it.
12. Mount Desolation – Keane with emotion. Come home.
13. Amy Macdonald – Happy and sad all at the same time.
14. Olafur Arnalds – The sole instrumental. You’ll understand why it’s here.
15. A Certain Ratio – Manchester in the rain. You won’t stop loving this.
16. Bob Dylan – A hymn – or an elegy to the working man?
17. Cat Stevens – Once we were all lilywhite..
18. Cathy Burton – One of the saddest post-breakup songs ever – and she’s from Littlehampton, the other LA.
19. Clare Maguire – sings Anthony Johnson in a style so intimate and sad you can hear her crying inside.
20. Damien Rice – As cold as it gets. The strings alone will destroy you, even before the ‘If I lost you’ refrain and the eery reverse vocals.
21. Five for Fighting – a commentary on getting old. ‘Fifty, there’s still time for you.’ Phew.
22. Fleetwood Mac – On the impossibility of rebuilding lives and relationships. Stevie Nicks should know.
23. Gerry & the Pacemakers – It’s a football thing…
24. Horse – Unimaginably beautiful Scottish voice. She’s a secret few people know about. Never has being captured sounded more liberating.
25. Leon Russell – four decades on, this gets me every time..
26. Level 42 – Beautiful and unbearably melancholic lament to the end of a relationship.
27. Mike Scott – Whispers ‘I’m listening’. Who to? God, of course.
28. Renaissance – ‘The Northern Lights are in my heart and my mind, they guide me back to you..’ Beautiful song, beautifully sung by Annie Haslam.
29. Shelagh McDonald – a choir of what sound like monks join in and create havoc with the emotions
30. Something Corporate – 9 minutes of angst. By now you’ll be able to handle it..
31. The Fat Lady Sings – ‘When you shine, you burn me down..’ The Irish always do this sort of thing best..
32. The Hollies – Yes, it was used for a beer ad. No, Neil Diamond hasn’t written anything better.
33. The Psychedelic Furs – There’s a ghost in all of us.
34. Guillemots – Making the most of every day. We’re here. It’s as simple and as profound as that.
35. Willie Nelson – Even when he’s happy, Willie still sounds sad. This song will finish you off.

Sad, yes, but all these songs are emotional in a good way. Keep your ‘kerchiefs handy, crack open a bottle of wine and enjoy the emotional slalem.

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