Hot 100 #48

AKB48 are a Japanese girl-band with 134 members who have sold 56 million records. And you thought five Spice Girls were too many!

Welcome back. You know the drill by now. Every week we count down another number, you provide lots of useful suggestions for songs that mention that number, and then I either bow to public pressure and go with one of your choices... or choose some obscure bit of nonsense that nobody else likes because I'm weird that way.

Last week, I suggested that I had "an obvious cool answer and an obvious slightly-less-cool answer for 48".

C was first to identify the "obvious cool" answer...

The Clash - 48 Hours

...which might have been this week's winner if I were more cool myself. But I'm not.

The Swede was convinced that the above (or "the obvious slightly-less-cool answer", which we'll come to in a moment) would be this week's winner, but that didn't stop him stumping up the following...

Frank Sinatra - Let's Get Away From It All

We'll travel 'round from town to town,

We'll visit every state, I'll repeat I love you sweet,

In all the forty eight...

Which, I guess, proves that this song was written long before Alaska & Hawaii joined the U.S.A. in 1959, making the number up to 50.

The Swede's next suggestion stole the thunder of our resident Canadian player, Douglas McClaren this week...

The Tragically Hip - The Dark Canuck

Till their art falls out, 

The short answer's 48 hours...

And finally from The Swede, this week's obligatory Bob Dylan entry...

Bob Dylan - Changing of the Guards

She wakes him up 48 hours later, 

The sun is breaking

In truth, 48 proved a tougher number than most - even Martin struggled to find anything beyond the obvious two suggestions, although he did eventually identify another one from my library...

The Tindersticks - 4.48 Psychosis

Finally, Jim from Dubai offered us another 48 band, and obscure Manchester act from 40 years gone...

48 Chairs - Snap It Around

A few more lyrical offerings from my own collection, starting with this week's token car song...

When I was a young boy,
It weren't too late,
I had me a Buick, was a '48
Yeah, tons and tons of rollin' steel
With a long black hood and four big wheels.

Neil Young - Get Gone

I asked the girl which road she was taking
She said she’s walking the road of hate
But she hopped on a coal-trolley up to New Town,
Population: 48

Nick Cave - Crow Jane

And finally, this rather unhygienic offering... 

Well, I didn't take a bath in 48 hours

So I took a detour and had a meteor shower

The Stray Cats - Blast Off! 

But in the end, it came down to either The Clash... or this week's "slightly less cool" winner, which actually got more votes, and not just from the middle-aged men in the audience... George, The Swede, Martin, Rigid Digit and Charity Chic, who went all googly-eyed and starting sighing like a lovestruck teenager. Not just them, because Alyson voted for this feminist icon too..

Take it away, Suzie Q...



Next Tuesday I will be 47. Your messages of condolence will be much appreciated.

By a wild coincidence, that's also the day we hit 47 on the Hot 100 Countdown. It's almost like I planned it that way... but who'd believe that?

Anyway, your suggestions for songs featuring the number 47 will be gratefully received...