Sunday Songs

Album covers from featured artists, clockwise: Blondie; Morrissey; Billy Porter; and Sinéad O'Connor.

In picking the songs which feature the work "Sunday" in the title, I simply went to my iTunes, typed in 'sunday' and wondered what would come up. To my surprise, 48 entries appeared, so some thought needed to get put into it. I decided to go with four songs, each from different decades. And while I was tempted to toss in Etta James' "Sunday Kind of Love" or Julie London's "Sunday Blues", I opted to go with other songs from other times. And I will start with the earliest selection, a favorite of mine. In 1978, a bunch of amazing things happened. I graduated from Smyrna High School, and went off to college in Reading, PA. And a Punk band released an album that changed the way some heard music, and what people thought about women rockers. It was, of course, Blondie, who released their breakthrough album, 'Parallel Lines'. The album was still churning out hits in 1979, like "Heart of Glass" and "One Way Or Another". Sandwiched in between those two singles was the delicate and beautiful "Sunday Girl".

You can purchase 'Parallel Lines' from iTunes and Amazon.

To leap into the next decade, it feels like I have little choice but to go with a song that the 'Mo' in Emo, the always blue Morrissey. Through his time with the Smith's and on to his solo career, Morrissey cornered the market on teenage angst, and put it into so many great songs. Here he sings "Every Day Is Like Sunday" from the 1988 album 'Viva Hate'.

You can purchase 'Viva Hate' from iTunes and Amazon.

Is there anyone out that who doesn't love Sinéad O'Connor? I mean, come on, really? Her voice is just so very special, and she has an amazing way to communicate the common struggle we all face. And wow, that voice. In 1992, Sinéad released the album 'Am I Not Your Girl?", with some great songs. Here she sings "Gloomy Sunday" off that album.

You can purchase 'Am I Not Your Girl?' from iTunes and Amazon.

I have had a wonderful crush on Billy Porter for a while now. And when I was trying to decide on the entries for this post and saw his name, I knew I would regret not including him. His voice is brilliant - soaring and glorious, carrying so much depth as it does. For the last entry, here is Billy Porter singing "Sunday" from Stephen Sondheim's great 'Sunday In The Park With George'. It is off Porter's 2005 album 'At The Corner of Broadway & Soul'.

You can purchase 'The Corner of Broadway & Soul' from iTunes and Amazon.

Hope your week is special!