Jay-Z completely co-opted this song, but the original is just as hot. Bobby “Blue” Bland’s single wasn’t a huge hit, but it resonated—particularly because it felt like a “serious” song, even if the lyrics are ostensibly just another love song.
THE GREATEST OF ALL TUNES (G.O.A.T.) is a series of posts, producing my 100 favorite songs of all time. The master list is here, and I update it about every two weeks or when I have another 10 songs or so.
When I next update the list, this one will be pretty high up. It will come in just below “Ooh Child,” knocking The Kinks and Maren Morris down a peg…
…
12. Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Richard Hawley (2007) (link)
13. O-o-h Child by The Five Stairsteps (1970) (link)
14. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City by Bobby Blue Bland (1974) <———-
15. Misfits by the Kinks (1978) (link); and: Covers of the top 30 Kinks songs here and here
16. My Church by Maren Morris (2016) (link)
17. Somebody Told Me by The Killers (2004)(link)
…
Cover versions: Jay-Z made it a rap hit, but the song works in every genre…Let’s start with a new, faithful rendition (and one of my 100 favorite songs of 2015), and then move from genre to genre.
Reggae version!
Hair Metal! (Whitesnake’s first big hit!)
The blues!
Rock and roll!
Top 40!
Soul!
Country!
And lots of indie versions!
