“Mess”-y Songs

If you're one of those people who has it all together, someone who's on top of everything at all times – I'm sorry, but I don't have much in common with you. On the other hand, if you're a hot mess and you own it, wave your lighters and/or cell phone flashlights in the air, 'cuz these songs are for YOU! (And me.) Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Bebe Rexha  ~  “I’m A Mess”

2)  The Marvelettes  ~  “Don’t Mess With Bill”

3)  Kiiara  ~  “Messy”

4)  Jim Croce  ~  “You Don’t Mess With Jim”

5)  Maribelle  ~  "I'm A Mess Without You"

6)  Cage The Elephant  ~  “Mess Around”

7)  Cimorelli  ~  “I’m A Mess”

8)  Paul McCartney & Wings  ~  “The Mess”

9)  Chromeo  ~  “Hot Mess”

10)  Switchfoot  ~  “Mess Of Me”

11)  Avante Black  ~  “Make A Mess”

12)  Ben Folds Five  ~  “Mess”

13)  Ed Sheeran  ~  “I’m A Mess”

14)  Kasey Chambers  ~  “Beautiful Mess”

15)  Vance Joy  ~  “Mess Is Mine”

16)  Sheryl Crow  ~  “God Bless This Mess”

17)  Ray Charles  ~  “Mess Around”

18)  Diamond Rio  ~  “Beautiful Mess”

19)  The B-52’s  ~  “Dance This Mess Around”

20)  Aerosmith  ~  “Stop Messin’ Around”

21)  The Rasmus  ~  “I’m A Mess”

22)  Bon Jovi  ~  “God Bless This Mess”

23)  Emily Kinney  ~  “Mess”

24)  Jason Mraz  ~  “A Beautiful Mess”

25)  Parachute  ~  “The Mess I Made”

BONUS TRACK:  Alanis Morissette  ~  “Hands Clean”  (I’m tacking this one on as a bonus track because it’s a good song, even though it doesn’t have the word “mess” or “messy” anywhere in its title. The phrase “This could get messy…” figures prominently in the pre-chorus though, so it makes the cut.)

"Beautiful" Songs

If I didn't tell you this "theme" was a reboot from four-and-a-half years ago (on my original "The Plural Of Hyena" blog, no less), I'm sure you never would have remembered. But it is. And with good reason. Four-and-a-half years ago, I wasn't quite as adept at finding the perfect mix of well-known and lesser-known songs, which should (in theory) tip slightly in favor of the more well-known ones. Also, some of the really good songs included in this two-parter weren't even released four-and-a-half years ago. So here they are. I hope you will...enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Lana Del Rey  ~  “Young And Beautiful”

2)  R.E.M.  ~  “At My Most Beautiful”

3)  Sofia Carson ft. Alan Walker  ~  “Back To Beautiful”

4)  Diamond Rio  ~  “Beautiful Mess”

5)  Kari Jobe  ~  “Beautiful”

6)  Zedd ft. Jon Bellion  ~  “Beautiful Now”

7)  Grace VanderWaal  ~  “Beautiful Thing”

8)  Prince  ~  “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World”

9)  Ace Of Base  ~  “Beautiful Life”

10)  311  ~  “Beautiful Disaster”

11)  Christina Aguilera  ~  “Beautiful”

12)  MIKA  ~  “Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)”

13)  Ellie Holcomb  ~  “The Broken Beautiful”

14)  The Rascals  ~  “A Beautiful Morning”

15)  Nightwish  ~  “Bye Bye Beautiful”

16)  Sean Kingston  ~  “Beautiful Girls”

17)  John Lennon  ~  “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)”

18)  Aniri  ~  “Beautiful Life”

19)  Jeremy Camp  ~  “Beautiful One”  (To skip all the introductions, proceed directly to the 2:00 mark. Otherwise, you’ll get to know everyone in the band.)

20)  Joydrop  ~  “Beautiful”

21)  Mali Music  ~  “Beautiful”

22)  P!nk  ~  “Beautiful Trauma”

23)  Damian Marley ft. Bobby Brown  ~  “Beautiful”

24)  Tess  ~  “Dark But Beautiful”

25)  Moby  ~  “Beautiful”  (Really good song! Really creepy video!)

Popular Songs Of 1997, Vol. 4

Last but not least (I use that phrase a lot on this blog, don't I?), the final installment in the Popular Songs Of 1997 series. Next week, tune in for what's sure to be an even better bunch of songs. Because, of course, we will be exploring the most Popular Songs Of 1987. Meanwhile, enjoy these great songs!  ~  JH

1)  Green Day  ~  “Hitchin’ A Ride”

2)  En Vogue  ~  “Don’t Let Go (Love)”

3)  Hanson  ~  “MMMBop”

4)  Sarah McLachlan  ~  “Building A Mystery”

5)  U2  ~  “Staring At The Sun”

6)  Blur  ~  “Song 2”

7)  Robyn  ~  “Show Me Love”

8)  White Town  ~  “Your Woman”

9)  Aaliyah  ~  “The One I Gave My Heart To”

10)  Toby Keith  ~  “Me Too”

11)  The Mighty Mighty Bosstones  ~  “The Impression That I Get”

12)  Spice Girls  ~  “2 Become 1”

13)  Savage Garden  ~  “Truly Madly Deeply”

14)  311  ~  “Beautiful Disaster”

15)  Sister Hazel  ~  “All For You”

16)  Fiona Apple  ~  “Sleep To Dream”

17)  The Wallflowers  ~  “Three Marlenas”

18)  Usher  ~  “You Make Me Wanna…”

19)  Bush  ~  “Mouth”

20)  Diamond Rio  ~  “How Your Love Makes Me Feel”

21)  Foo Fighters  ~  “Everlong”

22)  Marcy Playground  ~  “Sex And Candy”

23)  Beck  ~  “The New Pollution”

24)  Az Yet  ~  “Hard To Say I’m Sorry”

25)  Counting Crows  ~  “Daylight Fading”

“Against” Songs, Vol. 2

Last but not least, the rest of the "Against" songs. Ready...set...enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band  ~  “Against The Wind”

2)  Promise ft. Jhene Aiko  ~  “Against The Odds”

3)  Rockchild  ~  “Against A Man”

4)  Diamond Rio  ~  “Hearts Against The Wind”

5)  Lizzy Borden  ~  “Me Against The World”

6)  Child Actor  ~  “Against The Night”

7)  The Black Keys  ~  “All Hands Against His Own”

8)  Eric Carmen  ~  “Boats Against The Current”

9)  Judah & The Lion  ~  “Back’s Against The Wall”

10)  Christina Milian  ~  “Us Against The World”

11)  Stratovarius  ~  “Against The Wind”

12)  Harriet  ~  “Up Against It”

13)  Atlanta Rhythm Section  ~  “Back Up Against The Wall”

14)  Steve Harris  ~  “Us Against The World”

15)  Christopher  ~  “Against The Odds”

16)  Rosanne Cash  ~  “Hope Against Hope”

17)  Newton Faulkner  ~  “Against The Grain”

18)  Que Passa  ~  “Against The Grain”

19)  Britney Spears ft. Madonna  ~  “Me Against The Music”

20)  Lene Marlin  ~  “Fight Against The Hours”

“Middle” Songs, Vol. 1

Time to bring this series to the "Middle." Here's the 1st "Middle" songs post. After the next "Middle," we'll head to the "Ending." Enjoy the journey!  ~  JH

1)  Jimmy Eat World  ~  “The Middle”

2)  Sabrina Carpenter  ~  “The Middle Of Starting Over”

3)  Diamond Rio  ~  “Meet In The Middle”

4)  Milow  ~  “Little In The Middle”

5)  Lucy Rose  ~  “Middle Of The Bed”

6)  Stryper  ~  “Caught In The Middle”

7)  Chloe Foy  ~  “In The Middle Of The Night”

8)  Stealers Wheel  ~  “Stuck In The Middle With You”

9)  Lily & Madeleine  ~  “In The Middle”

10)  The Replacements  ~  “I Hate Music / Stuck In The Middle”

11)  Brooke Annibale  ~  “Middle Of The Mess”

12)  Isaac Carree  ~  “The Middle”

13)  India.Arie  ~  “Caught In The Middle”

14)  Dishwalla  ~  “Somewhere In The Middle”

15)  Selena Gomez & The Scene  ~  “Middle Of Nowhere”

16)  William Beckett  ~  “Caught In The Middle”

17)  Betty Wright  ~  “In The Middle Of The Game”

18)  Sea Wolf  ~  “Middle Distance Runner”

19)  Fatine Thó  ~  “Middle Of The Night”

20)  Living Colour  ~  “Middle Man”