An attempt to organise the hundreds of Readers Recommend and Song Bar topics into common themes. The categorisation is somewhat subjective, but it’s hopefully of some interest – and a way of sparking ideas for future topics.
Part A covers topics about musical or structural characteristics, use of language or narrative, the tone or feel of a song, the circumstances of its recording or publication, and so forth.
Parts B-I cover ‘songs about …’ topics, i.e. where the theme is the subject matter of the lyrics or title:
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- Part B: songs about music, art & literature
- Part C: songs about people & relationships
- Part D: songs about history, geography, religion & magic
- Part E: songs about animals, nature & time
- Part F: songs about food, drink, sport & leisure
- Part G: songs about physical objects & media
- Part H: songs about messages, activities & behaviours (doing and saying stuff)
- Part I: songs about feelings, conditions & qualities
| PART A: MUSICAL, LINGUISTIC OR TONAL CHARACTERISTICS | ||
| A1. MUSICAL CHARACTERISTICS | ||
| Vocal characteristics | ||
| Instrumental characteristics | ||
| Sonic characteristics | ||
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| Genre or influence | ||
| Structural characteristics | ||
| Performer characteristics | ||
| Covers & samples | ||
| Publishing characteristics | ||
| Time of recording | ||
| Geographic origin | ||
| A2. LINGUISTIC CHARACTERISTICS | ||
| Use of narrative or language | ||
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| Song titles | ||
| A3: TONAL OR AFFECTIVE QUALITIES | ||
| Tonal qualities | ||
| Affective qualities | ||
| Songs for particular times or occasions | ||
| Quality of song | ||
| PART B: SONGS ABOUT MUSIC, ART & LITERATURE | ||
| B1. MUSIC & MUSICIANS | ||
| Music | ||
| Musicians | ||
| B2. DANCING | ||
| B3.LITERATURE & WRITERS | ||
| B4.ART, PHOTOGRAPHY & DECORATION | ||
| B5.FILM, TV AND THEATRE | ||
| PART C. SONGS ABOUT PEOPLE & RELATIONSHIPS | ||
| C1: FAMILY, FRIENDS & RELATIONSHIPS | ||
| Family & friends | ||
| Stages of life | ||
| Relationships | ||
| C2: TYPES OF PEOPLE | ||
| General | ||
| Tributes or hatchet jobs | ||
| Positions & occupations | ||
| C3: NAMES & TITLES | ||
| PART D: SONGS ABOUT HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION & MAGIC | ||
| D1: HISTORY | ||
| D2: GEOGRAPHY | ||
| Specific places | ||
| Types of place | ||
| D3: PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION, SUPERSTITION & MAGIC | ||
| Philosophy | ||
| Religion | ||
| Myth & superstition | ||
| Magic & supernatural | ||
| E: SONGS ABOUT ANIMALS, NATURE & TIME | ||
| E1: ANIMALS | ||
| E2: ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY | ||
| Anatomy | ||
| Physiology | ||
| E3: THE NATURAL WORLD | ||
| E4: SCIENCE & PHYSICAL PHENOMENA | ||
| E5: CHEMISTRY & GEOLOGY | ||
| E6: COLOURS | ||
| E7: MATHEMATICS & SHAPES |
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| Numbers | ||
| Geometry | ||
| E8: TIME | ||
| Times of day & week | ||
| Times of year | ||
| Time | ||
| F: SONGS ABOUT FOOD, DRINK, SPORT & LEISURE | ||
| F1: FOOD, DRINK & DRUGS | ||
| General | ||
| Food | ||
| Drinking | ||
| Smoking & drugs | ||
| F2: SPORT & LEISURE | ||
| Sport & games | ||
| Leisure | ||
| G: SONGS ABOUT PHYSICAL OBJECTS & MEDIA | ||
| G1: TRANSPORT | ||
| G2: CLOTHING & FASHION | ||
| G3: OTHER MANUFACTURED ITEMS | ||
| G4: MEDIA | ||
| H: SONGS ABOUT MESSAGES, ACTIVITIES & BEHAVIOURS (SAYING & DOING STUFF) | ||
| H1: MESSAGES & COMMUNICATION | ||
| Types of message or communication | ||
| Songs with a message for other people | ||
| H2: SOCIETAL ACTIVITIES | ||
| Work | ||
| Commerce & the economy |
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| Agriculture | ||
| Healthcare | ||
| Education | ||
| Politics, crime & punishment | ||
| Warfare & revolution | ||
| H3: PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES | ||
| Movement | ||
| Travel | ||
| H4: EVENTS & BEHAVIOURS | ||
| Positive events & behaviours | ||
| Negative events & behaviours | ||
| Other events & behaviours | ||
| I: SONGS ABOUT FEELINGS, CONDITIONS & QUALITIES | ||
| I1: FEELINGS | ||
| Love | ||
| Positive feelings | ||
| Negative feelings | ||
| I2: CONDITIONS & STATES | ||
| I3: QUALITIES | ||
| Personal identity | ||
| Position | ||
| Physical qualities | ||
| Temporal qualities | ||
| Positive qualities | ||
| Negative qualities | ||
| Other qualities | ||