# Return of the Song Title Challenge Contest #1 **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [August 20, 2015, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311 "2015-08-20T02:22:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/1 "2015-08-20T02:22:50Z")
We did a few of these a few years ago but it sort of died out. Here is your challenge; you must create for us a mix album of songs whose titles all meet a particular verbal requirement or theme. Each thread will have its own theme. Your rules are: 1. You must name ten songs that fit the theme, naming both song and artist. 2. No two songs can be by same artist. Having a person in common between two bands, or naming a band and a solo artist who was in that band, is fine; you could, for instance, have a song by Genesis and a song by Phil Collins. 3. There is no penalty for naming songs also named by other competitors but please make an effort to do it on our own. 4. The songs must be songs actually released by professional musicians or on a real record label, not something you wrote yourself. 5. The person with what I judge to be the best album, which is a totally subjective combination of cool music, different types of music, and adherence to the theme, wins 10 points. Second place gets 6 points, third 3. After awhile the person with the most points gets a trophy, by which I mean I will write “So and so gets a trophy, yay.” To use an example, suppose I said the theme was “Songs with a number in it that is not just the number 1 or the number 2.” You might answer: “99 Luftballoons,” Nena “25 or 6 to 4,” Chicago “Three Pistols,” The Tragically Hip “9 to 5,” Dolly Parton “1979,” Smashing Pumpkins “Ten Years Gone,” Led Zeppelin … And so on, up to ten songs. We will start with something easy. Your first challenge is to make an album from songs… **… That name a real place that is not in the United States of America.** ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/2 "2015-08-20T02:35:47Z")
I thought I’d go Latin with this one. 1. Matilda - Harry Belafonte (“Matilda she take me money and run Venezuela.”) 2. Rio - Duran Duran 3. Mexican Radio - Wall Of Voodoo 4. Baia - Perry Como 5. I’ll See You In C-U-B-A - Billy Murray 6. Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina - Evita 7. Tijuana Jail - Kingston Trio 8. Kokomo - Beach Boys (“Aruba, Jamaica…”) 9. South America (Take It Away) - Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters 10. Panama - Van Halen ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/3 "2015-08-20T02:39:25Z")
“I’ll Follow the Sun”, The Beatles “Mercury Blues”, K.C. Douglas “Venus”, Shocking Blue “Shame on the Moon”, Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band “Life on Mars?”, David Bowie “Hey Jupiter”, Tori Amos “Saturn”, Stevie Wonder “Cast Your Spell Uranus”, Argent “Valleys of Neptune”, Jimi Hendrix “Pluto”, Björk ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/4 "2015-08-20T02:39:27Z")
“Katmandu” – Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band “London Calling” – The Clash “Sinaloa Cowboys” – Bruce Springsteen “Rome” – Phoenix “Pompeii” – Bastille “Stockholm Syndrome” – Yo La Tengo “N\*\*\*\*s in Paris” – Jay Z and Kanye West “Alice Springs” – Liz Phair “One Night in Bangkok” – Murray Head “Lindisfarne II” – James Blake ---
**Author:** ![Deanna\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Deanna\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deanna_D)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/5 "2015-08-20T02:53:27Z")
Actually not so easy, but here goes: 1. Kashmir–Led Zeppelin 2. Africa–Toto 3. Pompeii–Bastille 4. Katmandu–Bob Seger 5. London Calling–The Clash 6. Goodnight Saigon–Billy Joel 7. Rio–Duran Duran 8. Radio Free Europe–REM 9. Marrakesh Express–Crosby, Stills and Nash 10. One Night in Bangkok–Murray Head I now realize that I’ve spent too many years listening to classic rock…Bastille and Murray Head seem very out of place! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/6 "2015-08-20T03:57:00Z")
Back in the USSR - Beatles He Went to Paris - Jimmy Buffet Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen (the Vietnam references) Rocket Man - Elton John (Mars) Bummer - Harry Chapin (Vietnam) Something Fine -Jackson Browne (Morocco) Singapore - Tom Waits Woman from Tokyo - Deep Purple Scandinavian Skies - Billy Joel Beds Are Burning - Midnight Oil ( Kintore East to Yuendemu) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/7 "2015-08-20T11:56:51Z")
For Bayard’s sake, note that a Challenge always refers only to the song TITLE. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/8 "2015-08-20T13:11:08Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > For Bayard’s sake, note that a Challenge always refers only to the song TITLE. Damn, sorry. That’s right there in the thread title, isn’t it. :smack: But those are some good songs! I’ll try to post something that follows the rules later on. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/9 "2015-08-20T13:30:23Z")
Oops! I’m guilty too. Time to regroup. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/10 "2015-08-20T14:23:07Z")
Alright, trying again. This isn’t easy, especially since a lot of good ones were already taken. Back in the USSR - Beatles He Went to Paris - Jimmy Buffet Singapore - Tom Waits Woman from Tokyo - Deep Purple Scandanavian Skies - Billy Joel Istanbul - They Might Be Giants Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty (reference to the street in London) Northwest Passage - Stan Rogers Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (well, Bohemia is a real place…) O Canada - music by Calixa Lavallée, lyrics by various (you didn’t say they had to be pop songs, right?) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/11 "2015-08-20T15:16:26Z")
1. Bangles: “Going Down to Liverpool” 2. Proclaimers: “Sunshine on Leith” 3. Gerry & the Pacemakers: “Ferry Cross the Mersey” 4. Billy Joel: “Leningrad” 5. Dubliners “A Song for Ireland” 6. Roxy Music “Song For Europe” 7. Led Zeppelin: “Kashmir” 8. Deep Purple: “Woman From Tokyo” 9. Murray Head: “One Night in Bangkok” 10. King Crimson: “Satori in Tangiers” ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/12 "2015-08-20T16:54:53Z")
Take two. 1. Canadian Sunset - Hugo Winterhalter & His Orchestra 2. Hong Kong - Gorillaz 3. Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) - the Wombats 4. Arrivederci, Roma - Dean Martin 5. Rocky Road to Dublin - the Dubliners 6. Back in Vietnam - Lenny Kravitz 7. Heart for Haiti - Anna Lipscomb 8. Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon 9. Road to Morocco - Bing Crosby & Bob Hope 10. April in Paris - Count Basie ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/13 "2015-08-21T00:49:05Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Alright, trying again. This isn’t easy, especially since a lot of good ones were already taken. You can use other people’s if it happens by accident, just don’t read the thread until you’ve composed your album. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/14 "2015-08-21T13:30:18Z")
1. “Waterloo Sunset” - The Kinks 2. “Solsbury Hill” - Peter Gabriel 3. “Belfast” - Orbital 4. “Fields of Athenry” - Dropkick Murphys 5. “The Canada Song” - MST3K 6. “Montreal” - Kaki King 7. “China” - Tori Amos 8. “Love Letter to Japan” - The Bird and the Bee 9. “Kashmir” - Led Zeppelin 10. “Istanbul, Not Constantinople” - They Might Be Giants ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/15 "2015-08-24T01:39:43Z")
Zanzibar – Billy Joel Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 – Trans Siberian Orchestra Peruvian Skies – Dream Theater Waterloo – ABBA Kashmir – Led Zeppelin Bombs Over Baghdad – Outkast Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon Cliffs of Dover – Eric Johnson Night Boat to Cairo – Madness Running Back to Saskatoon – The Guess Who ETA: Looking at the thread, I’m noticing Rio, which is kind of funny, since Rio was actually a stand in for the U.S. in the song. It was Duran Duran’s tribute song to the popularity they had across the Atlantic. (At least, that’s what VH1 taught me back in the day.) Not that it invalidates the selection in any way. I just found it interesting. ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/16 "2015-08-30T03:26:35Z")
The “This Might Be Cheating” Album 1. “Wouldn’t Be Nice?”, the Beach Boys (Nice, France) 2. “Turkey in the Straw”, Bill Monroe (country of Turkey) 3. “Sweet Georgia Brown”, Louis Armstrong (country of Georgia) 4. “Isty Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini”, Bryan Hyland (Bikini, Marshall Islands) 5. “Tequila”, the Champs (Tequila, Mexico) 6. “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top”, Nat King Cole (Surrey, England) 7. “Java Jive”, the Ink Spots (Java, Indonesia) 8. “Batman Theme”, the Ron Hicklin Singers (Batman, Turkey) 9. “Highway to Hell”, AC/DC (Hell, Norway) 10. “My Bologna”, Weird Al Yankovic (Bologna, Italy) ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/17 "2015-09-09T02:19:41Z")
So… Who won? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-song-title-challenge-contest-1/728311/18 "2015-09-09T17:48:50Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > So… Who won? I send a PM to the OP last week, no response. :dubious: