An album with an alligator on the cover.
A much better album without an alligator on the cover.
As promised, here is the inevitable follow-up to My Top Ten Crocodile Songs... in a snap!
Be warned... though there were lots of alligator songs in my tomb of tunes... there weren't very many great ones.
10. Bill Haley & The Comets - See You Later, Alligator
Buddy Holly. Chuck Berry. Gene Vincent. Eddie Cochran. Fats Domino. The Everly Brothers. Jerry Lee Lewis. Etc. Etc. Etc.
I love them all.
Never quite got Bill Haley though. He never felt rock 'n' roll enough for me. (Ironic, considering a lot of people call his biggest hit 'the first rock 'n' roll record'.)
9. REM - Alligator Aviator Autopilot Antimatter
If you ever wondered why REM called it a day, this video offers ample evidence. From their final album, for good reason.
As for alligator alliteration, Carole King does a better job on Alligators All Around.
8. Foxboro Hot Tubs - Alligator
What Green Day did on their day off. Pretended to be The Who.
7. Paul Gilbert - Alligator Farm
This really rocks. You might enjoy it. (So I won't tell you it's by the bloke who used to be in Mr. Big.)
6. Curve - Alligators Getting Up
Sounds a bit like a rejected Bond theme. Maybe Curve were thinking of remaking Live & Let Die? (i.e. The One With Alligators. Or Crocodiles. Don't be pedantic.)
5. Chely Wright - Alligator Purse
The alligator version of Crocodile Shoes. Only better.
4. Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Alligator Wine
Genuinely scary.
3. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Gator On The Lawn
Tom does his best Elvis shuffle because every other day he's got a gator on his lawn.
2. ZZ Top - Alley-Gator
Sounds like most other ZZ Top songs you've ever heard, only twice as fuzzy. Therefore it's amazing. (At least in the context of this list.)
1. Cameo - Alligator Woman / Lionel Ritchie - Night Train (Smooth Alligator)
Look, I know this particular Top Ten hasn't been my finest moment. There are some top notch artists on this countdown, but they've all done far better things in their careers, and none of the songs featured today can hold a candle to last week's Crocodile post. But I promised an alligator follow-up, and so I felt contractually obliged. Hence this two-fer-one Number One of 80s soul shudders which I'm sure will make most of you run for the hills, but I actually think are quite fun in a very much of-their-time sort of way.
Look, it was either this or Paul McCartney and Mark Ronson. Believe me, you got off lightly.
Maybe I missed the lost classic alligator song that's lurking in your swamp. If so, do tell...
