Playlist: B&V’s Favorite Songs About The Anticipation And Glory of… Night

“The sunshine bores the daylights out of me…” – The Rolling Stones, “Rocks Off”

There has always been something magical to me about nighttime. I was always a night owl. I was the kid who was hard to wake up in the morning and even harder to make go to and stay in bed. I’d stall on the stairs until it looked like my dad was going to leap up and strangle me… I don’t know if that night owl thing was why I always preferred night to day? Days always seemed the same. Wake up in the bright glare of the sun, go to halfway house that was school, come home, eat dinner, go to bed. At night anything seemed possible. The sky dropped over the western horizon, painting the sky a bunch of brilliant reds and purples seemingly to herald a change in the energy and perspective of the world and then the shadows crept over everything and a billion stars winked down at us. When I came home from school I could fall asleep in the drop of a hat… but at bedtime, how could I possibly go to sleep? Daytime just seemed… superfluous. It was just the time between the nights.

My dad would come home from work in the evenings, change out of his suit, eat dinner and collapse in front of the television. We rarely went anywhere at night when I was a kid. But on those rare occasions where I got to leave the house after dark – to run something over to a neighbor, or perhaps some event was going down at the school – I always felt like I’d stepped out of biosphere into an unseen world… under the cover of darkness… and I’d feel all pumped up, energized. At home, I always felt like there was shit going down somewhere and I was trapped watching Charlie’s Angels… not that there was anything wrong with Charlie’s Angels. That show was very formative to my adolescent years. Ahem. Anyway, I think I suffered from “FOMO” before it was even a thing. I always felt like I was missing out on something.

This nighttime madness didn’t get any better during my teen years, or perhaps better described as my miscreant years. Running around the neighborhood with my buddies like we were on some different, undiscovered planet until that 11pm curfew hit made me feel alive. Of course there were a lot of times we’d sneak out after curfew, but those records are sealed. Monday through Friday was the drudgery of school but come Friday and Saturday night, out in the night air my heart came alive. We’d hang out in the concrete drainage ditch behind our houses drinking beer we’d stolen from our parents. Every now and then girls would appear and that upped things exponentially. Night meant maybe getting a little buzz on and the hope of a kiss that always seemed to hang out of reach. Sunset beats the hell out of sunrise for me… The dark changes everything.

I can remember being in the back seat of my college girlfriend’s two-seater car – her older sister was in the passenger’s seat – home on Christmas break. When I’d come home for Christmas there were many nights I was out with friends but a lot of times, since it was family vacation time, I’d fall back into the home routine of watching my dad come home, change, eat, flop down in front of the TV. But I remember distinctly riding in the hatchback portion of this tiny car, my then girlfriend flying down the highway towards Westport on a Tuesday with the radio blaring Pete Townshend’s “Give Blood” and looking up through the sunroof at the stars in the sky and thinking… I don’t ever wanna die. I want to live in this moment forever.

Even into adulthood – and admittedly I stayed single longer than most folks – as darkness fell, having that feeling that the night was electric. I’d step out of my apartment to jump in my friend Alf’s car and it felt like all the stars were connected to my brain. Of course, the older you get the more complicated the night can become. There was always that excited anticipation that great things were going to happen – drinking, partying, women, late night breakfast – but as we age the price we pay gets higher. Although, coming in as the sun comes up like a vampire fleeing the night still puts a smile on my face.

I was at the 311 concert here in KC on Sunday night. The Rock Chick loves those guys. There was a young, high school girl there by herself (her dad worked at the venue) and she leaned over to my wife as the sun went down with excitement written all over her face and smiling said, “I saved up for months to come here tonight.” She already had her concert hoodie that she’d just purchased pulled on. It got me thinking about the excitement that night brings, especially when mixed with rock n roll. And naturally, it led me to an old playlist I’d put together a few years back. Naturally, I expanded it for purposes of B&V. But all these songs speak to the anticipation and excitement of night. Whether you’re looking forward to a party, to sex, to wild times, all these songs seem to speak to that. I could have gone all metal here but that’s not the vibe I’m looking for… so no Krokus “Screaming In The Night,” sorry. I also left off the greatest song ever written about the night, Bob Seger’s “Night Moves,” because it seems a little sad towards the end… too nostalgic perhaps? “When you just don’t seem to have as much to lose, Strange how the night moves… With autumn closin’ in,” perhaps hits a little too close to home. I will admit, I had to force myself to remove my favorite Sinatra track, “The Way You Look Tonight,” from the original playlist. I dedicate that to the Rock Chick whenever I hear it, “I’ll be thinking of you, and the way you look tonight…”

As I said, these songs are all pretty upbeat, but I do take a few mellow detours… the night is complicated so why wouldn’t this playlist be as well? Like all B&V playlists, you can listen straight through or shuffle. If there’s a song you don’t care for, skip it. More importantly, if you have a song you think would fit, put it in the comments and I’ll add it on Spotify. Pour something strong and enjoy the night…

1. Van Morrison, “Wild Night” – “Girls walk by dressed up for each other” is the most accurate line ever written. They aren’t dressing up for us boys. Fashion is blood sport. Here’s wishing you a wild night!
2. Bruce Springsteen, “Night” – I’ve always loved this deep track from Born To Run. It encapsulates everything I’ve written in this post.
3. Led Zeppelin, “Night Flight” – “Meet me in the middle of the night…”
4. Kinks, “All Day And All Of The Night” – I can remember being so whipped I wanted to spend all of the day and all of the night with someone. Thankfully it passed… primal riff.
5. Steely Dan, “Night By Night” – A story of a man, perhaps an outlaw, living on the fringes of existence, livin’ night by night. How I lived in my late 20s, early 30s.
6. Judas Priest, “Living After Midnight” – A song that will make you go speeding down the highway past your intended exit… They say nothing good happens after midnight… I can say from experience that’s bullshit.
7. Bob Seger, “Hollywood Nights” – I’ve never been to Hollywood, but give me the drums in this song, a fast car and let’s go.
8. Cage The Elephant & Beck, “Night Running” – A blast from something recent. The concept of being out running all night sends me back to those glorious junior high days with my miscreant gang.
9. The Rolling Stones, “Undercover (Of The Night)” – Rocking, funky… love Charlie Watts’ drumming here. Really looking forward to Hackney Diamonds.
10. Motley Crue, “Tonight (We Need A Lover)” – A song that is perhaps what we’re all truly anticipating as night falls…
11. Fleetwood Mac, “Isn’t It Midnight” – One of my favorite Christine McVie tracks. People think Fleetwood Mac were mellow… listen to this track and think otherwise. Or put on the newly released Rumours Live and you’ll hear the rock n roll.
12. Paul McCartney, “The World Tonight” – “I go back so far, I’m in front of me…” McCartney captures that feeling of being connected to the whole world at night…
13. Eddie Money, “Take Me Home Tonight” – Say what you want about this working man’s rocker, but I love Eddie Money. Although admittedly Ronnie Spector makes the tune.
14. U2, “Last Night On Earth” – Reminds me of a girl I knew… always borrowing from tomorrow to pay for yesterday.
15. Eagles, “Heartache Tonight” – Yes, many nights ended in heartbreak but do the Eagles have to sound so happy about it?
16. The Cars, “It’s Not The Night” – A Cars deep track that always just grabbed me. It captures the drama that nighttime often brings.
17. Little Steven, “Ride The Night Away” – One of those, “tonight we ride” kinda songs. From the fabulous Soulfire.
18. The Babys, “Midnight Rendezvous” – Who remembers driving all night to a midnight rendezvous?
19. Bob Seger, “Nine Tonight” – “She says she wants some rockin’, she’s got the right man…” Prime Seger. Had to go with a live version, they don’t have the studio one.
20. Motley Crue, “Tonight” – Raw, early Crue.
21. Dr. John, “Such A Night” – Our singer finds himself on the horns of a dilemma… “Sweet confusion under the moonlight.”
22. INXS, “Need You Tonight” – Perhaps my favorite INXS song?
23. Billy Squier, “Lonely Is The Night” – From his great LP Don’t Say No. Many nights ended up lonely… but I wouldn’t trade those late night adventures for anything.
24. Van Halen, “Summer Nights” – Van Hagar speaking the truth about summer nights. “Summer nights and my radio…”
25. Bruce Springsteen, “Prove It All Night” – “A kiss to prove it all night.”
26. Warren Zevon, “The Rest Of The Night” – “Why stop now?” If I had a dollar for every time we said this…
27. John Mellencamp, “Again Tonight” – Going out knowing you’ll probably end up in the same trouble as last night… sign me up.
28. Led Zeppelin, “In The Evening” – My favorite track from In Through The Out Door, an album maybe only I love. “In the evening, when the day is done…”
29. Phil Collins, “In The Air Tonight” – His most famous track with the myth of his watching a murder…
30. Paul McCartney, “Every Night” – Slow burner of a track. Sums up how I felt in my 20s… “Every night I wanna go out and get out of my head…”
31. John Lennon with Elton John, “Whatever Gets You Through The Night” – Crazy track where John and Elton throw everything but the kitchen sink into it.
32. Eagles, “One Of These Nights” – “I’ve been searchin’ for the daughter of the devil himself, I’ve been searchin’ for an angel in white, I’m waiting for a woman whose a little of both.” Aren’t we all?
33. Black Sabbath, “Turn Up The Night” – From the great Dio era of Sabbath. And yes, turn it up indeed.
34. Fleetwood Mac, “Tango In The Night” – I’m not into dancing, but this guitar solo makes me wanna try.
35. Joe Walsh, “All Night Long” – Had to sub in a live version from an Eagles’ LP. Great song about partying all night long.
36. Triumph, “Hot Time (In This City Tonight)” – This is how we all feel on Friday night, with the big weekend ahead of us. From the great Allied Forces.
37. B.B. King, “In The Midnight Hour” – Many have done this one, but few like B.B.
38. Cheap Trick, “Tonight It’s You” – When you need tending, but only for the night…
39. Billy Squier, “Rock Me Tonight” – Yes, please rock me. Another great Squier tune. “I’m rockin’ tonight, I’m walking on air,” a feeling I’m highly familiar with.
40. The Beatles, “Hard Day’s Night” – A great track also found on our Labor Day Playlist.
41. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, “Waiting On Tonight” – Petty really captures that feeling of anticipation as you look forward to the sun going down.
42. AC/DC, “You Shook Me All Night Long” – A night well spent… “American thighs.” Brian Johnson is poet.
43. Steve Winwood, “Talking Back To The Night” – Beautiful image of a sax player and then a poet, on the edge of madness, talking to the night… I’ve been out on that limb…without the poetry.
44. Jackson Browne, “The Night Inside Me” – Jackson describes the exact feelings I have out in the night… it’s like the night’s inside me. I love the line, “Maybe I’ll go back to Spain…”
45. Bruce Springsteen, “Bring On The Night” – An outtake from The River. I’ve always thought the E Street Band sound like the Animals on this track, but that’s probably only me.
46. Foreigner, “Night Life” – These guys rock on this song. Lou Gramm sounds unhinged. Who of us hasn’t felt that way on a good night.
47. Rush, “Fly By Night” – Who amongst us hasn’t realized one night, it’s time to get out of here…”Fly by night, away from here, Change my life again, Fly by night, goodbye, my dear.” Reminds me of a bad night before New Year’s Eve in San Francisco. Flew home… quickly…never looked back.
48. The Runaways, “Is It Day Or Night” – These woman could so rock. I am no longer calling the Runaways a guilty pleasure. Joan Jett, Lita Ford, what else do you need?
49. The Beatles, “The Night Before” – Things that seem so good in the night, have a way of looking very differently during the daytime.
50. Bruce Springsteen, “Spirits In The Night” – A group of young people, “all duded up for Saturday night” get drunk and high and road trip up to “Greasy Lake” and believe they’ve turned into ghosts.
51. Hole, “Heaven Tonight” – Hole is a grunge-era band I always dug. This track starts off with a jangling guitar that makes me think of the Byrds. Great song from a great album.
52. Elton John, “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” – I’m a lover, not a fighter but Elton rawks here.
53. Bob Seger, “Betty Lou’s Getting Out Tonight” – Betty Lou must have been a very popular girl…or at least a girl with a few issues.
54. The Rolling Stones, “Let’s Spend The Night Together” – The goal of every young boy and perhaps young girl… also dutifully covered by David Bowie.
55. Boston, “Let Me Take You Home Tonight” – The tune starts off as a nice “come on” track with acoustic guitar but soon blows up like “Hey Jude.”
56. The Smashing Pumpkins, “Tonight, Tonight” – Epic prayer to the night… “You can never ever leave Without leaving a piece of youth…” Deep thoughts, baby.
57. Eric Clapton, “After Midnight” – Someone’s dad once said, “Nothing good ever happens after midnight.” Frankly that was always my favorite part of the night, “The Wee Small Hours,” as Frank sang.
58. Patti Smith, “Because The Night” – Patti takes a Springsteen tune and brings the drama. “Desire is hunger is the fire I breathe, love is a banquet on which we feed.”
59. Paul Simon, “Late In The Evening” – I’ve loved this song since the first time I heard it in Jr High school, on my clock radio. Probably because he references smoking a joint. Ah, the life of a musician – get high, come in and play guitar and groove on the crowd moving in front of you.
60. Scorpions, “Big City Nights” – This song always makes me think of college and running wild with my friends.
61. Ray Charles, “Night Time Is The Right Time” – Ray Charles, the Genius, laying down the wisdom.
62. Rod Stewart, “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)” – “Stay away from my window, Stay away from my back door too…”
63. Sam Cooke, “Twistin’ The Night Away” – If you’re not listening to Sam, you need to be.
64. The Doors, “Moonlight Drive” – I spent way too many nights driving down dark highways…
65. The Donnas, “Tonights Alright” – Under the radar rocking women!
66. Van Halen, “Dance The Night Away” – One of VH’s signature tunes. It was a rare hit for the band.
67. The Cars, “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight” – “Be true…”
68. Mick Jagger, “Wired All Night” – One of Jagger’s best solo tunes. From Wandering Spirit, a great LP, the best of his oft-maligned solo catalog.
69. Traveling Wilburys, “Last Night” – Our hero, thinking he found love, merely got robbed. It’s always fun to be hungover, drinking a Bloody Mary, lamenting the mistakes of last night.
70. Richard & Linda Thompson, “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight” – Great song about wanting to go out, spend some money, and talk a little treason.
71. Thin Lizzy, “Dancing In The Moonlight (It’s Caught Me In It’s Spotlight)” – Our hero drunkenly dances on the sidewalk as the moon lights his way.
72. The Police, “Bring On The Night” – And we end where we started… with an anticipatory wish that the sun would fade and we could just bring on the night…

Those are our favorite songs about night. Although, admittedly I had 125 songs when I started this playlist. As always, if you have a track that would fit in here, please mention in the comments section. I’m sure there are some gems I overlooked.

Hope all of you have a great night every night and you find whatever you’re looking for out in that darkness. Tonight I’ll be sitting on my deck, sipping a bourbon and looking skyward…

Cheers! & Good night!