I feel like everybody knows this song. But if you’re anything like me, you’re not sure how you know it. It certainly wasn’t from the time Nancy Wilson had her first hit with it back in 1964 because I was a tiny kid at the time.

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Billie Holiday’s song Easy Living has gone on to become a jazz standard. It was also the favourite song of one of the two central characters in the film of Patricia Highsmith’s lesbian romance novel The Price Of Salt.

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This comedy song by The Clovers warns against the perils of not one but two of pop music’s traditionally favourite pastimes – sex AND booze.

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Low’s wonderful Christmas album is a staple in my house at this time of year. This is my favourite song.

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The Fall might not be the most obvious band to convey the festive spirit. But Mark E Smith and chums do a decent job of tackling this old carol.

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Galaxie 500 take Yoko Ono’s delicate Christmas song and transform it into an intense Velvets-like jam that improves on the original.

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This little-known Christmas single by T.Rex may not be a classic, but it’s not bad enough to merit being left on the shelf until long after Marc Bolan’s death.

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Mud took a sideways turn from Glam stompers to celebrate the Christmas of 1974 with an hommage to Elvis Presley – and a bizarre TOTP appearance.

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Long Island rapper Roc Marciano samples old soul and jazz records and Memphis horrorcore instrumentals to create his unique style of hip-hop.

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This powerfully emotional feminist anthem works like a sequel to Dolly’s Nine To Five, with a video to match.

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