11 Songs You Surely Must Turn Up | Playlist 🎧

1. Cher, “If I Could Turn Back Time”

💿 Heart of Stone • 🏷 Geffen • 📅 1989

Does anybody else sound like 🎙 Cher?  The answer is NO.  The actress, musician, and gay icon possesses a distinct, one-of-a kind instrument, period.  Perhaps those husky vocals aren’t for everyone (I once had a friend who joked about her sound) but I love her tone and – wait for it – VIBE! One of her most recognizable songs commences her 1989 album, 💿 Heart of Stone:  🎵 “If I Could Turn Back Time.”  Honestly, there’s no better way to initialize this ‘turned up’ list than turning up some Cher on one of her most iconic joints.

“If I could turn back time, if I could find a way,” she sings on the memorable, quintessential 80s chorus, adding, “I’d take back those words that’ve hurt you, you’d say.” Worth noting, those words aren’t merely legendary because Cher, a legend sings them.  🎼✍ Diane Warren – yes, THE Diane Warren – penned this time-turn-back, pop cultural gem.  Cher is regretful throughout, admitting she was blind in her mistakes letting her lover go.  Now that she’s discovered the errors of the way, she’d “reach or the stars… give ‘em all to you” so “You’d love me, love, like you used to do.”  Why is “If I Could Turn Back Time” so good? Well, it’s a Cher staple first and foremost, but also, it’s relatable.

2. Janelle Monáe, “Turntables”

🎵 “Turntables” • 🏷 Bad Boy • 📅 2020

“America, you a lie / But the whole world ‘bout to testify / I said, the whole world ‘bout to testify / And the tables ‘bout to / T-t-tables ‘bout to.” Preach 🎙 Janelle Monáe – PREACH! The lyrics hail from 🎵 “Turntables”, a single that appears from the Amazon Original Movie, All In: The Fight for Democracy.  Monáe wrote “Turntables” alongside 🎼 ✍ George “George 2.0” A. Peters II and 🎼 ✍ Nathaniel Irvin III. The brief cut was produced by 🎛️ Nate “Rocket” Wonder, with superb results.  You know what else is superb? That attitude by Monáe!

Monáe incorporates a mix of rapping and singing, delivering a complete, compelling performance. The lyrics are politically and socially charged, with Monáe being very woke. There are some awesome one-liners throughout, such as “You gaslightin’, ‘bout to meet your match, uh / You fuck up the kitchen, then you should do the dishes.” An epic outro is a perfect way to cap things. Janelle definitely TURNS them tables!

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3. Metallica, “Turn the Page”

💿 Garage Inc. • 🏷 Blackened Recordings • 📅 1998

Sometimes, even a band who writes kick-ass originals opts for a cover.  🎙 Metallica ranks among the most iconic metal bands (and bands regardless of style) of all-time.  On their 1998 album, 💿 Garage Inc. they cover another rock legend, 🎙 Bob Seger. It TURNS out, Seger’s 🎵 “Turn the Page” sounds pretty good in their hands.  

“But here I am, on the road again
There I am, up on the stage
There I go, playing the star again
There I go, turn the page.”

That chorus is awesome and sums up the spirit of “Turn the Page.”  “Turn the Page” captures the rock star life – the fame, the relentless schedule, the whole shebang.  The verses, of course, provide great details and insight into the gift and the curse.  The second verse might be my favorite as James Hetfield sings, “So you walk into this restaurant, strung out from the road / And you feel the eyes upon you, as you’re shaking off the cold / You pretend it doesn’t bother you, but you just want to explode.” That hits hard! All “Turn the Page” hits hard of course – it’s f**kin’ METALLICA 🤘!

4. Daniel Caesar, “Too Deep to Turn Back”

💿 CASE STUDY 01 • 🏷 Golden Child Recordings • 📅 2019

“So, what’s the price / We’re like mosquitos to light, in a sense / I feed off bioluminescence…” 💿 Case Study 01 is complex, yet rewarding project by 🏆 Grammy-winning, Canadian R&B singer/songwriter 🎙 Daniel Caesar. Unfortunately for Caesar, some controversy hurt the performance of this album – yeah, he was cancelled, at least to some extent.  Regardless, the lovely 🎵 “Too Deep to Turn Back” provides evidence of the rewarding nature of the album.   

Caesar sounds fantastic on “Too Deep to Turn Back,” never needing to ‘break a sweat’ to pack a punch.  Religion plays a significant role, specifically on the chorus, which features vocals by 🎙 Arianna Reid, as well as the fourth verse:

“I’ve slept like Jacob, a rock for a pillow
Run swift like Elijah, away from the middle.”

Caesar is often at his best when he weaves spirituality in a secular genre like R&B.

Also appears on 🔽:
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5. Spoon, “I Turn My Camera On”

💿 Gimme Fiction • 🏷 Matador • 📅 2005

“I turn my camera on / I cut my fingers on the way / … You made me untouchable for life / And you wasn’t polite.” Ouch!!! One of the best alternative/indie rock tracks of the aughts arrives courtesy of 🎙 Britt Daniel and his band, 🎙 Spoon. 🎵 “I Turn My Camera On” just hits different.  It’s a groovy cut with this big, fat bass line that makes you want to dance, yet, the lyrics exhibit a degree of pessimism. “It hit me like tom / You hit me like a tom / On, on, and on.”

There’s a refreshing simplicity about this standout from 💿 Gimme Fiction, released in 2005.  While it’s simple, as described earlier with groove and bass being key instruments (guitar too), it is sufficient, exceeding expectations.  Throw in clever lyrics, and “I Turn My Camera On” shines like a beacon.  “When I turn my feelings on,” Daniel sings on the verse, “I turn my feelings on inside / I feel like I’m gonna ignite.” His falsetto is one of the biggest selling points – endearing!

6. BJ The Chicago Kid, “Turnin’ Me Up”

💿 In My Mind • 🏷 Motown • 📅 2016 

“Baby, keep on turnin’ me up (turnin’ me up, turnin’ me up) / … It’s just the little, bitty things you do that keeps on turnin’ me up…” 🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B artist 🎙 BJ The Chicago Kid (Brian Sledge) closes his 2016 debut album, 💿 In My Mind, with a bang.  How so? Well, with the electrifying neo-soul joint, “Turnin’ Me Up.”  

Listening to “Turnin’ Me Up,” you’ll swear you’ve returned to the 1970s as opposed to the 2010s, and that’s pretty sweet if I do say so myself! A vibe-and-a-half! BJ wrote “Turnin’ Me Up” alongside 🎼 ✍ David Haddon and 🎼 ✍ Jairus Mozee, who ultimately produce this soulful bop.  This is sexy gem where you definitely hope that BJ never “stop(s), won’t quit, soul shit.” 💪

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Turn: 5ive Songs (2021) No. 3

7. Adele, “Turning Tables”

💿 21 • 🏷 XL • 🗓 2011

💿 21 (2011) turned out to be a massive success for 🎙 Adele – understatement.  If you had to pick a pair of songs to best represent the success of the album, the likely two choices are the two number one hits: 🎵 “Rolling in the Deep” and 🎵 “Someone Like You”.  That said, Adele’s co-write with 🎼 ✍ Ryan Tedder, 🎵 “Turning Tables,” is sweet in its own right. On the pre-chorus, she asserts, “I can’t keep up with your turning tables.” Damn right, Adele – you tell him!

On the chorus of “Turning Tables,” Adele goes on to sing, “So, I won’t let you close enough to hurt me / No, I won’t ask you, you to just desert me /… It’s time to say goodbye to turning tables.” And the bridge section – “Next time I’ll be braver, I’ll be my own savior” – to die for! The 🏆 Grammy-winner sounds utterly fantastic in this stripped setting, accompanied brilliantly by piano and strings. Producer 🎛️ Jim Abbiss definitely does his thing.

Also appears on 🔽:
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8. DJ Snake & Lil Jon, “Turn Down for What”

🎵 “Turn Down for What” • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2013

Folks, you should never TURN DOWN – NEVER!!! At least, that’s what 🎙 DJ Snake and 🎙 Lil Jon inform us on their late 2013 hit, 🎵 “Turn Down for What.”  By this time, the crunk era had cooled off.  Lil Jon had been big in the aughts, playing a pivotal role on his own 🎵 “Get Low” (2002) as well as the ubiquitous 🎙 Usher hit, “Yeah!” (2004) alongside 🎙 Ludacris.  He’d have some more juice with the likes of 🎵 “Snap Yo Fingers”, but the boisterous “OKAYYYY” rapper wasn’t as big even by the late aughts, let alone the 2010s.  However, “Turn Down for What” ‘turned those tables’ for him 🎙 Adele!

DJ Snake and 🎛 Tchami set up Lil Jon for a rebirth – he owes them! With exuberant production behind him, Jon only needed a couple of memorable lines to fuel his fire.  The words are few and far between with no elaborate poetry to decode here. Obviously, the most important lyric is the titular “Turn down for what?” where suggests (as previously stated) you should never TURN DOWN.  There are some situations you should though – just saying (hearing, health, etc.)! Besides living it up, he also throws in “Fire up that loud, another round of shots,” as well as repeating the word “shots” no less than 11 times in a row. WOO!

9. The Byrds, “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season)”

💿 Turn! Turn! Turn! • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 📅 1965

So, let’s get a little ‘spiritual’ – a little Biblical – shall we?  From the Book of Ecclesiastes, specifically Ecclesiastes 3 (NIV): ¹ There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: ² A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, ³ A time to kill and a time to heal… No, here at The Musical Hype we aren’t promoting religion (that’s everyone’s own choice to make) but we are providing the source of 🎙 The Byrds’ 1965 classic, 🎵 “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season).”

The folk-rock record, written by the legendary 🎼 ✍ Pete Seeger, is based on the text from Ecclesiastes 3 from the Old Testament.  Even if you’re not particularly religious, this passage of scripture, and song itself, is quite prudent and thoughtful.  If you’ve never encountered “Turn! Turn! Turn!” at some point, you’re totally missing out.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Turn: 5ive Songs (2021) No. 3

10. The Vapors, “Turning Japanese”

💿 New Clear Days • 🏷 RT Industries • 📅 1980

“I’ve got your picture / Of me and you /… I sit there staring, and there’s nothing else to do / … I often kiss you when there’s no one else around…” We’ve all been there! One of the most famous songs referencing Japan (sort of) is 🎵 “Turning Japanese” by English new wave band, 🎙 The Vapors.  Interestingly, the meaning of the song created a more sexual narrative than anticipated. The narrative has been debunked.  That said, doesn’t the band deserve the blame for masturbation becoming associated with their song?

“I’ve got your picture, I’ve got your picture
I’d like a million of you, all ‘round my cell
I want a doctor to take your picture
So, I can look at you from inside as well
You’ve got me turning up and turning down
And turning in and turning ‘round
I’m turning Japanese.”

Yes, The Vapors totally deserve the blame! I mean, pictures are potent and incite the mind and the loins.  Furthermore, though debunked regarding the song, turning Japanese is slang for masturbation, and the effect on the eyes.  I’ll leave it that – do what you will with it.  The song, of course, is a classic.  And if he’s lonely, who’s going to deny him some solo fun?  Also, worth noting, there are distinct Japanese music cues in addition to the punk/new wave vibes.

Also appears on 🔽:
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11. Teddy Pendergrass, “Turn off the Lights”

💿 Teddy • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 📅 1979

“Turn off the lights and light a candle / Tonight I’m in a romantic mood, yeah.” Ooh-la-la! Back in the day, 🎙 Teddy Pendergrass’ music oozed with sex.  “Let’s take a shower, shower together / I’ll wash your body, and you’ll wash mine,” he sings on 🎵 “Turn Off the Lights,” adding, “Rub me down in some hot oils baby, yeah / And I’ll do the same thing for you.” Aww Sugar.Honey.Iced.Tea!!! “Turn Off the Lights” stands out from his platinum-certified album, 1979 LP, 💿 Teddy.  Mr. Pendergrass never says sex, but he doesn’t have to – it’s obvious (“Girl I just wanna give you a special treat, you’re so sweet”).

The lushness of the production was enough to make “Turn Off the Lights” a hit.  Those warm, sensual sounds and the orchestration – LIT.  🎼✍ 🎛 Kenneth Gamble and 🎼✍ 🎛 Leon Huff constructed nothing short of musical excellence for TP.  Pendergrass is the star, of course, with his voice drenched in soul and bearing ample authenticity.  He sounds dedicated to his lover, expressively constructing this romantic, sensual evening vocally.  You buy what he’s selling when he dramatically sings, “Turn ‘em off.” One of my favorite moments is the outro section. He’s supported by backing vocals (“Tell me what you wanna do / Tell me what you wanna do baby”), while professing his love (+ sex) to her.  “Anything that you want / Anything that you need / I got it!” Woo!