This list of songs is inspired by lists published by radio station KEXP-FM from Seattle in 2010, as well as the latest poll taken in 2021 by Rolling Stone Magazine. For the most part I will faithfully countdown from their lists, starting at Song #500 and going until I reach Song #1. When you see the song title listed as something like: Song #XXX (KEXP)….it means that I am working off of the official KEXP list. Song XXX (RS) means the song is coming from the Rolling Stone list. If I post the song title as being: Song #xxx (KTOM), it means I have gone rogue and am inserting a song choice from my own personal list of tunes I really like. In any case, you are going to get to hear a great song and learn the story behind it. Finally, just so everyone is aware, I am not a music critic nor a musician. I am a music fan and an armchair storyteller. Here is the story behind today’s song. Enjoy.
RS: The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History.
Song #418: Green Onions by Booker T. and the MGs.
Some songs tell a big story and some songs are fairly straight-forward. “Green Onions” by Booker T. and the MGs falls into the latter category. It is an instrumental song that arose out of jam sessions held back in 1962. The song was released, originally, as a B-side to a single called, “Behave Yourself” but, was quickly made into a single of its own once word-of-mouth spread about how much folks liked “Green Onions”.
Booker T. and the MGs consist of Booker T. Jones on keyboards, Lewie Steinberg on bass guitar and Steve Cropper on lead guitar. Once “Green Onions” was officially released as a single, it made it to #1 on the R & B/Soul charts for four weeks! The song is in the Song Category of The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame and has been placed in the US Library of Congress because of its contribution to the cultural fabric of the United States. “Green Onions” is among the most popular selling instrumental tracks of all time.
The title for the song came from a desire on the part of the band for something “funky” and “nasty”. Some people think the band was making a marijuana reference but, really, they all claim that rotting green onions were as funked-up a situation as they could imagine so, they decided to title their song as such. Funky, it is! I am sure “Green Onions” by Booker T. and the MGs will have your toes a-tapping as you go through your day. Enjoy!
The link to the music video for Green Onions by Booker T. and the MGs can be found here.
Booker T. and the MGs have a website that can be accessed by clicking on the link here.
Thanks to KEXP for helping to inspire the writing of this post. A link to their website can be found here.
Tom MacInnes, Writer 