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.
KEXP: The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History.
Song #395: “Time Warp” from the Original Movie Soundtrack to The Rocky Horror Picture Show (as sung by Meatloaf and others).
It is a Friday, as I type this post and although it isn’t midnight, it feels like a good time to make a jump to the left and then a step to the riiii-iii-iiiiii-iiiight! With your hands on your hips, bring your knees in tight. But it’s the pelvic thrust, that’ll drive you insaaa-aaa-aaaa-aaa-aaane! Let’s….do….the Time Warp….again!!!!!! Let’s….do…..the Time Warp….again!”
The Rocky Horror Picture Show movie debuted in 1975, after appearing as a stage musical for several years prior. It is one of the leading examples of a movie (and “Time Warp” as a song) that has found lasting fame and adoration despite never winning any major awards, nor achieving any major milestones when it comes to sales. If you look up the term cult classic in the dictionary, you will see this movie mentioned. It is a movie that is campy and silly and, at times, sensual. It has made a lasting connection with fans all over the world because of how it has evolved into an audience-participation experience. If you have ever spent a Friday or Saturday night at midnight in costume tossing toast at a theatre screen or screaming, “Dammit, Janet!” at the top of your lungs then, you are part of the Rocky Horror Picture Show family.
“Time Warp” has come to be the most popular and well known song from the soundtrack. In the movie, it closely follows Tim Curry’s character Dr. Frank N. Furter who sings “Sweet Transvestite” therefore, it helps pack a tremendous one-two musical punch. In the film, “Time Warp” is sung by multiple characters in an alternating-verse format and is used to help establish the identity of some of the secondary cast such as Magenta, Riff-Raff and Columbia. Singer Meatloaf lent his voice to this song. *It is a side note but, at the same time as Meatloaf was playing “Eddie” in the RHPS he was also making a similarly theatrical album with his pal, Jim Steinman called Bat Out Of Hell. From that album came a song called “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” which was filmed live on stage and used to be played as a trailer when Rocky Horror was shown in theatres.
Overall, “Time Warp” has transitioned from being an obscure song from an obscure movie to being one of the most universally-loved and recognized songs in the world. Today it is here for you to enjoy in all of its campy glory! It all starts with a jump to the left…who’s with me?!
The link to the music video for the song “Time Warp” can be found here. ***The lyrics version can be found here.
The link for the trailer for The Rocky Horror Picture Show can be found here.
Thanks, as always, to radio station KEXP for all that you do to support and promote interesting music in all of its forms. The link to their website can be found here.
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Tom MacInnes, Writer 