Perhaps I should have anticipated this, but a lot of Recommenders aren't too comfortable with the idea of victory. Being the thoughtful, considerate, social people they are, songs featuring the crowings of winners leave them slightly cold. Instead, their record collections are filled with the songs of introspective losers. Honestly, next thing they will be claiming they don't watch The X Factor.
Fortunately, despite the protests against triumphalism, there were still hundreds of songs from which to compile a playlist. There was even a non-ironic nomination for R Kelly's The World's Greatest. As a mark of respect to the dissenters, however, the final 10 does not include any out-and-out examples of tubthumping.
Triumph over the odds is well represented in this week's list. At a wedding I attended recently, Teenage Dirtbag caused a dancefloor rumpus that crossed the generations, something I attributed to the transcendental power of an Iron Maiden fan finally pulling the girl of his dreams on prom night. Cut Across Shorty tells a similar tale, except country boy Shorty beats city boy Dan to the hand of his Lucy by cheating in a running race. Not sure what message that sends.
Triumph over poverty is a recurring them in hip-hop, whether real or imagined. The Notorious B.I.G does it with more flourish than most: "Lunches, brunches, interviews by the pool/ Considered a fool 'cause I dropped out of high school." Links aren't often drawn between rap and English folk music, but Charlie Edson similarly transcends impecunious surroundings in The King of Rome, albeit with the help of a courageous pigeon. With her lingering, haunting vocals, June Tabor turns this early 20th-century song into something close to a hymn.
Even the most vociferous anti-triumphalist would be unable to begrudge Stevie Wonder his moment of triumph. Not only does he have someone who needs him, he has that gorgeous harmonised chorus, too. Victory by Amampondo is a rollicking marimba-driven piece composed to celebrate the release of Nelson Mandela from Robben Island. Linton Kwesi Johnson, meanwhile, appears to be leading his own dub army to victory over a quite frankly disorganised opposition.
With that, we leave the songs of unalloyed victory and arrive at those with degrees of ambiguity and lurking shadows. Craig Finn of the Hold Steady has a girl who wins money on the horses because she can foretell the results of races. But – oh no! – those winnings are blown on drug binges that seem to be driving her towards a breakdown. Hank Williams, meanwhile, is forced to applaud his former lover for her indefatigability. She moves relentlessly from one man to another with no thought for their feelings. Even so, he's forced to confess: "I love you still, you win again."
Leave it to Polly Harvey to muddy the waters, and not just by singing of victory as "a ship". Victory is a dirty, bluesy song that exhorts the boys to "push it hard" and talks of delight being "dining at my table". It's unquestionably triumphant, but what has she achieved? And how?
This week's playlist
1 Teenage Dirtbag Wheatus
2 Cut Across Shorty Eddie Cochran
3 Juicy The Notorious B.I.G.
4 The King of Rome June Tabor
5 For Once in My Life Stevie Wonder
6 Victory Amampondo
7 Forces of Vicktry Linton Kwesi Johnson
8 Chips Ahoy! The Hold Steady
9 You Win Again Hank Williams
10 Victory PJ Harvey
Next week: Songs about the rain.
