15 Songs Showing Us What’s In A Name

Today’s playlist is partially inspired by Shakespeare: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” It’s also partially inspired by our habit of singing along shamelessly to “Moves Like Jagger” at the gym. Songwriters and producers create melodies about or focused on other people all the time. These people, real or imaginary, are the object of the singer’s love or jealousy or despair. This week’s playlist is dedicated to those people, without whom some amazing songs would not exist.

The list opens up with Florence Welch’s soulful “Delilah” before breaking into Aretha Franklin’s rendition of “Eleanor Rigby.” It shifts to dance with The Chainsmokers’ “Kanye,” slows down with “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, and My Chemical Romance brings the angst with “Helena.”

Happy Monday, Darlings! Here’s to one day having a song named after us.

1. “Delilah” by Florence + The Machine, “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful”

2. “Eleanor Rigby” by Aretha Franklin, “Soul Queen”

3. “Buddy Holly” by Weezer, “Weezer”

4. “Peggy Sue” by Buddy Holly, “Buddy Holly”

5. “Kanye” by The Chainsmokers, “Kanye”

6. “Lolita” by Lana del Rey, “Born To Die”

7. “Remember The Name” by Fort Minor, “The Rising Tied”

8. “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5, “Hands All Over”

9. “Uma Thurman” by Fall Out Boy, “American Beauty/American Psycho”

10. “Whatever Lola Wants” by Sarah Vaughan and Gotan Project, “Verve Remixed 2”

11. “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, “Jolene”

12. “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield, “The Best of Rick Springfield”

13. “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson, “Thriller”

14. “Helena (So Long & Goodnight)” by My Chemical Romance, “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge”

15. “Alejandro” by Lady Gaga, “The Fame Monster”