Music: Near Misses 71-75

Rounding out the music part of Top 40 At 40 with the final batch of tunes that didn't make it...

Desperado - Eagles: Stronger in my view than "Hotel California", this didn't miss out by much. Musically interesting also - no chorus, just verses and a couple of sort-of-bridges. Last verse really build well. But no Don Henley in the Top 40, even if he's hiding in a band.

I Want You Back - Jackson Five: Infectious beat, brilliant bassline, unique vocal performance. But that's just the chorus. If the whole song was as good as the chorus this could have been top twenty material, without question. More, Jackson Five, we needed more!

Galveston - Jimmy Webb/Glen Campbell: A slow-burner over the years, and I've now finally come to realise what an amazing piece this is. Definitely prefer Campbell's more upbeat original version than the slow ballad arrangement he took to performing live, although I believe Webb meant it as a folksy anti-war song originally.

Bridge Over Troubled Water - Paul Simon: The thing is, I'm a real Paul Simon/Simon and Garfunkel fan. But nothing totally stood out as a single song. Graceland makes it if we talk albums, so does the album that contained this track; as far as individual tracks go, this is the only one that really screams "musical genius" loud enough to even make the short-list. The Boxer, Graceland, American Tune and Only Living Boy In New York all got cut at the long-list stage.

Moon River - Henry Mancini: Beautiful, whoever performs it. But not quite enough to make the list. Like the Jackson Five, we needed a little more. Andy Williams' version gets the nod over Audrey Hepburn for which video to show.