When it was announced that the princess of R&B and soul died last Saturday, hordes of celebrities and fans alike took to the Internet to express their condolences to Amy Winehouse's family. And later, when rumors surfaced linking her death to her infamous love of alcohol (cause of death is still unconfirmed), the sad irony behind one of the songstress' most beloved single “Rehab” became immediately, and painfully, obvious.
In honor of the singer's commanding vocals, powerful presence and her most prolific ditty, the Top Five Songs About Drinking are posted after the jump.
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5. “Drunk Girls” — LCD Soundsystem
Off dance-punk group LCD Sounsystem's final album, This Is Happening, “Drunk Girls” celebrates, well, drunkenness. The song's best attributes are its refreshingly (and humorous) observations about drunk boys and drunk girls, set to a tempo backbeat. The video does the song justice — “Drunk girls wait an hour to pee” James Murphy sings, straight-faced, as a group of pandas pummel him and the band with everything from eggs to a fire extinguisher.
4. “Cheers (Drink to That)” — Rihanna
It was only a matter of time before the “S&M” and “Rude Boy” artist came out with a drinking anthem. But “Cheers,” the latest single off Rihanna's most recent album, Loud, is slower than the typical club-banging jam Rihanna's known for, and it features a slew of drunken participants (and one yeah-yeahing Avril Lavigne sample — yes, really). Surprisingly, it works. The ditty is remarkably uplifting and relaxing — rather than churning out a rushed beat that demands blatant drunkenness of the listener (like Lil Jon's inane “Shots”), the Barbadian crooner welcomes the end of a work week with a reminder that one shouldn't “let the bastards get you down” and couples it with a dreamy production. I'll drink to that.
3. “Have a Drink On Me” — AC/DC
Coming from Down Under, it's no surprise that the Aussie boys of AC/DC know how to knock back a few. “Have a Drink On Me,” off AC/DC's 1980 Back In Black album, proves that you don't need a Jamaican horn and auto tune to churn out a song you can drink to. “Have a Drink On Me” is rife with power ballads and screeching guitar rifts, and as Ronald Belford Scott's distressed vocals ring out over the discord, it becomes uncontrollably infectious.
2. “Gin and Juice” – Snoop Dogg
If you're not acquainted with this classic — you should familiarize yourself immediately. Snoop's laid-back rhymes coupled with this hazy, whistling melody makes for some easy drinking. Snoop is known for his love of kush, but it was this gin-soaked song off Doggystyle that single-handedly put the juniper-made liquor on the map.”It's kinda hard bein' Snoop d-o-double-g” the rapper spits. I disagree.
1. “Rehab” – Amy Winehouse
No need for excessive description — Amy's devastating vocals and sassy charisma on Back to Black will be missed. No one could make rehab trendy like her.
