Tuesday Top Ten: "Thank You" Songs

In two days, we Americans get to celebrate Thanksgiving, and for those of us who are considerate of the health of our family and friends, it will be an unusual Thanksgiving, as we will not be traveling or having our normal large gatherings.  On the bright side, if you are being cautious this year and steering clear of your typical big family feast, perhaps you will be able to avoid heated conversations with your right-wing relatives who will undoubtedly be spewing unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about how the election was stolen from their supreme leader.

Regardless, even in this strange year, hopefully you find something to be thankful about.  So I've compiled my ten favorite songs with "thank you," "thanks," "thankful," or any variation with the root word "thank."  Even if you're not going to be surrounded by as many people as usual, you can still make a great playlist.

And finally, please don't be an asshole.  If you haven't been able to quarantine for the last ten days or you don't have a recent negative COVID test or you don't feel quite right, then just stay home on Thanksgiving.  I realize it sucks, but the recent spikes across the country are largely from private, indoor gatherings.  Don't put your health and the health of your friends and relatives at risk just because you wish COVID didn't exist.  That's not how it works.

Anywho, here are the songs in alphabetical order by artist:

1.  "Thank You Girl" by The Beatles

Released as the B-side to "From Me to You" in 1963 in the UK and to "Do You Want to Know a Secret" in 1964 in the U.S., "Thank You Girl" is an expectedly catchy ode to the band's female fans, and Ringo has a few delicious fills near the end of the song.

2.  "Thank You" by Boyz II Men

"Thank You" kind of gets lost in the pantheon of mega hits that were on Boyz II Men's II album, but it's my favorite song on the album.  It's a little funkier and soulful than the ballads like "On Bended Knee," "I'll Make Love to You," and "Water Runs Dry" from the same album.  And while it wasn't a Top 2 hit like all three of those, it did reach #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the group's ninth Top 40 song in the U.S.

3.  "Thanks for the Pepperoni" by George Harrison

This is one of the many great jams on George Harrison's colossal All Things Must Pass album from 1970, with a great title to boot, paying homage to my favorite pizza topping.  Joining George on this track were Dave Mason and nearly all of Derek and The Dominoes -- Eric Clapton, Jim Gordon, Carl Radle, and Bobby Whitlock.

4.  "Thank You Very Much" by Kaiser Chiefs

Leeds-based rockers Kaiser Chiefs are one of my favorite bands to come out of the aughts.  "Thank You Very Much" is off their second studio album, 2007's Yours Truly, Angry Mob.  It's a fast-paced punkish indie rock song.

5.  "Thank You" by Led Zeppelin

"Thank You" -- off of 1969's Led Zeppelin II -- was the first Zeppelin song for which the lyrics were written solely by Robert Plant, and he proved his songwriting mettle.  It's a touching tribute of gratitude to Plant's then-wife Maureen.  John Paul Jones's organs and John Bonham's subtly delicious fills have always stuck out to me.

6.  "Thank You" by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

While Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats' "S.O.B." -- and it's iconic line "son of a bitch, gimme a drink" -- may be appropriate for Thanksgiving gatherings with family as well, that's not what this list is about, but their song "Thank You" (also on their eponymous 2015 debut album) is a nice, soulful song that fits nicely with the theme.

7.  "I Thank You" by Sam & Dave

Co-written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter (not to be confused with Dave Prater, who was the "Dave" in Sam & Dave) and backed by Booker T. & The MGs and the Mar-Keys, it's no wonder 1968's "I Thank You" was Sam & Dave's second Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 (reaching #9).  It's a classic Stax song, and it was also famously covered by ZZ Top on on their 1979 album Degüello (their cover reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100).

8.  "The Thanksgiving Song" by Adam Sandler

We couldn't have a list of songs with "thanks" without including this Adam Sandler classic. And I'm going with the original Sandler performed on SNL's Weekend Update.

9.   "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" by Sly & The Family Stone

Sly & The Family Stone was one of the pioneers of funk.  They were not only a blend of genders and skin colors, but they made all sorts of fantastic music.  "Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" was one of their earliest forays into funk, and they nailed it.  The song hit #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B charts, becoming one of the first successful funk songs.

10.  "Thanks A Lot" by Third Eye Blind

I spent a good many nights during the summers of 1997 and 1998 with Third Eye Blind's self-titled debut album in the CD changer.  While "Semi-Charmed Life," "Jumper," "Graduate," and "How's It Going to Be" rightfully get a lot of love, "Thanks A Lot" is a hidden gem on the album.