For every girl, a song. Part 1 of a series.

OK, there are lots of counter examples and even non-examples, but I love songs that have a girl’s or woman’s name for the title. There must be thousands. Here are a first dozen or so of my favorites — in roughly chronological order. Mainly, I hope to get you thinking about your favorite “Name” songs.

Once again, I’m revealing my age, but I’m going to start with “Diana” by Paul Anka. I was a kid in the 50s and loved the slightly Latin, syncopated feel of this song — so confident for a kid not much older than myself. “Carol” — a friendship tribute to Carole King from her colleague, Neil Sedaka — was just a warm up for the unbelievably inventive melodies and arrangements that poured forth from this guy over the next couple of decades. He wasn’t always easy to watch, but he was oh so easy to listen to.

The Heart of Pop, Part 1: The Troubador

It’s a romantic image — the troubador. Haven’t we all been captivated by the lonely, achingly beautiful voice of a young artist? It happens again and again for me. Having my ear always cocked for this soulful serenade remains my best compass for discovering beauty and truth in the overproduced, fad-driven, and group-think traditions that propel pop music from one decade to the next. The rare artist’s unadulterated voice remains the strength that underlies pop music. The arrangements, the outfits, the concert shenanigans, and such are all decoration — important sometimes — but decoration, nonetheless.