I tend to appreciate music almost entirely on the basis of whether or not it's catchy. I'm well aware that this sole criterion leaves out plenty of highly acclaimed and objectively terrific music. It's not that I won't listen to it, I just probably won't love it. So many years of nurturing this preference has left me, I daresay, a reliable source when it comes to catchy bops.
One of my all-time favorites in the genre is “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” by the Four Seasons. Yes, as in Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Go ahead, give a listen to this not-quite-disco, more-than-pop masterpiece. If it doesn't have you singing along or groovin' right there on the couch, well, check your pulse:
It's great, right? Now, I'm a little late to the party on this one, but it came to my attention that this zippy little number has been adapted by rapper Flo Rida. Adapted? “Sampled" doesn't quite capture it, and it's not a straight remake. He combines the catchy hooks and soaring melodies with some of his own lyrics and a remarkable depth of emotion. It makes the track into something entirely his own, even as Valli can be heard behind him, singing that familiar refrain, “Oh, what a ni-i-ight!”
“Frank”-ly, it's awesome. Check out Flo Rida's “What a Night:”