So, today we move on to ‘Don’t’. Don’t is the earliest attested contraction of does not and until about 1900 was the standard spoken form in the U.S. (it survived as spoken standard longer in British English). Dialect surveys find it more common older informants. Surveys of attitudes toward usage show it more widely disapproved in 1971 than it had been 40 years earlier. Its chief use in edited prose is in fiction for purposes of characterization. It is sometimes used consciously, like ain’t, to gain an informal effect.
“Don’t Be Cruel” is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Otis Blackwell in 1956. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2004, it was listed #197 in Rolling Stone’s list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is currently ranked as the 173rd greatest song of all time, as well as the sixth best song of 1956, by Acclaimed Music.
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” is a 1976 duet by Elton John and Kiki Dee. It was written by Elton John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms “Ann Orson” and “Carte Blanche”, respectively, and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the Motown style, notably the various duets recorded by Marvin Gaye and singers such as Tammi Terrell and Kim Weston. John and Taupin originally intended to record the song with Dusty Springfield, but ultimately withdrew the offer; Springfield’s partner Sue Cameron later said this was because she was too ill at the time.
“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” is a song by Blue Oyster Cult from the band’s 1976 album Agents of Fortune. The song, written and sung by lead guitarist Donald Roeser, deals with eternal love and the inevitability of death. Dharma wrote the song while picturing an early death for himself. Released as an edited single (omitting the slow building interlude in the original), the song is Blue Öyster Cult’s highest chart success, reaching #7 in Cash Box and #12 on the Billbaord in late 1976. Critical reception was positive and in December 2003 “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” was listed at number 405 on Rolling Stone’s list of the top 500 songs of all time.
“Don’t Stop” is a song by the British-American band Fleetwood Mac, written by vocalist and keyboard player Christine McVie. The song was sung by guitarist Lindsay Buckingham and Christine McVie, and it was a single taken from the band’s hit album Rumours (1977). “Don’t Stop” is one of the band’s most enduring hits, peaking at No. 3 on the Billbaord singles chart. In the UK, “Don’t Stop” followed “Go Your Own Way” as the second single from Rumours and peaked at No. 32. However, in the US market, “Don’t Stop” was the third single released, and peaked at No. 3 in October 1977.
“Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” is a song written and recorded by Michael Jackson. Released in July 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson’s fifth studio album Off The Wall (1979). It was the first solo recording over which Jackson had creative control. It was Jackson’s second single to hit number one on the Billboard chart, and his first solo number-one hit on the Billboard Soul Singles chart. It remained at number one for six weeks on Billboard Soul Singles chart. It is certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA. The song was also worldwide success, reaching number one in nine other countries. “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” was well received by contemporary music critics and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most iconic disco songs of all time.
“Don’t Stop the Music” is a song by Yarborough and Peoples, from the duo’s 1980 debut album, The Two of Us. It was released as a single on Mercury Records in 1980. The song reached number 26 on the dance charts, number 19 on the Billboard and fared even better on the US R&B chart, where it hit number one, Outside the US, “Don’t Stop the Music” went to number 7 in the UK. The song’s success helped to earn a gold record for the duo.
“Don’t You Want Me” is a single by the Human League. It was released in November 1981 as the fourth single from their third studio album Dare (1981). The band’s best known and most commercially successful song, it was the biggest selling UK single of 1981, that year’s Christmas number one, and has since sold over 1,560,000 copies in the UK, making it the 23rd-most successful single in UK Singles Chart history. It topped the Billboard in the US in July 1982, where it stayed for three weeks.
“Don’t Stop Believin’” is a song by Journey, originally released as the second single from their seventh album, Escape (1981). It became a number nine hit on the Billbaord on its original release after entering the chart at position 56 in October 1981. In the United Kingdom, the song was not a top 40 hit on its original release, but it reached number six in 2010 following the popularity of a cover version by the cast of the American comedy-drama Glee. Mike DeGagne of All Music has described “Don’t Stop Believin'” as a “perfect rock song” and an “anthem”, featuring “one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock.” It is the best-selling digital track from the 20th century, with over seven million copies sold in the United States.
“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” is a song performed by Scottish band Simple Minds. It was written and composed by producer Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff, a guitarist and songwriter from the Nina Hagen band. The song plays during the opening (Schiff and Forsey’s demo) and closing (Simple Minds’ recording) credits of the John Hughes film The Breakfast Club. Continuing the rock direction recently taken on Sparkle in the Rain, but also reflecting their melodic synthpop past, the song caught the band at their commercial peak, and propelled by the success of The Breakfast Club, became a number-one hit in the US and Canada. It is also the band’s only number-one hit on the US Top Rock Tracks chart, staying atop that chart for three weeks. While only reaching number seven in the UK, it stayed on the charts from 1985 to 1987, one of the longest timespans for any single in the history of the chart.
