It's one of the best songs of the past 25 years, even though it's a little out of the usual for me. It's "Vincent Black Lightning 1952" by Richard Thompson, a modern folk song about a criminal who has two loves in the world: his red-haired girlfriend Molly and his motorcycle. And I believe it's (still) the most frequently requested song in NPR history. Fitting.
Richard Thompson, of course, is a towering figure who breaks down boundaries despite having a signature sound and style. Want proof? Check out his cover of Britney Spears' "Oops I Did it Again". It was part of his 1000 Years of Popular Music collection, where he explored the best songs of the past millennium -- from medieval madrigals to today's pop. And all of it still hews true to the electric folk pop he pioneered in the late 60s and early 70s with Fairport Convention.
