Midnight in a perfect world: it's time for those suggestions. Photograph: Arctic images/Corbis
Thank you, all ye faithful, not just for last week's suggestions but for those throughout the past year. The intelligence and good humour of this column's contributors ensures that what might have become a chore remains a pleasure.
There were a lot of great Biblical songs to choose from - this non-believer enjoyed himself - and some invaluable guidance from this website http://homepage.ntlworld.com/davebulow/wow/key_ideas.htm, which explains the religious references in reggae lyrics. I was disappointed that nobody mentioned Joe Smooth's gospel-house classic Promised Land, intrigued by your tunes of the year and chuffed, as were many others, to hear TheLetterO's good news.
The B-list: Johnny Cash (The Man Comes Around), the Swan Silvertones (O Mary Don't You Weep), the Melodians (Rivers of Babylon), the Vaselines (Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam), Sam Cooke (Touch the Hem of His Garment), Leonard Cohen (The Story of Isaac), Regina Spektor (Samson), Prince (The Cross), Talk Talk (Eden), and Gavin Bryars featuring Tom Waits (Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet).
Last January we began with songs named after dates. This year it's times of day. It's great if the time is in the title but it doesn't have to be, as long as it figures strongly in the lyrics. Examples we've already featured: 10:15 Saturday Night, Jacob Street 7am, 7 Heures du Matin, 7 O'Clock News/Silent Night, 6.30 Is Just Way Too Early, Walkin' After Midnight, Midnight in a Perfect World, Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, Midnight Train to Georgia. Please note that, as in all these examples, it has to be a specific time, not a part of the day like morning, afternoon or evening.
When you have the time, there's the Readers Recommend archive and A-Z. Deadline is midday on Monday 31 December. Merry Christmas and all that jazz.
