The late (tear) writer/director John Hughes had great taste in women and music. The two go hand-in-hand, no? His soundtracks were jam-packed with tunes to rock out or get felt up to. Clearly, he was a genius! So, let’s celebrate his life with a dance party of our favorite hits off the soundtracks for “Weird Science,” “Uncle Buck,” “She’s Having A Baby,” “Some Kind Of Wonderful,” “Planes, Trains & Automobiles,” “The Great Outdoors,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Pretty In Pink” and “The Breakfast Club.” It’s the perfect set list to perfect your Molly Ringwald. (Check out the video above, which mashes up the iconic dance scenes in Hughes’ movies with Phoenix’s “Lisztomania”). Listen up, after the jump…

I’ve finally got a base tan, which is how I know summer is almost here. To celebrate, I’ve put together a kick ass summer playlist of old and new jams that act as the perfect accompaniment to frosty Coronas, gossip mags, and a day at the beach. And check out the playlists our girls at Lemondrop put together for gals planning on hitting the asphalt for a summer roadtrip—“99 Luft Balloons” AND “Forever Your Girl”? Hell yes.

Last May, after the California State Supreme Court’s groundbreaking civil rights decision that same sex marriage bans were unconstitutional, 18,000 couples, including Ellen and Portia, were finally able to tie the knot! However, in November, Proposition 8 passed by a narrow majority, putting all those wedding bands in jeopardy!  Luckily, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger listened to the public outcry for equal rights and stepped in to try and terminate the proposition.  Today, the court began hearing oral arguments over the legality of outlawing gay marriage and promised a verdict in 90 days. So, while we gals at The Frisky keep our fingers crossed that love will conquer all the H8, after the jump listen to 10 sweet songs that show just how beautiful a same sex union can be!

A study by the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine claims “degrading sex lyrics” inspire impressionable, virgin teens to hump for the first time. While we thought this whole debate was put to bed back when Elvis thrusted his pelvis, the doctors wanted to test today’s hottest Billboard tracks on teens. To their credit, the study does not vilify a particular genre of music, just the nature of the poetry.  However, if you like to get freak nasty, then one man’s undignified playlist of no-no’s can make for another woman’s ultimate sex mix!  So, here are some of the tracks used in the study along with a bunch of bonus knockin’ boots classics from my high school days. Here’s to getting it on—or off…

Forget Christmas. On this day in history, the glam messiah, David Bowie, was born. Although it isn’t one of those official holidays recognized by the Post Office and the bank, January 8, 1947, was, in fact, a day that literally rocked our world! While we have no confirmation that Bowie danced himself right out of the womb wearing platform pumps and guyliner, the man we’ve come to know and love has influenced many of his fellow artists. Hit songs like “Rebel Rebel,” “Heroes,” and “Fashion” have stood the test of time, just like his good looks. Damn, the dude still looks slick in a suit at 62! So, to celebrate this special day, we compiled a playlist of bands and musicians who also worship the Thin White Duke, after the jump…

Atlanta-based quartet Gringo Star released their debut album All Y’all last month, and it’s a good thing they did because our iPod needed an injection of “Big Beat/Psychedelic/Southern Rock” music, as they classify their sound on MySpace. We’re not really sure what that means, but we’re fans of it. Not only will their jangly music charm your ears, but the guys were nice enough to provide you with a playlist so large we had to break it into two installments. After the jump, Gringo Star’s favorite tunes vol. 1…

When you listen to the Postelles, you want to start dancing, and not in a bump-and-grind kind of way. I was listening to “White Night” as I walked home one night, and I almost starting doing the Twist right there on the sidewalk. I was able to hold back, but you might not be able to. Let this be a warning: Their songs will get in your head and make you happy. Here’s what the Postelles are listening to…

Rhett Miller doesn’t just have a pretty voice. He’s also quite a looker. So it’s inevitable to not get that weak-in-the-knees feeling when he sings, whether it’s with his prolific alt-country band, the Old 97s, or on his solo pop albums. Here, Rhett’s picks for songs to get it on to. Although Rhett cautions, “Don’t try to make love TO the song itself, let it play in the background while you and another human engage in this most primal act.” Wow. He’s smart, too!

We’ve already endorsed Ed Westwick, the lad who acts the role of playboy Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl. So, when we heard that he’s in a UK-based band called the Filthy Youth, he became too perfect for words. Ed aside, the Filthy Youth’s indie punk beats are the kind that make you want to drink Jameson straight up and not bathe for a few days (in a good way, of course). After the jump, the band’s list of breakup songs, which they described as, “a few soppy…and the others are for getting yourself back up!”

Girl Talk is a DJ with a misleading name—there’s nothing feminine or cutesy about him. He does, however, happen to be a handsome lad by the name of Gregg Gillis. Gillis’ songs are no less than genius. He manages to sample dozens of artists in a single track. On his latest album, “Feed the Animals”, you can hear Phil Collins mixed with Busta Rhymes and The Police in a way that first blows your mind and then makes you want to dance. We’ve had a bit of a crush on Gregg for the past few years, and his playlist (after the jump) gives us a ray of hope that there’s still a 2 percent chance that we’ll get married.
[MySpace: Girl Talk]

Happy Saturday everyone! Look what we just got in our Inbox—a list of some of Katy Perry’s favorite tracks for when she’s feeling, you know…saucy. Something tells me these songs get her revved up for when she’s kissing girls or guys. Playlist after the jump, and don’t forget to catch Katy Perry performing on MTV’s new show, FNMTV tonight at 9pm and Monday at noon and 9pm.

Boston-based band a’tris got their early musical inspiration from an unusual source—Sesame Street. Lead singer and pianist Mason Taylor started his musical career pounding away at one key on his Sesame Street keyboard, that of Oscar the Grouch, conveniently our favorite Muppet as well. Since then, the collaboration between music and what’s on screen has developed into songs that are really a soundtrack to life in general. That’s why it’s so fitting that a’tris’ playlist hits all the notes of love’s emotional rollercoaster. Check out their 10 picks, after the jump, and look out for their latest record, Lensing...

The perfect Sunday, in my opinion, would involve eating a delicious breakfast of freshly made waffles, exchanging a few kisses, and reading the newspaper (all without leaving bed, of course). The soundtrack to this perfect Sunday morning would be the Toronto band Ohbijou. The seven-piece group plays delightful music that’s quiet but not too quiet and generally puts listeners in a pleasant mood. I think this has something to do with the plucking of string instruments. Check out their playlist for gettin’ frisky on land and water after the jump.

Remember Craig David? He was that hot, suave soul singer from the U.K. who had a huge hit in 2000 with the song “7 Days”. He hasn’t been big in the U.S. since, but his star has continued to rise in his native country. His newest record, Trust Me, which critics are seriously buzzing about, came out in American on May 6 and the single off of it, “Hot Stuff (Let’s Dance)”, was a Top Ten single in the U.K. We think it’s time for Craig to make a comeback in the good ol’ U.S. And who better than Craig to give us a list of his favorite booty jams—we’ve certainly used his in the bedroom. Playlist, after the jump!

This British soul band has been described as sounding “like Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Pusherman’ resurrecting Led Zeppelin and the exiled spirit of Cassius Clay” making it hard “not to fantasize about Pam Grier fighting off her pimp with a broken bottle.” Heavy, indeed. Their debut record, Great Vengeance & Furious Fire came out in the U.S. on April 8th and they launch on U.S. tour in May. But if you’re freaks for the HBO show Californication than The Heavy probably caught your ear when their song “That Kind Of Man” came blaring out of the stereo when David Duchovny’s character Hank Moody took a Porsche—and a Porsche sales rep—for a ride. Check out their list of songs for those times when love has really got you down.

Chances are, you probably remember Nina Persson as the angelic front woman for the band The Cardigans—remember their hit “Lovefool”? That was some goodness. Nowadays, Nina is still a member of The Cardigans (who released Super Extra Gravity last year), but she’s also got an amazing side project called A Camp, described as “a minimalist fusion of eclecticism and Americana.” A Camp’s self-titled debut record won four Swedish Grammys and Nina is hard at work on a follow-up. Hopefully this one, thanks to the loads of critical praise the last one received, will be available stateside (without having to pay for an import). In the meantime, the melancholy wonderment which makes Nina’s voice so special is also present in her list of “Top Ten Heartbreak Hymns.” Enjoy her picks, after the jump!

Today is Billie Holiday’s birthday. In honor of the amazing singer, we’ve compiled a playlist of some of the best covers of songs either written by or famously performed by her, because hopefully you already have at least one of her albums. If not, go get one, and enjoy these in the meantime!

  Marianne Faithful—“Gloomy Sunday”
  Catherine Wheel—“Strange Fruit”
  Willie Nelson—“All Of Me”
  Michelle Shocked—“God Bless The Child”
  Rufus Wainwright—“Come Rain Or Come Shine”
  Olivia Newton-John—“Love Me Or Leave Me”
  Nancy Wilson—“What A Little Moonlight Can Do”
  Diana Ross—“Lady Sings The Blues”
  Nina Simone—“Fine and Mellow”
  Cat Power—“Don’t Explain”
  Ol’ Dirty Bastard & Lil’ Mo’—“Good Morning Heartache”

The Frisky asked Secondhand Serenade to give us his picks for “The Top Ten Ooey Gooey Love Songs”, the second in our series of music playlists with a sexy twist. John Veseley is an emo singer-songwriter from Menlo Park, California, who got some serious buzz for his debut record Awake. He recently scored major label backing for his second album A Twist In My Story, out January 21st. His playlist, after the jump…

The Frisky asked the sister duo behind The Pierces for their picks for “The Top Ten Songs For Getting Down and Dirty”, the first list in our series of music playlists with a sexy twist. Allison and Catherine, who originally hail from Arkansas and recently performed on Gossip Girl, came up with some super climactic tunes to shimmy to. Buy these tracks, not to mention The Pierces amazing third album Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge, on Amazon—or be among the first ten people to comment and you’ll score them for free. Playlist after the jump…

Valentine’s Day was a big date night feast and some of us poor suckers starved to death. Sometimes the buffet of singles doesn’t look so hot, but eventually you’ll have to eat something.  Whether it’s tonight, tomorrow, or sometime in the future, you will be showing off your feminine wiles all in the hopes that someone will treat you to a meal. This important mating ritual requires a certain amount of finesse. And baby, we know you got it! Now it’s time to flaunt it. When you’re getting ready for a date you need to do three key things:
1. Look hot.
2. Feel hot.
3. Get yourself in the mood.