Thursday, February 26, 2009

Greatest Song Ever Written



We have all been asked at one time,"What is your favorite song?" And I'm sure we have all reacted similarly. "Oh man! That's tough. I can't just name one." That, my dear readers, is how the Top Ten List was born.

But if you did just decide on one song that is your favorite, could you also say with confidence that it is also the greatest song ever written? Of course any song chosen, including the "greatest song ever written" will always be up for debate.

"Stardust," written by Hoagy Carmichael is the first and only song I mention when asked, and I feel quite confident that it is the "greatest song ever written."

I've collected hundreds of versions over the years from Willie Nelson to Django Reinhardt to Papa John Creach and Spanky & Our Gang. No version does it for me like this one.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Man, sometimes it scares me how much you and I agree on (except for Locksley). This is definitely the best song ever written.

Meanstreets said...

Since it's playin' on my CD player now, it's Jerry Jeff Walker's " Mr. Bojangles ".......with David Bromberg on acoustic guitar.

Meanstreets said...

Correction............it's Dylan's " Chimes of Freedom "..........

Michael in New York said...

And in the separate category of Greatest Record Of All Time -- I always name Judy Garland's "The Trolley Song," the original recording. But then, I'm gay.

herc takes five said...

impossible to name a "greatest," so the best i think we can do is "favorite," and even that's difficult -- usually changes over time. i'm a rocker (and not gay) so my choices (yes, i had to pick two) may seem a little surprising: 1. "somewhere over the rainbow" as sung by judy g. in the movie, and 2. "moon river" written by henry mancini and the great johnny mercer, as sung by audrey hepburn in the movie. i'm sure their heartfelt performances and the visuals attached to the songs (one by an insecure 16-year-old, the other by a "non-singer") have biased my opinion. but, they were both great songs. i also like the versions of "rainbow" by jerry lee lewis and the hawaiian singer iz k.