Friday, January 6, 2023

BW's 150: A Work In Progress

 


 

Back in 2017, I did a series of posts called "The Other 100." The point of the "Other 100" was to choose 100 records that I cannot live without, with the key component being that these records do NOT appear on the usual Top 100. "Pet Sounds" will not be on my "Other 100" list. Not because I don't love it, but because it is on my "first 100." It's not on my "Other 100" because it will always appear on the usual Top 100. "The Who Sell Out" is my favorite record of all time. It will appear on my first 100 and on my "Other 100" because it will not appear on the usual Top 100, or at least it didn't back in 2017. There has been some new love for that record in the last five years. Choices for the "Other 100" might include records that would be in your first 100 because they most likely do not appear on the usual 100.

Are we good? Do you get it?

That said, I started a new project, which is proving to be more difficult than I thought.

My 100 Favorite Songs 

It is exactly that. 

But then I considered the difference between a song and a record, and astute readers will know, I love "records." So problem #1---would "Da Doo Ron Ron" be in my Top 100? I mean, what a damn good record! But, do I love the song enough?

I guess the project would have to be--

My 100 Favorite Songs/Records

As I started compiling an iTunes folder, I realized there were songs that I play over and over that I didn't feel comfortable including. How could I put "My Before & After" by Cotton Mather or Del Amitri's "Not Where It's At" on a list that only has five Beatles songs?

Only five Beatles songs?

My 100 Favorite Songs/Records That Are Not The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys or The Who?

This project was becoming the "Heaven's Gate" of lists before a cast was chosen. 

And so, I just stopped thinking about it and created an iTunes folder. I started scrolling through 82,000 songs, sliding over every song that made me think, "Yeah. Absolutely!"

When I made it through all 82K songs, there were 227 songs in my Favorite 100 folder. It has since been reduced to 177. 

Now what, you 14 readers that didn't click off and start reading Sterogum after my first paragraph?

My Favorite 150 Songs/Records, And I Don't Care If An Artist Is Represented Multiple Times!

Kinda rolls off the tongue, don't it?

Aside from the Top 10, this list will not be ranked, though the bottom 50 will be the bottom 50.

That leaves 27 songs I need to cut and most of those 27 songs will be this Weekend's Mix, if you check back in a few hours.

So there ya have it.

Any questions?

 



 

14 comments:

Shriner said...

I've wondered about doing something like this. It would be pretty hard.

"Wichita Lineman", though, better be in your top 10! I know it's in mine. :-)

Noel M said...

Great idea. It's a tough task! Not trying to rank them other than the top and bottom helps keep it manageable.

I did this once many years ago before computers - I wrote the names of, like, 3,000 or so favorite songs onto index cards and rearranged them to get 1,001. [Boy did I have free time then]

But the f-ed up part is, I'm not sure where that list is - pre-computers, as I said. I did make a series of mixtapes out of it, but apparently they didn't get retained through all my moves.

So I need to try it again.

Looking forward to your list when ready ...

Jimbo said...

I have done my top 100 songs that I would want on a tropical island I was unhappily shipwrecked to. Now I know it hasn't changed but I tried doing 101 to 200 (only managed to get to 136 )and for me it's not easy adding songs in this group as should free’s 'alright now be higher' than the moody blues 'Nights in white satin' for example. Then this morning before reading this blog i was listening to stiff little fingers and I wondered if I had 'Gotta get away' in my top 100, no its at 136 should it be higher or am I in a punk mood that will see it move up my chart.
Whilst i love my 100 selection and the order there are days that some could move up and some could move down, depends on my mood or if I look too much into in.
I know my top 100 would make living on an island bearable as it would make me happy, sad, smile and even cry as I scream the lyrics and play air guitar but I guess it wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste.
In my opinion do it and go with the flow, then wait 4 weeks and look at it again adjust accordingly and then put it in an envelope and open in 10 years and do a new list and open the envelope and compare.
Laters people I’m off to listen to the fingers ‘ Gotta get away’

pmac said...

Mick Cox Band - Stuck on You
he was a guitarist with Van Morrison for several years, and released an album in '73. Never really gained any traction but this cut is fing amazing; slide riff running through a wahwh pedal, and a gospel style back-up chorus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmBcglO6UNc

buzzbabyjesus said...

Cool.

mauijim said...

Still here. Among the 14. Cant wait to read/hear

cmealha said...

Why do you do this to yourself :-) ? Looking forward to the list.

Sal Nunziato said...

cmealha,
Certainly not for the money.

Michael Giltz said...

"14? Make it 15! This is gonna be fun. But I can't believe you didn't include...."

heartsofstone said...

82K - that is beyond impressive

Anonymous said...

However you justify it, I'm glad you're doing it; I love hearing what informed folks like/love. None of the ones you've posted yet are personal faves, except for Albatross, but I too love the ones you have that I too have; in fact, the five between Me And Magdalena and Can't Find My Way Back Home are all members of my collection (BW being my intro to Me And Magdalena, I believe), along with the Smithies.
And I endorse Shriner's endorsement of Wichita Lineman as a fave -- a perfect song.
C in California

Anonymous said...

Just yesterday, I was going through some of your playlists that I've downloaded through the years... and enjoying very much once again.

This is gonna be a whole lotta fun!

Randy

P.S. I'm with Shriner - Wichita Lineman better be in your top 10.

dhbuckley said...

Stunning. Couldn't even imagine the degree of mental curation/cogitation it would take to do this.

I'm lucky I decide what's for lunch. Forget about the guy with 3000 index cards...respect, from someone who knows what an index card is. Kinda.

Hey, I've always wondered why the BW playlists aren't hot, links to a streaming service. Is it that so many of your jewels aren't even available or that services are low fidelity? I've arrived at the point where I have Spotify (primary), Apple Music because bundled with ... Apples ... and YT music because once it had ad-free YT, couldn't kill it.

As I have benefited so deeply from your mixtapes of more than 30 (!) years ago back in the US '80's - '90's, not least by the gift of my favorite "band", the mighty Fall, in the form of Telephone Thing on one of those tapes, maybe I'm just greedy.

Sal Nunziato said...

@dhbuckley
I've tried accomodating a number of different ways, re: playlists, mixes. I was embedding Spotify for a bit, which was good for some but not for others. I've tried different hosting sites, free ones, but those had limits and relentless pop-up ads.
It became too much work for me, so I pay one site to host all the zip files. No ads. No limits, for the most part. I had to delete about ten years worth of past mixes to justify NOT using their site as storage.