THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES....
We have reached the Top 30!
Man, this is tough. These ten songs could have easily been in the Top 20 and at least five could have been in the Top 10.
These songs are sequenced in optimum playing order, not by rank.
Thunder Road- Bruce Springsteen
Back in 2015, I was running a vinyl group on Facebook that was incredibly successful until it wasn't. One afternoon, I put up a copy of "Born To Run" for sale, $10, shipped. One of the members of the group commented, "Featuring the worst song ever written, Thunder Road." Needless to say, I was stunned by the remark. It appears here because it is obviously one of my favorite songs of all time, and on certain days, I think it's the best song Bruce has ever written. But what do I know? That member, who made that comment, by the way, plays bass in a Cars tribute band.
I Saw the Light- Todd Rundgren
One of the most perfect pop songs ever written. Rundgren likes to call it crap. "I wrote this in three minutes," or some other annoying comment dismissing this gem. This rarely leaves his live set, and more times than not, he breezes through it like he hates it, which I also find annoying. But nothing he says or does will change my mind. It's pop genius.
Save The Last Dance For Me- The Drifters
Doc Pomus wrote this about his wedding night and how he told his wife to go have fun and dance, since he himself was crippled and could not. I found that out years after first loving this song and once I did find out, I never heard this track the same way again.
Behind Blue Eyes- The Who
My favorite Pete lyrics of all:
"When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh, and act like a fool
And if I swallow anything evil,
Put your fingers down my throat
And if I shiver, please give me a blanket,
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat
Wichita Lineman- Glen Campbell
"And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time"
Do I need to say more?
A Case Of You- Joni Mitchell
It's hard to find a song as stunningly beautiful as this one.
Hot Fun In The Summertime- Sly & The Family Stone
This song evokes summer for many people. Those opening piano chords FEEL like summer. How the hell did Sly do that?
"Buh-buh-buh-buh-buh when I want to!"
Damn right.
Heroes- David Bowie
There's not a lot going on in this song and yet it has everything. This became one of my favorite songs of all time the first time I heard it. That last verse when he sings full throat. The background vocals singing "We can be heroes." Fripp's relentless two notes on the guitar. Simple, yet very effective.
Born To Run- Bruce Springsteen
Was there anything on the radio in 1975 that sounded like this? This was ten years after the heyday of Spector's Wall Sound and probably the first time it was used in a big rock song. This record is a monster. "Someday girl, I don't know when, we're gonna get to that place, we really want to go and we'll walk in the sun." Gets me everytime.
Just One Victory- Todd Rundgren
This one's personal. Between 1975-1985, I must have seen Rundgren and/or Utopia 50 times, and this would always close the show. Everyone was waiting for it, and when he sang the opening line, "We've been waiting so long" the crowd would explode. It's a song of faith, hope and love. It's the Utopia National Anthem.
19 comments:
As you get closer and closer to the top, my faves are becoming more aligned with yours.
I am curious as to what your process was in ranking your favorite 150 songs? I've thought about how I would go about doing it and it just makes my brain hurt.
Randy
My grouping broke things into my Top 15 (ranked) — and then 16-25, then 26-50 (basically). So the first five come from my almost-made-it-to-the-top-but-didn’t grouping. Like Sal said, it becomes harder to articulate why these songs mean so much and why they are ranked where they are, but I’ll try.
A Million Miles Away -- The Plimsouls. I love “Now” by The Plimsouls, but this track off their second album is one of the perfect Power Pop songs out there. Maybe it’s the reflective lyrics. But it’s probably that Eminor chord, the solo and that Am/Bm/C progression that I love.
Back On The Chain Gang -- The Pretenders. I wasn’t late to the Pretenders, but — at the time — the death of the amazing James Honeyman-Scott hit harder than expected. Then this song came out as a tribute to him and I think it’s one of Chrissie’s best vocals. Every time I hear it, I wonder how the band would have continued on with Honeyman-Scott’s playing and it still hits me to this day.
Answering Machine -- The Replacements. In their heyday, I knew *of* the Replacements, but never heard a note (and I didn’t know enough about the band to see their infamous Michigan Theater performance in Ann Arbor — one of my missed opportunities!) Then, one day, (the famous) Schoolkids Records in Ann Arbor had an “all CDs are $10” sale. I stood in the long line of people waiting to get in to pour through the racks and saw “Let It Be” and I picked it up. When I got home, I thought the first half/side was sloppy, amusing and a lot of fun, but the songs on side two? “Unsatisfied”? “Sixteen Blue?” Brilliant songs! And this solo guitar/heartwrenching vocal final track is on my short list of best final tracks of any album out there.
Hammond Song -- The Roches Maybe this is an unexpected deep cut in the midst of a bunch of more obvious songs? I can’t remember when I first heard this album (or why I got it — probably because it was produced by Fripp and I was in one of my many King Crimson moods.) The opening track “We” — is funny and I was amused that Maggie, Terry and Suzzy don’t give out their ages or phone numbers. Then one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard came on next with “The Hammond Song”. Effortless harmonies from 3 sisters with amazing vocal ranges. And maybe my favorite (and short!) Fripp solos! This is an album that should be in every collection. And as I write this up, I wonder if I ranked it too low at 24.
The Name Of The Game -- ABBA. My penultimate favorite ABBA song (one more comes later) and I loved the single when I first heard it, but the longer album version really opened it up for me. “Would you laugh at me, if I said I care for you?” I wanna know!
Part two:
Day After Day -- Badfinger. Just a great pop song with a terrific slide guitar solo. For some reason, the difficulty of finding a copy of the “Straight Up” album (at least in my area) at the time, made this almost a mythical song for me that I’d hope I’d hear it on the radio so I could remember to tape a copy of it.
You're So Vain -- Carly Simon A lot has been written about this song by people much more eloquent than I am. The fact that it holds the secret about who it’s really about after 50+ years stands as a testimony about how great it is and how people still want to know what and who it’s about. Mick and Carly!
God Give Me Strength -- Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach I got off the Elvis train for a while after Bruce Thomas left the Attractions (and I know I’ve brought this up before.) But I love Burt’s songs. Ilieana Douglas’s version of this song was a stop-dead highlight of “Grace of my Heart” (where I first heard it), but the “Painted from Memory” version reminded me how soulful Elvis’s voice can be and the entire album is a treasure. But Elvis nailed this song as he has done a handful of others.
Darling Be Home Soon -- The Lovin' Spoonful. I will admit that the “dawdled/toddled” rhyme has never worked for me (and it still doesn’t), but everything else about this song works on all levels. A mainstay of my mix tapes and it’s near the top of the pantheon of love songs for me.
Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon) -- The Mamas And The Papas. A hit, but not a big hit. John Phillips could write great songs about things he was going thorough in his life and relationships and make them poppy — and that’s not easy. And that 60s-weird allegorical 3rd verse that may be my favorite verse in the entire M&P discography. There’s such an underlying sadness in the lyric and I think it has the best arrangement of any M&P song.
As for my process? I scrolled through my iTunes Library and pulled out songs that jumped out to me when I was doing that. I think I pulled over 850 songs the first time. Then I did a hard pass of those 850 and got down to 350. Then I put those aside for a couple of days and did a harder pass down to 230. Getting down to the last 150 was the hardest thing and I think I did it by randomly grabbing sets of 5 songs and trashing my least favorite of the 5 -- and then I pulled back some from the trash pile to get to 150. Surprisingly, doing a grouped ranking of those 150 was easier than getting to the 150!
"Hammond Song"
I realize now that because I used my iTunes library, there may be a few or more neglected songs, like "Hammond Song." I own the first four Roches records, but none are in my iTunes library.
I surely would have chosen both "Hammond Song," an absolutely stunning song, and "Mr. Sellack" in my 150. Where would they rank? Not sure.
Oh boy, I'm not getting any work done today.
Randy said "As you get closer and closer to the top, my faves are becoming more aligned with yours." I feel the same way.
I listened to 31-40 over and over and over.......
Thank you for all you put into this blog.
Wow, this is some heavy hitter shit. I feel like you’re already serving the Filet Mignon. What’s coming next? I don’t know how you’re doing this. It would be beyond me to even attempt this. Stellar grouping of songs!
That was me, Carl. When I post from my phone it posts as anonymous.
I agree that those lyrics from Behind Blues Eyes are fabulous. And Heroes became a favorite for me at first hearing it. I've grown to prefer the German version of Heroes since the song was written in Berlin, and after seeing Christiane F. which incorporated the song in a way that stresses the desperation of the lyric "just for one day". Both of the Bruce tunes are among his five best.
"Answering Machine" - a favorite of mine (along with most of Let It Be) since I bought the album back in college. "A Million Miles Away" and "Back on the Chain Gang" are wonderful, too.
- Paul in DK
Not sure how, or even if, I would rank my favorite 150 songs, but the ones you listed today would all probably wind up in such a listing.
Very nice list — I can’t argue with any of them. Even the Bowie.😎
Nope, can't disagree with any of these.
Wichita Lineman randomly popped up on one of the ipods the other day and my wife and I commented on what a perfect sentiment "And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time"is, and the way that Glen voices it, we both agreed (as you also did), what more is needed to be said. A perfect gem of a song. Another marvelous list of songs. Thank you so much for doing this.
All great! Wichita Lineman is as pure a record/song as you could ask for. Two Springsteen and I assume we're not done with him? But maybe we are. The Todd stuff I feel much more deeply now that you've turned me onto him. Never seen in concert but I do love your description of the perennial show closer. I did not know that about Save The Last Dance For Me -- a whole 'nother level of poignance. Sly, Bowie and of course Joni. As an aside, I don't know why anyone should applaud Brandi Carlile for hanging with Joni and working with her. Surely any musician would KILL to do that. (I'm just jealous.) As with your line from Wichita Lineman, from Joni you've got "I could drink a case of you." Says it all. As for Thunder Road, I immediately think of the piano version from Live 1975-85. It's the very first track on a massive three CD boxed set and I sat down to take in the whole thing, only to be blown away by this tremendous version of a song I already loved. Couldn't help it, I jumped up and played the song again, something I NEVER do when listening to an album for the first time (or frankly much ever). And then I played it again. And again. I thought, "Listening to this album is going to take a really long time. "
Well now we're just gettin' right on down to it, aren't we? Perfect songs, great choices.
And I'll do my own early reveal in saying my favorite of all time is here in this set of 10.
It could be the Utopia Todd song ... but it's a little something, a little anything, that never fails to light up my ears.
Putting this list together was probably simultaneously inspirational and emotionally draining for you. It would be for me. The music we love really does move us in so many ways. I will never forget where I was when I heard the Born to Run album. Born to Run was by far the best thing going on Top 40 radio when it came out.
Still, the song that I never tire of listening to is Wichita Lineman. It is one of the greatest records made in my lifetime and in Glen Campbell's hands, one of the greatest songs ever written.
Thanks for sharing your favorites, Sal. More importantly, thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings about the songs you love.
All great songs, as I expected. There are far worse things than being in a Cars cover band.
"There are far worse things than being in a Cars cover band."
Yep, like calling "Thunder Road" the "worst song ever written."
This whole exercise is Hot Fun!
Those are among my favorite Pete lyrics too.
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