series finale *tear*
this is it. the moment that you (all 3 of you) have been waiting for. here are numbers 1-20 of my 100 favorite POP songs.
do you think you've guessed them? do you think you know me that well? well, we'll see.
20 - "run" / snow patrol -- final straw (2004) track 7 - my former roommate, art, had a habit of playing a song over and over again. everything from james' laid to the refreshments' banditos. at one point, he got stuck on run. i thank him profoundly for that.
19 - "unwind" / don chaffer -- you were at the time for love (1994) track 3 - again, the fact that i have had so many talented friends around me has not gone unappreciated in my life. here, don works his pre-waterdeep magic in one of the most beautiful songs about redemption anyone has or will ever hear.
18 - "i will not take these things for granted" / toad the wet sprocket -- fear (1991) track 12 - i would be remiss if i didn't acknowledge my profound love for toad. (to be honest, i purposely left about 6 of their songs off of this list to try and be fair to others.) leave it to glen to point out the beauty in everyday life...and do it so exquisitely.
17 - "annie waits" / ben folds -- rockin' the suburbs (2001) track 1 - "annie says, you see? this is why i'd rather be alone." we all know annie. we've all been annie. everything about this song is achingly beautiful.
16 - "it's the end of the world as we know it (and i feel fine)" / r.e.m. -- document (1987) track 6 - i hesitated. i really did. but the fact remains that this song can get me to sit up and sing along regardless of time or situation. and i can sing every word. and that's gotta count for something.
15 - "summerland" / king's x -- gretchen goes to nebraska (1989) track 3 - i've referenced my love for nostalgia and for songs connected to specific memories. this one is inescapable. "summerland" is more than a song to me. it's a place. and one that i love dearly.
14 - "a day in the life" / the beatles -- sgt. pepper's lonely hearts club band (1967) track 13 - words don't cut it. it's simply one of the greatest songs (my list or not) ever written. it's harmony in the midst of chaos. it's two of the greatest song writers in history working perfectly off of each other.
13 - "jet airliner" / steve miller band -- book of dreams (1977) track 2 - if i had an actual official theme song, this is it. for reasons both obvious and not. it's very southern. it's very 70s. but, it's a great melody. it's a man finding his way in the world. rock on, mr miller. rock yourself on.
12 - "just" / radiohead -- the bends (1995) track 7 - fall 1995; cade to roommate: "this is the band that did that creep song? this is really good." it's more than good. it's mysterious, powerful and ultimately inspiring. and it has one of the greatest guitar outros of all time.
11 - "fly from heaven" / toad the wet sprocket -- dulcinea (1994) track 1 - back to the boys from santa barabara. utter perfection. a staggering melody laid over one part acoustic/one part electric with some of the most honest lyrics you can ever hope to hear. good gracious, i love this song.
10 - "skin" / vigilantes of love -- blister soul (1995) track 3 - bill mallonee's ode to vincent van gogh dares to say what needs to be said more often. if you think you know what love is all about, you better be prepared for the brutal reality, cause you're probably wrong. it's as encouraging as it is depressing and it's entirely wonderful.
09 - "late in the evening" / paul simon -- one trick pony (1980) track 1 - why was paul the only one to really tap into this horn section meets earthy rhythm meets block party vibe? if there were more tunes like this out there, i believe the world would be a better place.
08 - "everybody's guilty" / waterdeep -- to chase away the birds (1995) track 7 - ignoring, for just a moment, the opening drums/bass/harmonica. ignoring the sad tale of the heroine, jane. ignoring the brutal imagery and wrenching vocals, this song would still remain right here if only for one reason. in all of the tenure and grassroots hubub that surrounded the indie sensation waterdeep, guilty remained, without exception, the greatest live song they ever wrote. if you don't believe me, check it out on '99's "live at the new earth." you will agree.
07 - "sweet emotion" / aerosmith -- toys in the attic (1975) track 6 - let's see. unbelievable bass line: check. well placed harmonies: check. grab you by the throat guitar hooks: check. yeah, it's a no brainer. tom hamilton is the friggin' man.
06 - "no pressure over cappucino" / alanis morissette -- mtv unplugged (1999) track 3 - i have had more conversations like this than i care to count. some good. some bad. but it always comes down to one thing. you know and relate to that person across from you. and it makes those moments last forever.
05 - "sweet child o' mine" / guns 'n' roses -- appetite for destruction (1987) track 9 - it's instantly recognizable. it's surprisingly endearing. but mostly, it's quite simply the greatest guitar anthem of my generation. there is no other song that comes close.
04 - "bad" / U2 -- the unforgettable fire (1984) track 7 - you wanna see me cry? if so, you're sick. but if you really have to see it. all you have to do is put me on a mountain or anything overlooking a vast and sunset drenched land/sea scape and play this song. you will get your chance. not that it has ever happened.
03 - "genesee" / huckleberry -- tragicomic (1996) track 5 - astounding guitar loops couple with brilliant lyrical imagery to create one of my favorite places of all time. i've never really been sure exactly where genesee is. but i'm willing to bet that i would love it there.
02 - "tear for tear/about love" / the choir -- circle slide (1990) tracks 5/6 - in my mind, the single greatest love song(s) ever written. it's not sappy or warm and fuzzy. it is grounded in absolute and unflinching reality. a beautiful reality that is only enhanced by the dreamy soundscape than can only come from the choir. the two songs cannot be separated. they are one and must be listened to as such.
01 - "scenes from an italian restaurant" / billy joel -- the stranger (1977) track 4 - anyone surprised? it's nostalgic. it's brilliantly executed. it's 3 songs in one. two friends meet over a bottle of wine and the past comes to life in a flurry of wonderful tangents. for my money, it's the perfect song. so, i guess that's why it is at the top.
that's it. that's the list. all 7 hrs 25 min 36 secs of it. there are probably some notable omissions, but i figure there are a lot of songs out there that i haven't heard. that's why this is an ever-changing list. anyway, i feel i've wasted enough time on this. feel free to comment/agree/disagree/tell me i'm crazy.
i love the company.
thanks.
do you think you've guessed them? do you think you know me that well? well, we'll see.
20 - "run" / snow patrol -- final straw (2004) track 7 - my former roommate, art, had a habit of playing a song over and over again. everything from james' laid to the refreshments' banditos. at one point, he got stuck on run. i thank him profoundly for that.
19 - "unwind" / don chaffer -- you were at the time for love (1994) track 3 - again, the fact that i have had so many talented friends around me has not gone unappreciated in my life. here, don works his pre-waterdeep magic in one of the most beautiful songs about redemption anyone has or will ever hear.
18 - "i will not take these things for granted" / toad the wet sprocket -- fear (1991) track 12 - i would be remiss if i didn't acknowledge my profound love for toad. (to be honest, i purposely left about 6 of their songs off of this list to try and be fair to others.) leave it to glen to point out the beauty in everyday life...and do it so exquisitely.
17 - "annie waits" / ben folds -- rockin' the suburbs (2001) track 1 - "annie says, you see? this is why i'd rather be alone." we all know annie. we've all been annie. everything about this song is achingly beautiful.
16 - "it's the end of the world as we know it (and i feel fine)" / r.e.m. -- document (1987) track 6 - i hesitated. i really did. but the fact remains that this song can get me to sit up and sing along regardless of time or situation. and i can sing every word. and that's gotta count for something.
15 - "summerland" / king's x -- gretchen goes to nebraska (1989) track 3 - i've referenced my love for nostalgia and for songs connected to specific memories. this one is inescapable. "summerland" is more than a song to me. it's a place. and one that i love dearly.
14 - "a day in the life" / the beatles -- sgt. pepper's lonely hearts club band (1967) track 13 - words don't cut it. it's simply one of the greatest songs (my list or not) ever written. it's harmony in the midst of chaos. it's two of the greatest song writers in history working perfectly off of each other.
13 - "jet airliner" / steve miller band -- book of dreams (1977) track 2 - if i had an actual official theme song, this is it. for reasons both obvious and not. it's very southern. it's very 70s. but, it's a great melody. it's a man finding his way in the world. rock on, mr miller. rock yourself on.
12 - "just" / radiohead -- the bends (1995) track 7 - fall 1995; cade to roommate: "this is the band that did that creep song? this is really good." it's more than good. it's mysterious, powerful and ultimately inspiring. and it has one of the greatest guitar outros of all time.
11 - "fly from heaven" / toad the wet sprocket -- dulcinea (1994) track 1 - back to the boys from santa barabara. utter perfection. a staggering melody laid over one part acoustic/one part electric with some of the most honest lyrics you can ever hope to hear. good gracious, i love this song.
10 - "skin" / vigilantes of love -- blister soul (1995) track 3 - bill mallonee's ode to vincent van gogh dares to say what needs to be said more often. if you think you know what love is all about, you better be prepared for the brutal reality, cause you're probably wrong. it's as encouraging as it is depressing and it's entirely wonderful.
09 - "late in the evening" / paul simon -- one trick pony (1980) track 1 - why was paul the only one to really tap into this horn section meets earthy rhythm meets block party vibe? if there were more tunes like this out there, i believe the world would be a better place.
08 - "everybody's guilty" / waterdeep -- to chase away the birds (1995) track 7 - ignoring, for just a moment, the opening drums/bass/harmonica. ignoring the sad tale of the heroine, jane. ignoring the brutal imagery and wrenching vocals, this song would still remain right here if only for one reason. in all of the tenure and grassroots hubub that surrounded the indie sensation waterdeep, guilty remained, without exception, the greatest live song they ever wrote. if you don't believe me, check it out on '99's "live at the new earth." you will agree.
07 - "sweet emotion" / aerosmith -- toys in the attic (1975) track 6 - let's see. unbelievable bass line: check. well placed harmonies: check. grab you by the throat guitar hooks: check. yeah, it's a no brainer. tom hamilton is the friggin' man.
06 - "no pressure over cappucino" / alanis morissette -- mtv unplugged (1999) track 3 - i have had more conversations like this than i care to count. some good. some bad. but it always comes down to one thing. you know and relate to that person across from you. and it makes those moments last forever.
05 - "sweet child o' mine" / guns 'n' roses -- appetite for destruction (1987) track 9 - it's instantly recognizable. it's surprisingly endearing. but mostly, it's quite simply the greatest guitar anthem of my generation. there is no other song that comes close.
04 - "bad" / U2 -- the unforgettable fire (1984) track 7 - you wanna see me cry? if so, you're sick. but if you really have to see it. all you have to do is put me on a mountain or anything overlooking a vast and sunset drenched land/sea scape and play this song. you will get your chance. not that it has ever happened.
03 - "genesee" / huckleberry -- tragicomic (1996) track 5 - astounding guitar loops couple with brilliant lyrical imagery to create one of my favorite places of all time. i've never really been sure exactly where genesee is. but i'm willing to bet that i would love it there.
02 - "tear for tear/about love" / the choir -- circle slide (1990) tracks 5/6 - in my mind, the single greatest love song(s) ever written. it's not sappy or warm and fuzzy. it is grounded in absolute and unflinching reality. a beautiful reality that is only enhanced by the dreamy soundscape than can only come from the choir. the two songs cannot be separated. they are one and must be listened to as such.
01 - "scenes from an italian restaurant" / billy joel -- the stranger (1977) track 4 - anyone surprised? it's nostalgic. it's brilliantly executed. it's 3 songs in one. two friends meet over a bottle of wine and the past comes to life in a flurry of wonderful tangents. for my money, it's the perfect song. so, i guess that's why it is at the top.
that's it. that's the list. all 7 hrs 25 min 36 secs of it. there are probably some notable omissions, but i figure there are a lot of songs out there that i haven't heard. that's why this is an ever-changing list. anyway, i feel i've wasted enough time on this. feel free to comment/agree/disagree/tell me i'm crazy.
i love the company.
thanks.
posted by cade at 12:22 PM
15 Comments:
pulled at the last moment (among others):
-windmills - toad the wet sprocket
-lost horizons - gin blossoms
-yellow skies - the choir
more as i think of them.
The loss of Windmills hurts, man. It just hurts.
Did I call #5 or did I call #5?
I must eat lunch now, more discussion later.
beautiful list...I'm already enjoying songs that I never knew existed and others that had escaped through the cracks of years gone by...terrific effort and classy move leaving your own band off the list
it hurt me, too. but i couldn't play favorites TOO much.
also left off: everything - alanis morissette. i forgot how good that song is...especially when compared to the mediocrity of the rest of that album.
freakin' archimedes...you're killing me over here with that name.
No Dave Matthews or Jennifer Knapp? Or did I miss them somewhere farther down the list?
You got a chance to put G'n'R on your list and you didn't choose November Rain?? Instead, you put the first and worst song of theirs -- Yes, I respectfully disagree.
I almost included a Steve Miller Band song in my predictions. Then I switched to Alan Parsons Project. Then I said, "Naw, he wouldn't draw any more from 70s rock." I stand corrected. Decent choice, for many reasons.
#1 is Scenes from and Italian Restaurant? Wow. I really didn't see that coming, somehow. But you know that.
Isn't the Chaffer song called 'Unwound'? Hmm, guess not. I just didn't recognize it by its actual title.
there was some thought put into dave matthews. they have never been my favorite. i could have gone with 'tripping billies" but that would have been the only one close.
jennifer knapp would be solid on a 150 list. her songs are so great to listen to, but none of them "stick" with me.
"unwind" is called "unwind."
re "scenes" as no. 1: yeah, well, i'm mysterious that way.
as for g'n'r: "november rain" was nothing without it's epic video. slash's guitar on "sweet child" can still, to this day, rip your face off. and i may tell him so, just so it can.
either way, "welcome to the jungle" was their first song.
also left off: and can it be - over the rhine. that one hurt too.
"re "scenes" as no. 1: yeah, well, i'm mysterious that way."
It's just the pinnacle of ironies that you would pick a Billy Joel song, and I wouldn't catch it. Also ironic is the thought that I probably wouldn't have Billy Joel in the top 5, for any of his songs. Or maybe I would...hmmm...
Billy Joel as a #1 is the right move...perhaps the greatest single lyricist in the 70's/80's
I am Archimedes...it's all a part of my new and improved, post mid-life crisis image
just thanking you for reminding me of King's X after all these years. I forgot about that music. I purposely forgot about a lot of that era of my life.
I was a teen in Houston in the late 80s. Still kicking myself for not ever going to see them. They were local heroes that played small venues all the time.
I did go see Living Colour in Feb 1989 at a club where they covered a Kings X tune and said "kings X is in the house tonight".
Maybe that counts.
It's funny Eric...about a week ago or so (prior to this list even being posted) I was listening to some Billy, and although I can't say it would be my #1 overall, I actually started asking myself what my favorite Billy Joel song was and landed squarely on "Scenes". Funny how time and distance can separate us, but we're still connected in some way.
And I'm right there with you on "Bad". Geesh.
Remember when you, Ed, and I were sitting in the balcony of the Heartland Theatre and one of you put on "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant?" That was my first introduction to Billy Joel and since then I have collected almost ALL of his CD's. You are forever embedded in that memory. And of course, there was the concert, too. That was fun. Ah, memories.
very nice, caroline. those were good times. glad i can be a part of that.
we should do a reunion in new york sometime.
hope all is well.
wow, great list, very impressive!
-dustin
Post a Comment
<< Home