Back in the month of June, I examined the triumphs and follies inherent in making a music list. In the final post, I included my personal 100 favorite albums. I intended this post to also include my 100 favorite songs, but changed my mind for the sake of space. An eighth post in the series, then. Or not. Why blast the gas all at once? I decided, then, to save my 100 fave songs list for a special occasion. As with the albums, I've only a single rule: one song per artist.
Happy birthday to me.
*****
100. “Raisans,” Dinosaur Jr. (1987)
99. “North Beach,” George Duke (1973)
98. “Say Goodnight,” Reks (2008)
97. “The End,” Best Coast (2010)
96. “Just A Song Before I Go,” Crosby, Stills & Nash (1977)
95. “Flying Lesson (Hot Chicken #1),” Yo La Tengo (1995)
94. “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” Thelma Houston (1975)
93. “Lilacs,” Waxahatchee (2020)
92. “Journey to the Center of the Mind,” Amboy Dukes (1968)
91. “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst,” Kendrick Lamar (2012)
90. “Windspeaks,” Uyama Hiroto (2007)
89. “Good Vibrations,” Beach Boys (1966)
88. “Cry For the Bad Man,” Lynyrd Sknyrd (1976)
87. “Limelight,” Rush (1981)
86. “Words,” Missing Persons (1982)
85. “Don’t Change,” INXS (1982)
84. “Johnny B. Goode,” Chuck Berry (1958)
83. “Both Sides Now,” Joni Mitchell (1969)
82. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” The Police (1981)
81. “Blonde Redhead,” DNA (1981)
80. “What Is Life,” George Harrison (1970)
79. “One Fine Day,” The Chiffons (1963)
78. “Tighten Up,” Archie Bell & The Drells (1968)
77. “Classical Gas,” Mason Williams (1968)
76. “Tragedy,” Bee Gees (1979)
75. “Die Matrosen,” Kleenex (1980)
74. “Never Say Never,” Romeo Void (1982)
73. “Super Falling Star,” Stereolab (1992)
72. “Vibration Blues,” McCoy Tyner (1976)
71. “Bye Bye,” Kim Gordon (2024)
70. “Corpse Pose,” Unwound (1996)
69. “Try Again,” Aaliyah (2000)
68. “So Wat Cha Sayin,” EPMD (1986)
67. “Your Woman,” White Town (1997)
66. “Get Down Tonight,” KC & The Sunshine Band (1975)
65. “Refuse/Resist,” Sepultura (1993)
64. “Can’t Truss It,” Public Enemy (1991)
63. “Got To Give It Up,” Marvin Gaye (1977)
62. “Marquee Moon,” Television (1977)
61. “Will It Go Round In Circles,” Billy Preston (1972)
60. “Buffalo Stance,” Neneh Cherry (1989)
59. “Oh Bondage! Up Yours!,” X-Ray Spex (1977)
58. “Coat of Many Colors,” Dolly Parton (1971)
57. “Dance,” ESG (1983)
56. “Iron Galaxy,” Cannibal Ox (2001)
55. “Crazy,” Patsy Cline (1961)
54. “Oblivion,” Mastadon (2009)
53. “Save The Last Dance For Me,” The Drifters (1960)
52. “Making Plans For Nigel,” XTC (1979)
51. “Journey In Satchidananda,” Alice Coltrane (1971)
50. “Be My Baby,” The Ronettes (1963)
49. “Dance to the Music,” Sly and The Family Stone (1968)
48. “Eight Miles High,” The Byrds (1966)
47. “World Without Words,” Nujabes (2004)
46. “Spellbound,” Siouxsie & The Banshees (1981)
45. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” The Rolling Stones (1968)
44. “Venus In Furs,” Velvet Underground (1967)
43. “Fantasy,” Earth Wind & Fire (1977)
42. “Entrance of the Gladiators,” Julius Fucik (1897)
41. “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’,” Wu-Tang Clan (1993)
40. “It Ain’t Hard To Tell,” Nas (1994)
39. “Work It,” Missy Elliott (2002)
38. “Sinnerman,” Nina Simone (1962)
37. “For Ex-Lovers Only,” Black Tambourine (1999)
36. “So Far Away,” Carole King (1971)
35. “I’m God,” Clams Casino (2011)
34. “Nasty,” Janet Jackson (1986)
33. “Controversy,” Prince (1981)
32. “Only Shallow,” My Bloody Valentine (1991)
31. “The Hunt,” New Model Army (1986)
30. “Chains of Love,” Erasure (1988)
29. “Dive,” Nirvana (1992)
28. “Our Lips Are Sealed,” The Go-Go’s (1981)
27. “Band On the Run,” Paul McCartney and Wings (1973)
26. “Twilight Zone,” Golden Earring (1982)
25. “Gold Dust Woman,” Fleetwood Mac (1977)
24. “Shook Ones, Pt. 2,” Mobb Deep (1995)
23. “Mysterious Vibes,” The Blackbyrds (1977)
22. “Heroes,” David Bowie (1977)
21. “(You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real,” Sylvester (1978)
20. “Waiting Room,” Fugazi (1989)
19. “Song For a Future Generation,” The B-52’s (1983)
18. “Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely,” Husker Du (1986)
17. “Things We Said Today,” The Beatles (1964)
16. “Painkiller,” Judas Priest (1990)
15. “Peg,” Steely Dan (1977)
14. “Never Let Me Down Again,” Depeche Mode (1987)
13. “Sir Duke,” Stevie Wonder (1976)
12. “S.O.S.,” ABBA (1975)
11. “You’re No Rock ’n’ Roll Fun,” Sleater-Kinney (2000)
10. “Fire,” The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)
9. “Raining Blood,” Slayer (1986)
8. “Photograph,” Def Leppard (1983)
7. “B.O.B.,” Outkast (2000)
6. “Linus and Lucy,” Vince Guaraldi Trio (1965)
5. “West End Girls,” Pet Shop Boys (1986)
4. “I Feel Love,” Donna Summer (1977)
3. “Hungry Like the Wolf,” Duran Duran (1982)
2. “Starpower,” Sonic Youth (1986)
1. “Beat It,” Michael Jackson (1982)
*****
Note the absence of Bob Marley on my list. Note, indeed, the dearth of any reggae on my list. Alongside its white boy sidekick ska, there is no genre of music I loathe more sincerely. My opinion aside, any list of greatest songs must include something by Bob Marley…”Get Up, Stand Up” preferably. Additional songs that should appear on any greatest list worth its shakers: "The Twist," "Hound Dog," "Rock Around the Clock," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Be My Baby," "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Born to Run," "Good Vibrations," "I Feel Love," "Billie Jean," "Like a Rolling Stone," "Satisfaction," "What’s Going On," "Respect," "Johnny B. Goode," "You’ve Really Got Me," "When Doves Cry," "Rapper’s Delight," "The Message."
Looking over my list, I’d say close to a quarter of the tracks would not look out of place on a Greatest List. Which is to say, most of the songs that mean the most to me don’t really matter much in the larger picture. My favorite Beatles song, for example, is pretty much no one else’s favorite Beatles song (although Bob Dylan’s cover of it filled me with a validation of sorts). “Fight The Power” is more universal, but Chuck D has never sounded more ferocious than he does on “Can’t Truss It.” Possibly the only thing I have in common with Thurston Moore and Courtney Love? Our favorite Nirvana song.
(All 100 songs are intense audio-visual experiences for me. I have no clue if that’s anomalous or not.)
Songs considered “great” are associated with movements, while “favorite” tunes are associated with moments. Great songs are legend-makers; favorite songs are button-breakers. And I guess, finally, great songs represent adults at work, and favorites represent children at play.
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