Top 100 Songs List

[Lucky]

I happen to be in a little transition phase in my life where I have quit my job and am not starting school until the end of the month. So...I have lots of free time on my hands. Which is nice.

Since I quit on Friday, yesterday was the first day I had away from my usual work routine. That just happened to be the same day match-cut was down, too. What in hell was I going to do all day?

Well, I started the day out finishing a book, then went grocery shopping, then I decided to undertake the arduous task of reorganizing/updating my music library. While I was doing this I started making a list in my head of my top ten favorite songs. Then the list kept growing. And growing.

And thus, this thread is born.

I'm not a regular in the music forum of this site, but I've skimmed through enough to know I'm not as knowledgable in the music scene as most of you. The general populus will likely be familiar with 75% of my choices. Also, please bear in mind that I was born in '85 so MTV was a huge influence in my musical taste. Having said that, I will get cracking on the #100-91 entries.

[Lucky]

#100-91

100. "How We Operate" - Gomez

99. "Addicted" - Amy Winehouse

My favorite song by her because it neatly fits what makes her an interesting artist - her voice, throwback musical stylings with a modern edge, witty lyrics, and her shameless debauchery.

Yeah, it's got me addicted
Does more than any dick did

98. "Them Bones" - Alice in Chains

97. "Lovesong" - The Cure

96. "Ol' 55" - Tom Waits/The Eagles

I'll admit, I became familiar to this song through The Eagles' version, but now it's the Tom Waits' version I favor.

95. "Because the Night" - 10,000 Maniacs

Natalie Merchant has one of my favorite female voices. Especially dig this live version:
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94. "Behind Blue Eyes" - The Who

93. "All Falls Down" - Kanye West

Now I don't claim to be a rap music guru, but I know that I think Kanye West (however big his ego) and Missy Elliot are the most innovative, fresh rap artists in the business. The way Kanye plays with syncopation and his talent for rhyme is unparallel. He also uses vocal inflections in a way that no other rap artist could dream of reenacting one of his songs. This is the song that made me give serious interest to the rap genre, and it provoked me to actually buy a rap album. The video was cool as hell, too.

92. "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." - Sufjan Stevens

And in my best behavior I am really just like him
Look beneath the floorboards for the secrets I have hid

91. "Landed" - Ben Folds

One of the most beautifully written pop songs of last decade that rivals Elton John for complexity of the piano part. This song deserved to be a hit, it's too bad mainstream radio didn't embrace it.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Thumbs up for "Behind Blue Eyes," "Ol' 55," and "Landed." The others I'm ambivalent about, aside from "John Wayne Gacy," which I can't stand.

[Raiders]

Merchant's Tigerlily was a good album. I never did listen to any of her follow-up work and have never really found much interest in diving into her work with 10,000 Maniacs.

"Landed" is indeed a great song. Speaking of Folds, to this day I always pop in Ben Folds Five's Whatever and Ever Amen for driving music. I'm not one to sing along, but I just can't help it with that album. Epitome of fun music.

[Lucky]

#90-81

90. "Don't Dream, It's Over" - Crowded House

Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup

89. "Closer to Fine" - Indigo Girls

No, I'm not a lesbian. This song has some nostalgia factor for me as there was an acoustic duo - two guys, actually - that used to play at a bar I worked at who covered this song. I knew I had heard it before, but I never placed it until I searched the song on youtube one day. I was shocked to remember it was actually sung by two women. Anyway, that doesn't take anything away from the fact that it's an exceptional acoustic jam song and hereby makes my list.

88. "Tighten Up" - The Black Keys

The newest entry on my list. Only negative thing I can say about this song is that it may not stay in my favor over time.

87. "Comedown" - Bush

86. "Breakdown" - Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson is one of the most played artists around my house simply because the music is perfect for any relaxing day-to-day activity. Also, summertime music at its finest.

85. "Drive" - Incubus

84. "Svefn-g-englar" - Sigur Ros

I lived in a noisy apartment my senior year of college as it was right on the main strip of campus. For this reason, before I went to bed I would play this song and Sufjan Stevens' "Oh God, Where Are You Now?" Both songs served as my ethereal lullabies.

83. "Slow Cheetah" - Red Hot Chili Peppers

82. "Get Off" - The Dandy Warhols

This is a flat-out fun band who jovially exude the stereotype of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. This song in particularly feels ripped out of a Rolling Stones playbook.

81. "Maybe Tomorrow" - The Stereophonics

Maybe tomorrow I'll find my way home

[Lucky]

#80-71

80. "Brighter Than Sunshine" - Aqualung

79. "In the Sun" - Joseph Arthur
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78. "Shoop" - Salt N Pepa

Who doesn't love a fun anthem for casual sexin'? One sung by some aggressive chicks, even better.

77. "Blackbird" - The Beatles

I don't feel like going through and counting, but I'm pretty sure The Beatles will have the most entries on this list. As they should, they're one of my favorite bands.

76. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden

In case you haven't noticed so far, I was a young, impressionable boy during the 90's grunge era. The surreal video is a favorite of mine as well. Also need to take a second to say that Chris Cornell has one of the best voices in modern rock.

75. "Ain't No Sunshine" - Bill Withers

74. "The Pretender" - Foo Fighters

73. "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

My smile is my makeup I wear since my breakup with you

72. "Come Into My World" - Kylie Minogue

Kylie has a talent for making contagious earworms, but unlike the awful "Can't Get You Outta My Head", this one I welcome. Intoxicating and trance-inducingly catchy with an awesome video courtesy of Michel Gondry.

I need your love like night needs morning

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71. "Magick" - Ryan Adams

Short, sweet, and leaves you wanting more. This is one of the songs I can't fight the urge to press repeat on.

[Lucky]

#70-61

70. "Unsent" - Alanis Morissette

Alanis' second (and superior) album proved that she doesn't need to be the poster child for female anger, but that she is adept at soul searching and reflection as well. This unique song puts five letters written to ex-lovers to music, and it's not only bittersweet, but funny. A lot like love. I think the song's title says quite a lot.

dear matthew I like you a lot I realize you're in a relationship
with someone right now and I respect that
I would like you to know that if you're ever single
in the future and you want to come visit me in california
I would be open to spending time with you and finding
out how old you were when you wrote your first song

69. "Sparks" - Coldplay

68. "Folsom Prison Blues" - Johnny Cash

Legendary and timeless.

67. "Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns and Roses

Sweet chiiieeiiieeeiiiahahohiieeiiee iiild uhhof miiiiiiiiiiiiiiyiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiine

66. "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson

Even though it's before my time, this is probably MJ's second most famous music video. Right smack dab in the middle of his reign as the dominant force in pop music, Michael knocked the world flat with this jazzy, funky beat and his trendsetting dance moves.

65. "6 Underground" - Sneaker Pimps

This moody piece of work hit alternative radio in the 90's and is one of the best examples of "Chill" music out there today. It's one of those rare songs you can get lost to on a cycle of endless repeat.

64. "Take the Money and Run" - Steve Miller Band

I'm trying not to repeat an artist unless it really calls for it, but it's very hard sometimes. Steve Miller has many good songs, but this one stuck out to me in the end.

63. "Karma Police" - Radiohead

62. "Listen to the Music" - The Doobie Brothers

Again, this is another band with a list of good songs. I own their greatest hits album and I can remember blasting it on a road trip with some friends. This song in particular came to mind. "Black Water" needs some love here, too.

61. "The Chain" - Fleetwood Mac

And if you don't love me now
You will never love me again

[Lucky]

#60-51

60. "Driftwood" - Travis

Travis often gets overshadowed by Oasis as a player in Brit-Pop, but I find them undervalued. This gem proves my point.

59. "When the Stars Go Blue" - Ryan Adams

Where do you go when you're lonely?
Where do you go when you're blue?
Where do you go when you're lonely?
I'll follow you when the stars go blue

58. "Smooth" - Santana

57. "Crazy" - Patsy Cline

The universal anthem for a broken heart. This video is classic.
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56. "Paint It Black" - The Rolling Stones

55. "Scar Tissue" - The Red Hot Chili Peppers

With the release of their new album Californication, RHCP turned a new leaf. They took a step back from their hip hop/funk mashup and focused their energies into rock and melodic instrumentation. This is when I became a huge fan of them, and they continue to impress me today.

With the birds Ill share
This lonely view

54. "That’s How I Knew This Story Would Break My Heart" - Aimee Mann

This one gets the prize for longest song title on my list. Though its title is complex, the song is not. It's a delicate, fragile repetitive piano lick accompanied by Mann's haunting vocals detailing the moment she realized this relationship was not going to end well.

So like a ghost in the snow
I'm getting ready to go

53. "Somebody to Love" - Queen

52. "Everlong" - Foo Fighters

Another great video by Gondry. I'm really enjoying the new album the Foo Fighters put out this year, too. "Rope" and "Bridge Burning" are two great tracks.

The only thing I'll ever ask of you
Gotta promise not to stop when I say when

51. "Wonderwall" - Oasis

Often sampled, often mimicked, this megasmash hit is sure to live on. One of my favorite reincarnations of it is Party Ben's mashup "Boulevard of Broken Songs", which if you haven't heard it mainly incorporates "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" with "Wonderwall" with sprinkles of other songs in there as well. Ryan Adams' take on the tune is worthy of a listen as well.

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[Spinal]

78. "Shoop" - Salt N Pepa


Indeed. (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=66294&postcount=70)

[Lucky]

Indeed. (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=66294&postcount=70)

I'm not sure what I love more...the fact that I'm not alone here, or that you placed it at #69.

[Spinal]

I'm not sure what I love more...the fact that I'm not alone here, or that you placed it at #69.

Yeah, I can't resist immature gags like that. It's a weakness.

[D_Davis]

I like these...




97. "Lovesong" - The Cure





90. "Don't Dream, It's Over" - Crowded House


84. "Svefn-g-englar" - Sigur Ros




#80-71



76. "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden






68. "Folsom Prison Blues" - Johnny Cash

66. "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson





51. "Wonderwall" - Oasis

[Spinal]

Bush's "Come Down" is something of a guilty pleasure. Don't have it on my iPod, but boy, I'll sing the heck out of it when it comes on the radio. Also like the Sneaker Pimps selection. I like that album.

I would love to do a revision of my top 100 songs. I think it would change quite dramatically.

[Thirdmango]

I would love to do a revision of my top 100 songs. I think it would change quite dramatically.

I regularly go over it and over it, except when I start doing a list on match cut and then my computer dies and I lose the list. :D

[transmogrifier]

I'm going to finish my list this weekend. :)

[Lucky]

#50-41

50. "Mexico" - Incubus

Incubus is one of my favorite modern rock bands. Although Morning View came pretty close, they've yet to put out a truly great album. I anticipate their new album due out this summer and hope it can bring out the best in the band.

You could see me bleeding
And you would not put pressure on the wound

49. "Linger" - The Cranberries

The vocal track is what raises this song to greatness for me. Her voice is so strikingly clear and alluring that the longing is palpable. It's a universal song everyone can relate to at least once in their lives.

48. "Tangerine" - Led Zeppelin

47. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" - Elton John

While Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
Sons of bankers, sons of lawyers
Turn around and say good morning to the night
For unless they see the sky
But they can't and that is why
They know not if it's dark outside or light

46. "Creep" - Radiohead

I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul

45. "America" - Simon and Garfunkel

44. "Tears in Heaven" - Eric Clapton

Hearing Clapton perform this during his now famous unplugged concert makes you realize that this is arguably the most heartbreaking song in history. It's not so much the music but the pathos you know Clapton puts behind it that makes this song what it is.
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43. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson

The most infectious pop song in history? I think so. Makes me wish I could take a trip to the 70's for a night.

42. "Happiness is a Warm Gun" - The Beatles

This song is less than three minutes long, but it feels like three different songs blurred into one with an ever-evolving time signature. This is effectively trippy music, for sure. The best of all is the doo-wop finale which is just plain cool.

41. "Hotel California" - The Eagles

The version below is my favorite. As soon as you hear the guitar opening it takes my mind to a beachfront bar at night, slightly buzzed, watching the band play their final song of the night to an audience that isn't ready to go home. Kind of sad, kind of sexy, but lushly intoxicating.
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[Russ]

I'm going to finish my list this weekend. :)
I don't think I could put together a top 100 if my life depended on it.

Too many damn songs, too few brain cells left.

[Eleven]

43. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson

The most infectious pop song in history? I think so. Makes me wish I could take a trip to the 70's for a night.

42. "Happiness is a Warm Gun" - The Beatles

This song is less than three minutes long, but it feels like three different songs blurred into one with an ever-evolving time signature. This is effectively trippy music, for sure. The best of all is the doo-wop finale which is just plain cool.

Oh my yes to both.

[Lucky]

#40-31

40. "Hand in My Pocket" - Alanis Morissette

When I first heard this song I thought the idea behind it was stupid. But then, one day a few years down the road the simple philosophy of the song struck a chord in me. At the end of the day, everything balances out and we're gonna be just fine. I like that.

What it all boils down to, my friends, is that everything's gonna be fine, fine, fine

39. "Don't Speak" - No Doubt

Tragic Kingdom was a staple album of my youth, and this was the quintessential rock ballad of the 90's. Gwen slays this song.

38. "When I Come Around" - Green Day

37. "Leaving Las Vegas" - Sheryl Crow

The thing I admire most about Crow is her ability to tell a story with her lyrics. This was her first hit story to the world, and it feels like you've pulled up a chair and are listening to this girl who just waltzed into town. I wish she would have stuck with the rock roots her first album displayed, because as her career continued through the years her music declined.

Without no joker, no jack, no king
Take this loser hand and make it win

36. "Champagne Supernova" - Oasis

35. "Fly Away" - Lenny Kravitz

This is one of those songs that you beg for the radio to play while you're driving so you can speed down the highway with the windows down. The essence of a cool rock star song.

34. "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M.

33. "All Apologies" - Nirvana

Another Unplugged performance that brings a whole new aspect to the music. I remember seeing this for the first time (and for the countless times after that MTV played it) and it almost hurt to watch Cobain sing this song, especially the repeat ending.
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32. "Cryin' " - Aerosmith

Soaring choruses send this rock anthem to great heights. Also had a classic MTV era video which shot Alicia Silverstone's star to the stratosphere.

31. "No Rain" - Blind Melon

All I can say is that my life is pretty plain
I like watching the puddles gather rain

[transmogrifier]

I don't think I could put together a top 100 if my life depended on it.

Too many damn songs, too few brain cells left.

Tip: One song per artist only. Much easier.

[Lucky]

#30-21

30. "Criminal" - Fiona Apple

The video where Fiona is a bad, bad girl. Very sexy song.

29. "Imagine" - John Lennon

Lennon's utopian anthem is one of the most inspirational songs ever written. This is one of those works that makes you realize and appreciate the medium of song. You can write songs about love, about pain, about dancing, even about lady lumps, but it's songs like this that push the potential of music one step further. It's one of the moments in history that proved music reaches out farther than the radio waves can carry it.

28. "Amsterdam" - Coldplay

Coldplay's most underrated song. Delicate beauty and then finishes with an emotional roundhouse.

27. "Comfortably Numb" - Pink Floyd

26. "Dust in the Wind" - Kansas

Same old song
Just a drop of water in an endless sea

25. "Mary Jane's Last Dance" - Tom Petty

One of the most memorable music videos of my youth. Strikes a personal chord with me as I'm an Indiana boy myself.

24. "River" - Joni Mitchell

Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on

23. "With or Without You" - U2

My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing left to win
And nothing left to lose
And you give yourself away

22. "Destiny" - Zero 7

The ultimate chill-out track. The song washes over you like a soft wave. Sia is an incredible vocalist.
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21. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac

[Lucky]

#20-11

20. "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen

I love how everytime you hear this it feels like you just had an experience. The defintion of a truly epic song. Man, that Freddie Mercury had a voice.

Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?

19. "God Only Knows" - The Beach Boys

I smiled from ear to ear when I watched Boogie Nights the first time and they included this song in the final shot.

18. "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl

17. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" - The Rolling Stones

You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need

16. "The Wind" - Cat Stevens

15. "Fade Into You" - Mazzy Star

Nothing hits me harder musically than beautiful simplicity. This song has the same four chord pattern repeated over and over, but it's haunting and perfectly sung.

14. "Come Pick Me Up" - Ryan Adams

This angsty, self-destructive wish is straight out of a blues goldmine. It's good to have a raw song like this in your arsenal for those rainy days.

13. "California Dreamin' " - The Mamas and the Papas

On a completely opposite note, this song embodies my happy dreamer side.

12. "One" - U2

11. "Crazy on You" - Heart

One of my favorite guitar riffs can be found in the first minute of this song. How many times have you heard this song covered? Nothing compares to Ann Wilson; she looks unfazed as she nails those high notes.
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[amberlita]

20. "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen[/b]



Catching this song from start to finish on the radio is like winning the lottery. I remember twice it has happened since I've lived in Louisville. Twice in 4 years. Putting in a CD just isn't the same.

[Lucky]

#10 - "Here Comes the Sun" - The Beatles

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Ahh, The Beatles' last hurrah album. This song can put a smile on my face regardless of what's going on in my life, and for that testament alone qualifies it for a spot way up here. It's the ultimate musical pick-me-up, because you know the sun will rise no matter how long it seems like it's been.

Little Darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun

[Lucky]

#9. "Don't Look Back in Anger" - Oasis

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The brightest track off one of the brightest albums of the 90's. Oasis got a lot a gripe at first for being "just another Beatles imitator", but at least they were the imitators who took the best notes. They reintroduced a new wave of Britpop to America, and as you can see from my list it's a genre I highly appreciate. A british mag named their top albums of all time a couple years back and this placed at #3. I can't argue, I've included three songs from it in this list.

Slip inside the eye of your mind
Don't you know you might find a better place to play

[Lucky]

#8. "Warning Sign" - Coldplay

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Give it another generation and I'm sure this will be considered a classic album. Although Coldplay fills their album with fragile, yet compelling melodies like this, this one seems like the song they were destined to create. Martin's vocals take us on the ride through the flowing choruses right up until the dropoff at the final minute where we have sixty seconds of beautiful release.

So I crawl back into your open arms
Yes, I crawl back into your open arms

[Lucky]

#7. "Take Me Home" - Tom Waits

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That beautiful simplicity I was talking about? Here we go. Probably the best example I can dig up, although my #1 has it, too. The shortest song on my list, but it packs one of the largest emotional whallops. Part of its charm is that you can't just listen to it once.

I'm so sorry that I broke your heart
Please don't leave my side

[Lucky]

#6. "Nightswimming" - R.E.M.

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The repetitive piano melody is so simple, yet hypnotizing, as Michael Stipe unravels his nostalgic thoughts during an ordinary summer drive. The loneliness and reverie in the lyrics and the vocal tone invite you to reflect as well, which makes this not just a personal daydream but a general ode to "the golden days."

The photograph reflects
Every streetlight a reminder
Nightswimming deserves a quiet night

[Kurosawa Fan]

I think it's safe to say that you've covered melancholy on your list. :P

[Lucky]

Hah yeah, this top ten is especially a downer. For some reason I appear to be drawn to songs that reflect sorrow more than happiness.

[Lucky]

5. "Tiny Dancer" - Elton John

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I've played the piano since I was 7, and if you go back and look through this list my choices are obviously skewed toward songs with intricate piano melodies. Elton John is the master of those. This is one of the best examples I can give to back that up. Another reason this is so high is its link to the scene above in one of my favorite movies.

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway

[Lucky]

#4. "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones

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The Stones might just be my favorite band in history, and this is my favorite of theirs. A tender rock lullaby dripping with longing and sentimentality.

Faith has been broken
Tears must be cried
Let's do some living
After we die

[Lucky]

#3. "Desperado" - The Eagles

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This is one of those songs that can put a little tear in my eye if I get caught off guard. For instance, when the little girl sings this in In America. When I hear the opening piano phrase it immediately flips my mind into trance mode.

Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy
She'll beat you if she's able
The queen of hearts is always your best bet

[Lucky]

#2. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" - The Beatles

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Yes, two Beatles songs in the top ten. The major element of this particular song that lifts it to extreme heights is not just the personification of the guitar in the title, but the usage of the guitar throughout the entire song. If an instrument could cry, this is what it would sound like. The wailing notes used as filler to the vocals gives the guitar a unique voice here and makes this the ultimate melancholic rock anthem. And we know how much I like that.

I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps

[Lucky]

#1 - "Landslide" - Fleetwood Mac

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Music is not a new art. It's been around in some form arguably since the beginning of mankind. Granted all of the songs I've chosen have come out in the last fifty years of existence, this song is so well written it feels like it could have been around for centuries. The raw emotion of this song performed by Stevie Nicks is not a far stretch from an echo of a poet on a streetcorner in Paris centuries ago. Or a bard in ancient Roman times. The power of the song lies in the universal archetypes of change, aging, and romantic ideals, which humans have been pondering and reflecting on since the origin of time.

If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring it down

[Spinal]

"Landslide" is an amazing song. One of the best surely. I can't get behind this Eagles love though.

[elixir]

LOVE your #1 and #2 choices, and many others as well.

[transmogrifier]

Heh. Overlap with my list = 0.

[Raiders]

Never fully understood the overwhelming love of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" though being an absolute Beatles fanatic, I like it all the same. But yeah, not getting The Eagles love. One of the most annoying bands I have encountered.

[Chac Mool]

I'm not a big fan of the album version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", but the 1992 live version with George Harrisson (and Eric Clapton) is epic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A67ScXHJuPI).