Monday, January 18, 2010
Jules Goes Fulltime/Avatar/More Countdown...
I meant to mention over the weekend that for the first time since Aaron was born Julie is about to go back to work ful ltime. Now I should add that since going out on her own 5 or 6 years ago she's probably worked more than she'd care to say bt she has not been employed by an employer full time since 1990. Starting in early February she will be working at Cincom, which is one of the companies she has done contract work for in the past. One of the guys she used to work with there was promoted and he asked Jules if she would be interested in coming to work with them. I think the timing was right, I think she was tired of getting up and sitting in her office all day long. And with only Abbey home now, the need to be flexible for the kids is no longer an issue. I'm sure it will make for an adjustment for her but I also think it will take a lot of pressure off since she'll no longer have to worry about the next job or when a check is going to show up in the mail to cover our bills.
Today I continued my annual tradition of seeing a movie every Martin Luther King Day as Jules and I took in the matinee of 'Avatar' in 3D. It's a story that's been told many times - the good guys send in one of their own in undercover to learn as much as he can about the bad guys only to find out the bad guys aren't so bad after all and the good guys are actually pieces of crap. Now our hero must save the new good guys from the old and evil 'good guys' before they eliminate his new best friends. 'Dances With Wolves' comes to mind first when I think about other movies with similar plots but I assure you none of the other movies were ever told in such spectacular fashion as 'Avatar' is. Visually it is one of the most amazing pieces of film making I've ever seen and seeing it in 3D literally makes it appear as if you are right in the middle of the action. The movie is almost 3 hours long but the action moves along at a brisk pace and you'll be so amazed at the artwork and visual effects that you won't notice the time. If you haven't seen it yet, it's worth the 3 hours, $11 ticket price and $7 box of popcorn to see 'Avatar' - I assure you you'll be entertained.
Now we continue with my countdown of my top 100 songs; today #40 - #31....
#40. Moondance - Van Morrison. A smokey, jazzy number featuring Morrison on vocals as well as saxophone. I mentioned Diana Krall in the previous ten songs; if she hasn't covered this song she should do it on her next CD, it is a perfect song for her. Obviously is was a perfect song for Van morrison, as well.
#39. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones. Quite possibly the most famous guitar riff of the rock era, Mick Jagger actually had to tone the lyrics down to 'Satisfaction' when the Stones appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show - just a great rock song.
#38. This Old Heart of Mine - The Isley Brothers. Another, classic R & B tune that you can't listen to without singing along.
#37. Layla - Derrick and the Dominoes. If you want to see a perfect use of this song on a film soundtrack, watch 'Goodfellas' - absolutely classic. As for 'Layla', you think it's over (and the song would have been awesome if it did end) but then it does into the piano solo making it that much greater.
#36. Sign 'O the Times - Prince. Prince's song of social consciousness was my favorite cut from what many consider the best album of his career (Sign 'O the Times). He sings of the heartache and excesses of our society - we can't feed our hungry or cure AIDs but we can send people to the moon. Definitely asong that makes you think about what our priorities should be.
#35. All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix Experience. You can still hear guitaris today try to match the raw power of Hendrix and he is still unrivaled. Talk about staying power.
#34. Losing My Religion - R.E.M. - Didn't pay much attention to R.E.M. till they came out with this song. This Georgia band had a terrific run in the late 80's and early 90's and I always have to crank 'Religion' up whenever it comes on the radio or my Ipod.
#33. Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles. I put this song on my list as a tribute to the 'fifth' Beatle - their producer, George Martin. The arrangements and orchestration on 'Eleanor Rigby' are flawless and Paul's vocals is perfection. The Beatles obviously wrote some of the most amazing songs of all time but you have to credit Martin for all that he added to the songs during production - he was and still is a musical genius.
#32. Purple Rain - Prince. The final Prince song on the list. As you've probably noticed I have quite a few songs on my list that last well over 5 minutes in length. 'Purple Rain' is over nine minutes long but it never gets old and Prince's vocals are packed with tremendous emotion - a truly epic recording.
#31. Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John. The opening tracks to one of my top five favorite albums of all time, 'Goodbye Yellowbrick Road'. I know I'm going to sound like a broken record but if you ever get the chance to see Elton do these songs live you won't be sorry. Absolutely classic - his band is flawless and his vocals nail every line, just amazing that he's held up the way he has.
Only 30 more to go -we'll be down to the top 20 following tomorrow night!
Today I continued my annual tradition of seeing a movie every Martin Luther King Day as Jules and I took in the matinee of 'Avatar' in 3D. It's a story that's been told many times - the good guys send in one of their own in undercover to learn as much as he can about the bad guys only to find out the bad guys aren't so bad after all and the good guys are actually pieces of crap. Now our hero must save the new good guys from the old and evil 'good guys' before they eliminate his new best friends. 'Dances With Wolves' comes to mind first when I think about other movies with similar plots but I assure you none of the other movies were ever told in such spectacular fashion as 'Avatar' is. Visually it is one of the most amazing pieces of film making I've ever seen and seeing it in 3D literally makes it appear as if you are right in the middle of the action. The movie is almost 3 hours long but the action moves along at a brisk pace and you'll be so amazed at the artwork and visual effects that you won't notice the time. If you haven't seen it yet, it's worth the 3 hours, $11 ticket price and $7 box of popcorn to see 'Avatar' - I assure you you'll be entertained.
Now we continue with my countdown of my top 100 songs; today #40 - #31....
#40. Moondance - Van Morrison. A smokey, jazzy number featuring Morrison on vocals as well as saxophone. I mentioned Diana Krall in the previous ten songs; if she hasn't covered this song she should do it on her next CD, it is a perfect song for her. Obviously is was a perfect song for Van morrison, as well.
#39. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones. Quite possibly the most famous guitar riff of the rock era, Mick Jagger actually had to tone the lyrics down to 'Satisfaction' when the Stones appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show - just a great rock song.
#38. This Old Heart of Mine - The Isley Brothers. Another, classic R & B tune that you can't listen to without singing along.
#37. Layla - Derrick and the Dominoes. If you want to see a perfect use of this song on a film soundtrack, watch 'Goodfellas' - absolutely classic. As for 'Layla', you think it's over (and the song would have been awesome if it did end) but then it does into the piano solo making it that much greater.
#36. Sign 'O the Times - Prince. Prince's song of social consciousness was my favorite cut from what many consider the best album of his career (Sign 'O the Times). He sings of the heartache and excesses of our society - we can't feed our hungry or cure AIDs but we can send people to the moon. Definitely asong that makes you think about what our priorities should be.
#35. All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix Experience. You can still hear guitaris today try to match the raw power of Hendrix and he is still unrivaled. Talk about staying power.
#34. Losing My Religion - R.E.M. - Didn't pay much attention to R.E.M. till they came out with this song. This Georgia band had a terrific run in the late 80's and early 90's and I always have to crank 'Religion' up whenever it comes on the radio or my Ipod.
#33. Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles. I put this song on my list as a tribute to the 'fifth' Beatle - their producer, George Martin. The arrangements and orchestration on 'Eleanor Rigby' are flawless and Paul's vocals is perfection. The Beatles obviously wrote some of the most amazing songs of all time but you have to credit Martin for all that he added to the songs during production - he was and still is a musical genius.
#32. Purple Rain - Prince. The final Prince song on the list. As you've probably noticed I have quite a few songs on my list that last well over 5 minutes in length. 'Purple Rain' is over nine minutes long but it never gets old and Prince's vocals are packed with tremendous emotion - a truly epic recording.
#31. Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John. The opening tracks to one of my top five favorite albums of all time, 'Goodbye Yellowbrick Road'. I know I'm going to sound like a broken record but if you ever get the chance to see Elton do these songs live you won't be sorry. Absolutely classic - his band is flawless and his vocals nail every line, just amazing that he's held up the way he has.
Only 30 more to go -we'll be down to the top 20 following tomorrow night!
# posted by Vince Hopkins @ 8:43 PM 
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Ditto on the Avatar. Much better than I expected.
40-31:
#40 Bandelero - Slightly Stoopid - This band is a reggae band that was made famous by Bradley Nowell (the lead singer for one of my all-time favorite bands Sublime). They appear a couple times on the list.
#39 Country Grammar - Nelly - The title song of Nelly's first album should go down as one of the best rap songs of all time. Its lyrics and flow are very creative which hasn't been seen recently in the genre.
#38 The Real Slim Shady - Eminem - I remember this song coming on at Uncle Steve's house and I started singing it and my mom walked in and was appalled. 10 years later I still know every word.
#37 Caress Me Down - Sublime - I always like Sublime but it wasn't until I heard this Spanglish tune that I really got into them.
#36 Indian Sunset - Elton John - I remember hearing this song for the first time on the way to our annual New York trip. I continued to put it on repeat for the next two hours.
#35 Forgot About Dre - Dr. Dre (ft. Eminem) - After releasing the Chronic in 1992 Dr. Dre didn't release anything until 1999. When he did not only did he include this classic but he also helped launch the career of a young white rapper from Detroit.
#34 Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin - What is there to say. The drum solo leading into "and as we wind on down the road" is absolute perfection.
#33 Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry - Chuck Berry has some classics but none are as great as this "Back To The Future" hit.
#32 Over The Hill And Far Away - Led Zeppelin - My favorite Zeppelin song. I absolutely love the nice calm lead in and the Plant's singing is awesome.
#31 Castles Made Of Sand - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - This delivers an interesting message: that dreams, relationships, and even life will fade away, just how sand castles are always washed away in the tide.
40-31:
#40 Bandelero - Slightly Stoopid - This band is a reggae band that was made famous by Bradley Nowell (the lead singer for one of my all-time favorite bands Sublime). They appear a couple times on the list.
#39 Country Grammar - Nelly - The title song of Nelly's first album should go down as one of the best rap songs of all time. Its lyrics and flow are very creative which hasn't been seen recently in the genre.
#38 The Real Slim Shady - Eminem - I remember this song coming on at Uncle Steve's house and I started singing it and my mom walked in and was appalled. 10 years later I still know every word.
#37 Caress Me Down - Sublime - I always like Sublime but it wasn't until I heard this Spanglish tune that I really got into them.
#36 Indian Sunset - Elton John - I remember hearing this song for the first time on the way to our annual New York trip. I continued to put it on repeat for the next two hours.
#35 Forgot About Dre - Dr. Dre (ft. Eminem) - After releasing the Chronic in 1992 Dr. Dre didn't release anything until 1999. When he did not only did he include this classic but he also helped launch the career of a young white rapper from Detroit.
#34 Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin - What is there to say. The drum solo leading into "and as we wind on down the road" is absolute perfection.
#33 Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry - Chuck Berry has some classics but none are as great as this "Back To The Future" hit.
#32 Over The Hill And Far Away - Led Zeppelin - My favorite Zeppelin song. I absolutely love the nice calm lead in and the Plant's singing is awesome.
#31 Castles Made Of Sand - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - This delivers an interesting message: that dreams, relationships, and even life will fade away, just how sand castles are always washed away in the tide.
Back on the task.... but I'm behind. Below please enjoy my 70 - 61.
70 Superstition (Stevie Wonder) Stevie Wonder is a musical genius. Despite the fact that he can, and often does, get a little preachy, he can belt them out. I could have picked a number of his songs to make the list… this one makes it because it’s a perfect blend of sould and rock. The guitar riff is one of just a handful that are instantly recognized… And Stevie’s vocals are airtight.
69 Loser (Beck) Beck is just one ultra-cool nerd, and this song is in my opinion his best. The lyrics are truthfully a little trite, (In the days of chimpanzees I was a monkey…) but the song’s an nice blend of rock and rap and hey… not every song can be a classic poem… sometimes it’s good enough that it rocks.
68 Baba O'Riley (The Who) No… the song is not called “Teenage wasteland,” although that’s the strongest mental image from the song. The Who are sometimes forgotten in the rock pantheon because not much of their stuff was released as singles. Baba O’Riley is a classic rock anthem… one of those songs that just feels big.
67 Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) Roberta Flack did it first… and it was good… but this is a song that was reborn with Lauryn Hill and the Fugees. It has a vibe that runs through the entire song that’s just cool… This is music to stone cold chill to.
66 Flashlight (Parliament) – 1977 - 6th grade at Miami Chapel Elementary School… this song exploded onto the charts. Every kid in my class loved this song,.. (along with Rick James’ “Bustin’ Out”) Parliament never took themselves too seriously, and their music is just a lot of fun. I like this song because it ushered in the Funk era.
65 I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Marvin Gaye) A ton of artists have donme this song… most notably CCR in the 70’s and Roger and the Zapp Band in the 80’s.. Marvin’s version is classic soul… It’s Motown at it’s finest… and you can’t talk about the history of music without mentioning Motown.
64 Fire and Rain (James Taylor) Some will say JT is music men sit down to pee to… you know… Sally-Boy music… but I think it’s good stuff. He is one of just a handful of acts I’ve seen in concert. I took my girlfriend at the time to see the show in 1983… It wasn’t really her cup of tea… sop I promised we could leave just as soon as he played Fire and rain…. Which… unfortunately for Jennifer Whitney… was his third encore song. My punishment? The Men Without Hats cassette all the way home from Kings island.
63 Midnight Special (Creedence Clearwater Revival) John Fogarty’s voice is unique. It has substance. He usually makes the songs he’s singing better. I know this is a remake of an old blues standard, but I’ve never heard anyone else do the song. It’s about 8 minutes of rock jammin’ with an R&B vibe. CCR is another of my favorite groups that gets shorted because I wanted to include more artists.
62 Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder) Is Stevie Wonder a musical genius? Yes… yes he is. This is from the songs in eth Key of Life album. The horns on this are crisp and clean and Stevie’s vocals are dead on. The fact that it’s a history of soul pioneers is kind of cool too.
61 Rapture (Blondie) Released in ’79, this is one of the first mainstream artists to employ rap… although Debbie harry missed the memo on what you’re supposed to rap about… so while most were rapping about bustin’ chicks out with their super sperm or talking about how many color TV’s they have… Blondie rapped about space aliens that eat liquor establishments. What can I say…. It rocked.. and it rhymed.
70 Superstition (Stevie Wonder) Stevie Wonder is a musical genius. Despite the fact that he can, and often does, get a little preachy, he can belt them out. I could have picked a number of his songs to make the list… this one makes it because it’s a perfect blend of sould and rock. The guitar riff is one of just a handful that are instantly recognized… And Stevie’s vocals are airtight.
69 Loser (Beck) Beck is just one ultra-cool nerd, and this song is in my opinion his best. The lyrics are truthfully a little trite, (In the days of chimpanzees I was a monkey…) but the song’s an nice blend of rock and rap and hey… not every song can be a classic poem… sometimes it’s good enough that it rocks.
68 Baba O'Riley (The Who) No… the song is not called “Teenage wasteland,” although that’s the strongest mental image from the song. The Who are sometimes forgotten in the rock pantheon because not much of their stuff was released as singles. Baba O’Riley is a classic rock anthem… one of those songs that just feels big.
67 Killing Me Softly (The Fugees) Roberta Flack did it first… and it was good… but this is a song that was reborn with Lauryn Hill and the Fugees. It has a vibe that runs through the entire song that’s just cool… This is music to stone cold chill to.
66 Flashlight (Parliament) – 1977 - 6th grade at Miami Chapel Elementary School… this song exploded onto the charts. Every kid in my class loved this song,.. (along with Rick James’ “Bustin’ Out”) Parliament never took themselves too seriously, and their music is just a lot of fun. I like this song because it ushered in the Funk era.
65 I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Marvin Gaye) A ton of artists have donme this song… most notably CCR in the 70’s and Roger and the Zapp Band in the 80’s.. Marvin’s version is classic soul… It’s Motown at it’s finest… and you can’t talk about the history of music without mentioning Motown.
64 Fire and Rain (James Taylor) Some will say JT is music men sit down to pee to… you know… Sally-Boy music… but I think it’s good stuff. He is one of just a handful of acts I’ve seen in concert. I took my girlfriend at the time to see the show in 1983… It wasn’t really her cup of tea… sop I promised we could leave just as soon as he played Fire and rain…. Which… unfortunately for Jennifer Whitney… was his third encore song. My punishment? The Men Without Hats cassette all the way home from Kings island.
63 Midnight Special (Creedence Clearwater Revival) John Fogarty’s voice is unique. It has substance. He usually makes the songs he’s singing better. I know this is a remake of an old blues standard, but I’ve never heard anyone else do the song. It’s about 8 minutes of rock jammin’ with an R&B vibe. CCR is another of my favorite groups that gets shorted because I wanted to include more artists.
62 Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder) Is Stevie Wonder a musical genius? Yes… yes he is. This is from the songs in eth Key of Life album. The horns on this are crisp and clean and Stevie’s vocals are dead on. The fact that it’s a history of soul pioneers is kind of cool too.
61 Rapture (Blondie) Released in ’79, this is one of the first mainstream artists to employ rap… although Debbie harry missed the memo on what you’re supposed to rap about… so while most were rapping about bustin’ chicks out with their super sperm or talking about how many color TV’s they have… Blondie rapped about space aliens that eat liquor establishments. What can I say…. It rocked.. and it rhymed.
Here are 60 - 51.... the countown's starting to pick up steam....
60 I Wanna Be Your Lover (Prince) Prince’s early music had him relying on his falsetto voice quite a bit. This is an insanely catchy dance tune that Prince brings to a higher level with his vocals. Truthfully I could have included a dozen Prince songs…
59 You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC) This is a rock song about sex. The title pretty much tells the story. It’s simple… but an effective song. The fact that drunk women love to dance to it doesn’t suck either.
58 Papa Was A Rolling Stone (The Temptations) A classic Motown song. The Temptations had it going on.
57 R-E-S-P-E-C-T (Aretha Franklin) Find out what it means to me. Aretha is the Queen of Soul. This song explains why.
56 The Lode Out/Stay (Jackson Brown) This song is the answer to the question “What popular 70’s song mentions Richard Pryor by name? It’s a song about how much of a grind life on the road can be. I always liked it.
55 Point Blank (Bruce Springsteen – Certainly not his most recognizeable tune… but I’ve always loved this song. It’s bleak and depressing… but it carries that mood and feeling thoughuot. I think it’s one of his best. “
54 She's Gone (Hall and Oates) The lyrics are strong… the tune is strong, and both Darryl Hall and John Oates’s vocals are amazing. They play this song on the radio these days, but they chop put a whole verse.
53 Turn The Page (Bob Segar) Another song about how tough life on the road can be. It’s a bleak song with an instantly recognizeable sax element throughout. Some people call him a poor man’s Bruce Springsteen, and that may be true… but when he’s good Segar is very good.
52 Friends in Low Places (Garth Brooks) People sometimes forget how white hot Garth was just a decade ago. This is a perfect country song, and it deserves to be on the list.
51 Born To Run (Bruce Springsteen) He’s the Boss for a reason…. This is the reason. High energy rock and roll. It’s the perfect song… from the iconic beginning riff right down to the “1-2-3-4 Highways jammed with broken heroes….
60 I Wanna Be Your Lover (Prince) Prince’s early music had him relying on his falsetto voice quite a bit. This is an insanely catchy dance tune that Prince brings to a higher level with his vocals. Truthfully I could have included a dozen Prince songs…
59 You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC) This is a rock song about sex. The title pretty much tells the story. It’s simple… but an effective song. The fact that drunk women love to dance to it doesn’t suck either.
58 Papa Was A Rolling Stone (The Temptations) A classic Motown song. The Temptations had it going on.
57 R-E-S-P-E-C-T (Aretha Franklin) Find out what it means to me. Aretha is the Queen of Soul. This song explains why.
56 The Lode Out/Stay (Jackson Brown) This song is the answer to the question “What popular 70’s song mentions Richard Pryor by name? It’s a song about how much of a grind life on the road can be. I always liked it.
55 Point Blank (Bruce Springsteen – Certainly not his most recognizeable tune… but I’ve always loved this song. It’s bleak and depressing… but it carries that mood and feeling thoughuot. I think it’s one of his best. “
54 She's Gone (Hall and Oates) The lyrics are strong… the tune is strong, and both Darryl Hall and John Oates’s vocals are amazing. They play this song on the radio these days, but they chop put a whole verse.
53 Turn The Page (Bob Segar) Another song about how tough life on the road can be. It’s a bleak song with an instantly recognizeable sax element throughout. Some people call him a poor man’s Bruce Springsteen, and that may be true… but when he’s good Segar is very good.
52 Friends in Low Places (Garth Brooks) People sometimes forget how white hot Garth was just a decade ago. This is a perfect country song, and it deserves to be on the list.
51 Born To Run (Bruce Springsteen) He’s the Boss for a reason…. This is the reason. High energy rock and roll. It’s the perfect song… from the iconic beginning riff right down to the “1-2-3-4 Highways jammed with broken heroes….
Here's my 50 - 41
50 Fuck The Police (NWA) - - - OK... so the song is a little anti-social... The reason I really like it is because NWA just happened to capitalize on something that was simmering in LA for years. How did OJ get off? Because more people agreed with NWA than anyone ever thought possible. It's amazing to listen to this song and think that the guy who would "swarm on any mother %$#@& in a blue uniform" is the same guy who starred in not one... but three "Are We There Yet?" movies. Cube was straight outta Compton...
49 God Only Knows (The Beach Boys) There is just something magical about the Pet Sounds album. The sound is unlike anything else... in a time when Hendrix was singing about Purple Haze... these guys had this song coming out.
48 Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) I was working for a radio station in Troy when this song came out... and it was so completely different from anything else on the landscape...it's like an entirely different artform. I was really not a big fan at the time Cobaine decided to decoratethe ceiling with his grey matter... but I've since bought the album and it's pretty amazing. Come as You Are is another great song off this album... but this is the one that really got people hooked.
47 Dream On (Aerosmith) For the record... I think Steven Tyler is a jackass, and I've never been a huge Aerosmith fan... but this is the one song that works for them on all levels. It's just one of those sngs that sounds bigger than the sum of it's parts.
46 Same Auld Lang Syne (Don Fogelberg) I've always been a sucker for a pretty song, and I love songs that tell stories. On the surface... the guy meets an old girlfriend, they drink some beer and part for their separate ways. But the song and the story are much deeper. Fogelberg had a bit of a poet in him, and his lyrics were always stronger than he was given credit. This song is the definition of bittersweet.... The last line of the song is perfect.... "And as I turned to make my way back home, the snow turned into rain"...
45 Sounds of Silence (Simon and Garfunkle) - My cousin Jim lived with us for a year... and his stereo system was pretty sweet.. especially to a kid who had no stereo to speak of. I used to sneak into his room when he wasn't home and play the Simon and Garfunkle Greatest Hits album. This was my favorite. I should have included Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water.... and I wrestled with it... but I think the greatest songs could be sung by other people and still be great. No one has Garfunkle's amazing voice, and that's what makes Bridge such and amazing song. So.. I'll take Sounds of Silence...
44 Honky Tonk Woman (The Rolling Stones) This song is pure rock and roll. It's a fun song with one of the great rock lines of all times... "She blew my nose and then she blew my mind..."
43 When You Say Nothing At All (Allison Krause) There's never been a prettier song. It's a beautiful song that's very simple. Much in the same way that Garfunkle sold Bridge Over troubled water... you'd think no one but Allison Krause could make this one work... but somebody on the country charts... a guy... I think John Michael Montgomery... did make it work. It's a great song.
42 The Logical Song (Supertramp) Supertramp had a string of hits in the 70's... their biggest album Breakfast in America. While they never made it to super stardom, I liked their music alot. This one was my favorite...
41 Shattered (The Rolling Stones) These guys get overlooked a lot when you talk about gerat rock bands... and while today they are certainly caricatures of themselves, this song, from the Some Girls album, was strong."Look at me my brains are splattered... all over... Manhattan..." They don't write 'em like that anymore.
50 Fuck The Police (NWA) - - - OK... so the song is a little anti-social... The reason I really like it is because NWA just happened to capitalize on something that was simmering in LA for years. How did OJ get off? Because more people agreed with NWA than anyone ever thought possible. It's amazing to listen to this song and think that the guy who would "swarm on any mother %$#@& in a blue uniform" is the same guy who starred in not one... but three "Are We There Yet?" movies. Cube was straight outta Compton...
49 God Only Knows (The Beach Boys) There is just something magical about the Pet Sounds album. The sound is unlike anything else... in a time when Hendrix was singing about Purple Haze... these guys had this song coming out.
48 Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) I was working for a radio station in Troy when this song came out... and it was so completely different from anything else on the landscape...it's like an entirely different artform. I was really not a big fan at the time Cobaine decided to decoratethe ceiling with his grey matter... but I've since bought the album and it's pretty amazing. Come as You Are is another great song off this album... but this is the one that really got people hooked.
47 Dream On (Aerosmith) For the record... I think Steven Tyler is a jackass, and I've never been a huge Aerosmith fan... but this is the one song that works for them on all levels. It's just one of those sngs that sounds bigger than the sum of it's parts.
46 Same Auld Lang Syne (Don Fogelberg) I've always been a sucker for a pretty song, and I love songs that tell stories. On the surface... the guy meets an old girlfriend, they drink some beer and part for their separate ways. But the song and the story are much deeper. Fogelberg had a bit of a poet in him, and his lyrics were always stronger than he was given credit. This song is the definition of bittersweet.... The last line of the song is perfect.... "And as I turned to make my way back home, the snow turned into rain"...
45 Sounds of Silence (Simon and Garfunkle) - My cousin Jim lived with us for a year... and his stereo system was pretty sweet.. especially to a kid who had no stereo to speak of. I used to sneak into his room when he wasn't home and play the Simon and Garfunkle Greatest Hits album. This was my favorite. I should have included Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water.... and I wrestled with it... but I think the greatest songs could be sung by other people and still be great. No one has Garfunkle's amazing voice, and that's what makes Bridge such and amazing song. So.. I'll take Sounds of Silence...
44 Honky Tonk Woman (The Rolling Stones) This song is pure rock and roll. It's a fun song with one of the great rock lines of all times... "She blew my nose and then she blew my mind..."
43 When You Say Nothing At All (Allison Krause) There's never been a prettier song. It's a beautiful song that's very simple. Much in the same way that Garfunkle sold Bridge Over troubled water... you'd think no one but Allison Krause could make this one work... but somebody on the country charts... a guy... I think John Michael Montgomery... did make it work. It's a great song.
42 The Logical Song (Supertramp) Supertramp had a string of hits in the 70's... their biggest album Breakfast in America. While they never made it to super stardom, I liked their music alot. This one was my favorite...
41 Shattered (The Rolling Stones) These guys get overlooked a lot when you talk about gerat rock bands... and while today they are certainly caricatures of themselves, this song, from the Some Girls album, was strong."Look at me my brains are splattered... all over... Manhattan..." They don't write 'em like that anymore.
40 Gloria (Them/The Doors) Another example of multiple groups makeing a song work... Them... The Doors and Jimi hendrix all did this song, and all did it quite differently... Essentially an homage to skanky groupies....The song still works today. Hendrix's version is borderline dirty... and the Troggs sounds dated. But I think Morrison and the Doors did the best version. Marrison was a pompous idiot.... but on this one he was a rock god.
39 Dreams (Fleetwood Mac) OK... so here's the thing. Back in the day Stevie Nicks was hot... she was SMOKIN hot. Then drugs, alcohol and ice cream claimed their toll.... But in 1977... she was an amazing specimen of California beauty. The song is pretty, and you can't talk about the history of rock without mentioning the Rumours album. This song was a huge hit when I was 12.... my hormones were raging by that time and this tune seemed to be on every radio station all the time. I like the song and it reminds me of summers at Sandalwood Park, where I hung out essentially every day of the summer.
38 Sail On (Commodores) Nicole Ritchie's dad was the front man for the Commodores, and this is in my humble opinion their best work. It's Lionel Ritchie telling a girlfriend that he's cutting her loose. Break up songs rock.
37 Me and Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin) Kris Kristofferson wrote this one, and while it screams hippie counterculture... it's a great tune. Janis Joplin was a trainwreck for most of her short adult life, and you can hear the toll that hard living took on her gravely voice in this song. She nails it... and you can feel her passion... It absolutely holds up today as well. Give it a listen.
36 Alphabet Street (Prince) prince is the only performer i ever waited in line overnight to get tickets to see in concert. This song wasn't out when I saw him play. It's funky.... and Prince's voice is in rare form.
35 Pour Some Sugar on Me (Def Leppard) These guys were a huge deal in the 80’s and I appreciated some of their work…. But this one makes the cut solely for the fact that it’s a very good song to play at weddings.
34 Surrender (Cheap Trick) This song came out the year I started High School. Whenever I hear it, I think back to that time period.
33 Tiny Dancer (Elton John) Elton John was an unbelieveably strong musical influence in the 70’s. This song is about as good as he got. It’s also a great scene in Almost Famous.
32 Carry On Wayward Son (Kansas) I saw these dudes in concert for free once at Ohio State… I sorta started digging them afterwards.
31 Save Me (Queen) This song was much bigger in Britain than it ever was here… and I don’t know why that is…. Freddie’s voice is in rare form, and the song rocks.
39 Dreams (Fleetwood Mac) OK... so here's the thing. Back in the day Stevie Nicks was hot... she was SMOKIN hot. Then drugs, alcohol and ice cream claimed their toll.... But in 1977... she was an amazing specimen of California beauty. The song is pretty, and you can't talk about the history of rock without mentioning the Rumours album. This song was a huge hit when I was 12.... my hormones were raging by that time and this tune seemed to be on every radio station all the time. I like the song and it reminds me of summers at Sandalwood Park, where I hung out essentially every day of the summer.
38 Sail On (Commodores) Nicole Ritchie's dad was the front man for the Commodores, and this is in my humble opinion their best work. It's Lionel Ritchie telling a girlfriend that he's cutting her loose. Break up songs rock.
37 Me and Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin) Kris Kristofferson wrote this one, and while it screams hippie counterculture... it's a great tune. Janis Joplin was a trainwreck for most of her short adult life, and you can hear the toll that hard living took on her gravely voice in this song. She nails it... and you can feel her passion... It absolutely holds up today as well. Give it a listen.
36 Alphabet Street (Prince) prince is the only performer i ever waited in line overnight to get tickets to see in concert. This song wasn't out when I saw him play. It's funky.... and Prince's voice is in rare form.
35 Pour Some Sugar on Me (Def Leppard) These guys were a huge deal in the 80’s and I appreciated some of their work…. But this one makes the cut solely for the fact that it’s a very good song to play at weddings.
34 Surrender (Cheap Trick) This song came out the year I started High School. Whenever I hear it, I think back to that time period.
33 Tiny Dancer (Elton John) Elton John was an unbelieveably strong musical influence in the 70’s. This song is about as good as he got. It’s also a great scene in Almost Famous.
32 Carry On Wayward Son (Kansas) I saw these dudes in concert for free once at Ohio State… I sorta started digging them afterwards.
31 Save Me (Queen) This song was much bigger in Britain than it ever was here… and I don’t know why that is…. Freddie’s voice is in rare form, and the song rocks.
OK.. Vince is picking up some serious steam in this round.
Moondance is one of my favorites... and Satisfaction just missed my list. I love the song... and it was the #1 song in the country on the day i was born... but as iconic as it is, it's not the best the stones have done, and I excluded this one to include some others... but you erally can't argue with it.
All Along the Watchtower is a classic, and I'm kicking myself for not including Love Lies Bleeding on my list...
Judd scores for some great bands.... I just don't know the songs. And much like Vince is Beatle Heavy, Judd has a thing for Elton.
In the interest of making it interesting, I'll award this round to Judd... who now trails 5-2...
Moondance is one of my favorites... and Satisfaction just missed my list. I love the song... and it was the #1 song in the country on the day i was born... but as iconic as it is, it's not the best the stones have done, and I excluded this one to include some others... but you erally can't argue with it.
All Along the Watchtower is a classic, and I'm kicking myself for not including Love Lies Bleeding on my list...
Judd scores for some great bands.... I just don't know the songs. And much like Vince is Beatle Heavy, Judd has a thing for Elton.
In the interest of making it interesting, I'll award this round to Judd... who now trails 5-2...
Rich... F.Y.I it wasnt John Michael Montgomery it was the Keith Whitley. I think he wrote it for Lorie Morgan, but then... well it just didnt work out.
# posted by 
: 5:51 PM
: 5:51 PM
Stoney has some of my songs on his list - just in different places and Judd continues to come up with songs I've never heard of, but that's OK.
I agree with Rich about Stevie Wonder - he is one of the true influential artists of his time and I easily could have included more of his songs on my list. My second 100 songs would be loaded with Stevie Wonder songs.
I actually prefer the Roberta Flack version of Killing me Softly (the 'We be Jammin' verse just doesn't do it for me. But if you want to see another classic version of the song, watcg the movie 'About a Boy'; a very under rated movie that ends with Hugh Grant joining Marcus (the boy) on stage at his schools variety show - painful yet funny and we have all been there.
Grapevine, Fire and Rain and Rapture are all great songs - agan, in the next 100.
I was a big Hall and Oats fan - another song were Darryl Hall wails is 'Everytime you Go Away' which I believe Paul Young butchered in the mid-80's. Great vocals.
The Fogelberg song actually reminds me of another classic that would be in my second 100 songs, 'Taxi' by Harry Chapin - he was a great story teller - 'And she walked away in silence, its strange how you never know, but we'd both gotten what we'd asked for such a long, long time ago....' That song was top 100 material but too late to slide into the top 20.
Anyway, difficult to do a top of list of anything without leaving out a few worthy selections.
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I agree with Rich about Stevie Wonder - he is one of the true influential artists of his time and I easily could have included more of his songs on my list. My second 100 songs would be loaded with Stevie Wonder songs.
I actually prefer the Roberta Flack version of Killing me Softly (the 'We be Jammin' verse just doesn't do it for me. But if you want to see another classic version of the song, watcg the movie 'About a Boy'; a very under rated movie that ends with Hugh Grant joining Marcus (the boy) on stage at his schools variety show - painful yet funny and we have all been there.
Grapevine, Fire and Rain and Rapture are all great songs - agan, in the next 100.
I was a big Hall and Oats fan - another song were Darryl Hall wails is 'Everytime you Go Away' which I believe Paul Young butchered in the mid-80's. Great vocals.
The Fogelberg song actually reminds me of another classic that would be in my second 100 songs, 'Taxi' by Harry Chapin - he was a great story teller - 'And she walked away in silence, its strange how you never know, but we'd both gotten what we'd asked for such a long, long time ago....' That song was top 100 material but too late to slide into the top 20.
Anyway, difficult to do a top of list of anything without leaving out a few worthy selections.
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