My Favorite Songs

In my first "list" blog I am going to list my favorite all-time songs. Sociologists say your favorite music is largely dependent upon when (and where) you were born. I was born in the mid-fifties, so you'll notice most of my favorite music comes from the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies. If you ask me, they just don't make good music like that anymore! I know, I know, I'm sounding like an old fogey...but it's true.

Actually I consider myself a fairly eclectic music lover. I like Rock, Blues, Country, Gospel, Contemporary Christian, Hymns, even a little Jazz and Classical. But if you were to grab my iPod today, you'd find mostly "Classic Rock" tunes on it.

I define Classic rock to include "Rock and Roll" (music from the mid-fifties), up through the "Rock" music of the early-mid sixties (Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, Doors, Cream, The Who). I also include the more ballady "Folk Rock" of the early seventies (Eagles, James Taylor, John Denver, CSNY) and the "Power Rock" of the mid seventies with groups like Led Zeppelin, etc... I realize this is not at all how most musicologists classify music. I suppose that's why I have such a hard time finding a radio station I like.

That said, and knowing I will probably want to revise this list tomorrow here is the list of my top 25 songs of all time:

1. Hey Jude by the Beatles 1968 - I lived in Germany when this came out and listened to the 45 rpm mono recording of this 7:20 song for hours on end.

2. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones 1965 - "Da da, dada da..da da da." I will never forget Mick Jagger's huge lips and his flame red shirt when the Stones sang this on the Sullivan show.

3. Yesterday by the Beatles 1965 - Ah... Paul. What a beautiful song. Amazing it was written by a 20 something guy; such lyrics, such wisdom.

4. Let it Be by the Beatles 1970 - my favorite all-time piano song. The "hymn-like" sound of McCartney's playing mesmerized me. And what about that beard Sir Paul had when he performed this one in the movie!

5. Sunshine of Your Love by Cream 1967 - another great guitar riff - perhaps the greatest, and one every fledgling garage band guitarist back then knew by heart. My first LP ever was Cream's Disraeli Gears which I bought at the PX in Frankfurt Germany. This song still gives me chills.

6. Fire and Rain by James Taylor 1970 - Oh boy, Good old JT. I moved to North Carolina in 1970 and was already enamored with my copy of the Sweet Baby James LP. Once I lived there I felt a kinship with this guy, the greatest ballad writer, sweetest baritone, and best finger-picker in rock music. I've seen him several times in concert and he never fails to impress.

7. Light My Fire by the Doors 1967 - Ray Manzerek's iconic piano riff in this taught me that rock music didn't always have to be guitar-driven and, at over seven minutes long, the song broke down the 2:30 barrier for song length at that time. I still love this song.

8. White Room by Cream 1968 - Great power chord song, mysterious lyrics, Clapton... all adds up to an amazing song that sends me to another place every time I hear it.

9. Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys 1966 - Clean, wholesome, surfer boys - and then there's that weird instrument that sounds so space-like. Love it.

10. Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix 1967 - Another great riff every rock guitarist must know. I remember thinking Hendrix was saying, "Scuse me while I kiss this guy" which was pretty wild for back then. Only later did I learn he was saying, "Kiss the sky." ha ha (what does that mean? get high?)

11. House of the Rising Sun by the Animals 1964 - Am - C - D - F / Am - C - E7 - this song was the first complete song lots of guys my age learned on the guitar. Iconic.

12. America by Simon and Garfunkel 1968 - Beautiful lyrics, deep. Despair / Angst / Passion - all things we were feeling back then (and even more so now!)

13. Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones 1968 - The Stones at their best with a word-story about the excesses and evils of the times.

14. Proud Mary by Credence Clearwater Revival 1969 - Love John Fogerty! Still do! "Left a good job in the city! Workin' for the man ev'ry night and day... and I never lost one minute of sleepin' worryin' bout the way things might have been." That boy can play and sing; he makes you believe!

15. Won't Get Fooled Again by the Who 1971 - Let's face it, this is just good old Power Rock coming straight at you as only the Who could play it. Love the weird synthesizer/organ part at the beginning - and Pete's power chords.

16. Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers 1971 - sparse, haunting, only three chords (Am - Em - G). This song will forever remind me of driving to Lakeshore High to go to school in the morning.

17. Sunshine on My Shoulders by John Denver 1973 - Ah... John Denver, sweetness, what a voice. What a sad ending for him. Still - this is a song that transports me to a golden meadow.....

18. Your Song by Elton John 1970 - What a great song - great lyrics - we've all felt this way before.

19. Close to You by the Carpenters 1970 - ha - this was the official class song of my graduating class from High School. If I'm not mistaken, we actually sang it at graduation. I remember it mostly from listening to it constantly in my "lonely days" right after moving to North Carolina before I met anyone.

20. Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf 1969 - First ever mention of "heavy metal" - love it. I went to see Steppenwolf Concert in Fayetteville, NC back in 70 or 71 - it was like..."heavy man....heavy..." :)

21. Easy to Be Hard by Three Dog Night 1970 - Love Chuck Negron's amazing tenor on this one - "How can people be so heartless? How can people be so cruel?" "Easy... easy to be hard...easy to say no."

22. Sounds of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel 1965 - Their voices seem to come out of nowhere, 'Hello darkness my old friend..." Great mood song. Always reminds me of the movie "The Graduate" too ("One word ..Plastics!") - quite scandalous in the sixties when it first came out - tame by today's standards.

23. Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones 1971 - I got the Sticky Fingers Album (with the jean pants cover with zipper/fly that really worked) right when it came out. It was summertime - and a hot one - this song reminds me of that time.

24. Tiny Dancer by Elton John 1971 - Beautiful piano, beautiful words, "Blue jean baby...LA Lady...seamstress for the band." Iconic sound of the early seventies.

25. Joy to the World by Three Dog Night 1971 - "Jeremiah was a bullfrog! Was a good friend of mine!" I've always loved this corny, but singable tune - It's a great shower song.