Your Top 10 All-Time favorite songs

[registerthis]

Originally Posted by pedro

I love me some Smiths.

Oh yeah.

The Queen is Dead is an amazing record, sounds like it could have been recorded last week.

[pedro]

I also should have "Tom Courtney" by Yo La Tengo in there.

[deltachi8]

Originally Posted by registerthis

"Better Be Home Soon" Crowded House

Was given very serious consideration for my list as well. Great choice.

[nate]

Howdy

I like all sorts of stuff but I'm more of a Jazz / R&B guy. If you're talking "songs", these are ones I always come back to.

"I Mean You" - Thelonious Monk (really typifies Monk's approach to writing)
"Stella by Starlight" - Washington/Young (just a great melody, I used to play this for my wife over the phone when we were dating...aww!!!)
"Prelude to a Kiss" - Duke/Strayhorn (one of those great Stray/Duke pieces. Love the change going into the bridge and the lyric "its only just a simple melody")
"My One and Only Love" - Melin/Wood (similar to "In a Sentimental Mood" but, to me, a much better tune. Sting actually did a great version of this in "Leaving Las Vegas".)
"Strange Meadowlark" - Dave Brubeck (everyone knows "Blue Rondo" and "Take Five" but this is my favorite.)
"Too High" - Stevie Wonder (one of my first musical memories from Dad buying his first cassette player)
"Creepin'" - Stevie Wonder (even divorced from Stevie's brilliant synthesizer production, this is a really deep tune dripping with "mood")
"As" - Stevie Wonder (one of those great "photograph of time" songs that singers hate because Stevie wrote 5 pages of lyrics for them to memorize!)
"Blue in Green" - Bill Evans (sorry Miles, but Bill wrote this simple yet complex textural piece)
"Wildflower" - Wayne Shorter (I just love the way the melody and harmony go together in this tune)

If you're talking about "recordings", "productions", "performances" or "arrangements", I like these:

Anything played by Art Tatum (check it out on YouTube sometime)
Anything played by Jimmy Smith (the master)
"Actual Proof" - Herbie Hancock, Thrust (Herbie makes it sound easy, yet its not!)
"Knock Yourself Out" - Tower of Power, Live (Chester Thompson's solo!)
"You've Got to Funkafize" - Tower of Power, Bump City
"Song for Bilbao" - Pat Metheny, Travels (love Pat's solo even if he's been wearing the same shirt for 20 years. Same for Lyle Mays)
"More Bounce to the Ounce" - Zapp (Roger's on ur talkbox stealing ur funk)
"Blackbird" - Bobby McFerrin, Live at Carnegie Hall (one guy singing all the parts...amazing!)
"If I Only Had a Brain" - Philip DeGruy, Innuendo, Out the Other (you'll love the whimsy)
"Chicken" - Maceo Parker

If you're talking Rock/Pop/Whatever

"18 Miles to Memphis" - Stray Cats (Brian Setzer is awesome and absolutely rocks out on this tune)
"The Rain Song" - Led Zeppelin (in a way, this is the rock version of a lot of my jazz picks, very melancholly and moody)
"The Crunge" - Led Zeppelin (where's that confounded bridge?)
"Black Flag" _ King's X (a really underrated band...I always love the power trio! Great vocal group)
"Blackbird" - The Beatles (very unpretentious, love the two of them singing together)
"Lively up Yourself" - Bob Marley (kind of a lesser known tune but a serious late night party tune
"Spirit of Eden" - Talk Talk (I know, its an entire album but its one you listen to in its entirety anyhow!)
"Foxy Lady" - Jimi Hendrix (everyone has a favorite Jimi tune, I just love the bludgeon-like note he sustains a couple of bars after the intro...awesome!)
"Shinola" - John Scofield (ok, he's a jazz guy and all but this is what the love child of Sid Vicious and Carla Bley would write!)
"Kiss" - Prince (didja ever notice this song has no bass and it's still funky?)

I spent way too much time making this list!

[nate]

Originally Posted by pedro

I love me some Smiths.

I always like "How Soon is Now"...especially reading about the production.

[Sweetstop]

Originally Posted by Roy Tucker

My jr. high list... I shock my daughters when listening to the 60's on XM and I know the lyrics to all these songs, replete with background do-wops and sha-la-la-la-la's...

All I Have To Do Is Dream - Everly Brothers
Travelin' Man - Ricky Nelson
Crying - Roy Orbison
He's A Rebel - Crystals
Johnny Angel - Shelley Fabares
Sealed With A Kiss - Brian Hyland
Wipe Out - The Surfaris
Be My Baby - The Ronettes
He's So Fine - The Chiffons
My Boyfriend's Back - The Angels

Wow! Yeah. This is my early life. Makes me want to cry and laugh. Thanks for rounding them up, Roy.

[Sweetstop]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Motown Top Ten
----------------
Respect - Aretha Franklin
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Ain't No Mountain High - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
You keep me hangin on - The Supremes
I was made to Love You - Stevie Wonder
Ball of Confusion - The Temptations
I want you Back - The Jackson Five
Don't You Worry about a Thing - Stevie Wonder
Tears of a Clown - Smokie Robinson
ABC - The Jackson Five

I love Motown...maybe even earlier than this...Marvin Gaye's "What's Going on" shoulda been on my original ten

Also Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke

[Betterread]

The Stooges - Down in the street
VU - What goes on
Beach Boys - God only knows
Al Green - I'm still in love with you
Nick Cave - Sad waters
Will Oldham - I see a darkness
Jesus and Mary Chain - Just like honey
Jonathan Richman - Roadrunner
Mekons - Hard to be human
The Fall - New puritan
(No blues, no reggae, no instrumental tracks considered for this list)

[pedro]

Ashes of American Flags - Wilco really ought to be on there somewhere too.

[mth123]

I'm quite a simpleton compared to most of you so here goes the at the moment 10:

I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles (I could just do 10 Beatles but I won't)
The Letter - The Box Tops
Hotel California - The Eagles
Katmandu - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Piano Man - Billy Joel
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Honky Tonl Woman - The Rolling Stones
The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra
Angel of Harlem - U2
If I had a Million Dollars - The Bare Naked Ladies

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by nate

Howdy

I like all sorts of stuff but I'm more of a Jazz / R&B guy. If you're talking "songs", these are ones I always come back to.

"I Mean You" - Thelonious Monk (really typifies Monk's approach to writing)
"Stella by Starlight" - Washington/Young (just a great melody, I used to play this for my wife over the phone when we were dating...aww!!!)
"Prelude to a Kiss" - Duke/Strayhorn (one of those great Stray/Duke pieces. Love the change going into the bridge and the lyric "its only just a simple melody")
"My One and Only Love" - Melin/Wood (similar to "In a Sentimental Mood" but, to me, a much better tune. Sting actually did a great version of this in "Leaving Las Vegas".)
"Strange Meadowlark" - Dave Brubeck (everyone knows "Blue Rondo" and "Take Five" but this is my favorite.)
"Too High" - Stevie Wonder (one of my first musical memories from Dad buying his first cassette player)
"Creepin'" - Stevie Wonder (even divorced from Stevie's brilliant synthesizer production, this is a really deep tune dripping with "mood")
"As" - Stevie Wonder (one of those great "photograph of time" songs that singers hate because Stevie wrote 5 pages of lyrics for them to memorize!)
"Blue in Green" - Bill Evans (sorry Miles, but Bill wrote this simple yet complex textural piece)
"Wildflower" - Wayne Shorter (I just love the way the melody and harmony go together in this tune)

If you're talking about "recordings", "productions", "performances" or "arrangements", I like these:

Anything played by Art Tatum (check it out on YouTube sometime)
Anything played by Jimmy Smith (the master)
"Actual Proof" - Herbie Hancock, Thrust (Herbie makes it sound easy, yet its not!)
"Knock Yourself Out" - Tower of Power, Live (Chester Thompson's solo!)
"You've Got to Funkafize" - Tower of Power, Bump City
"Song for Bilbao" - Pat Metheny, Travels (love Pat's solo even if he's been wearing the same shirt for 20 years. Same for Lyle Mays)
"More Bounce to the Ounce" - Zapp (Roger's on ur talkbox stealing ur funk)
"Blackbird" - Bobby McFerrin, Live at Carnegie Hall (one guy singing all the parts...amazing!)
"If I Only Had a Brain" - Philip DeGruy, Innuendo, Out the Other (you'll love the whimsy)
"Chicken" - Maceo Parker

If you're talking Rock/Pop/Whatever

"18 Miles to Memphis" - Stray Cats (Brian Setzer is awesome and absolutely rocks out on this tune)
"The Rain Song" - Led Zeppelin (in a way, this is the rock version of a lot of my jazz picks, very melancholly and moody)
"The Crunge" - Led Zeppelin (where's that confounded bridge?)
"Black Flag" _ King's X (a really underrated band...I always love the power trio! Great vocal group)
"Blackbird" - The Beatles (very unpretentious, love the two of them singing together)
"Lively up Yourself" - Bob Marley (kind of a lesser known tune but a serious late night party tune
"Spirit of Eden" - Talk Talk (I know, its an entire album but its one you listen to in its entirety anyhow!)
"Foxy Lady" - Jimi Hendrix (everyone has a favorite Jimi tune, I just love the bludgeon-like note he sustains a couple of bars after the intro...awesome!)
"Shinola" - John Scofield (ok, he's a jazz guy and all but this is what the love child of Sid Vicious and Carla Bley would write!)
"Kiss" - Prince (didja ever notice this song has no bass and it's still funky?)

I spent way too much time making this list!

"When Doves Cry" is also bass-less--but exquisitely delicious.

[vaticanplum]

I don't think songs without bass should be allowed.

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by vaticanplum

I don't think songs without bass should be allowed.

Prince gets special dispensation, I'd say.

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by Betterread

The Stooges - Down in the street
VU - What goes on
Beach Boys - God only knows
Al Green - I'm still in love with you
Nick Cave - Sad waters
Will Oldham - I see a darkness
Jesus and Mary Chain - Just like honey
Jonathan Richman - Roadrunner
Mekons - Hard to be human
The Fall - New puritan
(No blues, no reggae, no instrumental tracks considered for this list)

I find it difficult to argue with most of those tracks.

[vaticanplum]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

I find it difficult to argue with most of those tracks.

I missed this...I agree, that's a great list, and one of the few posted in which I know (and like) every single song.