I started out with the plan to make a Top Five Favorite Songs Ever, but then I thought of a 6th ... and then a 7th ... and then I started listing them chronologically. So what we now end up with is:
My Personal Top Five Songs From Each Of The Past Five Decades:
1960s
"Don't Think Twice (It's Alright)," Bob Dylan
"Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
"In My Life," The Beatles
"God Only Knows," The Beach Boys
"Try a Little Tenderness," Otis Redding
1970s
"Oh Girl," The Chi-Lites
"Something So Right," Paul Simon
"Thunder Road," Bruce Springsteen
"American Girl," Tom Petty
"Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)," Tom Waits
1980s
"Jessie's Girl," Rick Springfield
"I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man," Prince
"With or Without You," U2
"(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding," Elvis Costello
"You Are The Everything," R.E.M
1990s
"One," U2
"Hallelujah," Jeff Buckley
"Forever Blue," Chris Isaak
"Road to Ensenada," Lyle Lovett
"The Way," Fastball
2000s
"When The Deal Goes Down," Bob Dylan
"Million Faces"/"Loving You," (tie) Paolo Nutini
"Put Your Records On," Corrine Bailey Rae
"Dance With Me," Old 97s
I know there are glaring errors and omissions (where's the Bowie?), but unless I make this a Top 100, or 1000, I'm going to miss some of the songs I really love. But I keep coming back to the fact that these are the songs that define me, for better or worse. Although, obviously, the decades I discovered them don't necessarily correspond with the dates of their releases.
Deride if you must (yes, yes, I said Fastball), but I'd much rather see your own lists. Try it, it's fun!
9 comments:
I thought Fastball was a really talented band... what the hell happened to them?
That one? Really?
Jesse's Girl is classic. The Tom Waits kills me though.
The 1930s, '40s and 50s are conspicuously absent from this list.
As are readers of this list who are over the age of 70.
Everyone says With or Without You, but obviously All I Want Is You is U2's most romantic song.
That's a good one for Tom, but I probably would have chosen "Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis."
"The Sweetest Thing" is the U2 song you meant to list.
I do love The Sweetest Thing. And All I Want is You. And In a Little While.
"In My Life" really should have been on my all-time faves list, too. That's a good song.
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