Top 100 Songs of All-Time

Why I have Decided to Go Back to My Top 100 List After Almost Four Years

2016-10-15T23:32:00.001-04:00

I was surprised that it has been almost four years since I added a song in my Top 100 Favorite Songs of All-Time. Like any good list, my Top 100 songs will be revised.

The reason I am going back to posting about this list is because of my friend Fred. Over the last several years, I developed wonderful friendship with Fred bonding over our love of baseball and music.

A few years back, I told him I had a list of my Top 100 songs of all-time. Most people I've told usually laugh and say 'typical Glenn, creating another one of your thousands of lists'.

Fred was different. He thought it was a great idea. About a month later he came back with his Top 100 list, three months later he came back with his Top 500 list and several months after that, he came up, (not joking), with his Top 5000 list. Then his Top Fifty Summer Songs, his Top 100 Albums, his Top Fifty Song starting with the letter F for him and the letter G for me. He never stopped. Clearly I found a kindred soul.

We used to have spirited debates about his list but he was never critical, recognizing the subjectivity of musical tastes (and his being an overall wonderful man), though I could tell he was never a fan of my ranking, More Than A Feeling, as high as I did.

A few weeks ago Fred suffered a pulmonary embolism. He never gained consciousness and we buried him last Wednesday. He left behind a wonderful legacy of a loving family and great friends. The day after he was buried, the word came out that Bob Dylan won the Noble Prize. Who was Fred's favorite artist--Bob Dylan, of course.

One of the greatest tributes I can give to Fred (besides learning to e a better person) is to reignite my Top 100 List. It is a small tribute to a great man, but he would get a kick out of it.

Rest in Peace My Friend and sorry about More Than A Feeling.

Number 61 Top 100-Suite Judy Blue Eyes

2012-12-29T18:47:00.000-05:00

The number sixty one song from the list of Top 100 is Crosby, Still's and Nash's, Suite Judy Blue Eyes. This song was written by Stephen Stills in 1969 and appeared on the band's first album, titled Crosby, Stills and Nash.

As most fans know, this is Stills homage to girlfriend, Judy Collins. They were in the process of breaking up when he wrote the song. She ended up going out with Stacey Keach (see Mike Hammer show--you would be about the only one).

This song is a classic and is broken up into four different suites. Collins was known for her piercing blue eyes--hence the song name, Suite Judy Blue Eyes

To me, they epitomized some of the magic of great singing. How could three random guys harmonize so well when you put them together. Then you add Neil Young and they sound even better--Suite Judy Blue Eyes is just one of their classic songs----Ohio, Carry On, Teach Your Children, Marrakesh Express, Just a Song, Deja Vu, Our House.

All of the members of the group came from their own version of 60's Super Groups. Nash came by way of the Hollies, Stills and later Young by Buffalo Springfield and Crosby by The Byrds. The happenstance that got them together was one of those rock and roll miracles. We are all lucky that it worked out.

Many years ago my wife went to go sit on the lawn at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) to see Chicago and Crosby, Stills and Nash. As we started waiting in line, a guy came over to us and said he couldn't make it but would sell us front row seats for the price of lawn seats. We looked it over and said sure... Best concert ever. We could literally see Stephen Stills sweat come off his brow. Not that seeing him sweat was a highlight, but I wanted to use it as an illustration for how close we sat to the stage. We have never sat that close ever again to any concert even my kid's school band concerts.

So there we have it, Number 61 on my list of the all-time one hundred greatest songs---Suite Judy Blue Eyes by Crosby, Stills and Nash.

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Uncle John's Band--Number 62 Song of All-Time

2012-12-16T11:42:00.001-05:00

For the regular readers of this blog, I apologize for not posting for a while. Number 62 on the list of the 100 Greatest Songs of all-time is the Grateful Dead's Uncle John's Band.

Uncle John's Band was part of the 1970 album--Workingman's Dead. It was written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter. According to Wikipedia, it was released as a single, but did not get enough air time because of the over four minute length of the song. The attempts to edit the song to a shorter length was a major mistake and Jerry Garcia called it an 'atrocity.'

Though it did not make the top 100 songs of 1970, it certainly has a greater impact than virtually any song from that year. It gave a mainstream voice to one of what was then one of the legendary underground bands.

Though I am a fan of the Dead, I am not a Deadhead ( I only saw them once in concert). You can go to a million sites to know about their history. In my mind, they had great chemistry and put together some incredible songs including Truckin', Friend of the Devil and Ripple, but the best of which is Uncle's John's Band.

It is incredible how they endure. It seems a right of passage of most teenage boys that they have Hendrix, Marley and Dead Posters. On top of being a talented group, they were incredible marketers from Garcia ties to candles to posters, etc. Their other legacy is the number of groups that still try to replicate their sound. Their will be Dead imitators for many years to come.

"When life looks like Easy Street---there is danger at your door." The Number 62 song on the all-time list of Top 100 is Uncle John's Band

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Song Number 63--Living on a Prayer

2012-09-29T22:03:00.000-04:00

Song Number 63 on my list of the top 100 songs of all-time is Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi.

This song is from the album Slippery When Wet. They moved to Canada to put this album together
and the name of it comes from a strip club in Vancouver.

In most lists about Bon Jovi's top songs, this song comes out on top. It is classic Bon Jovi with the distinctive guitar sound of Richie Sambora and the vocals of Jon Bon Jovi. They co-wrote the song with Desmond Morris.

Bon Jovi is one of the legendary bands of the last thirty years. They have performed over 2700 concerts in front of millions of people (I have not been one of them unfortunately). They had other terrific songs including some of my favorites--Have a Nice Day, You Give Love a Bad Name, Wanted Dead or Alive and It's My Life. Personally, my second favorite Bon Jovi song is Jon Bon Jovi's duet with Jennifer Nettles---'Who Said You Can't Go Home'. It just missed being on my top 100 list (I am sure they are crushed about that).

Always felt, especially earlier in their carer, that Bon Jovi never got taken seriously enough because of their image especially their hair (check out the video). There was actually some real substance behind some of their songs especially Living on a Prayer. Not Springsteen, but better lyrics than a lot of songs that have gotten more critical acclaim.

Living on a Prayer ended up being a huge hit. The video seemed to play on MTV about every five minutes in 1986 and 1987. It was Billboard's Number 7 song in 1987.

Here is the Bon Jovi Classic, Living on a Prayer.

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Song Number 64-Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing

2012-08-12T23:01:00.000-04:00

Song Number 64 in my top one hundred of all time is Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing by Stevie Wonder.

Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing is from 1973's Inversions which also featured the classic Living for the City, Higher Ground and All in Love is Fair. After the list of my top 100 songs is completed, I will do one of my Top 100 artists. There is no doubt that Stevie Wonder will be on the top ten.

He is blessed with an incredible voice and anyone who has ever seen him perform know that he is also a legendary musician. Not to mention that he is also a great song writer (trivia fact--he wrote the music for Tears of a Clown). He can go from upbeat to soulful in seconds. There are few more upbeat Wonder songs then Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing. It is just a fun, energetic song that has a wonderful beginning ('Cause like I been to you know Paris, Beirut').

There are several other Top 100 songs on my list from Stevie Wonder. You can even make a list of all the great songs I left off the list like Sir Duke, Do I Do, Living for the City, Superstition, My Cherie Amour, Isn't She Lovely and the list goes on and on.

It was tough taking Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing over the others, but making a Top 100 list when you love hundreds of songs, is in itself a very difficult exercise.

If you love Stevie Wonder then play Stevie Wonder trivia at trivia man http://triviaman.blogspot.com/

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Song Number 65--Aja by Steely Dan

2012-08-01T22:46:00.000-04:00

Song Number 65 on my all time top 100 is Aja by Steely Dan. This song is from the album of the same name. All time great song and all-time great album with Aja, Deacon Blues, Peg, Black Cow,Josie, etc. The album was released in 1977 and was Steely Dan's sixth album. The song and album are named after a Korean woman who was married to the brother of Donald Fagan's high school friend. The song is Steely Dan at their best fusing their own unique jazzy yet mystical sound and great vocals One of the all-time great musical interludes half way through the song. Could listen to this song a thousand times and never get tired of hearing it.

The jazz rock sound of Steely Dan is the genius of Donald Fagan and Walter Becker. Two very bizarre but brilliant guys who came up with some of the all-time great songs besides Aja and Deacon Blues. Songs like Rikki Don't Lose that Number. My Old School, Katy Lied, Reelin' in the Years, Black Friday, Hey 19, FM, etc. With over thirty million albums sold, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

By now the story of how they met is legendary as both were at Bard College when Fagan walked by a cafe where he heard Becker playing. He loved the sound, went into the cafe and the rest is thirty million albums sold later. Incredible how happenstance creates an all-time great sound.

Some interesting trivia about Steely Dan---for almost two years, they were part of the group Jay and the Americans; Chevy Chase was their drummer for a short time and Michael McDonald was part of their group.

Cameron Crowe wrote a great piece about them in a 1977 Rolling Stone article that I would urge any fan to read.

Check out my 65th favorite song of all-time--Aja by Steely Dan-- "Up on the hill, people never stare. They just don't care."

Song #66--Lay Lady Lay--Bob Dylan

2012-07-15T10:31:00.001-04:00

Song Number 66 on my list of the Top 100 Songs of all-time is Lay Lady Lay by Bob Dylan.

Robert Zimmerman was born in 1941 in Minnesota. Few people have had a greater impact in the history of music in this country than Dylan. The list of greatest influences is small and his name has to be right near the top. He fell in love with the music of Woody Guthrie and instead of focusing on rock and roll, he fell in love with folk music. His music fermented the seeds of change in the 60's--songs like Blowin in the Wind, Times They Are A Changing, Like A Rolling Stone were more then songs, they became part of a rallying cry for a generation.

My favorite Dylan song was the emotional and moving Lay Lady Lay. It was from his Nashville Skyline album which came out in 1969. It was originally meant to be in the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack but was not submitted in time. According to Wikipedia, he claimed the reason for the change from his usually nasal voice for this song was due to his quitting smoking (though that has been disputed over the years). Whatever the reason--this is Dylan at his best and proving that he did have a great voice.

Very interesting story about the song was that he was going to give it to the Everly Brothers to sing, but when they heard him sing the song, they misunderstood the lyrics and thought it was about a lesbian relationship so they initially did not use the song and Dylan decided to release it on his own (check out wikipedia for the full version of the story). Many groups have had cover versions including the Isley Brothers and Duran Duran.

1969 was an incredible year for music with several of my top 100 songs on the list. Lay Lady Lay was number 67 for the year. Some other great songs that did not make my top 100 included The Boxer at 76, Everybody's Talkin at 84, Touch Me at 47, Proud Mary at 25, Leaving on a Jet Plane at 12, Get Back at 8 and Honky Tonk Woman at 3. All these classic songs (and I didn't even mention the ones on my list) and what was number one for the year---Sugar, Sugar by the Archies. Go figure.

Here is the legendary Bob Dylan with Song Number 66 on my list of Top 100 of all-time, Lay, Lady, Lay (at his best as a lyricist and a singer)

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Billy Joel Trivia

2012-07-14T22:44:00.000-04:00

One of the top singers on the list of Top 100 is Billy Joel. He already has two songs featured on the Top 100--New York State of Mind and Allentown. There is more coming. How well do you know Billy Joel? Take the Billy Joel quiz at http://triviaman.blogspot.com/

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Song # 67-While My Guitar Gently Weeps

2012-07-08T10:07:00.000-04:00

Song Number 67 on my list of Top 100 Songs of All-Time was the Beatles, While My Guitar Gently Weeps. This song put the most underrated Beatle--George Harrison, front and center. Harrison was an incredible musician and lyricist who never got enough credit because he was performing along side the two greatest music legends of his era.

Think of some of Harrison's music---Something, Here Comes the Sun, I Me Mine with the Beatles. Then on his own with the classic My Sweet Lord (I still can't believe that he actually lost in court when he was accused of stealing the melody from He's So Fine---I mean come on--this was nothing compared to so many other songs) and Give Me Love among many others.

While My Guitar Gently weeps was Number 136 in Rolling Stone's list of the Top 500 Greatest Songs of all-time. Of course, the song is featured in The Beatles legendary White Album. Interestingly, Eric Clapton was invited by The Beatles to come record the song with them. According to Wikipedia, Harrison said that Clapton's presence, "made them all try a little harder--they were on their best behavior." What happens when you add Clapton to the greatest rock group of all-time---you come up with one of the greatest songs ever---While My Guitar Gently Weeps (check out the version from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame---Prince at his best).

Song #67--While My Guitar Gently Weeps by the Beatles

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Song Number 68-Allentown Billy Joel

2012-07-06T06:52:00.000-04:00

Song number 68 on my list of the top 100 songs of all-time is Allentown by Billy Joel. This is the second Billy Joel song on the list and it won't be the last. Billy Joel is one of my all-time favorite artists. Many of us from Long Island of a certain age feel a personal kinship because we remember when his career first got started. I was a sophomore in college when The Stranger first came out and there were few albums that have ever had a greater personal influence.

Allentown came out in 1982 and was on The Nylon Curtain album Not only was it a great song, but the video is an all-time classic. It was also a song with a strong message about the impact of the economy (specifically the steel industry) to industrial cities like Allentown, Pennsylvania. Didn't know till I researched the history of this song that the original name was going to be Levittown and it was gong to be about Long Island. Levittown was a town over from where I grew up.

The song was Billboard's Number 43 song of the year for 1983. Number 42 was The Stray Cat Strut (a mainstay on MTV back then) and Number 44 was Stevie's Nick's Stand Back. Both were decent songs. The other Billy Joel song on the chart was Number #46--Tell Her About It (a very catchy song and a mainstay in the MTV world back then as well).

There are a few other songs in my Top 100 that were from the Billboard Top 100 of 1983. Clearly two that were not on the list was the Number 31 song of the year---Putting on the Ritz by Taco. Shocked that Taco was a one hit wonder. The other song on the list which clearly will make my Top Ten Worst Songs of all-time was Number 6 for the year---Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart. Doesn't get much worse then that.

Allentown was Billy Joel at his best--combining a great melody with some powerful lyrics. It is a great song from an all-time great artist.

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Song #69--Cats in the Cradle

2012-07-01T08:44:00.000-04:00

Song Number 69 on my list of the Top 100 Songs of All-Time is Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin. There are a few times it is acceptable for a dad to cry publicly. One is the last scene in Field of Dreams with the father/son catch. The other is when you hear Cats in the Cradle. Heard the song hundreds of time, but still brings a tear to the eye. It is such a wonderful, moving song that has been as responsible as most any public policy in helping to bridge the gap between fathers and sons.

I have been very lucky over the past year to have heard Tom Chapin twice in concert and he sounds exactly like Harry when he sings Cats in the Cradle. It is hard to believe that Harry Chapin has been gone for over twenty years. Can only imagine the music and humanity that he would have spread over that time.

According to Wikipedia, this song is based on a poem written by Harry's wife Sandy about the relationship between her ex-husband from a previous marriage and his father. Given the message of the song and the incredibly moving lyrics, I have a feeling that this will continue to be a classic for many years to come.

The song was written in 1974 and made is all the way to #38 for the year in the 1975 Billboard charts. One higher than one of the worst songs of all-time---Wildfire ('Hoot owl outside my window now for six nights in a row').

Song Number 69 on my top 100 of all-time, Harry Chapin's, Cats in the Cradle

Song Number 70--Smooth

2012-06-17T06:09:00.003-04:00

Song Number 70 on my list of the Top 100 Songs of all-time is Smooth performed by Santana and Rob Thomas.

I love how Smooth has become a staple in all festive events. It has not met Celebration status (and no song will ever meet YMCA status), but it seems to be part of the regular routine, and that is a good thing. It is a great song with the combination of that incredibly unique Latin/rock sound of Carlos Santana with the vocals of Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20.

Carlos Santana is a musical genius. You can't throw around the word genius lightly, but the man created his own incredible sound. Think about the talent it takes to make your own sound and have it appeal to millions. You always can recognize a Santana song by that unique Latin/soul/rock guitar sound. Love that guitar. Plus he has weathered the test of time from Woodstock till today (hope to see him this summer when Santana is performing with the Allman Brothers). He proved that 'cool' has nothing to do with age. Santana was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. A little Santana trivia---the song Black Magic Woman was written by Fleetwood Mac founder, Peter Green.

As far as Smooth goes--it was written and song by Rob Thomas. To his credit, he recognized how good it would sound by melding his voice with the music of Santana. The result is this classic song. Thomas actually wrote the song for his wife---Marisol Maldonado---"My Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa" The song was Number 1 on the charts for several weeks in 1999. According to the Billboard's Top 100 of 1999, it was #19 for the the year (Cher topped the charts with Believe).

Here is Song Number 70 of all-time, Smooth, performed by Santana featuring Rob Thomas

Kiss on My List---#71 in Top 100

2012-06-02T23:13:00.003-04:00

The Number 71 song in my Top 100 is Hall and Oates, Kiss on My List. The song was released in 1981 and made it to #7 for the year in the Billboard Charts. It is from The Voices LP.

This is the only Hall and Oates song on the list and it was a tough one because they had so many great songs. It seemed there was a period in the mid 80's that you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing a Hall and Oates song---Private Eyes, Maneater, Can't Go for That (no can do), Sara Smiles, Rich Girl and my second favorite Hall and Oates song---Out of Touch. All enjoyable songs, but there is something so joyous and upbeat about Kiss on My List. It is the kind of song you can see at the end of a fun movie where everyone is dancing as the credits are running.

I don't think they are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame which is a joke. They are among the best singing combos of all-time. They have such a unique sound that is part pop, rock and soul. It is always incredible to me when, through sheer happenstance, great singers get together. These guys met in an elevator at a nightclub in Philadelphia (check out the full story in Wikipedia). As an aside, John Oates is a dead ringer for Gary Dell'Abate (Howard Stern's producer) and Darly Hall looks just like Dennis Leary.

As I said, Kiss on My List was #7 for the Year in 1981. Some of the other top songs from the year didn't quite do it for me. Number 6 was Celebration which is a fine song. There was actually legislation passed that said Celebration had to be played at every wedding and Bar Mitzvah in the 90's. Number 5 was the classic Jessie's Girl from Rick Springfield (I bet you he probably even laughs at that song), Number 4 was Starting Over----really good song and you will never see me ever knocking John Lennon, Number 3 was Lady by Kenny Rogers. Not a fan of the song, but there are worse. Speaking of worse--there was Number 2--Endless Love with Diana Ross and Lionel Richie---Endless move and endless song. Two great singers and one awful song. Number 1 was Bette Davis Eyes song by Kim Carnes---OK song, but hard to believe that it could be the top song for an entire year. I demand a recount. Kiss on my List should be the top Billboard Song of 1981.

Here is it---My Number 71 Song from my Top 100--Kiss on My List performed by Darly Hall and John Oates

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Little Jeannie--#72 of Top 100

2012-05-28T08:28:00.000-04:00

Song Number 72 on my list of the Top 100 is Little Jeannie by Elton John. According to Wikipedia, the Jeannie in this song is Jeannie Bonds, a competitor in the Miss Sumpter Pageant in 1979. This is Sir Elton John's first song in the Top 100, but it won't be the last. It was one of the few songs he didn't co-write with Bernie Taupin. Little Jeannie was co-written by Gary Osborne. It was released in 1980 and was featured in the 21 at 33 Album.

I am not breaking any new ground by saying that he is one of the most talented and versatile songwriters and singers of my life time. The hits read like a songbook of my generation (alright I know I should be shot for writing that line). Sure there were a million hits, but what about some of the songs that were as good as his hits---Take Me to The Pilot, Holy Moses, The Fox, Funeral for a Friend, Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters, etc.

I am always surprised that a song as great as Little Jeannie is rarely mentioned when people talk about his great hits. Sure they talk about Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, Rocket Man, Your Song, Tiny Dancer, Someone Saved my Life Tonight, Don't Go Breaking My Heart, Philadelphia Freedom, Candle in the Wind (Top Selling Single of all-time), but how come Little Jeannie rarely makes the list. I guess one of the reasons is that, for some reason, he rarely plays the song in concert. It is an upbeat, romantic song that deserves to be in his pantheon of all-time great songs.

It reached Number 16 in Billboard's Top 100 for 1980. There were some bad songs on that list including Number 15, Lost in Love by Air Supply, #11 Escape by Rupert Holmes ('If you like Pina Coloda's and getting lost in the rain"), #12 Cars by Gary Neuman (hard to believe he was a one hit wonder), #8 Funkytown and #5 Do That To Me One More Time by Captain and Tennille. At least #1 was a good song---Call Me by Blondie.

Here is Song # 72 on my list of Top 100---Little Jeannie by Elton John

Song Number 73--Games People Play- The Spinners

2012-05-20T22:53:00.000-04:00

Song Number 73 of my list of the top 100 of all-time is Games People Play by the Spinners. The song is also knows as I Just Can't Stop It. This song actually is the only one I know that has three different songs with the same name. There is also Joe South's Games People Play ('Every night and every day now') and the Alan Parsons Project's Games People Play. This Spinners Games People Play is a typical harmonious, upbeat (only The Spinners could sound upbeat about a break up song) Spinners song. Are they the most all-time underrated Motown Group? (it is a rhetorical question) They already made my Top 100 with Mighty Love and think about their body of work----Could It Be I'm Falling In Love, One of a Kind, It's a Shame, Cupid, Rubber Band Man, Ghetto Child, I'll Be Around, Working my Way Back to You and so many more.

My favorite part of Games People Play is when you hear 12:45 with that deep voice. Lead singer was Bobby Smith who had an incredible voice. The song was released in 1975 and made it as high as Number 5, but it did not make the Billboard List of Top 100 for the year.

What a joke---a great song like that doesn't make the list but here is the list of some of the awful songs that did make it---#45 was Feelings, #39 was Wildfire, #35 was Mandy, #14 was Kung Fu Fighting, #5 was My Eyes Adored You, #4 was Before the Next Teardrop Falls from Freddy Fender and to top is off, #1 was The Captain and Tennile's Love Will Keep Us Together. What a terrible year---Thankfully, Games People Play was one of the few bright spots.

Number 73 on my list of the greatest 100 songs of all-time, The Spinners, Games People Play. This song had a female singer Barbara Ingram doing part of the vocals. This video from Soul Train was an obvious lip sinc. How obvious? Well, check it out and you will see one of the male Spinners lip sync the Barbara Ingram part of the song. It is still an all-time great song.

Song Number 74--Super Freak

2012-04-30T23:56:00.000-04:00

Song Number 74 on my list of the Top 100 of all-time is Super Freak by Rick James. Weird guy, great song. There are few songs that can get you as pumped up as much as Super Freak. It combines some very clever lyrics with a great disco beat. It is one of the all-time great dance songs (too bad I can't dance).

I never realized that for all the times I heard the song that when James says, 'Tempations sing'. They really were singing. The legendary Temptations sang background in the song. Also, Super Freak is the inspiration for M.C. Hammer's You Can't Touch That.

"She's not the kind of girl that you take home to your mother." That is one of the classic lyrics from this great song. When I think of James, I think of this song, but also how he sang background in Eddie Murphy's, 'My Girl Likes to Party All The Time'. Yes, trivia fans, Eddie Murphy did record a song---check it out on video if you don't believe me.

Also, this song has a sentimental value. When my wife and I were rehearsing bands from our wedding (yes, live bands and not DJ's---hey, it was the 80's), the band that wowed us played Super Freak.

Rick James had a lot of problems, but he was a very talented guy as witnessed by his one song in my Top 100, Number 74, Super Freak

America: Song #75 in Top 100

2012-04-25T05:27:00.000-04:00

Song Number 75 in my Top 100 of all-time is Simon and Garfunkel's America. This song was originally released in 1968 in the Bookends LP. It was released as a single in 1972.

This is the first of the Simon and Garfunkel songs on my list. When I think about the two of them, I often think about fate. How could two guys going to the same elementary school start singing together and sound so magical? There is no doubt that Paul Simon is a musical genius as well as a great lyricist. Art Garfunkel is no slouch. He has an incredible voice in his own right. How is it that fate brought those two together and then apart and then together and then apart, etc. I was just glad I got to see them seven years ago when they were actually together. They have several songs on the list and have had a profound impact on my love of music.

I love America though it is kind of a wistful, melancholy song. It doesn't take a musical genius to see that especially when you hear lyrics like, 'I'm empty, and aching and I don't know why'. Still, it is a wonderful song that has some amusing parts as well, 'She said the man in the gabardine (question break--what is gabardine?) suit was a spy. I said be careful his button is really a camera." Has to be a great song to spur so much emotion in only three and a half minutes.

Another reason I love this song is it is a key song in one of my all-time Top Fifty (do I smell another potential blog here?) Movies---Almost Famous.

Simon and Garfunkle's America:

My Five All-Time Favorite Bee Gee Songs

2012-04-14T23:50:00.000-04:00

I am very sad to hear that Robin Gibbs is sick. I found the Bee Gees to be one of the greatest most under appreciated groups of all-time. Their body of work from the early days of Holiday to the Disco Era is remarkable. How could these three brothers (and Andy who would join them on occasion as well) sound so good? Here is my list of my top Five Favorite Bee Gee Songs

http://listman.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-top-five-favorite-bee-gee-songs.html

This song listed below is in the Top Five and a great scene from Saturday Night Fever

Strange Magic--Number 76 on All Time Top 100

2012-04-08T06:29:00.000-04:00

Number 76 on my list of the top 100 songs of all-time is Strange Magic by the Electric Light Orchestra. This is the first ELO song on the list. It is the song that first made me a fan of ELO almost forty years ago. Strange Magic is from the 1975 album, Face the Magic. It was released as a single in 1976 and reached as high as #14 on the billboard charts.It is really a song that combines the great vocals of Jeff Lynne with the backdrop of the talented, eclectic instrumental mix (violin, cello,viola, etc.) that made ELO such a wonderful band.

In my opinion, Electric Light Orchestra is one of the all-time underrated bands. When people talk about all-time great groups, their name is rarely mentioned. Jeff Lynne is clearly a musical genius yet he is rarely spoken about as an all-time great. They were able to create a unique sound that appealed to the masses--50 million records sold worldwide. There is no one my age who did not have at least one or two ELO LP's. Interesting fact--They are the group with the most hits in the Billboard Top 40 who have never had a number one hit (can't believe that Strange Magic was never higher than 14).

Think of their body of work--Strange Magic, Evil Woman, Living Thing, Do Ya, Telephone Line (even the great ones produce some not so great songs), Sweet Talkin' Woman, Turn to Stone, All Over The World, etc. Given their role as musical innovators who were able to break through to the mainstream, they never get enough credit.

From Birmingham, England, with the number 76 song on my top 100 songs of all-time, ELO with Strange Magic,

All Time Favorite Songs Not on The Top 100

2012-04-05T19:45:00.000-04:00

We still have 76 songs to go before I reveal Number One on my list, but I can tell you the song that would be Number One on my list (it if qualified) even though I have no idea who sings it or wrote the lyrics---it would be Meet the Mets. Nothing like Opening Day for the Mets especially with a win.

Here is Meet the Mets in all its glory.

My 5 Favorite Songs on President Obama's Playlist

2012-04-01T19:34:00.000-04:00

Check out the list of my five favorite songs on President Obama's Play list.

http://listman.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-five-favorite-songs-on-president.html

Sweet Baby James, Song Number 77 in Top 100

2012-03-29T05:41:00.000-04:00

The song that ranks Number 77 in The Top One Hundred is Sweet Baby James by James Taylor. This classic song is the second one from James Taylor on the charts (more to come). It is from James Taylor's second album, Sweet Baby James released in February of 1970. Interestingly, it was never released as a single. Though the album itself was a best seller and regarded by many as one of the all-time great classic albums (it is in Rolling Stone's list of the Top 500 albums of all-time). Man, I'm getting old, can't believe this song is over forty years old.

I have seen James Taylor in concert more than I have ever seen anyone else. That incredible voice has not changed from when I saw him in the 70's in Central Park to last July 4th when I saw him in Tanglewood.
Virtually every year I get to see him in Tanglewood (for those who don't know, Tanglewood is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra located in the heart of The Berkshires in Massachusetts). It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and highly recommend to anyone.

Naturally, when he sings the lyrics, 'From Stockbridge to Boston, Lord the Berkshires seemed dream like on a count of that frosting', the crowd goes wild. It is one of those nice tradition about this wonderful song originally written about the birth of his nephew, James.

For your listening pleasure, the great James Taylor singing Sweet Baby James. Heard the song a thousand times and it never gets old

Gimme Shelter, Song #78 in Top 100

2012-03-21T22:23:00.000-04:00

The Number 78 Song on my Top 100 is Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones. This is the first of several Rolling Stone songs in my Top 100. Later when I do my top 100 groups of all-time, the Rolling Stones are sure to appear in the Top Ten (just ahead of The Archies).

Love everything about the song from music to the incredible lyrics-- 'Oh a storm is threatening, my very life today. If I don't get some shelter, Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away'. Of course you have the genius of Jagger, Richards, Waats and Woods, but what makes this song even more unforgettable is the voice of Merry Clayton in her solo. Clayton was a singer and actress (appeared in Cagney and Lacey). Bonnie Bramlett was supposed to sing the solo originally, but was sick and was unable to make it to the studio.

Gimme Shelter was on the 1969 Let It Bleed Album and was never released as a single. It is an all-time great song.

#79 in Top 100 Songs of All-Time, White Room

2012-03-17T12:26:00.000-04:00

Number 79 on my list of the top 100 songs of all-time is White Room from Cream. White Room reached #69 in the Billboard Top 100 of 1968, It was one number below Donovan's Hurdy Gurdy Man. Also, what was great about the Billboard Top 100 of 1968 was the greatest back to back contrast in songs. #62 that year was The Beatles' Revolution and #61 was the 1910 Fruit Gum Company's Simon Says. That alone is a great description of 60's music---from the revolutionary to the bubble gum.

Cream was the super group comprised of some guy named Eric Clapton on guitar (fresh off his years with The Yardbirds and John Mayall), Ginger Baker on drum and Jack Bruce on bass and vocals. Bruce and the poet Pete Brown wrote White Room ('I wait in that place where the sun never shines'--caught you singing along). Interestingly, Baker and Bruce played together in a band called The Graham Bond Organization and they apparently did not like each other.

Nevertheless, when Cream was formed Clapton recognized Bruce talents and asked Baker if he was alright with Bruce joining the band. As we all know, Bruce joined the band and they became one of the all-time greatest rock groups of all-time. They only lasted together for a few years given the combustible relationship between Bruce and Baker. I never understand that. If you are incredibly successful, making great music and loved by millions, why would you ever break up? The band did get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (maybe that is a hall of fame Pete Rose can get into, after all he did have over 4900 hits--bad pun) in 2003 and performed several of their songs. They came back together again in 2005 for a brief reunion.

There are several Cream songs I love including Sunshine of Your Love and Crossroads, but my favorite is White Room. There is something about Bruce's voice in that song that makes it sounds like a blues/rock hybrid. I love how his voice goes about ten octaves higher about a minute into the song (the rock version of Frankie Valli) And I am of course showing my bias, but there is no song where Claptons' guitar does not stand out (except for Wonderful Tonight) but it sounds it's best in White Room.

My number 79 favorite song of all-time, White Room

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Top 100 Songs of All-Time, #80--See Me, Feel Me

2012-03-10T13:55:00.000-05:00

Number 80 on my list of the Top One Hundred Songs of all-time is See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me by The Who. To say The Who is a super group is like saying Willie Mays was a great baseball player. It is pretty self evident. Their body of work and Daltry's voice, Townsend's guitar, Entswisle's bass and Moon's drums--you can't do much better then that. Listing all their great songs would take forever (stick around this site to see other Who songs in my top 100). What is unmistakable beyond their songs is how they were one of the major voices of a generation (talking bout my generation) and they will continue to be major voices of future generations--people will be singing and playing Pinball Wizard, Bargain, etc. for many years to come.

See Me, Feel Me, which is actually part of the longer song, We're Not Gonna Take It (not the Twisted Sister song) brings back wonderful memories for me. When I hear this song I think about Woodstock. It was the highlight of the Woodstock concert in my mind. I was a little young for Woodstock but my very cool mother took me to the movie when I was thirteen and I remember falling in love with that song. There is something magical about Daltry's voice and Townsend's guitar. It is also one of the greatest concert songs of all-time. How many of us imitated Townsend's famous whirlwind motion when we were playing our air guitars? Still do. (thankfully I have a song who plays the real thing).

The song was actually released as a single and made it to #12 on the December 5, 1970 Billboard chart. Of course, Number One for that week was one of the all-time classic hard rock songs---I Think I Love You by the Partridge Family.

Here is The #80 song in my Top 100---See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me by The Who. This Woodstock version is pure electric even over forty year later