The Long Medley (Abbey Road), The Beatles (best rock)
Paint It Black, Stones (same as above)
Feels Like Home, Bonnie Raitt (best love song)
Wonderful Tonight, Eric Clapton (ditto)
At Last, Etta James (best blues)
These Foolish Things, Billie Holliday (best jazz)
Wicked Game, Chris Isaak (best modern)
I Have Nothing, Whitney Houston (best Whitney)
Everything is Everything, Lauryn Hill (best soul)
Now and Forever, Richard Marx (best Marx)
In Your Eyes, Peter Gabriel (best 80’s movie theme)
And although I hate Limp Bizzzzzzkit (who fucks with George Michael? ish) I love the new theme to M:I2. But only because Freddie Durst doesn’t open his mouth.
My vote for the best song ever written is American Pie.
Of course this may be somewhat related to the fact that it was playing the first time I … um nevermind its just a great song
I am kicking myself for not listing any Dylan. What was I thinking? “Just Like A Woman” is my favorite Dylan song, tied closely with “Tangled Up In Blue” and “Visions of Johanna.” I don’t know what cam over me.
Cut Peter Gabriel from my list and add in those three.
I agree with Graeme that GNR - November Rain is one of the best songs of all time (since picking just 1 is impossible)
but Estranged might be better in some ways…
I listen to a wide variety of music and add my votes to many of the songs mentioned. But few things move me like the singing of Silent Night, especially by candlelight or in the snow.
A century of musical history, and 99% of the choices are 1970 or later. Feh!
Musicals
Lullabye of Broadway by Harry Warren and Al Dubin
42nd Street by Warrent and Dubin
Shall We Dance by Rodgers and Hammerstein
76 Trombones by Meredith Willson
Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat by Frank Loesser
Get Me To the Church on Time by Lerner and Lowe
There’s No Business Like Show Business by Irving Berlin
You Can’t Get A Man With A Gun by Irving Berlin
Hurray for Hollywood by Whiting and Mercer
I Get A Kick Out Of You by Cole Porter
Brush Up Your Shakespeare by Cole Porter
Rock:
Rosalita by Bruce Springsteen
Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin
Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Jim Steinman
Classical:
Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin
9th Symphony – Beethoven
William Tell Overture – Rossini
1812 Overture – Tchakovski (listen to it live with real cannons)
Le Boef sur le Toit – Darius Milhaud
Blues:
Love in Vain – Robert Johnson
Is You Is or Is You Ain’t (My Baby)? – Billy Austin and Louis Jordan
Ain’t Superstitious – Howlin’ Wolf
Statesboro Blues – (Allman Brothers live version, though Alice Stuart did a great acoustic version)
RealityChuck has the idea. why is it that whenever these discussions come up, everyone lists songs that are less than 50 years old? Whatever happened to the GREAT music of the 1700’s-1950’s?
My choice? There are WAY too mnay to chose from, but “Amazing Grace” would be in my top ten.
A century? Pfft. We must travel back at least few millenium to the first real rock band, Ug and Loincloths, who pioneered the use of the first real rocks. Their songs: “Bang!” the follow up, “Bang! Bang!” and the final work “Ugh! Bang-ity Bang!” are the finest pieces of music ever simply because they were the first. All succeeding artists are mere imitators, pretenders, and hacks.
Am I the only person who thinks “Stairway to Heaven” really sucks? I wouldn’t put it on my life of top 30 Zeppelin songs, but everyone I know thinks it rocks. I thought it was terrible the first time I heard it, even before I heard all the hype about it. Could somebody please explain to me the appeal of that song? Led Zep has so many other slower songs that are just much better (Going to California, Since I’d Been Loving You, Hats off to (Roy) Harper, Tangerine), not to mention rockin’ sings that are better. What’s the appeal of Stairway?
