# Favorite song from musician who died in 2016 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169 "2017-01-02T20:06:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/1 "2017-01-02T20:06:44Z")
Of all the songs from all the musicians who died in 2016, which _ **one song** _ is your favorite? I’m not asking for your favorite song from each artist. Or the tie for your two favorite songs. Or your favorite artist. Just your one favorite song from the combined catalog of the artists who died in 2016. Maybe, if push came to shove, of all the artists who died last year, David Bowie is your favorite, but dagnabbit, Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried” just scratches an itch right where you need it. Or Prince is your all-time fav, but “Fame 90” just makes you want to put your dancin’ pants on like no other song in human history. Or Leonard Cohen gives you all the feels, but you absolutely think “Pussy Control” is the single greatest contribution to the past 500 years of pop culture. For me, my favorite is George Michael’s “Freedom '90.” ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/2 "2017-01-02T20:09:32Z")
David Bowie “Let’s Dance” ---
**Author:** ![Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_N.Destroi)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/3 "2017-01-02T20:10:53Z")
Without a doubt it would be a Leonard Cohen song. I love a ton of them but for pure emotional impact I’d have to go with Dress Rehearsal Rag. ---
**Author:** ![Onthefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9de053/32.png) [@Onthefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onthefly)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/4 "2017-01-02T20:12:44Z")
Guy Clark “Dublin Blues” ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/5 "2017-01-02T20:17:53Z")
_ **Karn Evil 9** _ by Emerson Lake and Palmer ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/6 "2017-01-02T20:43:31Z")
Merle Haggard, "Big City, or maybe (but it was a duet) “Pancho and Lefty”. Or Billy Paul “Me and Mrs. Jones”. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/7 "2017-01-02T20:46:46Z")
Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” ---
**Author:** ![Donpeyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a4c791/32.png) [@Donpeyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donpeyote)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/8 "2017-01-02T20:47:44Z")
"Cowboys and Angels " George Michael ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/9 "2017-01-02T20:53:06Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Merle Haggard, "Big City, or maybe (but it was a duet) “Pancho and Lefty”. Or Billy Paul “Me and Mrs. Jones”. Pick one. No ties. No “ors.” ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/10 "2017-01-02T20:55:37Z")
Bowie, _Heroes_. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/11 "2017-01-02T20:57:09Z")
> [@Onthefly](#): > > Guy Clark “Dublin Blues” Guy Clark “Things That Work” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/12 "2017-01-02T21:05:50Z")
[Shining Star](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwc0AW67CmA) by _Earth Wind & Fire._ (Maurice White) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/13 "2017-01-02T21:35:26Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > _ **Karn Evil 9** _ by Emerson Lake and Palmer Could be my choice too, but first to pop into my head was “Tarkus.” ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/14 "2017-01-02T21:53:30Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > _ **Karn Evil 9** _ by Emerson Lake and Palmer > [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Could be my choice too, but first to pop into my head was “Tarkus.” I’ll second both of these and add [“The Score” by Emerson, Lake & Powell,](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0Oz9Eqouc4) which has the advantage of all three performers being dead. Honorable mention has to be given to Sandy Pearlman, who passed away from a stroke on July 26. While not a “musician” in the strictest sense, he was the manager, producer, and key songwriter for Blue Öyster Cult – indeed, he formed the band specifically to perform lyrics he had written. Hard to pick just one so I’ll go with [“E.T.I. (Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence)”.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-BulIM5xwE) ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/15 "2017-01-02T22:03:03Z")
“After the Love is gone” Earth Wind and Fire… ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/16 "2017-01-02T22:06:49Z")
“Life on Mars,” by David Bowie. Tomorrow, it might be different! ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/17 "2017-01-02T22:28:36Z")
Tough question. I’ll go with ' **Everybody Knows’ by Leonard Cohen**. Come to think of it, not so difficult after all. mmm ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/18 "2017-01-02T22:33:36Z")
Aladdin Sane, Bowie. That piano, just as psychotic as the song itself. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/19 "2017-01-02T22:35:30Z")
Difficult choice, but I guess it would be [The Story of Isaac](https://youtu.be/8a7-DOyDtrw), by Leonard Cohen, ---
**Author:** ![justmeetee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@justmeetee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justmeetee)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169/20 "2017-01-02T23:26:52Z")
Lot of great music to pick from unfortunately but the first thing that came to mind was Leonard Cohen “Everybody Knows”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-song-from-musician-who-died-in-2016/776169.md?page=2)