# Ten songs you're always glad to have appear on your iPod or MP3 player **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377 "2006-09-20T04:38:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/1 "2006-09-20T04:38:03Z")
Inspired by this thread: [A Musical Taste Snapshot: Your First 10 Random Playlist Songs? - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=388588) We probably all have some songs that seemed like a good idea at the time we added 'em, but which more often than not we hit the \>\> tab and move on. Then there are the songs that bring a smile to our faces when the Shuffle function brings 'em up, the songs that we’re always (or nearly always) glad to hear. Ten of mine, in no particular order: 1. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” - Beach Boys 2. “Good Morning Good Morning” - Beatles 3. “Get ‘Em Goin’” - Euge Groove 4. “Hughie Shortie’s” - Childsplay 5. “Things Have Changed” - Bob Dylan (my only Dylan tune!) 6. “Why Haven’t I Heard from You” - Reba McEntire 7. “Mr. Blue Sky” - Electric Light Orchestra 8. “Stop This Game” - Cheap Trick 9. “Holiday” - Green Day 10. “Gimme Shelter” - Rolling Stones Howsabout you? ---
**Author:** ![Foldup\_Rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Foldup\_Rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foldup_Rabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/2 "2006-09-20T04:50:20Z")
The songs that I am _always_ pleased to hear are not usually the songs I thought they would be. A month after adding one of these songs, the fact that I didn’t expect them to be so good always brings a smile to my face. 1. “Grass” - _Animal Collective_ - Weird, weird song. Cheerful, manic, rhythmic and stuffed full of birdsongs. 2. "Walk in the Park - _Oh No! Oh My_ - I can never decide whether this is a happy song or a sad one. 3. “Miracle Drug” - _AC Newman_ - The man is a helluva songwriter. 4. “Loose Translation” - _The New Pornographers_ - Keeping the AC Newman train going. The wood block always gets me. 5. “Another Sunny Day” - _Belle & Sebastian_ - All the vocalists have such peacfully mellow voices. 6. “Lovefool” - _The Cardigans_ - Easily the creepiest song I’ve liked this much. 7. “Age of Consent” - _New Order_ - Only heartless people are not hooked in the first thirty seconds. 8. “Felt Tip” - _Love is All_ - Possibly the only song where turning the reverb all the way up worked. 9. “Nowhere With You” - _The Joel Plaskett Emergency_ - It’s infectious. 10. “I’m a Pretender” - _The Exploding Hearts_ - Excellent, excellent pop-punk. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/3 "2006-09-20T06:16:48Z")
I have a playlist called “The Best.” Hitting random I get: “Late in the Evening” - _Paul Simon_: My favorite Simon song. “One Night a Day” - _Garth Brooks_: Trust me: it’s jazz, not country. “This Side” - _Nickel Creek_: One of many great songs by this young ‘bluegrass’ group. “Thirsty Work” - _Gaelic Storm_: Manic, virtuoso penny whistle on this Irish instumental. “The 59th Street Bridge Song” - _Simon & Garfunkel_: Who doesn’t like this song? “Blackbird” - _The Beatles_: Perfect simplicitity with sublime guitar “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” - _Nat King Cole_: My vocal hero. My dream is to perform this in front of a live big band. “I Love You Always Forever” - _Donna Lewis_: The ultimate in '90s romaticism. “Water Dance” - _Raffi_: Kiddie singer proves his chops. “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” - _Neal McCoy_: Excellent country cover of a doo-wop gem. ---
**Author:** ![cardsfan1975](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cardsfan1975](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cardsfan1975)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/4 "2006-09-20T07:45:53Z")
These never get skipped: Fire Woman - The Cult Thunderkiss '65 - White Zombie Last Resort - Papa Roach Cowboys From Hell - Pantera Sex Type Thing - Stone Temple Pilots The Game - Disturbed Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck - Prong Master Of Puppets - Metallica One - Metallica Live Wire - Motley Crue cf’75 ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/5 "2006-09-20T10:13:22Z")
Sara Evans - missiog missouri Brad Johner - the last saskatchewan pirate great big sea - clearest indication amanda stott - she’ll get over it amanda marshall - double agent kim richey - just like the moon paul brandt - sycamore tree great big sea - excursion around the bay trisha yearwood’s cover of ‘sad eyes’ chely write - between a mother and a child ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/6 "2006-09-20T11:40:36Z")
Funny, I just had this conversation with some co-workers yesterday. My list is: [ul] [li]_I Will Survive_ - Gloria Gaynor: Bad day, instantly made better, through the awesome power of roller disco.[/li][li]_Back In Black_ - AC/DC: I believe that God invented cruise control so that we could play air guitar when listening to this song while driving.[/li][li]_God Only Knows_ - The Beach Boys: Because weeping is therapeutic.[/li][li]_Only The Good Die Young_ - Billy Joel: Always dedicated to my mother-in-law, who hates my guts.[/li][li]_Sing_ - The Carpenters: This song fills me with such unbridled hope. I miss Karen.[/li][li]_I Will_ - The Beatles: My favorite Beatles song, and almost my wedding song.[/li][li]_If You Could Only See_ - Tonic: For reasons I don’t entirely understand, this song moves me.[/li][li]_Surrender_ - Cheap Trick: Reminds me of many a drunken debacle from my youth.[/li][li]_Fields Of Gold_ - either the Sting version (preferred) or the Eva Cassidy version: So pretty and evocative.[/li][li]_His Eye Is On The Sparrow_ - Marvin Gaye: Sometimes, listening to Marvin sing is like going to Church.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Lilacs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lilacs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilacs)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/7 "2006-09-20T11:48:58Z")
There’s probably more than ten, but these are the first ones that come to mind: - _Holiday in Cambodia_, The Dead Kennedys - _Cinamon Girl_, Neil Young - _Pinball Wizard_, The Who - _Holiday_, Green Day - _Jesus Walks_, Kanye West -_London Calling_, The Clash -_Sultans of Swing_, Dire Straits -_Wish You Were Here_, Pink Floyd -_Seven Nation Army_, The White Stripes -_What’s This Generation Coming To?_ - Urge Overkill ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/8 "2006-09-20T17:01:53Z")
Off the top of my head; there are WAY more than this. “Housework” by Fishbone “Slung” by Foetus “Calling All Angels” by Jane Siberry “Not Having You, But Keeping You in Mind” by Mary Margaret O’Hara “Jackie” by Scott Walker “Scary Monsters, Super Creeps” by David Bowie “Rhythm” by Anna Domino “Bohemian Like You” by the Dandy Warhols “No Children” by the Mountain Goats “Ymaeldi A’r Ymylon” by the Super Furry Animals ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/9 "2006-09-20T17:08:50Z")
[QUOTE=rockle] [li]_Back In Black_ - AC/DC: I believe that God invented cruise control so that we could play air guitar when listening to this song while driving.[/li] [/QUOTE] Ummm…you _do_ know that cruise control doesn’t steer for you? Right? _Right_? Ten of my favs include: “My Name is Jonas” - Weezer “Jesus of Suburbia” - Green Day (yeah, it’s 9 minutes long, which some people say is too long for a ‘shuffle and play’ song, but I am crazy with my music, and usually end up hitting ‘next’ about fifteen times in a row before settling on a song I am in the mood for. This song lets me not worry about having to hit next for nine minutes.) 'Like a Prayer" - Guster “More than a Feeling” - Boston “Feel Good, Inc” - Gorrilaz “Under Pressure” - Queen and David Bowie “Don’t Stop Believing” - Journey (go ahead and laugh, you know you love it too.) “Baba O’Riley” - The Who “Best of You” - Foo Fighters “Sloop John B” - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/10 "2006-09-20T18:18:11Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] Ummm…you _do_ know that cruise control doesn’t steer for you? Right? _Right_? [/QUOTE] Yeah. I was thinking of a straight road when I posted that. Like an Eisenhower Interstate or something. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/11 "2006-09-20T19:48:38Z")
“Little Bombs” by Aimee Mann “Across the Universe” by Rufus Wainwright “Ruby Soho” by Rancid “Rainy Night in Soho” by The Pogues “Little Bit of Emotion” by The Kinks “Fight Test” by The Flaming Lips “Speedy Marie” by Frank Black “The Queen of Argyll” by Silly Wizard “Wave Motion Gun” by Marcy Playground “Walls of Time” by Paul Burch ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/12 "2006-09-20T20:18:43Z")
Ooh, tough… Drug Raid At 4 am, Lard Shot By Both Sides, Magazine Jim On The Move, Lalo Schifrin Burn, Deep Purple Hanging Around, The Stranglers Jesus Built My Hotrod, Ministry Cowgirl in The Sand, Neil Young Marquee Moon, Television State Trooper, Cowboy Junkies Look Back In Anger, David Bowie ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/13 "2006-09-20T20:27:21Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] …but I am crazy with my music, and usually end up hitting ‘next’ about fifteen times in a row before settling on a song I am in the mood for. [/QUOTE] I’m so bad that I’ve been known to flip through up to 100 tracks before finding one that fits my mood. I guess that’s why I have 4,300 songs on there. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/14 "2006-09-20T20:38:23Z")
1. “Take Me Home Country Roads” by John Denver - simple and beautiful 2. “Ode to Billy Joe” by Sinead O’Connor - O’Connor is nuttier than a Drumstick, but she can sing a haunting lyric like nobody else 3. “It Doesn’t Matter” by Allison Krause - I defy anyone to not feel compelled to stop and listen to this song it’s so hauntingly beautiful 4. “Dream On” (live) by Aerosmith - upbeat and rockin’ 5. “Long Black Limousine” by Elvis Presley - One of the lesser known Presley tunes where he shows off his bluesy side 6. “Bohemian Rhapsody” (live) from “Queen on Fire” by Queen - Boy can that Freddy Mercury belt out a tune. (MHRIP) My kids love this song. 7. “Words” (live) from “Here at Last…Bee Gees Live” - a countryfied version of a great song, before Gibb had to ruin the song by pausing to let the girls squeal 8. “O Holy Night” by il Divo - A Christmas tune that I listen to year round because it’s so damn good. Sadly for my family, I can’t help singing along in my best opera voice. 9. “Voices Carry” (iTunes acoustic) by Aimee Mann - beautiful, slowed down rendition of an 80’s classic 10. “Love Lifted Me” by Kenny Rogers - a very simple gospel song that makes me happy ---
**Author:** ![El\_Perro\_Fumando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e9c0ed/32.png) [@El\_Perro\_Fumando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Perro_Fumando)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/15 "2006-09-21T01:24:53Z")
[ol][li]_Bitches Ain’t Shit_ as covered by Ben Folds[/li][li]_Walking on Sunshine_ as covered by Ghoti Hook[/li][li]_Crazy Love_ by Van Morrisson[/li][li]_Christmas is All Around_ as featured in _Love, Actually_[/li][li]_Turn Me On_ by Norah Jones[/li][li]_You Give Love a Bad Name_ by Bon Jovi[/li][li]_I’ll Cover You (Reprise)_ from _RENT_[/li][li]_Have a Little Faith in Me_ by John Hiatt[/li][li]_Your Song_ by Elton John[/li][li]_She_ by Green Day[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![El\_Perro\_Fumando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e9c0ed/32.png) [@El\_Perro\_Fumando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Perro_Fumando)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/16 "2006-09-21T01:26:06Z")
Dang, should not code on little sleep. Back to School nights suck for teachers. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/17 "2006-09-21T02:58:10Z")
Fun thread! 🆒 Not including music by favorite artists who I’ll stop and listen to _anything_ by, ten of the songs that I never skip are: “Still The One” - Orleans “Everlasting Love” - Carl Carlton “Come On Eileen” - Dexy’s Midnight Runners “Sir Duke” - Stevie Wonder “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” - Elton John & Kiki Dee “A Little Respect” - Erasure “December 1963” - The Four Seasons “The King is Half Undressed” - Jellyfish “We Close Our Eyes” - Go West “Bus Stop” - The Hollies ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/18 "2006-09-21T03:29:02Z")
\*His Latest Flame \* by Elvis \*Further on up the Road \* by Bruce Springsteen \*Here Comes My Baby \* by The Tremeloes \*Hey Ya \* by Outkast \*My Brain is Hanging Upside Down \* by The Ramones \*Ol’ 55 \* by The Eagles \*Opus 17 \* by The Four Seasons _Otherside_ by Red Hot Chili Peppers _Rings_ by Lobo _Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?_ by Paula Cole ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/19 "2006-09-21T03:34:08Z")
_I Be An Retarded_ - They Might Be Giants \*Naked And Famous \* - The Presidents of the USA _Asshole_ - Dennis Leary _The Internet is For Porn_ - Avenue Q _Schadenfreude_ - Avenue Q _I Write Sins Not Tragedies_ - Panic! At the Disco _More Human Than Human_ - White Zombie _Moscow_ - Rammstein _Return of the Phantom Stranger_ - Rob Zombie \*Doctor Worm \* - They Might Be Giants Some of those songs just make me want to rock out, some of them always make me smile. But every single song is always “Ooh, I love this song” ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377/20 "2006-09-21T03:41:25Z")
Follow you down - Gin Blossoms Story of a Girl - Nine Days Here with you ? It’s my Life No Doubt Save Tonight - Eagle Eye Cherry Going down in Flames - Make me Smile - Steve Harley Just What I needed - Cars Here With Me - Dido Les Yeux Ouverts - Beautiful South [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ten-songs-youre-always-glad-to-have-appear-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/373377.md?page=2)