What is your absolute, A#1, all time favorite song?

Cafe Society
1

The song that you instantly fell in love with the first time you heard it, the song that you just had to have and when you got it you wore it out playing it over and over, the song that when you come across it on the radio years later you just HAVE to stop and hear it all the way through?

Mine? - Theme From Shaft.

Isaac Hayes’ masterpiece, this song perfectly captured the exuberance and attitude of black culture in the early 70’s, and besides, it was my first exposure to wah-wah guitar. (I miss wah-wah).
Yours?

2

They Might Be Giants’ “Birdhouse In Your Soul.”

3

Every Time We Say Goodbye, by Cole Porter. Sung by anybody good. Greatest love song ever written? Could be.

4

“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister.

5

Godspeed You Black Emperor!

“motherfucker=redeemer”

6

The Cliffs of Dover
Off of AH VIA MUSICOM

Eric Johnson

This is instrumental epic hard rock at its finest. I can still remember sitting in my friend’s Volvo and hearing it play for the first time. I knew right then that I had found one of my favorite guitar artists.

7

Frank Sinatra’s version of Cole Porter’s I’ve Got You Under My Skin arranged by Nelson Riddle. Perfection in popular song.

I could list another 5-10 that would be close seconds to this one, but if I had to pick just one, I guess this is it.

8

“Something” by the Beatles (George Harrison)

9

“Dry The Rain” by The Beta Band

10

“E-bow the Letter” (REM), though picking only one does so much injustice to the close runners-up…

The first time I heard this was a crappy live recording that I still played constantly for about a week.

11

Paint it, Black.
-The Stones

12

“Beyond the Sea” by Bobby Darin

I first heard it in the “X-Files” episode of the same name, liked the episode but didn’t think much of the song itself. But I kept hearing it used in other stuff (like A Life Less Ordinary) and hearing covers (like Royal Crown Revue’s) and grew to like it more and more. Great example of the whole being better than the sum of its parts – catchy but repetitive melody, almost nonsensical English-from-French lyrics, overblown orchestration that goes past cheesy to being cool again, all add up to an awesome song. It’s also one of the only songs that stay completely within my limited vocal range, so I can sing it in the car.

(runner up, absolute A#2 all-time favorite song is “Sweet Thing” by Van Morrison.)

13

With honorable mention going to Smells Like Teen Spirit, I’ll have to go with Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses by U2. I’ve probably heard it a thousand times and I still like it.

14

Carry on Wayward Son-Kansas
Bohemian Rhapsody-Queen
Paint it Black-Rolling Stones

15

Dire Straits—Brothers in Arms.

16

I think I’ll have to say Dream On by Aerosmith- symphonic version live in 1991 at MTV’s 10th Anniversary show, available on the Last Action Hero soundtrack.

17

“Tumblin’ Dice” - The Rolling Stones.

Didn’t even have to think twice. I’ve loved this song my whole life.

18

The Beatles’ “In My Life” is my favorite song. And I recently heard a cover by Johnny Cash (after he passed away), and I practically had to pull my car over to keep from getting misty-eyed.

19

Motion Picture Soundtrack by Radiohead.

LISTEN TO IT NOW. It’s the song that you’re going to hear when you go to Heaven, if you believe in such things. One of the few songs that can bring me to tears.

20

“The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” by the Postal Service. The first time I heard this song it was like getting hit in the head by a brick. It’s gorgeous.