# What is your absolute, A#1, all time favorite song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 16, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839 "2003-10-16T19:00:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/1 "2003-10-16T19:00:49Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/2 "2003-10-16T19:36:11Z")
They Might Be Giants’ “Birdhouse In Your Soul.” ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/3 "2003-10-16T19:44:03Z")
Every Time We Say Goodbye, by Cole Porter. Sung by anybody good. Greatest love song ever written? Could be. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/4 "2003-10-16T20:24:44Z")
“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister. ---
**Author:** ![criminalcatalog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@criminalcatalog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminalcatalog)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/5 "2003-10-16T20:40:29Z")
Godspeed You Black Emperor! “motherfucker=redeemer” ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/6 "2003-10-16T21:01:13Z")
**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. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/7 "2003-10-16T21:50:02Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![YellowTail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5ac83/32.png) [@YellowTail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YellowTail)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/8 "2003-10-16T22:20:55Z")
“Something” by the Beatles (George Harrison) ---
**Author:** ![Spudo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Spudo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spudo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/9 "2003-10-16T22:38:34Z")
“Dry The Rain” by The Beta Band ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/10 "2003-10-17T00:50:33Z")
“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. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/11 "2003-10-17T01:06:41Z")
Paint it, Black. -The Stones ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/12 "2003-10-17T01:14:01Z")
“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.) ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/13 "2003-10-17T01:24:58Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/14 "2003-10-17T01:26:22Z")
Carry on Wayward Son-Kansas Bohemian Rhapsody-Queen Paint it Black-Rolling Stones ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/15 "2003-10-17T01:26:24Z")
Dire Straits—Brothers in Arms. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/16 "2003-10-17T01:27:30Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Witch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Witch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Witch)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/17 "2003-10-17T01:44:34Z")
“Tumblin’ Dice” - The Rolling Stones. Didn’t even have to think twice. I’ve loved this song my whole life. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/18 "2003-10-17T01:50:35Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/19 "2003-10-17T02:19:42Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839/20 "2003-10-17T04:30:16Z")
“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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-a-1-all-time-favorite-song/207839.md?page=2)