We're down to the top
50 so this is where it starts to get really good... though I already
thought that it was really good so maybe I'm just being a bit
redundant.
I thought I would take
this time to share a few more artists that somehow didn't make the
list, much to my surprise. I don't know how they got excluded, but
for whatever reason there was no room on my list for one of their
songs. And while I would love to incorporate them, I can't bring
myself to nudge anything else off. Tricky situation. So this is an
honourable mention area of sorts.
Franz Ferdinand are a
band that I enjoy quite a lot and have a particular fondness for
their first album. “Take Me Out” and “Matinee” are notable
highlights, but for some reason didn't quite make my list. I did,
for the longest time, consider fitting one in but again, I didn't
feel like anything was expendable. They will just have to settle for
this compromise.
Icelandic singer Bjork
has an amazing discography and many songs that I enjoy thoroughly,
but pinpointing a favourite track of her's proved to be quite
difficult. It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that I recognized my
favourite track of hers and this was well after I was already putting
together these articles. Her duet with Radiohead's Thom Yorke called
“I've Seen It All” is a beautiful piece and I almost considered
nudging something off to fit it in, but I just couldn't. Alas.
Then of course there
are the Arena Rock legends Queen. No, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is not
my favourite song of theirs. I'm more of a “Seven Seas of Rhye”
and “Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy” kinda guy, but they just
didn't feel right for my list.
And lastly, I couldn't
seem to fit in any songs by Belle and Sebastian, a great Scottish
band who I've enjoyed for quite a few years. My favourite album of
theirs is probably The Life Pursuit, but the song I find I can
play over and over again is ten years older than that release from
their debut album Tigermilk. "Electronic
Renaissance" was the odd ball of that album, but is extremely
compelling and a lot of fun. I still feel that I should make room for
it on here somewhere, but I guess this will have to do.
Okay,
back to the list...
50.) Steppenwolf –
Magic Carpet Ride (1968)
Ah, yes, sometimes the
classics are classic for a reason and this hit song from rock band
Steppenwolf is a great demonstration of the long, healthy life that
good rock 'n roll can have. I was never that fond of their biggest
hit “Born to Be Wild,” but “Magic Carpet Ride” is definitely
a well deserved rock classic. Shall I say classic one more time? What
you need to do when listening to this song is forget the over
saturation this song has had in media. Forget every movie trailer and
car commercial you've heard this in and just sit and listen to the
song. And that's hard because music naturally triggers memories.
But it's a great song
that's just fun and quotable, but not without a dramatic edge to it.
And the blend of the organ and the guitar is very 1960's, but the
really good, less hippie-esque music of the 60's. A big aspect of the
song's charm comes from the long music solo near the end that just
seems to take you on a meandering journey. It stays simple, but feels
adventurous.
Like I need to sell you
on “Magic Carpet Ride.” Seriously. You know the song and at this
point you either like it or you don't. For me, I feel that it stands
the test of time.
49.) U2 – Last Night
On Earth (1997)
I remember the first
time I heard this song. It was some time in 2002 when U2 released
their Best of 1990 – 2000 compilation and DVD music video
collection. “Last Night On Earth” was not a hit song of U2's but
was included in the bonus songs section of the DVD because hey, why
not? I hadn't heard their album Pop before because my dad
never owned it as he, as well as quite a few other U2 fans, were not
huge fans of the album. I was always curious to hear it despite the
negative reviews, but didn't get the chance to hear any of the songs
until that fateful evening. The music video played and the moment the
chorus came on I sat up and said “What is this song?” or
something to that effect. I was hooked at that very moment. “Last
Night On Earth” blew me away. And I know that U2 themselves were
never satisfied with the final product of this track, but it hits me
every time I hear it so I don't know what they were hoping for from
it. Maybe it had the potential in their minds to be the best rock song ever written?
This is the edgier
harder rock sound of U2 that creeps up from time to time and that
tends to be a side of them I really enjoy. Despite a lot of people
overlooking the era, I really like the U2 of the 1990's. They were
bold and adventurous, not letting expectations get in the way of them
releasing albums. And while not everyone is happy with the work, I
find Pop to be a grossly underrated album, beautiful in its
imperfections. I was unsure at first, but my appreciation of the
album grew and grew, but right from the start I knew that I loved
“Last Night On Earth” and it would keep me coming back.
There will be another
U2 song to come on this list. They are one of the bands that I had to
have more than one song of.
48.) The Helio Sequence
– Let It Fall Apart (2004)
I would definitely make
the claim that the most overlooked album of 2004 was The Helio
Sequence's Love and Distance. From start to finish it is an
energetic and exciting collection of songs. It is an underrated
masterpiece. Picking a favourite track wasn't too difficult though
because, while I admire every song on that album and some are even
much catchier than this track, this is one that has the most
emotional draw. It's actually kind of impressive that a band that is
so focused on interesting guitar effects and glitchy programmed
rhythms, that they can still be affective song writers. There is a
strong emotional core to the song and it all fits together once the
chorus comes in. I just like the whole mood and feel of the song.
It's accessible, but is unique in structure and style. I don't know
what else to say about it really. It sounds great. It feels great. It
makes me want to sing along to it. Every time the chorus plays I have
to mouth the “whoa-oh” parts with a passionate look on my face.
Can't be helped. I'm a slave to the music.
47.) Collective Soul –
Run (1999)
Sometimes there is a
song that escapes us, yet resonates in our heads, just waiting to be
discovered again. This was a problem of the 90's. If a song played
and you loved it and the DJ neglected to tell you what it was, there
wasn't much you could do about it. Well, that was me and “Run”
for a long time. It wasn't until years later when a friend of mine
lent me a Collective Soul compilation that I found it again. There
was literally a moment where it played and I exclaimed “This song!”
and revelled in being reunited. And I think that the experience
enhanced my enjoyment of this song to some degree. I guess I just
came to appreciate it more as a result.
That being said, the
song is amazing by its own merits also of course. I think it's an
exceptionally well written rock song, with a great emotional edge to
it. It successfully conveys a sense of yearning and searching. And I
don't know about you, but I find that hook in the chorus is extremely
compelling. There is something so genuine about the way the line
“Have I got a long way to run?” is sung.
Their album Dosage,
which “Run” comes from is a pretty solid pop rock album and
Collective Soul have had a few pretty good songs over the years, but
not much comes close to “Run”.
46.) Eels – Fresh
Feeling (2001)
Eels are a great band
and have made some pretty great albums over the years, but I think
that one of their finest songs is one that isn't too typical for
them. Most of their songs are more alternative rock, performed with
the usual guitar, bass, and drums set up and that's fine. “Fresh
Feeling” has a beautiful string arrangement leading the song. But
the aspect of the song I enjoy the most might actually be the lyrics.
They're wonderfully written, quotable, and undeniably romantic. In
fact, the whole mood and vision of this song is unbelievable in how
romantic it is. I wanna get married right here and right now just
listening to it... but you know, can't do that by myself.
The swell of emotion
that this song brings me shows just how affecting music can be. It
stimulates memories of old crushes, creates stories in my head, and
keeps my toe tapping the whole time. What a wonderful piece of music.
It sweeps me off my feet. I have nothing but the utmost respect for E
(Mark Everett)and the Eels band. To make a song with such relatively
simple ideas into this beautiful masterpiece is something to be
admired.
45.) Pet Shot Boys –
Opportunities (1986)
After a whole lot of
serious songs of reflection and longing, I think it's time for
something a little different. So, let's go in the opposite direction
and listen to a cheesy 80's tune about a couple of guys planning a
heist of some sort. It's pure 80's camp, but it is marvellous.
I'm really not the
biggest Pet Shop Boys fan, despite having a fleeting desire to be one
(a fan, not a Pet Shop Boy). Just couldn't take the unfiltered
corniness of their sound for the most part, but this track is just...
too good. I even named a one act play I wrote after it and one day I
hope to expand that into a feature film. One day...
But this song and its
unusual tone were a source of inspiration for me. It balances a campy
playfulness with a genuinely thrilling tone. Not just just anyone can
mix those elements so well, in fact, I'm amazed anyone could. It's
also something to be admired that they wrote a song on such an
unusual subject matter. I mean, there are millions of love songs
written, but how many about a mastermind planning some big heist?
This is the only one I can think of, especially in the mainstream.
Granted, it was the 80's and people were willing to take cheese in
higher doses then. A song like this couldn't work today... or could
it?
44.) Tom Vek – C-C
(You Set The Fire In Me) (2005)
This one took me by
surprise. It was one of the very last songs to make it into my list,
but once it was in there, I knew I couldn't take it out. It suddenly
became indispensable. Sometimes I don't know how much I love a song
until I admitted to myself that I love it. And then I realize, yeah,
I love it a lot. And hey, my iPod play count supports the claim.
While there isn't
anything that obviously unusual about multi-instrumentalist Tom Vek's
“C-C (You Set The Fire In Me),” in that it has a pretty typical
structure and and tone, musically there are some really interesting
things going. First thing to mention is that drum part. It is such a
strange rhythm and it's one of those things that you'd notice if you
were a drummer or a big music fan, but might not hear right away
otherwise. Though it becomes a little more obvious during the drum
solo in the last half of the song. The other thing that is strange in
this song, but works really well, is Tom Vek's voice. He isn't a
terrific singer, but he knows how to make it work. It's playful,
earnest and truly his own. There is something so appealing about the
way he sings “C-C” as the song fades out. He sounds so genuine.
Tom Vek is a talented
guy and I think the album We Have Sound is a really overlooked
treasure, but for sure he hit it out of the park with this song.
43.) Deltron 3030 –
3030 (2000)
Deltron 3030 are a
hip-hop super group from the early 2000s containing rapper Del The
Funky Homosapien (best known for rapping for Gorillaz in their big
hit “Clint Eastwood”), Kid Koala, and Dan the Automator. They
released a single self titled concept album telling the story of the
world in the year 3030, and it was a huge success as far as
underground rap groups are concerned, though it didn't gain too much
mainstream attention. But critically it was praised for being
innovative and for covering much more interesting subject matter than
their peers. Social commentary through science fiction imagery was
something not typical for the genre of hip-hop. As such, it gathered
a following outside of the standard rap fan base.
The album is great, but
by far and away the finest moment in the album is the song “3030,”
the thunderous opening song that deserves the use of the word epic.
In fact, I would dare make the bold statement that this is the best
rap song ever composed. I'm not exaggerating. Just listen to it.
Marvel at it. One of my complaints about hip-hop as a genre for the
most part is that it seems to be lazy musically, with very little
going on under the rapping. This is certainly not the case here with
orchestral and choir compositions mixed in with glitchy synthesized
loops and groovy base lines. And you know what, it's worth mentioning
that Del himself sounds really cool. He's just got a voice made for
hip-hop.
And now, over a decade
later Deltron 3030 finally released their second album just over a year ago. It'll be hard to live up to the expectations that this
album set and they would be hard pressed to make a song that's as
good as “3030,” but hey, I'm willing to hear them try.
42.) Pink Floyd – The
Trial (1979)
This was a very
difficult decision to make and some might criticize me for my choice,
but hear me out. The thing about Pink Floyd is that they're a band
that makes stronger albums than they do specific songs. As an album I
would have to say that Dark Side of the Moon is their
masterpiece, but removing any song from it takes some of the impact
out of them. Admittedly, I was very close to selecting “The Great
Gig in the Sky” because it is marvellous. But what made “The
Trial” so appealing to me for this list was that I feel that it is
just as strong on its own as it is in The Wall. In fact, I
don't even enjoy The Wall as much as some do. I often find the
product as a whole a bit bloated and self indulgent, though I will
not dispute that there are some amazing moments in it. I respect its
vision and much of its execution, but there is just a bit too much in
the final product. But whenever I hear it, it always seems worth the
journey when “The Trial” comes on. It is the moment to boast
about in The Wall and one of the finest moments in Pink
Floyd's career.
It is the climax of the
emotional story of a man losing his sanity, where a man's mind is
being put on trial and his insecurities are the witnesses. They are
portrayed through his old school master, his mother, and his ex-wife.
But the finale of the song, when the judge is giving out his sentence
is so intense it makes me really emotional every time I hear it. What
this song successfully does it takes sounds that might be fun in
other contexts and twists them so they are dark and hopeless. It is
the music of madness, aided by Roger Waters' brilliant lyrics and
quirky vocals which are extremely theatrical and add that dramatic
credibility to the song.
It's interesting that
my Pink Floyd pick is a song that's decidedly un-Pink Floydish, but
it's hard to dispute that this is one of their most emotionally
powerful pieces. The judge brings his hammer down and shouts “Since,
my friend, you have revealed your deepest fear, I sentence you to be
exposed before your peers!” followed by the chanting of “tear
down the wall” as the song fades out. It is a sound that doesn't
leave you quickly.
41.) King Crimson –
Starless (1974)
One of my two King
Crimson picks is the legendary “Starless” from their highly
influential album Red. To some this may be an obvious choice
or a King Crimson fan, or a lover of progressive rock in general, but
I actually almost didn't pick this one. My love for this song was one
that blossomed slowly and it didn't sink it how brilliant it was
until I was reviewing this album in my History of the Crimson King
series.
“Starless” is a
song in three movements. The first movement is the slow and dark
lyrical portion lead by an eerie mellotron and John Wetton's
passionate vocals. It's probably his best vocal performance of his
career, but that's a somewhat uneducated statement. I just know he
hits it out of the park here.
The second movement is
dramatic build up, as it brings more and more tension between the
three musicians. I don't know how they do it, but it just feels like
it's swelling into something so big that it can't be contained. They
essentially build up musical suspense, with the guitar notes climbing
higher and higher and the drums smashing faster and more intense.
And then the third act
explodes, breaking into a fast paced, jazz-like, free form musical
conniption. While blasting a sonic assault at the listener, they also
manage to tie it back to the original musical themes of the beginning
of the song, giving it a sense of closure.
This song is a masterpiece and moves me every time I hear it, taking me on an incredible journey for 12 minutes. And after it plays, I often take the opportunity to listen to it again.
This song is a masterpiece and moves me every time I hear it, taking me on an incredible journey for 12 minutes. And after it plays, I often take the opportunity to listen to it again.
This live version shows an early version of the song, but all studio versions are pulled from Youtube regularly. But the album Red is amazing so you should just buy it. You won't regret it.
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