So far it's been a lot
of fun listening to and discussing my favourite songs. But what does
music really mean to me? While I feel that I have a broader knowledge
than some on the technical level of music as well as the history and
context of the albums and songs that are out there, I don't think
there is anything particularly special about my actual ability to
enjoy the music. I think that to the general public, music is more
about the feeling it gives you, whether it's the urge to dance or a
sadness and I don't feel that I'm any different. Like so many people,
I react to music on an emotional and physical level to varying
degrees.
The songs in this
portion of this list are quite diverse in how they appeal to me, but
I find that there are two main types of songs on here. There are the
escapism songs that I appreciate strongly on a very physical level.
They make me feel excited and energized and never cease doing so. But
there are some that provide me an opportunity to find something deep
inside myself. They help me learn and grow.
So, what does music
really mean to me? I suppose like everyone, it helps me feel.
60.)The Killers –
Bling (Confessions of a King) (2006)
Picking a favourite
song by The Killers was actually surprisingly difficult and I have to
say that “Smile Like You Mean It” almost took this spot, but in
the end “Bling (Confession of a King)” made the top of my list
because there is a certain compelling energy to it. It's the kind of
song that takes you by surprise with how good it is because you
wouldn't know if from the introduction. It's not really that
spectacular at first, but once that chorus comes in, everything fits
together. That chorus is pitch perfect with a knock-out synth sound
paired with sweet guitar chords and a thumping bass beat. I should
discount the verses though. That bass section that rolls down sounds
great and every time I hear it I feel compelled to air-bass guitar
it. It almost forces a physical reaction out of me and that's when I
know that something about this song really works.
I liked the album Sam's
Town, which this song came from, but I did feel it was a somewhat
disappointing follow-up to their very strong debut Hot Fuss.
But this track stood out instantly as the strongest of the collection
and could easily stand up to the strongest moments in Hot Fuss.
59.) Led Zeppelin –
Trampled Under Foot (1975)
Wouldn't you know it,
my favourite Led Zeppelin song isn't “Stairway To Heaven.” And
it's not that I don't like that song, it's just there are a handful
of Zeppelin songs that I like a lot more. And the top pick was pretty
close, with their “Song Remains The Same” being a close runner
up, but there is something about “Trampled Under Foot” that
really appeals to me. Sometimes I feel that the band gets a little
bit caught up in their riffs and how awesome they are that they
forget to cut their song's run time off at a reasonable length and
forget to have a bit of fun while performing it. And that goes for a
lot of the songs off of Physical Graffiti, the album which
this track originates from. But man, when they hit it, they hit it
out of the park. It's the energy and the playfulness of this song
that really make it and, while it's longer than the typical pop song,
“Trampled Under Foot” has enough gusto that it's far from running
out of steam. It feels so unpretentious, yet sort of sophisticated.
Frantic, but under control. They seem to play it straight, but it's
quirky as hell. An underrated Zeppelin classic in my opinion.
58.) Miracle Fortress –
Hold Your Secrets To Your Heart (2007)
And now for something
completely different, we have Miracle Fortress, a band that I
discovered when they opened for Stars back in '07 or '08. Their debut
album Five Roses is not an amazing record, but it grew on me
and I've come to appreciate the out-of-the-box song writing approach
that they had. But individually, there are only two really
exceptionally good tracks on the album and the best of those two is
“Hold Your Secrets to Your Heart.” I knew it was great when I
heard it live and the album version doesn't disappoint.
Conceptually it's not
too ambitious. It focuses entirely around a single lyrical hook, as
if there is no verse and just a chorus. But they build around that
hook and tinker with the sounds as it goes. It's kind of fascinating.
It works because that hook is strangely compelling, both catchy and
passionate. It resonates with me.
The best part of the
song, where the hook reaches its maximum potential is at the 1 minute
45 second mark where it all seems to mesh together perfectly. It's
music to my ears... literally, I suppose.
By the way, the other
really good song off the album is “This Thing About You” in case
you were curious.
57.) Battles – Atlas
(2007)
Math rock outfit,
Battles, really scored with their lead single, though, the full album
version is far superior to the single edit. “Atlas” is unlike
anything you've heard before; complex, catchy, and quirky beyond
anything that makes any sense. You have to ask yourself, what were
they thinking?! Only brilliant thoughts, my friend. They dared
to make something different from anything else you heard that year
and it was a success. Well, it was a success critically, making a lot
of top lists for 2007 and the decade. Commercially the album did well
enough, getting the attention of music nuts and the like. I think
that the ingenuity and pure gumption that this song is something to
be admired and also, when it comes down to it, it's a really fun and
catchy tune. That's something kind of rare actually and I think
that's what makes “Atlas” work as well as it does. Usually when
you hear progressive or experimental music, you don't instantly think
'fun and catchy.' Being able to blend those elements is something
that's fairly unique and worth remembering. It's something that the
1980's King Crimson, Talking Heads, and David Bowie were able to do,
which is good company to be in, but Battles give it a distinctly
modern edge in a time where such talents are rare.
Did I mention that the
vocals sound like an army of robot hamsters? Yeah, that alone makes
it worth your time.
56.) Michael W. Smith –
Old Enough To Know (1986)
Michael W. Smith's
third album The Big Picture was an album that I heard a lot
when I was a very young child because my mom loved it and had the
record. 20 or so years later when I was rediscovering vinyl, my mom
let me take the albums from her collection that interested me. I
listened to a lot of records, many of which didn't really interest me
that much, but rediscovering the couple Michael W. Smith albums was a
treat, particularly The Big Picture. The music is fairly dated
by today's standards, but it's still sharply produced, well written,
and extremely earnest.
The highlight of the
album for me is “Old Enough To Know” which, despite its catchy
hook and energetic beat, actually is very sad. It stirs me up
emotionally, telling the story of a Christian girl battling with
sexual temptation as the man she loves is pressuring her to give in
and sleep with him. And while many readers may be like “uhh, so
what?” I think that this rings very true as a problem still
prevalent in Christian culture. It's about compromising values and
boundaries and what I connect to in this song is that I've been on
both ends of that story, to a lesser degree, but still much to my
regret. It actually makes me very sad, but in such a way that builds
character, if that makes sense. I feel that this song makes me
vulnerable and inspires me to ponder life and the world we live in.
This struggle is not something everyone goes through because our
culture is very accepting of premarital sex, it is the norm, and the
song admits that with the line “You're a breed of few and far
between, holding onto your romantic dream.” But for those of us who
face that battle, this song is a very honest and telling piece and
well worth listening to and reflecting on.
55.) White Town –
Your Woman (1997)
Back in 1997 I never
thought much about it, but now it seems more and more strange that
White Town's “Your Woman” was a hit. There are so many strange
elements that work when it seems like they shouldn't. First, it
samples a really old timey jazz song's muted trumpet part, puts it to
an electronic beat, and then has a man singing from a woman's point
of view much to listener's confusion. And for whatever reason, it
sounds terrific.
I guess despite the
fact that he's singing as if he were a woman, Mr. White Town gives a
very honest and passionate vocal performance. He's not an obvious
vocal talent, but he knows how to make his sound work. The music is
actually pretty well written, with a great selection of chords and
great thumping beat. And it takes a few interesting turns on occasion
while remaining an accessible pop song. It's just like he takes the
scenic route through the song, allowing musical asides which don't
feel superfluous and actually wind up being quite memorable.
And more personally,
there isn't a specific memory with this one because at the time it
was on the radio so much, but it more takes me back to that
particular time in my life. Seems to me that the radio played much
better stuff around that time. Or maybe that's just what I choose to
remember, but with songs like “Your Woman,” it sure makes a
compelling case.
54.) Roxy Music –
Same Old Scene (1980)
I love Roxy Music.
There is something about their edgy, romantic groove that affects me
in such a subtle, yet blissful way. It's my parents fault really;
they both really enjoyed their final album Avalon quite a bit
so it was a staple of my childhood music. And while that album is
much more personal to me, there are few tracks that I would say stand
out from the collection. The albums before was entitled Flesh &
Blood and I heard it much later in my life, but I enjoyed it
quite a bit. But off that album there was one song in particular that
really stood out as Roxy Music's masterpiece: “Same Old Scene.”
This is a dance track
through and through. If you don't feel like you have to move your
body when listening to this song... well, I won't believe you. You
look me in the eye and tell me that you get nothing from that bouncy
synth part or that thumping bass line. You come here and tell me that
Bryan Ferry's voice doesn't romance you into bed. Go on, say that the
saxophone solo doesn't your soul soar to new heights.
That's right... you
can't. So, basically, if you really want to see me dance, just put
this track on and I'll have no choice. Use this power wisely.
53.) Yeasayer – 2080
(2007)
It was 2007 and my
brother and I were preparing to go to the Sasquatch music festival.
And by preparing, I mean we were looking at what bands would be there
and finding the ones we didn't know and listened to some of their
songs to see if they were worth checking out live. We found a few
favourite bands that year and one of them was Yeasayer, a New York
act full of eccentrics who decided that they wanted to put together
an odd experimental folk album called All Hour Cymbals. Just
to let you know, that album is great, but I remain the most fond of
the first track I heard by them, “2080.”
And come on, just
listen to that guitar riff. It's fast, complex, and absolutely
beautiful. I could listen to just that on repeat for a good 20
minutes. That's probably just me though and fortunately Yeasayer are
better song writers than that. All together “2080” forms an
anthemic, near ethereal experience that borrows sounds from that past
and turns them into ideas from the future. There is a lot of classic
folk instrumentation, but the composition is something truly unique
and exciting. It's also lead with melancholy lyrics and the frantic
vocals of Chris Keating who is an oddly charming front man, if not a
bit manic.
If you ever find
yourself losing faith in modern music, Yeasayer are an act worth
turning to.
52.) The Dandy Warhols
– Plan A (2003)
What was so brilliant
about Welcome to the Monkey House, The Dandy Warhols' fourth
album, was that it was so completely different than anything else
they had done before. Not to discredit their past albums of course,
they were wonderful, but their music in general was very straight
forward catchy rock 'n roll. With this album they delved into a
bizarre New Wave/Synth Pop sound which aggravated some fans, but
appealed heavily to others, including myself. I always love it when
bands try something new and adventurous.
The song that caught me
instantly from that album was “Plan A,” a song that's carried by
a chant rather than a chorus. It's also shows lead singer Courtney
Taylor-Taylor's ability to sing falsetto, which I actually really
enjoy. The tune feels unambitious and straight forward, but it
actually kind of has an unusual structure for a track that feels like
a pop song. It has an introduction and then goes through all of the
verses, one after the other, and then the chant “All of us sing
about it!” carries the song right to the end. It's quick, it's
effective, and it's unbelievably catchy. This song gets in my head
and always feels welcome to stay there. It's the kind of song you
just can't help singing along to. It helps that the lyrics are pretty
easy to remember.
51.) Jeff Buckley –
Mojo Pin (1994)
Grace is an
album that has become something of a legend amongst music lovers.
It's sacred ground to many. You can't bash it. You're simply not
allowed. Jeff Buckley, son of musician Tim Buckley, also had the
instincts of a song writer and released a single album before he
tragically died in 1997 at the age of 30. The album he left behind
initially didn't sell too well and received mixed reviews, but has
garnered popularity over the years and is now a critical darling and
has made all kinds of 'best of' lists. So, all that aside, is Grace
really a good album? I'm going to tell you the truth right here,
right now.
Yes.
There are a lot of
superb moments within it, but in my opinion its finest moment is the
very first track, an emotional powerhouse of song called “Mojo
Pin.” You know how sometimes you hear a song and you realize that
you're listening to something really special? This song is special.
It is an exceptionally well written rock song, playing with tempo,
dynamics, and all that fun stuff, but it never feels like that's what
they're trying to do because it all serves the emotion of the song.
The sincerity of the songwriting comes first. The very atmosphere
draws me in. It is an amazing rock song because it is earnest first,
and crafted finely second.
What a gorgeous piece
of music. The more I listen to it, the more I wonder why it's not
even higher on my list. When I was putting this section together,
this made sense, but even now as I listen to it, I'm reminded just
how much I love this song. Whatever... here it is.
If you're still not
sold on the song, it's simple; just listen to Jeff Buckley's singing
at the 3:55 mark. That is all.
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