Shayneblog All-Time Top 100
#31-#40
Over the years, many of my friends and I have talked about the best songs ever written, or what our favorites were. I think, over the course of this past year, I have shared many of my favorites, as well as yours on this blog.
Now that this is the one-year anniversary of my “Ten Great Songs From One Great Year” list, I decided to open my memories a bit more and allow you to see exactly what the soundtrack of my life sounds like.
Over these ten weeks, I will countdown my top 100 favorite songs – some hits, some misses – ten each week, until we reach number one. I’m sure some songs will surprise you that they ranked so low, high or even made the list at all didn’t). I can promise you that I paid no attention whatsoever to the songs charting success. These are simply my all-time favorite songs.
This is the seventh week.
#40 Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey – Paul and Linda McCartney
Even though the Beatles broke up before my 8th birthday, I was a big fan. Of course, like many (but obviously not all), I loved Paul the most. Ironically, as I got older, I discovered the awesome talents of George and John as well. But in the 70’s, it was Paul McCartney for me.
#39 Downbound Train – Bruce Springsteen
I admit I am not a huge fan of the Boss, and never was. But “Born in the USA” made me listen and take notice. This song was my favorite from that LP and my favorite of his all together. That middle verse still just haunts me.
#38 The Love You Save – The Jackson 5
I’ve talked before about my strange obsession with Motown. Strange - because I’m a 46 year old, white Jew. Still, it pretty much began with the Temptations. But very soon after I fell in love with the Jackson 5. It’s really just my memories of those innocent times that I mourned Michael Jackson’s death.
#37 She's Leaving Home – The Beatles
And speaking of The Beatles, the funny thing is that this song does not tae me back to the last 60’s. In fact, it isn’t even the Fab Four who turned me on to this. As I was preparing to move away from home (although I lived with my sister for a year then, it was still close to being home) and heading out to a yeshiva away from them, I listened to this song off of the movie soundtrack of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” I was a big Bee Gees fan at the time and while the movie was horrible, this rendition was beautiful and very apropos.
#36 God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
This is my absolute favorite Beach boys’ song. It’s so innocent, simple and beautiful. Plus, it played in the closing credits of my absolute favorite romantic comedy, “Love Actually.” It was perfectly placed.
#35 I've Loved These Days – Billy Joel
Although I had been a fan of his since the first time I listened to “The Stranger,” it wasn’t until 10 years later that I took a real interest in Billy Joel’s earlier, lesser-known work. But during 1987, it seemed that was all I was listening to. This is my favorite.
#34 The Night They Drove 'Ol Dixie Down – The Band
For years, I loved the Joan Baez version of this song. But it always bothered me that it was sung by a woman (the story is told from a man’s perspective). When I finally heard Robbie Robertson’s original, I was mesmerized. Like “Rose Of Cimarron” (#55), it’s a Civil War era story and it really makes you feel like you were there.
#33 Angie - The Rolling Stones
I remember when I was a kid and people used to argue “Beatles, or Rolling Stones?” I was always in the Beatles’ camp, but there were some Stones’ tunes I liked a lot. But “Angie” has special meaning to me, as it was the song on the radio when I slow danced with a girl for the first time. Yeah, I still remember you, Pam – even if it was only a “mercy” dance.
#32 Hey Jude - The Beatles
“Hey Jude” has always been my second favorite Beatles’ song (for #1, wait just a couple of weeks). My memory of it, however, is from the video “The Complete Beatles.” If you haven’t seen, you’ve missed out (I have never found it on DVD, but that may have changed). It’s a powerful video and an epic song.
#31 Reaching Out – The Bee Gees
Well, I’ve admitted I was a fan of the Bee Gees and even though I liked them before they sold out and went disco, I actually did like them then, as well. 30 years have made this song more cringe-worthy, due to Barry Gibb’s falsetto. But the song is very moving regardless and it brings me back to 1979 with all its force.
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