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If you want to know why I picked the bands I did, then I'm just going to go ahead and assume that you're 10 years younger than me.
ABBA
Take a Chance
This is the first ABBA song I ever heard. A 19-year-old girl was babysitting us and she had some music program on TV and ABBA was the guest. She said, "Oh! I love them!" then she went on to explain how all four members were married together. I had no idea what she was talking about. I still don't, actually. But I remember really liking the song.
The Winner Takes it All
Ties with Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" for best unrequited love song of all time.
Adele
Don't You Remember
Rolling in the Deep
Bee Gees
How Deep is Your Love
Tragedy
Billy Joel
The Longest Time
Lullaby
Bruce Springsteen
Hungry Heart
Anyone else remember that old hospital sitcom with Wayne Rogers after MASH (but not playing Trapper John) when the guy was doing a pretend surgery and singing "Hungry Heart" in the operating room? No? Just me? Okay then.
Glory Days
Remember that video, with Little Stephen playing the mandolin? Classic.
Radio Nowhere
The Cars
Best Friend's Girl
Just What I Needed
Cheap Trick
Dream Police
When I was in high school, and used to fall asleep with my clock radio on the pop music station, I once woke up in the middle of the night and "Dream Kalisa" was playing. You call the song what you want; I know the real words.
Surrender
The Clash
London Calling
Should I Stay, or Should I Go?
Coldplay
Fix You
Viva la Vida
David Bowie
Changes
Duh. You saw "Breakfast Club."
Under Pressure
Why, yes. I *did* just sneak an extra Queen song on the list. Shut up. It's my list. I make the rules.
Duran Duran
I resisted Duran Duran for the longest time because people at my school who liked them were total fangirls with weird-colored hair and tons of buttons with the band's faces on them on their coats. But I eventually came around and gave them a chance...and grew to love them. Plus, that John Taylor *is* pretty cute...
Rio
Save a Prayer
Eagles
Hotel California
Possibly the best-arranged song, ever.
Peaceful, Easy Feeling
Just because I like singing the harmonies so much.
Elvis Costello
God Give Me Strength
Veronica
Foo Fighters
Monkeywrench
Times Like These
Green Day
American Idiot
Holiday
Indigo Girls
Ghost
I Believe in Love
Journey
Don't Stop Believing
This is the first song (maybe the *only* song?) from my era that I ever heard my son listening to. Now it will forever remind me of him. Don't stop believing, E. I believe in you.
Stone in Love
Keane
Everybody's Changing
Somewhere Only We Know
The Killers
Human
Mr. Brightside
Once, when E was a kid and just getting in to popular music, we'd been listening to this song in the car on our way to dinner. When we got inside and gave our name for the waiting list, I said, "Brightside." E thought it was hilarious.
Michael Jackson
Rock Wit Chu
I defy you to listen to this song and not dance around a little bit in your chair. It can't be done. No, I'm sorry, any argument otherwise is invalid.
She's Out of My Life
Oh, come on. Don't tell me it doesn't move you just a little bit the way he chokes up at the end.
You Are Not Alone
Neil Young
Rockin' in the Free World
When God Made Me
Queen
Fat-Bottomed Girls
Some of the best harmonies from the band that routinely did amazing harmonies. Plus, you can always say how much you like "Fat-Bottomed Girls," eh, Bill Tipper?*
One Vision
Gimme fried chicken.
(Tie) God Save the Queen/Wedding March (from Flash Gordon)
In the 80s, we ALL dreamed of one day walking down the aisle to this version of the Wedding March.
R.E.M.
It's the End of the World as We Know It
Losing My Religion
This song changed my view of popular music. In that, it could actually be *good.*
Red Hot Chili Peppers
One of the only bands my son and I both like.
Dani California
Higher Ground
Robert Plant
Big Log
Killing the Blues
Please Read the Letter
Rush
Freewill
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."
Subdivisions
"In the high school halls, in the shopping malls, conform or be cast out." In addition to all their other talents, they just write SUCH GOOD LYRICS.
Tom Petty
American Girl
Because I want this song played at my funeral. If you know me personally, then you have a responsibility to see that that's done. Otherwise, I will come back and haunt you.
Yer So Bad
Because duh.
Honey Bee
It was PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to only pick three Tom Petty songs, so rather than try to choose from the standards, I went with a more obscure choice for number three. In the documentary "Runnin' Down a Dream," there is a clip of the band performing on Saturday Night Live. For whatever reason, they were without a drummer, so Dave Grohl sat in. And they performed Honey Bee. And he just wailed on the drums. It was so amazing. And apparently the video is not available anywhere on the world wide internets.
U2
Beautiful Day
New Years Day
Walk On
So who did I leave out?
* - In his defense, Bill Tipper - to this day - claims to not remember making that joke in high school. But I remember, Bill. I remember.
4 comments:
Actually, Billy Joel's two best songs are Downeaster Alexa and Pressure.
I think you got all the rest right though.
Pressure? Really. I like Pressure but I don't think I could chose between it and "We Didn't Start the Fire" which just makes me happy in the way that "End of the World as We Know It" does.
Great post!
I would be hard pressed to choose 2 from most of my favorite bands.
I'm forwarding this to my brother, who writes a music blog. We'll see what he has to say and maybe he'll get in on the action, too!
Some very thought-provoking picks. I'm having a hard time picking top 2 and not getting them confused with songs that remind me of certain situations. They might not be top 2 band songs, but top memory joggers. I'm simple like that.
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