Welcome
Welcome to a sampling of my favorite music. Starting with 14,245 Songs, I've narrowed it down to just my favorite 169 or so (the top 1%). This is also an experiment to find out 'why' other people like the music they like so I've tried to include notes on why I liked each song. For variety I've tried to keep it to just 1 or maybe 2 songs per artist.
1/31/2020
Just Take Me to the Music Already
If you just want to jump to some music and don't want to read about the history and the why, follow the link below.
About
I like music, and I like to share said music. I always hope that by sharing the music I like, others will do likewise and I will be able to discover new music. The question is, "How do you determine which songs to share that your audience would like as well?" What I found is that it's very hard to define what someone likes in a way that is useful to determining what else they might like. Sites like Spotify and Netflix do this by brute force. They take thousands of users and find the ones that have similar songs they like and make recommendations based off of that. They do well for things that are popular, but less so for items where there are very few people that have rated the song.
I've gone through a couple attempts with "music shares" to figure this out in the past, and this is the most recent attempt
Getting to Here
Attempt 1
The first attempt was to create some play lists of music like "favorite albums", "favorite songs", "happy songs", and "sad songs" and forward the list to my friends. It's no fun to play someone a song you think is incredible just to have them said "It's ok, I guess". This didn't really grab anyone's interest so the project stalled. Given this was 10+ years ago, there were also some technical limitations. Dropbox and similar sites were not a thing, and YouTube removed music as fast as people posted it, so all you could really share was the list without a way to easily hear the songs.
Attempt 2
Fast forward some years, and I have a fun group of people to work with at a company called Peopleclick. This time the plan is to pass around a USB stick to 8-10 co-workers and have everyone contribute two songs and write a couple of sentences "why" they like the songs. I would then burn a CD for everyone to share. This worked pretty well in that the project was completed and I did find some new songs, but still a bit limiting.
Attempt 3
Another handful of years later and a friend at work mentioned setting up a bucket list. While not strictly a bucket list item, I had recently read an article on self-improvement and one of the items was the 1,000 Albums challenge. The idea was to listen to at least part of a new album of music every day for 1,000 days. I was intrigued.
Somehow, magic elves (Note to DMCA. I have no idea how these ended up on my computer) transferred 1,000 albums from my collection to her collection and vice versa. Perfect, I now only needed a thousand days to start listening.
And then it went wrong.
On the first day, I started listening to the first album… and I didn't like it. No problem, I'll skip to album two. I still have 999 so I'm sure I'll find tons of new music. Except that I didn't. I listened to the first 15-20 seconds of every song on the first 20 albums, and found nothing I liked. This did not make any sense, so it was time to rethink.
What if I assumed the opposite? What would someone else think of the first thousand albums of my collection? After taking a hard look, the answer would be "pretty bad". If they started alphabetically down my list of directories, the first directory of my music is my Archive collection. This is where I keep all of those old high school band, choir, and musical performances. I shudder to think of what someone would think if they thought that these were my favorite songs that I played all the time.
Even If I skip down to the "General" directory, I have 416 Artists and 700 Albums to choose from. I have been collecting music for a long time. It's not until the 4th album do I find a single song I would recommend. It's then another 15 full albums until the next song I would recommend. Even of the albums I like, I rarely like every song. Some only have 1 or 2 great songs on the entire album. So, the chances of someone just randomly picking what I think is the best song from an album is rather small.
Obviously something else is required. Time to regroup.
Attempt 4
Time to combine some of these ideas. What if you get a list of the person's favorite songs from each album and add a line or two on "why" they each one? Better, much better. If you have a long list you can then start to filter on "why". This person likes "fast" music, I like "fast" music, so I'll look closer into anything they describe as fast. And likewise if I hate "angry" music, I'll skip anything they list as "angry". As a side benefit, even if you dislike some of the music, many times the way a person describes a song is more interesting and insightful than the song itself.
But I'm an engineer, which of course leads to the question "What could be improved for the next attempt?"
Attempt 5
Assume there are multiple components as to why you like certain music.
Your Song Rating = Your Historical Context + General Association + Your Personal Music Preference
Where
Historical Context varies -100 to +100
General Association -75 to +75
Personal Music Preference from -50 to +50.
Or to say it a different way, your Historical Context can totally overwhelm anything else. Likewise, if you have a very strong General Association it will be more important than if you normally prefer this type of music.
Some Definitions.
Your Historical Context:
Did you hear the song on a first date? Did you hear it the day someone close to you died? Is there a particular 'Where' or 'When' that you associate with that song? For myself, this explains many of my "guilty pleasure" songs. I like the song because it reminds me of a place or time that I enjoyed. Listening to the song makes me remember that time, therefore I like the song.
General Association:
Do you hear rap music and think thugs and criminals? Or hear country music and think uneducated hillbillies? Or maybe you hear pop music and think air headed teenagers? Most of us have some music genres that we have painted with a broad brush of dislike.
Musical Preference:
What musical qualities or features influence your enjoyment of a song? Do you like strong vocals or unique vocals? Do you care about the lyrics or do you prioritize the instrumental portions? Think of this as a weighted scale. Get a list of the elements that make up a song like lyrics, vocals, and music. Rank them by which you find the most important. Then, compare your rating with someone else. Does this help explain the Venn diagram of your likes and dislikes versus theirs?
For example, what I look for in music looks like the table below. I value the lyrics 3 times more than the music. It doesn't mean that I don't like instrumentals, but if the song has lyrics and they suck, I'm probably not going to like it.
| Element | Value |
| Lyrics | 3.0 |
| Vocals | 2.0 |
| Music | 1.0 |
However, my brother's might be more like this, which is exactly opposite.
| Element | Value |
| Lyrics | 0.5 |
| Vocals | 0.5 |
| Music | 3.0 |
It doesn't take calculus to see that we have a very small overlap in music. It also explains why when I play a song I really like (because it has great lyrics and vocals) he might not care for it. What he hears first and gives the most weight to is the music and hence he doesn't understand why I like the song.
So What Does Tim look for in music?
(Or, are you going to enjoy any of these songs?)
This is what I prioritize.
- Lyrics 3.0
- Songs that tell a Story
- Humor
- Lyrics with Double Meanings
- Vocals 2.0
- Emotional Delivery
- Harmony
- Powerful Voices
- Vocal Range
- Timber
- Music 1.0
- Syncopation
- Complexity
- Other 1.5
- The "mix": If the words are important to the song, I need to hear and understand the words over the music. However, If the music important I need to be able to hear that clearly. If I'm straining to hear the vocals over the music, or have trouble understanding them, it's not likely that I'm going to be able to spend much time thinking of them.
Sections
These are the totally arbitrary sections I have my music categorized by. Nothing says arbitrary more than trying to put a song into either Rock/Pop or Country when it's a crossover hit.
- Some of my favorite songs
- Categories
- Favorites
Disclaimer and Links
To avoid copyright issues I'll try to link everything to YouTube, but everyone knows those links are unstable so your mileage may vary.) Some of the songs are so esoteric that I'll just host the files on my website unless someone complains. If the lyrics are important, I'll try to find a video with them included. If there is a particularly good video, I'll link to that as well, just note that the audio may not be as good. It's kind of hit and miss. Given the number of songs, I'll probably do this in multiple passes so that I don't go crazy trying to get all the links.
One thing that I found very interesting is that there are some artists that do not let others put their songs on YouTube, but this number is now very small. Most notably Garth Brooks. From an interview with him in 2014, he refers to YouTube as "The Devil". I couldn't find any more information on if he was or was not getting paid for views, or if he thought that the price per paid view was too small. I'm wondering if this will hurt him in the long run, as now instead of seeing the "Official Garth Brooks Video" with 50M views, there is no mention of him at all. Probably not the way to get your music out to the next generation.
Some of my favorite songs
The first song is from "Les Miserables", and is one of the reasons I made this list in the first place. The original idea was a simple music swap. Pass a USB drive around the office to 7-10 people and have each person add two songs that they wanted to share. This morphed into the idea that maybe there are songs that are harder to share than others due to the complexity or personal attachments to the songs, which directly led to the more complex ideas of "Why do people like the songs they like?".
In any case, here are a handful of my favorites.
| Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Les Miserables |
My all-time favorite musical and my all-time favorite performance of it. I saw this when it was shown on PBS as a fund raiser years ago. This particular performance is subtitled "The Dream Cast". When they did this performance, they invited the best performers from around the world for one incredible performance. "I Dreamed a Dream", "One Day More", and "Who Am I". I have a preference for the recordings from the 10th Anniversary Concert. |
|
Denver, John |
From "An Evening with John Denver". Some people are better live, others not so much. John Denver is fantastic live. I think this recording of his "Rocky Mountain High" is his best ever. I'll also add "The Eagle and the Hawk" as it's not as well-known and different than what you normally hear from him. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a version of this with lyrics so I had to link to a different performance. In this case, it's for the better as I think it shows just how much better he was live. |
|
Meatloaf |
MEATLOAF! Might be my all-time favorite singer and Bat Out of Hell my favorite album. Incredible rock opera at its best. That being said, almost none of his other albums are any good, and he really sucks live. "Bat out of Hell" is his tour de force. The album is the 27th bestselling album of all time, selling 30 million copies. And the title track "Bat out of Hell" is absolutely fantastic rock opera. Strong singer, 30+ tracks and overlays, and just more and more and more. I love it. On the flip side, a friend of mine calls it a "Wall of Sound" and over the top with lyrics that are difficult to understand. |
|
Van Halen |
A lot of great songs and they have a wide variety in style. For the lyrics, I'll go with "Right Now". Other great songs include "Why Can't This Be Love", "Man on a Mission", and "When It's Love". These guys are also excellent live, as the video shows. |
|
Indigo Girls |
I love how the music builds and it has a great semi-poetic and lyric quality. |
|
Taylor, James |
"Carolina in My Mind", "Fire and Rain", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight". Great album. I'll go with "Fire and Rain" as it tells the most interesting story. |
|
Kansas |
Yes, it's the popular choice, but it's also a rather great song. I was lucky enough to see them in concert in college during a reunion show. A shout out to Julie for hearing about it and convincing us to go. |
|
Gray, Dobie |
I bought the album for "Drift Way" and then realized there were multiple, MULTIPLE, other really great songs like "Good Old Song", "Love is on the line", "That's one to grow on" etc etc. I have no idea why he is only remembered for this one song. I really would have expected him to be more popular. |
|
Palmer, Amanda |
One of the more recent additions to this list. I was introduced to the song via a music share and really latched on to it. The lyrics are simply perfect. |
|
Dream Theater |
I have no idea how I missed this song till recently. Absolutely incredible. It's also becoming my "go to" running song. There is a particularly large hill on my running route. If I start this song at the bottom, I have just barely enough time to get to the top before it's over as long as I push it. Unfortunately, almost nothing else from Dream Theater sounds anything like this. I purchased an album set and this seems to be a one off. As an interesting side note, the YouTube video that has the music has 45K views but the video with the lyrics has 550K views. I guess a lot of other people wanted to know what the lyrics were. |
Rock and Pop
| Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
4 Non Blondes |
"What's Up" was their big hit. Not really strong on the lyrics, but I like the melody and syncopation. I also think this would be incredibly difficult to sing. |
|
Aguilera, Christina |
Guilty pleasure. It's a great running and workout song. |
|
Air Supply |
The 80's were the decade of the Rock Ballad. |
|
Allman Brothers Band |
Sit back, relax, it's all good. |
|
Bedingfield, Natasha |
Different from anything else on the album, but the true stand out for me. Good lyrics, good music, good video. |
|
Boston |
I got my first CD player in 89 and joined the BMG music club. This was one of my 10 introductory CDs . I'm amazed it still plays given how much it's been played. |
|
Bread |
From 1969. Great syncopation. I can't remember where I found this, but it was not a song I heard on the radio. There is very little video of the group online. |
|
Broussard, Marc |
Country Rock/Blues. This guy looks way too young to sound like this. I also wish I could find out who the girl in the video at 2:38 is. Let's just say "she has a look". |
|
Buffett, Jimmy |
I really like Jimmy Buffett. While I normally listen to him for the easy-going, fun songs, for songwriting it's impossible to beat "He Went to Paris". Of course, if you already know this song there is always "Coconut Telegraph" or "Who's the Blonde Stranger". Another curious case of me finding few videos online. There are lots of amateur videos of him playing, but no official or professional ones. |
|
Celtic Woman |
An extremely talented group of women singers. The Concert DVD is absolutely exceptional. |
|
Chumbawamba |
Not all songs have or need to have a deep meaning. Sometimes they can just be fun. |
|
Coven |
Video (Original Caste) |
I bought this for the "One Tin Soldier" Song and found the songs "Brand New Key" and "Sunshine". And "Sunshine", while a war protest song, is just so catchy I had to include it as well. And what a strange group name. Originally performed by the group "The Original Caste", the version I'm more familiar with is by "Coven". Both are similar so I'm unsure why one took off in popularity and the other did not. I do really like the video from the version by the Caste, so I'll include that one. |
Croce, Jim |
I like the entire album. Everyone has heard "Time in a Bottle" and "Operator" so I'll go for "One Less Set of Footsteps". Faster and more lively than his other popular songs but it's great. |
|
Dream Theater |
I have no idea how I missed this song till recently. Absolutely incredible. It's also become my "go to" running song. There is a particularly large hill on my running route. If I start this song at the bottom, I have just barely enough time to get to the top before it's over as long as I push it. Unfortunately, almost nothing else from Dream Theater sounds anything like this. I purchased an album set and this seems to be a one off. As an interesting side note: The YouTube video that has the music only has 45K views. The video with the lyrics only has 550K views. I guess a lot of other people wanted to know what the lyrics were. |
|
The Eagles |
Really a toss-up between "Hotel California" and "Desperado". I've drank gallons of bourbon to both but I'll give the nod to "Desperado". On a side note, for some reason Desperado was not a hit when it first came out. Only after it was done by Linda Ronstadt on tour did it gain popularity. Again, it's difficult to find much on YouTube. It looks like the Eagles are another band that vigorously removes their music. |
|
Edwards, Jonathan |
While a war protest song, it's just so catchy I had to include it as well. |
|
Evanescence |
Much more hard rock than my normal, but damn is she impressive. |
|
Firehouse |
That's how to start with a Drum solo. The rest of the song is ok, but the beginning is fantastic. In college Andy's car had two 15" subs in the deck and we used to play it loud. |
|
Ford, Lita |
80's Hair Bands Rule! Even when they aren't a full band but just a woman with big hair and a big voice. Put this one under "Emotional Context" as her name was Holly and a first kiss while standing in a thunderstorm is not something you are likely to ever forget. This song played on the drive home. |
|
Foreigner |
Classic Rock Rules! |
|
Grant, Amy |
The Queen of the 80's Christian Pop. She was everywhere, right until she got a divorce, and then all the hard core right thought she was Satan's handmaiden. I still like her and listen to her occasionally. "El-Shaddai" and "I Have Decided" are her other big hits. |
|
Grateful Dead |
Hard call between "Trukin'" and "Casey Jones". It's a tossup. Listen to whichever you have not heard. |
|
Gray, Dobie |
I bought the album for "Drift Way" and then realized there were multiple, MULTIPLE, other really great songs like "Good Old Song", "Love is on the line", "That's one to grow on" etc etc. I have no idea why he is only remembered for this one song. |
|
Groban, Josh |
And now for some modern Opera. His big hit on the radio was "To Where you are". This is just as good but different. |
|
Heart |
Yea, she can rock. Kind of Sexy, Kind of Crazy. I think I might have dated her at one time. Yep, I'm positive I dated her once. |
|
Holmes, Rupert |
Killer song lyrics. Catchy tune, with multiple hidden meanings. I love how it plays with the rhythm of the last verse to sing the perfect "I never knew" line. Magic. If by chance you have never heard this, I highly recommend NOT watching the video first. Rupert was never destined to be a fashion model. If you have never seen the vide, then you simply must. |
|
Indigo Girls |
I love how the music builds and it has a great semi poetic and lyric quality. |
|
Indigo Swing |
Another group in the vein of Squirrel Nut zippers and Cherry Poppin Daddys. I think Indigo Swing has more variety and at the time I listened to them a lot when taking dance lessons. Again, strange that there are no professional videos of them online. Do you really want to be remembered by a bunch of armature shaky cell phone video? |
|
Joel, Billy |
From his "Songs in the Attic" album. Just like John Denver, Billy Joel is at his best when he is live. For this album he recorded multiple concerts and then took the best from each. He recorded himself singing for both large and small audiences and choose the best of each. It's hard to beat the energy of "Everybody Loves you Now". I would be nice if there was video from the concert, but unlike many other musicians, there is a ton of great video of him preforming. |
|
Jones, Norah |
Another woman with a sexy voice. |
|
Journey |
More Classic Rock. Funny but I never listed to any Classic Rock until college and now it's a large part of my collection. I'll add two videos this time. The first is the official music video. The second is interesting because it's a live recording at a much, much, faster tempo. |
|
IZ (Kamakawiwo, Israel) |
His version of "Over the Rainbow" has been used in dozens of places so I'll go with his lesser known song "Henehene Kouo". I highly suggest watching the video with the lyrics. They are not going to help you understand anything mind you, but that is half the fun. And interesting case where you don't seem to need to understand the lyrics to understand the joy in the song. |
|
Kansas |
Yes, it's the popular choice, but it's also a rather great song. I was lucky enough to see them in concert in college during a reunion show. A shout out to Julie for hearing about it and convincing us to go. |
|
Kansas |
Another lesser known hit, but it adds some great lyrics to their great sound. I love the entire album but this song has incredible lyrics. |
|
Lawrence, Vicki |
I found the Albums "Super Hits of the 70's" at a used record store and know I liked the song "Tin Soldier". I was greatly pleased when I heard "The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia" and instantly loved it as well. Later that year I lived and learned to love the song "Stuck in the Middle with you" during the summer of crazy 1991. The video on the other hand is just… strange. As one person commented "Who ever came up with the idea of having her sing this on the beach with people dancing?". WTF? |
|
Mappamundi |
Folk/Renaissance Music. A local band that I heard at the NC Durham Eno River Festival years ago. This particular song is a great sing a long and drinking song. |
|
Marley, Bob |
Bob Marely! Something nice and happy. |
|
Martin, Ricky |
Guilty Pleasure. It's a great to dance to and great to run to. If you are already familiar with the song, try it in Spanish. |
|
McLean, Don |
I think every single song on this album is depressing, but everyone should know every word to American Pie because you never know when it will be played at a piano bar and you will have to sing along. |
|
Meatloaf |
MEATLOAF! Might be my all-time favorite singer and album. Incredible Rock/Opera at its best. That being said, almost none of his other albums are any good, and he really sucks live. "Bat out of Hell" is his tour de force. The Album is the 27th bestselling album of all time selling 30 Million copies. And the title track "Bat out of Hell" is absolute fantastic rock opera. Strong singer, 30+ tracks and overlays, and just more and more and more. I love it. On the flip side a friend of mine calls it a "Wall of Sound" and over the top with lyrics that are difficult to understand. |
|
Meatloaf |
The last song on the Bat out of Hell Album. That's the way to end an Album. The only reason this is not a number one hit is because of the other great songs on the album. |
|
Melanie |
Supposedly, the song was not supposed to be double meaning. Failed that one. |
|
Metallica |
W/Lyrics (non Symphony version) |
Mix Metallica with a Symphony. The Concert video is wonderful. "Of Wolf and Man" is also great. |
Michael, George |
A much less known song from him and utterly different than his usual. Also a great Foxtrot. |
|
Midler, Bette |
Beth Midler got popular for "Wind Beneath My Wings" but I find this song more fun. Her take is a much faster version that the original Cole Porter song from 1934. |
|
Milsap, Ronnie |
Another of my top 10 favorite singers. "The Future is not what it used to be" is one that I had never heard as it was a B side. Years later he included it in a concert and ever since it's been a top song for me. If you saw the title "40 Hits" and are wondering about the album title, yes Ronnie Milsap has had 40 number one hits making him one of the top all time soloist of ever. Standouts include "It Was almost like a song", and "Lets' take the long way". |
|
Murray, Anne |
If you have ever been to a wedding it's likely you've heard "Can I have this Dance". That being said she has other good songs including "A Love Song", "Danny's Song", "Somebody's always saying goodbye". To many to choose from. |
|
Nash, Johnny |
Happy Music and once upon a time I could sing the high notes. |
|
Newton, Juice |
A good song, but I still find it funny that this is such a popular country song. Given the "conservative" in "conservative country music" you would think this song would not be popular. |
|
Newton-John, Olivia |
W/Lyrics |
I think her biggest hit is "I Honestly Love You", but I've come to really like these two lesser known songs "Come on Over" and "Smile for me". Looking for this song I found that the this is a popular song title. I found versions by Olivia Newton-John, Shania Twain, Jessica Simpson, Kenny Chesney, and Christina Aguilera. Not remakes mind you, but completely different songs with the same title. |
Newton-John, Olivia |
W/Lyrics Video |
I think her biggest hit is "I Honestly Love You", but I've come to really like these two lesser known songs like "Come on Over" and "Smile for me". |
Nylons |
Lots of good songs, but most songs have a similar sound so if you don't like one, you will not like the others. If you do like them other good songs included "Girl Can't Help It", "Kiss Him Goodbye", and "Stranded in the Jungle". A shout out to Lisa Rowe who introduced them to me. |
|
Palmer, Amanda |
One of the more recent additions to this list. I was introduced to the song via a music share and really latched on to it. The lyrics are simply perfect. |
|
Petra |
Another of the Christian Rock groups from the 80's. "Praise Ye The Lord" and "Chameleon" are pretty typical. They can rock, and they can hit the high notes. |
|
Pink Floyd |
n/a |
See soundtracks and "The Wall". |
Prince |
"Thunder", "Daddy Pop", and "Walk Don't Walk" are all great. My nostalgia for this album may color my feelings as it was popular during my favorite summer in college. I'm unsure if there never was an official music video or if it's just not online. |
|
Queen |
See Favorite Albums of all time. "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Fat Bottomed Girls", and "Somebody to Love" are all great. I'll go with "Don't Stop Me Now" because of the speed and beat. |
|
Rammstein |
German Heavy Metal Death Music. Not Happy Music. "Du Hast" translates to "I Hate". |
|
Ronstadt, Linda |
Country/Pop. 1977. A crossover hit. She has a great voice, but seemed to only do covers of other artists. This was originally a Roy Orbison song, but in truth she did it better. Roy's version is severely lacking in phrasing. This is a great example in how a little change can make or break a song. |
|
Rush |
As a commentary on every song they ever did, they are fantastic musicians, and incredible rhythms, but not strong on lyrics. See also the intro to "Anthem" and "YYZ" for incredible intro's. |
|
Savatage |
Rock/Opera. A very good album, written similar to a musical where each song on the album tells part of a story. They did a great job in the liner notes explaining everything. The best track is the song "Christmas Eve" (referenced in the Christmas section) but "One Child" is also excellent, even though it is even better as part of the album as a whole. If you are interested be sure to download the liner notes as they provide more insight. |
|
She Wants Revenge |
A close choice between "I Don't Want To Fall In Love" and "Tear You Apart". Both are great songs to run to. Both are a bit disturbing. |
|
Smith, Michael W |
1984. Definitely the biggest of the Christian rock songs from the 80's. We performed a musical in the Church youth group with this song as the centerpiece so I have fond memories of it. Also of note by him is the song "Angels Unaware" on the "I'll Lead You Home" album. |
|
Squeeze |
A slightly off beat band. Many quirky songs. Kind of hard to explain them. Most of the song except their big hit "Tempted" are similar, so if you like one you will most likely like others. |
|
Stealers Wheel |
I found the Albums "Super Hits of the 70's" at a used record store and know I liked the song "Tin Soldier". I was greatly pleased when I heard "The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia" and instantly loved it as well. Later that year I lived and learned to love the song "Stuck in the Middle with you" during the summer of crazy 1991. |
|
Steve Miller Band |
Probably a guilty pleasure song. I played it heavy during one summer of college. And I 'm sure there was a girl involved, just can't remember her name. |
|
Styx |
Lots of great songs "Come Sail Away", "Renegade", "Show me the Way", "Blue Collar Man". |
|
Taylor, James |
"Carolina in My Mind", "Fire and Rain", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight". Great Album. I'll go with "Fire and Rain". |
|
Tull, Jethro |
Song after song after song. The best (and probably only) in Rock Flute. It's hard to pick a favorite between "Locomotive Breath", "Aqualung", and "Skating Away" but "Locomotive Breath" has the best flute solo. |
|
Tyler, Bonie |
Best known for "Total Eclipse of the Heart", this is more upbeat and I like a heavy piano in my pop music. It also happens to be a song written by Jim Steinman. |
|
U2 |
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "Where the Streets Have No Name" are both great and I just noticed that they really like long song titles. |
|
Van Halen |
Lots of great songs and they have a wide variety in style. For the lyrics I'll go with "Right Now". Other great songs include "Why Can't This Be Love", "Man on a Mission", and "When It's Love". |
|
Violent Femmes |
Hard to go wrong with this album but "Gone Daddy Gone" has a catchy beat. Both "Add it Up" and "Blister in the Sun" are great as well. |
|
Whitesnake |
Another classic 80's hair band song but they are most known for "Here I Go Again" which is good, but doesn't rock as hard. And the girl in the video for Still of the Night was a total MILF. |
|
Wild Cherry |
Just try to listen to this without rocking to the music. I finally found a video of them in concert. They really are white guys. I mean really, really, white guys. |
|
ZZ Top |
If there is a winner for the band with the most innuendos in their music, ZZ would win. I never noticed it when I was younger. "Tush" and their remake of "Viva Las Vegas" are great. |
Country
| Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Big & Rich |
Country/Rock/Pop. I think this song defies description, and that's the point. Seeing the video with the 6ft plus, black, Cowboy Troy wrapping in Spanish is just, well, just strange, but oddly compelling. |
|
Big & Rich |
Do I even need to mention this is NSFW? |
|
Brooks, Garth |
A great Story Song from Garth but it's not that well known for some reason. |
|
Brooks, Garth |
Not all Country songs are sad. |
|
Brooks, Garth |
Not all Country songs are sad part 2. |
|
Clark, Roy |
From the 1972 album "Roy Clark Live". Needless to say I love this entire Album. It's is a recording from his live show which is an Old time Comedy/Music Act. I think He-Haw made people forget he also won Instrumentalist of the Year 5 years running. In this one concert he plays the electric and acoustic guitars, Fiddle, Mandolin, and Banjo. If I have to pick a best I'll go with "Orange Blossom Special". I really wish there was a single piece of video from this concert, but I have never been able to find as much as some good pictures. |
|
Denver, John |
From "An Evening with John Denver". Some people are better live, others no so much. John Denver is fantastic live. I think this recording of his "Rocky Mt High" is his best ever. I'll also add "The Eagle and the Hawk" as it's not as well know and different than what you normally hear from him. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a version of this with lyrics so I had to link to a different performance. In this case it's for the better as I think it shows just how much better he was live. |
|
Denver, John |
(see above) |
|
Gayle, Crystal |
1977. An incredible sexy voice. |
|
Haggard, Merle |
You know it's country when you can rhyme drink and bank. |
|
Haggard, Merle |
Classic Drinking Song. My friend Glenn said that his parents told him this was their favorite song. Glenn's nickname was "oops". I guess there are some times when reading between the lines is something best left undone. |
|
Jones, George |
Definitely one of the most depressing songs of all time. A Perfect match for his voice and the Lyrics. It's amazing this was released in 1980. I would have sworn it was older. I'm going add a second video, this one performed by Alan Jackson, as I found it to be an incredible performance. |
|
Little Big Town |
I love their group for the killer harmony. |
|
Little Big Town |
Not only do they have harmony, but their fast songs are great. |
|
Nelson, Willie |
Almost impossible to pick a best. Willie is great. "Always on my Mind", "Angle Flying to Close", and "Blue Eyes" are super well know. I'll pick "Seven Spanish Angels" as it's a great story song. |
|
One Flew South |
Happy Country Love Song. Another group with great harmony. |
|
Paisley, Brad |
Just a great all around drinking song. |
|
Paisley, Brad |
Good Lyrics, Good Song. |
|
Parton, Dolly |
I like the song. But I know the majority of the reason is that I associate it with a ski trip I took when I was 16 when this was playing all week. It's hard to tell if anyone else would like this now. |
|
Raven, Eddy |
A fun song with a great message. |
|
Raye, Collin |
W/Lyrics |
See Top 10 Depressing Songs of All Time. A tie for saddest song of all time. The older I get the more I think this is even more depressing than "He stopped loving her", because in this song the main character actively decides to subject himself to remembering her. If he had the singing chops of George Jones it would the all country song ever. |
Raye, Collin |
Story song. It's a country song so a least you know the bad guy is going to eat lead at the end of the song. |
|
Sugarland |
Coming of Age Song. |
|
Sugarland |
Coming of Age Song and not surprisingly a good running song. |
|
Twitty, Conway |
Just to prove that not all 80's country was horrible. |
humor
| Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Afroman |
Humor. I really don't know what you can say about this song and don't think it needs much explanation. |
|
Berry, Chuck |
This was on a collection I got for another song. I listened to it once and loved it. |
|
Big Sky Singers |
The "Indie" version of the Kingston Trio. My Mom knew one of the band members. I still like almost all the songs, but the "Ballad of Sidney Kleenex" is a stand out for the humor. |
|
Carrington, Rodney |
His most famous song is "I think I'm dancing with a Man" but the entire album is a riot. The first few tracks are his stand up and the last few are individual funny songs. |
|
Da Vinci's Notebook |
The Perfect Pop Song Parody. |
|
Da Vinci's Notebook |
Every Irish Drinking song ever in one song. |
|
Da Vinci's Notebook |
NSFW. Back in the Day (Known as before the FFC crackdown due to the Janet Jackson incident) radio had more leeway and was actually popular. Few morning shows were more popular than the "Bob and Tom Show". My God they were funny. I had them set for my wake up alarm for years and sometime you would wake up to something like this and just laugh. Great way to start the day. |
|
Da Vinci's Notebook |
NSFW. More from the great Da Vinci's Notebook. |
|
The Irish Rovers |
1980. Simply Classic. A very old joke, and now with a song. |
|
Kip Addotta |
Death by Pun. "And she drank like a …. " |
|
Tom T-Bone Stankus |
Yes there is such a thing as to much cocaine and I think this guy is an example. Fun for the shear insanity of it. |
|
Julie Brown |
1987. So wrong, but so funny. PC didn't exist in the 80's. |
|
Stevens, Ray |
Another on the list of "everyone must have heard this" but just in case you missed it. |
|
Stevens, Ray |
1974. The Song that started a career. |
|
Williams, Hank Jr |
Humor. A story song. |
|
Wilson, Tim |
Humor. Was sad to read that he passed away in 2014. |
|
Wilson, Tim |
Humor. Never a more true song than today given that the age to buy a cigarette has just been moved to 21. |
Classical and Instrumental
| Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
101 Strings Orchestra |
I really like Gershwin. It's hard to pick a favorite since it's a tossup between "Rhapsody In Blue" and "Summertime". Since everyone has heard Rhapsody I'll go for Summertime. |
|
Aaberg, Philip |
Piano music that I would love to be able to play. |
|
Beethoven |
If you have never taken the time to listen to all of them, you owe it to yourself to do so. If nothing else, take the time to listen to the end of the 9th. The "Ode to Joy". I also really like the entire 6th "The Pastoral". |
|
Benedictine Monks |
They got permission from the Church to record them in their monastery. I think you could classify this as "slightly dated" but I like them in small doses. |
|
Bond |
Techo funk 4 piece. |
|
Classical Thunder |
The entire album "Classic Thunder" should be required musical education 101. On my home sound system, it absolutely rocks. Hard to pick a favorite, but "In the Hall of the Mountain King" is hard to beat. Many people that were in Band in High School have played this. |
|
Downes, Geoffrey |
The Album that got me into synthesizer music. 1987. In the late 80's came the synthesizer craze and multiple groups like Yanni, The Wall, and Tangerine Dream. All of them did all synth albums. A friend of my brother David Steffey loaned me this album and I copied it to tape and about wore it out. I was finally able to get a copy for myself 30 years later when it was re-released on CD. This song is a bit long at 14 minutes so if it's not your cup of tea, just move on if it does not grab you in the first 2-3 minutes. |
|
Hirt, Al |
A truly fantastic Trumpet Soloist. Also listen to "Fly Me to the Moon" or "Night Theme" for something slower. Either way, this guy is great. |
|
Hooked on Classics |
If you like your Disco mixed with Classic music, you'll love this. This was all the rage when it came out in 1981, and then disappeared. |
|
Satriani, Joe |
If you prioritize the music aspect more than all others, you will like this. It's really good music, played by a master rock guitar player. |
|
Slatkin, Felix |
Mix one of the world's greatest fiddle players with a full orchestra. There are multiple good songs including "Fire", "Faded", and "Maiden". |
|
Winston, George |
He is best known for Easy Listening Piano Music, but I always smile listing to this album. |
|
Yanni |
Yes, I actually like Yanni. If by somehow you have never heard him, start with the album "In Celebration of Life". The first song "Santorini" is excellent, but it does start out slow. Skip ahead 2 minutes if you get bored. I like the version from his live album better so I'll use that. |
Soundtracks
Soundtracks are hard to recommend. I would definitely recommend the musical or movie they are from, but many times the music and story are integral and while the songs are still great, they are better or only make sense within the story. For these I'm trying to pick the ones that stand on their own.
| Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Avenue Q |
Sesame Street for Grownups. This song of course is the exception to the rule that songs from musicals stand poorly on their own. The song was used in a Warcraft parody video and is where I originally saw it. After watching and listening to this song I decided to look up where it came from and found the musical. I was able to get the soundtrack and it's fantastic. Other good songs include "What do you do with a BA in English", "I Wish I Could Go Back to College", "There's a Fine, Fine Line". |
|
Chicago |
A good musical but it has some slow sections. The song "Cell Block Tango" probably stands on it's own pretty well. |
|
Conan the Barbarian |
Makes me want to lift heavy objects and stab things with a sword. |
|
Disney |
This is a great performance of "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" |
|
Disney |
Another classical piece preformed with excellence. |
|
Disney |
"Under the Sea" is the big hit, but I have a fondness for "Kiss the Girl". Tonya was her name. |
|
Dream Girls |
One Night Only (Disco) |
Both version are good, but like the Disco one better. |
James Bond |
Lots of good songs on this album, but Carley Simon is hard to beat. |
|
Jesus Christ Superstar |
One of my all-time favorite musicals which is strange since I'm an atheist but it's just that good. "Gethsemane" has notes no male should be able to hit. "Heaven on Their Minds" sets the stage and tone for the entire musical. "Superstar" is a perfect ending. |
|
Jurassic Park |
There is a reason John Williams is the king of movie soundtracks. |
|
Last of the Mohicans |
I didn't really like the movie, but the title track is cool. Then ending chase scene in the movie was filmed at Chimney Rock State Park in NC. |
|
Les Miserables |
My all-time favorite musical and my all-time favorite performance of it. I saw this when it was shown on PBS as a fund raiser years ago. The particular performance is sub titled the "The Dream Cast". When they did this performance they invited the best performers from around the world for one incredible performance. "I Dreamed a Dream", "One Day More" "Who Am I". I have a preference for the recordings from the 10th Anniversary Concert. |
|
Moulin Rouge |
"Come What May" and "Lady Marmalade" are both good but "Elephant Love Medley" is just a great mash up of dozens of songs. |
|
Pink Floyd |
It's Pink Floyd, it's The Wall. Not much else can be said about this. |
|
Rocky Horror Picture Show |
Everyone needs to see this Cult Classic at least once. Songs like "Time Warp", "I Can Make You a Man", and "Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me" are standouts, but to get the full experience, you need to see the movie. |
|
Step into Liquid |
Title track to the movie. If you can ignore the sometimes stoner ramblings of the people they interview, the movie has some incredible scenes and a great soundtrack. |
|
Top Gun |
Two great songs from the movie include "Destination Unknown", and "Lead Me On". |
Christmas
| Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Jingle Cats |
Cats are Good. Cats and music are better |
|
Kenny G |
A very excellent mashup of Auld Langs Syne with famous speeches and music. Made for the 2000 end of year celebration. |
|
Straight No Chaser |
These guys are a riot. The Video on YouTube is excellent. |
|
Trans Siberian Orchestra |
The Best Christmas Rock Song Ever, period. Both of their Albums are great. But I'm a sucker for Rock/Opera so YMMV. |
|
Trans-Siberian Orchestra |
A great album, but it's really meant to be more like a musical so the individual songs do not have the impact of the whole. Songs like "World That He Sees" and "Music Box" are good and will give you the flavor. If you are interested be sure to download the liner notes as they provide more insight. |
Homebrew
| Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
All Eastern - 1989 |
"Honors" choirs. Yes, this is High school choir. Still, it is rather good and I'm horribly biased. I made the list for the National Honors choir in 89. It was a blast singing in a 200 person choir. This was one of our best. I think It holds up well against a professional choir. This is a song made from the Robert Burns poem of the same name. |
|
Jenkins, Tim |
Hard to believe this was 27+ years ago. Let's just say it doesn't stand the test of time very well, or as someone put it "Death by Doggie Howser". I thought "Holly's Song" (see Lita Ford) would still be good, but I've played this on the piano 100's of times since then and I'm better now. The Song "Yea" is at least a fun song done in one take off the top of my head and I could not repeat it now. |
Archive
| Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Hank Snow |
1950. The other Hank. Between 1950-1980 he was very popular. More upbeat than the other Hank. More of a bluegrass/country than what country sounds like now. There is also the great song "The Crazy Engineer". Any song with the lyrics "The passengers were screaming with fear" has got to be good. |
|
Johnny Bond |
1965. Some humor is rather timeless. |
|
Kingston Trio |
1958. Lively and funny lyrics |
|
Kingston Trio |
1958. Lively and funny lyrics |
|
Greene, Jack |
Happy Music. |
|
Greene, Jack |
A Happy Breakup song. |
|
Hall, Tom T |
The "Talking Story Song" was a popular type in Country music for many decades. Somewhere between a story and a song. And yes, this is the same song writer that wrote 11 number one country songs over 20 years. |
|
Lee, Brenda |
One my Dad's favorite singers. A voice that has incredible power, great range, and a sex appeal to boot. |
|
Riley, Jeannie |
Humor. Nothing like getting to tell someone off in a song. |
|
Whitman, Slim |
From 1950-1980 he was extremely popular in the southwest. He was my Uncle Robert's (who lived in Texas) favorite singer. I'll be the first to admit, this style is no longer popular. One of his songs was actually the joke in the movie "Mars Attacks" being the song they played to make the aliens head's explode. |
|
Dean, Jimmy |
1961. Another on the list of "of course everyone has heard this", but just in case you have not, you should. |
|
Smith, Sammi |
Sultry. That is how you sing a song. |
|
Mancini, Henry |
Instrumental. The Soundtrack to the movie "The Magnificent Seven". Excellent Trumpet intro. Makes me want to ride a horse. |
|
Mantovani Orchestra |
Instrumental. Old school candle light date music. |
|
Fargo, Dona |
I dare you to find anything happier or sappier. |
|
Lowery, Fred |
Sleepy Lagoon |
Yes, this guy made records of him whistling. Hey you want variety? I got variety. |
Favorite Albums
| Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Clark, Roy |
Roy Clark Live |
Needless to say I love this entire Album. This is a recording from his live show which is an Old time Comedy/Music Act. I think He-Haw made people forget he also won Instrumentalist of the Year 5 years running. In this one concert he plays the electric and acoustic guitars, Fiddle, Mandolin, and Banjo. If I have to pick a best I'll go with "Orange Blossom Special". |
Denver, John |
An Evening with John Denver |
Some people are better live, others no so much. John Denver is fantastic live. I think this recording of his "Rocky Mt High" is his best ever. I'll also add "The Eagle and the Hawk" as it's not as well know and different than what you normally hear from him. |
Croce, Jim |
Photographs and Memories |
I like the entire album. Everyone has heard "Time in a Bottle" and "Operator" but there are others like "One Less Set of Footsteps". A solid album. |
Gray, Dobie |
Ultimate Collection |
I bought the album for "Drift Way" and then realized there were multiple, MULTIPLE, other really great songs like "Good Old Song", "Love is on the line", "That’s one to grow on" etc etc. I have no idea why he is only remembered for one song. |
Meatloaf |
Bat out of Hell |
Might be my all-time favorite singer and "Bat out of Hell" my favorite album. Incredible Rock/Opera at its best. Lyrics, Vocals, Music, and Mix. Everything perfect. Lyrics: Almost every song has a double meaning. Vocals: Meatloaf is at his prime with incredible power and range. Music: multiple tracks, multiple harmonies. Mix: I can always hear and understand the singer and I can hear the music and every part. And for shear icing on the cake add a song like "Two out of Three". As a friend of mine said of another song, it's "Wonderfully depressing". Yep. |
Queen |
Greatest Hits |
"Bohemian Rhapsody", "Fat Bottomed Girls", and "Somebody to Love", "Don't Stop Me Now" all on one album. A++ Singer, with a great band, and great mix. Then add fantastic songs to the mix. Unstoppable. |
Favorite Sad Songs
Cause sometimes you want a beer and something utterly depressing.
A Work in progress.
| Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Clark, Roy |
When I was in my teens this song didn't seem that depressing…. |
|
The Eagles |
This is just a great song. Depressing, but a great song. |
|
Greene, Jack |
Not Happy Music. |
|
Jones, George |
Definitely one of the most depressing songs of all time. A Perfect match for his voice and the Lyrics. It's amazing this was released in 1980. I would have sworn it was older. I'm going add a second video, this one performed by Alan Jackson, as I found it to be an incredible performance. |
|
Nelson, Willie |
Almost impossible to pick a best. Willie is great. "Always on my Mind", "Angle Flying to Close", and "Blue Eyes" are super well know. I'll pick "Seven Spanish Angels" as it's a great story song. |
|
Raye, Collin |
W/Lyrics |
A tie for saddest song of all time. The older I get the more I think this is even more depressing than "He stopped loving her", because in this song the main character actively decides to subject himself to remembering her. If he had the singing chops of George Jones it would the all country song ever. |
Taylor, James |
This is how you do a story song. |
|
Trans Siberian Orchestra |
So Happy it's Sad. |
Favorite Happy (non-love) Songs
A Work in progress.
| Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Bedingfield, Natasha |
Different from anything else on the album, but the true stand out for me. Good lyrics, good music, good video. |
|
Marley, Bob |
Bob Marely! Something nice and happy. |
|
Brooks |
Do What You Gotta Do |
|
C+C Music Factory/Clivilles & Cole |
||
Chumbawamba |
Not all songs have or need to have a deep meaning. Sometimes they can just be fun. |
|
Dream Theater |
I have no idea how I missed this song till recently. Absolutely incredible. It's also becoming my "go to" running song. There is a particularly large hill on my running route. If I start this song at the bottom, I have just barely enough time to get to the top before it's over as long as I push it. Unfortunately, almost nothing else from Dream Theater sounds anything like this. I purchased an album set and this seems to be a one off. As an interesting side note, the YouTube video that has the music has 45K views but the video with the lyrics has 550K views. I guess a lot of other people wanted to know what the lyrics were. |
|
Greene, Jack |
||
Moana |
||
Nylons |
Lots of good songs, but most songs have a similar sound so if you don't like one, you will not like the others. If you do like them other good songs included "Girl Can't Help It", "Kiss Him Goodbye", and "Stranded in the Jungle". A shout out to Lisa Rowe who introduced them to me. |
|
Prince |
||
Queen |
||
Raven, Eddy |
A fun song with a great message. |
|
Steve Miller Band |
Probably a guilty pleasure song. I played it heavy during one summer of college. And I 'm sure there was a girl involved, just can't remember her name. |
|
Styx |
||
Zac Brown |