Look for the girl in the faded blue Dodgers hat and she's gone...

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The Greatest Songs EVER. According to Rolling Stone. (500-490)

I was reading another blog that I like to follow, and one of the things she did was she went through Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums and gave her opinion on all of them. I thought, "Hey that's a good idea!" so instead of albums, I'll do the greatest songs.

500. "More Than A Feeling"-Boston


People will look back on my life when I'm dead and one of the first things they will think about is this song. Pretty much since I could speak I could sing this to you. It's the perfect song for blasting out your car speakers on a Friday afternoon with the windows rolled down, as you tap out the catchiest riff ever played by humans. Once it get's in your brain you'll be tapping it for the rest of time. There's just something about the phrase "More than a feeling", that brings to mind a state of euphoria that is beyond a feeling per-say.

499. "The Boys are Back in Town"-Thin Lizzy

The truth is, you've probably heard this song a thousand times before and have never known it. It's been used in everything from Toy Story 3 commercials to the movie A Knights Tale, because of it's iconic twin guitar leads and catchy as all get out chorus. And who doesn't like a good "This is my house fool!" type of lyric?

498. "Rainy Night in Georgia"-Brook Benton

I had never heard this song before, and I'm kind of glad I went to grooveshark and looked it up. I'm not normally one for this type of syrupy R&B, but this song was able to sort of balance that by adding a more soulful element as well. The vocal just sounds so sad and depressed and you find yourself feeling so bad for the narrator. My only beef is that you would have to be in a certain mood to actually go and seek this song out.

497. "Buddy Holly"-WeezerI've never understood what people see in Weezer. However, this song isn't half bad actually. It's very happy and it instantly put me in a perky "Mickey" sort of mood. I would put it on if I was in a bad mood and it was cloudy outside, but other than that I couldn't see myself playing this song regularly.

496. "Miss You"-The Rolling Stones

Would I put this in my top ten favorite Rolling Stones songs? Absolutely not. It sounds to me like it could be on an album called "The Stones do Earth Wind and Fire". It just sounds to me like the Stones on a "we can do anything, we're the Rolling Stones" trip. Funk=fail.

495. "Shop Around"-The Miracles

Smoky Robinson was like the Brian Wilson of Motown. He could crank out a perfect pop song any time he freaking wanted. With this song in particular, I'm ashamed to admit that my first exposure to it was when David Archuleta sang it on American Idol. It just sounds effortless and it just glides along smoothly. The lyrical content is very similar to that of "You Can't Hurry Love" by the Supremes.

494. "Desperado"-The Eagles

If you've never heard this song before in your life I have but one question to ask, do you have to pay rent for the rock you've been living under? I mean even if you normally hate the Eagles like I do, you have to appreciate the loveliness and simplicity of this song. Being a piano player, it has one of my all time favorite piano parts and the vocal is just beautiful.

493. "Then He Kissed Me"-The Crystals

The first time I heard this song, I had no idea that this version existed. I, like many others, instead knew the Beach Boys reworded version "Then I Kissed Her". This is classic 60's girl group pop and listening to it can only be compared to eating cotton candy.

492. "Running on Empty"-Jackson Browne

I am so unfamiliar with the catalogue of Jackson Browne that I don't feel worthy to pass judgment on this track. However, I will say that it has a great guitar line and describes how we all feel most days.

491. "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"-Dusty Springfield

This song is distinctively 60's. The production on this track brings in both soul and motown influences, and her voice fits it perfectly. Her vocal just sounds so beautifully desperate. It's not a track I'd catch myself listing to normally, but every so often I could see myself going for something like this.

490. "Brown Sugar"-The Rolling Stones

This track has a riff that will have you singing this song even if you don't know the words. You'll just be humming the riff (which I'm now convinced was lifted by Foreigner on their song "Hot Blooded"). You can't help but feel happy when you hear it, and when it's over your thinking to yourself "That didn't last nearly long enough..." And Mick Jagger delivers the classic Rolling Stones lyrics the way only Mick Jagger could.

Stay tuned for more of the 500 greatest songs of all time!

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