After much thought, I have come to the determination that 500 songs is a lot of reviewing for me, so I decided that I will just do the top 100 instead!
100. "Crazy"-Gnarls Barkley
I like this track a lot, I think it's one of my favorite tracks of the last decade for sure. But would I put it ahead of the track that comes behind it, "You Can't Always Get What You Want"? No. Nonetheless, this track is a little bit strange in the fact that I'm not quite certain what genre I would classify it as. It's lyrics are clever and sort of funny, classic Gnarls Barkley. It's not overwhelmingly hip hop, it's got just enough pop to satisfy everyone.
99. "Fortunate Son"-Creedence Clearwater Revival
CCR, I have to love them. This track is my second favorite track of theirs, losing only to "Proud Mary". I could do a whole post just on my favorite Creedence songs in fact. This song is what I describe as "Rockabilly Punk" because the lyrics with their anti-war slant force a reaction from the listener of "I'm not going to take this crap!". The guitar riff is subtle but definitely the driving force behind Fogherty's vocal. The one thing I will always know for sure, however is:
"I ain't no fortunate one."
98. "Love and Happiness"-Al Green
I really didn't think I was going to like this track, but I gotta say it wasn't half bad. I probably wouldn't rank it 98th overall, but it's still pretty good. At first I had a hard time hearing any instruments, all I could hear was Al Green's vocal. However, that only lasted momentarily and then it kicked into a thick soul groove. I'm a big fan of the change of tempo, and I think it's used well here. The one thing I didn't like was the length: it came in at a little over 5:00.
97. "Roll Over Beethoven"-Chuck Berry
I just love everything Chuck Berry ever did. The best part of this track for me is the lyrics, he basically says "I got to hear my rhythm and blues man! Tell Beethoven to suck it!!". Never in my life have I ever heard someone express a dislike of classical music so well. The Beatles also do a well known cover version of this song, as one of George Harrison's designated vocals on their early albums.
"Roll over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news."
96. "Great Balls of Fire"-Jerry Lee Lewis
I can see why people loved to dance to this track constantly when it first came out. The piano riff on it is just begging you to bust a move. It's beyond catchy and let's face it, do I even have to mention the title? It's like an early punk song almost, short sweet and to the point, without the punk lyrical themes. For me, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry go hand in hand as the pioneers of rock and roll.
95. "Blue Suede Shoes"-Carl Perkins
The first thing I noticed when I researched this track is that the Beatles covered 2 of the songs on the single cover above (Honey Don't and Matchbox). The second thing I noticed, was that this version doesn't differ all that much from the Elvis Presley cover except that it's a little more straight forward and less dramatic. It's a great track, much like the previous two songs I covered. I have to give Carl Perkins his props though, I mean the Beatles obviously held him in high regard along with a lot of other artists as well.
94. "Good Golly Miss Molly"-Little Richard
No matter what he's singing, you know your going to get one heck of a vocal from Little Richard. His vocals are like little bursts of energy, for that moment your feeling happy as a clam. This track is no different, he want's you to know about Miss Molly. This track is good, I'd have a really hard time picking between this one and "The Girl Can't Help It". I personally admire how he can play the piano so well and still put on one heck of a show.
93. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"-U2
Everyone has heard this track at least once. It's that overplayed on the radio. Not to say that it's not a good track, because it's a very good one but even the best songs can wear on you. It's my opinion that this song is Bono's best vocal, he's able to reach into his higher range and further add to the emotion of the song and the gospel tone. I think it also conveys an emotion that a lot of us have experienced but could never quite put into words.
92. "Blitzkrieg Bop"-The Ramones
I love the Ramones. Their songs don't require much brain power, there isn't any hidden deep meaning, it's just two minutes of adrenaline rush. Everyone knows this track for it's chorus of "Hey, Ho, let's go" which is repeated throughout the song which just makes you want to jump up and down and vent all your frustrations with the universe.
91. "Suspicious Minds"-Elvis Presley
This track is really catchy, the way it changes tempos when it gets to the chorus is ingenious for assisting with that. Elvis has a great vocal, accompanied by backing vocals that almost sounded like a children's choir to me at first. A great track for sure, but still not my favorite Elvis track.
90. "In The Still of the Night"-The Five Satins
This is a track that I'd have to be in a certain mood to appreciate. My main problem was that the backing vocals were really annoying and distracted from the lead vocal too much. Upon further reading about this song, I learned that it actually originated the genre of doo-wop music which frankly I can't stand. So in other words, I'd skip this one should I be given the choice.
My favorite from these? Probably when it comes down to it I'd have to say "Fortunate Son"
Title is from "Coma Girl" by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. Your life is seriously not complete until you've listened to that song, it's just perfect. The entire album of "Streetcore" is perfect and it's one of the only albums I've listened to in its entirety recently, except for the fact I'm in the midst of listening to Pet Sounds in it's entirety. I'll always love anything that Brian Wilson does, so it doesn't matter anyway.
This is an album that I've only really gone surface deep with. I knew all the classics on it such as "Eight Day's a Week" and "I'll Follow the Sun" but I've recently discovered one of my new favorites: "I'm A Loser". It's moody and dark, and John Lennon's lyrics sound like self-loathing poetry. I'm loving other tracks too, like "Rock and Roll Music" and "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party".
For a while I couldn't stand "Heart of Glass" because I thought it was just too overplayed and too disco for my tastes. Actually, I've found that it's a great pop song and Debbie Harry's vocals are really great on this track.
I've been on a real Creedence Clearwater Revival kick lately after listening to my dad's old copy of Chronicles Vol. 1. I go through phases with their music, sometimes I think I'm going to kill someone if I hear "Proud Mary" one more time, sometimes I'll say that "Bad Moon Rising" is the greatest song ever. CCR has always been one of my dad's favorite bands, coming in only after the Beatles and the Beach Boys probably, so my first exposure to their music came through him. I've heard "Hey Tonight" ever since I can remember, even before I ever heard "Proud Mary" or some of their other well known hits. Their music just sparks an instant sort of happiness in me, anytime I hear "Down on the Corner" or "Around the Bend" I can't help but smile. I love "Bad Moon Rising", but call me crazy, every time I listen to it something bad happens to me! Needless to say, that one doesn't get as much rotation as I'd like it to. Their music just doesn't seem to sound dated at all, any time you put on "Willy and the Poor Boys" it sounds just as good as it did when it was made.
Today's Beatles song of the day is "I'll Cry Instead"
