Acclaimed Music Top 5000 Songs

Next up:
2649) "Killer" by Adamski (1990)
2648) "The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall into My Mind)" by The Bucketheads (1995)
2647) "Ballade de Melody Nelson" by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin (1971)
2646) "The Fly" by U2 (1991)
2645) "Stranglehold" by Ted Nugent (1975)
2644) "Mother-in-Law" by Ernie K-Doe (1961)
2643) "Otis" by Jay Z & Kanye West feat. Otis Redding (2011)
2642) "Dead Man's Curve" by Jan and Dean (1963)
2641) "God Bless America" by Kate Smith (1938)
2640) "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" by Husker Du (1986)
2639) "Love Potion No. 9" by The Clovers (1959)
2638) "Violet" by Hole (1994)
2637) "Sixteen Saltines" by Jack White (2012)
2636) "North American Scum" by LCD Soundsystem (2007)
2635) "Mustt Mustt" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn (1990)
2634) "Empty Bed Blues" by Bessie Smith (1928)
2633) "Driftin' Blues" by Charles Brown with Johnny Moore's Three Blazers (1945)
2632) "Easy Lee" by Ricardo Villalobos (2003)
2631) "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top (1983)
2630) "Conceptual Romance" by Jenny Hval (2016)
2629) "Steppin' Out" by Joe Jackson (1982)
2628) "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls (1998)
2627) "Life's What You Make It" by Talk Talk (1985)
2626) "I Can't Get Next to You" by The Temptations (1969)
2625) "Maneater" by Nelly Furtado (2006)
2624) "I Feel Space" by Lindstrom (2005)
2623) "Irreplaceable" by Beyonce (2006)
2622) "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone (1965)
2621) "Red Red Wine" by UB40 (1983)
2620) "Smokers Outside the Hospital Door" by Editors (2007)
2619) "Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police (1980)
2618) "Sincerely" by The Moonglows (1954)
2617) "Flava In Ya Ear" by Craig Mack (1994)
2616) "Black or White" by Michael Jackson (1991)
2615) "Lucky Star" by Madonna (1983)
2614) "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" by Black Sabbath (1973)
2613) "Et maintenant" by Gilbert Becaud (1961)
2612) "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry (1976)
2611) "Children's Story" by Slick Rick (1988)
2610) "Island in the Sun" by Weezer (2001)
2609) "Molly's Chambers" by Kings of Leon (2003)
2608) "If You Leave Me Now" by Chicago (1976)
2607) "I Want to See The Bright Lights Tonight" by Richard and Linda Thompson (1974)
2606) "Uprising" by Muse (2009)
2605) "If I Were Your Woman" by Gladys Knight and the Pips (1970)

Lengthy list encompassing a few days of listening. Whew! Some good 'uns, too! Comments welcome. I will have some later.
 
Some really good songs above. Listening to more today :)
a) Nina Simone's "Feeling Good"...so good. Just a song with some real, I dunno, heft.
b) To follow such a song with UB40's cover of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine" almost seems critical
c) Husker Du crafted a great pop song with "Don't Want to Know if You're Lonely"
d) "I Want to See The Bright Lights Tonight" would rank better on my list but I suppose for most this is an appropriate ranking.
e) Beyonce - "to the left to the left..."
f) so many songs I just love here: Tempts "Can't Get Next to You" (seems low to me), "Island in the Sun", "Don't Stand So Close to Me", "Love Potion #9"
g) Smiled when Kate Smith's "God Bless America" was on. The full-figured contralto's biggest years was on 1940s radio but she was enough of a pop culture force that I remember her when I was young through my parents (I seem to be under the impression that I saw her on TV in the 1970s but that may have been old shows. Kate suffered brain damage from a diabetic coma in 1976 (and died in the 80s) but I'm not sure if she was still popping up on variety shows when I was a wee lad in the early 70s). Though times were never truly simpler, it seems quite quaint (and somehow soothing) that her version of "God Bless America" was so popular.
Trivia: Smith sung the song for the Philadelphia Flyers several times in the 70s and they won each time. When the Flyers have played (or had the song sung) their record is 100-29-5 so Philly fans are very superstitious about Smith and her song
h) "The Fly" is an example of my comment earlier that U2 songs are quite overrepresented in the countdown. It's just a'right
i) Hey look, as we noted recently, Bessie Smith has popped up again
j) Not a big Ted Nugent fan personally or musically. I am glad the countdown is politically-color blind - "Stranglehold" does have a heck of a guitar hook
 
2604) "Sunday Candy" by Donny Trumpet & The Social Experiment
2603) "Teach Your Children" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
2602) "Love's Theme" by Love Unlimited Orchestra
2601) "Ambling Alp" by Yeasayer
2600) "Going to A Go-Go" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
2599) "You Got Me" by The Roots feat. Erykah Badu
2598) "I Shall Be Released" by Bob Dylan & The Band
2597) "Halleluwah" by Can
2596) "Buffalo Gals" by Malcom McLaren
2595) "The Sweetest Girl" by Scritti Politti
2594) "Looking for the Perfect Beat" by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force
2593) "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas
2592) "Human" by The Killers
2591) "Try Me" by James Brown
2590) "Keep on the Sunny Side" by The Carter Family
2589) "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie" by Clarence "Pine Top" Smith
2588) "High and Dry" by Radiohead
2587) "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" by Lester Flat and Earl Scruggs
2586) "The Bay" by Metronomy
2585) "What's My Age Again?" by Blink-182
2584) "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" by Dawn Penn
2583) "Tired of Waiting For You" by The Kinks
2582) "The New Pollution" by Beck
2581) "What Have You Done For Me Lately" by Janet Jackson
2580) "My Number" by Foals
2579) "Bipp" by SOPHIE
2578) "Shiny Happy People" by R.E.M.
2577) "A Song For Europe" by Roxy Music
2576) "The Pusher" by Steppenwolf
2575) "Pink Frost" by The Chills
2574) "Prince Johnny" by St. Vincent
2573) "My Hero" by Foo Fighters
2572) "Un Poco Loco" by Bud Powell
2571) "Hey" by Pixies
2570) "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows" by The Rolling Stones
2569) "Mambo #5" by Perez Prado
2568) "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears
2567) "A House is Not A Motel" by Love
2566) "The National Anthem" by Radiohead
2565) "One" by Nilsson
2564) "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead
2563) "Mushaboom" by Feist
2562) "The Tide is High" by Blondie
2561) "Top Billin'" by Audio Two
2560) "Cities in Dust" by Siouxsie & The Banshees
2559) "No Expectations" by The Rolling Stones
2558) "I Am The Fly" by Wire
2557) "Hello Mary Lou" by Ricky Nelson
2556) "Cantaloop" by US 3
2555) "Bang" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2554) "E=MC2" by Big Audio Dynamite
2553) "True Love Waits" by Radiohead
2552) "She Thinks I Care" by George Jones
2551) "Goldfinger" by Shirley Bassey
2550) "My Red Hot Car" by Squarepusher
2549) "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon
2548) "Harlem Shuffle" by Bob & Earl

Thoughts:
a) Sorry to post so many songs to digest, but actually got to listen to all of these today. Big chunk. It's days like this that makes me think I'm gonna finish this project ;)
b) Some songs made big jumps from the prior list e.g. Radiohead's "National Anthem", "Goldfinger", "Harlem Shuffle" - all of them deserved
c) Speaking of Radiohead, three songs in this 50 song set alone (!)
d) "Cantoloop" is so funky and opens with the Pee Wee Marquette opening to Art Blakey's Live At Birdland album
e) Big Audio Dynamite! Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time...a long time
f) Axo was surmising if Steppenwolf would have some higher picks after "Magic Carpet Ride" was listed. I honestly didn't think "The Pusher" would be there, but here it is
g) If a pretty good song off Forever Changes like "A House is Not A Motel" pops up, I gotta believe a number of better Love songs are gonna pop up higher up...these will be welcome.
h) "Human" by The Killers. I actually didn't know The Killers did this dippy song ("Are we human, or are we dancer" ugh). I almost cancelled my listening to Hot Fuss today based on this song
i) am surprised the 70s instrumental "Love's Theme" is here. It's very nice and reminds me of radio plays from my youth, but I've never particularly thought it as a great song.
j) Ditto, by the way to the pop hit "What's My Age Again?" Popular but kind of meh
k) "Ambling Alp" was a nice surprise. I listened to a Yeasayer album years ago and just didn't dig it so have not checked out their catalog but I enjoyed this one
l) this is the second appearance (now higher on the new list) of the, I dunno, Can song "Halluluwah". Even though not a big fan of Can or of jam songs, really a cool sounding funky workout.
 
Today's listening:
2547) "100%" by Sonic Youth (1992)
2546) "What I Got" by Sublime (1996)
2545) "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" by Bing Crosby (1932)
2544) "You Wear It Well" by Rod Stewart (1972)
2543) "What Do You Mean?" by Justin Bieber (2015)
2542) "The Number of the Beast" by Iron Maiden (1982)
2541) "Cold Turkey" by Plastic Ono Band (1969)
2540) "Burning Love" by Elvis Presley (1972)
2539) "Fashion" by David Bowie (1980)
2538) "Grounds for Divorce" by Elbow (2008)
2537) "Shine On" by House of Love (1987)
2536) "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" by P.M. Dawn (1991)
2535) "Pills & Soap" by Elvis Costello (1983)
2534) "Pleasant Valley Sunday" by The Monkees (1967)
2533) "Waiting for A Superman" by The Flaming Lips (1999)
2532) "Do Anything You Wanna Do" by Eddie & The Hot Rods (1977)
2531) "Livin' La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin (1999)
2530) "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson (1982)
2529) "Coffee" by Miguel (2015)
2528) "Girl" by The Beatles (1965)

a) Some nice morning listening. Again it's an obvious statement to say that more familiar songs are going to be more command in better spots on the list, but man I've heard almost all of these so quite a pleasant listen
b) Justin Bieber makes his first list appearance....is this one of the signs in Revelation? Will he pop up again?
c) Bing's "Brother Can You Spare A Dime" - great, Depression-era tune reflecting the loneliness of poverty and even the plight of the American soldier/vet post-WWI. Like Norma Desmond says in Sunset Boulevard, "We didn't need words. We had FACES then". Some of those older songs had such great import and (to echo my thoughts from yesterday's post) heft.
d) But hey, music can be poppy and danceable too - Livin' La Vida Loca, Burning Love
e) If I had to list Beatles songs over the next 20 minutes, there's a chance I might forget "Girl" off of Rubber Soul despite being, I believe, I minor hit (edit: nope, wrong. It was the B side of "Michelle" but never charted and yet was included on the Red Album), but man what a delightful song. Always makes me sing along
 
This is a fast moving train. :eek:

No time to look back, so just a word or two about the new batch. Lots to enjoy here.

Not much from the 20’s and 30’s, so great to hear a Bing classic.

Somehow The Monkees, Ricky Martin and Justin Bieber belong together. Even Fat Elvis fits in, just barely.

The Beatles and The Rolling Stones got a lot of top 40/radio airplay back in the day for non-single album tracks like “Girl”. I can’t think of another group, can you?
 
Today:
2527) "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Roy Brown
2526) "I'D Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meatloaf
2525) "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" by Pet Shop Boys feat. Dusty Springfield
2524) "Pagan Poetry" by Bjork
2523) "If I Had a Hammer" by Peter, Paul and Mary
2522) "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire
2521) "Muchacha (Ojos de papel)" by Almendra
2520) "Caravan" by Duke Ellington
2519) "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield
2518) "Young Hearts Spark Fire" by Japandroids
2517) "You! Me! Dancing" by Los Campesinos!
2516) "Multi-Love" by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
2515) "Livin' Thing" by Electric Light Orchestra
2514) "Express Yourself" by Madonna
2513) "Nature Boy" by Nat King Cole
2512) "Paul Revere" by Beastie Boys
2511) "Linger" by The Cranberries
2510) "Country Feedback" by R.E.M.
2509) "Double Barrel" by Dave and Ansil Collins
2508) "Boredom" by Buzzcocks
2507) "Cruel to Be Kind" by Nick Lowe
2506) "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by Elvis Presley
2505) "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves
2504) "Fool on the Hill" by The Beatles
 
Next up:
2503) "Kings of the Wild Frontier" by Adam and the Ants (1980)
2502) "Ooby Dooby" by Roy Orbison (1956)
2501) "Sorted for E's & Wizz" by Pulp (1995)
2500) "Non-Alignment Pact" by Pere Ubu (1978)
2499) "The Girl Can't Help It" by Little Richard (1956)
2498) "Book of Love" by The Monotones (1957)
2497) "Coney Island Baby" by Lou Reed (1975)
2496) "Achilles Last Stand" by Led Zeppelin (1976)
2495) "Trash" by Suede (1996)
2494) "Always on My Mind" by Elvis Presley (1972)
2493) "La Superbe" by Benjamin Biolay (2009)
2492) "La nuit je mens" by Alain Bashung (1998)
2491) "The Private Psychedelic Reel" by The Chemical Brothers (1997)
2490) "Memphis, Tennessee" by Chuck Berry (1959)
2489) "To Know Him Is To Love Him" by The Teddy Bears (1958)
2488) "Big Fun" by Inner City (1988)
2487) "Everywhere" by Fleetwood Mac (1987)
2486) "Needed Me" by Rihanna (2016)
2485) "Julia" by The Beatles (1968)
2484) "Stinkfist" by Tool (1996)
2483) "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" by Paul and Linda McCartney (1971)
2482) "Cult of Personality" by Living Colour (1988)
2481) "Blue Monday" by Fats Domino (1956)
2480) "Famous" by Kanye West (2016)
2479) "Born on the Bayou" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

Thoughts:
a) Re: last list. I almost scrapped the whole project and declared the list null and void with the inclusion of Meat Loaf's "I Would Do Anything For Love". ugh
b) Two of the list's most recent songs this list with Kanye and Rihanna
c) Beautiful song by The Teddy Bears. Ditto with Elvis' rendition of "Always on My Mind"
d) "Achilles Last Stand" - Zeppelin's Last Great Epic
e) Surprised to see Fleetwood Mac's "Everwhere" off their so-so return Tango in the Night. Such an...ordinary pop song
f) As a fan of jazz history, felt "Caravan" should be better ranked but taking the whole totality of music, I suppose I should be have Duke's song is here. "If I Had A Hammer" should definitely be better ranked.
g) Ditto EW&F's "September" - c/mon! 2500?!
 
The biggest surprise here for me is the inclusion of Roy Orbison’s “Ooby Dooby”, the song that gave him his nickname. I doubt if many folks remembered it before CCR covered it. I sure didn’t.
 
2478) "From Her to Eternity" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (1984)
2477) "WTF (Where They From)" by Missy Elliott feat. Pharrell Williams (2015)
2476) "Waitin' Around to Die" by Townes Van Zandt (1968)
2475) "For Lovers" by Wolfman feat. Pete Doherty (2004)
2474) "The Man with the Child In His Eyes" by Kate Bush (1978)
2473) "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" by Michael Jackson (1982)
2472) "Il voyage en solitaire" by Gerard Manset (1975)
2471) "Shine A Light" by The Rolling Stones (1972)
2470) "Immigres/Bitim Rew" by Youssou N'Dour (1984)
2469) "You Don't Know My Name" by Alicia Keys (2003)
2468) "Exodus" by Bob Marley & The Wailers (1977)
2467) "I Follow Rivers" by Lykke Li (2011)
2466) "Hey Jane" by Spiritualized (2012)
2465) "South Bronx" by Boogie Down Productions (1986)
2464) "Oh What A Nite" by The Dells (1956)
2463) "That Smell" by Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977)
2462) "B.Y.O.B." by System of a Down (2005)
2461) "Mmmbop" by Hanson (1995)
2460) "Got 'Til It's Gone" by Janet Jackson (1997)
2459) "Make It Easy On Yourself" by The Walker Brothers (1965)
2458) "Postcards From Italy" by Beirut
2457) "Tempted" by Squeeze (1981)
2456) "She Is Beyond Good And Evil" by The Pop Group (1979)
2455) "Jane Says" by Jane's Addiction (1988)
2454) "Bat Out of Hell" by Meat Loaf (1977)

Thoughts:
a) Interesting grouping on the list: "WTF", "BYOB", PYT"
b) Also, "Jane Says" and "Hey Jane"...Can "Sweet Jane" by far behind ;)
c) Sometimes it's the little touches in songs that makes one love them so much. Take "That Smell". My favorite part is after the first chorus when Ronnie Van Zandt lets out a prolonged "Yeeeeeeeeeeaaaah". Makes the friggin' song
d) Jerry Butler (The Iceman) version of "Make It Easy on Yourself" is much better than Scott Walker's. Hopefully it'll pop up later
e) "Shine A Light", the penultimate song on Exile on Main Street is a great Stones song
f) "Mmmbop" - eh? I'm divided. I'm not as surprised it's here as Meat Loaf's "I Would Do Anything For Love" last list. Despite it's teen pop sheen, love it or had it, it's a heck of an earworm
g) Squeeze still has a special place in my heart because they were one of the few "new wave" bands I listened to and enjoyed in the 80s when everyone was into new wave in college. I was a rock guy, but Squeeze had something that grabbed me.
 
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"Oh What a Night" is doo-wop done right :thumbsup:
Mick Jagger and Leon Russell wrote "Shine a Light" about Brian Jones while he was still alive. The version of EoMS has Billy Preston on piano and organ.
"Bat Out of Hell"? "What? Meat Loaf, again? Mom!"
I don't think I ever noticed that prolonged "Yeeeeeeeeeeaaaah" after the first chorus of "That Smell". [I'll go stand in the corner now.]
 
axolotl said:
I don't think I ever noticed that prolonged "Yeeeeeeeeeeaaaah" after the first chorus of "That Smell". [I'll go stand in the corner now.]
Click to expand...

Did you go back and listen to the song? :)

And yes more Meat Loaf ma! I do like "Bat Out of Hell" and that album in general. It's bombastic, kitschy, and overwrought, but, damn it, it's a fun album to blast.

A few other comments:
I've been very happy with the Nick Cave representation. I'm not sure if he'll score any in, say, the top 500 but what a songwriter
Doesn't this seem too low for "Exodus"? I know there are gonna be lots of Marley higher up - I think my list would have it higher. It's simple and repetitive but just has this vibe/groove
 
Zeeba Neighba said:
Did you go back and listen to the song? :)
Click to expand...
Yeah. :thumbsup:

Edit: I came back to this post due to processing second thoughts. Having heard what you said was there, I acknowledge that I must have known it was there all along; I just hadn't processed it as a conscious thought. I don't think I'll ever hear the song in the future without consciously noticing that very natural vocalization.

What else to call it: a snippet? An addition? An artifact?

By the way, has "Rubber Tree Plant" come up, yet? No, not Robert Plant.... In any event, I had such high hopes for it.
 
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Addendum:
On last list, I forgot a song and have since adjusted numbers
2458) "Postcards from Italy" by Beirut

And now back to your regularly scheduled list:
2453) "One Step Beyond" by Madness (1979)
2452) "Queer" by Garbage (1995)
2451) "4 Degrees" by ANOHNI (2015)
2450) "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones (2002)
2449) "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)" by The Offspring (1998)
2448) "Young Blood" by The Coasters (1957)
2447) "The Boy with the Arab Strap" by Belle and Sebastian (1998)
2446) "On My Radio" by The Selector (1979)
2445) "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" by Urge Overkill (1994)
2444) "Love Is All Around" by The Troggs (1967)
2443) "Work With Me Annie" by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters (1954)
2442) "Seek and Destroy" by Metallica (1983)
2441) "Here" by Pavement (1992)
2440) "Rock n'Roll Star" by Oasis (1994)
2439) "Dirty Blvd" by Lou Reed (1989)
2438) "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" by The Shangri-Las (1965)
2437) "Life In the Fast Lane" by Eagles (1976)
2436) "Movin' On Up" by Primal Scream (1991)
2435) "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward (1975)
2434) "Rock the Bells" by LL Cool J (1985)
2433) "Not Ready to Make Nice" by Dixie Chicks (2006)
2432) "Irish Blood English Heart" by Morrissey (2004)
2431) "We Got the Beat" by Go-Go's (1980)
2430) "Freak Like Me" by Sugababes (2002)
2429) "Sloop John B" by The Beach Boys (1966)
2428) "Battery" by Metallica (1986)
2427) "I Want You" by Marvin Gaye (1975)
2426) "NYC" by Interpol (2002)
2425) "No Particular Place to Go" by Chuck Berry (1964)

Thoughts?: To come later
 
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