The Ecstatic Truth, Pt. 14
175 Michael Jackson - Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
W: Jackson
P: Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson
“…because the force, it-it’s got a lot of power and… it make me feel like I… it- it make me feel like I… OOOH!” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=DJUIJP8M
174 Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone
W: Sandberg/Gottwald
P: Max Martin and Lukasz Gottwald
Yes, I am serious.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=6PQ9QC5E
173 AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
W: A. Young/M. Young/Scott
P: Harry Vanda and George Young
This is my favorite AC/DC song because not only does it sound dangerous, it feels dangerous. Bon Scott sounds like the devil with a handgun and the song is complete with maniacal guitars, relentless tribal drumming, and satanic panting throughout.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=US2JJRX0
172 Lakeside - Fantastic Voyage
W: Alexander/Craig/Lewis/McCain/Shelby/Shockley
P: Lakeside
Wanna have an hour long party? Put this song on ten times in a row. At the very least, you can find out which of your friends is secretly possessed as they reveal their lack of a soul when they don’t dance.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=Z4FZL8ZE
171 U2 - I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
W: Hewson/Evans/Clayton/Mullins
P: Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno
As I flew across Arizona I gazed down upon the clouds and the cliffs while this song played and I finally knew what it meant to feel the American dream. I felt it the way an outsider feels it and I felt America as an idea more than I ever had before.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=WAUOGEWE
170 The Buzzcocks - Orgasm Addict
W: Devoto/Shelley
P: Martin Rushent
I can feel my pulse quickening every time I listen to this song. It screams pent up lust into an aggressive surge of squeaking vocals and fast-paced strumming. I especially think the panting in the background is a nice touch.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=UUREPART
169 dead prez - Hip-Hop
W: Galvin/Alford/Williams/Mair
P: dead prez
I hate when backpackers deny enormous influence of Southern rap on this anthem. The beat and the flow are straight out of Florida and the message is universal. Don’t just concentrate on the message though, you don’t want to run the risk of missing out on the joy of listening to some extremely well done rapping.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=WY4ICYCW
168 The Who - My Generation
W: Townshend
P: Shel Talmy
Keith Moon’s drumming on this song must be what every boxer who ever fought Muhammed Ali heard as Ali pummeled them.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=Z14R4S2O
167 Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - Ooo Baby Baby
W: Robinson/Moore
P: Smokey Robinson
One of the saddest things ever captured on tape is the way Smokey sings “ooo” in every chorus. Not only is Smokey a masterful songwriter, he is also an incredibly gifted vocalist. As he reaches higher and higher in his register he almost sounds more comfortable grabbing at his pain than when he sings more naturally.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=QTZIIR4Q
166 Elton John - Tiny Dancer
W: John/Taupin
P: Gus Dudgeon
It takes him way too long to get the chorus, but once Elton wails “Hold me closer, tiny dancer” it all feels okay again. Everybody should have at least one “Almost Famous” moment in their lives with this song.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=RWCR0VX5
165 Paul McCartney - Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
W: McCartney/McCartney
P: Paul & Linda McCartney
By far the most absurd song Paul McCartney has ever written, yet I find it intoxicating. As soon as the song begins I get an enormous grin on my face and I can’t wait to be swept along for the ride.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=06O7S9A9
164 The Beta Band - Assessment
W: Mason/Maclean/Greentree/Jones
P: The Beta Band
On “Assessment,” The Beta Band took all of their bizarre-yet-natural songwriting and actually made it rock. Finally! As soon as the horns kick in, I am done for, they blow me back every single time. The whole thing is more rewarding than you will anticipate, trust me.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q4302GPT
163 Radiohead - Paranoid Android
W: Yorke/Greenwood/Selway/O’Brien/Greenwood
P: Nigel Godrich
On this song Thom Yorke sounds like he has (finally?) gone insane. In many ways I feel like so many people love this song because it speaks to our secret selfishness at its ugliest. Thumbs up!
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=4Y7N5RBS
162 The Zombies - Care of Cell 44
W: Argent
P: Rod Argent and Chris White
Pop Quiz! “Care Of Cell 44” is a great song because: A) It’s a love song for a girl in prison. B) The soaring chorus. C) The bass. D) The use of harpsichord. E) All of the above.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=HZV2HTQV
161 De La Soul - Keepin’ the Faith
W: Huston/Mercer/Jolicoeur/Mason/Marley/Temperton/Adams/Arrington/Hicks/Lockett/Turner/Webster/Young
P: Prince Paul and De La Soul
How great is this: it’s a song about fidelity and it samples “Could You Be Loved.” That makes me laugh every single time. It has my favorite Prince Paul beat and some highly entertaining rapping by De La. You’ve gotta love this one.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=FKSBPSTW
160 Prince - I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
W: Prince
P: Prince
I don’t know why I love this song so much, I only know that every second sounds right to me. Every decision he makes, ‘cause, yeah, he was playing all of the instruments, comes at the most opportune moment, and it makes the song one of his most well-crafted pieces.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=TRTE8B94
159 David Bowie - Young Americans
W: Bowie
P: Tony Visconti
It may be blue-eyed soul, but at least I think it still has some funk to it. While Bowie’s lyrics often ramble somewhat incoherently, this song is strongly focused and perfectively descriptive. This song also displays one of Bowie’s most striking talents as he takes what you think is the coda and turns it into a whole new verse unto itself.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=MMW4ACIH
158 Buddy Holly - Everyday
W: Hardin/Petty
P: Norman Petty
Hand pats and various forms of xylophones and glockenspiels are the only accompanying sounds on this tenderly sweet and hopeful song. It is so simple, you may be scared by how touching it sounds.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=NNWHVWI0
157 Goodie Mob featuring Andre Benjamin - Thought Process
W: Wade/Brown/Murray/Barnett/Burton/Gipp/Knighton/Benjamin
P: Organized Noize
This song is what the South sounds like. Five completely unique MCs walk in, one indelible song walks out. Everybody has a favorite verse, for me it’s the brief section when Khujo and Cee-Lo rap in unison, combining the group’s two most extreme sounds. Then again, maybe I like T-Mo’s verse the best, or maybe Andre’s or Khujo’s. You get the idea.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=FA26THH6
156 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
W: Mercury
P: Roy Thomas Baker
First I loved this song. Then I tried to deny. Now I have reaccepted it in my life, and I am a lot happier for it. If you have any trepidation, please, be like me. Give it another shot. Sit alone by yourself and listen to it. Find what you are missing.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=R1VUNSE0
155 Chuck Berry - Maybellene
W: Berry
P: Leonard & Phil Chess
Elvis did not invent rock and roll, Chuck Berry did. If you (somehow) doubt me, listen to this song and then tell me what Elvis ever did that rocked this hard. Oh, yeah, and this was Chuck’s first single ever.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=UA2GSF8M
154 Prince & The Revolution - Baby I’m a Star
W: Prince
P: Prince & the Revolution
This song comes at the very end of “Purple Rain,” one of my favorite movies of all time, and it demands the entire audience to recognize the greatness they are all witnessing. It encapsulates the entire Prince persona in 4 minutes of danceable pop, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=W6B5TN8K
153 The Mothers of Invention - Wowie Zowie
W: Zappa
P: Tom Wilson
Personally, I have always preferred MOI-era Zappa to solo-era Zappa because The Mothers understood that to truly subvert pop music, you have to make pop music. This is an absurdist stab at pop music, but it works because of its own pop inclinations, especially in the xylophone, which twinkles along throughout.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=27J9IIGE
152 Weezer - Why Bother?
W: Cuomo
P: Weezer
The short, rhythmic punches in the chorus give this song some force, but it is Rivers’ vocal performance that makes it so much fun to sing along to. The raw sound of this song makes it feel that much more angry, bringing out the bitterness in the lyrics and downplaying the inner sadness in them.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=P9KQBSYX
151 Fleetwood Mac - Landslide
W: Nicks
P: Fleetwood Mac
I am now going to reveal why this song holds such a special place in my heart. After I learned my dad died I had to drive back home. I rode in silence for most of the trip, but, overwhelmed by emotions, I couldn’t take the silence anymore. I turned on the radio and the first thing I heard was Stevie Nicks saying “This is for you, Daddy” and then this song came on. It has stuck with me ever since.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=F58FM3SX
W: Jackson
P: Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson
“…because the force, it-it’s got a lot of power and… it make me feel like I… it- it make me feel like I… OOOH!” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=DJUIJP8M
174 Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone
W: Sandberg/Gottwald
P: Max Martin and Lukasz Gottwald
Yes, I am serious.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=6PQ9QC5E
173 AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
W: A. Young/M. Young/Scott
P: Harry Vanda and George Young
This is my favorite AC/DC song because not only does it sound dangerous, it feels dangerous. Bon Scott sounds like the devil with a handgun and the song is complete with maniacal guitars, relentless tribal drumming, and satanic panting throughout.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=US2JJRX0
172 Lakeside - Fantastic Voyage
W: Alexander/Craig/Lewis/McCain/Shelby/Shockley
P: Lakeside
Wanna have an hour long party? Put this song on ten times in a row. At the very least, you can find out which of your friends is secretly possessed as they reveal their lack of a soul when they don’t dance.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=Z4FZL8ZE
171 U2 - I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
W: Hewson/Evans/Clayton/Mullins
P: Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno
As I flew across Arizona I gazed down upon the clouds and the cliffs while this song played and I finally knew what it meant to feel the American dream. I felt it the way an outsider feels it and I felt America as an idea more than I ever had before.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=WAUOGEWE
170 The Buzzcocks - Orgasm Addict
W: Devoto/Shelley
P: Martin Rushent
I can feel my pulse quickening every time I listen to this song. It screams pent up lust into an aggressive surge of squeaking vocals and fast-paced strumming. I especially think the panting in the background is a nice touch.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=UUREPART
169 dead prez - Hip-Hop
W: Galvin/Alford/Williams/Mair
P: dead prez
I hate when backpackers deny enormous influence of Southern rap on this anthem. The beat and the flow are straight out of Florida and the message is universal. Don’t just concentrate on the message though, you don’t want to run the risk of missing out on the joy of listening to some extremely well done rapping.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=WY4ICYCW
168 The Who - My Generation
W: Townshend
P: Shel Talmy
Keith Moon’s drumming on this song must be what every boxer who ever fought Muhammed Ali heard as Ali pummeled them.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=Z14R4S2O
167 Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - Ooo Baby Baby
W: Robinson/Moore
P: Smokey Robinson
One of the saddest things ever captured on tape is the way Smokey sings “ooo” in every chorus. Not only is Smokey a masterful songwriter, he is also an incredibly gifted vocalist. As he reaches higher and higher in his register he almost sounds more comfortable grabbing at his pain than when he sings more naturally.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=QTZIIR4Q
166 Elton John - Tiny Dancer
W: John/Taupin
P: Gus Dudgeon
It takes him way too long to get the chorus, but once Elton wails “Hold me closer, tiny dancer” it all feels okay again. Everybody should have at least one “Almost Famous” moment in their lives with this song.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=RWCR0VX5
165 Paul McCartney - Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
W: McCartney/McCartney
P: Paul & Linda McCartney
By far the most absurd song Paul McCartney has ever written, yet I find it intoxicating. As soon as the song begins I get an enormous grin on my face and I can’t wait to be swept along for the ride.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=06O7S9A9
164 The Beta Band - Assessment
W: Mason/Maclean/Greentree/Jones
P: The Beta Band
On “Assessment,” The Beta Band took all of their bizarre-yet-natural songwriting and actually made it rock. Finally! As soon as the horns kick in, I am done for, they blow me back every single time. The whole thing is more rewarding than you will anticipate, trust me.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q4302GPT
163 Radiohead - Paranoid Android
W: Yorke/Greenwood/Selway/O’Brien/Greenwood
P: Nigel Godrich
On this song Thom Yorke sounds like he has (finally?) gone insane. In many ways I feel like so many people love this song because it speaks to our secret selfishness at its ugliest. Thumbs up!
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=4Y7N5RBS
162 The Zombies - Care of Cell 44
W: Argent
P: Rod Argent and Chris White
Pop Quiz! “Care Of Cell 44” is a great song because: A) It’s a love song for a girl in prison. B) The soaring chorus. C) The bass. D) The use of harpsichord. E) All of the above.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=HZV2HTQV
161 De La Soul - Keepin’ the Faith
W: Huston/Mercer/Jolicoeur/Mason/Marley/Temperton/Adams/Arrington/Hicks/Lockett/Turner/Webster/Young
P: Prince Paul and De La Soul
How great is this: it’s a song about fidelity and it samples “Could You Be Loved.” That makes me laugh every single time. It has my favorite Prince Paul beat and some highly entertaining rapping by De La. You’ve gotta love this one.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=FKSBPSTW
160 Prince - I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
W: Prince
P: Prince
I don’t know why I love this song so much, I only know that every second sounds right to me. Every decision he makes, ‘cause, yeah, he was playing all of the instruments, comes at the most opportune moment, and it makes the song one of his most well-crafted pieces.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=TRTE8B94
159 David Bowie - Young Americans
W: Bowie
P: Tony Visconti
It may be blue-eyed soul, but at least I think it still has some funk to it. While Bowie’s lyrics often ramble somewhat incoherently, this song is strongly focused and perfectively descriptive. This song also displays one of Bowie’s most striking talents as he takes what you think is the coda and turns it into a whole new verse unto itself.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=MMW4ACIH
158 Buddy Holly - Everyday
W: Hardin/Petty
P: Norman Petty
Hand pats and various forms of xylophones and glockenspiels are the only accompanying sounds on this tenderly sweet and hopeful song. It is so simple, you may be scared by how touching it sounds.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=NNWHVWI0
157 Goodie Mob featuring Andre Benjamin - Thought Process
W: Wade/Brown/Murray/Barnett/Burton/Gipp/Knighton/Benjamin
P: Organized Noize
This song is what the South sounds like. Five completely unique MCs walk in, one indelible song walks out. Everybody has a favorite verse, for me it’s the brief section when Khujo and Cee-Lo rap in unison, combining the group’s two most extreme sounds. Then again, maybe I like T-Mo’s verse the best, or maybe Andre’s or Khujo’s. You get the idea.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=FA26THH6
156 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
W: Mercury
P: Roy Thomas Baker
First I loved this song. Then I tried to deny. Now I have reaccepted it in my life, and I am a lot happier for it. If you have any trepidation, please, be like me. Give it another shot. Sit alone by yourself and listen to it. Find what you are missing.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=R1VUNSE0
155 Chuck Berry - Maybellene
W: Berry
P: Leonard & Phil Chess
Elvis did not invent rock and roll, Chuck Berry did. If you (somehow) doubt me, listen to this song and then tell me what Elvis ever did that rocked this hard. Oh, yeah, and this was Chuck’s first single ever.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=UA2GSF8M
154 Prince & The Revolution - Baby I’m a Star
W: Prince
P: Prince & the Revolution
This song comes at the very end of “Purple Rain,” one of my favorite movies of all time, and it demands the entire audience to recognize the greatness they are all witnessing. It encapsulates the entire Prince persona in 4 minutes of danceable pop, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=W6B5TN8K
153 The Mothers of Invention - Wowie Zowie
W: Zappa
P: Tom Wilson
Personally, I have always preferred MOI-era Zappa to solo-era Zappa because The Mothers understood that to truly subvert pop music, you have to make pop music. This is an absurdist stab at pop music, but it works because of its own pop inclinations, especially in the xylophone, which twinkles along throughout.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=27J9IIGE
152 Weezer - Why Bother?
W: Cuomo
P: Weezer
The short, rhythmic punches in the chorus give this song some force, but it is Rivers’ vocal performance that makes it so much fun to sing along to. The raw sound of this song makes it feel that much more angry, bringing out the bitterness in the lyrics and downplaying the inner sadness in them.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=P9KQBSYX
151 Fleetwood Mac - Landslide
W: Nicks
P: Fleetwood Mac
I am now going to reveal why this song holds such a special place in my heart. After I learned my dad died I had to drive back home. I rode in silence for most of the trip, but, overwhelmed by emotions, I couldn’t take the silence anymore. I turned on the radio and the first thing I heard was Stevie Nicks saying “This is for you, Daddy” and then this song came on. It has stuck with me ever since.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=F58FM3SX