The Ecstatic Truth, Pt. 15
150 Sly & The Family Stone - M’Lady
W: Stewart
P: Sly Stone
This thumping rave-up of a song is a personal favorite because I think it is one of Sly’s most fun songs. It has everything you want from early Sly material: a dancing organ, a joyous chorus, swinging horns, and, of course, great nonsensical group vocals.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=PZDVJX6N
149 Simon and Garfunkel - America
W: Simon
P: Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, and Roy Halee
I think one thing about this song that people generally overlook is how lost the lyrics of this song reveal themselves to be. The singer (and eventually everyone on the road) is looking for America, but no one actually finds it.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=33QQ9C41
148 Eels - My Descent Into Madness
W: Everett/Simpson/Huston/Nakamura
P: E and The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
I have always considered this song to be a lost Handsome Boy Modeling School song because it was the first taste any one got of the Prince Paul/Dan the Automator production team. It has all of the laid-back cool of an HBMS track (there’s even sleigh bells!) and E’s songwriting is focused and direct while still maintaining a calm disconnect, especially as he says “Voices tell me I’m the shit… I’m the shit.”
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=YX4VGCSO
147 Lou Reed - Satellite of Love
W: Reed
P: David Bowie and Mick Ronson
Lou Reed and David Bowie are like peanut butter and chocolate to me: two great tastes that taste even better together. This is the most Bowie-esque song of their work together, but I think that is a good thing. Reed’s songwriting is playful and Bowie’s back-up vocals are dramatic; together they make a smorgasbord of sound that is easy to chew into. That was a weird description.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=IJFC5P54
146 ABBA - Waterloo
W: Andersson/Ulvaeus/Anderson
P: Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus
Yes, I do like ABBA. I am not ashamed. There is nothing “guilty” about the pleasure I derive from this song. I try to put this song on the jukebox at every bar I go to, just to make everyone else enjoy it.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=11GHVR9G
145 Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues (Live)
W: Cash
P: Bob Johnston
If you don’t get why this record works, you’ll probably never get Johnny Cash. Your loss.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=OXI9DZMU
144 Alice Cooper - I’m Eighteen
W: Cooper/Bruce/Buxton/Dunaway/Smith
P: Jack Richardson & Bob Ezrin
There is nothing grandiose about this record, it is just a simple rock song about being torn between an old self and a new self.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=DHLXBKJK
143 Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You
W: Parton
P: Bob Ferguson
I honestly don’t know why people prefer Whitney’s version of this song more than Dolly’s. Whitney sings powerfully, but her overachieving vocals are no match for Parton’s understated tenderness. This is a beautifully written song and it deserves the beautiful treatment Dolly gives it.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=TS6UD22R
142 The Clash - Career Opportunities
W: Jones/Strummer
P: Mickey Foote
The Sex Pistols may have been the nihilistic darlings of the critics, but The Clash rock harder and actually say something in their music. This angry diatribe against the government, and specifically the army, is also one of the group’s harder rocking tunes. The Clash later revived this song on their “Sandinista!” album when they rerecorded it with a group of children singing the vocals.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=OJIVJM69
141 Crosby, Stills, & Nash - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
W: Stills
P: Bill Halverson, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash
What a winding road of a record. You never know exactly where it is going to take you next, but each section is enjoyable and the overall effect is very strong. Stephen Stills has a great sense of melody, and when joined with David Crosby and Graham Nash he is also able to show what a wonderful vocal arranger he is.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=2S8S65ON
140 Earth, Wind, and Fire - September
W: McKay/White/Wills
P: Maurice White
There are lots of great EWF songs, but none sound half as joyous as this one. “September” is one of those songs that make you feel great to be alive, and, best of all, you can dance to it!
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZRL7J6PK
139 The Beatles - Happiness Is a Warm Gun
W: Lennon/McCartney
P: George Martin
For the longest time this was my favorite Beatles song. An odd choice, I know, but there is something about its mobile darkness I find really interesting, especially because the darkest part of the song is also presented as the happiest.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=DMULZNDB
138 The Clash - I’m Not Down
W: Jones/Strummer
P: Guy Stevens
This is not the hardest song in The Clash’s catalogue, but it is one of my favorites because it defines their mental and musical toughness. The lyrics sound like they should be sung by Jake LaMotta; just because you beat me, it doesn’t mean I’m down.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=LQF0EG7X
137 The Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane
W: Reed
P: The Velvet Underground and Shel Kagan & Geoffrey Haslam
Many people have covered it, but none have matched the greatness of the original. This is one of my favorite vocal performances by Lou Reed because he recognizes he isn’t the greatest of singers and still makes the most out of what he has to work with. Every line has its own unique sense of rhythm as different words are drawn out or repeated to help give the feel of an impromptu performance.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=4N4K0MBL
136 Fishbone - Party at Ground Zero
W: Jones/Moore/Fisher
P: David Kahne
This song exhibits every element in Fishbone’s wild ska-punk-funk-rock grab bag to its fullest. The cheeky lyrics are pointed straight at the heart of the war system, but the sound celebrates like it’s the end of the world as if to say that if we’re all going out, we might as well go out with a bang.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=5LJRSC3U
135 The Beatles - I Will
W: Lennon/McCartney
P: George Martin
“I Will” is not the first song people usually think of when they mention The Beatles, but I think it is one of the greatest songs Paul has ever written. Many times, McCartney’s attempts at love songs come off schmaltzy, but this song’s simplicity gives him room to breathe, and the airiness helps create a very calm and loving sound.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=RICSW2PE
134 Natalie Cole - This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)
W: Jackson/Yancey
P: Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancey
I know it is being played out in movie trailers and eHarmony commercials, but I still think it’s a great song. It demonstrates that lesson in songwriting so many people seem to have missed: songs work better when you convey emotion in lyrics and in music. Not only does this song talk about being in love, it SOUNDS like being in love.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=MQUIW4NL
133 Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit
W: Wu-Tang Clan
P: RZA and Method Man
The only thing that keeps this song this low on the list is the fact that only three members of the Wu rap on it. The beat is nothing if not nasty, and the raps by RZA, Inspectah Deck, and Meth are all razor sharp and on point, making the song even more of a big middle finger to the industry.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=2F8H367Z
132 Fishbone - Bonin’ in the Boneyard
W: Moore/Fisher/Kahne
P: David Kahne
This is the kind of funk The Red Hot Chili Peppers have always been looking for. The main difference? Fishbone is actually funky.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=NVY6USK7
131 Tom Petty - Free Fallin’
W: Petty/Lynne
P: Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Mike Campbell
It has almost become cliché to like this song, but I still like it. It doesn’t matter if you have never felt the sentiment of the verses, the chorus is so sweeping and yet so simple, it is almost impossible to not get caught up in it.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=CTZG1GF4
130 Elvis Presley - Can’t Help Falling In Love With You
W: Weiss/Peretti/Creatore
P: Joseph Lilley
This is my favorite Elvis song because he isn’t trying to be some great showman or troubadour, he actually seems to connect with this song. The song, which was co-written by former Sam Cooke producers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore, allows him to locate his deepest feelings of love and he expresses them in a disarmingly tender manner.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=B1E0DWAS
129 The Paris Sisters - I Love How You Love Me
W: Mann/Kolber
P: Phil Spector
I wish someone would sing this song to me.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=I4QA6DC1
128 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Fire
W: Hendrix
P: Chas Chandler
I like to listen to this song to help me get energized when I am tired. The sound is beyond hard; it’s ferocious. The whole thing teeters on the edge of chaos, but the players are all so skilled they remain in the pocket and their flirtations with danger become that much more exciting.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=V31C3NT9
127 The Cars - My Best Friend’s Girl
W: Ocasek
P: Roy Thomas Baker
Simple, catchy ‘70s pop. It’s as simple as that really. Also, does anybody else think that the guitar break is directly stolen from “I Will”?
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=AXFR5G8N
126 Chuck Berry - Roll Over Beethoven
W: Berry
P: Leonard & Phil Chess
Greatest. Rock. Bridge. Ever.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=NEUVLM2R
W: Stewart
P: Sly Stone
This thumping rave-up of a song is a personal favorite because I think it is one of Sly’s most fun songs. It has everything you want from early Sly material: a dancing organ, a joyous chorus, swinging horns, and, of course, great nonsensical group vocals.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=PZDVJX6N
149 Simon and Garfunkel - America
W: Simon
P: Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, and Roy Halee
I think one thing about this song that people generally overlook is how lost the lyrics of this song reveal themselves to be. The singer (and eventually everyone on the road) is looking for America, but no one actually finds it.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=33QQ9C41
148 Eels - My Descent Into Madness
W: Everett/Simpson/Huston/Nakamura
P: E and The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
I have always considered this song to be a lost Handsome Boy Modeling School song because it was the first taste any one got of the Prince Paul/Dan the Automator production team. It has all of the laid-back cool of an HBMS track (there’s even sleigh bells!) and E’s songwriting is focused and direct while still maintaining a calm disconnect, especially as he says “Voices tell me I’m the shit… I’m the shit.”
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=YX4VGCSO
147 Lou Reed - Satellite of Love
W: Reed
P: David Bowie and Mick Ronson
Lou Reed and David Bowie are like peanut butter and chocolate to me: two great tastes that taste even better together. This is the most Bowie-esque song of their work together, but I think that is a good thing. Reed’s songwriting is playful and Bowie’s back-up vocals are dramatic; together they make a smorgasbord of sound that is easy to chew into. That was a weird description.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=IJFC5P54
146 ABBA - Waterloo
W: Andersson/Ulvaeus/Anderson
P: Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus
Yes, I do like ABBA. I am not ashamed. There is nothing “guilty” about the pleasure I derive from this song. I try to put this song on the jukebox at every bar I go to, just to make everyone else enjoy it.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=11GHVR9G
145 Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues (Live)
W: Cash
P: Bob Johnston
If you don’t get why this record works, you’ll probably never get Johnny Cash. Your loss.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=OXI9DZMU
144 Alice Cooper - I’m Eighteen
W: Cooper/Bruce/Buxton/Dunaway/Smith
P: Jack Richardson & Bob Ezrin
There is nothing grandiose about this record, it is just a simple rock song about being torn between an old self and a new self.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=DHLXBKJK
143 Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You
W: Parton
P: Bob Ferguson
I honestly don’t know why people prefer Whitney’s version of this song more than Dolly’s. Whitney sings powerfully, but her overachieving vocals are no match for Parton’s understated tenderness. This is a beautifully written song and it deserves the beautiful treatment Dolly gives it.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=TS6UD22R
142 The Clash - Career Opportunities
W: Jones/Strummer
P: Mickey Foote
The Sex Pistols may have been the nihilistic darlings of the critics, but The Clash rock harder and actually say something in their music. This angry diatribe against the government, and specifically the army, is also one of the group’s harder rocking tunes. The Clash later revived this song on their “Sandinista!” album when they rerecorded it with a group of children singing the vocals.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=OJIVJM69
141 Crosby, Stills, & Nash - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
W: Stills
P: Bill Halverson, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash
What a winding road of a record. You never know exactly where it is going to take you next, but each section is enjoyable and the overall effect is very strong. Stephen Stills has a great sense of melody, and when joined with David Crosby and Graham Nash he is also able to show what a wonderful vocal arranger he is.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=2S8S65ON
140 Earth, Wind, and Fire - September
W: McKay/White/Wills
P: Maurice White
There are lots of great EWF songs, but none sound half as joyous as this one. “September” is one of those songs that make you feel great to be alive, and, best of all, you can dance to it!
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZRL7J6PK
139 The Beatles - Happiness Is a Warm Gun
W: Lennon/McCartney
P: George Martin
For the longest time this was my favorite Beatles song. An odd choice, I know, but there is something about its mobile darkness I find really interesting, especially because the darkest part of the song is also presented as the happiest.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=DMULZNDB
138 The Clash - I’m Not Down
W: Jones/Strummer
P: Guy Stevens
This is not the hardest song in The Clash’s catalogue, but it is one of my favorites because it defines their mental and musical toughness. The lyrics sound like they should be sung by Jake LaMotta; just because you beat me, it doesn’t mean I’m down.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=LQF0EG7X
137 The Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane
W: Reed
P: The Velvet Underground and Shel Kagan & Geoffrey Haslam
Many people have covered it, but none have matched the greatness of the original. This is one of my favorite vocal performances by Lou Reed because he recognizes he isn’t the greatest of singers and still makes the most out of what he has to work with. Every line has its own unique sense of rhythm as different words are drawn out or repeated to help give the feel of an impromptu performance.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=4N4K0MBL
136 Fishbone - Party at Ground Zero
W: Jones/Moore/Fisher
P: David Kahne
This song exhibits every element in Fishbone’s wild ska-punk-funk-rock grab bag to its fullest. The cheeky lyrics are pointed straight at the heart of the war system, but the sound celebrates like it’s the end of the world as if to say that if we’re all going out, we might as well go out with a bang.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=5LJRSC3U
135 The Beatles - I Will
W: Lennon/McCartney
P: George Martin
“I Will” is not the first song people usually think of when they mention The Beatles, but I think it is one of the greatest songs Paul has ever written. Many times, McCartney’s attempts at love songs come off schmaltzy, but this song’s simplicity gives him room to breathe, and the airiness helps create a very calm and loving sound.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=RICSW2PE
134 Natalie Cole - This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)
W: Jackson/Yancey
P: Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancey
I know it is being played out in movie trailers and eHarmony commercials, but I still think it’s a great song. It demonstrates that lesson in songwriting so many people seem to have missed: songs work better when you convey emotion in lyrics and in music. Not only does this song talk about being in love, it SOUNDS like being in love.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=MQUIW4NL
133 Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit
W: Wu-Tang Clan
P: RZA and Method Man
The only thing that keeps this song this low on the list is the fact that only three members of the Wu rap on it. The beat is nothing if not nasty, and the raps by RZA, Inspectah Deck, and Meth are all razor sharp and on point, making the song even more of a big middle finger to the industry.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=2F8H367Z
132 Fishbone - Bonin’ in the Boneyard
W: Moore/Fisher/Kahne
P: David Kahne
This is the kind of funk The Red Hot Chili Peppers have always been looking for. The main difference? Fishbone is actually funky.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=NVY6USK7
131 Tom Petty - Free Fallin’
W: Petty/Lynne
P: Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Mike Campbell
It has almost become cliché to like this song, but I still like it. It doesn’t matter if you have never felt the sentiment of the verses, the chorus is so sweeping and yet so simple, it is almost impossible to not get caught up in it.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=CTZG1GF4
130 Elvis Presley - Can’t Help Falling In Love With You
W: Weiss/Peretti/Creatore
P: Joseph Lilley
This is my favorite Elvis song because he isn’t trying to be some great showman or troubadour, he actually seems to connect with this song. The song, which was co-written by former Sam Cooke producers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore, allows him to locate his deepest feelings of love and he expresses them in a disarmingly tender manner.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=B1E0DWAS
129 The Paris Sisters - I Love How You Love Me
W: Mann/Kolber
P: Phil Spector
I wish someone would sing this song to me.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=I4QA6DC1
128 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Fire
W: Hendrix
P: Chas Chandler
I like to listen to this song to help me get energized when I am tired. The sound is beyond hard; it’s ferocious. The whole thing teeters on the edge of chaos, but the players are all so skilled they remain in the pocket and their flirtations with danger become that much more exciting.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=V31C3NT9
127 The Cars - My Best Friend’s Girl
W: Ocasek
P: Roy Thomas Baker
Simple, catchy ‘70s pop. It’s as simple as that really. Also, does anybody else think that the guitar break is directly stolen from “I Will”?
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=AXFR5G8N
126 Chuck Berry - Roll Over Beethoven
W: Berry
P: Leonard & Phil Chess
Greatest. Rock. Bridge. Ever.
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=NEUVLM2R