For the pure joy of it, I decided to make a list of the top 100 songs that I could listen to every day (if I wanted) and not tire of them. I have messed with the list for over a week now and may well mess with it again today or in the future. This is a fun exercise, so why should the fun ever come to an end?
In contemplating inclusion of a song, I focused both on the music and the lyrics. Lyrics are perhaps more important in my world, for a good song is as much poetry as it is music. Dylan doesn’t dominate as many lists as he does just because of a catchy tune. His lyrics are poetry as his Nobel prize proves. I have written before of music and poetry on this blog.
If artists are listed after a title, I consider their version of a song to be superlative, but I will listen to anyone’s version of the same song – at least once.
You might well disagree with my list. In fact, if you don’t, I will wonder whether you even bothered to read this post. There is no harm in disagreement as each of us has our own tastes. In fact, disagreement will engender yet more fun for both of us should we meet face to face to compare our lists. I am always ready to meet and defend my musical tastes, but only if you do your homework and make your own list first. Each of us might even learn something from the exercise.
This is a list as of this instant. Tomorrow it might well change. This is due to my lifelong love of music and an abiding interest in new releases and rediscoveries of old favorites. Where is Doc Pomus (“and Marie’s the name of his latest flame”) to be found on this list? Or Amy Speace? Or______ (fill in the blank)?Damn it all!
The list is alphabetical, not hierarchical. Numbers are for ease of reference.
My list is mostly post-1960 with exceptions for Dion. He just keeps going and going like the Energizer Bunny. He’s still at it today at age 80 something. Tom Jones is a close second. There may be others, but, hey, this is my list.
So, here it is:
- A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan
- A Soft Place To Fall – Allison Moorer
- A Wall In Washington – Iris DeMent
- After The Gold Rush –Neil Young
- Against The Wind – Bob Seeger
- Ain’t No Cure For Love – Leonard Cohen, Jennifer Warnes
- All Over Ohio – Over The Rhine
- American Tune – Paul Simon
- An Italian Restaurant – Billy Joel
- And So It Goes – Billy Joel and many others
- And The Night Stood Still – Dion
- Any Day Now – Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Jimmy LaFave
- Blowin’ In The Wind – Bob Dylan, Peter Paul and Mary
- Box Of Visions – Tom Russell
- Bridge Over Troubled Waters – Simon and Garfunkel, John Legend
- Bright Blue Rose – Mary Black
- Bus To St Cloud – Gretchen Peters
- California Dreaming – Mammas and Pappas
- California Saga – The Beach Boys
- Candle In The Wind – Elton John
- Carrickfergus – Allison Moorer and others (mostly Irish)
- Darling Be Home Soon – Lovin’ Spoonful
- Desperado – Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles
- Drift Away – Dobie Gray
- Eve Of Destruction – Barry McGuire
- For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield, Del McCoury Band
- Forever Young – Bob Dylan
- Fortunate Son – Credence Clearwater
- Four Strong Winds – Ian and Sylvia
- Garden Party – Rick Nelson
- Glory Days – Bruce Springsteen
- God Only Knows – Beach Boys
- Good Vibrations – Beach Boys
- Got My Mind Set On You – George Harrison
- Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen and millions
- Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles
- Harvest Moon – Neil Young
- Have You Ever Seen The Rain – Credence Clearwater
- Heart of Gold – Neil Young
- Helpless – Neil Young
- Helplessly Hoping – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
- Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles
- Hey Jude – The Beatles
- I Won’t Crumble With You If You Fall – Tom Jones
- If I Fall Behind – Bruce Springsteen, Dion
- If I Had A Boat – Lyle Lovett
- Imagine – John Lennon
- In My Room – The. Beach Boys
- Into The Mystic – Van Morrison
- It’s Not Over Yet – Rodney Crowell
- Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door – Eric Clapton
- Landslide – Fleetwood Mac, The Chicks
- Let It Be – The Beatles
- Little Glass Of Wine – Jesse Winchester
- Looking For Blue Eyes – Allison Moorer and others
- Love Hurts – Everly Brothers, Emmylou Harris & Mark Knopfler
- Lullaby – Billy Joel
- Make You Feel My Love – Bob Dylan, Garth Brooks, Adele
- Michele – The Beatles
- Monday Monday – Mommas and Poppas, Foxes and Fossils
- My Little Town – Paul Simon
- My Town – Iris DeMent
- Not Dark Yet – Bob Dylan at his best. The best versions are by Dylan, Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer, and Jimmy LaFave.
- Ohio – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
- Old Man – Neil Young
- Our House – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
- Paradise – John Prine
- Penny Lane – The Beatles
- Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison
- Proud Mary – Credence Clearwater Revival, Tina Turner
- Rock Around The Clock – Bill Haley
- Roll Over Beethoven – Chick Berry
- Runaround Sue – Dion
- Sail On Sailor – The Beach Boys, Foxes and Fossils
- Sea of Heartbreak – Don Gibson, Johnny Cash, Rosanne Cash.
- Shame On The Moon – Bob Seeger,, Rodney Crowell
- The Cape – Guy Clark, Eric Bibb
- The Color Of A Cloudy Day – Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer
- The Dark End Of The Street – James Carr, Dan Penn
- The Devil’s Radio – George Harrison
- The Dimming Of The Day – Richard Thompson, Mary Black, Bonnie Raitt and others
- The Eye – Brandi Carlile
- The Joke – Brandi Carlile
- The Long And Winding Road – The Beatles
- The Moon And St Christopher – Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mary Black
- The Sound Of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel, Disturbed, and others
- The Times They Are A-Changing – Bob Dylan, Peter Paul and Mary
- The Wanderer – Dion
- The Weight – The Band and others
- This Land Is Your Land – Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and thousands
- Too Old To Die Young – Kevin Welch, The Trishas
- Tower of Song – Leonard Cohen, Tom Jones
- Turn, Turn, Turn – Pete Seeger, The Byrds, and a host of Others
- Vincent – Don McLean and many others
- Who’ll Stop The Rain – Credence Clearwater
- Why Worry – Everly Brothers, Mark Knopfler
- Wildflowers – Tom Petty, Wailin’ Jennys
- Will I See You In Heaven – Eric Clapton
- You Never Can Tell – Chuck Berry
- You’ve Got A Friend – Carole King, James Taylor and many others
