Found on: Imagine (1971)If seculars and agnostics and atheists gathered once a week and had fellowship and sang songs, this would be the first one in the hymn book.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
1. John Lennon - Imagine
Found on: Imagine (1971)If seculars and agnostics and atheists gathered once a week and had fellowship and sang songs, this would be the first one in the hymn book.
2. Don McLean - American Pie
Found on: American Pie (1971)When I was a kid I had an edited 45 of American Pie and I always thought it was about the Dukes of Hazzard because of the "good old boys" part. I also loved the rhyming of "Chevy" and "levee". As an adult I have a slightly deeper appreciation. The song is actually an abbreviated, poetically-veiled history of rock up to that point. Everyone knows the reference to the deaths of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens, but look for references to Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, etc. Consider that it remains a great song despite attempts to ruin it by both Madonna and The Brady kids.
3. Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive
Found on: Love Tracks (1979)Is it ironic that THE good-riddance-I-didn't-need-you-anyway anthem was originally on an album called Love Tracks? I think so. Play this in a room full of women and enjoy the show.
4. The Knack - My Sharona
Found on: Get The Knack (1979)One of the horniest songs ever, and also more than slightly creepy because of the line, "I always get it up for the touch / of the younger kind." The fact that people still sing along is a credit to the jungle beat, chugging bass, surf guitar and all-around energetic performance.
5. Kermit the Frog - The Rainbow Connection
Found on: The Muppet Movie: Original Soundtrack Recording (1979)As a three-year-old I had committed the soundtrack to memory before I ever saw The Muppet Movie, so when my mom took me to a showing at a rerun theater, I embarrassed her by singing along with every song in the loudest voice possible. Considering that it a) is sung by a puppet in a funny voice and b) features a banjo as the primary instrument, The Rainbow Connection has no right to be as affecting as it is.
6. Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now
Found on: I Can See Clearly Now (1972)I'm pessimistic about the prospects of you finding a more optimistic song than this one.
7. The Five Stairsteps - O-o-h Child
Found on: O-o-h Child (1970)The aural equivalent of your mom sitting by your bed when you feel sick in the night.
8. Player - Baby Come Back
Found on: Player (1977)A blue-eyed soul gem, with the message that every wronged lover longs to hear. Plus, a fun fact for all you daytime television fans. Ronn Moss, bassist for Player, went on to play Ridge on The Bold and the Beautiful.
9. Commodores - Easy
Found on: Commodores (1977)It's time to recognize Lionel Richie as the king of bridges. His bridges are almost always like separate little songs, with distinct melodies. In this case it's the "I wanna be high / So high..." part. Anyway, this song is a little bit conflicted, because he's basically telling everyone to let him be, but why would a person who's as "easy as Sunday morning" be so stand-offish?
10. Seals and Crofts - Summer Breeze
Found on: Summer Breeze (1972)Summer Breeze sounds like a sad song in the beginning. It always throws me off until it settles into its gentle pastoral message. Musically, it sounds like Cat Stevens jamming with Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
11. ABBA - Dancing Queen
Found on: Arrival (1977)Picked by: PA, WA, JG, RN, EV
I think Eliza summed this one up best: "What drunk doesn't like Dancing Queen? Especially on your birthday when everyone dances around you."
12. Todd Rundgren - Hello, It's Me
Found on: Something/Anything? (1972)Todd Rundgren picked up right where The Beatles and Beach Boys left off with this ultra-melodic easy listening classic. This is another one of those songs the '70s seemed to specialize in, namely the fact that it sounds like a love song but is really a break-up tune. If you listen carefully, the singer is basically letting her down easy by pretending it's for her own good: "It's important to me / that you know you are free." Of course, he still wants to hook up occasionally.
13. The Cars - Just What I Needed
Found on: The Cars (1978)Picked by: PA, WA, JG, RN
The Cars took a little bit of a '70s hard rock sensibility, some New Wave cool (especially in Ric Ocasek's detached vocals), the harmonies and production quality of a '60s pop group, and mixed it all together into a completely unique concoction. Just What I Needed is a perfect example of their appeal to both audiophiles and casual listeners.
14. Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue
Found on: Blood On The Tracks (1976)Picked by: PA, JG, RN, EV
Robert Zimmerman's pop breakthrough. There's nothing to complain about in this song; from the strong musicianship to the mesmerizing spell of the lyrics it's all solid. Even Bob's vocal performance is charming, making it one of the few Dylan songs that couldn't be improved by a cover version.
15. Al Green - Let's Stay Together
Found on: Let's Stay Together (1972)Picked by: PA, WA, RN, EV
I'm betting not many girls (or boys) were looking at the album cover as they listened to this song and fantasized that the future Reverend was singing just to them. That cock-eyed, leering look on Al's face kind of ruins the whole sentiment.
Friday, May 16, 2008
16. Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me (live)
Found on: At Budokan (1979)Picked by: PA, WA, RN, EV
Fun Fact: At least four Cheap Trick album covers feature only the pretty boy members of the band, Robin Zander and Tom Petersson. The nerdier Rick Neilsen and Bun E. Carlos were relegated to the back. Anyway, I Want You To Want Me is not only a great song, but it's one of the rare cases where a live version of a tune captures the public imagination. I think it's the thousands of Japanese boys and girls screaming "ah-ah-ah" that puts it over the top.
17. Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed
Found on: McCartney (1970)Picked by: PA, WA, SB, RN
A great love song; too bad McCartney had to stab the other Beatles in the back when he released it (he had begged each of the other members to not quit the band and then announced their break-up and the release of his first solo album in one fell swoop). By the way, the cover is another "Paul is dead" clue. You know the saying "life is just a bowl of cherries"? Well, they've all spilled out, see?
18. Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On
Found on: Let's Get It On (1973)Picked by: PA, WA, RN, EV
If you couldn't tell, we've reached the baby-making section of the list. Paste magazine had some commentary about this song recently. I can't find the exact wording, but it was something to the effect of "Let's Get It On could get a polar bear and a toaster to mate." I used to wonder if the line "stop beating 'round the bush" was entendre, but dismissed that as too tawdry for Marvin. Then I found out he had a song (on this very album, in fact) called You Sure Love To Ball. No kidding.
19. Isaac Hayes - Theme from "Shaft"
Found on: Shaft (1971)That layered groove alone is enough to place it among the best '70s songs, but add in the "damn right"s, "can you dig it"s and "shut your mouth"s and there's really no question.
20. The Delfonics - Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)
Found on: The Delfonics (1970)Is that an album cover photo or a J.C.Penney ad? Either way, as Kyan says, "This is the jam!" It's the sexiest break-up song ever.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
21. Jackson Browne - The Pretender
Found on: The Pretender (1976)Picked by: SB, JG, EV
To me The Pretender is about growing up. Specifically it's about those who abandoned the hippie dream of the '60s to answer the siren call of financial security. The name itself - The Pretender - almost seems to be a condemnation, inferring that the ideals of free love and anti-commercialism were never fully embraced by those who left them behind. The song conveys a definite sense of sadness and regret about this, but at the same time there's an affection for the more conventional life of job, home and family, as shown in the fine lyrical details of everyday life.
22. Pure Prairie League - Aime
Found on: Bustin' Out (1972)Great acoustic country ditty with gorgeous harmonies. But, wow, could the narrator be more wishy-washy? As it starts, it seems he thinks his girl is too clingy, but then we learn she's seeing someone else, and then he says he thinks they should be together, but that it's up to her because he can't make a decision. And dammit, there's no resolution, either.
23. Ace - How Long?
Found on: Five-A-Side (1974)Let's give it up for Paul Carrack! Most people don't know him, but he played for Roxy Music, The Pretenders, and The Smiths. He joined two other bands and gave them huge hits (Squeeze's Tempted and Mike + the Mechanics' Silent Running and The Living Years). Plus, he had his own smash hit in the late '80s with Don't Shed a Tear. It all started with Ace. How Long? is a heartsick ballad that appears to address a cheating lover, but is really about a bandmate who left to join a different band.
24. Ohio Players - Love Rollercoaster
Found on: Honey (1975)Great funky track with an undeniable rhythm and horn hook. There's a persistent urban legend that the scream in the middle of the song is the girl on the cover. The tale says she was disfigured by the fake honey used in the photo, attacked the band members in a fit of rage and was killed in self defense. Never mind that recording probably would have been stopped had this grisly scene played out as rumored, and never mind that very few bands have cover art completed before they finish recording an album! Oh, plus, she's still alive.
25. The Carpenters - (They Long To Be) Close To You
Found on: Close To You (1970)Picked by: WA, SB, KT
I don't think dating someone who could actually attract both birds and celestial bodies to their person would be all that fun, but that's just me. The best part of this song, besides Karen's hot-tea-with-honey voice, is by far the "waaaaah-ah-ah-ah-ah" ending.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
26. Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive
Found on: Saturday Night Fever (1977)Picked by: WA, RN
Like several other artists on the list, The Bee Gees were absolute '70s champs, but Stayin' Alive is their best struttin' song. Bonus for including both strings and horns.
27. Carole King - It's Too Late
Found on: Tapestry (1971)Picked by: PA, WA
All the songs on this amazing record make me feel like it's a spring Saturday morning with the windows open and a coolish breeze blowing through the house while your mom cleans. Is that just me?
28. Stevie Wonder - I Wish
Found on: Songs In the Key of Life (1976)Picked by: PA, WA
It's impossible to pick one song to represent Stevie Wonder's prodigious and ridiculously high-quality '70s output. But we'll try anyway, with a bouncy, affectionate and enlightening remembrance of his childhood days hanging out with friends, playing doctor, using church offering money to buy candy, and tagging walls. Who knew little Stevie was such a rapscallion?
29. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons - December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)
Found on: Who Loves You (1975)Picked by: WA, EV
I think many people are under the impression that this song is actually from 1963. Alas, it's not. Instead, it's a nostalgic reminiscence of the night our high-voiced narrator lost his virginity ("and as I recall it ended much too soon"). And seriously, what's up with that album cover?
30. Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Found on: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol.1 (1978)Picked by: PA, RN
One of the few bands to successfully incorporate the comma into their band name. Joy just radiates off this major chord tale of a fateful first meeting.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
31. The Clash - Train In Vain (Stand By Me)
Found on: London Calling (1979)Picked by: PA, RN
Would you believe Train In Vain wasn't even listed on original pressings of London Calling? That pretty much makes it the best bonus track ever, even if that is kind of like being the sanest person in the asylum. Still, a great song with a classic pop melody.
32. Billy Joel - She's Always a Woman
Found on: The Stranger (1977)Picked by: SB, EV
By rights, Billy Joel could have about 1/7 of this list to himself (6 songs alone from The Stranger are worthy), but She's Always a Woman won the most votes. The song comes on like a love ballad, but is really an unflattering portrait of a frustrating lady (she steals, lies, is never satisfied, etc.). Is the title phrase an indication of misogyny (i.e all women are like this), or is he saying he loves her despite her faults? You decide.
33. Led Zeppelin - Black Dog & Stairway To Heaven (tie)
Found on: Led Zeppelin IV (1971)Picked by: WA, EV, RN, JG
Black Dog is as earthbound and sexy as Stairway to Heaven is airy and mystical. My opinion on which is ultimately better depends on the day. But we all remember Damone's advice in Fast Times At Ridgemont High ("When it comes down to making out, whenever possible, put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV") so I guess you need a little of both.
34. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run
Found on: Born to Run (1975)Picked by: PA, RN
Can you believe this was '75?! We've come to think of Springsteen as such an '80s phenomenon, but consider that disco and punk hadn't even come along yet when Born To Run was released! It's weird to me. Anyway, even though this is a song written to a Wendy (my soon-to-be wife), Born To Run is really all about the music, especially Clarance Clemons' sax and David Sancious' piano.
35. Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Found on: Look Sharp! (1979)Picked by: PA, JG
Even when I was chronically single, I still felt like I was a pretty good catch. The girls I liked rarely agreed; instead it seems like they'd always be interested in total jackanapes. When confronted with these situations, without fail I'd sing this in my head and get my smile back.
Monday, May 12, 2008
36. John Denver - Thank God I'm A Country Boy (live)
Found on: An Evening with John Denver (1975)Picked by: PA, WA
Have you always found John Denver a little bit strange? Did you know he was born in Roswell, New Mexico? Something to think about. Anyway, even though he didn't write it, the live version of Thank God I'm A Country Boy sums up Henry Deutschendorf's appeal better than any of his other tunes (save maybe Rocky Mountain High, which just isn't as fun).
37. America - Tin Man
Found on: Holiday (1974)Picked by: WA, EV
There was a definite obsession with the Wizard of Oz mythos in the '70s, wasn't there? From The Wiz to Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road to the cover or Electric Light Orchestra's Eldorado album to Dark Side of the Moon. Anyway, can anyone tell me what this song is about? I'm serious, I have no idea.
38. Chicago - 25 or 6 to 4
Found on: Chicago (1970)Picked by: PA, JG
Several Chicago songs were nominated, but after ending up in traffic behind a van with the license plates 25OR64, I decided this one deserved the nod. Anyway, this really is the best representative of the band as it started out, strangely ambitious and unclassifiable. It's also kind of a meta-listening experience since the song is about trying to write a song! I guess it worked.
39. Talking Heads - Psycho Killer
Found on: Talking Heads '77Picked by: PA, JG
David, Jerry, Chris and Tina's nerd dance music appeal is summed up in Psycho Killer: strange French phrases, squeamish subject matter, yelped vocals, undeniable rhythm. If you didn't like this song, chances were you wouldn't like anything the band did in its next 11 years of existence.
40. Carly Simon - You're So Vain
Found on: No Secrets (1972)Picked by: PA, SB
Carly was pretty clever on this one, making either a denial or admission of guilt incriminating. She also set off a decades-spanning guessing game that still hasn't been given a final answer. If it really is about Mick Jagger, then she deserves even more props for getting him to provide back-up vocals!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
41. Derek and the Dominoes - Layla
Found on: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)Picked by: PA, JG
Eric Clapton's finest hour is a tortured ode to George Harrison's then-wife Pattie. Once again proving the power of rock, it actually worked and she left Harrison and ended up marrying Slowhand. It didn't last, but still...
42. George Harrison - What Is Life
Found on: All Things Must Pass (1970)Picked by: PA, JG
Harrison wrote more than just his two or three song allotment on every Beatles album, so when the time came to make his first solo record, he had a treasure trove to choose from. What Is Life is an especially shiny and valuable bauble. It's driven by surprisingly muscular horns and a locked-in rhythm section. It also may have single-handedly inspired the Christian rock genre, with lyrics that could refer to a lover or Jesus himself.
43. Steely Dan - Reelin' In the Years
Found on: Can't Buy a Thrill (1972)Picked by: WA, RN
Save the crisp production and instrumentation, Reelin' In the Years is not terribly representative of Chevy Chase's old band. They definitely got more obtuse and jazzy as they progressed, so this one stands as one of their few genuine rock numbers. Dig that solo!
44. Randy Newman - Political Science
Found on: Sail Away (1972)Picked by: JG
Like many a protest song, Political Science is eerily and unfortunately applicable to our current times. In it, Randy suggests the U.S.A. drop the A-bomb on every other country so no one will disagree with us. If you can remove it from the fact that Dick Cheney probably listens to this without recognizing the satire, it's actually a very funny song, especially when Newman suggests we save Australia because of the kangaroos.
45. Marvin Gaye - Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)
Found on: What's Going On (1971)Picked by: WA
Is it me, or does the '70s have an inordinate number of songs that are just as topical today as they were then? Here Marvin rues oil spills, air pollution, radiation and over-population taxing our natural resources. They were inconvenient truths back then too.
46. Fleetwood Mac - The Chain
Found on: Rumours (1977)Sure, there are a lot of other worthy Fleetwood Mac songs that we could have chosen, but to my ear, none represents the band quite as well as The Chain. That's because every single player contributes their "A" game. Lindsey and Stevie sing the verses in harmony, Christine provides her trademark angelic background vocals, John gets the rare bass solo that isn't superfluous, and Mick is the MVP of the final minute, providing a breakneck tempo.
47. Jackson Browne - Doctor My Eyes
Found on: Saturate Before Using (1972)Picked by: RN
A song about someone waking up from their self-imposed ambivalence and apathy. It's a striking message, but I prefer to concentrate on the pretty harmonies and the chugging bass.
48. Elton John - Your Song
Found on: Elton John (1970)What's amazing is that Your Song represents only the beginning of the cavalcade of Elton John hits in the '70s, '80s and '90s. If I were in his sparkly platform shoes and had written a song this good, I would have never tried to write another.
49. Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
Found on: Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)Picked by: EV
The best aspect of this secular hymn - besides the beautiful devotional lyrics - is the way it builds. Art's airy voice barely audible at first, but with each moment he gains confidence and volume, as if he believes his own words more and more as he says them. By the end, we're nearly overwhelmed.
50. The O'Jays - Back Stabbers
Found on: Back Stabbers (1972)"What they do?" The finest Philly soul available takes the prospect of your girl cheating on you with one of your friends and makes it catchy and danceable.
Friday, May 9, 2008
51. David Bowie - Heroes
Found on: Heroes (1977)Dreamy and majestic Romeo and Juliet tale of doomed lovers from different sides of Berlin. The quintessential basically-ignored-at-the-time-but-later-becomes-beloved song.
52. Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly
Found on: Killing Me Softly (1973)Before you ask, this swooning song is about singer/songwriter Don McLean, but it wasn't written by Roberta herself. Instead it was originated by a woman named Lori Lieberman, who was so moved by the American Pie man's stage presence she wrote a poem about it.
53. Michael Jackson - Rock With You
Found on: Off the Wall (1979)Is there any way to listen to this great tune (and basically anything else Michael released between 1979 and 1991) without feeling just a bit melancholy and sad about how it has all turned out? Anyway, go ahead and just try to stay off the dance floor when the DJ plays this jam. Try it, I'll wait.
54. Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill
Found on: Peter Gabriel (1977)A refreshing pop oasis in the middle of Peter Gabriel's experimental first album, this is the song that launched a thousand movie trailers.
55. The Temptations - Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
Found on: Sky's the Limit (1971)Surprising because it was a return to the Temptations' classic sound in the midst of their psychedelic time. Most casual observers would probably guess that Just My Imagination came out 10 years earlier than it actually did. The Rolling Stones covered it a short 7 years later, proving its durability.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
56. James Taylor - Fire and Rain
Found on: Sweet Baby James (1970)Picked by: WA
JT's gentle reaction to a friend's death is aural equivalent being wrapped up in a blanket on the couch with a hot beverage and a good book on a snowy day. This is music at its most powerful, making something almost joyful out of sadness, not by ignoring but by facing and embracing it.
57. The Spinners - I'll Be Around
Found on: The Spinners (1972)Philly soul pioneer Thom Bell teamed up with 5-man vocal group (the likes of which were quickly becoming outdated) and managed to make something immediate, relevant and classic. The lyrics are a picture of dedication, managing to avoid a stalkerish sentiment. Instead, it's like someone saying "I'm there for you" and we all know how well that works!
58. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - American Girl
Found on: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1977)Do you think Mike Campbell ever gets tired of playing that ringing guitar riff? Me neither. Tom and his Heartbreakers obviously had a very clear vision from the beginning, considering how assured American Girl sounds. All of the qualities that made them beloved are already there: harmony, rhythm, lyrics, energy, everything.
59. Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Pump It Up
60. Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Found on: Van Halen (1978)I know he ain't talking about love, but what is he talking about? It doesn't really matter, because this a 3 minute and 49 second evolution of rock 'n' roll: heavy, driving, squirmy, but also undeniably poppy.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
61. The Emotions - The Best of My Love
Found on: Rejoice (1977)What if Earth, Wind & Fire was fronted by three sassy ladies with iron-clad pipes? You'd end up with this classic roller skating jam.
62. Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine
Found on: Just As I Am (1971)The pop music version of a haiku, two minutes long, stark and economical. Go do yourself a favor and buy a Bill Withers album.
63. Hall & Oates - She's Gone
Found on: Abandoned Luncheonette (1973)Really look at the lyrics of this one. Daryl was one tortured fellow following a 1972 divorce: "Up in the morning, look at the mirror / I'm as worn as her toothbrush hanging in the stand / My face ain't looking any younger / Now I can see love's taken her toll on me." Anyway, do I need to tell you again how Hall & Oates are the still the standard-bearers of white soul? Good.
64. Kenny Loggins - This Is It
Found on: Keep The Fire (1979)Picked by: WA
The '70s in a less than 4 minutes: Funk, soul, pop, jazz and disco, plus Michael McDonald!
65. Van Morrison - Into The Mystic
Found on: Moondance (1970)Picked by: JG
A marvelous sea shanty with a jazzy funky soulfulness. They simply have to use this song on Lost.
66. The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action
Found on: Shake Some Action (1976)Great raw power pop. Seems strange to say 30 years on, but the song (and album cover) were obviously an attempt to recapture the British Invasion sound of the mid-'60s. Mission accomplished on that! Cracker covered the song on the Clueless soundtrack in their own throwback attempt.
67. KC and the Sunshine Band - (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty
Found on: Part 3 (1976)Picked by: EV
I'm usually turned off by instructional songs, but if this one hits me in just the right mood, I'll comply.
68. The Eagles - One of These Nights
Found on: One of These Nights (1975)Picked by: WA
Can someone tell me how it's physically possible to sing and play drums at the same time? I'm just asking... Anyway, One of These Nights is vaguely menacing on the verses, and then breaks into a Bee Gees-worthy chorus. Don Henley and Randy Meisner trade off vocals and the band lets loose and jams on the end, making it one of their most carefree and enjoyable singles.
69. Prince - I Wanna Be Your Lover
Found on: Prince (1979)A New Wave pop synth tune with a little bit of funk and some serious sexuality. Prince is almost bursting as he states, "I wanna be the only one you come for!" There are stories of women getting pregnant from just listening to this song.
70. Ramones - Cretin Hop
Found on: Rocket to Russia (1977)If the Beach Boys had grown up in New York and never made Pet Sounds, they would have been the Ramones. There's nothing especially notable about Cretin Hop when compared to the rest of the bands' catalog, but that was kind of the whole point, wasn't it?
Monday, May 5, 2008
71. Joni Mitchell - Help Me
Found on: Court and Spark (1974)Picked by: RN
A snapshot of the '70s California singer-songwriter sound: laid-back but immaculate performances and production. The best line, "And you love your lovin' / but not like you love your freedom" shows that Joni knows she's in trouble.
72. Billy Preston - Nothing From Nothing
Found on: The Kids & Me (1974)The 16th Beatle shows off a good grasp of math concepts on this infectiously bouncy number one hit.
73. The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again
Found on: Who's Next (1971)Picked by: JG
First, that has to be one of the best album covers of the '70s, right? Who's Next was "A" game all around; Won't Get Fooled Again is arguably not even the best song on the record. Even so, Pete was in the zone with that keyboard stuff, Roger shredded the microphone, and John was in the pocket, and Keith wore out his drum skins.
74. Dolly Parton - Here You Come Again
Found on: Here You Come Again (1977)Picked by: RN
One of Dolly's pop crossover singles, it sounds more like Carly Simon than country. Maybe that's because Dolly (who we should all know by now is a talented songwriter) didn't compose it. That was Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who also wrote (among many others) On Broadway, You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, Never Gonna Let You Go, and Somewhere Out There!
75. Supertramp - Breakfast In America
Found on: Breakfast In America (1979)Picked by: WA
Listen to that intro and tell me No Doubt didn't rip it off for Don't Speak. Anyway, this is a weird little song that channels Elton John and Billy Joel musically, insults a girlfriend and slyly references Dallas.
76. Olivia Newton-John - Hopelessly Devoted To You
Found on: Grease (1978)Grease's country moment is my favorite, as Sandy ruminates on the depths of her love in the front yard in her nightgown. Sadly, this is really how it feels to have an unfulfilled crush: "But now there's nowhere to hide / Since you pushed my love aside / I'm outta my head / Hopelessly devoted to you."
77. Bill Conti - Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)
Found on: Rocky: Original Motion Picture Score (1977)You could easily have John Williams' Superman or Star Wars themes as the late '70s soundtrack representative, but for my money, neither was as integral to its parent film as Gonna Fly Now. Also, neither had a chorus of singers or an electric guitar solo, so put on your gray sweat suit and go run through the streets of Philly.
78. The B-52's - Rock Lobster
Found on: The B-52's (1979)Let's take a surf-guitar and organ, add some Yoko Ono type warbling and a gay guy yelling about people having matching towels and see what happens! No one will be able to ever convince me that late '70s New Wave wasn't the most fertile, diverse and interesting movement in pop music history.
79. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Found on: Wish You Were Here (1975)Picked by: RN
Wish You Were Here is about founding Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett, who left the band after a gradual breakdown brought on by pre-existing mental issues and drug use. Lacking the usual Floyd pretension, the song is grounded by memorable acoustic guitar riff and some honky-tonk piano. The fact that Barrett was quite alive at the time excludes it from being a tribute, but doesn't reduce its power.
80. Bob Marley and the Wailers - Redemption Song
Found on: Uprising (1979)Picked by: EV
Even if you are one of those who feels mild to medium annoyance toward reggae, it's hard to hate Redemption Song. It's just Marley and a guitar; a beautiful folk protest.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
81. Elton John - Bennie and the Jets
Found on: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1976)A truly weird song about a fictional band. Elton stutters, hisses his esses and goes into falsetto intermittently. Electric piano duels with regular piano and fake crowd noise makes it seem live. Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin were at an "anything goes" phase of their career on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. What's amazing is how much of it went!
82. Ronnie Milsap - It Was Almost Like a Song
Found on: It Was Almost Like a Song (1977)Blind ivory-tickler Ronnie Milsap found his niche on this tearjerking ballad, his biggest hit to that point. The country sound is barely evident, which led to crossover appeal (No.16 on the Billboard Hot 100). Check out the vocal on the final minute; the man has some chops!
83. Badfinger - Day After Day
Found on: Straight Up (1971)Once considered the Beatles' torchbearers, Badfinger never quite made the leap. Even so, Day By Day shows it wasn't a completely outlandish notion. There's a McCartney-worthy vocal, three-part harmonies and some Harrison-esque slide guitar work.
84. King Harvest - Dancing In the Moonlight
Found on: King Harvest (1973)Picked by: SB
Some fine white soul made by hippies. The lead vocal is earthy and full and the chorus is pure street corner doo-wop.
85. England Dan and John Ford Cooley - Love Is the Answer
Found On: Dr.Heckle and Mr.Jive (1978)This Todd Rundgren cover is the dictionary definition of A.M. mellow gold easy listening, from the smooth jazz saxophone to the harmonies and female backing vocals on the bridge to the generic lyrical sentiment. But if it makes you balk, you simply aren't a fan of pop music. Bonus: The album photo and title.
86. Johnny and June Carter Cash - If I Were a Carpenter
Found on: Hello, I'm Johnny Cash (1970)Picked by: SB
"I gave you my loneliness / Give me your tomorrow." A great duet of devotion, made all the better by the genuine sentiment from the two performers.
87. XTC - Statue of Liberty
Found on: White Music (1977)A love song to the titular statue. One might interpret it as a paean to America, but I think lyricist/singer Andy Partridge just wanted to write funny entendre-rich lines like "In my fantasy I sail beneath your skirt" and "you've been the subject of so many dreams since I climbed your torso."
88. Toto - Hold the Line
Found on: Toto (1978)"Love isn't always on time." Sometimes it's running late and sometimes it gets there early to help set up. Hold the Line illustrates that harmony isn't just for sissy surf and folk groups, and the piano hook is undeniable
89. Paul Simon - 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
Found on: Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)I love how Simon has constantly and subtly adjusted his folky songwriting to the times without losing any of the classic appeal. The slyly funky chorus of 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover is a prime example. Even better, the song itself is one of the 50 ways, as the singer eventually gives into temptation.
90. Blondie - Hanging on the Telephone
Found on: Parallel Lines (1978)A cover, but a great one. One might call this a blueprint for Courtney Love's career: Sassy blonde woman with a mediocre voice and charisma to spare backed by a strong band.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
91. The Police - Message In a Bottle
Found on: Regatta De Blanc (1979)Cheesy as it is, I always like the ending where the narrator discovers his bottle among the millions. Considering that it appeared on their second album, it's striking how fully formed The Police "sound" is on Message In A Bottle. Three albums later they had written many variations on it, but never really innovated beyond.
92. The Grass Roots - Baby Hold On
Found on: More Golden Grass (1970)When I discovered The Grass Roots, I asked my dad if he liked them back in the day. His response was interesting. He said he wasn't a big fan; he and his hip friends viewed the band as overly poppy and commercial. So they were basically the Matchbox Twenty of the '70s. Personally, I find very little to dislike. Baby Hold On is a white soul classic. P.S. This is not the Eddie Money song!
93. Richard and Linda Thompson - A Heart Needs a Home
Found on: Hokey Pokey (1975)Picked by: JG
Is a beautiful love song diminished by the fact that the couple that made it didn't last? Nope.
94. Foghat - Slow Ride
Found on: Fool For the City (1975)Actually a somewhat musically complex, heavy song. Listen to the slippery bassline and meaty guitar. The perfect tune for feeling dazed and/or confused.
95. The Staple Singers - I'll Take You There
Found on: Be Altitude: Respect Yourself (1972)A youthful tune that belies the age of its creators (take a look that album cover). The lyrics may leave you wanting, but the groove doesn't quit.
96. Grateful Dead - Ripple
Found on: American Beauty (1970)Honestly, I wouldn't be including this song if not for its use in the final episode of Freaks and Geeks, wherein Lindsey Weir finds herself enraptured by the American Beauty album and eventually decides to spend her summer following the Dead (instead of doing college prep.). One might question her taste, but not the power of music to change lives.
97. T. Rex - Bong a Gong (Get It On)
Found on: Electric Warrior (1971)People throw around the phrase "ahead of its time" too liberally, but Bang a Gong (Get It On) deserves it. Removed from context it seriously sounds like it could have been released in the late '80s or early '90s. A lot of young minds were blown by this, I'd guess.
98. Big Star - September Gurls
Found on: Radio City (1974)If there had been no Big Star, there would be no Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub, Lemonheads, R.E.M., or any other power-pop leaning artist that emerged in the '80s. I want to call Big Star underrated, but considering that this tune was covered by The Bangles, The Replacements wrote a song about their lead singer (Alex Chilton) and an earlier tune, In The Street, was the theme for That '70s Show, it's kind of an groundless claim.
99. Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Everybody Loves the Sunshine
Found on: Everybody Loves the Sunshine (1976)Picked by: KT
It's all about sunshine, but the supple sound of the song is much more suited for what happens when the sun goes down, nudge nudge wink wink.
100. Queen - Somebody To Love
Found on: A Day At The Races (1976)As a singer, Freddie Mercury wasn't half-bad. An entire choir of him is even better. For my money, Somebody To Love has the the advantage over Bohemian Rhapsody because of the lucidity and vulnerability of the lyrics.
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