My good friend Dave wrote a piece about Rolling Stone magazine’s new Greatest 500 Songs of All Time on his blog Area 224. He asked me and a few others to submit our own Top Ten lists with commentary explaining the ‘greatness’ of each track.
It was a lot of fun to think about and I made myself laugh writing it, so I’m posting my contribution below. You can read Dave’s entire article here.
1. ‘God Only Knows‘ - The Beach BoysÂ
Produced by musical savant Brian Wilson, lyrics written by the indispensable Tony Asher, sung by the Wilson/Love clan, and backed by the legendary studio musicians known as the Wrecking Crew - God Only Knows is the closest thing that exists to a perfect pop song. It takes balls to start a ballad with the line "I may not always love you" but the irony works in a song where the protagonist is trying to convince himself that his existence is not hopeless without her. Of course, he knows that is not true. From the album that inspired the Beatles to make Sergeant Pepper - Pet Sounds was the last great work by the Beach Boys. The transatlantic competition between the two groups was never a fair fight: Lennon, McCarthy and producer George Martin versus an outnumbered Brian Wilson. If Mike Love were your sounding board, you'd have a nervous breakdown too.
2. ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow‘ - The ShirellesÂ
Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin and perfectly delivered by the Shirelles with the help of swelling strings, this song is as beautiful as it is heart-wrenching. Besides the raw emotion of a young woman's vulnerability and the listener's knowledge that she is about to be lied to and have her heart broken, the song was downright subversive for America in 1960. Good girls were not even supposed to contemplate such things, let alone ask the question. This song is poetry set to gorgeous music. Â
3. ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright‘ - Bob Dylan
Speaking of poetry set to music, you could say that about every song Bob Dylan ever wrote. The Nobel Prize committee agrees. But of all of his brilliant work, none cut quite to the bone like this song about the end of a relationship. Covered countless times but never delivered better than the version he originally recorded. People think breaking up with Taylor Swift is dangerous, but if Dylan ever wrote a song about you (Positively 4th Street, Idiot Wind, etc), you'd need actual stitches for all the phrases that drew blood.
4. ‘Like A Stone‘ - Audioslave
Truly great songs can be rearranged drastically and still be brilliant. This is such a song. As arranged originally by the hard rock supergroup, it delivers perfectly with Rage Against the Machine supporting lead singer Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, the greatest voice of 90s hard rock (RIP). Tom Morello does Tom Morello things and the song rocks hard until the end of the bridge - where it breaks into a slow acoustic ballad of melancholic regret. Of all the great songs Soundgarden and RATM individually produced, they never surpassed the achievement of this collaborative track.
5. ‘Black‘ - Pearl Jam
It is the summer of 1993. It's 2 am in the kitchen of a beach house full of college kids. This song comes on and a few start singing along. They are quickly joined by others and soon everyone in the house is belting out the lyrics in unison. A communal experience that no one present will ever forget. Black is the greatest song of the grunge era. It was, is, and forever shall be, the anthem of Generation X.Â
6. ‘Bodysnatchers‘ - Radiohead
It begins with a sustained hard driving rhythm. The tempo steadily increases as the cacophony builds, the beat shifts and shifts again until it reaches a frenetic climax that leaves you exhausted. It's then you realize, this song is the sonic equivalent to the greatest fuck you ever had.Â
7. ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday‘ - U2
Is that an electric fiddle being played under the driving military drum beat? Brilliant nuance to a song describing war-torn Northern Ireland during the Troubles. How long must we sing this song? If anyone remembers U2 one-hundred years from now, it will be for this track. Bonus points for it being recorded before Bono became an insufferable douchebag.
8. ‘New Sensation‘ - INXSÂ
Does it have killer guitar riffs? Check. Drum machine? Check. A saxophone? Check. Semi-androgynous lead singer with a Jim Morrison vibe? You're goddamn right it does! It's 1987 and INXS rules. People forget, but this band was ubiquitous for about 2 1/2 years in the late 80s and this song captures the zeitgeist of that time like no other. This despite sounding as if it were recorded yesterday.
9. ‘Heart of Glass‘ by Blondie
Is it disco? Is it new wave? Does it matter? It's Debbie Harry, and she is perfect. As the kids say, this song slaps. Also, Debbie Harry.
10. ‘Santa Monica‘ by Everclear
The lyrics describe many people's attitudes about the current state of affairs in this country. Especially mine. I, too, want to live beside the ocean and watch the world die. Is it timeless or just timely? No idea. Do I overvalue songs that change tempo, start slow and build momentum? Probably. Do I pose too many questions? Perhaps, but if you don't like this song, we can't be friends.
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Honorable Mentions: February Seven - Avett Brothers; Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears For Fears; Brilliant Disguise - Bruce Springsteen; Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits; Cathy's Clown - Everly Brothers; Dancing Queen - ABBA; Psycho Killer - Talking Heads; Australia - The Shins; Heroes - David Bowie; Father and Son - Cat Stevens; Thunderclouds - Sia, Diplo & Labrinth; The Way - Fastball