10. 'I Want to Break Free' - Queen - I just plain love this song. The acoustic bassline does it.
9. 'A Hard Rains a-Gonna Fall' - Bob Dylan/Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music - I included the two practitioners of this song because Dylan wrote and performed the original, and Roxy Music's version was, simply put, better. It's a great song about a young man who travels the world and sees the pain and suffering as well as its beauty. Kind of like this blog.
8. 'Rhapsody in Blue' - George Gershwin - Unorthodox choice for a list mainly containing hit songs but this 16 minute jazz number can't possibly miss the list. It's a classic.
7. 'Clubbed to Death' - Rob Dougan - Had to slip an instrumental in here and this song takes the cake as far as techno instrumentals go. Was used in The Matrix and has a bitchin' video clip to boot.
6. 'Blinded by the Light' - Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Written by The Boss himself, and sung with a rough, no-shit southern accent, this song is a pearler. I'm not really sure what it's about, but the words sound intelligent and the assonance is amazing "Madman drummers, bummers, Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat...in the dumps with the mumps as the adolescent pumps his way into his hat". Pure genius.
5. 'House of the Rising Sun' - The Animals - Unlucky to be as far back as five. This song is an all time classic. The most intriguing thing about it is that no one is exactly sure who wrote it or where it originated. Some say it was Bob Dylan, others say it was Ogden Nash (actually no one says that, but they should). The Animals' version of this song is said to have "changed the face of music forever" ... presumably in a good way.
4. 'Piano Man' - Billy Joel - Not many people who have had as many number one hits as Billy Joel can claim they still have that signature song. 'Piano Man' is that signature song. It's the ballad of a bar and the many stories of its characters from Mike at the bar who wants to be a movie star to Davy who will probably be in the Navy for life. Can you believe the clowns at Rolling Stone had this at #421 on the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list?
3. 'Holy Grail' - Hunters and Collectors - To get the full feel of this song, you have to listen to an acoustic version. Either way, it's a top song and centres on Napoleon's unsuccessful campaign in Russia. Songs about historical events are the best.
2. 'Every Breath You Take' - The Police - The song is about a messy break-up where the protagonist will be watching everything the ex-GF does. It's kinda creepy but still an awesome song and has a great bassline.
1. 'With or Without You' - U2 - Have you ever thought to yourself, "I would love to write a successful song and make millions of dollars, but I just need an idea"? Well U2 absolutely nailed it. "I can't live with or without you" has to represent the thoughts of every single relationship that has ever gone through a slightly rocky period. It's brilliant.
---------Honourable Mention---------
'Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' - U2
'Bittersweet Symphony' - The Verve
'The Horses' - Daryl Braithwaite
'New Kid in Town' - The Eagles
'White Christmas' - Bing Crosby
'Running on Empty' - Jackson Browne
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