Top 100 Favorite Songs: 100-91

100. “My Sharona”—The Knack (Album: Get The Knack, 1979)

That infections drum-and-bass beat sets the tone, and the earworm chorus is almost ubiquitous, but it's the guitar solo, so good you can't believe it—almost like it belongs to another song, that makes this song an all-time classic.

99. “American Pie”—Don McLean (Album: American Pie, 1971)

Is there anyone alive who can't sing along with this chorus? I've had every word of this song memorized since I was aged in single digits. This song about "The Day the Music Died" will never die.

98. “Here’s Where the Story Ends”—The Sundays (Album: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, 1990)

A favorite of mine to write with on the stereo, this British alternative band is distinguished by the innocent-sounding but wisdom-wielding vocals of lead singer Harriet Wheeler. I particularly like that she keeps her British accent as she sings.

97. “Am I Wrong”—Love Spit Love (Album: Love Spit Love, 1992)

Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler formed this group in the mid-nineties; I'm a fan of the Furs and Butler's rich baritone. I feel like they might have had more success with a better name for the band. I never get tired of this song.

96. “California Love”—Tupac w/ Dr. Dre (Album: All Eyez on Me, 1996)

That beat! OMG that beat! I can never get enough of that wicked beat, not to mention Dr. Dre's lyrically tricky raps. The essence of cool drips from every note of this song.

95. “Buddy Holly”—Weezer (Album: Weezer, 1994)

Weezer is one of the most divisive bands when it comes to musical opinions, but I think most people would agree that this song is simply amazing, as is their seamless integration into a Happy Days episode. The Fonz approves!

94. “Allentown”—Billy Joel (Album: The Nylon Curtain, 1982)

A prescient protest song about how unions and the working class are getting royally screwed by the company owners, Joel's combination of anger and sadness perfectly captures how I've felt about capitalism for the past thirty years.

93. “Private Eyes”—Hall & Oates (Album: Private Eyes, 1981)

This song came out when I was in junior high, and oh my goodness, how we all went bananas for the syncopated rhythm and sing-and-clap-along chorus. To date, my favorite H&O tune of them all.

92. “Bust a Move”—Young MC (Album: Stone Cold Rhymin', 1989)

My kids didn't believe me last year when I claimed I could karaoke this song word for word. I wish they had made a cash wager...but since it's my kids, I would have had to loan them the money to pay off. Too many people don't remember how much fun Eighties rap could be.

91. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”—Cyndi Lauper (Album: She's So Unusual, 1983)

I have professed by eternal love for all things Cyndi Lauper many times before in this blogspace, so it's fitting that the song that catapulted her to the top of American pop culture rounds out the first ten. Despite being at the bottom of this chart, these are all songs I deeply love, and have for years.