#10: "Crazy for You" by Madonna (Album: Vision Quest, 1985)
My favorite Madonna song since it hit the radio ahead of its appearance in the high school wrestling movie Vision Quest, this has been a go-to slow dance selection for my wife and me for almost 25 years now.
#9: "Weekend in New England" by Barry Manilow (Album: This One's For You, 1976)
I could have put at least three or four other Manilow favorites somewhere in this countdown (and they would for sure have been included in a top 200, but OMG who has the time?), but this one has been at the top for me since I was ten years old. It starts simple but ends with such dramatic power, with all the characteristic Manilow touches—modulated upward key changes, orchestral dynamics, and his own vocal virtuosity.
#8: "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel (Album: So, 1986)
It certainly would have been a great song on its own merits, but its placement and purpose in the Eighties romantic classic ...say anything puts this love song into the Epic category. Another brilliant track from his landmark So album, Gabriel adds a world music vibe to his own songwriting genius.
#7: "Mary's Prayer" by Danny Wilson (Album: Meet Danny Wilson, 1987)
I'm not sure how many people (other than Steve) are even familiar with this hidden gem from the late Eighties, but I bought the whole CD on the strength of this single. I didn't even care that the rest of the album was forgettable; "Mary's Prayer" was worth the purchase price (this was before the Internet, kids, when songs cost real money). There's a wonderful little touch in this song that kills me every time I hear it...go to about 3:00 in the video; they move from the chorus to the outro, and at 3:15, there's a piano fall that ends in a cymbal crash and the next line...it's so wonderful and brilliant, and it makes the whole song even more special.
#6: "Adia" by Sarah McLachlan (Album: Surfacing, 1997)
I think Sarah McLachlan has the most beautiful voice I've ever heard; yes, others are equally wonderful, but hers resonates with me above all the rest, and this is the most beautiful of her songs I've heard. "Adia" gives me chills every single time I listen. Her voice sounds like what it feels like to fall in love.
#5: "Simple Song" by The Shins (Album: Port of Morrow, 2012)
This song is miraculously wonderful, a happy accident unlikely to be repeated or duplicated by this band, brought to my attention by Steve Lewis in response to my confession that I was familiar with little music recorded after 2000 (mainly because that's when I became immersed in contemporary Christian music). Everything about this song is so brilliant, but three qualities resonate most prominently with me: a) the crazy, random-sounding guitar riff during the verses; b) the drum fills, measures and measures of snare snaps and tom thumps; c) the background vocals rising through the chromatic scale leading out of each verse (listen at 00:57 and 1:29). I could go on about the equally genius music video, but Steve's already done that for me...click here and go read it!
#4: "Girl Can't Help It" by Journey (Album: Raised on Radio, 1986)
With all of the other classic Journey songs to choose from, this is the one I go back to again and again. The opening song of their Raised on Radio album, I'm not sure I can quantify any particular part of the song that makes it such a favorite, but it has all the elements I love the most...an up-tempo syncopated beat, beautiful vocal harmonies, masterful guitar work, and lyrics that talk about the joys and challenges of love. It's more than the sum of it's parts, though...it really begins to soar from the bridge to the end, and I've never grown tired of even one note.
#3: "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie (Album: Hot Space, 1982)
Here's a great idea...let's take a legendary singer with a distinctive, unmistakable voice and have him sing with one of the most innovative bands in the history of rock music led by another powerful, brilliant singer. There was no guarantee that it would work...big-name collaborations often fall flat. But this one does much more than that...from the break to Freddy's bridge, then the pass to Bowie bringing the song to the end...it brings me to chills and tears of joy every time I listen. It's a remarkable legacy to both singers, each of whom died far too soon for the rest of us.
#2: "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears (Album: Songs from the Big Chair, 1985)
I never would have guessed when I started this process that this song would have ended up so high, much less ranked ahead of my other TFF favorites. But the more I listened to it, the more I felt like I was rediscovering something amazing for the first time. Every aspect of the song is typically wonderful for Roland and Curt—the vocals, the guitar work, the mix of old beats with new synths—but what I find most appealing is the five chord guitar riff that happens in the chorus at "...find out" and "something happens" (first appearing at 1:16 and 1:21). That's such a small thing, but so brilliant. I also love the "la-la-la" vocals over the piano theme that leads to the outro. I don't think I'm going out on a limb to claim this as not only my favorite TFF song but also the best thing they've ever done.
#1: "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure (Album: Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, 1987)
It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me well that this is my favorite song of all-time, and it's been at that position since about the same time I met Amy. I had always enjoyed this song since its debut in the Eighties, but after I immersed myself in The Cure's music after 1992's Wish album (#2 on all-time CD list on this blog site), "Just Like Heaven" rose to the top and has never wavered. Listen to how the introduction builds layer upon layer of sound; it opens with drums and bass giving us that satisfying syncopation, then adds acoustic guitar, another guitar, keyboards, then lead guitar with the melodic theme, and finally, the inimitable Robert Smith. My friend Michael Tucker once called this "a perfect song." I concur to the utmost.
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