#20: "Kiss" by Prince (Album: Under the Cherry Moon, 1990)
So many different songs to pick from, but ultimately, this is the one that through the years has thrilled me the most. It's also one of Amy's favorites, so whenever where driving somewhere and it comes up on the stereo, the volume goes up even higher than our voices reach. At some point, the line from the movie Pretty Woman (where Vivian is listening to "Kiss" in the giant bathtub) is spoken: She—"Don't you just love Prince?" He—"More than life itself."
#19: "Rebirthing" by Skillet (Album: Comatose, 2006)
The last of three Christian songs on my list and the highest charter, this is the song the Skillet has closed their live show with at least the last four or five times I've seen them. Skillet live is a true experience for those who think Christian music is boring. I vastly prefer current drummer Jenn Ledger to the former drummer who appears in this video, and the band also has a violinist and cellist who perform live with them on this and several other songs. I'm not sure if "kick ass" is necessarily appropriate for Christian music, but it definitely applies to this song.
#18: "Find the River" by R.E.M. (Album: Automatic for the People, 1992)
Previewed in yesterday's countdown, this is the final track from Automatic for the People, and far and away my favorite R.E.M. song of all. There's nothing complicated or particularly unusual about it. The song finds the band expressing their southern roots, with the simple sounds of acoustic guitar and accordion the primary accompaniment to Michael Stipe's restrained voice. The lyrics equate the journey of our lives with the flowing of a river to the ocean, and along the way, we encounter various fragrant herbs and flowers, mixing joy with sadness all to the inevitable end—soul food for the musical heart.
#17: "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House (Album: Crowded House, 1986)
A consistent favorite since it's debut in 1986, the song is a perfect blend of ballad-tempo pop with Neil Finn's distinctive vocals and that Sixties throwback organ sound. It's the kind of song that can make you feel happy or sad depending on the day. If I ever fulfill my dream of starting an Eighties cover band (musicians: PM me on Facebook), this will be the first song on the rehearsal call sheet.
#16: "A Letter to Elise" by The Cure (Album: Wish, 1992)
Songs about the end of a relationship are often angry (Martin Briley, "The Salt in My Tears"), bitter (Fleetwood Mac, "Go Your Own Way"), or miserable (Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, "All Cried Out"). Of course, The Cure is going to do something much greater than any of that with "A Letter to Elise," in which the love and the conflict are both equally real, and the determination to live apart is tempered with the honest admission of the depth of the love that they shared. If this weren't enough, the instrumental bridge leads to a soaring guitar solo that almost transcends this material realm. This song is like a spiritual experience for the broken-hearted.
#15: "Common People" by William Shatner with Joe Jackson (Album: Has Been, 2004)
What the actual fork? Am I serious? As I've said many times before, rock music is about Sticking it to the Man, and I dare you to find a more angry and honest song about class warfare than this one. Under the guiding hand of arranger/producer Ben Folds, Shatner's spoken-word lyrical style is matched with the singing vocals of Joe Jackson in this remake of a previously forgettable version of the song by British pop-punk band Pulp. Give this one a listen. It's a screaming, enraged expression of what it means to be working class in a world designed by, for, and of the wealthy.
#14: "We Are The Champions" by Queen (Album: News of the World, 1977)
I've played this song after winning college intramurals in swimming, softball, and bowling. I've played it in 2000 when the St. Louis Rams won the Super Bowl. I played it in 2006 and 2011 when the Cardinals won the World Series. I have two more occasions to play this song that haven't been fulfilled yet, but if either of them come to pass, you'll know it, because I'll be playing "We Are the Champions" loud enough that they'll be able to hear it in St. Louis and Minneapolis.
#13: "Enter Sandman" by Metallica (Album: Metallica (The Black Album), 1991)
I wonder this: when Metallica sat together in the studio and listened to the final version of this song, did they realize how big it would be? I mean, yeah, they were famous, but this song made them household names. This song got played in places where no one had ever heard of Metallica. And because in 1986, a guy from St. Louis named Lou Viviano dubbed me "The Sandman" (a nickname that has stuck for 33 years and counting), this is also my theme song...my walk-on music...if anyone would ever ask me to walk on...
#12: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears (Album: Songs from the Big Chair, 1985)
Overplayed, overrated, overexposed...yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard it before, and you're still wrong. One of the reasons certain songs are considered great is because they have a timelessness, a quality of persistent excellence throughout the ages for new generations to discover. This song is played and performed over and over again because it's a truly amazing song, with new age lyrics over an old-school Motown-like rhythm, exceptional vocals accompanied by virtuoso guitar work. Sing along one more time, because this song will always be part of our musical culture.
#11: "Friday I'm in Love" by The Cure (Album: Wish, 1992)
Once again, The Cure defies their mopey, emo depression stereotype for an absolutely joyful love song. This one never fails to put me into a good mood, no matter how gray the day may have started. That eight-note theme that opens the song echoes again and again throughout the verses and the chorus, and Robert Smith is at his optimistic best. Seriously, Fridays are good enough on their own, but knowing your love will be with you through the weekend? Smile! Life is grand!
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