#50: "A Wall I Must Climb" by Michael McDermott (Album: 620 W. Surf, 1991)
A favorite song since college and from a favorite album to listen to while writing, this song kicks off an album by an artist hailed at the time as the next Bob Dylan. That old nemesis of Greek tragedy hubris (combined with drugs and alcohol, also an old nemesis) derailed a promising career, but McDermott's still out there, playing and singing on the comeback trail.
#49: "Foolin'" by Def Leppard (Album: Pyromania, 1983)
If it's not immediately ringing a bell, this is the song before "Rock of Ages" at the beginning of side two on the original vinyl album. There are a lot of Def Leppard songs that are flashier and more popular, but as far as solid rock goes, this is at the top of the class for me.
#48: "Subdivisions" by Rush (Album: Signals, 1982)
There are many great Rush songs to choose from over their long and storied history, but this one has remained my favorite one of all. Like so many others on my list, this is a song that cries out against the alienation of modern suburban capitalist life. Musically, it features the absolute virtuosity of Rush's three master musicians. It warrants mentioning that Neil Peart is the reason I became a drummer in the first place. No matter how much I practice, play, and grow, he sets a bar that I must continue to climb toward.
#47: "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind (Album: Third Eye Blind, 1997)
This happy little ditty about meth addiction is driven by the juxtaposition between the dark lyrics and the peppy, upbeat melody of the music. All the songs on this amazing debut album (one whose quality the band never equaled) are worth a listen, but this one gets the edge over "Jumper" and "How's It Gonna Be" mainly because this is a karaoke favorite of mine. (Note: Steve Lewis will now conduct a seminar on why I should have chosen closing song "God of Wine" on my list.)
#46: "Overjoyed" by Jars of Clay (Album: Much Afraid, 1998)
I discovered this song on a cassette on a shelf in the printing company I worked for in 1998. I'm not sure what happened to the tape, but it's likely I wore it out listening this masterful album. Jars of Clay, like many of my favorite groups, builds complex layers of vocal and instrumental harmonies, and the chorus of "Overjoyed" exemplifies this quality at its finest. Unlike many other Christian bands, Jars of Clay express a sense of doubt within their faith that I have always related to.
#45: "Deeper Understanding" by Kate Bush (Album: The Sensual World, 1989)
In a career where her music can be described as beautiful and strange, this song may well be the most beautiful and strange of them all. Years before the movies Her or Ex Machina, Kate sings about a lonely woman who falls in love with a computer voice recognition program. Mysterious synthesizers are interspersed with computer beeps and buzzes, and her soprano vocals are supported with the harmonies of Trio Bulgarka, a female vocal group from Bulgaria. This song is a masterpiece.
#44: "Modern Love" by David Bowie (Album: Let's Dance, 1983)
That awesome backbeat in the rhythm section, the blazing brass and saxophone, and Bowie at his upbeat best make this my top pick over more familiar singles like "Let's Dance" or "China Girl." Bowie's was a talent that both defined and transcended generations.
#43: "Voices Carry" by 'Til Tuesday (Album: Voices Carry, 1985)
I tell people one of the reasons that I side with much of the feminist platform is because I have four daughters, and I expect each of them to be treated as equals to men in all situations. My nascent feminist streak, however, was probably first stirred with this video when she stands up and sings in the theater just to spite her asshole boyfriend. This song's greatness is timeless. Stand up, ladies, and don't put up with a man who treats you like that.
#42: "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel (Album: Peter Gabriel, 1977)
I'm usually not a fan of repetitive rhythms or riffs in music, so this is a bit of an oddity musically. The rhythm is a straight four-beat, with the acoustic guitar and strings repeating the same theme. What's appealing is how well this structure works with Gabriel's vocals, which seem at times more narrative than lyrical. Some music defies rational explanation; this is simply a brilliant song.
#41: "One Night in Bangkok" by Murray Head (Album: Chess, 1984)
One of the things I remember about this song when it first came out in the Eighties was cool and different it sounded. Head's spoken-word vocals over a strange, synth-heavy score and heavy percussion was strikingly unusual for its time. In retrospect, it's no surprise that a song from a Broadway musical scored by one of the members of ABBA would be so distinctive. Thirty-five years later, this song is still as cool and different as it ever was.
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