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TEN??

So I go through all the trouble of coming up with my 500 favorite songs of all time and what happens? Someone asks for a list of ten. TEN!

Ok, so Norm is looking for the then "greatest songs of rock and pop music" which means not so much your favorite, but the best. Because, let's face it, not everyone thinks that Shellac's Prayer to God is a great song. In fact, I'm probably the only one who does.

What's pop/rock defined as?
I won't be including country music (or jazz, blues etc.), but I will count up your submissions, whatever they are. You want Tammy or Dolly, Ella or Billie or Louis? You got it. You're free to define your own boundaries. Your songs may be either singles or tracks off albums. However, here's one restriction. I'm asking for versions or renditions - not just titles. So for example, if you were going for 'Mr Tambourine Man', you would need to specify whether it's a version by Bob Dylan, by The Byrds, or whoever.

Well, that's what you have to go with. Norm doesn't have comments, so you must email him your picks. So I ask that if you go ahead and participate, leave a comment here with your choices so we can all laugh at agree with you. And so I can have a bouncing off point with which to narrow down my 500+ songs to a mere ten.

This is going to be hard.

[Obviously, I've been meaning to link this for some time, as it was posted on Dec. 21, but you have until Jan. 16 to get your picks in.

Thanks to Dr. Frank for the reminder. And I'm pleased to see that Dr. F. has Pink Floyd's See Emily Play on his list. I caught a lot of flack for having that on mine. Oh, I'll post my list when I whittle it down to a measly ten.]

[link to wrong post fixed. sorry, norm]

Posted by me on January 10, 2005 04:35 PM |

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» But These go to Eleven... from Sanity's Edge
There’s been many a post lately, some quite ambitious, about the greatest rock songs of all time. I’ve shied away from these intentionally, as I get way too worked up about music. It’s one of the few things I know... [Read More]

Tracked on January 11, 2005 03:17 PM

» But These go to Eleven... from Sanity's Edge
There’s been many a post lately, some quite ambitious, about the greatest rock songs of all time. I’ve shied away from these intentionally, as I get way too worked up about music. It’s one of the few things I know... [Read More]

Tracked on January 11, 2005 03:19 PM

» But These go to Eleven... from Sanity's Edge
There’s been many a post lately, some quite ambitious, about the greatest rock songs of all time. I’ve shied away from these intentionally, as I get way too worked up about music. It’s one of the few things I know... [Read More]

Tracked on January 11, 2005 03:35 PM

Comments

Only ten is hard. Plus, when you go all time its hard to rank. Sometimes I'm in a Merle Haggard place. Sometimes I'm in a Snot place. But here goes:

Here are my top ten:

Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
Yesterday - The Beatles
Rock 'N Roll - Led Zeppelin
Ramblin' Man - The Allman Brothers
Maggie May - Rod Stewart
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Flirtin' With Disaster - Molley Hatchet
Folsom County Blues - Johnny Cash
Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd

And for the record, Johnny Cash is a rock star. I don't care what you say.

Be gentle.

Posted by: Rob | January 10, 2005 05:19 PM

Ten well crafted rock classics I never want to hear again:
"More Than A Feeling" -Boston
"All Along the Watchtower" -Hendrix
"Sweet Home Alabama" -Skynyrd
"Stuck in the Middle WIth You" - Steeler's Wheel
"Jetliner" - Steve Miller
"The Air At Night" - that asshole from Genesis
"Fallin In and Out of Love (Amy)" - Pure Prairee League

I can't take anymore... SEVEN FIVE well crafted rock classics I never want to hear again.

Posted by: spd rdr | January 10, 2005 06:53 PM

Ya. I can count.

Posted by: spd rdr | January 10, 2005 06:54 PM

Well, Shellac's song is brilliant.

this is too hard. I can't really sort, but I think I can say I'm confident the top five are my type five, and i'm not sure of their order. Same with bottom five.

er,hm:
The Mercy Seat, Nick Cave
Dalliance, The Wedding Present
Heroin, Velvet Underground
Just Like Honey, Jesus and Mary Chain
Cowgirl, Underworld
Let Down, Radiohead
Wish you were here, Pink Floyd
Hurt, NIN
King of Pain, The Police
The Flowers of Guatemala, REM

and anything on Tom Wait's Small Change.

yeah, the last one counts as all of 'em. I know it's 11, but this one goes to 11.

Posted by: greifer | January 10, 2005 08:02 PM

Here is my top 10 list that I have already sent to Norm.

Posted by: Andrew Ian Dodge | January 11, 2005 08:44 AM

Actually, the best version of "Mr Tambourine Man" was William Shatner's.

Posted by: Slartibartfast | January 11, 2005 08:54 AM

I love "See Emily Play," but it didn't make my top 10 list. I put my top ten up yesterday, admitting that it was a totally subjective list (no matter how hard you try to constrain these things with "objective" standards, they always come down to personal taste). Here they are, without comment:

1. The Ocean, Led Zeppelin
2. Tom Sawyer, Rush
3. Purple Haze, Hendrix
4. A Day in the Life, The Beatles
5. South Side of the Sky, Yes
6. Tarkus, ELP
7. Nights in White Satin, Moody Blues
8. Back in Black, AC/DC
9. Baker Street, Gerry Rafferty
10. Plush, Stone Temple Pilots

I could just as easily come up with a completetly different top-10 next week.

Posted by: JohnL | January 11, 2005 10:39 AM

My top ten has been changing day by day since I was 15. Today's list is:

1. Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys
2. Blowin' in the Wind, Bob Dylan
3. Career Opportunities, The Clash
4. Can't Hardly Wait, The Replacements
5. Beggining to See the Light, The Velvet Underground
6. The Blue Mask, Lou Reed
7. Talking Heads, Life During Wartime
8. Everyday People, Sly & the Family Stone
9. The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, The Pogues
10. Marquee Moon, Television

Posted by: David L. | January 12, 2005 09:59 PM