Your all-time favorite songs? (Maximum of 10)

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Someone on my FB asked: Who's the most famous musician you've met? Not the one you ran after to get an autograph after the show, but one you 'bumped into' / had a moment with, like you would any regular person..


Mine is Gary Moffet of April Wine. We occasionally look after his cat! (and his daughter married a good friend of mine!)
 
I spent my high school and college years with a friend promoting small shows in rented community centers and other similar spaces. I also spent a season working at a large amphitheater in college. I had dinner before one show with Alice Cooper and his band. Apparently they always share the catered meal and snacks with the venue staff. This show was on Halloween and the venue also had haunted house attractions open. Nobody was in costume or their characters yet. It was a lot of fun hanging out with them and just chatting before the show started.
 
Well, I used to be a working musician (and opened shows for a number of "names"), and more importantly I've done quite a lot of work in stage/production. In so doing I've actually met and/or worked with a fair number of "famous musicians". Pretty wide range of genres and therefore relative "fame".....meaning some of them, while being a very big deal within their own world (classical, folk, punk, etc.), they may not be all that well known to the general public. But still a few "oh my god, you met Xxx Xxxxxx!!" types as well.

And back in 1978, during the Rolling Stones' "final farewell" tour of the US (yes that was how it was billed and understood at the time), I made Mick Jagger scowl at me when I grabbed on and went for a short ride on the cherry picker crane he was hovering over the crowd in. Not a "meet" by any reasonable standards, but I thought it was pretty funny at the time.

s6
 
Impossible. 10 songs? Impossible. I can list 10 songs that come to mind at this moment, but ask me in a week and I'll probably give another 10 different songs depending on my mood or situation then. But it's fun to try, at least.

Love in Vain - Robert Johnson
Logical Song - Supertramp
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams
Dirty Blue Gene - Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band
From a Buick 6 - Bob Dylan
I Often Dream of Trains - Robyn Hitchcock
A Quoi Ça Sert - Françoise Hardy
21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson
Sinnerman - Nina Simone
Fight the Power - Public Enemy

So many more... limiting to 10 seems almost negligent... but one must follow the rules... this list includes no Beatles, Laurie Anderson, Talking Heads, Kate Bush, Thelonious Monk, XTC, B52s, Neil Young, Lila Downs, Brian Eno or classical music, etc., etc... life is soooooo hard....
 
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ewomack said:
So many more... limiting to 10 seems almost negligent... but one must follow the rules... this list includes no Beatles, Laurie Anderson, Talking Heads, Kate Bush, Thelonious Monk, XTC, B52s, Neil Young, Lila Downs, Brian Eno or classical music, etc., etc... life is soooooo hard....
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I know, right? Like say: Oh Darling, O Superman, Crosseyed & Painless, 'Round Midnight, Dear God, Rock Lobster, Powderfinger, Alcola Azul, Third Uncle, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major, Op.35 I, etc., etc. ?

Woops, did I just post another list of 10? Sorry.

s6
 
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There was a time when I would have listed a bunch of early prog-rock songs by Yes, Genesis, Moody Blues, etc. Although I still like that music I rarely listen to it anymore. Usually these days what I listen to most is by newer artists such as Washed Out, Blank & Jones, or Wild Nothing.
 
WAY to difficult to narrow down! I'm not sure I could pare down to just ten favorite musical genres, let alone songs! 🤪

That said, here is a list (Off the top of my head at this moment, subject to change and/or addition) of ten songs I could listen to five times in a row and still want to hear again (In no particular order):

Sultans of swing - Dire Straits
Little Wing - Stevie Ray Vaughn
Texas Like That - Zane Williams
Levelland - James McMurtry
Aint no Sunshine - Bill Withers
Can't Find My Way Home - Steve Winwood
El Paso - Marty Robbins
The Loner - Gary Moore
Seminole Wind - John Anderson
Another Park Another Sunday - Doobie Brothers
My Maria - BW Stevenson
Can't You See - Marshall Tucker Band

Okay, so that's twelve and I haven't even gotten started yet.

It' just hopeless...
 
Gimme Shelter
Paranoid
Misty Mountain Hop
Galveston
Country Roads
Tequila Sunrise
Happy Shiny People
Simple Song
 
So much music to select from ...

In no particular order ...

"Nowhere Fast" by Fire, Inc. from the Streets of Fire soundtrack
"Tonight is what it Means to be Young" by Fire, Inc. from the Streets of Fire soundtrack
"Turn the Page" by Bob Seger
"Wanted Dead or Alive" Bon Jovi
"Detroit Rock City" by Kiss
"Words" by Missing Persons
"Desperate but not Serious" by Adam Ant
"Abacab" by Genesis
"I Don't Care Anymore" by Phil Collins
"Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo from the Back to School soundtrack

"Into the Night" by B.B. King from the Midnight Run soundtrack
"In the Midnight Hour" by B.B. King from the Midnight Run soundtrack
"Emperor's Theme" by John Williams from the Star Wars soundtrack
"Star Wars and other Galactic Funk" by Mecco
 
Scott Hala said:
"Words" by Missing Persons
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Best part of this thread is seeing others mention songs or bands that you wouldn't have guessed anyone else would pick.

Love Missing Persons, although Walking in LA would be my top pick from them. I once won a radio call-in in college by identifying that song from hearing the opening few bars played backwards. :)
 
Funk 49 - Joe Walsh
The Bug - Dire Straits
Gimme 3 Steps - the real Lynyrd Skynyrd
Out of Control - The Eagles
Wish you were here - Pink Floyd
Dixie Chicken- Little Feat
Pipeline - Dick Dale w/ SRV
Mrs. Robinson - Lemonheads
What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Somewhere Over the Rainbow- Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
 
How about 10 that I'll probably never get tired of?
Rocket in my Pocket-Jimmy Lloyd
Keys to the Highway-Sonny Terry/ Brownie McGee
Harms Way-Waco Bros.
Watching the River Flow-Bob Dylan
Streams of Whiskey-Pogues
The Weight- The Band
Tracks of my Tears-Linda Ronstadt
Lake Charles-Lucinda Williams
And it Stoned Me-Van Morrison
Goin'up the Country-Canned Heat
 
I don't do favorites, but here's some stuff that's been stuck in my head recently:

Dire Straits: The Man's Too Strong & Industrial Disease
Pink Floyd: Dogs & Nobody Home
Jethro Tull: Wind Up
Bill Withers: Ain't No Sunshine
Porcupine Tree: Radioactive Toy
 
It’s really striking how many of the songs listed are songs that I personally own and listen to on at least a semi-regular basis.

Our normal routine upon rising is to turn on the stereo, fire up iTunes for a playlist I created called “Least Played” which originally contained over 4000 songs we had never played.

The playlist rule is now songs with only one play and we’re about a third of the way through it.

The higher the rule goes, the larger the number of songs the playlist will chose.

There are songs in our library that have over 100 plays and most of them are listed among the posts above.
 
Been thinkin' about this thread for some time. Here goes:

First the girls, the sirens sweetly singing always stops me in my tracks:

Long long Time, Linda Ronstadt
Say a Little Prayer, Aretha Franklin
I Will Always Love You, Dolly Parton
Stoney End,, Laura Nyro

A couple from my Dad's record collection, burned into my brain before I could walk:

C'est Moi, Robert Goulet
Fly Me to the Moon, Frank Sinatra

Miscellaneous:

Papa Gene's Blues, Monkees (really a Michael Nesmith joint with some Mickey overdubs)
Christmas Song, Jethro Tull
Paranoid, Black Sabbath
Night, Bruce Springsteen and the real E Streeters


Damn it, thought of ten more while I was typing. :)
 
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o1d_dude said:
It’s really striking how many of the songs listed are songs that I personally own and listen to on at least a semi-regular basis.
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Not just own, but I have seen a surprising number of the bands in this thread too. Although I go to concerts like some people go to the movies. Live music is my choice of entertainment and has been since I was about 13.
 
being a musician most of my life, I have lots of favorite songs but will only list a few:

1. Boston-Foreplay / Long Time
2. Pat Metheny- First Circle
3. Doc Severinsen- Court of the Crimson King
4. Gino Vannelli- Where am I Going?
5. Chris Botti- Italia
4. Chicago- Questions 67 & 68
5. Chase- Open Up Wide
6. Don Ellis- Two Autumns
7. Al Hirt- I'll Get By
8. Chick Corea- Got a Match?
9. Al DiMeola- The Grand Passion
10. Pat Metheny- Always and Forever
 
This has taken me sooo long to decide, and I'm still not sure. Narrowed down from my first list of about 8 bazillion...

1. Bob Marley and the Wailers –Stir it Up (Jamaican version)
2. Toots and the Maytals – Premature
3. Augustus Pablo – King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown
4. Dave Edmunds – What Did I Do Last Night?
5. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Down on the Corner
6. Eddie Cochrane – Twenty Flight Rock
7. Dave Brubeck Orchestra – Take Five
8. Stiff Little Fingers – Alternative Ulster
9. Peter Tosh – Steppin’ Razor
10. Nick Lowe – I Live on a Battlefield

Honorable mentions... Bob Dylan - Positively 4th Street, Ry Cooder - Little Sister, Elvis Presley - His Latest Flame. Okay, I cheated. That's thirteen.

A little bit of everything. That's me, really.
 
Cape Byron said:
This has taken me sooo long to decide, and I'm still not sure. Narrowed down from my first list of about 8 bazillion...

1. Bob Marley and the Wailers –Stir it Up (Jamaican version)
2. Toots and the Maytals – Premature
3. Augustus Pablo – King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown
4. Dave Edmunds – What Did I Do Last Night?
5. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Down on the Corner
6. Eddie Cochrane – Twenty Flight Rock
7. Dave Brubeck Orchestra – Take Five
8. Stiff Little Fingers – Alternative Ulster
9. Peter Tosh – Steppin’ Razor
10. Nick Lowe – I Live on a Battlefield

Honorable mentions... Bob Dylan - Positively 4th Street, Ry Cooder - Little Sister, Elvis Presley - His Latest Flame. Okay, I cheated. That's thirteen.

A little bit of everything. That's me, really.
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I have a rocket named “Steppin’ Razor”.
 
For me, it’s these ten tonight. It’ll be ten different ones tomorrow, and ten more different the next night, etc. Thanks for the question. Just trying to answer it has reminded me of how much fun I had learning the various answers in the first place.

Jamaica Farewell - Harry Belafonte
Ode to Billy Joe - Bobby Gentry
Classical Gas - Mason Williams
Carry On - Crosby Stills Nash and Young
The Bomber - James Gang
I’d Love To Change The World - Ten Years After
Misty Mountain Hop - Led Zeppelin
Batuka - Santana
Skating Away - Jethro Tull
Tell Me Something Good - Rufus and Chaka Khan
Late in the Evening - Paul Simon

I know! Gimmie a time machine and I can carry on further research.
 
Take Five - Dave Brubeck
So What - Miles Davis
Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock
Jump, Jive, and Wail - Louis Prima
Moanin' - Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (Sorry, Mingus)
Caravan - Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
Autumn Leaves - Miles Davis
Girl From Ipanema - Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto
I Wanna Be Like You - Louis Prima
Fly Me To The Moon - Frank Sinatra

That's just the jazz/swing genre list...
 
If I were to even attempt choosing 10 songs, I think it would be based on songs that defined particular periods of my life up to this point. Even then, quite difficult to decide, but for my early years (as early as I can remember at least) the song would for sure be:

Barnes and Barnes - Fish Heads
 
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neil_w said:
Fine choice, but the artist is Barnes and Barnes, one of whom is Bill Mumy who played Will Robinson on Lost in Space.
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...and Lennier on Babylon 5.

I've not tried to come up with a list as yet.....though I've seen some good ideas here. Classical Gas is certainly a contender....
 
Higher and Higher - Moody Blues
Legend of a Mind - Moody Blues
Pinball Wizard - The Who
The Hunt - T S McPhee
2112 - Rush
Spidergawd, Eep Hour, & rest of side = Jerry Garcia (Played during extra hour on time change.)
Most by Ayreon

And for laughs, (I have by Bob Rivers.)
 

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