100 All-Time Favorite Songs (with bonus tracks!)

After working on this for over a year, I have finally compiled a list of 100 of my all-time favorite songs. I have tried to have at least one song per artist and an equal amount of male and female artists. Unfortunately, there is a large amount of white artists vs. artists of color (something I'm currently working on).

How this is gonna work: all the songs will be linked to YouTube, either to the music video or the actual song or an excellent live version (I will indicate "music video" with an asterisk and a special note if it's a live performance).

If (and when) I get more time, I might go back and add some commentary.

These are the songs that didn't quite make the list, yet still deserve mention:

105. "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen*
104. "Golden Haze" by Wild Nothing
103. "Ladytron" by Roxy Music (live on The Old Grey Whistle Test)
102. "Steve McQueen" by M83
101. "You Get What You Give" by New Radicals*

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Now, the 100...

100. "Dirty Laundry" by Don Henley
99. "There's A Light" by The Doobie Brothers
98. "Ride A White Horse" by Goldfrapp*
97. "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" by Scissor Sisters*
96. "Army of Me" by Björk*
95. "Mohammad's Radio" by Warren Zevon (live on The Old Grey Whistle Test)
94. "Brainpower" by Freezepop*
93. "Looking At the Invisible Man" by The Dead Weather (live at Third Man Records) (may not be an epilepsy-friendly video)
92. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" by Nelly Furtado*
91. "Aeon" by Lacuna Coil
90. "You Can Have It All" by Yo La Tengo (only cover song in the entire list)
89. "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder (live on a TV show in 1973)
88. "Copy" by Plastics
87. "My Big Hands (Fall Through the Cracks) by David Byrne (live with Talking Heads in London)
86. "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
85. "Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine" by The White Stripes
84. "Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, and Wives" by Voxtrot
83. "Private Idaho" by The B-52's* 
82. "L'Elephant" by Tom Tom Club (skip to 2:13)
81. "After the Glitter Fades" by Stevie Nicks
80. "Electioneering" by Radiohead
79. "Undertow" by Warpaint*
78. "Spoilt Victorian Child" by The Fall
77. "Cities in Dust" by Siouxsie and the Banshees*
76. "L.E.S. Artistes" by Santigold* (may be too violent for some viewers)
75. "Crucify" by Tori Amos*
74. "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants*
73. "The Caves of Altamira" by Steely Dan
72. "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin*
71. "Raspberry Beret" by Prince and the Revolution (may not be epilepsy-friendly) (see bottom for special note)
70. "Watercolors" by Nina Gordon (please refer to a legal music source for clips)
69. "Conversation 16" by The National (see bottom for special note)
68. "Go-Go Gadget Gospel" by Gnarls Barkley*
67. "The Fallen" by Franz Ferdinand*
66. "Fight Test" by The Flaming Lips*
65. "Middle Cyclone" by Neko Case
64. "It's Too Late" by Carole King
63. "Hurricane Drunk" by Florence + the Machine
62. "Savoir Faire" by Family Fodder
61. "California" by Brenda Weiler (please refer to a legal music source for clips)
60. "Walking On a Dream" by Empire of the Sun*
59. "Rapture" by Blondie*
58. "Lady Writer" by Dire Straits* (my namesake, y'all!)
57. "Brandy Alexander" by Feist*
56. "Green River" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
55. "Come Together" by The Beatles
54. "Whole Lotta Losin'" by Monsters of Folk
53. "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae*
52. "Couldn't Stand the Rain" by Mindy Smith (featuring Amy Grant) [please refer to a legal music source for clips]
51. "Haiti" by Arcade Fire
50. "Tom Sawyer" by Rush*
49. "White" by Charlotte Hatherley*
48. "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall*
47. "Worms" by Beth Orton
46. "Never Say Never" by Romeo Void*
45. "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie*
44. "Mirage" by Ladytron*
43. "Helena Beat" by Foster the People*
42. "Eliza" by If By Yes (featuring David Byrne)
41. "Welcome to the Machine" by Pink Floyd* (may be too violent for some viewers)
40. "The Nightfly" by Donald Fagen
39. "Nightwatchman" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (live version, skip to 1:17)
38. "Haunted" by Poe
37. "That's Just About Right" by Blackhawk*
36. "Darkness" by The Police (forgive the video, it's goofy, but it had the music intact)
35. "Land" by Patti Smith
34. "Is It Any Wonder?" by Keane*
33. "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel*
32. "See No Evil" by Television
31. "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson (lyrical content may be too violent for some)
30. "My Dark Hour" by Steve Miller Band (please refer to a legal music source for clips)
29. "Sleep Alone" by Bat for Lashes*
28. "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline
27. "Love Don't Live Here" by Ladyhawke
26. "Through Being Cool" by Devo*
25. "October" by Broken Bells
24. "Munich" by Editors*
23. "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire* (may not be epilepsy-friendly)
22. "Panic Switch" by Silversun Pickups* (may not be epilepsy-friendly)
21. "Tears of Pearls" by Savage Garden

Here it is: the final twenty. The songs that, if they didn't exist, my life would be a sad and music-less one. The songs that will make me squeal like a teenage girl if I hear them out in the world. The songs I will stop for if their music videos appear on TV, even if I've seen it a hundred times. The songs that you can find me humming under my breath as I shelve books. The songs... okay, you get it.

20. "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.*
19. "New Dawn Fades" by Joy Division
18. "San Jacinto" by Peter Gabriel (live during the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope Tour)
17. "Think Too Much (A)" by Paul Simon 
16. "Train in Vain" by The Clash
15. "Man With a Gun" by Jerry Harrison*
14. "King's Lead Hat" by Brian Eno
13. "Venus in Furs" by The Velvet Underground
12. "Hope On Fire" by Vienna Teng
11. "The Sensual World" by Kate Bush*
10. "Long Way Down" by Goo Goo Dolls* (the video is not epilepsy-friendly, here is just the song)
9. "Little Lies" by Fleetwood Mac*
8. "Maybe Tonight" by Nicole Atkins*
7. "Amsterdam" by Guster*
6. "A World of Madness" by Akira Yamaoka (only instrumental in the list and only song from a video game)
5. "Keep It Dark" by Genesis*
4. "Anyone Can Be Somebody's Fool" by Nanci Griffith (please refer to your favorite legal music provider for a sample...)
3. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears*
2. "Soul Drifter" by Lindsey Buckingham (live on David Letterman)
1. "Houses In Motion" by Talking Heads (live in Rome, with Adrian Belew on guitar!)

~

There you go, folks. Enjoy!

~

Special notes:

"Raspberry Beret": For some reason, finding the official video proved difficult, so the Pop-Up Video version will have to suffice. Sorry, y'all.

"Conversation 16": I did not link to the original video because it is probably one of the most offensive things I've ever seen. Yeah, thanks, just perpetuate that women presidents would be goofy and incompetent.

Nutter meme thingy time!

I listened to a recent podcast for NPR's All Songs Considered and loved it. The topic: bands that you broke up with. Lordy, it got me to thinking. It got listeners to thinking too. And I couldn't help it, it had to be done. So come along with me on a magical journey down my music collection and complete this fun list.

Don't hesitate to join in! Post your stories below or (even better) on the blog that started it all.

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1. Band You Really Thought You Had Something With — They Said They'd Call But You Never Heard From Them Again

They Might Be Giants might be one. I loved a ton of their songs, but didn't latch onto Flood as much as I hoped. They suffer from what I call "The Steely Dan Syndrome" (where a band has tons of great songs, but no albums I can fully enjoy). Perhaps there is hope, after all, "Particle Man" and "Birdhouse in Your Soul" are works of genius...

2. Your Best Friend's Girlfriend Or Boyfriend You Secretly Want To Hook Up With
Honestly, I can't answer this one. This is a testament to the fact that (a) I have no friends or (b) my friends either have the same music tastes as me or (c) I never found a band that hooked me like that yet.


3. The Rebound: Bands You Start To Date After Everyone Else Is Through With Them
Radiohead, likely. I pretty much refuse to touch Pablo Honey (though its reckoning with me is coming...), and I own practically all their albums. Personally, they're getting much better. In Rainbows was aaaammaazzzzing. The King of Limbs is also great. Yes, I do love OK Computer, but I find myself revisiting Rainbows more often.

4. Band You Broke Up With, Then Got Back Together
Fleetwood Mac. Man, Say You Will was a major letdown. No Christine McVie in sight and so much faffing about with the songs (I mean, did it really need to be 18 songs long?... I mean damn.). It also didn't help that I was a member (at the time) of a Fleetwood Mac message board and it turned out most of the posters were big Lindsey/Stevie shippers. Talk about major creepy. After getting away from the message board (I still lurk it) and wrote off much of Say You Will... I rediscovered their blues-rock era (mostly the Bob Welch era) and fell in love again. I cannot stop listening to Mystery to Me on vinyl. I will venture into their other things again. For now, I'll play it safe with Bob Welch and Christine McVie.

5. Band That Broke Up With You
Death Cab for Cutie. Man, I loved Transatlanticism and Plans; but the deal-breaker was Narrow Stairs. I wish I can say I was excited by the new album, but I can't incite enough emotion for it. That and them doing a song for that blasted New Moon movie didn't help either. I'll still keep their albums, but damn y'all... ouch.

6. Bands I Stick By To No Matter What
Genesis, Editors, The Police, Rush, and Steely Dan. I've been through so much with these bands, but I love them still in the end. Though I enjoy Joy Division so much more than Editors, I still love the latter (not just from introducing me to Ian Curtis and friends). Genesis has been with me for a long time and we're like old friends now. I can say the same for The Police and Steely Dan. Rush may follow suit.

My own creation:
Band That You Ended Up Liking Than the Person Who Recommended Said Band

CAKE. My sister owns two of their CDs: B-Sides and Rarities and Prolonging the Magic. She recommended them for "Sheep Go to Heaven" (from the latter). I never listened to them, though. One day, I happened upon "The Distance" and fell in love. I then bought Fashion Nugget and loved it to itty bitty pieces. My sister, upon hearing this, was surprised. She loved "Sheep Go to Heaven", but the band and her never clicked. I still haven't gotten into the other CDs my sister had lent to me, but I get the feeling that it's gonna be great.

~~

My sister has a great track record of recommending people that I end up loving: Beirut, Sigur Rós, Björk, Voxtrot, and Ra Ra Riot.

Me, however... I only succeeded in getting her to enjoy Florence + the Machine and Talking Heads.

~~

That's about it for this. It was enjoyable, will do again. May create a literature variation of this...

Some thoughts and an old review...

First off, the review. When I was more active on Gamespot, I occasionally wrote reviews of video games I had either recently played (or in the case of the second Tomb Raider), games I really liked. The last review I posted was one on Silent Hill: 0rigins on the PSP. It's funny to read it now and see that I still hold the same opinions as before. In a rare moment of awesome, it was recommended by four out of four people. Not bad. I never received any feedback, but what can you do?

Here is the link. Just promise me you'll open it in a new tab or window, then return to read the rest of my entry. Thank you! :D

I'm fond of this review because it shows that while I still had to grow more as a critic, I was on the right track. Wish I added more detail though.

Y'all are more than welcome to check out my other reviews, but this one just stood out more to me.

This makes me want to work more on becoming a critic. It's fun and of course, gives you the chance to try out new things!

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I've been thinking over my life and found that I am stuck in a rut. Glad to have figured this out now and not, let's see, later in my life! To alleviate this, I made a list of forty-three things (based on the website of the same name) to do before the end of 2011. I'm gonna share them with y'all:

1.    Move out
  This one is obvious. I'm still living with my folks and I love 'em to death, but I need to move on. Preferably to another city.

2.    Get a better job
  This one is probably the shocking one to most of y'all. I have talked about how much I love working as a bookseller. I do, that hasn't changed. But I need a consistent amount of hours and better pay in order to... you guessed it, move out! It may be possible that getting another job may not need to happen, but I can't place all my chips on that hope.

3.    Start dating
  I've confessed at least once that I've yet to date. I'm looking forward to the "meeting new people" part, not so much of the drama-llama stuff that could happen. Eh, it's a necessary evil. Just guys will learn quickly that I have zero tolerance for the drama llama.

4.    Become socially skilled, becoming a butterfly not necessary
  Thanks to that introvert book I've been reading, this may be an already accomplished goal. Yet, I need to test myself and be consistent. But I have faith it'll work.

5.    Go to San Francisco and stay a week
  Maybe not a week, but still. 

6.    Go to a writing conference
  I'm unsure if I want to go with someone I know or go by myself.

7.    Start attending church or do a charity thing
  By church, I mean a UU one.

8.    Unless ill, donate blood often
  I think I can donate every eight weeks, but I have to check on that.

9.    Get a tattoo
  This is another one that may surprise people. Yeah, been thinking about it for the better part of the year. Right now, I have a design idea but stuck between two places to put it: on my right foot or under my upper left arm.

10.    Read all my unread books and/or sell ones I no longer want
  Kinda explains itself, really.

11.    Get a recliner
  I'm happy to say that this will happen, likely in September, when my custom-order recliner arrives!

12.    Get published seven times
  I tell myself that if I do, it'll look sexy on my resume and my graduate school application. It'll give them the illusion that I'm not just a lazy dork who keeps a blog!

13.    Enter seven contests
  Gotta start getting competitive and all, right? This also has the same desired achievement as the publishing one above.

14.    Intern at [literary organization]
  Yeah, ain't telling ya which one. There's a local one that I've been meaning to intern with. Get the experience and see what it's like to be there.

15.    Take guitar lessons (alternative: learn “Heaven” by Talking Heads)
  I mean, I could take lessons. But, by and large, I taught myself to juggle and braid. I am also a mostly self-taught writer! So why not teach myself? That is why there is an alternative.

16.    Make four new friends
  Just more people to know, that's all.

17.    Register as a bone marrow donor
  This has been something I've pondered over for the better part of a year. An issue with insurance prevented me from doing this a long time ago, but now since insurance is not really a problem, I may register at the end of the year. I already have a semi-rare blood type, so my bone marrow type may be as equally semi-rare!

18.    Travel to New York City and stay a week
  There are tentative plans for my family and I to go, but we'll have to see if plans change. Either way, I'm going. Somehow...

19.    Stay in touch with my current friends
  As an introvert who is wary of Facebook, hates MySpace, and thinks Twitter is lulzy yet cute... I have trouble keeping up with friends on social networks. I'm more of an email, phone, and in-person kinda person (yeah, contrary to my nature). So I vow, friends that read this blog, you may be hearing from me soon and more often!

20.    Get a gun license
  This is kinda random, but I would like to know. For self-defense and of course, the hopefully-it-won't-happen zombie apocalypse. Seriously, I would like to know how.

21.    Have two awesome birthdays
  Makes total sense. I should have fun turning 24 (this year) and 25 (next year). 

22.    Take the GRE and other grad school tests and do awesome at them (not perfect, but awesome)
  Since graduate school is likely, I'm hoping 2012, I should prepare to take the dreaded tests. Hopefully I could get away with just the GRE.

23.    Get an iPhone or a better smartphone
  My current phone is a giant little pain in the ass. But AT&T's plans are kinda blah, or so I heard from other iPhone users. So I may convert to something good on my current plan with Verizon.

24.    Apply for grad school (after getting scores back)
  Besides the scores, I need to start writing letters, getting letters of recommendation from people, and of course... submit writing samples.

25.    Finish the first draft of Invisible
  At this rate, I may be into next year and wrapping this up. It's a slow process.

26.    Finish the first draft of Wind
  Same goes with this one, though I foresee its completion in late '11.

27.    Get to the second draft of Blues
  That's right. Two years after it's originally written, Blues will get its second draft. Silly, I know.

28.    Have a collection of at least twenty short stories
  What I mean is have at least twenty short stories that I could shoot into the world.

29.    Have a collection of at least thirty poems
  Same as above, only replace the obvious words.

30.    Drive to a place out of town
  This may occur sooner. But it is more getting confidence that I can handle out-of-town traveling.

31.    Get a new pair of glasses (alternative: try contacts, if my prescription doesn’t make them expensive)
  I have a feeling the alternative will be too expensive, but I will ask regardless. My glasses will be two years old in November, and I make it a thing to change them at least once every two years.

32.    Join a message board (alternative: rejoin a message board)
  The alternative will happen more likely than the former due to the fact that I already have one in mind that I would love to return to. I may also join a good writing one for the lulz.

33.    Try my hand at vlogging
  Not sure how I'll go about this, but it will involve buying a camcorder, which was something I always wanted. Of course, I will let y'all know when it happens.

34.    Freelance at least twice
  This may change to something else, but you never know...

35.    Go out to eat with co-workers at a bar/pub
  I mean, why not?

36.    Make a long, hard list on things about yourself including beliefs and so forth. Don’t be afraid to list all the good and the bad. It is best to know yourself.
  This does explain itself, but to further add on it... I feel like I don't truly know where I stand on a lot of things. I also want to show that, yes, I am actually not a bland and silly person. Proof to show myself on the hard days.

37.    Establish a habit to where I write at least 2,000 words a day; also edit at least seven pages of something else.
  Well, there ya go. The editing thing is new, I need to start doing that.

38.    Establish a much better budget
  I'm slowly figuring out how to work with my money, so this could be an upcoming victory. Until then, I'm having to save up for October. Guster's new album, Rock Band 3, and Fallout: New Vegas are all being released within weeks of each other. How exciting! :D

39.    Switch to [new bank] and get their [sweet credit card]
  I dunno if switching banks would be necessary, I have to check on that. Otherwise, I would love to get this bank's really awesome card. It sounds like something I could get behind.

40.    Say goodbye forever to [my current credit card]
  I haven't had too much trouble with my current credit card. Well, other than it not being accepted everywhere and it becoming a game of "Does This Store Accept [Credit Card]?" To avoid this, I'm switching. Not sure when, but it's happening.

41.    Take a yoga class
  Preferably with someone who really knows all the things needed to know about yoga (like the spiritual aspect and so forth).

42.    Establish a better sleeping habit (maybe all I need is five hours, who knows…)
  I'm stuck between sleeping for six to nine hours, depending on health factors. I find myself best at seven hours of sleep.

43.    Learn to cook my own damn food
  Explains itself. I keep seeing cookbooks and wanting to try them all out. Should do that, buy an interesting cookbook and then make an entire meal.

~

Haven't fallen asleep yet? Awesome! Well, I will update on the progress I make on the list, among other things. Do y'all have 43 (more or less) you would love to do/accomplish? Share them! I'm curious to see what others are striving to do.

I leave you with this quote that I found today. It was one of those that I needed to read.