Skewering the Chimp: 100 Most Favorite Songs of All Time

Thursday, July 19, 2007

100 Most Favorite Songs of All Time

One of my most favorite authors is John Sandford, a former reporter for a newspaper in that state west of Wisconsin who gave up reporting and has become a damned fine author. His main series is the "Prey" series and his chief character is a police detective named Lucas Davenport.

Throughout his book "Broken Prey" Lucas Davenport has an on-going conversation with himself and others about putting together a list of the top 100 songs that he would want to have on a CD to listen to during a long road trip. He agonizes over it and finally in the end of the book, the last three pages are devoted to his list of 100. Given that Sandford and I are at the same age, it wasn't surprising that many of his favorites were mine also. He did, however, include a lot of songs from more contemporary artists. I on the other hand think that rock and roll died in 1984.

Recently I took an interest in putting together my list of my 100 most favorite songs, for no other reason than my own edification. I've also asked several of my closest friends to put theirs together to see how close or far away we are.

The following list was whittled down from an original 245 songs. Finding and therefore remembering some of the more obscure songs on this list was a real trip. It made me feel like a college student when some of these songs floated back from my memory.

These 100 are still fluid and could change depending on my mood. What surprised me the most was that there were more John Denver songs than Jimmy Buffett songs in the final tally. I wonder what that means? Maybe I should "thank god I'm a country boy" or something?

My 100 Most Favorite Songs of All Time

America
Horse With No Name

Bachman Turner Overdrive
Takin Care of Business

Beatles
Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

Beach Boys
California Girls
Surfer Girl

Garth Brooks
I've Got Friends In Low Places

Buffalo Springfield
For What It’s Worth

Jimmy Buffett
Changes in Latitudes
Far Side of the World
Migration
One Particular Harbour
Pirate Looks at 40

Eric Burdon and the Animals
When I Was Young

Byrds
Eight Miles High

Captain and Tenille
Muskrat Love

Harry Chapin
Cats in the Cradle
Taxi

Mary Chapin Carpenter
Passionate Kisses

Kenny Chesney
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems

Climax
Precious and Few

Cowsills
Hair

Credence Clearwater Revival
Down on the Corner
Fortunate Son

Crosby Stills Nash and Young
Ohio
Woodstock

John Denver
For Baby, For Bobbie
Leaving On a Jet Plane
Poems, Prayers, Promises
Rhymes and Reasons
Rocky Mountain High
Sunshine On My Shoulders
The Eagle and the Hawk

Diesel
Sausalito Summer Night

Dixie Chicks
Taking the Long Way

Donovan
Jennifer Juniper

Doobie Brothers
Black Water

Doors
Light My Fire

Bob Dylan
Chimes of Freedom
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Positively Fourth Street

Eagles
Take It Easy

Electric Light Orchestra
Don’t Bring Me Down

Fleetwood Mac
Don’t Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow)

Focus
Hocus Pocus

Guess Who
American Woman

Hall and Oates
One on One

Hollies
Five O'Clock World
Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress

Iron Butterfly
In A Gadda Da Vida

Jan and Dean
Surf City

Janis Joplin
Me and Bobby McGee

Jefferson Airplane
White Rabbit

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
I Love Rock and Roll

Kansas
Dust in the Wind

Carole King
It’s Too Late

Kingsmen
Louie Louie

Led Zepplin
Heartbreaker

Huey Lewis and the News
Heart of Rock and Roll
Power of Love

Barry McGuire
Eve of Destruction

Don McLean
American Pie

Mamas and Papas
California Dreamin’
Go Where You Wanna Go
I Saw Her Again Last Night

Men at Work
Down Under

Moody Blues
Ride My See Saw

Rick Nelson
Garden Party

The Outsiders
Time Won’t Let Me

Wilson Pickett
Mustang Sally

The Police
Every Breath You Take

John Prine
Paradise

Smokey Robinson
Tears of a Clown

Rolling Stones
You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Mitch Ryder
Devil With a Blue Dress

Santana
Black Magic Woman

Bob Seger
Night Moves
Rambling Gambling Man