Tuesday's Top Ten - Songs

"These are a few of my favorite things." - from "The Sound of Music"

Alright boys and girls, it's time for another Tuesday's Top Ten! Since I have listed my favorite musical artists and albums for the last two weeks, I thought I would round out the category with my favorite songs. Next week I'll move on to a whole new topic - I promise!

1. "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan - I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is hands down the best song ever written. Dylan and classic rock at their best. If you haven't heard it, download the song, buy the CD, listen to an old album - whatever - and be amazed.

2. "The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan - Can you tell I'm a fan? This song was written over 40 years ago but it might as well have been written yesterday. It's a timeless tale of a changing world and how we either have to change with it or else. A coming-of-age story in uncertain times set to music. I could listen to this one all day.

3. "Mary Jane's Last Dance" by Tom Petty - I love this song! It's fun to sing along to, has a great beat, and best of all, tells a story. This tune is open to interpretation (my thought is the suicide of young Mary Jane which is backed up by the music video) which I think is great. Any rock song that leads to conversation and speculation is a winner in my book. Plus, I've heard this live and it was amazing!

4. "Jack and Diane" by John Mellencamp - Ahh, 80's Heartland Rock at its best. I love this song so much that I mentioned it in my Willow novels several times. It's so 80's, so classic, and in the words of Ferris Bueller, it's so choice!

5. "Kodachrome" by Paul Simon - I adopted this song as one of my anthems because of the first verse: "When I think back/ On all the crap I learned in high school/ It's a wonder/ I can think at all/ And though my lack of education/ Hasn't hurt me none/ I can read the writing on the wall." I went to a high school where athletics were everything and education was an afterthought, where the top 2% of the student body were ignored but expected to carry the school through testing regardless, so this song speaks to me. Besides that, it's a fun summer song that is so catchy it will stay in my head all day, and I don't mind one bit.

6. "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen - Check out what I said about this song last week. I just love how so many people think it's this patriotic anthem when in fact it's the opposite, protesting our country's involvement in the Vietnam War. Plus, it's Bruuuuce!

7. "Heartache Tonight" by The Eagles - Okay, I pretty much love anything The Eagles sing, but this is my favorite. It's a great song, plain and simple. My favorite part is: "We can beat around the bushes/ We can get down to the bone/ We can leave it in the parking lot/ But either way there's gonna be a heartache tonight/ A heartache tonight I know." I listened to this one in the car so much that I ruined the CD. Oh well, it was worth it!

8. "Bring it On" by The Gaslight Anthem - Hey, a current song! Yep, this is the only one on the list written in this millenium, and it's amazing. If you haven't heard TGA's music, do yourself a favor and check it out, because these guys are incredible. This song speaks to me on a very personal level for a couple of reasons, and it's one of my anthems. Sometimes I don't know whether to blast the music and sing along, or turn it down a little and shed a tear to the lyrics. It's powerful, soulful, and good old-fashioned rock-n-roll recorded just last year. A winning combination!

9. "Reelin' in the Years" by Steely Dan - Check out last August's post entitled "One of My Songs" for the many reasons why I love this Steely Dan hit. True, it may have been written years before I was born, but in some parts it could have been written about me. I always smile when I hear the opening music to this song on the radio.

10. "Oh! Darling" by The Beatles - What's a top ten music list without The Beatles? "Oh! Darling" may be one of their lesser played songs, but it has so much raw emotion and power behind the simple lyrics that I absolutely love it. It jumped into my top ten after the movie "Across the Universe" came out and the song was put into motion for me on the screen. Wow...