Quote:
Paper: Chicago Sun-Times
Title: Forget the radio stations - here are MY top 200 songs
Author: Richard Roeper
Date: September 1, 1996
Section: SHOWCASE
Page: 2
Every Labor Day weekend, more than a few rock stations count down "THE 500 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME!"
They also like to do that on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. I guess it's a good way to give the weekend staff some time off and play a bunch of songs back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Even as you read this, some DJ is saying, "That was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with `Learning to Fly' at No. 332, and before that we heard Music Explosion with `Little Bit of Soul' at No. 333." Coming up, the top 331 songs of ALL TIME."
How they come up with these lists is a mystery to me. What is it that puts "My Sharona" a notch ahead of "Hello Goodbye," but a notch behind "Sussudio"?
Whatever, they always seem to end up with "Hey Jude," "Stairway to Heaven" and "Satisfaction" near the top.
Not me. I like those songs, but I like a bunch of other songs a bunch more.
What I'd like to do on this lazy Labor Day weekend is give you my list of the Top 200 Songs of all time, according to me. My selections are based not on sales, not on critical hipness, not on musical impact. It's just the stuff I like in the order I like it.
You want to take issue with my selections or send me your own list - I'd love to hear from you.
Let the countdown begin.
200. "Night Moves" - Bob Seger
199. "Avalon" - Roxy Music
198. "Expressway (to Your Heart)" - Soul Survivors
197. "Subdivision" - Rush
196. "You Are Everything" - Stylistics
195. "We Don't Need Another Hero" - Tina Turner
194. "Tomorrow People" - Ziggy Marley
193. "Life Is Hard" - Timbuk 3
192. "The Mighty Quinn" - Manfred Mann
191. "Incense and Peppermints" - Strawberry Alarm Clock
190. "The Weight" - Band
189. "Please Come to Boston" - Dave Loggins
188. "Midnight Train to Georgia" - Gladys Knight & the Pips
187. "Cool Change" - Little River Band
186. "Stay (I Missed You)" - Lisa Loeb
185. "Wake Up Everbody" - Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
184. "Middle of the Road" - Pretenders
183. "Friends" - Elton John
182. "Gloria" - Shadows of Knight
181. "Cecilia" - Simon & Garfunkel
180. "Every Time You Cry" - Outfield
179. "The Sounds of Silence" - Simon & Garfunkel
178. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone
177. "Disappear" - INXS
176. "I'm a Believer" - Monkees
175. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson
174. "Amie" - Pure Prairie League
173. "Holiday" - Nazareth
172. "Superman" - R.E.M.
171. "Souvenir" - Sundays
170. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam
169. "In the Midnight Hour" - Wilson Pickett
168. "Positive Bleeding" - Urge Overkill
167. "Love Alive" - Heart
166. "Sweet Home Alabama" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
165. "For the Love of Money" - O'Jays
164. "Oh, Pretty Woman" - Roy Orbison
163. "Fields of Gold" - Sting
162. "When I Think of You" - Janet Jackson
161. "You've Lost That Lovin' "Feelin' " - Righteous Brothers
160. "Black Cow" - Steely Dan
159. "Up on the Roof" - Drifters
158. "Hold On! I'm "Coming" - Sam & Dave
157. "Sweet Sticky Thing" - Ohio Players
156. "The Reflex" - Duran Duran
155. "Wildfire" - Michael Murphey
154. "Alison" - Elvis Costello
153. "Anchorage" - Michelle Shocked
152. "Crystal Ship" - Doors
151. "Save the Country" - 5th Dimension
150. "Montego Bay" - Bobby Bloom
149. "I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home" - Grand Funk Railroad
148. "Freedom" - George Michael
147. "Don't Cry" - Seal
146. "Italian Restaurant" - Billy Joel
145. "Ohio" - Pretenders
144. "Undercover of the Night" - Rolling Stones
143. "Lola" - Kinks
142. "I Can't Tell You Why" - Eagles
141. "Coming Out of the Dark" - Gloria Estefan
140. "Meadows" - Joe Walsh
139. "Light of Day" - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
138. "Two Turntables and a Microphone" - Beck
137. "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" - Edison Lighthouse
136. "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" - Crash Test Dummies
135. "Crying in My Sleep" - Art Garfunkel
134. "Insane in the Brain" - Cypress Hill
133. "American Pie" - Don McLean
132. "No One Is to Blame" - Howard Jones
131. "Hysteria" - Def Leppard
130. "Stayin' Alive" - Bee Gees
129. "Dreams" - Fleetwood Mac
128. "Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
127. "Everyday People" - Sly & the Family Stone
126. "Holly Holy" - Neil Diamond
125. "The Music Box" - Genesis
124. "Jesus Is Waiting" - Al Green
123. "Chasing You Into the Light" - Jackson Browne
122. "Bouncing Around the Room" - Phish
121. "Fast Buck Freddie" - Jefferson Starship
120. "Minutes to Memories" - John Mellencamp
119. "Suspicious Minds" - Elvis Presley
118. "Solitude Standing" - Suzanne Vega
117. "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2
116. "Beautiful Loser" - Bob Seger
115. "Fly Robin Fly" - Silver Convention
114. "I Love L.A." - Randy Newman
113. "Welcome to the Boomtown" - David & David
112. "Man on the Moon" - R.E.M.
111. "Sugar Sugar" - Archies
110. "The Core" - Eric Clapton
109. "Suddenly Last Summer" - Motels
108. "Big League" - Tom Cochrane
107. "What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye
106. "Hip Hop Hooray" - Naughty by Nature
105. "Wichita Lineman" - Glen Campbell
104. "That's Just the Way It Is" - Bruce Hornsby
103. "You're So Cool" - Hans Zimmer
102. "It's All Mixed Up" - Cars
101. "Time Has Come Today" - Chambers Brothers
100. "White Rabbit" - Jefferson Airplane
99. "L.A. Woman" - Doors
98. "So Very Hard to Go" - Tower of Power
97. "Don't You Forget About Me" - Simple Minds
96. "I Would Die 4 U" - Prince
95. "The Right Thing to Do" - Carly Simon
94. "The Ghost in You" - Psychedelic Furs
93. "Fire and Rain" - James Taylor
92. "Do It Again" - Beach Boys
91. "You Suck" - Murmurs
90. "Modern Love" - David Bowie
89. "Legend of a Mind" - Moody Blues
88. "It Don't Matter to Me" - Bread
87. "Objects in the Rearview Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are" - Meat Loaf
86. "December" - Collective Soul
85. "All of My Heart" - ABC
84. "Rainy Night in Georgia" - Brook Benton
83. "Destination Unknown" - Missing Persons
82. "Memphis" - Johnny Rivers
81. "Rapture" - Blondie
80. "Son of a Preacher Man" - Dusty Springfield
79. "No Rain" - Blind Melon
78. "The Lonely Bull" - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
77. "Ventura Highway" - America
76. "Isn't It Time" - Babys
75. "Right Now" - Van Halen
74. "In Neon" - Elton John
73. "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
72. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - Deep Blue Something
71. "Louie Louie" - Kingsmen
70. "Black Gold" - Soul Asylum
69. "Woman" - John Lennon
68. "Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend" - Lobo
67. "Too Late" - Shoes
66. "I Want Your Body" - Nymphomania
65. "Graceland" - Paul Simon
64. "These Are the Days" - 10,000 Maniacs
63. "Superstar" - Carpenters
62. "My Sister" - Juliana Hatfield
61. "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson
60. "Tunnel of Love" - Bruce Springsteen
59. "Popular" - Nada Surf
58. "Superwoman" - Stevie Wonder
57. "Fancy Colours" - Chicago
56. "Shotgun Down the Avalanche" - Shawn Colvin
55. "Sunset Grill" - Don Henley
54. "Golden Years" - David Bowie
53. "Don Quixote" - Gordon Lightfoot
52. "Paradise" - Bodeans
51. "Downed" - Cheap Trick
50. "Taxi" - Harry Chapin
49. "Lightning Crashes" - Live
48. "Learning to Fly" - Tom Petty
47. "Court and Spark" - Joni Mitchell
46. "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison
45. "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" - Beatles
44. "The Actor" - Moody Blues
43. "Come to My Window" - Melissa Etheridge
42. "Sleeping Angel" - Stevie Nicks
41. "My Hometown" - Bruce Springsteen
40. "Open Your Heart" - Madonna
39. "Hammers and a Nail" - Indigo Girls
38. "True Devotion" - Bodeans
37. "Overnight Sensation" - Raspberries
36. "Stairway to Heaven" - Led Zeppelin
35. "Kentucky Rain" - Elvis Presley
34. "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson
33. "Junior's Farm" - Paul McCartney & Wings
32. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
31. "Jesus Is Just All Right" - Doobie Brothers
30. "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinead O'Connor
29. "Linger" - Cranberries
28. "Good Vibrations" - Beach Boys
27. "Baby I'm a Star" - Prince
26. "Check It Out" - John Mellencamp
25. "I Don't Know How to Love Him" - Yvonne Elliman
24. "It Won't Rain All the Time" (from "The Crow") - Jane Siberry
23. "Abbey Road Medley" - Beatles
22. "The End" - Doors
21. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - Rolling Stones
20. "Alive" - Pearl Jam
19. "A Pirate Looks at 40" - Jimmy Buffett
18. "Thunder Road" - Bruce Springsteen
17. "Ramblin' Man" - Allman Brothers Band
16. "Cherub Rock" - Smashing Pumpkins
15. "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan
14. "November Rain" - Guns N' Roses
13. "Diamonds in the Rough" - Shawn Colvin
12. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
11. "Hotel California" - Eagles
10. "This Woman's Work" - Kate Bush
9. "Angel Sea" - Cat Stevens
8. "One Tree Hill" - U2
7. "Love and Affection" - Joan Armatrading
6. "You Oughta Be With Me" - Al Green
5. "In Your Eyes" - Peter Gabriel
4. "Good Things" - Bodeans
3. "Born on the Bayou" - Credence Clearwater Revival
2. "Get Back" - Beatles
1. "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen
Author: Richard Roeper
Section: SHOWCASE
Page: 2
Column: UPFRONT
Copyright 1996 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.
This was in 1996, so they had to devote actual column inches and actual newsprint to this actual crap. Of course I believe you, Richard Roeper, would think "Cherub Rock" is a better song than "Jumpin' Jack Flash."
"Credence."
_________________
Molly Lambert wrote:
The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.
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