Best of the Best

In a move sure to create controversy, I am going to officially declare the 100 Best Rock & Pop Songs of All Time. Of course this is completely subjective--the list is my 100 favorite songs. I've been mulling it around in the attic for a few weeks, but now that I've finally comitted it to paper, and songs have been deleted, added, and changed, I'm pretty much satisfied with the result. But I know that as soon as I hit the enter button to publish this post, I'll remember something else I should've included...

But feel free to comment on my selections and tell me what a dumbass I am for not including something obvious. But I had a few criteria before I completed the list--It's not 'The Greatest Songs Ever Written', because I think some of the classical stuff like the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah is probably the single greatest piece of music ever composed, along with greats like Carmina Burana or even Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries that would be included. So it's just rock & pop. I didn't include any country, either, although I should've because there are some truly fantastic country songs out there that would've made the cut. In fact, and I know Andrea is gonna kill me for it, but I had to scratch off Toby Keith's Courtesy of the Red White and Blue because I didn't want to open the hillbilly can of worms. Also, I decided that I would include only one song from any single artist or group. Clearly Guns & Roses, Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin are hurt by this rule, but I thought it would make for a more interesting list. Also, I found it curious that no Beatles tune made the cut. I know that some would consider that type of omission a sacrilege, but frankly I was never that big of a fan. Also, some listed have been hits with other artists, but I chose the artist/version I liked the best.

So here they are, what I consider the 100 best songs of all time. In no particular order...

1. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
2. Little Wing - Stevie Ray Vaughn
3. Suite Madam Blue - Styx
4. Tough Guys - Reo Speedwagon
5. Boys of Summer - Don Henley
6. Rain - The Cult
7. Understanding Jane - The Icicle Works
8. Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns & Roses
9. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
10. Whiskey In The Jar - Metallica
11. Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley
12. Beautiful Girls - Van Halen
13. Gypsy Road - Cinderella
14. Remember Yesterday - Skid Row
15. Drops of Jupiter - Train
16. Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran
17. Bullet The Blue Sky - U2
18. Feel So Numb - Rob Zombie
19. Detroit Rock City - KISS
20. Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
21. You're All I've Got Tonight - The Cars
22. Cars - Gary Numan
23. Don't Change - INXS
24. Don't Go Away Mad - Motley Crue
25. Cadillac Ranch - Bruce Springsteen
26. My Head's in Mississippi - ZZ Top
27. L.A. Woman - The Doors
28. Hard to Handle - Black Crowes
29. I Love You - Climax Blues Band
30. Singing In My Sleep - Semisonic
31. Wash It Away - Black Lab
32. Every Rose Has It's Thorn - Poison
33. Fat Bottom Girls - Queen
34. Closer to Free - Bodeans
35. Do Ya Wanna Touch Me - Joan Jett
36. Dancing Queen - ABBA
37. Oh L'amour - Erasure
38. Don't You Forget About Me - Simple Minds
39. God Don't Make Lonely Girls - The Wallflowers
40. Alive - Pearl Jam
41. Last Resort - Papa Roach
42. My Favorite Game - The Cardigans
43. In The End - Linkin Park
44. Call Me - Blondie
45. Wheel In The Sky - Journey
46. I Fought The Law - The Clash
47. Arizona - The Scorpions
48. Wicked Game - Chris Isaak
49. Shining Star - The Manhattans
50. American Pie - Don McLean
51. Paradise By the Dashboard Light - Meatloaf
52. Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith
53. Forever Young - Alphaville
54. Clocks - Coldplay
55. Church of the Poison Mind - Culture Club
56. Southern Cross - Jimmy Buffett
57. Hotel California - Eagles
58. Tiny Dancer - Elton John
59. Pure & Simple - Lightning Seeds
60. Keep It Comin' Love - KC & The Sunshine Band
61. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
62. In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins
63. Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
64. Losing My Religion - REM
65. Paint It Black - Rolling Stones
66. On The Loose - Saga
67. Ball & Chain - Social Distortion
68. Colorful - The Verve Pipe
69. I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
70. Bringin' On the Heartbreak - Def Leppard
71. YMCA - The Village People
72. Only the Good Die Young - Billy Joel
73. Arms of the Angel - Sarah McLachlan
74. Not My Slave - Oingo Boingo
75. Hazy Shade of Winter - The Bangles
76. Cliffs of Dover - Eric Johnson
77. We All Die Young - Steel Dragon
78. Runaway Train - Soul Asylum
79. Rasberry Beret - Prince
80. Fox On The Run - Sweet
81. In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
82. Farewell My Summer Love - Michael Jackson
83. Cowboy - Kid Rock
84. My Sharona - The Knack
85. Touch of Grey - Grateful Dead
86. Ready to Go - Republica
87. Tonight It's You - Cheap Trick
88. Three Little Birds - Bob Marley
89. I Need A Lover - John Mellencamp
90. Strength - The Alarm
91. Interstate - The Refreshments
92. Brand New Lover - Dead or Alive
93. Cajun Song - Gin Blossoms
94. Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
95. Cool Change - Little River Band
96. Hell's Bells - AC/DC
97. Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
98. Lonely Is The Night - Billy Squier
99. Vacation - Go Go's
100.Hush - Deep Purple

Let the comments fly...

Mikey