Top 10 Songs Ever . . . According to Me (at this moment)

(OK, so these are just 10 songs I picked at random. Tomorrow, I might change my mind.) 

10. The Eagles – Desperado.
From Desperado (1973).

Before they released their record-setting Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and became the California super group they are today, the Eagles were a lesser-known country rock quartet, formerly Linda Ronstadt’s backup group. But their sophomore release featured the first two Glenn Frey-Don Henley collaborations, “Tequila Sunrise” and “Desperado,” the latter having left its mark on rock ballad history as one of the best encores to ever end a concert.

9. Carole King – It’s Too Late.
From Tapestry (1971).

Carole King got started in the music biz as a songwriter–along with ex-husband, Gerry Goffin–and discovered Little Eva, her kids’ babysitter. But, following a divorce, she used her own tunes and released (at the time) the best-selling debut album for a female artist, raking in critical acclaim as well as much-deserved awards, including the Record of the Year grammy for this gut-wrenching relationship reality check.

8. Elvis Presley – Are You Lonesome Tonight (laughing version).

OK, so Elvis had an off-night. Luckily, he was able to take a potentially bad situation and just go with it. And fortunately, the audience saw the humor, too, and absolutely loved it.

7. The Band – The Weight.
From Music From Big Pink (1968).

The story of The Band has evolved into music legend. From their beginnings as Bob Dylan’s back-up group to their immortalized swan song in The Last Waltz to personal tragedies, their story is as important today as it was then. And thanks to the continued success of “The Weight” and The Last Waltz, that story will live on with future generations.

6. Bill Haley & the Comets – Rock Around the Clock.
From Blackboard Jungle Soundtrack (1956).

Not only did this song help birth rock and roll in this country, it introduced rock and roll into the movies, a very controversial event. A surge of teenybopper rock and roll movies–many the brain-children of and starring DJ and rock and roll’s number one advocate Alan Freed–would soon follow, but this was the song that officially started it all.

5. Janis Joplin – Kozmic Blues.
From I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again, Mama! (1969)

In 1969, Janis Joplin made a risky decision. She left the cushy confines of Big Brother and the Holding Company, formed her first solo group, the Kozmic Blues Band, and released her first solo effort later that year. While not as well-received as her previous work with Big Brother, she had developed her own sound–more bluesy and person–and put all of herself into her music. This song is no exception.

4. Paul Revere & the Raiders – Just Like Me.
From Just Like Us (1966).

This is just a good, rockin’ song–no complicated lyrics, a good beat, Mark Lindsay … need I go on?

3. The Sonics – The Witch.
From Here are the Sonics (1964).

For those outside the Pacific Northwest, the Sonics were a garage-rock band from Tacoma; this is no reference to any album released by the Seattle Supersonics basketball team. (The team has released albums; my parents have a Sonics Boom album from their 1979 championship–not to be confused with the Sonics’ sophomore album Boom, released in 1965. Confused yet?)

Anyway, the Sonics have influenced many groups–from Paul Revere & the Raiders to the Hives–and “The Witch” set the standard for raw, garage rock. They were ahead of their time, and nobody has matched their talent and potential.

2. The Guess Who – Glamour Boy.

Burton Cummings spun a fascinating tale about a stage persona that could have been a metaphor for himself or anybody else from that era, or even now. The blending of the live and studio tracks make it seem all that more real. And the song is doubly effective if you’re lucky to see it performed live. Beautiful, awesome, amazing, and the only live performance to ever send a chill down my spine. THAT is powerful music!

1. Bob Dylan – Like a Rolling Stone.
From Highway 61 Revisited (1965).

Dylan was amazingly popular, he’d just toured Europe, and D.A. Pennebaker’s Don’t Look Back looked to catapult him to folk-rock superstardom. So, Dylan had his (in)famous performance at the Newport Folk Festival and released his first “electric” album. Then, amidst backlash from fans still pissed about his going electric, he toured again (see Scorsese’s No Direction Home), and recorded again, and toured, and recorded, toured, recorded … Considering he’s one of rock’s most enduring singer/songwriters of all time, and the subject of the critically acclaimed hybrid exploration I’m Not There, the public’s obviously forgiven him. And unlike many songs from the 1960s, this not only captures the essence of its time, it not only speaks to other generations but will continue to influence rock music and fans as long as people can hear.

Thanks for reading!
~Tal