Monday, Feb. 17, 2003
Favorites, posted at 12:52 a.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com I will be adding more lists to this page soon. I'm snowed in, and this is my third entry in 15 hours or so. Check them out too.50 Favorite Songs
I only allowed myself one per artist.
1. �Fast Car� by Tracy Chapman: The song that taught me that beautiful music and social activism can be one. Responsible for my love of music more than any other song.
2. �Tennessee� by Arrested Development: So much longing for truth and redemption in just 4 minutes of pop perfection.
3. �Thunder Road� by Bruce Springsteen: Bruce and I are one at this point in our lives.
4. �Chelsea Hotel� by Dan Bern: Bern ends all attempts to shed his Dylan image, honoring and � dare I say it � even besting the man with this incredible song.
5. �In Indiana� by Brenda Kahn: The emptiness of the American Dream captured in Kahn�s poetic ode to survival.
6. �Why Georgia?� by John Mayer: This was me at 24.
7. �Midnight Train to Georgia� by Gladys Knight & The Pips: The line �I�d rather live in his world than live without him in mine� is so dysfunctional and dependent, yet romantic beyond belief. I love the call/response between Knight and her Pips.
8. �My Name is Jonas� by Weezer: Crunchy power pop at its absolute finest.
9. �It Don�t Mean a Thing If It Ain�t Got That Swing� by Ella Fitzgerald: The joy is palpable, the scatting extraordinary.
10. �Lose Yourself� by Eminem: Best song of 2002. The alliteration, assonance, and shift of narrator thrill the English major in me, and Eminem�s penchant for making full-disclosure great art has never been finer than here.
11. �Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas� by Judy Garland: Simply one of the best recordings ever, a profound mix of melancholy and optimism.
12. �California� by Joni Mitchell: The line �It�s so old, so cold, and settled in its ways� made me move from Michigan.
13. �Moses� by Patty Griffin: Strikingly starts out the best contemporary folk album of the 90�s.
14. �The Christians and the Pagans� by Dar Williams: Reminds me of my family. A brilliant character study.
15. �Restless College Years� by Wally Pleasant: Wally gets serious, but still has his tongue in his cheek. Reminds me of, well, college.
16. �Come Rain Or Come Shine� by Billie Holiday: I�m a bit of a sucker for these co-dependent love songs. Holiday�s voice is one of my favorites.
17. �With a Little Help From My Friends� by The Beatles: My favorite Beatles song, because it combines their fun pop sound with lyrics deeper than the �8 Days a Week� variety. �I need somebody to love� is a simple line, but it always resonates with me.
18. �Mr. Jones� by Counting Crows: Yearning and dreaming, with Duritz�s incredible vocal performance propelling the emotions.
19. �Landslide� by Stevie Nicks: No matter which incarnation, this song stands the test of time. The lyrics are amazing.
20. �Anchorage� by Michelle Shocked: An epistle of a song that is deeply personal yet universal.
21. �China� by Tori Amos: I have been through this, almost word for word. Except I was the addressee. (Wow, so much geography on this list.)
22. �Sick of Myself� by Matthew Sweet: Another one of those perfect power pop songs from the early nineties.
23. �Flowers are Red� by Harry Chapin: My parents turned me onto Chapin�s music as a child; this song has inspired me as an adult.
24. �Last Day of Our Acquaintance� by Sinead O�Connor: That moment when the drums kick in and the guitars turn on gives me goosebumps.
25. �Til You�re Dead� by Melissa Ferrick: A lot funnier than Ferrick�s usual songwriting, this goofy love song is her catchiest and funnest song to date.
26. �I Am a Rock� by Simon & Garfunkel: Fell in love with this song while comparing it to Holden Caulfield in the classroom while student teaching.
27. �Doll Parts� by Hole: The song came right after Kurt�s death, as Courtney unintendedly allowed us to grieve alongside her.
28. �Love Rain� by Jill Scott w/ Mos Def: Scott�s extended metaphor is dazzling poetry, and Mos Def�s sonnet-like contribution makes it even more powerful.
29. �So Pure� by Alanis Morissette: Lives up to its name. Morissette sounds positively enchanted in this song.
30. �19� by Old 97�s: As alt-country bands go, Wilco puts out better albums, but Old 97s are better at crafting singles. This one�s a doozy.
31. �Proud Mary� by Ike & Tina Turner: We never, ever do nothing nice and easy. We like to do it nice. And rough. Tina Turner is incredible here.
32. �Piece of My Heart� by Janis Joplin: That primal scream in the middle is what music is all about.
33. �Like I Love You� by Justin Timberlake: Don�t laugh. A brilliant dance song built upon an acoustic guitar loop, great production, and soulful vocals.
34. �Maybe an Angel� by Heather Nova: An epic, heart-on-the-sleeve ballad that is almost as cheesy as anything Celine Dion has sung but this is good.
35. �Tangled Up In Blue� by Bob Dylan: My favorite Dylan song.
36. �In or Out� by Ani DiFranco: Like most strong DiFranco songs, this hilarious song�s very personal lyrics somehow become universal; it seems to be about bisexuality for DiFranco, but anyone whose felt like they didn�t want to be put into a box or a label can relate to it.
37. �The Warm� by 19 Wheels: Underrated Michigan band produces a rarity � an excellent power ballad. The backup vox by lead singer Chris Johnston�s (a great guy, by the way) wife make this one incredible.
38. �Blood Makes Noise� by Suzanne Vega: Eclectic songwriter goes manic and gets remarkable results.
39. �Secondhand News� by Fleetwood Mac: This glorious rocker opens up Rumors, one of my alltime favorite albums. The jangly music � which makes you just want to roll down your windows and turn it as loud as it can go � collides perfectly with the dark lyrics, providing an apt opening for this uplifting divorce album.
40. �Tainted Love� by Soft Cell: Amazingly, does not sound dated at all. Perfect pop.
41. �Freshmen� by The Verve Pipe: As with most songs, it survives best at its sparest (not the heavily produced hit version of it); I once heard Brian Vander Ark perform it solo acoustic in concert, and it was amazing � the audience all singing along and goosebumps protruded on my limbs. A very powerful song.
42. �Without a Trace� by Soul Asylum: Standing in the sun with a popsicle, anything is possible. Wow.
43. �Imagine� by John Lennon: Does anyone dislike this song?
44. �Oppression� by Ben Harper: This man is amazing.
45. �Friends of P� by The Rentals: One of my favorite songs of the 90�s.
46. �Gotta Have Peace of Mind� by Lauryn Hill: A passionate, visceral performance.
47. �My Sister� by Juliana Hatfield: She doesn�t have a sister, but that�s okay, because that song is not about my dad. (can anyone get that reference?)
48. �Satisfied Mind� by Jeff Buckley: The song that was at his funeral; hopefully, it can be played at mine in 80 years.
49. �The Conan Song� by Kristin Plater: An unreleased gem.
50. �Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters� by Elton John: It�s tough to pick just one of his.