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Favorite 31 Songs by US Artists According to a Bunch of Middle-Aged Dummies (4 Viewers)

Pip's Invitation said:
Ilov80s said:
Love the Float On pick. It was briefly on my list but then realized they had a non American member at one point so I tossed them. I wasn’t entirely sure on how strict we were being so I erred on the side of caution whenever I could.
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Johnny Marr was not in Modest Mouse when Float On was recorded, so it was eligible.
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Yes, this was a concern for me when I saw that Marr played on some of the albums, but then I did my research and found out they were newer albums. I knew this would make my list as I always tell my kids I want it played at my funeral...

Speaking of Marr, saw him open up and play the encore with the Killers. Both my daughters (24 &21) went with me. One of the greatest things in life sharing music with my kids.
 
Ilov80s said:
Pip's Invitation said:
That also serves as a way to whittle down your list.

I built my list up to 31 from songs I'd taken in a desert island draft on another board, songs I'd taken in the This Is Their Best Song draft, and my #1 songs from certain artists I really wanted to have on my list. If I'd started with everything I really liked and tried to whittle it down, I would have gone crazy.
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Exactly. I had so many songs so any extra help like it must have signing for example was helpful. I still didn’t post a first 5 out because I felt like I had a first 50 out, not 5. Whittling was difficult.
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Similar for me, plus I was chopping so fast I don't really recall the last 5 :lmao:. At the end it was a blur.
 
Number 30:


krista4:

Fight Test – The Flaming Lips


Just Win Baby:

It Was a Very Good Year (1965), from September of My Years – Frank Sinatra


simey:

City of New Orleans - Willie Nelson


scorchy:

Welcome to the Black Parade – My Chemical Romance


neal cassady:

Shelter- Ray LaMontagne


Uruk-Hai:

The Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King


Yankee23Fan:

My Hero - Foo Fighters


Manster:

Badfish – Sublime


shuke:

Humbug Mountain Song - Fruit Bats


rockaction:

T.V. Eye - The Stooges


Mrs. Rannous:

Out of the Frying Pan (And Into the Fire) - Meat Loaf


New Binky the Doormat:

Colors – Beck


Pip’s Invitation:

Back to Basom -- Ween


Dr. Octopus:

Little Queenie – Chuck Berry


Val Rannous:

Veteran of the Psychic Wars - Blue Oyster Cult


Chaz McNulty:

Annie’s Song - John Denver


Don Quixote:

Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry


Sullie:

Foolish Heart – Steve Perry


jwb:

The Waiting – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers


DrIanMalcolm:

You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive, Patty Loveless


Hawks64:

Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp


MAC_32:

Pretender - Foo Fighters


falguy:

Drive - The Cars


simsarge:

I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston


worrierking:

Turtles All the Way Down – Sturgill Simpson


Eephus:

I Left My Heart In San Francisco - Bobby Womack


Hov34:

Hollywood Nights - Bob Seger


ditkaburgers:

Lose Control - Missy Elliot ft. Ciara and Fat Man Scoop


AAABatteries:

Thunder Road – Bruce Springsteen


landryshat:

Clay Pigeons - Blaze Foley


Zegras11:

Running Up That Hill - Meg Myers


Ilov80s:

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper


Oliver Humanzee:

Mystery - Wipers


The Dreaded Marco:

Cue the Strings - Low


Doug B:

She Sheila - The Producers
 
Ilov80s said:
Pip's Invitation said:
Johnny Marr was not in Modest Mouse when Float On was recorded, so it was eligible.
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Yep, agreed. I wasn’t sure if that exactness on that technical rule when making my list so I tried to make my own rule of- if there was any doubt, the band was out.
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The first post lists which bands are completely ineligible and those that are partially ineligible. For the latter, it also lists which band members make them ineligible so that people could do a quick scan of personnel on a particular song.
 
My favorites from Round 30 are some of the lesser known tunes: the Fruit Bats song (which shuke himself introduced me to), OH's Wipers tune, and of course the Low song. If any of you aren't familiar with these, I highly recommend checking them out! Love all of them.

Also a big fan of the Sturgill "Dad Jeans" Simpson track.
 
Special shout-out, in case you guys hadn't noticed, to Just Win Baby for providing song, artist, album, year, complete with links to Wiki pages for artists! That's dedication.

By the way, when I first started tabulating, I was correcting song titles, artist names, etc. Then I got tired. I've corrected spelling if I notice it, or if someone, for instance, attributed a song to Gladys Knight and the Supremes, but otherwise I'm just pasting what I was sent. :)
 
krista4 said:
Number 30:


krista4:

Fight Test – The Flaming Lips


Just Win Baby:

It Was a Very Good Year (1965), from September of My Years – Frank Sinatra


simey:

City of New Orleans - Willie Nelson


scorchy:

Welcome to the Black Parade – My Chemical Romance


neal cassady:

Shelter- Ray LaMontagne


Uruk-Hai:

The Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King


Yankee23Fan:

My Hero - Foo Fighters


Manster:

Badfish – Sublime


shuke:

Humbug Mountain Song - Fruit Bats


rockaction:

T.V. Eye - The Stooges


Mrs. Rannous:

Out of the Frying Pan (And Into the Fire) - Meat Loaf


New Binky the Doormat:

Colors – Beck


Pip’s Invitation:

Back to Basom -- Ween


Dr. Octopus:

Little Queenie – Chuck Berry


Val Rannous:

Veteran of the Psychic Wars - Blue Oyster Cult


Chaz McNulty:

Annie’s Song - John Denver


Don Quixote:

Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry


Sullie:

Foolish Heart – Steve Perry


jwb:

The Waiting – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers


DrIanMalcolm:

You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive, Patty Loveless


Hawks64:

Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp


MAC_32:

Pretender - Foo Fighters


falguy:

Drive - The Cars


simsarge:

I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston


worrierking:

Turtles All the Way Down – Sturgill Simpson


Eephus:

I Left My Heart In San Francisco - Bobby Womack


Hov34:

Hollywood Nights - Bob Seger


ditkaburgers:

Lose Control - Missy Elliot ft. Ciara and Fat Man Scoop


AAABatteries:

Thunder Road – Bruce Springsteen


landryshat:

Clay Pigeons - Blaze Foley


Zegras11:

Running Up That Hill - Meg Myers


Ilov80s:

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper


Oliver Humanzee:

Mystery - Wipers


The Dreaded Marco:

Cue the Strings - Low


Doug B:

She Sheila - The Producers
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Spotify Playlist here
ETA - if I screwed up, apologies in advance. Just let me know and I'll correct it.
 
Doug B said:
krista4 said:
OHBOYOHBOYOHBOYOHBOY, HERE. WE. GO.

If you sent me links, I've included your link. If you didn't (which is fine), then I've inserted the first link that came up on YouTube. If you'd like a different version, please go ahead and post it.

I'll be presenting these in the same order for each number, which is generally the order in which I received lists.


Number 31:


krista4:

Long Tall Sally – Little Richard


Just Win Baby:

Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around (1981), from Bella Donna – Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers


simey:

Please Don't Bury Me - John Prine


scorchy:

Lover I Don’t Have to Love – Bright Eyes


neal cassady:

Anemone- The Brian Jonestown Massacre


Uruk-Hai:

Minnie The Moocher-Cab Calloway


Yankee23Fan:

O Come to the Altar - Elevation Worship


Manster:

Last Cup of Sorrow - Faith No More


shuke:

Oh Mandy - Spinto Band


rockaction:

ZZZ Top - Aesop Rock


Mrs. Rannous:

Magic - The Cars


New Binky the Doormat:

For The Love Of Money - The O'Jays


Pip’s Invitation:

Refugee -- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers


Dr. Octopus:

Fly Me Courageous – Drivin N Cryin


Val Rannous:

Tonight is What it Means to be Young - Fire Inc.


Chaz McNulty:

Cat's in the Cradle - Harry Chapin


Don Quixote:

Fanfare for the Common Man - Aaron Copland (New York Philharmonic conducted by Copland)


Sullie:

Ordinary Average Guy - Joe Walsh


jwb: (commentary to come)

Moonlight Feels Right – Starbuck


DrIanMalcolm:

What a Fool Believes, the Doobie Brothers


Hawks64:

To Be With You - Mr. Big


MAC_32:

Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival


falguy:

Stand By Me - Ben E. King


simsarge:

Nick Of Time - Bonnie Raitt


worrierking:

Methamphetamine - Son Volt


Eephus:

The Humpty Dance - Digital Underground


Hov34:

Float On - Modest Mouse


ditkaburgers:

I Hate Myself for Loving You - Joan Jett and The Blackhearts


AAABatteries:

Be My Baby - The Ronettes


landryshat:

(Not Just) Knee Deep - Funkadelic


Zegras11:

Reelin' In The Years - Steely Dan


Ilov80s:

Baby Love - The Supremes


Oliver Humanzee:

Our Anniversary - Smog


The Dreaded Marco:

Alone Again Or - Love
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Number 31

Doug B:

'Southern Nights' - Allen Toussaint

'Southern Nights' is kind of special for locals ... and I think people who are only familiar with Glen Campbell's cover will get a lot out of the songwriter's personal version. Decades went by before Toussaint released 'Southern Nights' live -- not until the 2013 album Songbook. The performance is from an intimate 2009 show at a place called Joe's Pub in, I think, New York. There is a lengthy (but worth it!) spoken word section about two minutes into the song, with Toussaint's piano accompanying his words the whole time through.
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#31 playlist updated with Doug's #31.
 
A lot that I’ll need to listen to as well. Just listened to the Fruit Bats — really good. I’ve never heard of them, but just added a couple of their albums to my library (their Wiki listing Village Green Preservation Society as an influence hits my musical tastes). Going to have to listen to more of them — once I get through the other selections in the list.
 
Lots of great songs again. I chose these 5 as my top favorites:

The Thrill is Gone
Turtles All the Way Down - I almost chose this one myself, but couldn't decide between it and another Sturgill song.
Humbug Mountain Song
T.V. Eye
Fight Test

Honorable mention to The Waiting. I love the song, but it will forever remind me of a friend dying in a car accident the summer before our senior year in high school. It is still a great tune.

My favorite new song that I didn't know:

Clay Pigeons
 
krista4 said:
Uruk-Hai:

The Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King
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I reckon a lot of die-hard blues fans would not like this choice. I already know all of the arguments:

"It's got strings on it!"
"This isn't close to his best song"
"If you want REAL blues, listen to _____'s show in Burma from 1948".
"He's not even the best King!!!!"

I don't care about that stuff. What I care about is how the record hits ME. Here's what it does:

1. I love recordings that have their own atmosphere and match the mood of the singer/band. This one has it in spades. The arrangement is murky and full of dread. Those strings only add to it. If the Stones could have pulled it off, this would have fit well on Exile.

2. B.B. King as a vocalist didn't sound like most of the top blues guys (some of the ladies are a different story). His voice was gravelly as hell, where many sang in a clear tone not matter how miserable their tale was. He had this ability to pull notes from below his feet and they'd explode out of his mouth sounding like an avalanche of the world's biggest boulders.

3. He was almost always more restrained with his picking than many of his peers and he had his own sound. His playing here isn't his best, but it's unique and fits the song perfectly.

4. So, King is actually the dump-ER in this story. In a lot of songs, that would make them happy, but he sure as hell doesn't sound like it here. He sounds miserable - full of pain and regret.

Interestingly, and completely unintentionally, my #29 selection is a really good answer record to this one.
 
My top 5 from Number 30:

I listen to those Sinatra and Sturgill Simpson songs a lot. I'm already seriously regretting not finding room on my list for a Foo Fighters song.

I had another from my list picked by someone else so 4 of my songs (my 2 picks plus 2 others) have been "revealed" - I have a feeling most of my list will be gone before we even get to the top 10.
 
Pip’s Invitation:

Back to Basom -- Ween
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As some of you know from previous music threads, I have a personal history with Ween dating to my Lost Years. They are from New Hope, PA, which is less than an hour from where I was living at the time, and through friends I made in the NYC and NJ music scenes, I not only was introduced to the band's music, but got to know some of the band members themselves. (Hey, look at me! I am Facebook friends with three members of Ween!)

Ween is one of the best live bands I've ever seen. The breadth of their material -- no musical style or lyrical tangent is off-limits -- and the skill with which they execute it is stunning. Many of the shows I saw were of the 3-hours-of-drunken-insanity variety. They were some of the best moments I've ever had as a music fan.

Studio Ween is a different beast. Their early albums are facile, puerile and minimalist, and are tough to listen to in spots (though the songs from them come alive onstage.) Starting with 1994's Chocolate and Cheese, though, their releases started reflecting their abundance of talent (if remaining silly at times.) Their 2000 album White Pepper is the straightest the band ever played it, and is the natural starting point for people unfamiliar with them. It contains what I think is their greatest accomplishment in the studio, Back to Basom (a song not often featured in their live sets -- I've only caught it a couple of times). We can't have the Beatles or Pink Floyd in this exercise, but this song offers a little bit of both of them. However, Gene Ween's vocal and the arrangement are so compelling that the song transcends tribute or parody. Like the best records from the titanic artists of the '60s and '70s, every note is there for a reason, and offers something to think about at every second.
 
krista4 said:
Dr. Octopus:

Little Queenie – Chuck Berry
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I'm sure it's not surprising that I discovered Chuck Berry through the Stones. Little Queenie was my favorite Berry cover they did, and the original is even better.

I had a chance to see Berry live at the Union County Music Festival which featured Chuck Berry, Live, The Alarm and Fountains of Wayne as the bigger bands on the ticket. Unfortunately, for whatever reason Berry went on first at 12:00 Noon and I was coaching a soccer game that day and showed up after and Berry was already done. Not that I really had a chance but what a major regret when I look back.
 
Hawks64 said:
krista4 said:
Number 30:


krista4:

Fight Test – The Flaming Lips


Just Win Baby:

It Was a Very Good Year (1965), from September of My Years – Frank Sinatra


simey:

City of New Orleans - Willie Nelson


scorchy:

Welcome to the Black Parade – My Chemical Romance


neal cassady:

Shelter- Ray LaMontagne


Uruk-Hai:

The Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King


Yankee23Fan:

My Hero - Foo Fighters


Manster:

Badfish – Sublime


shuke:

Humbug Mountain Song - Fruit Bats


rockaction:

T.V. Eye - The Stooges


Mrs. Rannous:

Out of the Frying Pan (And Into the Fire) - Meat Loaf


New Binky the Doormat:

Colors – Beck


Pip’s Invitation:

Back to Basom -- Ween


Dr. Octopus:

Little Queenie – Chuck Berry


Val Rannous:

Veteran of the Psychic Wars - Blue Oyster Cult


Chaz McNulty:

Annie’s Song - John Denver


Don Quixote:

Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry


Sullie:

Foolish Heart – Steve Perry


jwb:

The Waiting – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers


DrIanMalcolm:

You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive, Patty Loveless


Hawks64:

Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp


MAC_32:

Pretender - Foo Fighters


falguy:

Drive - The Cars


simsarge:

I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston


worrierking:

Turtles All the Way Down – Sturgill Simpson


Eephus:

I Left My Heart In San Francisco - Bobby Womack


Hov34:

Hollywood Nights - Bob Seger


ditkaburgers:

Lose Control - Missy Elliot ft. Ciara and Fat Man Scoop


AAABatteries:

Thunder Road – Bruce Springsteen


landryshat:

Clay Pigeons - Blaze Foley


Zegras11:

Running Up That Hill - Meg Myers


Ilov80s:

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper


Oliver Humanzee:

Mystery - Wipers


The Dreaded Marco:

Cue the Strings - Low


Doug B:

She Sheila - The Producers
Click to expand...
Spotify Playlist here
ETA - if I screwed up, apologies in advance. Just let me know and I'll correct it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for doing this - makes listening so much easier.
 
krista4 said:
Zegras11:

Running Up That Hill - Meg Myers
Click to expand...

Dr. Octopus said:
krista4 said:
Zegras11:

Running Up That Hill - Meg Myers
Click to expand...
Didn’t know there was a cover version of this song. Its a rare cover that sounds almost exactly the same as the original.
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Kate Bush 1985 hit covered by alternative Meg Myers in 2020. The song rose to #1 on the all-rock-format Rock Airplay survey dated Jan. 25, 2020.

I like it better than the original because I like that it's a little more alternative edgy.
 
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Reciprocating all that shouted me out yesterday, today I give the nod to jwb's Tom Petty pick, which is also one of my favorites from him. Silver to krista for the Flaming Lips and bronze to Don Quixote for Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode (not far behind was the other Chuck Berry song from Doc Oc).

But there are a LOT of songs I don't know or am not too familiar with, so I'm still working my way through those.
 
Manster said:
Yoshimi, and White Pepper! Nice! I came here to do three things.....bananas, and blow, and kick some robot ***.....looks like I'm about outta bananas and blow....

More Petty and The Cars...and Sublime makes an appearance....Yay!
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Between the first two days of this, and the lists from Doc Oc's band of idiots, there have been three Cars songs, and they are all from the Heartbeat City album. The MTV-ness of it all seems to have made an impression on us.
 
My top 5 from round 30 excluding my own choice:
  • @AAABatteries : Thunder Road – Bruce Springsteen
  • @jwb : The Waiting – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  • @Hawks64 : Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp
  • @MAC_32 : Pretender - Foo Fighters
  • @Yankee23Fan : My Hero - Foo Fighters
I already know I like a lot of the others as well. No surprise it is a strong group.

Foo Fighters is another one of my all-time top 5 artists.
 
Manster said:
@Pip's Invitation
I've always heard Ween live was quite an experience. I've only heard some of their live performances, and prefer it to their studio stuff for the most part.
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It really is. It's like Springsteen for slackers or something like that.

I dunno if the vibe is quite the same now as it was in the early '00s, but they always bring it.

One of my most notorious live Ween experiences was when they played a benefit show at the Eagles lodge in Fairless Hills, PA (a suburb of Philly). Beer was all you can drink for $10. I presume the organizers didn't quite realize what they were getting into by offering that to the Ween crowd. It was completely nuts. I hung out in the parking lot for hours after the show until I felt OK enough to drive home.
 
landrys hat said:
Dr. Octopus said:
krista4 said:
To that point, and not getting into a new exercise when we have a lot to go here, I was thinking of a UK one but Beatles, Stones, Zep not allowed. Something like that. Also had some other, possibly better or possibly worse, ideas.
Click to expand...
I'd probably take it one step further and "eliminate" the Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Who (and maybe even Kinks and Floyd) to make it more interesting.
Click to expand...
or leave everyone eligible, but only one song per artist (I've already started making my top 31 uk list)
Click to expand...

Agree with one song per artist. I would suggest that there isn't that much difference in UK and "non-American" so would just go with "non-American". I'm working on my list...
 
Uruk-Hai said:
2. B.B. King as a vocalist didn't sound like most of the top blues guys (some of the ladies are a different story). His voice was gravelly as hell, where many sang in a clear tone not matter how miserable their tale was. He had this ability to pull notes from below his feet and they'd explode out of his mouth sounding like an avalanche of the world's biggest boulders.
Click to expand...
This. And yet, while gravelly, BB King's one of those blues voices that was relentlessly adaptable. He wasn't an outright crooner, but he wasn't like, all rust and hard liquor like Elmore James or Howlin' Wolf. His voice could be molasses too, if you hear him on Every Day I Have the Blues or Payin the Cost to Be the Boss. And it's a deceptively simple song, too.
 
Uruk-Hai said:
krista4 said:
Uruk-Hai:

The Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King
Click to expand...
I reckon a lot of die-hard blues fans would not like this choice. I already know all of the arguments:

"It's got strings on it!"
"This isn't close to his best song"
"If you want REAL blues, listen to _____'s show in Burma from 1948".
"He's not even the best King!!!!"

I don't care about that stuff. What I care about is how the record hits ME. Here's what it does:

1. I love recordings that have their own atmosphere and match the mood of the singer/band. This one has it in spades. The arrangement is murky and full of dread. Those strings only add to it. If the Stones could have pulled it off, this would have fit well on Exile.

2. B.B. King as a vocalist didn't sound like most of the top blues guys (some of the ladies are a different story). His voice was gravelly as hell, where many sang in a clear tone not matter how miserable their tale was. He had this ability to pull notes from below his feet and they'd explode out of his mouth sounding like an avalanche of the world's biggest boulders.

3. He was almost always more restrained with his picking than many of his peers and he had his own sound. His playing here isn't his best, but it's unique and fits the song perfectly.

4. So, King is actually the dump-ER in this story. In a lot of songs, that would make them happy, but he sure as hell doesn't sound like it here. He sounds miserable - full of pain and regret.

Interestingly, and completely unintentionally, my #29 selection is a really good answer record to this one.
Click to expand...
I did get to see B.B. King though before he passed at the NJ PAC in Newark. I was one row in front of Newark's Mayor (at the time) Sharpe James.

B.B. was awesome. Ruth Brown came up on stage (well, she was helped up to the stage) and sang a song as well.
 
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Squibby and I just finished our listening party of today's "new-to-us" songs. In a feat that is unlikely to be duplicated, we liked all of them at least a moderate amount. Nice! Squib has chosen the Sublime song as his favorite - he seemed to be dancing around most to that one. As for me, Blaze Foley is the overwhelming winner, with the rest in a tie for second. No idea how I've missed Foley throughout my life, as it appears that song has been covered by several of my favorite artists.
 
Of the "new to me" songs, I ranked Running Up That Hill (Meg Myers, Zegras pick) highest, but I don't know if it really counts as "new to me." I'd never heard the Myers version before, and it's pretty much identical to the Kate Bush version, so I ranked it about as I would rank the Kate Bush version.

So the highest-ranking "completely new to me" song was Colors (Beck, Binky pick), which I'm embarrassed to say I never heard before. I have most of Beck's albums from 1996 to 2014, but I completely spaced on him after that. Parenthood! This song is bumpin'. Other "completely new to me" favorites:

Veteran of the Psychic Wars -- Blue Oyster Cult (Val Rannous)
Humbug Mountain Song -- Fruit Bats (Shuke)
You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive -- Patty Loveless (DrIanMalcolm)
She Sheila -- The Producers (Doug B)

I can't remember if I'd heard Willie's version of City of New Orleans before. It's damn good, though I slightly prefer Arlo Guthrie's version.
 
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