Favorite 31 Songs by US Artists According to a Bunch of Middle-Aged Dummies (1 Viewer)

[krista4]

Hoo-boy, today has it all! Deja Votes and Menage FaLaLa Trois and one-hit wonders, and two (2) songs that receive their seventh(!) votes. And Tom Petty!

 

[falguy]

Hoo-boy, today has it all! Deja Votes and Menage FaLaLa Trois and one-hit wonders, and two (2) songs that receive their seventh(!) votes. And Tom Petty!

8 Tom Petty selections to vault him back to the lead!

 

[Tau837]

Hoo-boy, today has it all! Deja Votes and Menage FaLaLa Trois and one-hit wonders, and two (2) songs that receive their seventh(!) votes. And Tom Petty!

8 Tom Petty selections to vault him back to the lead!

We can only hope!

 

[falguy]

Disturbed - The Sound of Silence
I was left speechless after hearing this the first time. Might have played it 100 times that month. More.

Really like this, had not heard it before. Thanks for posting.

Always pleased to introduce someone to it.

This was the version of the song I was referring to earlier in the thread. Good lord it gives me chills. Just a ridiculously good recording.

.

I hadnt heard this live version previously and agree it's quite spectacular.

 

[zamboni]

Hoo-boy, today has it all! Deja Votes and Menage FaLaLa Trois

The Banana Splits opening theme song ought to be remade to this.

 

[AAABatteries]

Hoo-boy, today has it all! Deja Votes and Menage FaLaLa Trois and one-hit wonders, and two (2) songs that receive their seventh(!) votes. And Tom Petty!

The one-hit wonders would have been a fantastic side contest - I would have sucked at it as I'm not sure any of the ones leading now would have come to my mind.

 

[krista4]

Number 2:


krista4:

If I Needed You – Townes Van Zandt
(duplicate – second vote)


Just Win Baby:

Wildflowers (1994), from Wildflowers - Tom Petty
(new song)


simey:

(Don't Go Back To) Rockville - R.E.M.
(duplicate – second vote)


scorchy:

Summer Babe - Winter Version – Pavement
(duplicate – second vote)


neal cassady:

Inca Roads - Frank Zappa
(new artist)


Uruk-Hai:

We're An American Band - Grand Funk Railroad
(duplicate – second vote)


Yankee23Fan:

Hotel California - Eagles
(duplicate – second vote)


Manster:

Whitewater - Kyuss
(new song)


shuke:

Divided Sky - Phish
(new song)


rockaction:

Memorial - Explosions In The Sky
(new artist)


Mrs. Rannous:

Foreplay/Longtime - Boston
(duplicate – fourth vote)


New Binky the Doormat:

Open My Eyes - Nazz
(new artist)


Pip’s Invitation:

Marquee Moon - Television
(duplicate – sixth AND seventh votes today!)


Dr. Octopus:

The Tracks Of My Tears – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
(duplicate – fourth vote)


Val Rannous:

American Pie - Don McLean
(duplicate – fourth vote)


Chaz McNulty:

The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
(duplicate – third, fourth AND fifth votes today!)


Don Quixote:

God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
(duplicate – sixth vote)


Sullie:

Star Spangled Banner (solo at Woodstock) - Jimi Hendrix
(new song)


jwb:

LA Woman – The Doors
(duplicate – third vote)


DrIanMalcolm:

Bridge Over Troubled Water, Aretha Franklin
(new song)


Hawks64:

Constellations - Jack Johnson, Eddie Vedder, Kawika Kahiapo
(Johnson - new song; Vedder and Kahiapo – both new artists)


MAC_32:

Rearviewmirror - Pearl Jam
(duplicate – second vote)


falguy:

Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin
(new artist)


simsarge:

One Love (Song of the Lion) - Pat Benatar
(new artist)


worrierking:

Visions of Johanna - Bob Dylan
(duplicate – fourth AND fifth votes today!)


Eephus:

Nightswimming - R.E.M.
(duplicate – second vote)


Hov34:

Selfless, Cold and Composed - Ben Folds Five
(new song)


ditkaburgers:

Best of My Love - The Emotions
(new artist)


AAABatteries:

The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
(duplicate – fourth vote)


landryshat:

Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler) - Marvin Gaye
(duplicate – second vote)


Zegras11:

The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
(duplicate – fifth vote)


Ilov80s:

Visions of Johanna - Bob Dylan
(duplicate – fifth vote)


Oliver Humanzee:

Superstition - Stevie Wonder
(duplicate – seventh vote)


The Dreaded Marco:

Marquee Moon - Television
(duplicate – seventh vote)


Doug B:

Holy Ghost - The Bar-Kays
(new artist)


KarmaPolice:

One More Hour - Sleater-Kinney
(new artist)

 

[krista4]

@simey sniped my #2 song ("If I Needed You") long ago, which was a surprise to me. But it turned out that I sniped her #2 song ((Don't Go Back To) Rockville) a while back as well!

I forgot to do any shout-outs yesterday and also haven't listened to the playlist yet, but let me be the first to shout-out @Sullie 's brilliant manner of getting Jimi Hendrix in here today. Also wanted to note that the Ben Folds Five song today is killer - I tried to get him in my countdown but couldn't narrow down a song - as well as the songs from the Bar-Kays and The Emotions.

Frank Zappa in da house! @neal cassady was kind enough to make me a playlist primer on Frank Zappa a few years back when I requested one, and I came to have a great appreciation for him (Zappa, though neal cassady as well). Surprised he didn't get any more love than this.

 

[krista4]

Hoo-boy, today has it all! Deja Votes and Menage FaLaLa Trois and one-hit wonders, and two (2) songs that receive their seventh(!) votes. And Tom Petty!

The one-hit wonders would have been a fantastic side contest - I would have sucked at it as I'm not sure any of the ones leading now would have come to my mind.

It would have, but also really difficult as you mentioned. I think "Marquee Moon" would have been taken, and as I mentioned a while back (and is super-obvious after today's picks), it would have won had someone not taken a second song of theirs early in the countdown. Of our three current contenders, "American Pie" possibly would have been an obvious choice, but the Al Green and Cheap Trick songs might not have been since they both have several other well-known songs.

 

[simey]

@simey sniped my #2 song ("If I Needed You") long ago, which was a surprise to me. But it turned out that I sniped her #2 song ((Don't Go Back To) Rockville) a while back as well!

 

[Manster]

Just looking at this list I can say Rearviewmirror is my fave of the day. Such a great song!

 

[Manster]

Buuuuut then I fired up that version of Constellations.....soooooo good!

 

[krista4]

This one is complete as of today. From November 11:

Which "summer" song has garnered the most points:

Summer Babe (Winter Version) – Pavement - 43
Boys of Summer - Don Henley - 41
Summertime - Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald version only, without regard to any other versions that might have been selected - 40
Summer Breeze - Isley Brothers – 23
Summer Wind - Frank Sinatra - 11

 

[jwb]

@ditkaburgers Best of My Love - The Emotions
(new artist)

Tons of heavy hitters today (as expected) but this is an inspired, unexpected pick. There's lots of 70's pop/disco on my playlists and this song is there. Great soaring vocals and horns.

 

[falguy]

Louis Armstrong - Mack The Knife
Just a few years ago, I heard this on a Vegas oldies station on a delicious sound system and just fell in love with it. Of course I was already familiar with it, especially Sinatra's version. I opted to avoid jazz and classical making my list. I guess this is as close as I came to breaking the rule. In retrospect and after y'all reminding of many I forgot, this probably wouldn't make the list of 31, but here it is. love Louis alot.

This is the 3rd one that popped up a few days ago. I've drafted my version a couple times over the years, and well, here's Iz.

My preferred version by Bobby Darin was my #2 pick today.

 

[Hawks64]

Number 2:


krista4:

If I Needed You – Townes Van Zandt
(duplicate – second vote)


Just Win Baby:

Wildflowers (1994), from Wildflowers - Tom Petty
(new song)


simey:

(Don't Go Back To) Rockville - R.E.M.
(duplicate – second vote)


scorchy:

Summer Babe - Winter Version – Pavement
(duplicate – second vote)


neal cassady:

Inca Roads - Frank Zappa
(new artist)


Uruk-Hai:

We're An American Band - Grand Funk Railroad
(duplicate – second vote)


Yankee23Fan:

Hotel California - Eagles
(duplicate – second vote)


Manster:

Whitewater - Kyuss
(new song)


shuke:

Divided Sky - Phish
(new song)


rockaction:

Memorial - Explosions In The Sky
(new artist)


Mrs. Rannous:

Foreplay/Longtime - Boston
(duplicate – fourth vote)


New Binky the Doormat:

Open My Eyes - Nazz
(new artist)


Pip’s Invitation:

Marquee Moon - Television
(duplicate – sixth AND seventh votes today!)


Dr. Octopus:

The Tracks Of My Tears – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
(duplicate – fourth vote)


Val Rannous:

American Pie - Don McLean
(duplicate – fourth vote)


Chaz McNulty:

The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
(duplicate – third, fourth AND fifth votes today!)


Don Quixote:

God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
(duplicate – sixth vote)


Sullie:

Star Spangled Banner (solo at Woodstock) - Jimi Hendrix
(new song)


jwb:

LA Woman – The Doors
(duplicate – third vote)


DrIanMalcolm:

Bridge Over Troubled Water, Aretha Franklin
(new song)


Hawks64:

Constellations - Jack Johnson, Eddie Vedder, Kawika Kahiapo
(Johnson - new song; Vedder and Kahiapo – both new artists)


MAC_32:

Rearviewmirror - Pearl Jam
(duplicate – second vote)


falguy:

Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin
(new artist)


simsarge:

One Love (Song of the Lion) - Pat Benatar
(new artist)


worrierking:

Visions of Johanna - Bob Dylan
(duplicate – fourth AND fifth votes today!)


Eephus:

Nightswimming - R.E.M.
(duplicate – second vote)


Hov34:

Selfless, Cold and Composed - Ben Folds Five
(new song)


ditkaburgers:

Best of My Love - The Emotions
(new artist)


AAABatteries:

The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
(duplicate – fourth vote)


landryshat:

Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler) - Marvin Gaye
(duplicate – second vote)


Zegras11:

The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
(duplicate – fifth vote)


Ilov80s:

Visions of Johanna - Bob Dylan
(duplicate – fifth vote)


Oliver Humanzee:

Superstition - Stevie Wonder
(duplicate – seventh vote)


The Dreaded Marco:

Marquee Moon - Television
(duplicate – seventh vote)


Doug B:

Holy Ghost - The Bar-Kays
(new artist)


KarmaPolice:

One More Hour - Sleater-Kinney
(new artist)

The number 2s

 

[Chaos34]

@simey sniped my #2 song ("If I Needed You") long ago, which was a surprise to me.

I'm always torn between this and Rake for Townes. I always go with Rake. I don't think I've heard a sadder guitar and more painful lyric. Oh Townes.

 

[Hawks64]

Buuuuut then I fired up that version of Constellations.....soooooo good!

I listened to that album and now the Kokua Festival is my bucket list show. Great music with lots of guests, plenty of artists ineligible for this list, great location (Hawaii) and it supports a great charity. Wins all around.

 

[Chaos34]

Nightswimming is always my REM. I missed it already being taken. I was waiting for it. Surprised Eeph didn't go deeper and snobbier, but love the very high ranking. Put it in my top tier.

Yet another Mack The Knife. I would have bet mine was the solo entry. Surprising.

Great playlist. I have a lot of listening to do.

 

[Don Quixote]

I had Visions of Johanna as my #3 song, so aligned with everyone picking it — but the popularity of it as (at least what looks to be for now) basically a runaway favorite Dylan song has surprised me.

 

[Eephus]

Nightswimming is always my REM. I missed it already being taken. I was waiting for it. Surprised Eeph didn't go deeper and snobbier, but love the very high ranking. Put it in my top tier.

I'm a R.E.M. populist

Yet another Mack The Knife. I would have bet mine was the solo entry. Surprising.

...but a Mack the Knife snob. Lotte Lenya was the greatest interpreter of Weill/Brecht songbook IMO (and a top shelf Bond villain).

Lotte Lenya - Moritat vom Mackie Messer - part 10

Lotte Lenya - The Seven Deadly Sins (Kurt Weill). 1956/57. Moritat vom Mackie Messer. Go to Praguedive Playlists to see the entire thing (21 parts).

www.youtube.com

 

[AAABatteries]

Weird tidbit I noticed:

We have Rearviewmirror and then If I Needed You off the Rear View Mirror album.

 

[falguy]

Spreadsheet now updated to include today's picks.

Top 5 1-hit wonders (unofficial)

Song Title	Artist	Points
Surrender	Cheap Trick	118
Let's Stay Together	Rev. Al Green	104
American Pie	Don Mclean	84
25 or 6 to 4	Chicago	50
Cat's in the Cradle	Harry Chapin	49

Be funny if someone has I Want You To Want Me, or some other Cheap Trick tune as their #1.

 

[Zegras11]

Spreadsheet now updated to include today's picks.

Top 5 1-hit wonders (unofficial)

Song Title	Artist	Points
Surrender	Cheap Trick	118
Let's Stay Together	Rev. Al Green	104
American Pie	Don Mclean	84
25 or 6 to 4	Chicago	50
Cat's in the Cradle	Harry Chapin	49

Be funny if someone has I Want You To Want Me, or some other Cheap Trick tune as their #1.

Dream Police was one of my last cuts

 

[Chaos34]

Also, my Petty still hasn't been selected.

Here's a fun one from my bottom tier. A true one hit wonder rock and roll rhythm and blues. Well, that's not right. I don't think it was even a hit, but...

The Bus Boys - The Boys are Back in Town (not a thin lizzy cover)

 

[AAABatteries]

I realize we have one more round, but there's no reason to wait.

Biggest song and artist surprises for me:

• Marquee Moon - Television - I already mentioned this but for a song and band I've never heard of to get (at least) 7 different votes and possibly win or come close to winning the song with the most votes blows me away (I think Superstition will overtake it once we are done but still shocks me)
• R.E.M. - I figured they'd get some love. But 10 different songs and top 5 votes were not something I expected to see - AT ALL

 

[Leroy Hoard]

The new 2 @ 2:

Open My Eyes 👁👁

Mack The Knife

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Uruk-Hai:

We're An American Band - Grand Funk Railroad
(duplicate – second vote)

The only surprise about this pick is that it's not his #1.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Also, my Petty still hasn't been selected.

Here's a fun one from my bottom tier. A true one hit wonder rock and roll rhythm and blues. Well, that's not right. I don't think it was even a hit, but...

The Bus Boys - The Boys are Back in Town (not a thin lizzy cover)

I remember this. It got some play on radio and MTV. Eddie Murphy was a big booster of theirs and got them booked on SNL, and sat in with them on this song.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

New Binky the Doormat:

Open My Eyes - Nazz
(new artist)

I figured this was coming. Binky took this in the This Is Their Best Song draft. (I took it in the Jukebox draft.)
So we've seen Nazz and Utopia. Does he have a Todd solo song as #1?

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

Binky (new)

(Binky: old)

reaction.

 

[krista4]

I realize we have one more round, but there's no reason to wait.

Biggest song and artist surprises for me:

• Marquee Moon - Television - I already mentioned this but for a song and band I've never heard of to get (at least) 7 different votes and possibly win or come close to winning the song with the most votes blows me away (I think Superstition will overtake it once we are done but still shocks me)
• R.E.M. - I figured they'd get some love. But 10 different songs and top 5 votes were not something I expected to see - AT ALL

Small point of correction: R.E.M. has nine different songs right now, tied for third in number of songs. They're a pleasant surprise for me in the countdown.

Superstition has the same number of votes as Marquee Moon right now, each with seven.

 

[Manster]

I think the biggest surprise to me so far is the amount of love for Foo Fighters. They were always a solid rock band that just didn't move the needle too much for me. Like background noise.......I think I will take a deeper dive on them.

 

[krista4]

I had Visions of Johanna as my #3 song, so aligned with everyone picking it — but the popularity of it as (at least what looks to be for now) basically a runaway favorite Dylan song has surprised me.

Agree. I expected Dylan's votes to be spread out more, like Petty's are. Actually was surprised to see Superstition as the overwhelming favorite Stevie song, too, given how many phenomenal songs he has.

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

@simey sniped my #2 song ("If I Needed You") long ago, which was a surprise to me. But it turned out that I sniped her #2 song ((Don't Go Back To) Rockville) a while back as well!

I forgot to do any shout-outs yesterday and also haven't listened to the playlist yet, but let me be the first to shout-out @Sullie 's brilliant manner of getting Jimi Hendrix in here today. Also wanted to note that the Ben Folds Five song today is killer - I tried to get him in my countdown but couldn't narrow down a song - as well as the songs from the Bar-Kays and The Emotions.

Frank Zappa in da house! @neal cassady was kind enough to make me a playlist primer on Frank Zappa a few years back when I requested one, and I came to have a great appreciation for him (Zappa, though neal cassady as well). Surprised he didn't get any more love than this.

I had a number of Zappa songs on my final list ...just didn't make it.

 

[AAABatteries]

I think the biggest surprise to me so far is the amount of love for Foo Fighters. They were always a solid rock band that just didn't move the needle too much for me. Like background noise.......I think I will take a deeper dive on them.

Foo Fighters and Grohl have been talked about a bunch on the boards so I wasn't surprised there. And maybe some of the larger music drafts/threads that I haven't participated had a lot of R.E.M. talk and I'm just not aware but I don't remember a lot of discussion about them. Also, I think part of my surprise with them is I still see them as a local band that made it big so I always assumed I had an overinflated view of them. And don't get me wrong, I'm pleasantly surprised as I've always been a fan.

 

[Manster]

@rockaction memorial.....wow! Be a great one to put the phones on and melt away. Didn't know of these guys. I will check em out

 

[AAABatteries]

I had Visions of Johanna as my #3 song, so aligned with everyone picking it — but the popularity of it as (at least what looks to be for now) basically a runaway favorite Dylan song has surprised me.

Agree. I expected Dylan's votes to be spread out more, like Petty's are. Actually was surprised to see Superstition as the overwhelming favorite Stevie song, too, given how many phenomenal songs he has.

You guys are touching on something I alluded to about midway through the countdown - related to the charity contest. I think picking the song was tricky as I felt like artists like The Beach Boys and Stevie would cannibalize their top song because of the depth of catalog and how well received they are with our FBG posters. That's why I went with Respect as my pick - I think it's seen as Aretha's consensus best song, so I thought it had a good shot to be the most picked.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Known-to-me favorites from #2 aside from Marquee Moon and Superstition, which I picked along with almost everyone else:

Open My Eyes -- Nazz (Binky)
God Only Knows -- The Beach Boys (Don Quixote)
Foreplay/Long Time -- Boston (Mrs. Rannous)
Bridge Over Troubled Water -- Aretha Franklin (DrIanMalcolm)
Divided Sky -- Phish (Shuke)
Visions of Johanna -- Bob Dylan (Ilov80s and Worrierking)
Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) -- Marvin Gaye (Landryshat)
Hotel California -- The Eagles (Yankee23Fan)
L.A. Woman -- The Doors (jwb)
Rearviewmirror -- Pearl Jam (MAC 32)
The Star Spangled Banner -- Jimi Hendrix (Sullie)
(Don't Go Back to) Rockville -- R.E.M. (Simey)
We're an American Band -- Grand Funk Railroad (Uruk-Hai)

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I think the biggest surprise to me so far is the amount of love for Foo Fighters. They were always a solid rock band that just didn't move the needle too much for me. Like background noise.......I think I will take a deeper dive on them.

Their first five albums are <chef's kiss>.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

@simey sniped my #2 song ("If I Needed You") long ago, which was a surprise to me. But it turned out that I sniped her #2 song ((Don't Go Back To) Rockville) a while back as well!

I forgot to do any shout-outs yesterday and also haven't listened to the playlist yet, but let me be the first to shout-out @Sullie 's brilliant manner of getting Jimi Hendrix in here today. Also wanted to note that the Ben Folds Five song today is killer - I tried to get him in my countdown but couldn't narrow down a song - as well as the songs from the Bar-Kays and The Emotions.

Frank Zappa in da house! @neal cassady was kind enough to make me a playlist primer on Frank Zappa a few years back when I requested one, and I came to have a great appreciation for him (Zappa, though neal cassady as well). Surprised he didn't get any more love than this.

I had a number of Zappa songs on my final list ...just didn't make it.

Yeah, there's WAY too much Zappa to choose from (and a ton that I don't even know because his catalog is so vast).

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Today's playlist is almost 3.5 hours, in contrast to the typical 2.5 to 3. Some long-*** epics were ranked very highly.

 

[AAABatteries]

@falguy - just had a thought. Would it be possible to create some kind of formula on a new sheet that shows how close someone's list was to the consensus list? I guess something simple like how many of somebody's list was in the top 25, 50, 75, 100, etc. similar to what Pip has been doing?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

R.E.M. - I figured they'd get some love. But 10 different songs and top 5 votes were not something I expected to see - AT ALL

R.E.M. doesn’t surprise me all that much given the age group in this thread. When I was in college they were on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine as “The Greatest American Band”. They were huge in the late 80s/early 90s. They have become somewhat underrated historically in the past two decades by the general population but I’d guess big time music fans of a certain age still think highly of them.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Also, my Petty still hasn't been selected.

Here's a fun one from my bottom tier. A true one hit wonder rock and roll rhythm and blues. Well, that's not right. I don't think it was even a hit, but...

The Bus Boys - The Boys are Back in Town (not a thin lizzy cover)

I remember this. It got some play on radio and MTV. Eddie Murphy was a big booster of theirs and got them booked on SNL, and sat in with them on this song.

The song was also featured in Murphy’s 48 Hours movie.

 

[falguy]

I had Visions of Johanna as my #3 song, so aligned with everyone picking it — but the popularity of it as (at least what looks to be for now) basically a runaway favorite Dylan song has surprised me.

Agree. I expected Dylan's votes to be spread out more, like Petty's are. Actually was surprised to see Superstition as the overwhelming favorite Stevie song, too, given how many phenomenal songs he has.

I was thinking the same for God Only Knows. There are many great Beach Boy tunes yet this one is getting most of the love.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

shuke:

Divided Sky - Phish
(new song)

For pedantic grammar people:
Old-school Phish fans like Shuke and myself refer to this as Divided Sky, because that's how it was labeled on the CDs Elektra pressed in the early 90s of the first Phish album, Junta. But on live albums starting in the late '90s and on streaming services, it's labeled as The Divided Sky. No idea why there's a discrepancy. "Silly hippies" is as good an explanation as any.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

Totally my opinion and I'm sure it will make others with strong ones share theirs, but Hotel California is, to me, the best produced song ever recorded. It's just perfect in every way. Have loved that song from the second I heard the intro.

Only reason it isn't my number one is because of the story behind my number one and it's a song that has gotten a lot of love already.

 

[AAABatteries]

I'm probably going to offend GB shuke and rockaction but I wish somebody would have warned me about 20 straight minutes of instrumentals.

 

[falguy]

@falguy - just had a thought. Would it be possible to create some kind of formula on a new sheet that shows how close someone's list was to the consensus list? I guess something simple like how many of somebody's list was in the top 25, 50, 75, 100, etc. similar to what Pip has been doing?

I'll see what I can do. I was planning on doing a few summaries along these lines but not sure how to do it that way. I'm not sure the way the data is structured if it's possible. At the end I can post my full sheet and maybe someone knows more about excel than I do.