The Top 155 Songs by American Artists According to 5 Middle-Aged Idiots (1 Viewer)

[Dr. Octopus]

Back in January some of my college buddies on a text chain revealed our Top 31 albums of all time, one at a time, in daily texts. It was a lot of fun, and now we have decided to spend October counting down our Top 31 songs of all-time, but with a slight twist. Only American artists are eligible for this list. Obviously, that eliminates a lot of heavy hitters. It also eliminates “mixed” bands like Fleetwood Mac, The Band, The Talking Heads, The Pretenders, et. al. Basically our rule is every solo artist or member of the band needs to be natural born American Citizen.

I plan to update our selections each day in this thread, because I think it will be fun for those interested to follow along.

Now first off, despite the title, this could end up being less than 155 songs, since some songs may be selected twice (a few albums were). Also, we are between the ages of 51-56 – so “middle-aged” is likely wishful thinking. The most important caveat here though is although it says “top” these lists will be our personal favorites and completely subjective. I expect comments like “How was this song left off?” or “no way, that’s one of the best 31 songs of all time”. Those comments may be accurate from an objective perspective, but do not really make sense from the standpoint of what these lists are, our favorite songs. It’s like, our opinions man.

I encourage comments from the peanut gallery that may be following along, good or bad. Flame away if you must – I’m sure not every song will be a hit with the masses. We have thick skin and remember there are many reasons why a song could be one’s favorite, with “time and place” being a big one. Not every genre or artist will get its due - its just the way it is.

At the end I will share a Spotify Playlist including all 155* songs counting down from 31-1 (in blocks of 5), and I’ll encourage anyone that’s interested to list their own songs. Let me tell you, it is not an easy task to narrow it down to 31 songs.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Doc Octopus:
31. Black – Pearl Jam
30. All The Right Reasons – The Jayhawks
29. My Lover’s Prayer – Otis Redding
28. Dreaming - Blondie
27. I Saw the Light – Todd Rundgren
26. Romeo’s Tune – Steve Forbert
25. New York Groove – Ace Frehley
24. I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You – Tom Waits
23. Deacon Blues – Steely Dan
22. Saturday in the Park - Chicago
21. Be My Baby – The Ronettes
20. Behind the Wall of Sleep – The Smithereens
19. American Girl – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
18. Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
17. Pancho & Lefty – Townes Van Zandt
16. Perfect Day – Lou Reed
15. (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville – R.E.M.
14. Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
13. Summer Wind – Frank Sinatra
12. Ripple – Grateful Dead
11. Thunder Road – Bruce Springsteen
10. Hurricane – Bob Dylan
9. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
8. Without You – Harry Nilsson
7. All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
6. Simple Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd
5. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life – Stevie Wonder
4. Blue Sky – Allman Brothers Band
3. America – Simon & Garfunkel
2. Hot Burrito #1 – The Flying Burrito Brothers
1. God Only Knows – The Beach Boys

Jeb:
31. Uncontrollable Urge – Devo
30. Kick Out the Jams – MC5
29. Louder Than A Bomb – Public Enemy
28. Runnin’ with the Devil – Van Halen
27. Fortunate Son – Creedance Clearwater Revival
26. Outshined - Soundgarden
25. One – Metallica
24. Deuce - KISS
23. Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers – ZZ Top
22. Peace Frog – The Doors
21. Incinerate – Sonic Youth
20. Bulls On Parade – Rage Against the Machine
19. Volunteers – Jefferson Airplane
18. Down With Disease - Phish
17. Mississippi Queen - Mountain
16. Blinded By the Light – Bruce Springsteen
15. Search and Destroy – The Stooges
14. Night of the Living Baseheads – Public Enemy
13. Gratitude – Beastie Boys
12. Up on the Sun – Meat Puppets
11. Funk #49 – The James Gang
10. Barracuda - Heart
9. Truckin’ – Grateful Dead
8. Sweet Baby James – James Taylor
7. Detroit Rock City - KISS
6. Journey to the Center of the Mind – The Amboy Dukes
5. Blitzkrieg Bop - Ramones
4. Rock’n Me – Steve Miller Band
3. Where It’s At – Beck
2. Jesus Just Left Chicago – ZZ Top
1. We’re An American Band – Grand Funk Railroad

Scooter:
31. Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash
30. Mr. Tambourine Man – The Byrds
29. Family Affair – Mary J. Blige
28. Lean on Me – Bill Withers
27. Dream On - Aerosmith
26. Stay (I Missed You) – Lisa Loeb
25. Your Mamma Don’t Dance – Loggins & Messina
24. The Load Out – Jackson Browne
23. Life’s Been Good – Joe Walsh
22. Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks
21. Come Sail Away - Styx
20. Eternal Flame – The Bangles
19. A Long December – Counting Crows
18. All I Wanna Do – Sheryl Crow
17. Allison Road – Gin Blossoms
16. Ride Like the Wind – Christopher Cross
15. Time – Hootie and the Blowfish
14. Ramblin’ Man – Allman Brothers Band
13. Son of a Son of a Sailor - Jimmy Buffet
12. I Need a Lover – John Cougar Mellencamp
11. Tin Man - America
10. Theme From New York, New York – Frank Sinatra
9. Can’t You See – The Marshall Tucker Band
8. La Grange – ZZ Top
7. School’s Out – Alice Cooper
6. Roadhouse Blues – The Doors
5. Bat Out of Hell - Meatloaf
4. Incident on 57th Street – Bruce Springsteen
3. Piano Man – Billy Joel
2. American Pie – Don McLean
1. Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd

 

[Uruk-Hai]

We already have your Stones countdown, so I'm interested in the other 4 guys' picks

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Doug:
31. For Once in My Life – Stevie Wonder
30. The Tracks Of My Tears – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
29. Late in the Evening – Paul Simon
28. She’s Gone – Hall & Oates
27. Under the Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers
26. Fire and Rain – James Taylor
25. What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
24. America The Beautiful – Ray Charles
23. (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
22. Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
21. Mrs. Robinson – Simon & Garfunkel
20. Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
19. Fly Me To The Moon – Frank Sinatra
18. Dirty Blvd. – Lou Reed
17. Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash
16. Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight & The Pips
15. Proud Mary – Ike and Tina Turner
14. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
13. Jack and Diane – John Cougar Mellencamp
12. L.A. Woman – The Doors
11. You Might Think – The Cars
10. The Boxer – Simon & Garfunkel
9. Take It Easy - Eagles
8. The Entertainer – Billy Joel
7. Up Around the Bend – Creedence Clearwater Revival
6. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard – Paul Simon
5. Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) – Stevie Wonder
4. Franklin’s Tower – Grateful Dead
3. Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin
2. Wild Flowers – Tom Petty
1. Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen

Chap:
31. Day By Day – Godspell - off-Broadway Cast
30. Love Will Keep Us Together – Captain & Tennille
29. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) – Rupert Holmes
28. Brick House - Commodores
27. I Want You Back – The Jackson 5
26. Billy Don’t Be a Hero – Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
25. La Freak - Chic
24. (They Long to Be) Close To You - Carpenters
23. Baby I’m-a Want You - Bread
22. The Rubberband Man – The Spinners
21. Everlasting Love – Carl Carlton
20. Hello It’s Me – Todd Rundgren
19. December, 1963 (Oh What a Night!) - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
18. So Into You – Atlanta Rhythm Section
17. Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone – The Temptations
16. Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose – Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
15. Miracles – Jefferson Starship
14. Get Down Tonight – KC & the Sunshine Band
13. You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine – Lou Rawls
12. Angel of the Morning – Juice Newton
11. Boogie Wonderland – Earth, Wind & Fire
10. You’re No Good – Linda Ronstadt
9. Ride Captain Ride – Blues Image
8. You’re So Vain – Carly Simon
7. Burning Love – Elvis Presley
6. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head – B.J. Thomas
5. Paradise By The Dashboard Light – Meatloaf
4. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) – Marvin Gaye
3. Tangled Up In Blue – Bob Dylan
2. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed – Allman Brothers Band
1. Jessica – Allman Brothers Band

 

[Uruk-Hai]

We already have your Stones countdown, so I'm interested in the other 4 guys' picks

Stones are not American, so they are not eligible.

Well, they THINK they are American.

In other news, my reading comprehension sucks . Carry on, good people.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I will be waiting with #156.

 

[rockaction]

Wouldn't it be nice if I was free as bird or a simple kind of man?

 

[Moe.]

Any sort of genre limitations?

 

[Snoopy]

We're an American Band

We're An American Band (Remastered 2002)

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupWe're An American Band (Remastered 2002) · Grand Funk RailroadWe're An American Band℗ 2002 Capitol Records, LLCRe...

www.youtube.com

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Any sort of genre limitations?

No.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Any sort of genre limitations?

I will say we’re five white guys so most will be somewhat rock based but there will surely be some diversity in musical genres - there was in albums and I think songs lends itself more to it. I wouldn’t expect any Jazz songs, but really not sure on that.

 

[massraider]

Who in the Talking Heads is an immigrant? Chris Franz?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Who in the Talking Heads is an immigrant? Chris Franz?

Who in the Talking Heads is an immigrant? Chris Franz?

It’s a tough cut but David Byrne was born in Scotland.

 

[scorchy]

Looking forward to seeing where this goes. Always enjoyed debates about the all-time top 10 American bands, which seem to break down on two axes: age and tolerance for hippies.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

31



Dr. Octopus:

Black – Pearl Jam

Black became one of Pearl Jam's best-known songs and is a central emotional piece on the album Ten. Despite pressure from Epic Records, the band refused to make it into a single, citing it as too personal and expressing fear that its emotional weight would be destroyed in a music video. Vedder stated that "fragile songs get crushed by the business. I don't want to be a part of it. I don't think the band wants to be part of it." Vedder personally called radio station managers to make sure Epic had not released the song as a single against his wishes. In spite of this, the song charted at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 20 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1993.

Jeb:

Uncontrollable Urge – Devo

"Uncontrollable Urge", has been used in several films and television shows, including The Wolf of Wall Street, Fun with **** and Jane, Ridiculousness and Jackass

Scooter:

Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash

Although "Ring of Fire" sounds ominous, the term refers to falling in love – which is what June Carter was experiencing with Johnny Cash at the time. Some sources claim that Carter had seen the phrase "Love is like a burning ring of fire," underlined in an Elizabethan poetry book owned by her uncle A. P. Carter. She worked with Kilgore on writing a song inspired by this phrase as she had seen her uncle do in the past. She had written: "There is no way to be in that kind of hell, no way to extinguish a flame that burns, burns, burns".

Doug:

For Once in My Life – Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder's version [of this song] was recorded at about the same time as The Temptations' in the summer of 1967. However, Berry Gordy did not like Wonder's version, an upbeat rendition produced by Henry Cosby. Gordy vetoed the single's release, and the recording was shelved. Billie Jean Brown, the head of the Motown Quality Control department, finally coerced Gordy into allowing Wonder's version to be released in October 1968. Contrary to Gordy's instincts, "For Once in My Life" was a highly successful record, peaking at number-two on both the Billboard Pop Singles and Billboard R&B Singles.

Chap:

Day By Day – Godspell - off-Broadway Cast

"Day by Day" is a folk rock ballad from the 1971 Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak musical Godspell. It is the third song in the show’s score and is reprised as the closing number for the 1973 film version

 

[Dr. Octopus]

The names have not been changed to protect the innocent (except mine I suppose), although one is a nickname, one is a first name, one is a last name and one is the initials to his real name. But that's what they all go by in our crowd.

 

[rockaction]

Nice. Let's get this going!

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Nice. Let's get this going!

It will be once a day. It's sort of like live-blogging - or maybe not.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

This was the result from this morning. Tomorrow is our #30.

I only know what my songs are going to be.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I can only give rationale for my songs really.

Pearl Jam has stood the test of time for me. I'm a romantic at heart, albeit a single one at this point in my life (most will know my story). Anyway, I love the mood of this song. You can feel despair (which maybe makes it an odd choice for a "favorite", but sometimes the sadness of others is relatable and makes one feel normal.)

I know someday you'll have a beautiful life
I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky
But why, why, why can't it be
Oh, can't it be mine?

 

[rockaction]

Forty-nine year old rock makes fun of nineteen year-old rock for getting over a breakup while listening to that song.

It amuses the elder rock, rightly or wrongly so.

 

[Snoopy]

Chap:

Day By Day – Godspell - off-Broadway Cast

"Day by Day" is a folk rock ballad from the 1971 Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak musical Godspell. It is the third song in the show’s score and is reprised as the closing number for the 1973 film version

Bill Belichick approves: https://www.boston.com/sports/new-e...tip,that he was going to handle it day-by-day.

 

[krista4]

Chap seems like an interesting...chap.

I'm going with Scooter having won this round. (I realize it's not a competition.)

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Chap seems like an interesting...chap.

I'm going with Scooter having won this round. (I realize it's not a competition.)

I'm shocked that we agree here

 

[rockaction]

I naturally assumed k4 was talking about the Stevie song and you were agreeing. It took me a moment to realize and look up at the selections.

 

[shuke]

 

[Binky The Doormat]

this is going as slowly as we would expect from a handful of more-than-middle-aged-idiots.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Are you the same 5 guys who make hamburgers?

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I am also on a text chain of 5 middle-aged idiots, but we are in no way organized enough to pull off something like this. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

 

[mr. furley]

I am also on a text chain of 5 middle-aged idiots, but we are in no way organized enough to pull off something like this. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

same

is 5 the perfect number of middle aged idiot friends???

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I am also on a text chain of 5 middle-aged idiots, but we are in no way organized enough to pull off something like this. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

same

is 5 the perfect number of middle aged idiot friends???

I think so. Easy to keep track of without any one person's idiocy dominating all the time.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

this is going as slowly as we would expect from a handful of more-than-middle-aged-idiots.

We’re doing one song a day, each day in October.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

this is going as slowly as we would expect from a handful of more-than-middle-aged-idiots.

We’re doing one song a day, each day in October.

As you can probably tell, Binky & I have the same level of reading comprehension.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

31



Dr. Octopus:

Black – Pearl Jam

Black became one of Pearl Jam's best-known songs and is a central emotional piece on the album Ten. Despite pressure from Epic Records, the band refused to make it into a single, citing it as too personal and expressing fear that its emotional weight would be destroyed in a music video. Vedder stated that "fragile songs get crushed by the business. I don't want to be a part of it. I don't think the band wants to be part of it." Vedder personally called radio station managers to make sure Epic had not released the song as a single against his wishes. In spite of this, the song charted at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 20 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1993.

Jeb:

Uncontrollable Urge – Devo

"Uncontrollable Urge", has been used in several films and television shows, including The Wolf of Wall Street, Fun with **** and Jane, Ridiculousness and Jackass

Scooter:

Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash

Although "Ring of Fire" sounds ominous, the term refers to falling in love – which is what June Carter was experiencing with Johnny Cash at the time. Some sources claim that Carter had seen the phrase "Love is like a burning ring of fire," underlined in an Elizabethan poetry book owned by her uncle A. P. Carter. She worked with Kilgore on writing a song inspired by this phrase as she had seen her uncle do in the past. She had written: "There is no way to be in that kind of hell, no way to extinguish a flame that burns, burns, burns".

Doug:

For Once in My Life – Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder's version [of this song] was recorded at about the same time as The Temptations' in the summer of 1967. However, Berry Gordy did not like Wonder's version, an upbeat rendition produced by Henry Cosby. Gordy vetoed the single's release, and the recording was shelved. Billie Jean Brown, the head of the Motown Quality Control department, finally coerced Gordy into allowing Wonder's version to be released in October 1968. Contrary to Gordy's instincts, "For Once in My Life" was a highly successful record, peaking at number-two on both the Billboard Pop Singles and Billboard R&B Singles.

Chap:

Day By Day – Godspell - off-Broadway Cast

"Day by Day" is a folk rock ballad from the 1971 Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak musical Godspell. It is the third song in the show’s score and is reprised as the closing number for the 1973 film version

My ranking of this rack:

1. "Ring Of Fire". It's a classic without knowing the backstory & real-life dynamic, but that information adds weight to it. Johnny sings the hell out of it and I love those horns.

2. "For Once In My Life". C'mon, it's Stevie friggin' Wonder.

3. "Day By Day". Jesus Christ Superstar seemed to be a bigger thing culturally, but I thought Godspell had the better songs. This was the best of them. This record wouldn't make a Top 500 for me, but I like Chap's outside-the-box thinking here.

4. Having chopsticks jammed through my eardrums.

5. The other two. Not a fan - at all - of those two bands, but at least Devo could be sort of fun in small doses. Vedder's voice immediately makes me change the channel.

 

[BobbyLayne]

curmudgeonry overload

 

[Leroy Hoard]

this is going as slowly as we would expect from a handful of more-than-middle-aged-idiots.

We’re doing one song a day, each day in October.

This would have gone a little faster if you just waited till February.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Did someone rank Monster Mash #1 so it would show up on Halloween?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Did someone rank Monster Mash #1 so it would show up on Halloween?

Werewolves of London.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

30

Dr. Octopus:

All The Right Reasons – The Jayhawks

Rainy Day Music (the album on which this song appeared received generally positive reviews from critics. Dirty Linen described the album as "a low-key effort that features delicate harmonies, recalling California relatives such as Poco and the post-Gram Parsons Burrito Brothers". Uncut called the album "all acoustic guitars, rich jangling melodies and heavenly harmonies" and wrote that Gary Louris "has come up with some of his most memorable compositions."

Jeb:

Kick Out the Jams – MC5

"Kick Out the Jams" is a song by MC5, released as a single in March 1969 by Elektra Records. The album of the same name caused some controversy due to Sinclair's inflammatory liner notes and the track's rallying cry of "Kick out the jams, mother****ers!" According to Kramer, the band recorded this as "Kick out the jams, brothers and sisters!" for the single released for radio play; Tyner claimed this was done without group consensus.[3] The edited version also appeared in some LP copies, which also withdrew Sinclair's excitable comments. The album was released in January 1969; reviews were mixed, but the album was relatively successful, quickly selling over 100,000 copies and peaking at #30 on the Billboard album chart in May 1969 during a 23-week stay.

Scooter:

Mr. Tambourine Man – The Byrds

"Mr. Tambourine Man" was the debut single by the American band the Byrds, and was released on April 12, 1965, by Columbia Records. The song was also the title track of the band's debut album, which was released on June 21, 1965. The Byrds' version is abridged and in a different key from Dylan's original.

The single's success initiated the folk rock boom of 1965 and 1966, with a number of American and British acts imitating the band's hybrid of a rock beat, jangly guitar playing, and poetic or socially conscious lyrics. The single was the "first folk rock smash hit", and gave rise to the term "folk rock" in the U.S music press to describe the band's sound.

Doug:

The Tracks Of My Tears – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

"The Tracks of My Tears" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, and Marv Tarplin. It is a multiple award-winning 1965 hit R&B song originally recorded by their group, the Miracles, on Motown's Tamla label. The Miracles' million-selling original version has been inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame, has been ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America and The National Endowment for the Arts at No. 127 in its list of the "Songs of the Century" – the 365 Greatest Songs of the 20th Century, and has been selected by Rolling Stone as No. 50 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", among many other awards.[1] In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked The Miracles' original recording of "The Tracks of My Tears" as "The Greatest Motown Song of All Time."

Chap:

Love Will Keep Us Together – Captain & Tennille

"Love Will Keep Us Together" was the title cut and lead single of Captain & Tennille's debut album, although "Captain" Daryl Dragon originally hoped that honor would go to the duo's rendition of "I Write the Songs". The single rose to number 1 on both the Billboard Easy Listening chart and the Billboard pop chart, staying atop the latter for four weeks starting June 21, 1975. It also hit the top of the 1975 year-end chart. In the US it was the best-selling single of 1975. "Love Will Keep Us Together" was certified gold by the RIAA and also won the Grammy Award (1975) for Record of the Year on February 28, 1976.

Dragon and Tennille acknowledged Sedaka's authorship—as well as his mid-1970s comeback—by working the phrase "Sedaka is back" into the song's fadeout, where the applause from the studio musicians can be heard. Their version would earn Sedaka and Greenfield a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I'll get ahead of it. How can this song be in your top 30? Well, listen to it and tell me why it shouldn't be.

The Jayhawks were my second favorite band (behind Wilco) from the 90s, and they're still in my rotation - and they're still putting out great music. This song is actually not from my favorite era when it was Gary Louris and Marc Olson singing harmony vocals, as it's from after Olson departed - but this songs just pulls me in and makes me forget about anything else while it's on.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

There are no misfires with the #30s. Love Will Keep Us Together is an incredible pop song. Not surprised to see a Jayhawks entry from you given how often you’ve drafted them in GP4. I suspect we’ll see a lot of Motown since there weren’t many non-Americans there.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I suspect we’ll see a lot of Motown

I believe that will turn out to be accurate.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I wonder if you and I were at any of the same Wilco shows in the ‘00s. (I never saw them in the 90s due to being married to someone who didn’t like them.)

 

[massraider]

Chap:

Love Will Keep Us Together – Captain & Tennille

You and Tim are friends? I didn't know that

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I wonder if you and I were at any of the same Wilco shows in the ‘00s. (I never saw them in the 90s due to being married to someone who didn’t like them.)

I've seen the about 6 times - at Irving Plaza, at Town Hall, in Hoboken at the Pier (with Bob Dylan headlining), forget which club but in Philly, at the Mets minor league stadium in Coney Island...maybe a few other times.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Chap:

Love Will Keep Us Together – Captain & Tennille

You and Tim are friends? I didn't know that

Chapsochet

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I wonder if you and I were at any of the same Wilco shows in the ‘00s. (I never saw them in the 90s due to being married to someone who didn’t like them.)

I've seen the about 6 times - at Irving Plaza, at Town Hall, in Hoboken at the Pier (with Bob Dylan headlining), forget which club but in Philly, at the Mets minor league stadium in Coney Island...maybe a few other times.

Off the top of my head:

Roseland 2002
Radio City 2004
MSG NYE 2004 into 2005 with Flaming Lips and Sleater-Kinney
Starland Ballroom 2006
Hammerstein 2007
Tower Theatre 2007
Somewhere in Scranton 2009
Camden 2011
Camden 2013 with Bob Dylan and My Morning Jacket
Mann Music Center 2016

 

[Uruk-Hai]

30

Dr. Octopus:

All The Right Reasons – The Jayhawks

Rainy Day Music (the album on which this song appeared received generally positive reviews from critics. Dirty Linen described the album as "a low-key effort that features delicate harmonies, recalling California relatives such as Poco and the post-Gram Parsons Burrito Brothers". Uncut called the album "all acoustic guitars, rich jangling melodies and heavenly harmonies" and wrote that Gary Louris "has come up with some of his most memorable compositions."

Jeb:

Kick Out the Jams – MC5

"Kick Out the Jams" is a song by MC5, released as a single in March 1969 by Elektra Records. The album of the same name caused some controversy due to Sinclair's inflammatory liner notes and the track's rallying cry of "Kick out the jams, mother****ers!" According to Kramer, the band recorded this as "Kick out the jams, brothers and sisters!" for the single released for radio play; Tyner claimed this was done without group consensus.[3] The edited version also appeared in some LP copies, which also withdrew Sinclair's excitable comments. The album was released in January 1969; reviews were mixed, but the album was relatively successful, quickly selling over 100,000 copies and peaking at #30 on the Billboard album chart in May 1969 during a 23-week stay.

Scooter:

Mr. Tambourine Man – The Byrds

"Mr. Tambourine Man" was the debut single by the American band the Byrds, and was released on April 12, 1965, by Columbia Records. The song was also the title track of the band's debut album, which was released on June 21, 1965. The Byrds' version is abridged and in a different key from Dylan's original.

The single's success initiated the folk rock boom of 1965 and 1966, with a number of American and British acts imitating the band's hybrid of a rock beat, jangly guitar playing, and poetic or socially conscious lyrics. The single was the "first folk rock smash hit", and gave rise to the term "folk rock" in the U.S music press to describe the band's sound.

Doug:

The Tracks Of My Tears – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

"The Tracks of My Tears" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, and Marv Tarplin. It is a multiple award-winning 1965 hit R&B song originally recorded by their group, the Miracles, on Motown's Tamla label. The Miracles' million-selling original version has been inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame, has been ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America and The National Endowment for the Arts at No. 127 in its list of the "Songs of the Century" – the 365 Greatest Songs of the 20th Century, and has been selected by Rolling Stone as No. 50 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", among many other awards.[1] In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked The Miracles' original recording of "The Tracks of My Tears" as "The Greatest Motown Song of All Time."

Chap:

Love Will Keep Us Together – Captain & Tennille

"Love Will Keep Us Together" was the title cut and lead single of Captain & Tennille's debut album, although "Captain" Daryl Dragon originally hoped that honor would go to the duo's rendition of "I Write the Songs". The single rose to number 1 on both the Billboard Easy Listening chart and the Billboard pop chart, staying atop the latter for four weeks starting June 21, 1975. It also hit the top of the 1975 year-end chart. In the US it was the best-selling single of 1975. "Love Will Keep Us Together" was certified gold by the RIAA and also won the Grammy Award (1975) for Record of the Year on February 28, 1976.

Dragon and Tennille acknowledged Sedaka's authorship—as well as his mid-1970s comeback—by working the phrase "Sedaka is back" into the song's fadeout, where the applause from the studio musicians can be heard. Their version would earn Sedaka and Greenfield a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year.

I like all of these songs.

My ranking:

1. "Tracks Of My Tears". This is in my running for the greatest pop recording of all time.

2. "All The Right Reasons". I love, LOVE, the Jayhawks. I have never heard a song from them I didn't adore.

3. "Kick Out The Jams". Everything the "revolutionary" Haight bands were too chickenshit to say/play. Eat your heart out, Jefferson Airplane.

4. "Mr Tambourine Man". Smokes Dylan's original (which isn't hard to do). The harmonies and the Wrecking Crew's playing is about as good as pop music got in '65.

5. "Love Will Keep Us Together". I mean, this is a fine pop recording. It's certainly better than anything Bad Company or Paul Simon was doing in 1975. It's not a bit hip, but the nuts-and-bolts of the record are strong.

 

[rockaction]

Smokey is everything that can be right with music. Love the pick.

 

[rockaction]

MC5 really were an incendiary band. They deserve to be here, too. Great pick.