100 favorite songs

So here is a list of my 100 favorite songs. "Why?" you may ask. "Who cares?" Um...good question. Why does anyone say anything? Maybe we blog because of boredom. Maybe we blog because it gratifies the fundamental human need for self-revelation. Who knows. If you read it I'll assume you are very interested to know what my 100 favorite songs are and will scurry off immediately to your computer to purchase these on iTunes.

Songs appear on here for a variety of reasons. Some for their harrowingly beautiful vocals, some for their lyrical genius, some for their mind-numbing displays of guitar wizardry, some for no reason other than that I have taken an inexplicable liking to them. My taste is disproportionately weighted to the last decade and to the 1970s. For me those 2 decades in between are for the most part unnoticed and unappreciated, as are all the decades previous to the 60s. A total of 5 by Bob Dylan appear on the list (including 3 covered by other artists), and one by his progeny as well. Ben Folds appears 5 times on the list. Muse, Half Past Forever, and Sigur Ros all hold the distinction of appearing 4 times on the list. Those bands are special, and you should buy all of their stuff.

This list will change, probably daily. And I didn't evaluate the order very carefully. So if you wonder why one lame song is much higher on the list than some masterpiece of musical genius, there's probably no reason. And like Will, I've considered only popular songs for this list. And like Chris said, some of these songs are not necessarily my favorites now; they're just old favs that have a special place in my heart. Anyway, without further ado, here it is:

1. Lua, Bright Eyes
2. Hurt, Johnny Cash (NIN cover)
3. Hoppipolla, Sigur Ros
4. Butterflies and Hurricanes, Muse
5. Gone, Half Past Forever
6. The Story, Brandi Carlile
7. Olsen Olsen, Sigur Ros
8. L'Via Vasquez, The Mars Volta
9. Brick, Ben Folds
10. Mojo Pin, Jeff Buckley
11. The Weight, The Band
12. Helter Skelter, The Beatles
13. Landed, Ben Folds
14. Ring Dem Bells, Bob Dylan
15. Dream On, Aerosmith
16. Another Traveling Song, Bright Eyes
17. Love Reign O'er Me, The Who
18. Love is Only a Feeling, The Darkness
19. The Blower's Daughter, Damien Rice
20. Long Away, Queen
21. Space Dementia, Muse
22. Sweet Child O' Mine, Guns 'N Roses
23. John Wayne Gacy, Jr, Sufjan Stevens
24. Still Fighting It, Ben Folds
25. Have You Passed Through This Night, Explosions in the Sky
26. She Talks to Angels, The Black Crowes
27. You Can't Always Get What You Want, Rolling Stones
28. Slip Slidin' Away, Paul Simon
29. Grace Kelly, MIKA
30. Need, Half Past Forever
31. Strawberry Fields Forever, Ben Harper (Beatles cover)
32. Like a Rolling Stone, Jimi Hendrix (Bob Dylan cover)
33. 21st Century Schizoid Man, King Crimson
34. Across the Universe, The Beatles
35. Welcome to the Goodtimes, The Black Crowes
36. Comfortably Numb, Pink Floyd
37. Doubting Thomas, Nickel Creek
38. The Imposter, Kevin Max
39. The Widow, The Mars Volta
40. Delicate, Damien Rice
41. Where the Streets Have No Name, U2
42. All Tomorrow's Parties, Nick Cave (Velvet Underground cover)
43. Knockin' on Heavens Door by Guns 'N Roses (Bob Dylan cover)
44. Live and Let Die, Paul McCartney
45. The Wind Cries Mary, Jimi Hendrix
46. All These Things I've Done, The Killers
47. Wartime Prayers, Paul Simon
48. On the Radio, Regina Spektor
49. Chicago, Sufjan Stevens
50. Existence, Kevin Max
51. Falling Down, Muse
52. Such Great Heights, Iron & Wine (Postal Service cover)
53. Save Me, Queen
54. The Silence of God, Andrew Peterson
55. Home, Marc Broussard
56. Lilac Wine, Jeff Buckley
57. She's Not There, The Zombies
58. Everybody Hurts, R.E.M
59. White Room, Cream
60. Every Grain of Sand, Bob Dylan
61. The Shadow Proves the Sunshine, Switchfoot
62. Planet Telex, Radiohead
63. Knights of Cydonia, Muse
64. Jolene, Ray LaMontagne
65. Fake Plastic Trees, Radiohead
66. California Love, Tupac & Dr. Dre
67. Behind Blue Eyes, The Who
68. America, Simon & Garfunkel
69. Narcolepsy, Ben Folds
70. Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd
71. Bye, Bye Blackbird, Joe Cocker (ft. Jimmy Page)
72. Svefn-G-Englar, Sigur Ros
73. Pale Blue Eyes, Velvet Underground
74. Kashmir, Led Zeppelin
75. Bright Lights, Matchbox 20
76. Glossoli, Sigur Ros
77. Stars, Switchfoot
78. Doesn't Remind Me, Audioslave
79. Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash
80. I Shall Be Released, The Band
81. Crow Jane, Derek Trucks Band
82. 6th Avenue Heartache, The Wallflowers
83. Philosophy, Ben Folds
84. Convenience, Half Past Forever
85. Tomorrow is a Long Time, Nickel Creek (Bob Dylan cover)
86. Strange Brew, Cream
87. Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own, U2
88. Dare You to Move, Switchfoot
89. Riders on the Storm, The Doors
90. Wise Up, Aimee Mann
91. Love of My Life, Queen
92. Icky Thump, The White Stripes
93. Hero, Half Past Forever
94. And So it Goes, Billy Joel
95. Hotel California, The Eagles
96. I Will Follow You Into the Dark, Deathcab for Cutie
97. Welcome Home, Coheed & Cambria
98. Fix You, Coldplay
99. Dust in the Wind, Kansas
100. Release, Blackalicious (ft. Zach de la Rocha & Saul Williams)