Kaplan's Top 50 Songs

40. King of Birds - R.E.M.

I love R.E.M., especially their older stuff. There's a number of songs I could call my favorite, but this one has so much going on and a lot of feeling to it. If you're a fan of the song and/or R.E.M. I recommend checking out the live version from Tourfilm.



39. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John

For some this may have been overplayed the past eight or nine years, but in thirty years it'll be cool again to list this as a favorite, so I'm just getting a head start. And it is a cool song.

__________________
I may go back to hating you. It was more fun.

Another two very cool choices bro.

Man, I remember "Young Folks." I listened to that a lot when I was a teen. Great song.

for Hendrix and R.E.M. Two great songs.

__________________
I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity - Edgar Allan Poe

The Hendrix/Nirvana post is the only one where I've liked both, but Sex Pistols, Loser and It Was a Very Good Year all get rep from me.

__________________
5-time MoFo Award winner.

It may be the only time that happens, but it happening even once is high praise.

38. Sugar Mountain - Neil Young

I have lots of favorites from Neil Young, and I have no idea why I chose this one over any other, except this song better than any other brings out in me a feeling of melancholy nostalgia.



37. Seattle - Public Image Ltd.

After the Sex Pistols Johnny Rotten went back to being John Lydon and formed Public Image Ltd. who made experimental new wave music, some great, some not so great, and some just weird. This is one of their more accessible songs, along with "Rise," and all these years later it still sounds fresh and exciting.

36. The Drowning Man - The Cure

I love the Cure from the 80s, and even the early 90s, so I have lots and lots of favorite songs from them, but I've always regarded this one as a particularly eerie and epic masterpiece off of their Faith album. (Note: the youtube video is a fan video with clips from the movie The White Dove...It makes me really want to see the movie.)



35. China - Tori Amos

One of the most beautiful songs ever.

Every time "Sugar Mountain" comes on the radio, my dad has to turn it off.

Why? Does he hate it or does it make him feel sad?

I like most Neil Young songs, including Sugar Mountain. Not a fan of Public Images Ltd even though it has a strong Sex Pistols vibe, there's always something missing in the vocals and/or instruments. The Drowning Man is of course great, never heard of China until now but I do agree on it being beautiful.

I really hope it's the latter.

Really like 40-37. Not sure if I've heard The Cure or Tori Amos song, will listen to them shortly.

34. Lady Godiva's Operation - The Velvet Underground

A perfectly strange, creepy and humorous song off their second album.



33. Fight the Power - Public Enemy

If you've seen Do the Right Thing, you've heard this song, as it's playing from the boombox of one of the characters throughout the movie, which in the end leads to the final explosion of anger between Sal and the kids in the neighborhood. Personally I prefer Public Enemy's album It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back to the one this is off of, but it is definitely a classic in rap music.

Definitely the latter. My dad is a HUGE Neil Young fan.

All I had to do was read the title "Fight the Power" and now those words will be going through my mind for the rest of the day. That is one of things where once I hear it, I can't get rid of it.

32. Arabian Knights - Siouxsie and the Banshees

I've always liked Siouxsie's exotic take on post-punk music, and this is one of the finest examples of their unique sound.



31. I Can See for Miles - The Who

I find a lot of The Who's music tedious, but when they wanted to rock, they could be great. And this is loud, angry rock at its best.

A few songs I never heard before and a few great ones. Voodoo Child is my favorite since Sundown.

30. Suzanne - Leonard Cohen

Poetry put to a beautiful and haunting melody.



29. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle - The Smiths

I can't say I love The Smiths like I used to twenty-five years ago, but they made some great music, and this has always been a favorite. This one also has very poetic lyrics. [This is a fan-made video with clips taken from the movie The Innocents.]

28. A Well Respected Man - The Kinks

Only The Kinks could have written this song. I love it!



27. Guilty Conscience - Eminem (feat. Dr. Dre)

The second rap song on my list. I love Eminem's lyrical ability and his dark, twisted sense of humor. The (uncensored) video version is superior to the album version.