Kaplan's Top 50 Songs

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10. Wax and Wane - Cocteau Twins

The Cocteau Twins were an underrated, influential band, and I love their sound and I love this song.



9. Burning Down the House - Talking Heads

Talking Heads made some great music, peaking in the early to mid-80s, and this is perhaps one of their most memorable songs, and 30 years later it still sounds great and fresh.

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



8. The Jean Genie - David Bowie

I'm sure hardcore fans of Bowie would pick from one of his many musically and thematically more complex songs, but I can't deny my love for this one. The music is based on a blues guitar riff, which sounds like it was stolen from somewhere, either from an American blues song or perhaps from the French song "La fille du Pere Noel" (which for all I know stole the riff from an American blues song itself), while the lyrics are pure sleazy genius. Let yourself go!



7. Lost Coastlines - Okkervil River

I discovered this song at the same time I discovered The Knife's "Heartbeats" when I was borrowing my brother's car and it had satellite radio. I bought the album and while it's grown on me as a whole, this song stands out as one of those special songs that seems to bring on a happily contemplative mood.




good start to the top 10. Not heard of Okkervil River before but enjoyed the song. Burning Down the House is class.
Always loved the Jean Genie lines :
He says he's a beautician
and sells you nutrition
And keeps all your dead hair
for making up underwear




6. Misty Mountain Hop - Led Zeppelin

It's hard to pick my favorite Led Zeppelin song. I was obsessed with them in my early to mid teens, and I played their music a lot. Like every day for years. So flash forward thirty years and I have a hard time appreciating a lot of songs which used to be favorites. Probably Kashmir is their best and most significant song, but I'm listing favorites, and so I went with Misty Mountain Hop, as it too is Led Zeppelin at their best performing the type of hard rock I've never heard anyone else quite match.



5. Surrender - U2

No matter what you think about Bono and what U2 became, U2 was at one time probably the biggest band in the world. And while The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are better albums, I still love the energy and rawness of War, and I particularly love this track.




4. Penetration - The Stooges

Iggy and the Stooges. It's loud, vile, and exciting.



3. Mr. Self Destruct - Nine Inch Nails

The opening song to perhaps the best alternative album of the 90s. The title is an homage to a Soft Cell song (whom I couldn't find room for on my countdown, but I do love them) and the opening sample is from THX 1138.




2. I Am the Walrus - The Beatles

Sheer genius. John Lennon's lyrics are intentionally obscure to basically screw with those who were trying to find hidden meanings in Beatle songs, and never have inscrutable lyrics sounded more profound. Apart from the brilliance of John's songwriting, producer George Martin's off-kilter orchestra score is perfectly suggestive of the psychedelic/drug induced tone of the song, and it ends with sound effects, chanting voices, and a sample of the radio broadcast of King Lear.




1. A Day in the Life - The Beatles

Yes, The Beatles are my favorite band, and have been for thirty-five years. I knew these two songs would be my number one and two songs, and the only time I repeat an artist. At the heart of "A Day in the Life" is a really great Lennon song, though it's hard to tell what he would have done with it if they hadn't decided to add in Paul's song snippet in the middle. I suspect a lot of the theatrics added to the song was Paul's idea, but it all works to perfection, with George Martin going along with their crazy ideas and being in the perfect position to conduct and arrange the orchestra bits, and bring the whole song together. And one last note is Ringo's drumming, which has been singled out on this track and praised by quite a few professional drummers. For non-Beatle fanatics, the sound at the very end is included because on the original pressings of the LP (in the UK) The Beatles added it on the inner groove of the LP, and if someone had a record player which didn't automatically lift off the needle, those sounds would have just kept repeating until they lifted the needle.



And with that my countdown is concluded. Thank you to anyone who commented, gave anything a +rep, or otherwise checked in.



Great way to wind up Kaplan! Walrus, Misty Mountain, and Burning Down the House are all favorites of mine too. I might do a song list one day but it's got to be painful to leave off so many greats.



Great way to wind up Kaplan! Walrus, Misty Mountain, and Burning Down the House are all favorites of mine too. I might do a song list one day but it's got to be painful to leave off so many greats.
I intended to make a top 40, but it grew.