Hey everyone - so I was recently asked to decide what I believe to be the “Ten best songs of all time”, presented in different categories. My descriptions for why are pretty brief because I’m presenting them orally, but I figured you’d be interested to hear my thoughts - and i’m definitely interested in whether or not you agree with me- so write me and let me know!! ok here it is….
THE TEN BEST SONGS OF ALL TIME. IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER -in my opinion
1. BEST NEW SONG. The Knife- Heartbeats (Deep Cuts, 2004) Rabid Records. A seriously perfect representation of electro-pop and electro-clash, The Knife continues to confirm for me that I must in fact move to Sweden. “Heartbeats” is quixotic, the beat is new and refreshing, the intro could be twice it’s length and still never be boring, and the melody and vocals are some of the most passionate I have ever heard. These two Swedish Siblings came together to form the band in 1999, and since then have created diverse albums and hit singles every step of the way. I’ve talked about them in this blog already, so see above for more.
2. BEST COVER.
Tina Turner and
Ike Turner- Proud Mary, (Live Version, 1971). Capitol Records. While their relationship soured, no duet beats these two in their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary”. She begins the song by saying, “You know, every now and then I think you might like to hear something from us nice and easy. But theres just one thing, you see, we never ever ever do nothing nice and easy “We always do it nice and rough. But we’re gonna take the beginning of this song easy, and we’re gonna do the finish rough. That’s the way we do proud mary”. The whole time Ike is singing in the background, opening up the song. Tina starts singing shortly after with an energy and vocal power that is rivaled by few artists in the history of music. The song continues slow for a bit, and stops momentarily, before picking up… the instruments strart, trumpets, drums, bass, and the song gets ‘rough’. There really is no better phase transition in music history, and the harmonies between Tina and Ike speak for themselves.
3. BEST VOCALS. Animal Collective- Winter’s Love (Sung Tongs, 2004). Fat Cat. Animal Collective is immature in a perfect way. Its wordless tracks make you aware of exactly what these Brooklyn guys are feeling as the vocals become instruments and every listener is reminded of childhood and fairytales. There are perfect harmonies and original drum beats. The transitions from phase to phase in each song bring me visuals as well as a transfer of mood. When, in “Winter’s Love”, the words finally come in, there is a sense of total and utter beauty because you find out what’s going on in these boys’ heads and lives for the moment, though if you listen hard, you should know already.
4. BEST 80s SONG. Tears for Fears- Head Over Heels, (Songs from the Big Chair, 1985). Mercury Records. The duo’s name is derived from the primal therapy treatment formed by Arthur Janov, in which the patient is encouraged to cry, scream, and beat objects to express childhood, peri- and pre- natal feelings. “Tears for Fears” came together at a time when they would have been classified as part of the New Wave and New Romantic eras. Roland Orzabal’s voice is unique and 80s perfection and the catchiness of this Tears for Fears song in particular combined with its romanticism and simple beat make it perfect for its time, and lovable every single year after (even now in the 2000s)—which is exactly what defines good 80s music.
5. BEST BREATH OF FRESH AIR. Electrelane- The Valleys, (The Power Out, 2004). Too Pure Records. In the age of new music, too much sounds the same. Sure there are the different genres of electro-pop, indie-pop, rock, soul, trip-hop, hip hop, etc etc etc.. there are few times when a song comes around and clearly doesn’t fit under any of the categories we know. That song for me in the past year has been Electrelane’s The Valleys. It contains opera-esque vocals with a 12 person chorus. The Brigton, England born group contains three girls, and one boy. The Valleys invoke the 1960s gospel hymn, and with that inspiration it becomes both unique and terribly beautiful.
6. BEST LYRICS. The Microphones- The Moon , (Song Islands, 2002). K Records. “The Moon” was first released in 2001 on The Glow, pt 2 but that version is a harder and less accessible song for a lyrics category. Song Islands provided a b-side songs as well as a remake of “The Moon”. Though softer, this version was much more intense as its chorus entails a heavy degree of string melody. Also, the visuals created by both the lyrics and the sound of this track are incredible. It makes me want to go straight to Olympia, Washington, which served as a strong inspiration for Elverum when making this song. Check out my earlier entries for more about Elverum—and I’m positive I’ll be writing about him again.
7. BEST IN-BAND CHEMISTRY. Blonde Redhead- In Particular, (Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons, 2000). 4AD Records. Comprised of Japanese vocalist/guitarist Kazu Makino and Italian twins Amedeo (vocals/guitar) and Simone Pace (drums). If you watch them on stage, you’d know what I am talking about.. Maki’s voice is unbelievable. The twins provide more chemistry than there should be between two twins. They bring more to music and the potential for diversity in an album with every track they create. The beat is perfection, and Maki’s voice paired with Amedeo’s guitar is an unprecedented harmony.
8. BEST BEAT The Cure- Close to Me
, (Staring at the Sea: The Singles, 1986). Fiction Records. One of the most influential and best bands of the 80s and 90s (and today, though I don’t think their new stuff quite compares). The beat is simple but original and makes the song what it is. The addition of the trumpet in the song is both surprising and transforming. Robert Smith may have some cheesy lyrics but he’s allowed, because they evoke emotion from every member of their audience. The cure is a band to dance to and fall in love with (and to). It is quintessentially 80s and unbelievably consistently catchy.
9. BEST SOLO SONG AFTER A BREAKAWAY FROM A BAND. Morrissey- Suedehead , (Viva Hate, 1988). EMI International. The Smiths broke up in 1987 and Morrissey began his solo career. This song is about James Dean, and the video will tell you the story better than I could here. The following of Morrissey was the most wild and crazy in music history. He hit the #1 in the UK for this album, #48 in the US—but what do Americans know about music anyway… ha. Morrissey’s voice is full, loving, and passionate, and the melody is both fun and tragic. So are the words.
10. MY FAVORITE SONG FROM MY FAVORITE BAND OF ALL TIME. Talking Heads- Girlfriend is Better , (Stop Making Sense, 1984). Sire Records. David Byrne is the Albert Einstein of music as far as I’m concerned. His lyrics are always confusing but somehow always relatable. They can be funny, tragic, light hearted, or heavy handed. But they are always unique. The combination of instruments in this song lends to perfect harmony, and will never leave you bored. I once walked the runway to this song, and the way that it paired my love for music and modeling has brought me to where I am—emotionally and literally.
