GIHYB Top 50

Stop yr bitchin peons, the final list will be posted Monday, August 20th (summer vacatin & all). Until then, you'll live with this. GIHYB's top 50.

Making my own list was tough. I literally waited until the night before deadline to do it. Disseminating a lifetimes’ worth of something so life changing and so fucking trivial is not an easy task– not to mention geek cred was a bitch. I started with a premise of 25 rockers and 25, well, non-rockers, but I tossed it aside. Didn't end up being much of an issue. But I still get angry every time I look at this list.

1. Waterloo Sunset- The Kinks
2. That's All Right Mama- Elvis Presley
3. Walk Away Renee- Left Banke
(you’ve seen jack’s comments … this song always sounds brand new)
4. Rockaway Beach- The Ramones
(tough call, coulda been one of 20 … or 100)
5. Eight Miles High- Husker Du
(#5? alright. Get over it. My fave single ever (and the b-side SUCKS!!!!!) A cover of The Byrds that shoulda made the 50. Passionate, irate, top of their game. And the thing that throws me, this drug doused ode mighta been fueled by poppers! And I feel like shit for not putting any of their amazing originals.)
6. Satisfaction- The Rolling Stones
(1.000,000 other great songs, … but th riff)
7. Goodbye- Steve Earle
8. Moon River- Henry Mancini
9. The Witch- The Sonics
10. Fight the Power- Public Enemy
11. Like a Rolling Stone- Bob Dylan
(boring, whatever … shoulda been “You’re a Big Girl Now”)
12. The Needle and the Damage Done- Neil Young
13. A Day in the Life- The Beatles
14. Smokestack Lightnin- Howlin Wolf
15. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry- Hank Williams
16. Georgia On My Mind- Ray Charles
17. I Fall to Pieces- Patsy Cline
18. God Only Knows- Beach Boys
19. Summer Babe- Pavement
20. Sitting in the Back of a Car- Big Star
(tough un, but this epitomizes Big Star for me)
21. Left of the Dial- The Replacements
22. Jak- Volcano Suns
23. How Soon Is Now- The Smiths
24. A Quick One (While He's Away)- The Who
(I'll say this again and again, if The Who had broken up pre-Tommy, they might be the greatest band ever ... then the 2 to 6 decent songs after that would've made a great bonus cd on the Rhino retrospective ... no, not the CSI package)
25. Tracks of My Tears- The Miracles
26. If I Should Fall from Grace with God- The Pogues
27. Memphis- Chuck Berry
28. Heroes- David Bowie
29. Drunken Angel- Lucinda Williams
30. Atlantic City- Bruce Springsteen
(a dude I don’t get (too rock n rolly fer me), all respect due, amazing talent, he honestly perplexes me, send all hell mail to “robbinthompson@steelmill.com”. Fer a moment in time he hit it. Nebraska is a desert island instant. I reluctantly left off ‘dancin in the dark’—some of the greatest lyrics ever, and the worst sounding album that's decent ever-- all apologies to the Mats "Tim")
31. Days- The Kinks
32. The Boxer- Simon and Garfunkel
(Paul Simon still gives me the creeps)
33. Behind Closed Doors- Charlie Rich
34. Love Comes in Spurts- Richard Hell and the Voidoids
35. I Stopped Loving Her Today- George Jones
36. Galveston- Glen Campbell
(Wichita Lineman maybe? Fuckit, Glen’s vocals are undeniable))
37. Summer Wind- Frank Sinatra
38. My Funny Valentine- Chet Baker
39. These Days- Nico
40. This Is England- The Clash
(if you don’t know this, you’re missing out. One of Strummer’s greatest from an AMAZINGLY bad album thanks to Bernie Rhodes.)
41. Stardust Memories- Willie Nelson
42. Windfall- Son Volt
43. Blue- Jayhawks
44. What's Goin On- Marvin Gaye
45. The Have Nots- X
46. Between the Bars- Elliott Smith
47. I'm Always in Love- Wilco
48. Mercy Seat- Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
49. Ballad of Dorothy Parker- Prince
50. Jealous Again- Black Flag