100 Favorite Songs
I did alphabetical order because ranking them all would be far too rrmuch rwork (And it was already plenty of work). I decided against rlimiting rit to rone song per artist as well, because then it wouldn't rbe an honest rlist. I rhope you guys enjoy the list and maybe rdiscover something new rfrom rreading. Thanks for helping me rdiscover most of these Sputnik! |
| 1 | 90 Day Men
Last Night a DJ Saved My Life
My favorite song from one of my top 5 favorite bands, this is one I play anytime
someone asks me to introduce them to some of the music I listen to. |
| 2 | A National Car Crash
As perfect as any closer could be. |
| 3 | Against Me!
Pints of Guinness Make You Strong
When I'm driving I don't often sing-along, hum, or give any kind of indication
whatsoever that I enjoy what I'm listening to, but I'll be damned if I'm not drumming
my fingers and shouting out "I'm not coming home tonight!" every time this comes
on. |
| 4 | Armchairpolitician
Lightfuse Hurricanes
I can take or leave the vocals, but there are some gorgeous guitar parts on here. |
| 5 | Battle of Mice
At the Base of the Giant's Throat
Haunting. Listening to this while driving at night is a transcendent experience. |
| 6 | Bear Vs. Shark
Buses/No Buses
You can tell these guys have a blast playing these songs. I can't help but get swept
up in the energy. |
| 7 | Bj?rk
Hyperballad
Probably my absolute favorite. Every time I hear it I feel like there may still be some
hope. |
| 8 | Unravel
About a week after I had turned 21 this came on while I was examining my face in
the mirror. I remember looking at my stubble, and being deeply saddened by the
thought of aging. I can barely listen to this now without getting a little misty-eyed. |
| 9 | The Blood Brothers
Laser Life
That chorus is almost too catchy. |
| 10 | Botch
C. Thomas Howell as the Soul Man
The more music I listen to, the more I learn to appreciate what Botch did back in the
day. Seriously, it's amazing how many bands have tried to rip them off. |
| 11 | Bruce Springsteen
Thunder Road
Such a perfect album opener. |
| 12 | Burial
Loner
TOO SOON. |
| 13 | In McDonalds
This is in my top 5 somewhere. As beautiful as music gets. |
| 14 | Burzum
Det Som En Gang Var
I listened to this while driving through rural Indiana once. Nothing but cornfields and
old abandoned barns. |
| 15 | Cannibal Ox
Raspberry Fields
Vast Aire fucking kills it on this. |
| 16 | Circle Takes the Square
A Crater to Cough in
I made a top 100 song list about 4 years ago that had 4 or 5 Circle Takes the
Square on it, including Non-Objective Portrait of Karma at number one. Obviously
these guys have grown off me quite a bit (Portrait of Karma is still great though), but
this one has stuck with me ever since I first heard it. |
| 17 | City of Caterpillar
And You're Wondering How a Top Floor Could Replace Heaven
A perfectly crafted song. Everything is just as it should be. |
| 18 | The Clash
London Calling
What needs to be said really? |
| 19 | Clipse
Keys Open Doors
"I don't mind spending, all it is is paper." True poetry, fuck the haters. |
| 20 | Coheed and Cambria
Neverender
I love that guitar line during the "Point your gun in another direction?" part. |
| 21 | Cryptopsy
Phobophile
Death metal at it's finest. |
| 22 | Daitro
Part IV
Summertime jam right here. Everything they've done is great, but this is my
personal favorite. |
| 23 | Daughters
The Hit
What a perfect single. It doesn't get much better than that riff kicking in during the
first verse. |
| 24 | Deftones
Digital Bath
"FEEEELLL LIKKKKEEEE MORRRRREEEE!!!" Also, notice how smooth the drumming is
on this. Very difficult to emulate. |
| 25 | Knife Party
Some highlights - The guitar tone at the beginning of the song, the way the bass
floods the song once the distortion kicks in, the smooth, never in your face but still
noticeable drumming, the female vocals during the bridge? Classic. |
| 26 | Diamond Eyes
One of those songs that I can still recall vividly the first time I heard it. That chorus is
something else. |
| 27 | Dillinger Escape Plan
Sugar Coated Sour
Another perfect song. This blew my mind when I first heard it. |
| 28 | Discordance Axis
Castration Rite
A perfect example of the power "extreme" music can wield. The section that starts at
:33 is one of my favorite moments in all of music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=xEEGWCNTm6g |
| 29 | EL-P
Dear Sirs
My favorite hip-hop song. |
| 30 | Elton John
Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Funeral For a Friend is awesome, Love Lies Bleeding is good (Though it does have
some great guitar parts). |
| 31 | Fear Before
My (Fucking) Dear Hunter
This creates such a fantastic atmosphere, I love it. |
| 32 | The Gaslight Anthem
Great Expectations
Honestly, I don't want to have anything to do with you if you don't like this song. |
| 33 | Giraffes? Giraffes!
When The Catholic Girls Go Camping, The Nicotine Vampires Rule Supreme.
That last half works so well. |
| 34 | Glassjaw
Tip Your Bartender
Bounces back and forth with Hyperballad in my number one spot. Everything about
the chorus is perfect, I try to sing along every time this comes on, and I always run
out of breath before the end of the last "anymooooorrrrrreeeeeeee". My most played
song ever, I'll never get tired of it. |
| 35 | Cosmopolitan Blood Loss
"We are the most impassioned ugly people" |
| 36 | Black Nurse
That riff is godly. |
| 37 | Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Sleep
I've fallen asleep to this more times than I can count. Beautiful. |
| 38 | Blaise Bailey Finnegan III
Lol how does one even begin to choose their favorite Godspeed songs? I've also
fallen asleep to this more times than I count. |
| 39 | Gospel
And Redemption Fills the Emptiest of Hearts
H. |
| 40 | As Far as you can Throw me
I feel like I could write an essay just on the drum part to this song. " Yeah one day
I'll go back to school. And one day I will pay you your money back". |
| 41 | GZA
Gold
Can't decide whether I like this or 4th Chamber more. Liquid Swords is my favorite
Hip-hop album either way. |
| 42 | 4th Chamber
I'd quote Killah Priest's entire verse here, but that would take up too much space. |
| 43 | Have a Nice Life
Bloodhail
Perfect. Hearing this on vinyl for the first time was a life changing experience. |
| 44 | Hunter
The climax to this is gorgeous. |
| 45 | Earthmover
These guys are absolutely amazing when they're at the top of their game. |
| 46 | HORSE the Band
Birdo
Honestly, how can you not love this. |
| 47 | Hot Cross
Pretty Picture of a Broken Face
"Don't forget that when you cease to see things the way you want to, it's the least
important people that come back to haunt you." I swear it's impossible to read those
lyrics without hearing that guitar part in your head. |
| 48 | Better a Corpse Than a Nun
Lol the guitar parts in this are ridiculous. |
| 49 | Idlewild
Rusty
Can't really explain this one, a personal favorite for some reason or another. |
| 50 | Incubus
The Warmth
This one is special because it's been in my top 25 or so for something like 7 years. I
have no reason to believe it won't stay with me for the rest of my life. |
| 51 | Interpol
Untitled
I don't dance, but this song makes me want to slow dance with a girl even time I
hear it. I want this played at my wedding. |
| 52 | 5
Lol another one I can't really explain. I find this incredibly catchy. |
| 53 | Iron Lung
Sexless//No Sex
I was raised in a Christian home, which stunted my intellectual growth considerable.
When I was 19, I began to have serious doubts about my faith, and when I was 20, I
finally did some research and I finally realized what I should have known much
earlier; The plausibility of any of this was laughable. Anyway, this album got me
through some times, I struggled mightily coming to terms with my mortality once I
realized that once I die, that's it. The title track has always been my favorite, even if
songs like Cancer (Which almost made this list) applied more directly to what I was
feeling and thinking at the time. |
| 54 | Jaga Jazzist
Oslo Skyline
Beautiful. I've never come across someone who's heard it and doesn't love it. |
| 55 | Jawbreaker
Sluttering (May 4th)
Catchy, and that bridge just comes out of nowhere. |
| 56 | Joyce Manor
Constant Headache
Maybe human isn't such a bad thing to be. |
| 57 | Kayo Dot
Marathon
I played this once while making the 30 minute drive home from Cincinnati stoned at
like 5 in the morning (Incredibly irresponsible I know, I was a teenager at this time.)
It was a profound experience, and I still reflect on it nearly every time I hear this.
This also makes for great music to fall asleep to. |
| 58 | Kendrick Lamar
Swimming Pools (Drank) (Extended Version)
One day I hope to release everything that corrodes inside of me. |
| 59 | King Crimson
21st Century Schizoid Man
Classic jam, I don't care to know anyone that can't dig this. |
| 60 | The Mars Volta
Inertiatic Esp
I rarely get the urge to revisit this one, but every time I do it blows me away. |
| 61 | maudlin of the Well
Gleam in Ranks
Another song that's almost awe-inspiring in it's near perfect construction. |
| 62 | mewithoutYou
Nice and Blue (Pt. Two)
It's difficult to talk about mewithoutYou songs without just posting huge walls of
lyrics. |
| 63 | The Microphones
The Glow Pt. 2
Obvious choice. |
| 64 | Million Dead
Smiling at Strangers on Trains
Frank Turner is the man. |
| 65 | Minus the Bear
Pachucca Sunrise
Another favorite from my high school days, the last minute of this still hits me hard. |
| 66 | Moby
My Weakness
The choir in the background is cheesy as hell, and almost ruins it. I'm a sucker for
this kind of stuff though, it still gets me a little choked up if it comes on shuffle at the
right time. |
| 67 | Modest Mouse
Dramamine
This works so well as an opener, half of the mix cds I made back in the day (before I
starting using my iPod in my car) open with this. |
| 68 | Nas
N.Y. State of Mind
"The smooth criminal on beat breaks, never put me in your box if your shit eats
tapes." |
| 69 | The National
Mistaken for Strangers
I can't seem to get into The National as much as everyone else seems to, but at least
I get this one. |
| 70 | Neutral Milk Hotel
Two-Headed Boy
God, the "Placing fingers thorough the notches in your spine" line conjures up such
vivid romantic imagery. The way Mangum just attacks his guitar is amazing as well. I
mean, this is some violent strumming. Ah, and the parts where he raises his voice
and it sounds like it's going to crack are sublime as well. The "dee dee deeee" part at
the end is actually kind of annoying, but it's brief, and everything else is perfect so
I'll live with it. |
| 71 | Two-Headed Boy, Pt. 2
I prefer the former by a hair I think, but it's not like this isn't a perfect song or
anything. |
| 72 | Nirvana
Lounge Act
I find Nirvana to be pretty "meh" overall, but I've always found this song strangely
compelling. Cobain's vocal delivery in the second half is my favorite part. |
| 73 | The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Grandfather
Such an epic song, the ending feels larger than life almost. |
| 74 | Off Minor
This is a Hostage Situation
"People who need people are the wretchedest in the world". |
| 75 | Orchid
Impersonating Martin Rev
I can't decide if I want this played at my wedding or my funeral. Sometimes I find
this peaceful and relaxing, and sometimes it's so sad and beautiful it wounds me. |
| 76 | P.O.S.
Purexed
"Let em' try to find the beauty in your face" |
| 77 | Pixies
Crackity Jones
The guitar part that comes in at :37 is one of my favorite moments in music. |
| 78 | Primus
Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
This one tickles a weird part of the brain. Also, is there anyone that played Tony
Hawk's Pro Skater as a child that doesn't have that guitar solo burned into their
memory? |
| 79 | Radiohead
Motion Picture Soundtrack
I'm not always in the right mood for this, but when I am it hits like a freight train.
This is another one I vividly remember the first time I heard it. |
| 80 | All I Need
So underrated. The climax to this is as good as anything they've ever done. |
| 81 | Raekwon
Penitentiary
I went to college for a year before my inability to write an essay stressed me out to
the point that I quit. I used to jam this album in my car between classes, staring
hopelessly at my laptop screen as I searched desperately for 5 more pages of words
about something I had no interest in. I'll probably go back to school sometime in the
near future (I feel like I'll always be disappointed in myself until I do), and when I
do, you can be sure that I'll be playing this to keep me going. |
| 82 | The Red Paintings
Walls
Brilliant song, another one of those "How could anyone not love this?" type of tracks. |
| 83 | Rush
Tom Sawyer
This is what can happen when an extremely talented prog band takes the time to
write an actual song, and not just a loosely tied together collection of solos and
general showing off. |
| 84 | Sigur R?s
Untitled 3
Pretty much obligatory, There's no need to talk about this one. |
| 85 | Slint
Good Morning, Captain
The opening chime of that guitar is such a welcoming thing to hear. Oh yeah, and "I
MISS YOUUUUUUUUAAAAHHHHH!" |
| 86 | Sonic Youth
(I Got A) Catholic Block
Ugh, why was this not released as a single? It's all perfect - That opening riff, the
slightly off-kilter drumming, the memorable nonsense lyrics, and that pretty ending
that puts a nice little bow on everything. This is in my top ten of all time. |
| 87 | Pipeline/Kill Time
The second part probably does meander around a little too long, but the first minute
and a half is my favorite thing Sonic Youth ever did. (And that is high praise indeed.)
This song also contains one of my favorite drum fills of all time. (Starting 59 seconds
in) |
| 88 | Providence
Yeah, my favorite song from Daydream Nation is the interlude. When you make your
list you can put Teenage Riot on it. (Teenage Riot would be in my top 200 for what
it's worth.) |
| 89 | The Strokes
Reptilia
Such a bizarre little outlier, nothing else they've done comes anywhere near this. |
| 90 | Sunny Day Real Estate
Seven
Another boring entry. The drumming in this song doesn't get talked about enough
though, it really propels the song. |
| 91 | Tool
Schism
Cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion." Also, who doesn't
love that bassline. |
| 92 | Ulver
Troldskog Faren Vild
Another entry in the "perfectly constructed song" category. |
| 93 | Unwound
Radio Gra
I was sitting at a stop sign while I was listening to this for the first time, and when the
part where everything drops out except the strings and the keys came up I just kind
of froze up, and like three other cars went before I realized what was happening. |
| 94 | The Vevlet Underground
Heroin
I have nothing new to say about this. |
| 95 | Warning
Footprints
Fucking heartbreaking. |
| 96 | A Wilhelm Scream
The Horse
Brian Robinson might be my favorite bass player. |
| 97 | The Weeknd
High For This
ncredible production, and unlike a lot of other Weeknd songs, the lyrics aren't
completely terrible. (In fact, they're actually decent here) |
| 98 | Wolves in the Throne Room
Vastness and Sorrow
This was the first black metal song I heard, and it's stuck with me ever since. |
| 99 | X Japan
Art of Life
That piano solo is as good as it gets. I can't imagine how incredible it must be live. |
| 100 | Xiu XIu
Support Our Troops (Black Angels OH)
This is in my top ten of all time, it puts into music so many thoughts that I wish I
could articulate myself. |
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