Greatest Songs Ever - Part 36 (Only the Bestest)
I'm Back!!! The previous four greatest songs ever lists were chosen by others. With that and a few months' break behind me, it's time to get back to the grind. There's no unified theme to this list, but it does have at least 4 songs that have been in consideration for two or more years. So maybe the theme here is cleaning out the closet. I don't know, regardless, all of these are great, and I feel really good about bringing them to you. Enjoy.
1982 "One Thing Leads To Another" - The Fixx
I love '80s pop tracks, and if you've been reading these posts for a while, that's pretty obvious. From a cultural standpoint, I don't think The FIXX gets the respect they deserve. It's damn near a perfect 80s song. Like, up there with "Take On Me" or "Panama". Sure, they didn't enjoy long-term success like many of their contemporaries, but "One Thing Leads To Another" is an infinite banger. Also, the breakdowns during each pre-chorus are perfect.
1995 "Check Yes Or No" - George Strait
Look, it's more 90's country. This one comes from King George himself. It's a uniquely relatable song, and like many of the best 90s country tracks, it has a multi-decade arc to it. See "Don't Take the Girl" if you're not sure what I mean. I don't know where the storytelling trend came from in country music, but it really is one of its most redeeming qualities. Strait has an entire library of tracks like this, but "Check Yes Or No" might be his most universal.
1989 "Head Like a Hole" - Nine Inch Nails
Going on 40 years later, NIN's "Head Like A Hole" has never been more relevant, and with the way music has drifted into this "anything goes" phase, it also feels modern in a weird anachronistic way. As a naked criticism of capitalism and its crimes, the song shines, but the real triumph here is its inherent catchiness. Anyone can write a song condemning greed, but it takes a real artist to make that song a radio hit.
1977 "Easy" - Commodores
There has never been a song more laid-back than "Easy." It's not only laidback, but it's also one of the most versatile songs ever written. Equally "at home" in a predominantly white karaoke bar and a black family's Sunday picnic, "Easy" is always welcome, everywhere. Even its structure is welcoming and "Easy". None of the melodies are surprising, and even the guitar solo is a safe amount of distorted. Some songs are too safe; others are way too off base. "Easy" defines what it means to be universally beloved.
2015 "Same Suit, Different Tie" - The Maine
My Plex server is telling me "Same Suit, Different Tie" is the 67th most popular The Maine song and I don't know if I can process that. Yes, I'm a huge The Maine fan, and I know a lot of their songs are great, but in my opinion, this track is a special kind of special. It's stuck around on my various playlists for over a decade and has become one of my favorite songs. Sometimes these greatest songs ever lists are me trying to create a historical document with important recordings from a century's past, other times it's just my favorite songs.
1996 "Don't Let Go (Love)" - En Vogue
"Don't let go!!!!!!!!!" This En Vogue track exemplifies the very best of '90s R&B. It's got the passion of a Boyz 2 Men song and the grounded feminism of TLC. Every lyric of Don't Let Go feels like a passionate chorus recorded for the radio. The ladies' performances are all vying for the spotlight in a pre-Destiny's Child style. If you told me this song wasn't a hit, and it was a '90s artist's attempt to make it big, I'd believe it. Everything in this song is try-hard in an oddly charming way.
1978 "Uncontrollable Urge" - Devo
Devo is a hard band to "get". Part new wave, part punk, part joke, to this day Devo refuses to be put into a box, unless you're willing to label a box "Weird Devo Shit." This track might be the best Devo song, or it might be the most digestible, or it might just be the one with the best vibes. The only thing about "Uncontrollable Urge" that's undeniable is the energy it brings to being entertaining, and after seeing Devo live last year, I think the spiritual energy of this song is the thesis of the entire band.
1963 "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes
I hate to call a song a formality, but "Be My Baby" is such an institution in American music that it's hard to speak to. How many soundtracks are better because of this song? How many times have you heard it on an oldies station? How many modern artists are shamelessly stealing its melody and chord progression? I don't know what songs were included on the gold record in the Voyager spacecraft, but if "Be My Baby" wasn't on it, the aliens will probably attack us.
2013 "Wrecking Ball" - Miley Cyrus
If you haven't figured it out yet, the 9 spot is where I tuck in tracks that might not sit well with the general public. Mind you, I know anyone with taste will be 100% on board with "Wrecking Ball" making this list, hell, anyone with taste might hate its inclusion because some other Miley song is more deserving. "Wrecking Ball" is pure and raw, written both to have meaning and destroy the charts. Time has been incredibly kind to this one. Upon its release in '13, it quickly became a joke, and Miley's attention-seeking persona was roundly ridiculed by every person. 13 years later, those same people are nostalgic for the time when "Wrecking Ball" was wrecking shop.
1967 "A Whiter Shade of Pale" - Procol Harum
This song is 100% an enigma. I don't understand its appeal, yet I'm still completely engulfed in its weird high-art attitude. Everything from its weird muffled recording technique to the mostly nonsensical lyrics, the entire song hinges on the sparingly used chorus "and so it waaaaaaaas later!" and its barrel-roll-like energy into the song's title. I can't talk about this song without mentioning the Hammond M102 organ that sings throughout. What is a Hammond M102 organ? Who fucking knows. What I do know is it helps the track feel like a hymn or an elegy, which only makes the chorus feel more out of place. It's a weird song that is both long and, as its ending feels too short. The song was on my radar, but it wasn't until I heard it used in the Martin Scorsese part of the movie New York Stories that I really understood its effect.
There it is, 10 more songs! As a reader, I'd expect a fast follow on this one because I've got a playlist of 62 other songs pending possible inclusion. Then again, who knows, it could be 6 months, life is weird. See you next time!
Cheers!
