............................................................................ ......::::..|...###.....###...###...###.....#######.....###......;;;;....... .....::::..-*-...###.....###..%##....###.....##..%##.....###....;;;;;;...... ....::::....|...##.##....#####%##...##.##....##...%##...##.##..;;;;;;;;..... .....::::......#######...##.#####..#######...##...%##..#######..;;;;;;...... ......::::....###...###..##...###.###...###..##..%##..###...###..;;####..... .............###.....######...%#####.....###############.....###..###.##.... *****###****###***********************************************###**#**##**** ## ## ### I S S U E # 0 6 0 0 5 - 1 3 - 0 0 ### #### ### # ### ####### #### ### "100 Songs I Never Get Sick of Hearing" ### ####### by Phairgirl #### You know what I'm talking about. It's the kind of song that no matter when you hear it, you have the urge to sing along at the top of your lungs, turn the radio up farther than you should, and dance around (or bop around in your car like a freak). They cause people to look at you like you're on drugs, and they cause you to have a spazz attack if anyone tries to turn it off. It's one of those songs that you swear you will never, ever get sick of hearing. VH1 expects people to narrow it down to three. I had a difficult time, but I narrowed it down to 100. I know I must have forgot some that would knock some others off the list, but this was a spur-of-the-moment compilation. Anyway... Here they are, in NO PARTICULAR ORDER, because ordering them somehow would be futile: 1. Thin Lizzy: The Cowboy Song Lyric sample: "Roll me over and turn me around Let me keep spinning till I hit the ground Roll me over and let me go Running free with the buffalo" Thin Lizzy is so damn underappreciated. They were cool in many ways, such as being a hard rock band with a black lead singer and being the first to use double lead guitars. Originally, I had this song and "Jailbreak" on the list, but in the end, "The Cowboy Song" gets me more excited. The main riff is catchy as hell. It's easy to overlook it as a classic rock radio staple to play between Zeppelin and the Stones or what not. Ahhh well. If nothing else, I of all people won't overlook Thin Lizzy. 2. The Who: Baba O Riley Lyric sample: "Don't cry, Don't raise your eye, It's only teenage wasteland." I played this song for my sister yesterday, and she told me she had never heard it before. It made me want to cry. First off, the intro was used for A Bug's Life or Antz or one of those movies, so I was ecstatic to hear it on commercials all the time. Second off, I figured most angsty kids would know the ending chorus of "TEENAGE WASTELAAAAND," which certainly made ME smile back in the day. But alas. 3. The Kinks: Lola Lyric Sample: "Well I'm not dumb but I can't understand Why she walked like a woman but talked like a man Oh Lola, Lo-lo-lo-lo-Lola" I find myself singing this song all the time. Kiddies, if you don't recognize it, Weird Al did a parody of it called "Yoda." It's the first mainstream song to address transvestitism. It's cute and addictive, and when I type out the lyrics to it mindlessly at work, people walking by read them and think that I am insane. Or maybe just a transvestite, I don't know. 4. Aaliyah: Are You That Somebody Lyric sample: "Is it my go, is it your go Sometimes I'm goody-goody Right now I'm naughty naughty" This song is easily recognized by its cute little baby gurgle loop and from being featured in the film _Dr. Doolittle_. Most people turn to me and say, hey, you don't like R&B. That's right, I don't, except I have all of Aaliyah's CDs. And this song didn't sound like everything else that was out at the time (however it has been heavily copied since). I don't think Aaliyah gets credited with being the most frequently ripped off innovator in R&B music. Shoot everyone else, this song rules. 5. Tool: Eulogy Lyric sample: "He had a lot to say. He had a lot of nothing to say. We'll miss him." I had been told that this song was written for Kurt Cobain. Knowing that, I wanted to totally hate the song, because I have this problem with people exploiting the deaths of others for their own personal profit, especially someone so selfish that they thought their life was so terrible that they had to kill themselves and leave their baby without a dad. ANYWAY. This is my favorite Tool song. It kicks ass. It makes you want to MOSH. SLAM DANCE. BE ANGRY AND PUNCH PEOPLE. Hooray! 6. Dario G: Sunchyme Lyric sample: "Hey ma ma ma ma" I was pretty upset when I heard this song recently used as an advertisement for Claritin or Allegra or some other allergy medication. The song is pretty much just a loop of "Life in a Northern Town," which is a great song in its own right. However, something about this cover/remake/ whatever just makes you want to look up in the sky, smile at the sun, and say, yeah, everything is going to be alright forever and ever. 7. Led Zeppelin: Kashmir Lyric sample: "Talk and song from tongues of lilting grace Whose sounds caress my ear But not a word I heard could I relate The story was quite clear" Oh come now. How can you NOT fall in love with that wonderfully haunting bowed guitar technique? The song is mystical and magical, much like Kashmir itself. This song takes you places. It will get glued in your head for years on end. It's wonderful to listen to looped 8 times in a row on a bus ride before finally skipping ahead to the next song. Yum. 8. Blind Melon: Galaxie Lyric sample: "can i do the things i wanna do that i don't do because of you and i'll take a left then i'll second guess into a total mess" Look, more dead people! Actually, I hated Blind Melon for years, because I only had their first album and IT SUCKED. However, one of my dear friends (thank you Kip) introduced me to the album _Soup_ and forced me to listen to it endlessly... and now it's easily one of my favorite albums ever. "Galaxie" has all kinds of weird rhythm changes and odd harmonies and hippie fun. It's utterly disturbing. I could listen to it all day. 9. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Into the Great Wide Open Lyric sample: "Eddie waited til he finished high school He went to Hollywood, got a tattoo He met a girl out there with a tattoo too The future was wide open" Kind of a cheesy story-song about a guy who gets all famous and then gets non-famous, with a kickass video featuring Johnny Depp, this song can't lose. It has the distinction of sounding like very little else, which either makes it ROCK or SUCK. This song rocks. The whole song fills you with this kind of... pity... and makes you feel good about your sucky life. It puts me in a weird trance. 10. Chroma Key: Blanket Lyric sample: "Close your eyes, think of the Best Thing To Say. iampathetically lost and maybe you made me this way." I'm not good at narrowing down Chroma Key songs that I adore. However, as people have pointed out to me (Tanya), I am apeshit over this song. At one point, I DEMANDED that people listen to it. It's probably the most disturbing song I own, with the exception of other Chroma Key songs. It's a strange hybrid of guitar and MESS. It's just a mess. It's noisy and chaotic and depressing and beautiful. It's also easily one of my favorite songs of all time. I could never, EVER get sick of this song, I don't care if I had to hear it on repeat sped up 3x speed for 8 years straight. 11. Phil Collins: In The Air Tonight Lyric sample: "But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, no you don't fool me The hurt doesn't show; but the pain still grows It's no stranger to you or me" For a while, every time I was in the car with my friend Steve, no matter whose car it was, this song never failed to come on, and we never failed to crank it up and sing along. It's one seriously fucked up song. How it ever got popular is beyond me, but it's trippy and amazing. I don't care how lame Phil Collins is, this song rocks. 12. Def Leppard: Pour Some Sugar On Me Lyric sample: "You got the peaches, I got the cream Sweet to taste saccharine 'Cos I'm hot, so hot, sticky sweet From my head, my head to my feet" I remember buying this CD at Wal-Mart many moons ago and playing it at full volume from my friends' car stereo while cruising around town at about 5:30am screaming the lyrics. I've heard this song more times than I've probably ever heard my NAME. And I still don't know half the words or what the hell that song is supposed to mean. Songs like that are only classics. 13. Soundgarden: Outshined Lyric sample: "I just looked in the mirror, things aren't looking so good I'm looking California and feeling Minnesota" The Impenetrable Riff From Hell. Honestly, what other riff was ever so heavy and catchy and incredible all at once AND WRITTEN IN 7/4?!? I swear, if this song should ever get overlooked as one of the greatest mainstream songs with fantastic composition, I will have to run around gatting people down. It gives me the butterflies. 14. Alice in Chains: Man in the Box Lyric sample: "Feed my eyes, can we sew them shut? Jesus Christ, deny your maker He who cries, will be wasted Feed my eyes, now we've sewn them shut" Well, it's good to hear that Layne Staley isn't shooting heroin into his hands and feet anymore. But, then again, if heroin was what wrote "Man in the Box," well all I have to say is, want a syringe? But seriously, this song rocks all. It had a scaryass video. It represented the side of Seattle that didn't sit around sipping mocha lattes. It killed hair metal for good. It's ear gold. 15. Crosby Stills and Nash: Southern Cross Lyric sample: "So I'm sailing for tomorrow, my dreams are a dyin' And my love is an anchor tied to you, tied with a silver chain I have my ship and all her flags are a flyin' She is all that I have left and music is her name" I'm not sure how to describe how good this song is except for to say, yeah, look at the geniuses that wrote it. It's another one of those songs that is sickeningly catchy but without being froofroo-ey pop crap. It's just a DAMN GOOD SONG. Listen to it many times. 16. Danzig: Cantspeak Lyric sample: "can't think can't dream don't care if i live or die" This song is so damn real. The lyrics are truth. The music matches emotions. Put it all together and you get a haunting look of what it means to honestly, seriously contemplate suicide. Not any of this whiney teenager my-life-sucks angsty bullshit here--this is brutal, hard stuff. But the best part is, it's a GOOD SONG that warrants many, many listens. 17. White Zombie: Thunderkiss '65 Lyric sample: "well sweet little sista's high in hell cheat'n on a halo grind in a odyssey holocaust heart kick on tomorrow" Wow, a metal song that you can dance to. I personally find White Zombie to be one of the killers of hair metal bands without replacing it with whiney angst. Rob Zombie is just a scary looking guy. He writes some abominably catchy tunes that make you forget Grandma is in the room and you shouldn't be mumbling those words around her or she'll have a stroke. This song makes me want to grind it up with a razor and snort it up my nose. 18. U2: With Or Without You Lyric sample: "My hands are tied My body bruised, she's got me with Nothing to win and Nothing left to lose" I hated this damn song for ages and ages. And then, one day, I was just kinda like, yeah... brilliant. Brilliant fucking song. I know this one rates very high on a lot of people's lists for greatest songs ever, and rightfully so. Bono's being a whiney bitch aside, there is much room for love and respect of a song this amazing. 19. Dream Theater: Lie Lyric sample: "I had gotten used to being a soul destroyed She comes in apparently to fill the void All dogs need a leash and at least I'll forget it She would never hurt me though she's never said it" For everyone who has ever been blatantly lied to in a relationship... this song will make you feel vindicated. People suck. Just, plain, out and out, PEOPLE FUCKING SUCK. And even though a goodly chunk of the _Awake_ album takes that theme to extremes, not many of the songs will stay with you and make you head straight for it like "Lie." Forgive their music videos, they no not what they do, but marry this song. MARRY IT. 20. K's Choice: Not An Addict Lyric sample: "We're so creative, so much more We're high above but on the floor" I remember the first time I heard this song, and how it took me over a month to find out who it was. And I remember hanging around with a chick who ingested every drug imaginable on a regular basis and how she screamed that this was HER SONG. Ahhh, amusement. But still, I adored the song. And the girl and I would sing it at the tops of our lungs and lay out in the parking lot outside of work and just talk and be happy. I could listen to it a thousand more times. 21. Stabbing Westward: Shame Lyric sample: "I pray for someone to ache for me the way I ache for you If you ignore that I'm alive I have nothing to cling to" First off, it was hard to narrow down a particular Stabbing Westward song that I could never get sick of hearing, because usually I'd just grab a CD and listen to it nonstop until I got sick of it. But then I realized, I was always super happy to hear "Shame." And the video kicked so much ass, and there's quiet and ANGST and depression and elation and loud and soft and guitar and techno. It's got it all. 22. Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here Lyric sample: "How I wish, how I wish you were here. We're just two lost souls Swimming in a fish bowl, Year after year" Oooh, this is one of my all-time favorite songs. It brings back many memories all over the place. It's the trademark Pink Floyd airy lofty trippiness combined with a harsh realism that takes the Floydian staple to a new level. Actually, the whole album played straight through could be defined as something I would never get sick of hearing, but that's mostly so that I can hear this song. 23. Drivin N Cryin: Fly Me Courageous Lyric sample: "Murder America is brandishing her weapons She keeps me safe and warm by threats and misconceptions" Hmmm. This song just rocks. It has a driving, kickass beat. I don't know, I very rarely get to hear this song, since I seem to keep losing it on eBay all the time. I don't remember how I first fell in love with this song, I was a freshman in high school and all, but this Hot Guy named Mark really liked Drivin N Cryin, so it only made me more interested in the band. I have no idea where Mark is today, but if he's out there, maybe he'll send me his DNC disc. Yeah, sure. 24. INXS: Need You Tonight Lyric sample: "So slide over here and give me a moment Your moves are so raw, I've got to let you know" Drool, man, Michael Hutchence was such a mad hottie before he died. Wow, this list certainly is overtaken by the dead, so it seems. But all corpses aside, I don't think it's humanly possible for me to listen to this song any lower than eardrum rupture level. It's so damn sexy without getting trashy (okay, it gets trashy, I don't care). Hutchence purrs like a kitten. The music is unlike anything else, and everyone knows the song. Rock. 25. Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) Lyric sample: "Some of them want to use you, Some of them want to get used by you, Some of them want to abuse you, Some of them want to be abused." You know, there aren't many lyrics to this song at all, and Marilyn Manson ruined the song entirely. But the original song is downright frightening and wonderful and kept me transfixed when I was a kid. What, maybe twelve people in this world don't think this song kicks ass. It's badass. 26. Gary Numan: Cars Lyric sample: "Here in my car I feel safest of all I can lock all my doors It's the only way to live In cars" I've mentioned several times that I would give up everything from the 1980s as long as I could have this song playing constantly for the rest of eternity. Gary Numan was like the wussiest and scariest guy on MTV back in the day. The melody is so damn haunting and beautiful and synthed to the max. This song would be in the top 5 if I put these in some kind of order. Long live cars. 27. Siouxsie and the Banshees: Peek-A-Boo Lyric sample: "Strobe lights pump and flicker Dry lips crack out for more `Come bite on this rag doll, baby! That's right, now hit the floor'" Holy crap, Siouxsie Sioux scared the living CRAP out of me as a kid, but for some reason, I felt the need to keep listening to this song and singing it nonstop and driving myself insane. So years later, when stumbling aimlessly around a record store and finding their singles collection, I had to pick it up. What resulted was forcing everyone I know to listen to this song at extremely high levels in extremely large doses. Jeepers creepers! 28. Foo Fighters: Everlong Lyric sample: "And I wonder When I sing along with you If everything could ever be this real forever If everything will ever be this good again" There is a superfantastic driving beat in this song that makes it feel like it's a lot shorter than it really is. I honestly cannot say how many times I've listened to this song, the count is insane (it's even better to just play the song before it, "February Stars," and "Everlong" continuously on loop for hours on end, try it!) and just talking about it makes me want to hear it RIGHT NOW. 29. Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne: Close My Eyes Forever Lyric sample: "I know I've been so hard on you I know I've told you lies If I could have just one more wish I'd wipe the cobwebs from my eyes" What is it about people from the 80s that always scared me so much? I think it was the drugs. Definitely, it HAD to be. I loved this song SO MUCH, but Ozzy scared the crap out of me. Granted, Ozzy's pretty good at being intentionally scary as hell, but paired up with Lita Ford, he just seemed all the scarier. But wow, this song is still fabulous for so many reasons and proves that no matter how drunk and stoned you are, you can still make an incredible song. 30. Nine Inch Nails: Physical Lyric sample: "I want you hard in my arms So soft on my bed You get the keys to my heart When you wear that sweet dress" Before I get too detailed, I'll mention that I love Adam and the Ants, and yes I know this is a cover song. But honestly, it's probably one of my favorite cover songs of all time, because Trent Reznor brings that evil S&M element into it and turns it upside down. I would also venture to say it's my favorite NIN song, which is funny, being that it's a cover tune, and track 98 at that. Ahhh well. It rules! 31. Garbage: #1 Crush Lyric sample: "I would die for you I would die for you I would sell my soul for something pure and true Someone like you" This song can not be truly appreciated until played in a heavily macked-out automobile with a million and one speakers in it, at least two of those being HARD DRIVEN SUBS. Wow. Shirley Manson sounds like such a whore, I envy her. She's one of the three girls that I would want to have sex with if I was a lesbian. This song is amazing. Why couldn't their second album be this cool? 32. Liz Phair: Stratford-On-Guy Lyric sample: "There's an ad on my headphones And along with those eyes That you get when your circumstance is movie-size" This song is such a cacophany of beauty and magic and observance of life in what is going on around you, only comparable to Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" in terms of scope and introspection. It's eerie and uncomfortable to listen to and to comprehend until it clicks, and once it clicks, you can't get enough of it. 33. Van Halen: Dreams Lyric sample: "So baby dry your eyes, save all the tears you've cried Ohh that's what dreams are made of" Maybe I'm just a sucker for a catchy tune, I don't know. All I do know is that I've loved this song for years and even with all of its sappy silliness, it's a great listen. I remember when a live version was re- released, and once again this song crept back into my brain and hasn't left since. 34. Sophie B. Hawkins: Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover Lyric sample: "Give me an hour to kiss you Walk through heaven's door, I'm sure we don't need no doctor to feel much better" This song is sooo incredibly sexy and beautiful and fun. Once, long ago, a friend of mine went into rather graphic details interpreting the lyrics, and I think it scarred me for life. Nonetheless, listening to this song is like knocking back three shooters and heading for the dance floor. Nothing like a song that makes you want to get all sweaty. 35. Heart: Barracuda Lyric sample: "If the real thing don't do the trick You better make up something quick You gonna burn it out to the wick Aren't you, Barracuda?" Badass chicks from the '70s. Really, how can you not appreciate that? Heart rocked HARD, dude. And this song is like crack, especially when you're feeling particularly angsty and vindictive. Oh, and need I mention twice, the Wilson sisters ROCK HARD? 36. Joan Jett: I Love Rock N Roll Lyric sample: "He smiled so I got up and asked for his name That don't matter he said 'Cause it's all the same" This was my very very first favorite song, back when I wasn't even old enough for school. I suppose it predicted my future, as I now own enough CDs to build a small house out of jewel cases. Joan Jett is a MILLION times cooler than Courtney Love will ever hope to be. Rock 'n' roll, baby yeah! 37. Kansas: Dust in the Wind Lyric sample: "Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see" Okay, so it's REALLY cliche to say "Oh, Kansas is rad! I really like "Dust in the Wind!" I once roomed with a girl like that, the kind that only liked Pink Floyd for _The Wall_. But besides all of that, the song is pretty and intricate, and my brother certainly finds it easy to turn on and listen to on REPEAT when he's sleeping at night. A lesson to insomniacs everywhere. 38. Jethro Tull: Hymn 43 Lyric sample: "And the unsung Western hero killed an Indian or three and made his name in Hollywood to set the white man free. Oh Jesus save me!" Jethro Tull was one of those bands that I thought I hated, but then one day I realized that all these cool songs that I knew but didn't know the artists were all made by... Jethro Tull. I took a severe liking to this song and I'm not sure why, maybe just because I don't hear it as much as I hear Locomotive Breath. 39. Electric Light Orchestra: Don't Bring Me Down Lyric sample: "You're looking good, just like a snake in the grass One of these days you're gonna break your glass" I remember the DJ who swore I was on crack when I spent every night for a week requesting this song. People at school thought I was on crack when I would punctuate my statements with RRROOOUUSSSSSS. All in all, ELO turned me into a crack addict. Thanks, ELO! 40. The Black Crowes: Sometimes Salvation Lyric sample: "To lessen my troubles I stopped hanging out with relatives And empty saviours like you" Every time I hear this song, I wish I was a sixty-year-old bluesman in the depths of Chicago wailing my eyes out and feeling the pain that I'd been done wrong. It's not just that of course, but I can't help looking like a dork when I get really into this song and get all waving my arms around Mariah Carey-style. Frightning, but a-okay. 41. James Gang: Funk #49 Lyric sample: "Uh, sleep all day, out all night, I know where you're going. I don't that's a-acting right, You don't think it's showing." This spot was battled between James Gang and that song "Black Betty" by Ram Jam. I managed to get them both on one of the soundtracks to _That '70s Show_. The best part about this song is, however, that it has the ability to rarely piss off stoned people. And in my world, that's essential. 42. Nazareth: Hair of the Dog Lyric sample: "Heart breaker, soul shaker I've been told about you" Oooooh, a song that says "SON OF A BITCH!" This was by far one of my favorite albums of my dad's when I was growing up. Plus, the song just plain rocks out. It irritates me that Grand Funk's "We're an American Band" has the exact same intro. And I don't care WHICH came first, chickens and eggs be damned. 43. Elton John: Rocket Man Lyric sample: "And I think it's gonna be a long long time Till touch down brings me round again to find I'm not the man they think I am at home" I wish that Elton John was, like, an outcasted family member of mine or something. His music is very pretty, and this song in particular is super-relaxing and poignant. There's not much out there these days that match it. And I think it's gonna be a long long time before something does. 44. Tears for Fears: Shout Lyric sample: "In violent times You shouldn't have to sell your soul" Honestly, can ANYONE get sick of this song? I think it's illegal in many countries to say, "Dude, turn off that damn 'Shout' song, it's just too addictive and fun to sing along with!" Here's a commerical I made up when I was little: Shout, shout, get your stains out. These are the spots I can do without. 45. Anthrax: Black Lodge Lyric sample: "I am a witness to your demise I am the one who saw through the lies My love has always been blind" I have previously declared this song to have the Raddest Video of All Time. It's spooky as hell. Anyway, I once met the rad editor of Infernal Combustion e'zine by purchasing the CD single of this song from him on eBay. So this of course means that this song rocks beyond that of any other mere mortal. Oh, and did I mention it's PRETTY? 46. Tiffany: Promises Made Lyric sample: "Your words of steel Still echo in my memory Promises made, promises broken" Since I first made the list for this file, this song in particular has had me incensed. I'm very PERTURBED that it's not on Tiffany's Greatest Hits CD. I don't know, what can I say, I value that time in my life when I could seriously value Tiffany as a viable singer (although her recent collaboration with Front Line Assembly proves she IS viable). My goal is to record a version of me singing this song and playing it on guitar. I just need to learn guitar first. 47. L7: Everglade Lyric sample: "He kept it up, his fists started flying They dodged each punch, as he kept trying Tripped on his own feet and hit the floor Glade got to pushing and rolled him out the door" A song about girls beating the fuck out of stupid rednecks. Oh come on, that spells GOLD, baby. I spent so long trying to find an mp3 of this song after years of suffering without it that I finally bought the CD. See, Metallica, that's what mp3s are all about, to piss you off and make you buy stuff. 48. The Greg Kihn Band: Jeopardy Lyric sample: "It's the lightning, not the thunder You never know where it's gonna strike Our love's in jeopardy, baby, ooh" Yet another song I adored when I was little... although that was mostly because I liked the show "Jeopardy." But still, it inspired a Weird Al parody, so there has to be something there worth recognizing. It's got that funky breakdown. And not only do/did I adore it, Weird Al did too. However, I will not mention how Billy Idol ripped of the video when he did "White Wedding." 49. KLF: 3am Eternal Lyric sample: "KLF, UH HUH, UH HUH" During the search for lyrics to this song, I found out way more about the KLF than I wanted to know. Anyway, I hated everything else they did. Still, I can't get enough of this song, I have no idea why. So much out there is better. I think they laced this song in particular with crack. 50. John Lennon: Instant Karma Lyric sample: "Instant Karma's gonna get you Gonna knock you off your feet Better recognize your brothers Ev'ryone you meet" A super happy hippie song! But it's not just that. It's one of those songs that makes everyone sing along and feel happy and want to fight for love and peace. And although I now hate everyone and everything, this song keeps the silly dumb hippie in me alive. Bed-in for peace! We all shine on, like the moon and the stars and the sun! 51. Deee-Lite: Groove Is In The Heart Lyric sample: "DJ Soul is on a roll I've been told he can't be sold He's not vicious or malicious Just Deee-lovely and Deee-licious" Okay. There is a part in this song where they make that kickass "BLBLBLBLBL" sound. Normally, this would not be accepted outside of a children's album. NOT WITH DEEE-LITE! Plus, Lady Miss Kier had rad hair and wore that sexy body suit. Oh, and let's not forget the dude from PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC, BOOTSY COLLINS. Anyone from George Clinton's crew is welcome in ANY song EVER MADE. Please take advantage of this! 52. Living Colour: Cult of Personality Lyric sample: "I exploit you still you love me I tell you one and one makes three I'm the Cult of Personality" Lookie! More black people! Actually, this song rocks out hard. I still feel the need to damage my ears when I hear it. Plus, remember those cool multicolored hair extensions that Corey Glover had? I bet they could kick Rage Against the Machine's ass. Maybe Zach de la Rocha will get a Jheri Curl, and they can battle. 53. M/A/R/R/S: Pump Up the Volume Lyric sample: "Put the needle on the record When the drumbeats go like this" This was most certainly my first ever experience with real techno and sampling and mixing and PHAT BEATS. And I quite obviously wasn't the only one who loved it, since it was pretty damn popular. Oh, remember the freaky lady that shrieks in some Bizarro-world chant? I miss M/A/R/R/S. I would give them women. 54. Cheap Trick: The Flame Lyric sample: "I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep. I'm in too far, I'm in way too deep over you. I can't believe you're gone. You were the first, you'll be the last." I still remember how this was Cheap Trick's first ever #1 hit, which is pretty sad for a shitty band that's been around since the Big Bang. Nonetheless, this song deserved its #1. It was the first (and only) LISTENABLE Cheap Trick song. And NO, I don't care WHAT you say, "I Want You To Want Me" is NOT LISTENABLE. Kudos for at least one good song. 55. Chemical Brothers: Setting Sun Lyric sample: "You're coming on strong and I like the way The visions we had have faded away You're part of a life I've never had I'll tell you that it's just too bad" The Chemical Brothers need more songs with coherent lyrics. I mean, they do some nice mixing and what not, but still, not much can top this song. It's so full of electricity, and it's not half as annoying as hearing the phrase "BLOCK ROCKIN BEATS" 800 times in a song. However, I wish to never see the video to this song again, as my sister spent a good year trying to be the stupid blond raver chick's evil twin. Ugh. 56. Mike + The Mechanics: Silent Running Lyric sample: "Don't believe the church and state And everything they tell you Believe in me, I'm with the high command" I think this song goes in the Scariest Videos of the '80s bucket. It was just a scary song in general, it had a creepiness about it only rivaled by Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." It still has that appeal for me, however many years later it is now. Oh, and nevermind that it's a big anti- establishment song. Who knew what could be hiding in the depths of Mike + the Mechanics? 57. Motley Crue: Dr. Feelgood Lyric sample: "Let him soothe your soul, just take his hand Some people call him an evil man Let him introduce himself real good He's the only one they call Feelgood" Rock out, bad boys. Up until this point in my life, I was listening primarily to Bon Jovi. Motley Crue shocked my system, woke me up, and taught me to be MORE METAL (as much as Motley Crue can). And, much like "Ice Ice Baby," I still know all the words by heart. I wonder if I should send them a medal or something to celebrate that fantastic achievement. 58. Alannah Myles: Black Velvet Lyric sample: "A new religion that will bring ya to your knees Black Velvet, if you please" Not only was this song the very first song I ever did karaoke solo, it was also one of the first tapes that I bought with my babysitting money. However, I was saddened to note that this is the only good song Alannah Myles ever sang. Ahh well. Either way, I want her voice. I know! We can do a broadway production of Disney's "The Little Mermaid," and when I have her voice, I can run away and NEVER COME BACK. HAHAHAHHA! 59. Limahl: Theme to The Neverending Story Lyric sample: "Make believe I'm everywhere, Given In The Lines, Written on the pages, Is the answer to a neverending story" I suppose it's fair to note that I've seen this movie a gizillion times, and would not hesitate to see it a gizillion more. I have yet to read the book, but it's on my list. However, I did manage to acquire the mp3 one day, so until I get the DVD, I can listen to this song in perpetual bliss. And people will run away scared. Hooray! 60. Sinead O'Connor: Nothing Compares 2 U Lyric sample: "It's been seven hours and fifteen days Since you took your love away I go out every night and sleep all day Since you took your love away" Ask Tanya sometime how much this song rules. Actually, it's quite amusing, considering it's another one of those songs that I know completely by heart and can't help but sing along with LOUDLY whenever it comes on the radio. This is my next karaoke venture when I have the chance. 61. Morcheeba: Trigger Hippie Lyric sample: "Tune in, drop out of love, Pull the trigger, I'm a hippie, So said a truth, in blood, Alive and well, You push the buttons" Ohhhhh... I completely hated this song the first time I heard it. It just bored the crap out of me. But a few years later, upon hearing it when partially incoherent, I was all like, YEEEEAH! So now I'm totally hooked on Morcheeba. This song is very laid back and full of trippiness without venturing into the whole lounge-sound like Portishead does. It's smooth, and not in a Santana kind of way. 62. David Bowie: Space Oddity Lyric sample: "This is Major Tom to Ground Control I'm feeling very scared And I'm floating in a most peculiar way" I would almost start crying when I heard this song when I was little! I wonder how many other people were traumatized by this song as a child. Anyway, tragedy is a fantastic element, and capitalizing on scary outer space is fun and exciting, not to mention painting the government as callous and only out for its own advancements. It works on so many levels. 63. Pearl Jam: Alive Lyric sample: "While you were sitting home alone at age thirteen Your real daddy was dyin' Sorry you didn't see him, but I'm glad we talked" Wow, Pearl Jam helped break music back in the early '90s by taking all of the balls out of it. But they're forgiven just because they ruled. This song is just plain tragic. It makes you want to bury your head in a vat of Emily Dickinson poetry and sip mocha lattes all day. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but that doesn't make the song suck. 64. Chevelle: Mia Lyric sample: "So - Why, I made the face that bugs you I won't design conversation around you I made the face that bugs you" I was tricked upon first listen by thinking this was Tool, not just because of the song itself but also because of the video. And then I felt tricked again when I found out Chevelle was a CHRISTIAN band. But I decided to let my prejudices subside, and lo and behold, CHEVELLE KICKS ASS. They don't get SuperBible on your asses, and they make fantastic music. Plus, this song is the name of one of my cats! 65. Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb Lyric sample: "Hello, is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me Is there anyone home?" Wow. When you watch _The Wall_, the scene where this song plays is quite possibly one of the saddest, most heart-wrenching scenes ever filmed. And if nothing else, this song fits the film more than any of the others on the soundtrack. But movies aside, there's that cool screaming part and a venture into the void of a black human soul. Wheeee! What could be better? 66. Chroma Key: Colorblind Lyric sample: "it's all white lines to me but things are getting clearer i can almost read the writing in the mirror" I'm absolutely positive that this song contains some kind of hypnotic subliminal something-or-another that sucks people in and never lets them escape. It's entrancing and haunting, and it's free for the download at chromakey.com--feel free to let it eat you alive. Anyway, this was my first taste of what Kevin Moore has been doing since he left Dream Theater, and I was surprised and astounded and instantly in love. Someday, I'm going to stalk that man. 67. Ozzy Osbourne: No More Tears Lyric sample: "I never wanted it to end this way my love my darling Believe me when I say to you in love I think I'm falling here" Yet another song that I hated upon first listen. BUt that didn't last long. Who could reject that asskickin bass groove, and the radass guitar stylings of Zakk Wylde? Plus, Ozzy was sporting a new cleaned-up, merchant of death look, and his hair improved much. Anyway, the song itself has that hauntingly good thing going on. I seem to really get addicted to the gloomy stuff. 68. Tesla: Song And Emotion Lyric sample: "Then he starts to play. Suddenly the pain slowly fades away. Tattered, torn and frayed, There's a place within his heart He'll always save for the song and emotion." Originally written about the death of Steve Clark of Def Leppard, this song is sad and wonderful. The bonus is that this song actually proved that Tesla had ability and talent, no matter how they were decried otherwise. I really miss that whole "talent" thing in the music business. It certainly isn't overrated. 69. Prince: When Doves Cry Lyric sample: "You've got the butterflies all tied up Don't make me chase u Even doves have pride" By far and wide, this is Prince's best song. Even though in the past few years he's gone completely insane and changed his name to Tafkap and made some severely shitty music, he certainly had his day. This song is all slutty and sexy and introspective and a million other things all rolled into a fantastic loop and accompanied by a cheesy video. Is it politically incorrect for me to say this song makes me want to FUCK LIKE A WILD RABBIT? 70. Queensryche: Anybody Listening? Lyric sample: "Long ago there was a dream Had to make a choice or two Leaving all I loved behind For what nobody knew" Lately, every time I get in my car, one of the local rock stations plays this song. It's also on the FIRST CD I EVER BOUGHT. I like the whole existential vein of the lyrics and the laid-back, moody melody, and I like the loud guitars that kick in. I believe that mix is what makes fantastic songs. Britney Spears could learn a lot from older Queensryche stuff. 71. Depeche Mode: I Feel You Lyric sample: "This is the morning of our love It's just the dawning of our love" Oh, wow. I know i've mentioned sexy sexy songs before, but I don't think much outdoes THIS song. It's such a pimp whorehouse super-slut beat, and oh my god, David Gahan on heroin in the video! He's pasty white with long hair and an Evil Boy goatee! DROOL! But all of that aside, man, this song pounds. It's a fuckfest waiting to happen. 72. Ratt: Round And Round Lyric sample: "I knew right from the beginning That you would end up winning I knew right from the start You shot an arrow in my heart" ...Or something like that, you have no idea how hard it is to find Ratt lyrics, and I'm too lazy to find the CD and listen to the song right now. I remember when I was quite young and would sneak to watch MTV since my mom wouldn't let us. This song entered me into the realm of metal. In fact, Ratt scared me, which is really funny looking back at what they wore. But anyway, I don't quite get the allure of this song, or why I end up singing it all the time, either. But I also don't get the special guests in the video, so what do I know? 73. Bananarama: Venus Lyric sample: "Goddess on the mountain top Burning like a silver flame The summit of beauty and love And Venus was her name" More cover tunes! However, no self-respecting little girl in the '80s would ever hate this song. My friend Kelly and I were obsessed with it, and it was the VERY FIRST TAPE I EVER BOUGHT! If only the rest of the songs were cooler. Ahhh well, that's what I get. Anyway, to this day, this song incites riots in girls my age, unless they're dumb. 74. Aerosmith: Dream On Lyric sample: "Half my life is books written pages live and love from fools and from sages You know it's true, All these things come back to you" Piano and sadness and everything that nobody would ever expect from Aerosmith of all bands. I think I once read some tidbit about this being their biggest hit ever at the point that it was released, which is as amusing as a similar feat by Cheap Trick. However, another neat feature of this song would be its incomprehensible lyrics. I've heard the song a million times, but when I looked up the lyrics, I realized I'm a moron. You gotta love that feeling. 75. Self: So Low Lyric sample: "I'm so low that I wish I was dead With a knife in my chest And a bullet through my head" WHO? Well, this song got somewhat popular at one point many years ago. I think nowadays only me and Mogel still rave about how much this disc rules, but that's okay. I heard they went rap/R&B, which is both sad and scary. Nevertheless, this song rocks on many levels, even with white boy pseudo-rapping. It's Beck and Weezer's bastard child! And it rules! 76. Cake: The Distance Lyric sample: "Reluctantly crouched at the starting line Engines pumping and thumping in time The green light flashes, the flags go up Churning and burning they yearn for the cup" Ahhh, the song that likes to make cheap subwoofers explode in a blaze of glory. It's good to get you pulled over, good for drag racing, good for parties, good for chilling and bouncing and wishing your car had hydraulics. The amusing part, of course, is that most of this CD is songs about cars. But does it matter? NO! I want to do this song in karaoke. I got the phat beats in me. 77. Babes in Toyland: Handsome and Gretel Lyric sample: "I vacuumed out my head jumping from bed to bed My name is Gretel, a soul of metal My name is Gretel yeah, I've got a sloppy slot" Ohhhhhh man... this was most assuredly my very first venture into the magical land of super badass chicks. And seriously, there are very few girl songs that are as vicious and and obnoxious as this one. I remember revelling in delight with all the FUCK words and SUPERANGST that turned me into more than just a hair band chick. Praise the Babes. 78. Shudder To Think: So Into You Lyric sample: "I am so into you I can't think of nothing else Thinking how it's going to be Whenever I get you next to me" Cover tunes, ahoy! Anyone I know who has been force to listen to Shudder knows that they're, uh, a little bit weird. And this was most certainly their last good album as well. But this song in particular took a horrifically catchy song and bastardized it into something evil and good and just plain ROCKIN. Death to pop! 79. Folk Implosion: Natural One Lyric sample: I can't figure out what the fuck he's saying, and neither can anyone else, apparently. Even though the movie _Kids_ annoyed the hell out of me on many levels, I couldn't help but fall in love with this song from its soundtrack. In fact, I have a midi of it on my homepage for no reason other than that I know I'll never tire of it. It's definitely a song that improves in mass quantity. 80. Winger: Hungry Lyric sample: "I hear the tickin on the clock Countin every day I've been alone How long before you're coming back If I don't see your face, I'll turn to stone" And this is where people REALLY laugh at me. I don't care. The song begins with elegant strings (in the video, a car goes over a cliff). See, it's a sad thing, but Winger actually had talent hidden underneath all the bare-chested-Kipness. Don't believe me? Find something by the Rudess Morgenstein Project (the drummer, dude, he ruled), and listen to some of Kip's solo stuff. But all that aside, this song wasn't all cock, and it showed some lyrical and musical variety. It's good, really it is! 81. Dream Theater: Home Lyric sample: "Shine- lake of fire Lines take me higher My mind drips desire Confined and overtired" Just a bit ago, I was driving home with this song cranked in my car for the ten millionth time. I find it impossible to even get remotely tired of this song. I think it's mostly after the long, long quiet and intricate intro, when all the sudden, the song just POUNDS and gives me the urge to hit someone or kick something over or just plain get violent. I would like to form a mosh pit at a DT concert for this song... hahaha, I am so silly. 82. Skid Row: I Remember You Lyric sample: "Woke up to the sound of pouring rain Wind would whisper and I'd think of you And all the tears you cried, they called my name" Drooooool. That's precisely what I did for most of 1989 and 1990, drool all over Sebastian Bach. And this song! Oh, how can such BAD BOYS be such SENSITIVE SOULS? Why, for the money, of course. But money notwithstanding, this song is tender and sweet and full of beautiful vocals (especially the scream at the end), and I once sang it in front of people with only an acoustic guitar accompaniment. If you know me, then you know that it will never happen again. 83. Bonham: Wait for You Lyric sample: "Come tomorrow One day closer to your heart Lost around me It's time and I'm sad when you're near" I saw this video the very first time I ever stayed up to watch Headbanger's Ball. I instantly fell in love with it, and then I never saw the video again. So I settled for the CD, which is okay, but I'm such a sucker for oddball syncopation and time signatures that I had a hard time listening to anything other than this song, even with it's silly, super- cheesy lyrics. 84. Sneaker Pimps: Spin Spin Sugar Lyric sample: "I want perfection- I'm real need, I'veseenattention- see throughme" I am saddened and amused that the lead singer chick left Sneaker Pimps because the guys that started the group wouldn't let her write. But really, why mess with a good thing? This song RIPS THE LIFE OUT OF YOU, and makes your subwoofers happy as well. I would like nothing other than to cuddle up with this song and kill myself. Or something like that. 81. T'Pau: Heart and Soul Lyric sample: "I used to have a lover with the Midas touch I turned to gold when I turned to dust Left me for another, I turned to stone Now give me love, heart and soul" So many people mysteriously forgot about this song, but when they hear it, they're all like, "YEAH!" and the '80s live once more. I mean, it's much better than that damn similar-sounding song that ripped off "Freebird" and "Baby I Love Your Way" and stuck them together in one song. But people confuse them, and that makes me cry. T'Pau is essential to life. Believe it or die. 86. The Statler Brothers: Flowers on the Wall Lyric sample: "Playin solitaire till dawn with a deck of 51 Smokin' cigarettes and watchin Captain Kangaroo Now don't tell me I've nothin' to do" Like most people my age, I didn't know this song until it was featured in Pulp Fiction. But for some reason, it instantly stuck with me, and I formed a loving attachment to it. It's the perfect happy driving song, or the perfect chilling brooding song. It fits every situation. Oh, and Kurt Vonnegut quoted it in _Palm Sunday_. Instant radification. 87. Stereo MCs: Elevate My Mind Lyric sample: "If I ever get down in the dumps, Short of a dollar, nothing changed for months, It seems to rain about every day, But all in all, seems kinda grey" I sold my firstborn child just to get this song on a crappy 112kbps encoded mp3. I don't care, I have a mad fascination with this song, and it seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. On top of that, the lyrics are NOWHERE online. Sure, everyone knows "CONNECTED" but not "ELEVATE MY MIND." Dammit. 88. Aerosmith: Sweet Emotion Lyric sample: "Tellin' you something you can sure understand Cause a month on the road and i'll be eatin' from your hand" Okay, this song is downright bawdy, and it was a difficult decision for me whether to leave this song on the list or "Rag Doll." Anyway, I dig the whole vibe of this song, all laid back and chilling with a kickin' guitar riff. Oh, and that neat backwards clappy noise. And did I mention how fabulous the video was? I don't think any male who's seen it could ever forget it. 89. Supertramp: Take The Long Way Home Lyric sample: "And when you're up on the stage, it's so unbelievable, unforgettable, how they adore you, But then your wife seems to think you're losing your sanity, oh, calamity, is there no way out? I pretty much hated Supertramp for years just because of the cover of Breakfast in America. However, I started actually listening to their songs, and now I find them to be such a wonderful part of the '70s. I don't know how I let myself miss out for so long! And this song is simply the crux of all the wonderful things they've done. 90. Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Lyric sample: "Oh I've finally decided my future lies Beyond the yellow brick road" This song is like floating around in a fairy tale. It's completely surreal and flowery and pretty. It's a great contrast with the lyrics, but I suppose that's the point. Anyway, this song encourages waving from side to side with your arms in the air and other such cheesy things. Hmmm. Can anyone actually sing along with this song by heart? Hooray for mumbling! 91. Police: Synchronicity II Lyric sample: "And every single meeting with his so-called superior Is a humiliating kick in the crotch" There is just SOMETHING about this song that refuses to let me just forget about it. It glues itself to my brain for months after hearing it just once. Well, that's much better than having "All For Love" by Color Me Badd stuck in your head. Anyway, Sting's voice has a bizarre appeal to it. Or, as my sister would remark, "If I were his age, I'd do him." 92. Dream Theater: Pull Me Under Lyric sample: "Every day sends future to past Every breath leaves me one less to my last" And this is when people say, "Of COURSE she had to throw in another DT song." That's damn right. And it's a KEVIN MOORE LYRIC DT song as well. I spent a good year philosophizing over this song when I first really started loving it. It's been almost 8 years and I'm still hung up. Too bad the band is so sick of playing it live that they intentionally fuck it up just to be smug. 93. Rob Base: It Takes Two Lyric sample: "I wanna rock right now I'm Rob Base and I came to get down I'm not internationally known But I'm known to rock the microphone" This song got EVERYONE on the dance floor back in those glorious junior high school days of mine. It blended rap with dance in a market that wasn't saturated with that particular style yet (what, Salt-N-Pepa and that "Cars that Go Boom" song were about all else there was at the time). How many times has this song been sampled? A bizillion? See, that's proof of greatness. 94. Radiohead: Karma Police Lyric sample: "This is what you get when you mess with us Phew for a minute I lost myself" I'm not sure how to express my extreme love for Radiohead and particularly for this song without coming off as a hypocrite. Radiohead are wonderful whiners, er, writers, and some of their songs drag musically, but not this one. "Karma Police" is another one of those songs that sounds like what it's saying lyrically, as opposed to, oh, Kittie, who screams bloody murder about how they wish a boy liked them. But then again, they have no talent, and Radiohead does, and they know how to write a damn good whiney song. 95. White Lion: Wait Lyric sample: "So if you go away I know that I will follow Cause there's a place inside my hear that tells me hold out, hold out, hold out" Mike Tramp, oh man, Swedish hotties. Hair bands were super rad, especially when bathed in white lights with long curly blond hair while wearing leather and ripped jeans. White Lion's whole first album completely kicked ass, but this song was the one that sucked me in and made me an addict. Nothing wrong with that! 96. Front Line Assembly and Tiffany: New Years Day Lyric sample: "And we can break through Though torn in two We can be one I...I will begin again" You can ask many people other than myself who have been polluted by this song: it's another one of those CRACK SONGS. Another cover tune yes, and by far superior to the original. FLA is one of my favorite underground industrial/techno artists, and despite the malls, Tiffany is an incredible singer. Put them together with an excellent melody and the always intriguing lyrics of U2, and BAMMO, instant crack. If I could, I would force you to listen to this song RIGHT NOW. 97. Whitesnake: Here I Go Again Lyric sample: "I don't know where I'm goin but I sure know where I've been hanging on the promises in songs of yesterday." Who can forget Tawny Kitaen flopping around all over the hood of David Coverdale's flashy automobile wearing a semi-translucent white cloth of a dress? The video was most likely the source of much masturbation back in the '80s. But even after all this time, there are occasions where I find myself popping my (stolen, it's a hilarious story) Whitesnake tape in my car and cranking this tune up. It's memorable, and not just for the near-crotch shots. 98. Deep Purple: Perfect Strangers Lyric sample: "And if you hear me talking on the wind You've got to understand We must remain Perfect Strangers" Of course, the first time I actually heard this song was a cover of it done by Dream Theater back in 1995. However, as I don't take live-only covers to heart as actual songs to worship, I went back and found the original. BAMMO. Yummy stuff. It's much more amazing than I expected, and I spend much time running around and dun-dun-dun-ing the final oddball solo and driving people insane. 99. Red Hot Chili Peppers: Higher Ground Lyric sample: "Lovers keep on lovin' Believers keep on believin' Sleepers just stop sleepin' Cause it won't be too long" I just HAD to sneak in another cover tune before the end of my list. And like the naive little twit I was back when I first heard this song, I didn't KNOW it was a cover tune. But, now that I know that it is, it was a tough decision whether I like the RHCP better than the Stevie Wonder version or not. I decided with RHCP simply because it rocks harder and I've been addicted to it for a long time. 100. Beatles: Helter Skelter Lyric sample: "Do you, don't you want me to love you I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you" Wow, look at me sneaking in one of those CLASSIC BANDS right at the end. I'm a decently respectable Beatles fan, and I love so many of their songs, but the only song that will cause me to jump around and tell people that if they change the radio station or DIE would be this song. And no, it's not just because of the morbid Charles Manson connection... I think it has more to do with that this song just plain sounds like a bad acid trip. It's Scary Beatles, and I love that. Smiles. I suppose I should say something all introspective and summaratory here, properly close my list with some wisdom or what not, but the music speaks for itself. Buy the albums. Listen to the radio. Support music. Kill your mother. **************************************************************************** # (c)2000 aNAda e'zine aNAda060 .*. by Phairgirl # ............................................................................