By Mark Pukalo
My mother tells me her first recollection of my interest in music
was shortly after I started walking.
I had what were apparently called my treasured
“Yeah, Yeah” records, which can only mean one thing. The first song that must
have caught my fancy was the Beatles’ “She Loves You,” …. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
It was near the top of the charts in the United States in the spring of 1964
when I was in my second year and owned my beloved Show & Tell record
player.
Sports have obviously been a big part of my life
while great movies and television shows will stay with me forever. But there is
nothing like music. It makes you happy, it can calm tensions, move you to tears
and it often provides an important message in the lyrics. Lester Bangs said it
best in my favorite movie of all time, “Almost Famous.”
“Music, true music – not just rock’n roll – it
chooses you. It lives in your car, or alone listening to your headphones, with
the cast scenic bridges and angelic choirs in your brain.”
The radio was almost always on in my room or at
the kitchen table during the night and I kept up with all the charts on the
local stations before beginning to follow the Billboard survey with Casey
Kasem. I did my own top 30, 40.
There is no blueprint for the perfect song to
me. I love variety. Lyrics are extremely important, whether they are intelligent
or catchy -- “Dream of better lives, the kind that never hate. Trapped in a
state of imaginary grace,” …. “Roll down the window and let the wind blow back
your hair,” …. “War is not the answer, ‘cause only love can conquer hate.” … “All
the criminals in their suits and their ties, are free to drink martinis and
watch the sun rise…” and on and on. No doubt, great guitar work or a unique
sound can also make an ordinary song special.
I saw Rolling
Stone magazine’s top 500 songs of all time and, although it was an interesting
read, a few of my favorite artists and many great songs were snubbed. Since last summer, I have been working little by
little on a project to compile the best, most memorable, fun and meaningful
songs – to me -- in 50 years of enjoying music. Using my Itunes list of about 2,500
songs and other sources I pared it down to 350. It is not perfect. It can never
be perfect. I could move songs around for another year and not be satisfied. Plus,
I’m sure I missed a few.
The period of 1975-1995 is my sweet
spot, so there was more of an emphasis in that time frame. I could have listed
15-20 songs each from Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles and the Beatles -- among a
few others -- but decided to add more variety to the list. Hopefully, I ended
up with as close to an awesome mix as possible.
If
my list was a hockey team, it would probably be categorized as soft. There will
be no obscure songs from grunge bands that few have heard of or metal tunes
where you can’t understand the words. I love rock and roll as much as Joan
Jett. But I like good songs much more, tunes that grab you and make you want to sing
them over and over in the car on long trips.
So, I will bare my musical soul with a top 107
periodically on my facebook and twitter pages with videos later this summer. I
chose 107 in honor of WAAF 107.3, the great rock station from Boston that I
listened to every day after graduating from Pop music.
Hope everyone will enjoy it. If it adds
one song to someone’s ipod or brings back a great memory -- that would be fantastic.
Mostly, I just hope it won’t annoy anyone. J
Top 350 songs of my first
50 years in music (bottom 50)
350. Go All the Way – The Raspberries. … Replaces "She Loves You." Eric Carmen was the lead singer for the Cleveland band. Great harmony in this one and it rocks a bit as well.
349. Ramblin Man – Allman Brothers. … The Hall
of Famers put out some great music, led by this song.
348. Jesus Walks – Kanye West. … The guy can be quite annoying at times,
but he has produced some standout tunes with this one at the forefront.
347. Hooked on a Feeling – Blue Suede. … Oooga,
Chaka, Oooga Chaka. Brought to life big time in the movie "Guardians of the
Galaxy.”
346. Against the Wind – Bob Seger. …
Easy-listening title track from the 1980 album. Glenn Frey sings a little backup on this
one.
345. Rapture – Blondie. … Early “sort of”
rap tune from the beautiful and talented Deborah Harry that you've probably heard on a recent car commercial. Remember, “don’t strain your brain.”
344: Get it On - T Rex ... Glam rocker who is somewhat under-rated. Can't not like this catchy tune.
343. So You Want To Be a Rock n Roll Star – The
Byrds. … Apparently, it was the super group’s last big hit. “Turn, Turn, Turn”
and “Mr. Tambourine Man,” were considered for this spot.
342. My Eyes Adored You – Frankie Valli. … A
huge hit in 1974, when I was beginning to notice that girls were more than just
annoying classmates. LOL.
341. School’s Out – Alice Cooper. … “No more pencils, no more books, no
more teacher’s dirty looks.” Cooper is one heck of a golfer, too.
340. Guitar Man – Bread. … David Gates has a memorable voice and this is
about as hard as this group rocked after ballads like “If” and “Aubrey.”
339. Happy – Pharrell Williams. … Overplayed or not, I love this song.
Watch his performance of this at the 2014 Oscars. It’s outstanding. Amy Adams
boogies.
338. Amanda – Boston. … At least one,
perhaps two, Amandas I know were named with this song in mind.
337. Not enough love in the world – Don
Henley. … Solo effort from one of the greatest voices of all time.
336. Dancing with myself – Billy Idol. … A staple of many semi-formals
and mixers in college. It made everyone dance like a zombie.
335. Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks. … Too bad he had to cancel
his Tampa shows. Hopefully this heavyweight country artist will return.
334. Goody Two Shoes – Adam Ant. … He was big in the 80s and this was
his most popular effort.
333. Bridge to Nowhere – Sam Roberts. …
Under-rated Canadian artist wrote and performed this catchy song about a
troubled man.
332. Love Shack – The B-52s. … Bouncy tune
brings back memories of the Clam Shack in Wellfleet, Mass. on the Cape. “Tin
roof. … Rusted!”
330 (tie). Do They Know it’s Christmas? – Band
Aid. … English charity song raised millions for African famine relief in 1984
when it was released.
and
We are the World – USA for Africa. …
Counter to Band Aid in 1985. My fraternity brothers and I all dressed up as the
stars and did a lip synch of the now 30-year-old song for a Greek “talent
show.” I was James Ingram. Don’t laugh. One of my facebook friends was Tina
Turner.
329. Soul Man – Blues Brothers. … Penned by
Isaac Hayes and David Porter, originally sung by Sam & Dave, but never bigger than when John and Dan performed it on SNL.
328. Like to get to know you well – Howard
Jones. … Diane Franklin (Monique) fixes John Cusack’s car while this tune is
playing in the comedy classic, “Better Off Dead.” Saw HoJo in the Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun and he was awesome.
327. I’m a Believer – The Monkees. … Davy Jones and the boys had a great
TV show, too.
326. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2. … “I have climbed
the highest mountains. I have run through the fields. Only to be with you.” Edges "Pride" for this spot.
325. Torn – Natalie Imbruglia. … The gorgeous Aussie recorded this
haunting song about being torn over a relationship. Put this in my “guilty
pleasures” category.
324. Lithium – Nirvana. … There is something to be said about a band
that bursts on the scene and is so different it causes a craze. That’s what
Kurt Cobain and the boys did for a short time -- unfortunately -- and this is one of their best
efforts, apparently “an ode to finding religion.”
323. Respect – Aretha Franklin. … Important
song on so many levels, from the Queen of Soul.
322. Pinball Wizard – The Who. … He’s got such a supple wrist.
321. Ohio – Crosby, Stills, Nash &
Young. … Two words: Kent State. “Tin soldiers and Nixon coming. We’re finally
on our own. This summer I hear the drumming. Four dead in O-hio.”
320. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard –
Paul Simon. … Tremendous artist that never disappoints and this is another
iconic, fun number. Edged out “50 ways to leave your lover.”
319. Love will come to you – Indigo Girls. … Saw them at the Tennis
Center in New Haven. Great show. Amazing harmony from Amy and Emily. This song is very heartfelt.
318. Get down on it – Kool & the Gang. … Yeah, right, you wouldn’t
dance to this if it was playing. Sure. Liked the group. Lots of smooth, cool
songs.
317. Where Did Our Love Go? – J Geils Band and The Supremes. … Both
versions of the song are tremendous in their own way.
316. You see me crying – Aerosmith. … Edges “Sweet Emotion” as the
Boston group’s second best tune. From one of the first rock albums I purchased,
“Toys in the Attic.”
315. Refugee – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. … “Baby we ain’t the
first. I’m sure a lot of other lovers been burned. Right now it seems real to
you, but it’s one of those things you gotta feel to be true.” From the classic
vinyl, “Damn the Torpedoes.”
314. Come Sail Away – Styx. … Group produced some tremendous songs.
Modern Family’s Phil Dunphy does a great cover of this song. LOL.
313. Ordinary People – John Legend. … The guy has a tremendous voice.
312. Redemption Song – Bob Marley. … I read somewhere that Bob
wrote this song as he was dying from cancer. Greatest reggae artist of all time? No doubt.
311. Brass Bonanza – Jack Say. … Greatest fight song of all time. Go
Whale! It has to be -- hat trick followed by Kevin Dineen’s number -- right?
310. A Whiter Shade of Pale – Procol Harum. … “We skipped the light
fandango, turned cartwheels cross the floor. I was feeling kinda seasick. But the
crowd called out for more.” Have no clue what it means, but pretty nifty
lyrics.
309. Baby Boom Baby – James Taylor. … Listened to JT’s “Never Die
Young,” over and over and over when it came out and this was the best song from
it.
308. Changes – David Bowie. … “Time may change me, but I can’t trace
time.”
307. Me Around – Michael Penn. … Sean Penn’s bro did a great take on
this song during a concert at Toad’s Place in New Haven when performing on a
tour with his wife and one of my favorite artists Aimee Mann.
306. Here and Now – Luther Vandross. … The late Luther had one of my favorite
voices of all time, whatever weight he was at.
305. Back to you – Bryan Adams…. The Canadian rocker has a great library
of songs and this one surprisingly edges in front of the rest for me.
304. Jojo – Bozz Scaggs. … Bozz was under-rated, especially with this
jazzy, soul number.
303. Beth – Kiss. … Perhaps the best ballad by a rocking “hair” band
ever. It was either this or much-harder edged “Love Gun,” from this group.
302. Cheeseburger in Paradise – Jimmy Buffet. … What can I say? I love
cheeseburgers. I identify with, “Heaven on earth with an onion slice.”
301. Brilliant Disguise – Bruce Springsteen. … A smooth, sad song about
the Boss’ divorce. “Is it you, baby, or just a brilliant disguise.”
SPECIAL CATEGORY
2112 –
Rush (Every bit of the 20 minutes, 33 seconds is tremendous)
She Loves You – The Beatles. … First fave has been passed by 350, but is still unforgettable.
HONORABLE MENTION "DEEP TRACKS" (Some other favorites that could have easily been in the top 350 and deserve their own category)
Spaced
– Aerosmith. … From their best album, “Get Your Wings.”
Jane
– Barenaked Ladies. … Very melodic song from the Canadians.
I’ll Be On My Way – The Beatles. … “As the June light turns to
moonlight, I’ll be on my way.” From Live at BBC CD.
Putting out Fire – David Bowie. … Originally from the movie “Cat
People,” but never sounded better than when Michelle Laurent was putting on her
war paint before killing Nazis in “Inglourious Basterds.”
The Load Out – Jackson Browne. … JB’s ode to the roadies, which plays
nicely right into “Stay.”
Moving in Stereo – The Cars. … Unique song that leads into “All
Mixed Up,” which ends their brilliant first album. It also makes you think of Phoebe Cates.
I Can’t Take It – Cheap Trick. … Easy-listening tune that is overlooked
among the group’s best.
Lonely Stranger – Eric Clapton. .. Under-appreciated piece from his
Unplugged album.
Ink
– Coldplay. … Nice little tune on their most-recent CD, “Ghost Stories.”
Another Horsedreamer’s Blues – Counting Crows. … Haunting song from
“Recovering the Satelites.” … “So she takes her pills, careful and round. One
of these days she’s gonna throw the whole bottle down. But she’s trying to be a
good girl and give’em what they want.”
Don’t Stop Now – Crowded House. … From the group’s return album, “Time on
Earth.” It just pulls you into a journey.
Twisting by the Pool – Dire Straits. … Different kind of song from this
group, with a great video.
Open Your Eyes – Doobie Brothers. … Michael McDonald’s voice soars in this little-known
tune from “Minute By Minute.”
Wasted Time – The Eagles. … “You can get on with your search baby, and I
can get on with mine, and maybe someday we will find, that it wasn’t really
wasted time.” A classic from “Hotel California.”
Pretty Maids -- The Eagles. ... Written as a melancholy look at life so far and Joe Walsh's voice works perfectly with the song that graces "Hotel California." Walsh sings, "Heroes they come and they go."
Honey Hi
– Fleetwood Mac. … Nifty little piece of music from an inventive album, “Tusk.”
All I want to be is by your side – Peter Frampton. …
A simple tune that graces probably the greatest live album of all time – “Frampton
Comes Alive.”
Look Sharp
– Joe Jackson. … Kickass title track from a kickass album.
Rosalinda’s Eyes – Billy Joel. … Wonderful latin-flavored song
from “52nd Street.”
Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters – Elton John. … From the master work, “Honky
Chateau.”
Your number or your name – The Knack. … Another great tune from “Get the
Knack.”
4th of July – Aimee Mann. … From her amazing first solo
effort, “Whatever.”
Daughters
– John Mayer. … Moving song with the acoustic guitar -- for the ladies.
Crawling Back to You – Tom Petty. … From the under-rated solo album
named “Wildflowers,” which also had the catchy “It’s Good to be King.”
Got my own thing – Liz Phair. … From a wonderful CD called
“Somebody’s Miracle.” “I know you’re not like other guys. I don’t expect you to
normalize. I won’t get into what you do, because I’m bettin’, bettin’, bettin’
all my money on you.”
Little Darlin – Poco. .. From a dynamite album named
“Legend.” “You’re the sun, the moon, the stars shining. You’re the one, there’s
no denying.”
When will I see you? -- The Pretenders. ... "Demand the impossible. Everyone will be free." From an under-rated album, "Packed!."
Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen. .. Sounded best on “Live Killers.”
Subterranean Homesick Alien – Radiohead. … Unique band, unique song from “OK
Computer,” – which was loved by the critics.
Electrolite – REM. … Just a smooth, under-rated classic from “New
Adventures in Hi-Fi.”
How it Is
– Rush. … From perhaps their best under-the-radar album, “Vapor Trails.”
Winding Road – Bonnie Somerville. … Heard this song on the “Garden State”
soundtrack and it blew me away how good it was. Bonnie is an actress who has
been on several TV shows.
Out in the Street – Bruce Springsteen. … Follows “Hungry Heart” on
Bruce’s classic double album “The River.”
Janey don’t you lose heart – Bruce Springsteen. … Never was a single. You
can catch it on the “The Essential Bruce Springsteen” CD. Just love the
smoothness of this song.
Black Cow
– Steely Dan. … “Aja” was such a great album and this might be the best on that
one along with “Deacon Blues.”
White Horse – Taylor Swift. … Secretly, it’s my favorite from her. Oh
wait.
Shed a Little Light – James Taylor. .. Hopeful song, seemingly about
world peace.
The Other End of the Telescope – Til Tuesday. … Aimee Mann performed this song
at a concert in a Providence club I attended and stopped after a few lines to
start over. “There’s too many damn words in this song,” she joked, shaking her
head. “I didn’t write it.” Elvis Costello did.
Wild Honey
– U2. … Bono and the boys had fun with the different-style tune from “All That
You Can’t Leave Behind.”
Hard Sun
– Eddie Vedder. .. From his brilliant work on the soundtrack of “Into the
Wild.”
Sunshine
– World Party. … Maybe they are all deep tracks from this under-appreciated pop-rock
band. They sound a little like the Stones in this one.
