My 50 Years in Music - No. 300-281:

300. All Shook Up – Elvis Presley. … Never a huge Elvis fan, for some reason. But this one definitely deserves a spot on the list as his best single.

299. X-Ray Man – Liz Phair  -- Very hard to pick this talented, mostly unfiltered, artist’s best song - whether it is from her critically-acclaimed debut album “Exile in Guyville,” the women’s anthem “Extraordinary,” or the catchy “Got my own thing.” But this is such a nifty tune from “Whip-Smart.” … “He’s an X-Ray Man, he’s got secret plans … for me.”

298. Little Jeannie – Elton John. … The tune brings back memories of high school days. “Stepped into my life from a bad dream. Making the life that I had seem, suddenly shiny and new.”

297. Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood. … One day she was singing “Jesus Take the Wheel,” and soon after she was slashing some dude’s tires in this song. I’ll give Carrie a pass though. She’s a hockey wife.

296. Born to be Wild – Steppenwolf. … Hard-rocking song from 1968, which has become an anthem for bikers.

295. Wanted Dead or Alive – Bon Jovi. … “I walk the streets with a guitar on my back. …” Jersey boy did a great version of this at Live Earth in Giants Stadium.

294. Somebody Like You – Keith Urban. … Mix of country and rock at its best.

*293. Party Town – Glenn Frey. … Can you say monster? From Glenn’s first and best solo effort, “No Fun Aloud,” which also includes a beautiful song with a latin flavor, “She can’t let go.”

292. She’s Mine – Steve Perry. … Steve’s solo album “Street Talk” is a guilty pleasure of mine. “Oh Sherrie” is on that one and this soulful tune was the best in my opinion.

291. Slit Skirts – Pete Townshend. … From an album with a weird name -- “All the Best Cowboys have Chinese Eyes.” Another great solo effort from Pete, “Let my love open the door,” deserves mention as well.

290. Run Around – Blues Traveler. … Top-10 hit in the mid 90s from the versatile band, originally formed in Princeton, New Jersey.

289. Something So Strong – Crowded House. … The somewhat under-appreciated group, formed in Australia and led by New Zealander Neil Finn, has become one of my favorites over time. This is their second-biggest hit on the U.S. charts behind “Don’t Dream It’s Over.”

288. Centerfield – John Fogarty. … “Put me coach, I’m ready to play, today.”

287. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina & the Waves. … Everybody’s favorite Monday morning song!

286. Aqualung – Jethro Tull. … Rocking many-layered tune about a lonely homeless man, who is mostly misperceived.

285. Rapper’s Delight – The Sugarhill Gang. … “I got a color tv, so I can watch, the Knicks play basketball.” Don’t forget this was written when the Knickerbockers were watchable. That might change with Kristaps!

284. Fool in the Rain – Led Zeppelin. … From a great album with a cool name – “In Through the Out Door.” Drummer John Bonham displays his masterful skills in this song – working on the last Zep album before his death in 1980.

*283. Dreamgirl – Dave Matthews Band. … Friends who love Dave might disagree with this choice, but I think it’s a great piece of music. Maybe “. … if I could steal the wind from the sails of the greedy men that will rule the world,” pulls me in deeper.

282. Good People – Jack Johnson. … The former surfer has graced us with some strong music, led by this tune.

281. Talk to ya Later – The Tubes. … Unique San Francisco-based band that debuted in the 70s was never better than when this song was released from “The Completion Backward Principle” album.