John’s 300 favorite songs: 120-111
120. Elton John — “Tiny Dancer” — I won’t lie: It’s on my list because of the “Almost Famous” scene. 119. No Doubt — “Spiderwebs” — Remember when people tried to categorize No Doubt as ska? Whatever; this is […]
120. Elton John — “Tiny Dancer” — I won’t lie: It’s on my list because of the “Almost Famous” scene. 119. No Doubt — “Spiderwebs” — Remember when people tried to categorize No Doubt as ska? Whatever; this is […]
130. Guided by Voices — “Glad Girls” — It seems like Robert Pollard wrote this song in about 15 seconds, but it’s still awesome. 129. Bruce Springsteen — “Youngstown” — This song (made more powerful when he plays it […]
140. Bob Dylan — “Hurricane” — A good song by a good man doing his part to help out another good man. Songs like this just don’t come along too often. 139. Suzy Bogguss — cover of Tom […]
150. Ben Folds — “Still Fighting It” — Only Ben Folds could make “The roast beef combo’s only $9.95” sound so poignant. But that’s just the beginning, as the song turns into an ageless epic about how […]
160. Avril Lavigne — “Anything But Ordinary” — A rare pop song that — rather than reflecting on drama — asks for more drama: “Somebody rip my heart out/ And leave me here to bleed … I’d […]
170. Soul Asylum — “Oxygen” — Only the die-hards noticed, but Soul Asylum actually put out one of its best songs just a few years ago. 169. Kelly Clarkson — “Since U Been Gone” — Clarkson and this song […]
180. The Beatles — “Here Comes the Sun” — This right here is the reason George is my favorite Beatle. 179. Beyonce featuring Jay-Z — “Crazy in Love” — Normally I’m not a fan of sampling. The exception is […]
190. The Jayhawks — “Angelyne” — Has self-pity ever before sounded so gorgeous? I think not. 189. Brenda Weiler — “California” — My favorite song from the most talented musician from my graduating class (Fargo South High School, 1996). […]
200. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers — “Walls” — Whether played in the “happy” or “sad” tempo, this is a great Petty tune. 199. Epic Hero — “One Fine Day” — The best track by the best band to […]
210. Foo Fighters — “Long Road to Ruin” — The Foo Fighters have a knack for writing songs that you feel should’ve been written already. It’s like they fill in the obvious gaps of rock history. 209. […]