Where would be without music? Like everyone else in the world, I have a favorite song. I have many favorite songs. My playlist on my phone is a bit too long, and if I find myself hitting the forward button to get past a song, I’ll go back later and remove it.
We started with vinyl. Then we went to cassettes. Then – YEAH – CDs. Then we had the Walkman and the diskman. It wasn’t long before we had the M3 player. Then wireless headphones and now we have ear-pods and playlists on our phones. But in the end, it all circles back to vinyl. I don’t listen to my vinyl as much as I like, but I still listen to my records when I can. Yes, the digital library on my phone is more clear and might be a higher sound quality, but nothing can replace the nostalgia and bring back memories like vinyl.
Here are the best 20 songs and the best 20 albums.
The songs – if these aren’t on your playlist – should be. After #s 1 and 2, they might not be in exact order. These Days has been my favorite song for as long as I can remember. Its on the Life’s Rich Pageant album and there are really good songs on it. Superman is on that album but it didn’t quite make the cut. My favorite R.E.M. album is “Green” and it has my 2nd favorite R.E.M. song on it, “World Leader Pretend”. I struggled not putting this song in the top 20, but after looking for which song to take off, I couldn’t. Truth be told, there were many songs I struggled with not including, but in the end, these are the Top 20.
Why are these THE TOP 20 ? Well ….. Because Jim Says
THE Top 20 songs
1) These Days – R.E.M
2) Play For Today – The Cure
3) Lovely Day – Bill Withers
4) It’s No Good – Depeche Mode
5) Kinda I Want To – Nine Inch Nails
6) Blue Collar Man – Styx
7) 6 Underground – Sneaker Pimps
8) Snakeface – Throwing Muses
9) My Ever Changing Moods – The Style Council
10) Digging Your Scene – The Blow Monkeys
11) Eminence Front – The Who
12) Here Comes a Regular – The Replacements
13) At Seventeen – Janis Ian
14) Town of Evil People – Liar
15) Missing – Everything But the Girl
16) Eminence Front – The Who
17) Add it Up – Violent Femmes
18) Me and Mrs. Jones – Billy Paul
19) Wonderful – Adam Ant
20) We’re an American Band – Grand Funk Railroad
Now that you agree that the top 20 songs are THE TOP 20 songs (Because Jim Says), now we will do albums. For purposes of this list, I didn’t include Greatest Hits or Live albums. Many of these I actually do have on vinyl and listen to frequently, others I might have had the CD (when I had CDs). These are albums you can put on and listen to both sides without moving the needle or hitting the fast forward button.
And…. As per THE Top 20 Songs – it’s not up for debate. After #1 and #2, they might not be in order.
Top Albums
1) R.E.M. – Green
2) Fleetwood Mac – Rumors
3) The Cars – The Cars
4) Blue Oyster Cult – Fire of Unknown Origin
5) Rush – Moving Pictures
6) REO Speedwagon – Hi InFidelity
7) The Smiths – The Queen is Dead
8) Zebra – Zebra
9) Planet P Project – Project Planet P
10) Poe – Hello
11) Heather Nova – Siren
12) Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet
13) The Alan Parsons Project – Turn of a Friendly Card
14) Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes
15) Yaz – Upstairs at Erics
16) John Mayer – Room for Squares
17) Van Halen – Van Halen
18) Van Halen – Van Halen II
19) The Beatles – Abbey Road
20) Prince – Purple Rain
And don’t miss my WORST SONGS EVER….. a post coming soon………
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