Monday, May 15, 2017

Favorite Songs by Year

Over at SamePageCast, co-hosts Craig and Megan took a look at the 1970s and selected one song per year to be on their desert island jukebox. I had so much much with that decade that I kept going, all the way up to last year. I threw in 1968 and 1969 so this list encompasses all the songs from each year I've been alive.

There were some years in which the favorite song leaped into my head (1969, 1999, 2015, 2016). Other years in which I had to select a song that I liked but don't love (2011). Then there were years (like 1975, 1977, 1984, 1989, 2004, 2016) in which there were so many good songs I ended up having to cast aside songs I truly love and listen to constantly. 

In a comment, Craig mentioned they were picking from the Top 20 songs. I scrapped that and just selected my favorite songs.

When the original 1970s episode aired, six bands/things instantly jumped into my head: Chicago, KISS, Star Wars, Springsteen, Genesis, and Star Wars. The only real logjam is 1975 b/c that was when my favorite KISS album (Alive) was released but it’s also my favorite Springsteen song from the 70s. With the other years already accounted for, the KISS song I ended up choosing was slotted into 1976.

Moving up to the 1980s, 1985 was *the* year where everything for me was going wonderfully and just about all the music from that year is inexorably intertwined. So that pick was a difficult one.

1968 - All Along the Watchtower (Hendrix)

1969 - Introduction (Chicago)

1970 - 25 or 6 to 4 (Chicago)

1971 - One Fine Morning (Lighthouse)*

1972 - Supper’s Ready (Genesis)

1973 - Aladdin Sane (Bowie)

1974 - Maiysha (Miles Davis)**

1975 - Born to Run (Springsteen)

1976 - Take Me (KISS)

1977 - Star Wars, Extended Version (Meco)***

1978 - Summer Nights (Grease soundtrack)

1979 - Rainbow Connection (Muppets)

*Another fav horn rock band, I take a daily walk around my office building and this song is one of the ones I choose often.

**Miles’s Get Up With It LP was a hodge podge of cuts recorded over 5 years, but this song—and it’s groove!—is one I return to often. Plus jazz flute!

***I love the disco version of Star Wars, and this 15-minute song gets every major theme from the movie and I get disco on my list!

1980 - Imperial March

1981 - Raiders of the Lost Ark Main Theme

1982 - Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away (Chicago)

1983 - Separate Ways (Journey)

1984 - Heaven (Bryan Adams)

1985 - The Power of Love (Huey Lewis)

1986 - Absolute Beginners (Bowie)

1987 - Brilliant Disguise (Springsteen)

1988 - Lead Me On (Amy Grant)

1989 - The End of the Innocence (Don Henley)

1990 - Silent Lucidity (Queensryche)

1991 - Enter Sandman (Metallica)

1992 - Living Proof (Springsteen)

1993 - I Almost Had a Weakness (Elvis Costello)

1994 - Singin' with the Big Bands (Barry Manilow)

1995 - Peace Prayer (Clarence Clemons)

1996 - Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot (Sting)

1997 - Dead Man Walking (Bowie)

1998 - Basic Instructions (Burlap to Cashmere)

1999 - Desert Rose (Sting)

2000 - Pavane (John Williams, guitar)

2001 - The Middle (Jimmy Eat World)

2002 - The Rising (Springsteen)

2003 - It's a Groove (Robert Lamm)

2004 - Black Crow (Diana Krall)

2005 - Mother India (Caedmon's Call)

2006 - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley)

2007 - Girls in Their Summer Clothes (Springsteen)

2008 - The Road (Tom Jones)

2009 - Haven't Met You Yet (Michael Buble)

2010 - City Noir (John Adams, composer)

2011 - Rolling in the Deep (Adele)

2012 - Hell or Hallelujah (KISS)

2013 - Give Life Back to Music (Daft Punk)

2014 - Seasons Change (Future Islands)

2015 - Uptown Funk (Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson)

2016 - Put Your Money on Me (The Struts)

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