Favorite Songs: 80 - 76

80. "Black" by Pearl Jam (Ten)
Yeah, I know. Totally obvious and totally "safe" pick. But I really do think this is a great song. One of the few by Pearl Jam that I still like. Boy did they get annoying quickly.
Line: "I know some day you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a sun in somebody else's sky but why, why , why can't it be, why can't it be mine?"



79. "Who Needs Sleep?" by Barenaked Ladies (Stunt)
There's that damned band again...
This song probably wouldn't even have made it on this list a year ago. I just never listened to this album that much, and when I did, I just kind of ignored this song. Then one day I messed up putting songs on my mp3 player, it ended up in the play list, and I was like, "Wait, where the fuck did this little ditty come from? And is that a flute?" Indeed. Indeed it is. The most surprising thing is that I didn't pay attention to it even though it's about insomnia, which I've had off and on battles with since high school.
Line: "Now I lay me down not to sleep."



78. "Regret" by New Order (Republic)
So, what happens when one of the biggest Electronica/ New Wave/ whatever you want to call it bands of the '80s puts out their newest synth-pop album the same year Nirvana's Nevermind, Pearl Jam's Ten, and Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream come out and totally destroy the known musical landscape? Well, it gets ignored, like Republic did. Shame, too, because it's got some of their best music on it. This one may not be the best, but it's my favorite.
Line: "Maybe I've forgotten the name and the address of everyone I've ever known, but there's nothing I regret."



77. "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak (Heart Shaped World)
Yeah, I'm a total fag for this song, I'll admit it. And Jesus that is one sexy ass video. Oh. The song. Right. It's awesome. And did I mention the video? Dayum. In seriousness, though, there are very few songs that are delivered with this much passion. And if you actually put your dick away and listen to the lyrics, it's just a phenomenally written song. 4 and a quarter stars, says Ed McMahon. (And if you get that reference you get a prize.)
Line: "I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you. And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you."



76. "Sound" by James (Seven)
This will probably be one of the songs that cause me to go deaf. At which point I will become irreversibly depressed and take out my anger on frogs. Why frogs? Why not? Sorry, just in a goofy ass mood tonight. Really though I crank the shit out of this song. The live version below was from the "farewell" James show, in 2001. (Luckily 7 years later they got back together and released the outstanding Hey Ma.) Sorry, I'm tired, keep getting sidetracked. Let's try this again. The live version below is from the "farewell" James show, in 2001. They released the show (or shows, actually - they played two shows, then took the best bits of each) as a live double album that spanned pretty much their entire career up til then, and this song was one of the main highlights. The album version is a bit shorter (yeah, sorry bout that 10 minute running time...) and a little better, I think, especially at the end, when it just descends into chaos. This version is pretty damn good too, though. I especially like the little tribute to his dad around the 7:45 mark. Nice little touch.
Line: "Do everything you fear. In this there's power. Fear is not to be afraid of."



Comment away.

Favorite Songs: 115-111

115. "True Faith" by New Order (Substance)
One of the most instantly recognizable songs from the '80s, even if nobody ever remembers the name of the song. Just really great Euro-pop back when there was such a thing.
Line: "Now I feel you've left me standing in a world that's so demanding."



114. "Was It Something I Said?" by Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark (Sugar Tax)
This is just a stellar song. It's written and sung as if it's about the breakup with an ex lover, but in reality it's about the breakup of OMD. Andy McCluskey, lead singer of OMD, split with the band under rather ugly circumstances, and released Sugar Tax under the OMD name even though it was just him. This is pretty much aimed at the rest of the band in general, and co-founding member Paul Humphries in particular.
Line: "I can hate you no more, I can't even the score. Almost half of my life just fell right on the floor."



113. "Ring the Bells" by James (Seven)
I really don't know why I waited so long to buy this album. I first started listening to James in '93, when Laid came out, and have gotten nearly every album of theirs since, as they have really become one of my three favorite bands. This album, however, which was the album before Laid, for some reason I didn't get until earlier this year, and since the first time I listened to it I've been kicking myself for waiting so long. This is definitely one of the 2 best songs on the album, but not even top ten for the band. You will be seeing them on this list quite a bit.
Line: "Got to keep awake to what is happening. I can't see a thing through my ambition. I no longer feel like God is watching over me."



112. "Washing Of the Water" by Peter Gabriel (Us)
One of the most absolutely beautiful songs I've ever heard, off one of my top 5 all time favorite albums.
Line: "So tough to stay with this thing 'cause if I follow through, I face what I denied."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoKp1C6zrTc

111. "Not Enough Time" by INXS (Welcome To Wherever You Are)
One of the most underrated INXS songs, off what is unquestionably their most unappreciated album. One of the most blatant love songs on this list (so far), it is all about devotion, start to finish.
Line: "Making love, we are immortal. We are the last two left on Earth."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijf1b23xC80

Damned disabled embedding. Grr.