Greatest Songs

I put out my greatest artist list, greatest albums, and now greatest songs. All three are very different categories. With the artist, it's their body of work including all of their albums, and you need a big enough sample like 4 or 5 albums to judge them if they're going to be in your top 20. You may be able to hide 5 bad songs per album under the greatest artist category but not in the greatest albums; to get on that list you've got to put it into every song and create a great collection of songs. But with great songs you don't have to do anything except create the magic once. Just one great songs gets you on this list, so it's obviously going to be bigger than the other lists. I spent all summer in 2004 coming up with the 100 greatest songs, but here is my new, updated, and very different Top 100 (which took over 6 weeks to come up with).

100. "Bluesy Revolution" by Hootie & The Blowfish
99. "The Light in Your Eyes" by LeAnn Rimes
98. "Crying Shame" by Jack Johnson
97. "Drive In Drive Out" by Dave Matthews Band
96. "The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix
95. "Heard it in a Love Song" by The Marshall Tucker Band
94. "Three Libras" by A Perfect Circle
93. "Watch the Wind Blow By" by Tim McGraw
92. "I Alone" by Live
91. "Jimi Thing" by Dave Matthews Band
90. "Love Song" by Third Day
89. "Let Me Let Go" by Faith Hill
88. "Downbound Train" by Bruce Springsteen
87. "Let Her Cry" by Hootie & The Blowfish
86. "Running Out of Days" by 3 Doors Down
85. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears For Fears
84. "Tell Me I Was Dreaming" by Travis Tritt
83. "Long Trip Alone" by Dierks Bentley
82. "Stuck with You" by Huey Lewis & The News
81. "Was I Right or Wrong" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
80. "Heartbroke Every Day" by Lonestar
79. "Dixieland Delight" by Alabama
78. "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" by Chris Tomlin
77. "Forever December" by Matchbox 20
76. "The Chair" by George Strait
75. "Wish I Didn't Know Now" by Toby Keith
74. "Twice as Hard" by The Black Crowes
73. "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers
72. "Something's Missing" by John Mayer
71. "Down Came a Blackbird" by Lila McCann
70. "Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds
69. "Heard the World" by O.A.R.
68. "I Told You So" by Carrie Underwood
67. "Let it Rain" by Eric Clapton
66. "Country State of Mind" by Hank Williams, Jr.
65. "Come Undone" by Duran Duran
64. "I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight" by Cutting Crew
63. "The Best of What's Around" by Dave Matthews Band
62. "Midnight Rider" by The Allman Brothers Band
61. "Crazy" by Pat Green
60. "On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful" by Kenny Chesney
59. "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver
58. "Cortez the Killer" by Neil Young
57. "Little Wing" by Derek & The Dominos
56. "Bring It on Home" by Led Zeppelin
55. "Creola" by Jimmy Buffett
54. "Honeysuckle Blue" by Drivin 'N' Cryin
53. "Will You Still Love Me" by Chicago
52. "Dream On" by Aerosmith
51. "No Quarter" by Led Zeppelin
50. "Lead Me to the Cross" by Hillsong United
49. "More Like Her" by Miranda Lambert
48. "The Mountains Win Again" by Blues Traveler
47. "Push" by Matchbox 20
46. "She's Got the Rhythm (And I Got the Blues)" by Alan Jackson
45. "About an Hour Ago" by O.A.R.
44. "Run to the Water" by Live
43. "Ten Years Gone" by Led Zeppelin
42. "Feelin' Good Again" by Robert Earl Keen
41. "Black" by Pearl Jam
40. "What I Need to Do" by Kenny Chesney
39. "Havana Daydreamin'" by Jimmy Buffett
38. "Crush" by Dave Matthews Band
37. "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin
36. "Fall of the Peacemakers" by Molly Hatchet
35. "Lenny" by Stevie Ray Vaughn
34. "Gravity" by A Perfect Circle
33. "Drive" by The Cars
32. "Smokey Mountain Rain" by Ronnie Milsaps
31. "Backstreets" by Bruce Springsteen
30. "Who'll Stop the Rain?" by CCR
29. "Like Red on a Rose" by Alan Jackson
28. "All Along the Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix
27. "Even Flow" by Pearl Jam
26. "True" by Spandeu Ballet
25. "Who Needs Pictures" by Brad Paisley
24. "Cry Freedom" by Dave Matthews Band
23. "Right Where I Need to Be" by Gary Allen
22. "She's Got Me Wired" by Patrick Smith Band
21. "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
20. "Prove it All Night" by Bruce Springsteen
19. "Dirty Pool" by Stevie Ray Vaughn
18. "Shine On You Crazy Diamonds" by Pink Floyd
17. "Offering" by Third Day
16. "Let's Fall to Pieces Together" by George Strait
15. "Lie in Our Graves" by Dave Matthews Band
14. "Tin Cup Chalice" by Jimmy Buffett
13. "Melissa" by The Allman Brothers Band
12. "All I Need to Know" by Kenny Chesney
11. "Since I've Been Loving You" by Led Zeppelin
10. "It's Not My Cross to Bear" by The Allman Brothers Band
9. "Neon Moon" by Brooks & Dunn
8. "My Home's in Alabama" by Alabama
7. "Tuesdays Gone" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
6. "Layla" by Derek & The Dominos
5. "Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith
4. "Amarillo by Morning" by George Strait
3. "52-50" by O.A.R.
2. "Whipping Post" by The Allman Brothers Band
1. "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen


I created this list 6 weeks ago on my itunes and added and subtracted little by little. Of course, the songs I'm really into right now made their way onto the list, however, I didn't feel that I should include them because they may not be on the list a year from now if they just don't have staying power. So I discounted any songs I've gotten into in the last calendar year. Below is a list of the songs that I thought could make the top 100 but were disqualified for this reason.

7. "Free" by Zac Brown Band
6. "A Little More Country Than That" by Easton Corbin
5. "Assassin" by John Mayer
4. "Love Your Love the Most" by Eric Church
3. "Heartbreak Warfare" by John Mayer
2. "The Truth" by Jason Aldean
1. "What Country Is" by Luke Bryan

Probably no chance anyone who sees this would not axe at least 25 songs off here, but that's why it is my list. When you get bored, go through your music library and pick out your Top 100 songs...it's really hard, and it's even harder to rank them.

JB