Falcon’s Eyrie

Well, hell, everybody else is doing it, so I suppose I might as well, too…

These are in no particular order, btw. Not alphabetical, chronological, preference, nothing. Just as they popped into my head or were found on my computers. I did find myself, for whatever reason, trying to limit myself to just one song per artist. I don’t know why, I just did. Where applicable, I’ll note in the comments other songs I like by each artist.

1) Bright Eyes – Art Garfunkel

I’m not a big Simon or Garfunkel fan, but this song always stuck with me. I first heard it when I saw the animated movie Watership Down (no, I’ve never read the book). Yes, it’s sad, but I think we’ve all figured out that I can be a sap sometimes, haven’t we?

2) Bust A Move – Young MC

Dance music rarely strikes me (hey, I’m a white, heterosexual male. Ergo, I cannot dance. Ergo, why would I care about dance music?). This song, however, has an irresistable groove. To me, anyway. The lyrics are pretty funny, too.

3) Copperhead Road – Steve Earle

The only song I know by this guy, but what a song! Great music, great little story being told. Very gritty.

4) Fighter – Christina Aguilera

This may be the only song I know by Aguilera, as I don’t normally listen to this type of music. However, I think it’s a good song. It has a good message, and a good groove, too. I can almost hear eighties metal mixed into it with the guitar riffs in the background.

No, it doesn’t hurt that Aguilera’s hot, but unlike some of the other hotties in the music biz – are you listening, Britney? – she can actually sing.

5) Forever Young – Rod Stewart

I liked this song a lot before I had a son. Now that I have one, it resonates with me on a whole new level.

6) Gettin’ Jiggy With It – Will Smith

C’mon, who doesn’t like a little “Big Willy style?” “Boom – Shake the Room” and “Men In Black” are pretty good, too. 

7) Gonna Make You Sweat – C & C Music Factory

This was about the only fast song I would dance to when I was trolling the bars after I turned 21.

8 ) I Don’t Care Anymore – Phil Collins

Dear lord, how many good songs has this guy done? For a while there it seemed like he couldn’t miss. The entire “No Jacket Required” album was excellent, imho. I’m not sure why I prefer this one over all his others, but I do.

9) I Drove All Night – Roy Orbison

You know, when you give the lyrics to this one a really good listen, you wind up thinking, “STALKER!!!” Anyway, I far prefer this version (the original, as far as I know) to Celine Dion’s.

10) I Want To Kiss You All Over – Exile

This is one of those songs that for whatever reason appealed to me back when I was a kid – and therefore had NO clue what the song was about! – and the appeal has never gone away.

11) Love Hurts – Nazareth

see # 10

12) Love Is Like Oxygen – The Sweet

see # 10

13) Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffett

I actually heard this song on a country station today. Really? I’m not sure what genre I’d place this in – it’s certainly not rock or reggae – but I wouldn’t call it country. Just a great little song. I never get tired of it.

14) My Sharona – The Knack

Hey, I’m an eighties child.

15) Red, Red Wine – UB40

I love the reggae-ish hook in this.

16) Set Adrift On Memory Bliss – PM Dawn

see # 14

17) Shakin’ The Blues – Screaming Cheetah Wheelies

When I pretend I’m a music star (we all do this, don’t we? I’m not the only one wishing I was making millions by playing an instrument, am I?) I’m usually air guitaring, but to this song I’d rather be the drummer.

18 ) Sometimes When We Touch – Dan Hill

I think this song may have been the first one to bring out my sappy side…

19) Superstitious – Stevie Wonder

To this day I don’t know what the instrument is that starts this song and gets the funk going, but I like it.

20) The Devil Went Down To Georgia – The Charlie Daniels Band

Another song that just clicked with me when I was much younger.

21) The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Gordon Lightfoot

Great song, great story, great voice… what more can I say?

22) This Is The Time To Remember  – Billy Joel

How many songs by this guy could I list? “Piano Man” was one of my first favorites.” “Only the Good Die Young.” “Scenes From An Italian Restaraunt.” The chorus in “Goodnight Saigon” gives me chills every time I hear it. Cookiemaker and I used “Lullaby” to put Little Man to sleep when we first brought him home from the hospital. Too many to mention. 

23) Time For Me To Fly – REO Speedwagon

For whatever reason I think it’s the acoustic guitar that starts this song that hooks me.

24) True – Spandau Ballet

This was the one slow song in high school that even I was guaranteed of getting a girl to dance with me to.

25) We Just Disagree – Dave Mason

see # 21, though I like this song better.

26) Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon

Miss ya, Warren. RIP. You came up with some great, quirky songs, though I think this one is the best. Whenever I hear it I think of Tom Cruise from “The Color of Money” running his hands through his hair as Zevon sings “I saw a werewolf drink a pina colada at Trader Vic’s / And his hair was perfect.”

27) All Fired Up – Pat Benatar

Between the music and the message this song gets you exactly that – all fired up!

28 ) Blue On Black – Kenny Wayne Shepard

Brilliant guitar work, excellent lyrics.

29) Cliffs of Dover – Eric Johnson

I challenge you to listen to this and not at least tap your toes to it.

30) Come Again – Damn Yankees

I never gave Ted Nugent much credit as a guitarist (I though he was good, but not great), but the first solo in this song is one of the best I’ve ever heard.

31) Come Sail Away – Styx

A classic. The best version I’ve ever heard was off of their “Caught in the Act” live LP.

The Eric Cartman version is pretty funny, too. 🙂

32) Crazy Bitch – Buckcherry

OK, OK, I’ll grant you this song is, oh, I don’t know, perhaps a tad misogynistic…

But it ROCKS!

33) Cruel to be Kind – Nick Lowe

see # 10

34) Danger Zone – Kenny Loggins

Besides being a rousing bit of pop rock, some of the lyrics are pretty good, too: “Revving up your engine / Listen to her howl and moan / Metal under tension / Begging you to touch and go… Out along the edges / Always where I burn to be / The further on the edge/ The hotter the intensity…”

35) Dante’s Prayer – Loreena McKennitt

Perhaps the most haunting – and certainly one of the saddest – pieces of music I’ve ever heard.

36) Don’t Fight It – Kenny Loggins & Steve Perry

see # 27

37) Dream Weaver – Gary Wright

See # 10

38 ) Flying High Again – Ozzy Ozbourne

Oddly enough, Ozzy is like Phil Collins and Billy Joel to me – I could list a bunch of songs from this guy that I’ve liked. I think I like this one because of some of the sounds the late, great Randy Rhoads coaxes out of his guitar during it.

39) Follow Me – Uncle Kracker

Yes, I realize this song is about adultery, and no, that’s not why I like it. I just think it’s catchy

40) Foreplay / Long Time – Boston

The second guitar solo in “Long Time” is one of the best I’ve ever heard.

41) Gel – Collective Soul

Considering it’s not a dance tune, it sure makes you want to get up and shake a leg.

42) All For You – Sister Hazel

I would’ve sworn this was Blues Traveler

43) I Will Never Be the Same – Melissa Etheridge

Why she never released this as a single, I’ll never know. Beautiful. I first heard it on the movie “Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael.”

44) I’m All Right – Kenny Loggins

You know the gopher at the beginning of “Caddyshack” that’s dancing to this tune? That’s me dancing. That’s why I rarely, if ever, fast dance.

45) Lover of Mine – Alannah Myles

A completely overlooked tune. Heart-tugger. The only thing missing is a great outro guitar solo at the end. As Myles belts out the last wordless plea a guitar should be following her note for note and then trailing off into its own lament.

46) Mother – Danzig

Between this and # 32 I’ve got some of you scared, don’t I? 🙂

47) My Head’s In Mississippi – ZZ Top

Another band with a seemingly endless catalog. “La Grange.” “Tush.” “Legs.” “Sharp Dressed Man.” “Pincushion.” “Breakaway.”

48 ) My Immortal – Evanescence

Rivals # 35 for haunting beauty and sadness.

49) My Maria – B W Stevenson

This song just makes me smile. I don’t know why.

Oh – and it also makes me strain my vocal chords when I try to sing along to it.

50) No One Like You – Scorpions

Too many great songs to mention.

51) One Week – Barenaked Ladies

Lip synching to this is a BITCH!

52) Please Come To Boston – Dave Loggins

There’s a lot of sappy seventie shit in here, isn’t there?

53) Poundcake – Van Halen

See # 50

54) Pride and Joy – Coverdale / Page

I know a lot of Zep fans thought it was sacriliege when Page hooked up with the most infamous Robert Plant impersonator of them all, David Coverdle, but I couldn’t wait for this album to come out. I bought it the day it hit the shelves it exceeded my lofty expectations.

55) Pride and Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughn

I’m not a big fan of the late, great, SRV, but this is one of the greatest rock songs of all time.

56) Rosanna – Toto

See # 14

57) In Color – Jamey Johnson

I got chills the first time I heard this song and I still do.

58 ) Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root

I could’ve sworn this was the Talking Heads the first time I heard it during “Ice Age.” Cookiemaker doesn’t know what the hell I’m talking about. A little help here – does this song sound like the Talking Heads (who had a great song in their own right in “Burning Down the House”) or not?

59) Seven Bridges Road – The Eagles

Great harmonies!

60) Shake Me – Cinderella

See # 14

61) Slip of the Lip – Ratt

See # 14

62) Solsbury Hill – Peter Gabriel

I also like “Red Rain,” “In Your Eyes,” and “Biko.”

63) Still of the Night – Whitesnake

My anthem. 🙂

64) Stone In Love – Journey

See # 50

65) Sway – Bic Runga

I first heard this song, believe it or not, watching the first “American Pie” film. Terrific song. Very interesting, catchy rhythm, created not only by the rhythm section, but also by the singer’s voice.

66) The Rain Must Fall (live) – Yanni

My friend Rascal first clued me into this song. Only the live version will do. Why? Because about two-and-a-half minutes into it you will witness the greatest bass solo you’ve ever heard followed by the best violin solo you’ve ever heard.

67) True Companion – Marc Cohn

I first heard this at a freind’s wedding. What a tremendous wedding song!

68 ) Twilight Zone – Golden Earring

See # 14

69) Upside Down – Jack Johnson

This one comes from the soundtrack to the movie “Curious George.” Not bad little movie (despite having Will Ferrell in it), but Little Man far prefers the TV show.

70) Wanted Dead or Alive – Bon Jovi

One of the best guitar solos in history. I’ve almost gotten into accidents air guitaring to this in the car.

71) We Want the Funk – George Clinton

All I can think of now when I hear this song is a little clip from “Family Guy” where suddently the whole family is decked out in disco gear and Afros and are dancing to it.

72) Wild Horses – The Sundays

With all due respect to the Rolling Stones, this version is FAR better than the original.

73) Angie – Rolling Stones

see # 50, even though I’m not a big Stones fan (that Super Bowl halftime show they did a few years back was painful to watch, wasn’t it?).

74) When You Were Mine – Mitch Ryder

I think Prince did this first, and then Cyndi Lauper, but I like this version the best. In fact, this movie, “Hot Dog,” was where I first heard it.

75) Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper

She did a live acoustic version of this once years and years ago that far outdid the original studio track.

76) Every Breath You Take – The Police

See # 50, even though I’m not a big Police / Sting fan

77) That’s the Way I Want My Rock N’ Roll – AC / DC

See # 50. How do these guys continue to come up with those catchy, rocking riffs?

78 ) When the Lightning Strikes – Aerosmith

See # 50

79) Barracuda – Heart

See # 50

80) Over the Hills and Far Away – Led Zeppelin

See # 50

81) Enter Sandman – Metallica

Believe it or not, Metallica is usually a bit heavy for my taste, but this one brought out a bit of my dark side.

82) Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd

Floyd’s usually too psychedelic for me, but this, “Comfortably Numb (which my friends Rascal and Celticwriter did a kickass version of back in college!)” and “On the Turning Away” are good.

83) Eyes Of A Stranger – Queensryche

See # 81

84) Can’t Get Enuff – Winger

See # 14

85) Kiss Of Death – Dokken

See # 14

86) Satch Boogie – Joe Satriani

See # 29

87) Crazy From the Heat – David Lee Roth

The video for this isn’t as funny as the video for “Yankee Rose,” but I like the song better.

88 ) Carry On Wayward Son – Kansas

A classic.

89) Dreams – The Cranberries

I think it;s the drums that do it for me in this song.

90) Hot Blooded – Foreigner

See # 10

91) Bad Religion – Godsmack

See # 81

92) I Want It All – Queen

A great combo of harmonies, rockin’ guitars and drums, and classic Freddie Mercury lyrics.

93) Honky Tonk Badonkadonk – Trace Adkins

Funny I should like this song, ‘cuz I’m really more of a breast man… 🙂

94) Beth – Kiss

Just a great little song that tells a great little story.

95) Toy Soldier – Riverdogs

My real choice here for a song by this tragically unheard of band was “Big House,” because it had an UNREAL guitar solo, but this is good stuff, too.

96) Someone Saved My Life Tonight – Elton John

I’m not the biggest EJ fan in the world, be he has an undisputed catalog of brilliant work. “Candle in the Wind.” “Empty Garden.” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me.” I could go on and on and on…

97) Reason To Be – Night Ranger

See # 27

98 ) Love Has Taken It’s Toll – Saraya

A great mix of rockin’ it out and then dialing it back, but it’s the lyrics that make this song: “Smoke filled room / Champagne on ice / Bed of roses / But something still ain’t right / Light through my window / Lazy afternoon / I wanna taste the good life / But I’m missing you too soon… / Spring turns into winter / The day kisses the night / And all I can remember, honey / Is kissing you good night / I still think about you / On those deep, dark, lonely nights / I hold you in my aching heart / And I pray that you’re still mine.”

99) Animal – Def Leppard

See # 14

100) When the Walls Come Tumblin’ Down – John Cougar Mellencamp

See # 14