Top 10 Songs By Letter, A-Z

A
10. ADIDAS, KoRn
9. Agony in Her Body, Sage Francis
8. Anyway You Want It, Journey
7. All Along the Watchtower, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
6. Add It Up, The Violent Femmes
5. Ana Ng, They Might Be Giants
4. Album of the Year, The Good Life
3. Art is Hard, Cursive
2. Across the Sea, Weezer
1. Ace of Spades, Motorhead

B
10. Barbie Girl, Aqua
9. Billie Jean, Michael Jackson
8. Black Hole Sun, Soundgarden
7. Baby, I Like It Raw, Ol’ Dirty Bastard
6. Be My Yoko Ono, Barenaked Ladies
5. Basketcase, Green Day
4. Baby It’s Cold Outside, Tom Jones
3. Ballroom Blitz, Sweet
2. Baby Got Back, Sir Mix-A-Lot
1. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen

C
10. C-C-C-C Cinnamon Lips, Ok Go
9. Caress Me Down, Sublime
8. Closer, Nine Inch Nails
7. Come On Eileen, Dexy’s Midnight Runners
6. Closing Time, Semisonic
5. Cop Killer, Body Count
4. Cum on Feel the Noize, Quiet Riot
3. The Calendar Hung Itself, Bright Eyes
2. Centerfold, J. Geil’s Band
1. Come Together, The Beatles

D
10. Days Go By, Dirty Vegas
9. Dead Man’s Party, Oingo Boingo
8. Dry the Rain, The Beta Band
7. Dammit, Blink 182
6. Don’t Come Around Here No More, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
5. Dr. Feelgood, Motley Crue
4. The Distance, Cake
3. Drain You, Nirvana
2. Debaser, Pixies
1. Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Jay-Z

E
10. Enter Sandman, Metallica
9. The End, The Doors
8. Epic, Faith No More
7. Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Tears for Fears
6. Eternal Flame, Atomic Kitten
5. Evolve, Ani DiFranco
4. Eye of the Tiger, Survivor
3. El Scorcho, Weezer
2. Even Flow, Pearl Jam
1. Eleanor Rigby, The Beatles

F
10. Fake Palindromes, Andrew Bird
9. Fight For Your Right, Beastie Boys
8. Fat Bottomed Girls, Queen
7. Flagpole Sitta, Harvey Danger
6. Freshman, The Verve Pipe
5. Fuck Tha Police, N.W.A.
4. Free Fallin’, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3. Fast Car, Tracy Chapman
2. Folsom Prison Blues, Johnny Cash
1. Faith, George Michael

G
10. Gin and Juice, Snoop Dogg
9. Goodnight Goodnight, Hot Hot Heat
8. God Save the Queen, The Sex Pistols
7. God Called In Sick Today, AFI
6. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Green Day
5. Gold Digger, Kanye West
4. Glycerine, Bush
3. Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys
2. Guerilla Radio, Rage Against the Machine
1. Gangsta’s Paradise, Coolio

H
10. Here I Go Again, Whitesnake
9. Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley
8. Hello, Lionel Richie
7. Hey Jude, The Beatles
6. How Soon is Now?, The Smiths
5. Helter Skelter, The Beatles
4. Hurt, Johnny Cash
3. Heroes, David Bowie
2. Hey Jealousy, Gin Blossoms
1. Happiness is a Warm Gun, The Beatles

I
10. I Believe in a Thing Called Love, The Darkness
9. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones
8. I Ran, A Flock of Seagulls
7. I Love Rock ‘N Roll, Joan Jett
6. I’m Too Sexy, Right Said Fred
5. I Melt With You, Modern English
4. I Am the Walrus, The Beatles
3. Ignition (Remix), R. Kelly
2. I Touch Myself, The Divynls
1. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), The Proclaimers

J
10. Jump, Kriss Kross
9. Jump Around, House of Pain
8. Just A Girl, No Doubt
7. Just What I Needed, The Cars
6. Judy is a Punk, The Romones
5. Jane Fonda, Mickey Avalon
4. Jeremy, Pearl Jam
3. Jerry Was a Racecar Driver, Primus
2. Jane Says, Jane’s Addiction
1. Jolene, Dolly Parton

K
10. Kennedy, Kill Hannah
9. Kick Out the Jams, The Presidents of the United States of America
8. Knowledge, Operation Ivy
7. Korobeiniki (The Tetris Song), Ozma
6. Kiss Me, Sixpence None the Richer
5. Kiss Me, Son of God, They Might Be Giants
4. Killing Me Softly, The Fugees
3. Kiss Off, The Violent Femmes
2. Karma Police, Radiohead
1. Killer Queen, Queen

L
10. Las Cruces Jail, Two Gallants
9. Light My Fire, The Doors
8. Land Down Under, Men at Work
7. Last Nite, The Strokes
6. Last Caress, The Misfits
5. Lover I Don’t Have to Love, Bright Eyes
4. Last Train to Clarksville, The Monkees
3. Layla, Eric Clapton
2. Lola, The Kinks
1. Let it Be, The Beatles

M
10. Message in a Bottle, Neva Dinova
9. Makeshift Patriot, Sage Francis
8. Man of Constant Sorrow, Norman Blake
7. Metro, Berlin
6. Mambo No. 5, Lou Bega
5. My Sharona, The Knack
4. Mr. Jones, Counting Crows
3. Maggie’s Farm, Bob Dylan
2. Master of Puppets, Metallica
1. My Generation, The Who

N
10. NiggyTardust, Saul Willaims
9. Nobody’s Darlings, Lucero
8. Notes in His Pockets, The Good Life
7. Nothing But a G Thang, Dr. Dre
6. No Action, Elvis Costello
5. Night of the Living Dead, Tilly and the Wall
4. No Regrets, Aesop Rock
3. New York, New York, Frank Sinatra
2. Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinead O’Connor
1. November Rain, Guns N Roses

O
10. Ocean Breathes Salty, Modest Mouse
9. Oh No, Gogol Bordello
8. Only in Dreams, Weezer
7. Orange Crush, R.E.M.
6. Orgasm Addict, The Buzzcocks
5. Obnoxious, Immortal Technique
4. Only Happy When It Rains, Garbage
3. The Old Apartment, Barenaked Ladies
2. Off the Record, My Morning Jacket
1. On the Road Again, Willie Nelson

P
10. Putting on the Ritz, Taco
9. Problems and Bigger Ones, Harvey Danger
8. Planet, Schmanet, Janet, Tsunami Bomb
7. Purple Haze, Jimi Hendrix
6. Pink Triangle, Weezer
5. Polly, Nirvana
4. Push, Matchbox 20
3. Piano Man, Billy Joel
2. The Passenger, Iggy Pop
1. Paint it Black, The Rolling Stones

Q
10. The Quitter, NOFX
9. Quiet as a Mouse, Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s
8. Que Suerte!, Cap’n Jazz
7. Question the Answer, Strike Anywhere
6. Quiet Houses, Fleet Foxes
5. Quit Yer Job, Chixdiggit
4. Question Mark, Eliott Smith
3. Quart in Session, NOFX
2. Queen of Pain, Alkaline Trio
1. Questions, Tommy Emannuel

R
10. Rapper’s Delight, Sugarhill Gang
9. Right Now, SR-71
8. Ruby Soho, Rancid
7. Roll On, The Living End
6. Roll to Me, Del Amitri
5. Red Red Wine, UB40
4. Rocket Man, Elton John
3. Rock the Casbah, The Clash
2. Rock Me Amadeus, Falco
1. Rock You Like a Hurricane, Scorpions

S
10. Safety Dance, Men Without Hats
9. Save Tonight, Eagle Eye Cherry
8. Seven Nation Army, The White Stripes
7. Sunday, Bloody Sunday, U2
6. Slow Motion, Third Eye Blind
5. Sabotage, The Beastie Boys
4. Summer of ’69, Bryan Adams
3. Stronger, Kanye West
2. Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows, Lesley Gore
1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles

T
10. Tainted Love, Soft Cell
9. Take on Me, A-Ha
8. Torn, Natalie Umbruglia
7. Teenage F.B.I., Guided By Voices
6. That Thing You Do!, New Found Glory
5. Tom’s Diner, Suzanne Vega
4. Teenagers, My Chemical Romance
3. Turning Japanese, The Vapors
2. Toxic, Britney Spears
1. Take the Skinheads Bowling, Camper Van Beethoven

U
10. Unity, Operation Ivy
9. The Ups and Downs, Ozma
8. Untitled, Blink 182
7. Until the End, The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello)
6. Unforgiven, Metallica
5. Undone (The Sweater Song), Weezer
4. Uptown Girl, Billy Joel
3. Untouchable Face, Ani DiFranco
2. Under the Bridge, Red Hot Chili Peppers
1. Under Pressure, David Bowie and Queen

V
10. Voyeur, Blink 182
9. Violent, The Faint
8. Verb: That’s What’s Happening, Moby
7. Vanilla Sex, NOFX
6. Vietnow, Rage Against the Machine
5. Vacation, The Go-Gos
4. Viva Las Vegas, Elvis Presley
3. Violent Love, Oingo Boingo
2. Vincent, Don McClean
1. Video Killed the Radio Star, The Bugles

W
10. Why Don’t You Get a Job?, The Offspring
9. Working for the Weekend, Loverboy
8. Why?, Andrew Bird
7. White Wedding, Billy Idol
6. What It’s Like, Everlast
5. White America, Eminem
4. Wrong Way, Sublime
3. Welcome to the Jungle, Guns N Roses
2. Where Is My Mind?, Pixies
1. While My Guitar Gently Weeps, The Beatles

X
10. XO, Fall Out Boy
9. XR2, M.I.A.
8. XXX XOXOX, Norman Bailer
7. Xual Zan’s Heart, Non-Prophets
6. X-99, Limp
5. Xavia, The Submarines
4. Xokolat Orange, Indiephone
3. Xxplosive, Dr. Dre
2. Xanax, Maria Taylor
1. XXX, McCarthy Trenching

Y
10. Your Birthday Present, The Good Life
9. Yesterday, The Beatles
8. You Shook Me All Night Long, AC/DC
7. You Give Love a Bad Name, Bon Jovi
6. You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet, Bachman-Turner Overdrive
5. Yeah, Usher
4. You Oughta Know, Alanis Morissette
3. You Can’t Always Get What Ya Want, The Rolling Stones
2. You Can Call Me Al, Paul Simon
1. You Spin Me Round, Dead or Alive

Z
10. Zombie Aesthetics, Vverevvolf Grehv
9. Zyclone B Bathhouse, NOFX
8. Zero-Sum, Nine Inch Nails
7. Zapata’s Blood (Live), Rage Against the Machine
6. Zapatista, Don’t Give Up, Anti-Flag
5. Zombies Walk (Kanye West Cover), Sufjan Stevens
4. Ziplock, Lit
3. Zoot Suit Riot, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
2. Zombie, The Cranberries
1. Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie

Top 16 Bands You Don't Know That You Should

16. Regina Spektor

Check Out: Her radio friendly infectious single “Fidelity”

For Fans Of: Piano pop and bands like Ben Folds

15. M. Ward

Check Out: His folk-laden LP Post-War

For Fans Of: Bright Eyes; She & Him; My Morning Jacket

14. We Are the Physics

Check Out: Their abrasive album We Are the Physics are OK at Music

For Fans Of: The Blood Brothers; The Matches; The Faint

13. Simon Joyner

Check Out: His “best of” album Beautiful Losers

For Fans Of: Tranquil folk music; Bob Dylan, Calexico, Iron and Wine, Bright Eyes

12. Dogs Die in Hot Cars

Check Out: The unexpectedly addictive “Lounger,” on their full length Please Describe Yourself

For Fans Of: pop-rock with catchy melodies and solid lyrics

11. The Wombats

Check Out: Their debut full length A Guide to Love, Loss, and Desperation

For Fans Of: CSS; Dogs Die in Hot Cars; dancey pop-rock

10. Ozma

Check Out: The seminal, pivotal History of Rock and Roll, Part 3

For Fans Of: Weezer; nerd rock

9. Rediscover

Check Out: “Baby Got Her Gun Out” from their EP Call Me When You Get This

For Fans Of: trendy, super danceable synth rock

8. Kiss Kiss

Check Out: Their debut album Reality vs. The Optomist

For Fans Of: Cursive; Murder by Death; cross-genre art rock with violins

7. Tokyo Police Club

Check Out: Their debut mini-LP, the seven song A Lesson in Crime

For Fans Of: Canadian indie rock; Los Campesinos!; Saddle Creek Records

6. Tally Hall

Check Out: The bonus track version of Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum

For Fans Of: They Might Be Giants, catchy rock

5. Cold War Kids

Check Out: The infectious jam “Saint John” on their debut Robbers and Cowards

For Fans Of: rhythmic piano; unique drum beats; get stuck in your head melodies

4. Fourth of July

Check Out: On The Plains, available on Range Life Records

For Fans Of: Bright Eyes, The Violent Femmes

3. Capgun Coup

Check Out: Brought to You by Nebraskafish, availble for free at http://library.team-love.com

For Fans Of: The Violent Femmes, Bright Eyes, folk-punk

2. Los Campesinos!

Check Out: Their newest record, We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed

For Fans Of: uber-danceable punk rock; Welsh accents; subtle violins; brilliant lyrics;

1. Tilly and the Wall

Check Out: Their debut on Team Love Records, Wild Like Children

For Fans Of: Saddle Creek Records; clapping; good times; tap dancing; hula parties

Top 15 Albums of the 1990s

15. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Smashing Pumpkins

14. Follow the Leader, KoRn

13. Recovering the Satellites, Counting Crows

12. Mellow Gold, Beck

11. Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette

10. Ten, Pearl Jam

9. (What's The Story) Morning Glory, Oasis

8. Yourself or Someone Like You, Matchbox 20

7. Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Red Hot Chili Peppers

6. Sublime, Sublime

5. Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt

4. Dookie, Green Day

3. Flood, They Might Be Giants

2. Pinkerton, Weezer

1. Nevermind, Nirvana

Top 10 Unfilmable Novels

Shank, the only reason I graduated college, always said The Great Gatsy couldn't be filmed and capture the greatness. I agree. It's #1. Check out what's on the rest of the list. These are books (or works of literature) that can't be filmed well, even though some of these already have movies based on them. Those movies are probably awful (See numbers 9, 7, and 1, especially).

10. Rant, Chuck Palahniuk
9. The Metamorphasis, Franz Kafka
8. The Bible, God (or Various Authors, depending on your beliefs)
7. Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes
6. The Death of Superman, Various Authors
5. Gravity’s Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon
4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
3. Ulysses, James Joyce
2. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
1. The Great Gatsy, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Top 10 Bands That Proved Punk Is Dead

Yes, I listen to a lot of "pop punk". But let's be real. Some of them are really good. Others, not really. These? FUCKING AWFUL. And to be totally honest, my heart cries when I hear a lot of these. I don't have the time to expand on it now, but I will, because some of these are not total crapshoots and deserve some explanations.

Enjoy.

10. Good Charlotte
9. Yellowcard
8. Panic! at the Disco
7. The Donnas
6. Bowling for Soup
5. Hawthorne Heights
4. Simple Plan
3. Fall Out Boy
2. Paramore
1. Avril Lavigne

Top 10 Hip Hop Songs After 2000 That Proved Rap Is Dead

Big ups to Allen Cox, he challenged me to this list. And I delivered. Suck on that, friends!

10. Back Then, Mike Jones
2005 really was a more innocent time. A time when some meathead dumbass could release an album with his name in the title (Who is Mike Jones?) and slap together a couple of verses and attach it to an overly self-indulgent chorus, and we, as American rap consumers,

9. My Humps, Black Eyed Peas
Sweet lordy, I hate the Black Eyed Peas. One of my biggest musical pet peaves is groups that survived based on having a hot woman in them. (I’m looking at you, No Doubt post Tragic Kingdom). Fergie is that essential piece to the Black Eyed Peas that took them from generic suck rap group to famous suck rap group. Oh yeah, this song sounds like it was a rough draft by one of my 7th grade students. For example:

What you gon' do with all that junk? All that junk inside that trunk? I'ma get, get, get, get, you drunk, Get you love drunk off my hump. What you gon' do with all that ass? All that ass inside them jeans? I'm a make, make, make, make you scream Make you scream, make you scream.

I mean, come on. And that was on the radio for damn near forever!

8. Right Thurr, Chingy
This set us all down a slippery slope, and hits all of the checklist. Butchering of syllables? Check. Simple rhymes based on genetalia and the stackedness of women? Check. Random changes of subject matter due to lack of rhyming words or words that can’t be altered? Check. Evan dying inside every time he hears it? Check-fucking-plus.

7. Crank That, Soulja Boy Tell Em
This is another song that appeals to the new trend of a small, minimal beat stuck on repeat. There really isn’t any difference between the verses and the choruses, and it’s hard to tell where one starts and the other ends or begins or who the Hell even knows. A lot of this song’s popularity is related to the fact that it has an equally retarded dance going along with it. Sort of like The Hustle, except even more annoying somewhere. I doubt the next generation will be cranking that soulja boy at roller rinks, though.

6. Lollipop, Lil Wayne
Oh, how I hate Lil Wayne. Actually, that’s not totally true. He’s great on Around the Horn and in ESPN The Magazine. And his tattoos on his face crack me up. I mean, how gangster does he think he is? Well, he’s gonna sing this one, with loads of vocoder (see T. Pain for more detail). Some of it reads like he’s trying to see how much he can get away with and still sell a gagillion records.

5. Laffy Taffy, D4L
This was the song that proved to me that you can take any word in the English language, slur it, put it over a fake 8-bit beat, and vaguely that it means the rear end of women, and BAM! summer time hit that every idiot in America will repeat endlessly.

4. London Bridges, Fergie
Fergie’s second appearance on this list. I’m not sure who told her she can rap. Probably dudes that wanted to plow her. She can’t rap. But with the Black Eyed Peas, when she was on stage with a dude who looked like a horse, you let it slide, cause she’s good looking (Remember, she has humps). However, throw her up on a track alone, and the verbal diarrhea combined with awful rhymes and a bland beat she jacked from Gwen Stefani’s house, and here we are.

3. American Life, Madonna
Madonna. Rapping. And yes, she was serious. Enough said.

2. Buy You A Drank, T. Pain
When we’re being totally honest, this is not the worst song on this list. Nor is it the second worst. BUT you must take into account the influence some songs have over the genre, and T. Pain has introduced hip hop to the vocoder, which mainstream media has dubbed “auto-tune”. Now, that’s incorrect because an auto-tune changes your pitch to match another pitch (tuning it), but the vocoder makes your voice shifty and wavy. It’s the same effect that makes Frampton’s guitar “talk”. That’s right folks. T. Pain has more in common with Framton Comes Alive that you’ll ever know. And know he’s introduced a whole slew of shitty faux-rappers to this technology so they can throw down on slow down R&B tracks to baby mamas and general whores that they encounter. Thanks, T. Pain.

1. Big Pimpin’, Jay-Z
When I heard this song, it hit me. Jay-Z, for all intents and purposes, was dead. The HOVA, the man who wore his cap real low and wouldn’t let you search his trunk, the man who had all that dirt on his shoulder, he was no more. He was churning out shitty summer rap hits. I swear, to this day, I hear this song, and the pseudo-white suburban teenager in me dies a little more.

Top 10 Live Albums

Live music, as I've said before, is the best music. Often, when it's recorded, it's terrible. It's hard to really capture a live event that can be so visual onto an audio medium. Sometimes, it comes out amazing. These following albums are all must haves.

10. Hair: Debatable, Atom and His Package
Top Tracks: Shopping Spree, Punk Rock Academy

9. Our Live Album is Better Than Your Live Album, Reel Big Fish
Top Tracks: S.R. (The Many Versions Of), Kiss Me Deadly

8. Rock Spectacle, Barenaked Ladies
Top Tracks: Brian Wilson, The Old Apartment

7. Viva Wisconsin Violent Femmes
Top Tracks: Add It Up, Kiss Off

6. Frampton Comes Alive, Peter Frampton
Top Tracks: Jumpin Jack Flash, Do You Feel Like We Do

5. Live at San Quentin, Charles Manson
Top Tracks: So The Mood Was Broken, Television Mind

4. The Last Waltz , The Band
Top Tracks: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, I Shall Be Released

3. Live at Leeds , The Who
Top Tracks: My Generation, Tattoo

2. Mtv Presents: Nirvana Unplugged, Nirvana
Top Tracks: All Apologies, Something in the Way

1. Live at Folsom Prison, Johnny Cash
Top Tracks: Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues

Honorable Mentions: Unplugged, Jay-Z; Bullet in a Bible, Green Day;