SOB’s Top 100 Songs

Listed Alphabetically by Title

Have to say that it seems strange for a guy who lived most of his life not listening to pop or rock music to have such a list. San and kids listened to the radio every time we got into a car so the music must have soaked in without conscious effort on my part. If I had to pick the “best” singers as it would be Rod Stewart, Paul Simon, John Fogerty, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Janis Joplin, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Otis Redding, and Freddie Mercury. That list is in descending order so the best is last. Who gives a shit about what Rolling Stone Mag says; Freddie Mercury had more talent in his body and incredible four-octave voice than all the rest combined. He was the best ever. If you don’t believe me, just listen to his astounding voice.

Since I was never into hard rock most of the selections listed are on the softer side. Some of the music nearly everyone identifies as The Best cannot be found on this list since it doesn’t resonate with me. And few songs after the 1980s are listed since that’s when the kids moved away and our use of the radio dropped off. Whether you agree with my order or not, very song listed is worth listening to and should make you fondly recall times past . . .

Here are a few incidental comments: My favorite song by a female vocalist by a huge margin is Janis Joplin’s Me and Bobby McGee. After taking a hard look at the list below I could almost switch the positions of the first two groups. It’s a close call but it stands as is.

And yes, I know the list is way longer than the 100 promised. I didn't have the heart to cut a single one.

Top Ten

Hey Jude—The Beatles
House of the Rising Sun—The Animals (Eric Burdon)
Imagine—John Lennon
Let it Be—The Beatles
Like a Rolling Stone—Bob Dylan
Me and Bobby McGee—Janis Joplin
Old Time Rock and Roll—Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
(Sitting on) The Dock of the Bay—Otis Redding
Yesterday—The Beatles
You Can’t Always Get What You Want—The Rolling Stones

Second Decile
Against the Wind—Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
Bad Moon Rising—Creedence Clearwater Revival
Blowin’ In the Wind—Bob Dylan
Cecilia—Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel
Good Vibrations—The Beach Boys
Have You Ever Seen the Rain—Creedence Clearwater Revival
I Can’t Stop Loving You—Ray Charles
Maggie May—Rod Stewart
Somebody to Love—Queen (Freddie Mercury)
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face—Roberta Flack

Third Decile
Against All Odds—Phil Collins
Brown Eyed Girl—Van Morrison
I Can’t Get No (Satisfaction)—The Rolling Stones
I Heard it Through the Grapevine—Marvin Gaye
Oh Pretty Woman—Roy Orbison
Proud Mary—Creedence Clearwater Revival
Saturday in the Park—Chicago
Up Where We Belong—Joe Cocker/Jennifer Warnes
You Were Always on My Mind—Willie Nelson
Who Will Stop the Rain—Creedence Clearwater Revival

Fourth Decile
Africa—Toto
American Pie—Don McLean
Dust in the Wind—Kansas
Every Breath You Take—Sting
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You—Rod Stewart
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds—The Beatles
Maybe I'm Amazed—Paul McCartney and Wings
Total Eclipse of the Heart—Bonnie Tyler
Your Song—Elton John
Wouldn't It Be Nice—Beach Boys

Fifth Decile
A Horse with No Name—America
Bohemian Rhapsody—Queen (Freddie Mercury)
Come Sail Away—Styx
Daniel—Elton John
Fire and Rain—James Taylor
Graceland—Paul Simon
Magic Carpet Ride—Steppenwolf
Making Love Out of Nothing at All—Air Supply
Piano Man—Billy Joel
Time After Time—Cyndi Lauper

The Rest of the Best (in alphabetical order)
A Natural Woman—Aretha Franklin
A Whiter Shade of Pale—Procol Harum
Billie Jean—Michael Jackson
Blue Lagoon—Linda Ronstadt
Born in the USA—Bruce Springsteen
Both Sides Now—Judy Collins
Bridge Over Troubled Waters—Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel
Buffalo Soldier—Bob Marley
Call Me Maybe—Carly Rae Jepsen
Careless Love—Ray Charles
Cat’s in the Cradle—Harry Chapin
City of New Orleans—Arlo Guthrie
Crocodile Rock—Elton John
Desperado—Eagles
Don't Stand So Close To Me—The Police
Eleanor Rigby—The Beatles
Every Breath You Take—The Police
Falling Slowly—Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
Georgia—Ray Charles
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road—Elton John
Great Balls of Fire—Jerry Lee Lewis
Honky Tonk Women—The Rolling Stones
Hotel California—Eagles
Hungry Like a Wolf—Duran Duran
I Can See Clearly Now—Johnny Nash
I Got You (I Feel Good)—James Brown
I Walk the Line—Johnny Cash
I Will Always Love You—Whitney Houston
If—Bread
If You Could Read My Mind—Gordon Lightfoot
I’m All Out of Love—Air Supply
Johnny Be Goode—Chuck Berry
Jump—Eddie Van Halen
Jumping Jack Flash—The Rolling Stones
Just You and Me—Chicago
Killer Queen—Queen (Freddie Mercury)
Killing Me Softly with His Song—Roberta Flack
Knocking on Heaven’s Door—Guns N’ Roses
Kokomo—The Beach Boys
La Bamba—Ritchie Valens
Lean on Me—Bill Withers
Light My Fire—The Doors
Like a Rock—Bob Seger
Louie Louie—The Kingsmen
Mack the Knife—Bobby Darin
Mi Cherie Amour—Stevie Wonder
Midnight Train to Georgia—Gladys Knight and the Pips
Morning Has Broken—Cat Stevens
Mr. Tambourine Man—The Byrds
Mrs. Robinson—Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel
My Girl—The Temptations
My Sweet Lord—George Harrison
Only the Lonely—Roy Orbison
Oye Como Va—Santana
Red Red Wine—UB40
Respect—Aretha Franklin
River Deep -- Mountain High—Tina Turner
Rock Around the Clock—Bill Haley and the Comets
Rosanna—Toto
Ruby Jean and Billie Lee—Seals and Crofts
Ruby Tuesday—The Rolling Stones
Sailing—Christopher Cross
Save the Last Dance for Me—The Drifters
Sister Golden Hair—America
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes—The Platters
Something—The Beatles
Son of a Preacher Man—Dusty Springfield
Stagger Lee—Wilson Pickett
Stairway to Heaven—Led Zeppelin
Still Crazy After All These Years—Paul Simon
Sweet Child O' Mine—Guns N’ Roses
Sweet Home Alabama—Lynyrd Skynyrd
Tapestry—Carole King
The Boxer—Simon and Garfunkel
The Girl from Ipanema—Getz and Gilberto
The Way We Were—Barbra Streisand
The Weight—The Band
To All the Girls I've Loved Before—Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson
Tonight I Celebrate My Love—Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack
True Colors—Cindy Lauper
Unchained Melody—The Righteous Brothers
We Will Rock You—Queen (Freddie Mercury)
What a Wonderful World—Louis Armstrong
What'd I Say—Ray Charles
What’s Love Got to Do with It—Tina Turner
When a Man Loves a Woman—Percy Sledge
Wild World—Cat Stevens
Will You Love Me Tomorrow—The Shirelles
Wind Beneath My Wings—Bette Midler
You Are So Beautiful—Joe Cocker
You Are the Sunshine of My Life—Stevie Wonder
You Don’t Know Me—Ray Charles
You Just Call Out My Name—James Taylor
You’ve Got a Friend—Carole King
You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling—The Righteous Brothers