Top 500 Songs - Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick

Stevie Wonder is one of the greatest performers in American history. His musical library is tremendous, and has tunes that appeal to all sorts of audiences. I think this list is one that has probably fluctuated the most for me over the years, with Part-Time Lover, Superstition, and Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours all spending time in the #1 spot. After seeing High Fidelity twenty or thirty times though, there hasn't really been another contender for the top of the list.

I added USA for Africa and Dionne Warwick to this post because they were short list, and both of their lists were topped by songs featuring Stevie Wonder.

Stevie Wonder

1. I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)
2. Uptight (Everything's Alright)
3. Living for the City
4. Superstition
5. Part-Time Lover
6. I Wish
7. Sir Duke
8. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
9. Higher Ground
10. For Once in My Life
11. You Are the Sunshine of My Life
12. Isn't She Lovely
13. My Cherie Amour

USA for Africa

1. We Are the World

Dionne Warwick

1. That's What Friends Are For
2. Then Came You

Top 500 Songs - Allman Brothers Band, Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald

Long before I knew who the Allman Brothers Band was, one of their songs resonated deeply with me. Field of Dreams was one of a few movies that I remember distinctly from my childhood, and the song Jessica features prominently during a traveling period in the film. Then at some point in high school, I began to become more familiar with music in general, and learned about the band as a whole. Though none of their music ever surpassed Jessica, it turns out the Allman Brothers had put together quite the library of great tunes.

Let's ride!

Allman Brothers Band

1. Jessica
2. Midnight Rider
3. Melissa
4. Ramblin' Man
5. Whipping Post
6. Little Martha

Sometime in my early adulthood, I discovered a series of online videos called Yacht Rock (full series visible here on YouTube). That reignited my appreciation for the Doobie Brothers, a band I was aware of as a kid, but didn't really listen to.

A cool thing about the Doobie Brothers is that they had two distinct eras: one before Michael McDonald joined, and one after. The songs will be combined into a single list for our purposes, though. Combining all songs into one list is the whole point, after all. And we'll throw Michael McDonald's tunes in at the end of the list as well.

Doobie Brothers

1. What a Fool Believes
2. Minute by Minute
3. Long Train Runnin'
4. China Grove
5. It Keeps You Runnin'
6. Jesus Is Just Alright
7. Listen to the Music
8. Black Water
9. Takin' It to the Streets

Michael McDonald

1. Living for the City
2. I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)
3. Into the Mystic

Top 500 Songs - Aerosmith

Aerosmith is a band that I've liked for roughly a million years. There was a period in high school and college when liking them became uncool, coinciding with their Nine Lives album and their prominence on the Armageddon soundtrack, but the joke was on high school cool kids; Aerosmith found themselves redeemed with Dream On's featured spot in Miracle.

The reality, of course, is that Aerosmith just rocked the whole time.

Aerosmith

1. Dream On
2. Rag Doll
3. Last Child
4. Sweet Emotion
5. Draw the Line
6. Come Together
7. Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
8. Love in an Elevator
9. Train Kept A Rollin
10. Janie's Got a Gun
11. The Other Side
12. Livin' on the Edge
13. Eat the Rich
14. Cryin'
15. Amazing
16. Crazy
17. Pink
18. Full Circle
19. Taste of India
20. What It Takes
21. I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
22. Fallen Angels
23. Same Old Song And Dance

Top 500 Songs - Pearl Jam/Soundgarden

Now then, where was I? Ah yes, top 500 songs. Today's lists are from Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, a couple of bands featured in my middle and high school years. Looking over Pearl Jam specifically, it's interesting to see how my tastes have evolved over the years. Early on, Better Man would've been one of my favorite Pearl Jam tunes, and now it only barely cracks the list.

Also, look at those titles for Pearl Jam's songs. They're all 1-2 words, except for that one mammoth title at the top.

Pearl Jam

1. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
2. Alive
3. Black
4. Animal
5. Daughter
6. Jeremy
7. Leash
8. Dissident
9. Even Flow
10. Corduroy
11. Better Man

Soundgarden

1. Fell On Black Days
2. My Wave
3. Spoonman
4. Burden In My Hand

Chris Cornell

1. Sunshower

Temple Of The Dog

1. Hunger Strike

Top 500 Songs - Dave Matthews Band

This was always going to be the hardest of my band lists, because I like so many of DMB's songs, and have liked them so differently over the years. But here goes, an effort at my "all-time favorite" Dave Matthews Band songs (as well as a bonus list of just Dave Matthews songs).

It was close, but we've got a new #1 song! This one has a strong chance of finishing the whole list as #1 overall. I also made some tweaks to the list, as I'll continue to do over time, I'm sure.

Dave Matthews Band

1. Bartender
2. Mercy
3. Ants Marching
4. Jimi Thing
5. Stay (Wasting Time)
6. Lie In Our Graves
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Two Step
9. Minarets
10. Say Goodbye
11. #36
12. The Dreaming Tree
13. JTR
14. Grey Street
15. The Best of What's Around
16. #41
17. Crush
18. Don't Drink the Water
19. What Would You Say
20. Typical Situation
21. Warehouse
22. Pig
23. Seek Up
24. Rhyme & Reason
25. The Last Stop
26. Digging a Ditch
27. Pay for What You Get
28. Cry Freedom
29. Tripping Billies
30. Dancing Nancies
31. Proudest Monkey
32. So Right
33. Granny
34. Where Are You Going
35. Rapunzel
36. Drive In, Drive Out
37. Help Myself
38. Too Much
39. Stand Up (For It)
40. Recently
41. Let You Down
42. So Much to Say
43. I'll Back You Up
44. Halloween
45. Lover Lay Down

Dave Matthews (no band)

1. So Damn Lucky
2. Gravedigger

Top 500 Songs - Billy Ocean, Dire Straits, The Pointer Sisters

Sorry for such a long delay between posts, work has been kicking my nuts. Back to work!...like, the other work. This work. You know what I mean.


Billy Ocean

1. Caribbean Queen
2. Suddenly

Dire Straits

1. Money for Nothing
2. Brothers In Arms
3. Sultans of Swing
4. Down to the Waterline
5. Telegraph Road
6. Walk of Life

The Pointer Sisters

1. Neutron Dance
2. Fire
3. Jump
4. Slow Hand
5. I'm So Excited

Bonus Songs

1. Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out
2. Jefferson Starship - Jane
3. Breaking Benjamin - Blow Me Away
4. Firefall - Strange Way
5. Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, P!nk - Lady Marmalade
6. Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' With Disaster
7. The Black Keys - Your Touch

Top 500 Songs - Mike & The Mechanics, Mr. Mister, Starship, Tears For Fears, Wang Chung

I finally figured out a way to format the titles of these posts, only took like a month! Here's some lists for some 80s bands. And, one of them is a new overall #1 song!

All of these songs have been integrated, as well as the Journey songs from last time, so we're up to date.

Mike & The Mechanics

1. Silent Running
2. Living Years
3. All I Need Is A Miracle

Mr. Mister

1. Kyrie
2. Broken Wings

Starship

1. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
2. We Built This City
3. Sara

Tears For Fears

1. Break It Down Again
2. Shout
3. Everybody Wants To Rule The World
4. Elemental
5. Power

Wang Chung

1. Everybody Have Fun Tonight
2. Dance Hall Days

Bonus Songs

1. John Parr - St. Elmo's Fire
2. Glenn Frey - The Heat Is On
3. Corey Hart - Sunglasses At Night