Almost down to the top 50 songs of all-time according to me.
It’s been a long journey to get to this point.
One must remember that there is no science to this selection process. All these songs are great and interchangeable at this point. Put them on and I am rocking.
Less talk, more music.
Be sure to click the videos to hear the songs.
Here we go!
Strange video. Weird film. Smash Mouth are not one of my favorite bands. In fact, I can’t name another Smash Mouth song I like. I know some others, but I don’t listen to their other songs.
All Star, however, is as good as it is catchy. And it has appeared in pop culture ever since its relief, featured in other films, not just Mystery Men. Shrek, Digimon, and Rat Race to name a few.
The power pop song is just “rock” enough to make me like it.
The song peaked at #4 on US charts.
I’ve never seen Smash Mouth live and there are no other Smash Mouth songs on my list.
Like Smash Mouth, Cruising California by The Offspring is another power pop song that is just catchy and rocking enough to appeal to me. It has a distinctive anthem rock feel to it, lighthearted lyrics about chilling in California – where I’ve never actually been
Unlike Smash Mouth, I like a lot of The Offspring’s songs and albums. And oddly enough, this is my favorite by them.
I’ve never seen them live and 5 of their songs are in my top 1000.
#54 – Cruising California – 1/5
#389 – You’re Gonna Go Far Kid – 2/5
#439 – Rise And Fall – 3/5
#718 – What Happened To You – 4/5
#962 – It’ll Be A Long Time – 5/5
This is not only a great, well-crafted song, the video is great. I’ve watched several hundred times I’m sure. I think the music speaks for itself. Energetic. Polished. Brilliant.
The lyrics are about dealing with morality, guilt and seeking redemption. Brandon Urie apparently wrote the song several years before it was produced and released and said it was about a man’s internal struggles after spending a night with a prostitute. Hmmm.
This is my second favorite Panic! song.
There is one more still to come.
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#53 – The Ballad of Mona Lisa – 2/12
#71 – Nine in the Afternoon – 3/12
#299 – Emperor’s New Clothes – 4/12
#368 – Crazy = Genius – 5/12
#448 – Do You Know What I’m Seeing? – 6/12
#457 – That Green Gentleman – 7/12
#480 – Behind The Sea – 8/12
#548 – Pas de Cheval – 9/12
#746 – I Write Sins Not Tragedies – 10/12
#759 – Memories – 11/12
#998 – This Is Gospel – 12/12
People can say whatever they want about Greta Van Fleet but I love their sound, and if it is a bit Zeppelin-esque, all the better. I was blown away by this song as soon as I heard it. Their first full length LP, From the Fires, is excellent. More power to these young talented musicians. Their sound would have fit into the 70s & 80s.
There’s nothing complex about Highway Tune. It’s a straight in your face rock song with simple lyrics about a guy’s desire for a girl compared to driving on a street and trying to chase her down.
There are 9 Greta Van Fleet songs in my top 1000.
This is my second favorite Greta Van Fleet song.
There is one more to come.
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#52 – Highway Tune – 2/9
#261 – Black Smoke Rising – 3/9
#584 – Safaris Song – 4/9
#601 – Heat Above – 5/9
#755 – Lover, Leaver – 6/9
#888 – Talk On The Streets – 7/9
#906 – Edge of Darkness – 8/9
#937 – You’re The One – 9/9
It was so difficult keeping this Rush classic song out of the top 50. It really belongs in the top 50 but just misses getting in.
An amazing song by an amazing band.
The Spirit of Radio is about the magic of radio and the joy and excitement many of us felt in our youth listening to it.
The song also addresses the negative aspects of commercialization and the eventual loss of artistic integrity that intruded about our safe space.
Rush was a band willing to push boundaries, focusing more on the art of making music than seeking commercial success.
I was honestly not a big Rush fan although I did listen to them. There are 5 Rush songs in my Top 1000 songs, four in the top 500. The Spirit of Radio is my second favorite Rush song.
There is one more to come.
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#51 – The Spirit of Radio – 2/5
#328 – Tom Sawyer – 3/5
#467 – Fly By Night – 4/5
#979 – Closer To The Heart – 5/5
That’s it for this weekend.
Next weekend we get into the top 50 of all time.
Looking forward to that.
Remember, these are my favorites. These are the songs you would hear the most if you hung around me.
How many of these songs would have been in your top 100?
Top 500?
Top 1000?
The top 100 so far…
100 – Cheap Trick – Dream Police
99 – Creed- One Last Breath
98 – Blind Melon – No Rain
97 – Living Colour – Cult of Personality
96 – Triumph – Ordinary Man
95 – Scorpions – You And I
94 – Tesla – Forever More
93 – MCR – House of Wolves
92 – Rise Against – Re-Education
91 – Yngwie Malmsteen – Fury
90 – Robert Plant – Pledge Pin
89 – Jimi Hendrix – All Along The Watchtower
88 – Queensryche – Warning
87 – Metallica – Ride The Lightning
86 – Black Sabbath – War Pigs
85 – Escape The Fate – Gorgeous Nightmare
84 – The Answer – Cigarettes & Regret
83 – Symphony X – Set The World On Fire
82 – Blind Guardian – The Bard’s Song (Into The Forest)
81 – Jefferson Starship – Freedom At Point Zero
80 – Linkin Park – Battle Symphony
79 – Scorpions – Is There Anybody There?
78 – Golden Earring – Radar Love
77 – Living Colour – Solace Of You
76 – The Replacements – Skyway
75 – Triumph – Never Say Never
74 – The Rolling Stones – She’s So Cold
73 – Blondie – Call Me
72 – MCR – Welcome To The Black Parade
71 – Panic! At The Disco – Nine In The Afternoon
70 – Styx – The Grand Illusion
69 – Iron Maiden – Revelations
68 – Supertramp – Logical Song
67 – Bon Jovi – Livin’ On A Prayer
66 – Scorpions – But The Best For You
65 – Electric Boys – You Spark My Heart
64 – Bigelf – Disappear
63 – Flogging Molly – Requiem For A Dying Song
62 – MCR – Bulletproof Heart
61 – Harem Scarem – If You
60 – Def Leppard – Mirror Mirror
59 – Triumph – All The Way
58 – Scorpions – The Best Is Yet To Come
57 – Battle Beast – Out On The Streets
56 – Accept – No One’s Master
55 – Smash Mouth – All Star
54 – The Offspring – Cruising California
53 – Panic! At The Disco – The Ballad of Mona Lisa
52 – Greta Van Fleet – Highway Tune
51 – Rush – The Spirit of Radio
Allen M Werner is the author of the epic dark fantasy series
THE CRYSTAL CRUX
and the new Greek Mythology novella
ARES IN CHAINS
Author Allen M Werner 
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