It took ages, but here it is...
I have been putting the following list together now for the last 8 months. It was supposed to be a little holiday project over the Christmas period last year but then turned into something quite different. When I started making this list, I knew I was going to have too many songs and the difficultly would be in culling it back to 20. My list started at about 60 odd songs initially and then grew some more as I thought about it. It was like pulling teeth to get the list back to the 20 you see below.
The following songs are a representation of the music that has affected my life, to this point. I encountered my biggest difficulty when it came to some of my favourite bands, where many of their songs have affected me. Bands and artists such as The Beatles, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Beck, Pavement, and Beastie Boys have many great songs and it was hard to choose just one. The single entry here indicates, in most cases, the first song from each artist that blew me away. For those interested, I’ve also included the album, where I could. The following are in no particular order.
1. Hide Your Love Away – Help – The Beatles
- This band, more than any other, was the band that made me want to be a musician. Now, if only I’d found even a modicum of the success they did, I'd have a career. This song is a firm favourite with my nephews and nieces – they love the ‘Hey’ part…
2. Red Right Hand – Let Love In – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Fabulously dirty blues music and lyrics to turn your hair grey. Nick Cave is a singer, songwriter, intellect and the Dark Prince of rock.
3. Last Goodbye – Grace – Jeff Buckley
- One of the greatest musical tragedies of the late 20th Century. The true breadth and depth of his talent was only just becoming apparent.
4. Clint Eastwood – Gorillaz – Gorillaz
- These guys might front themselves as cartoons, but the music and mastery behind what they are doing is very real indeed. This is still a great favourite in my house.
5. Sabotage – Licensed To Ill – Beastie Boys
- A brilliant accompanying film clip from one of the best bands ever. And who said Americans don’t understand irony has never heard the Beastie Boys.
6. Life's What You Make It – Colour Of Spring – Talk Talk
- The opening single note piano line has always been a source of inspiration. It just goes to show that sometimes the simple things truly are the best.
7. Let's Go – Candy-O – The Cars
- The second single I ever brought (and I still have it). No, it’s not for sale.
8. Monkey Gone To Heaven – Doolittle – The Pixies
- So much has been said about this band and I agree with it all (the good things, anyway).
9. Pump It Up – This Year’s Model – Elvis Costello
- In the future, I believe this Elvis will be recognised as the more relevant and admired of the two.
10. Killing Moon – Songs To Learn and Sing – Echo & the Bunnymen
- When Ian sings “Fate, up against your will, through thick and thin, you will wait until you give yourself to him”… I still get a shiver up my spine
11. Suffragette City – The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust… – David Bowie
- I still feel the sex ooze from my speakers when David sings this song. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, does it better.
12. Bang A Gong (Get It On) – Electric Warrior – T-Rex
- Marc Bolan - a genius of simplicity stolen away from us before we really got to know him.
13. Summer Babe – Slanted & Enchanted – Pavement
- “Ice baby, I saw your girlfriend and she’s eating her fingers like they’re just another meal…” This is one of my favourite lyric lines.
14. About A Girl – Bleach – Nirvana
- Before the hype that was ‘Nevermind’, there was this album, which also included ‘Floyd The Barber’, ‘Negative Creep’ and ‘Swap Meet’ among others, and highlighted the emerging genius of Kurt Cobain.
15. Do You Realise – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots – The Flaming Lips
- Perhaps one of the most beautiful pop songs of the 21st Century so far.
16. Loser – Mellow Gold – Beck
- Proving even losers can be winners, Beck is a musical pixie who just keeps on shining.
17. Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin
- Picture this: I’m 14, sitting in the middle of a quadraphonic speaker set with Jimmy Page’s screaming guitar lines whizzing over my head. Rock doesn’t get much better than this.
18. Guns Of Brixton – London Calling – The Clash
- This was one of the toughest picks. I heard ‘London Calling’ first, but this song sold me on how good they were. They may have been called punks but they were so much more.
19. Don’t Change – Shaboo Shoobah – INXS
- This song conjures up so many good memories for me. The sentiment behind it also has had a lasting effect.
20. Crosstown Traffic – Electric Ladyland – Jimi Hendrix
- From its opening lick to its end, this song corrupted my young ears on first listen, which I still thank Jimi for. It is also the title to Charles Shaar Murray’s book on Hendrix and contemporary music and one of my favourite reads.
Notable mentions include P.J. Harvey, Regurgitator, James Brown, Heart, Sublime, Nick Drake, Superchunk, The Sleepy Jackson, Gelbison, Gomez, Evil Tordivel, Grandaddy and N.E.R.D.