In January 2011, 247 readers of markprindle.com submitted lists of up to 73 “songs they love”. In the survey rules, I specifically used the phrasing “songs you love” rather than “greatest songs of all time” because (a) I didn’t want the final list to be nothing but Loggins & Messina songs, and (b) I figured that the idea of revisiting an entire lifetime’s worth of music would seem so daunting and time-consuming that nobody would bother. I know I wouldn’t!
Although the main intention of the survey was to compile a gigantic list of song recommendations for markprindle.com readers to check out on YouTube or put on their iPod, I decided to compile a ‘Top 73’ list anyway. Then I decided to raise the total as high as necessary to accomodate every song that received at least 8 votes. Unfortunately, I had to keep making additions and revisions after posting (due to my failure to initially count several entries -- oops!). But eventually I tallied all the votes, broke all the ties, and posted the following list of great songs for any and all to enjoy and hate together.
79 Genesis - Supper's Ready
78 David Bowie - Life On Mars?
77 Faith No More - Caffeine
76 Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
75 Neil Young - Ambulance Blues
74 Devo - Uncontrollable Urge
73 Big Star - September Gurls
72 Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The U.K.
71 My Bloody Valentine - Only Shallow
70 Guided By Voices - Tractor Rape Chain
69 Kinks - The Village Green Preservation Society
68 Pixies - Motorway To Roswell
67 Smiths - How Soon Is Now?
66 Pavement - In The Mouth A Desert
65 Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone
64 Nirvana - Drain You
63 Gang Of Four - I Found That Essence Rare
62 Iggy & The Stooges - Gimme Danger
61 Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown
60 Cure - Just Like Heaven
59 Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue
58 XTC - Making Plans For Nigel
57 Neil Young – Powderfinger
56 Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black
55 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
54 Fugazi - Epic Problem
53 Stooges - Down On The Street
52 Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place
51 Black Flag - My War
50 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – The Mercy Seat
49 Radiohead - Pyramid Song
48 My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes
47 Bob Dylan - Visions Of Johanna
46 Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer
45 Can - Halleluhwah
44 Beach Boys - Surf's Up
43 Devo - Mongoloid
42 Guided By Voices - Game Of Pricks
41 Beatles - In My Life
40 Talking Heads - This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
39 Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
38 Jesus Lizard - Then Comes Dudley
37 Sonic Youth - Schizophrenia
36 Who - Baba O’Riley
35 Replacements - Answering Machine
34 Replacements - Unsatisfied
33 Pink Floyd - Echoes
32 Melvins - Honey Bucket
31 Velvet Underground – Heroin
30 Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot
29 Bob Dylan - Desolation Row
28 Melvins - Boris
27 Who - Won’t Get Fooled Again
26 Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog
25 Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil
24 Jesus Lizard - Mouth Breather
23 Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
22 Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
21 Devo - Jocko Homo
20 Public Image Ltd - Poptones
19 Dead Kennedys - Holiday In Cambodia
18 Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks
17 Beatles - Helter Skelter
16 Melvins - Night Goat
15 Wipers - Youth Of America
14 Beach Boys - God Only Knows
13 Pink Floyd - Dogs
12 Pixies - Hey
11 King Crimson – Starless
10 Slayer - Raining Blood
9 Motorhead – Ace of Spades
8 My Bloody Valentine - Soon
7 Slint - Good Morning, Captain
6 Pixies - Debaser
5 Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
4 Radiohead - Paranoid Android
3 Beatles - A Day In The Life
2 Television - Marquee Moon