100 Favorite Songs: 91-95

Second to last.

91. “Every Moment” by Rogue Wave (2004)

Brevity with a solid beat.


10 extra points for the Mormon shoutout.


92. “So Far Away” by Carol King (1971)

5th grade was the year after my BFF moved away, the year that my ultimate elementary school love moved away, and the year I questioned God's existence. In other words, I spent that year depressed, but Carole King's Tapestry on repeat helped. "So Far Away" is one of my favorite songs on the album.


They're all so little!

93. “The Things We Do For Love” by 10cc (1977)

Let's cheer up with a perfectly written pop song, "The Things We Do For Love." The chord progression in the bridge is so good. And what is it about a piano that automatically makes a pop song that much bouncier and awesome?


Good effort with the live vocal harmonies, fellas.

94. “I’m Only Sleeping” by The Beatles (1966)

Oh, John. Sleep is fantastic. Here's the incredibly true and catchy song as the Beatles defeat a dragon (song starts about 2:00).

WTF.

95. “Superstar” by The Carpenters (1971, original "Groupie (Superstar)" written in 1969 by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell)

Such a lovely melody and deep voice.

A chorus I'm not afraid to bust out on all occasions.

100 Favorite Songs: 86-90

Organ-licious


86. “Tempted” by Squeeze (1981)

Blue-eyed soul!

I always try to find a live rendition of the song close to when the song was released. I feel like songs lose their immediacy the more times they've been played, you can see that especially in bands that have been touring for years. In other words, the best thing I could find is this music video:


I love when they break it down with different vocalists/octaves.


87. “Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harem (1967)

Mmmm. Organ.


Ultimate goal in life: play this song on a church organ.


88. “One Headlight” by The Wallflowers (1997)

A good, solid rock song.


Jakob Dylan: totally a fox.


89. “Dreaming of You” by Selena (1995)

I've seen the movie Selena (1997) about a millions times which has contributed to my undying love of both Jennifer Lopez and this song. I just can't fight it.

Actual Selena footage starts at about 2:20:


This is the end of the movie...is you couldn't tell.


90. “The Bachelor and the Bride” by The Decemberists (2003)

This is a pretty creepy song, but deliciously so. And I love the bass line of this song. Also, more organ.


I would like to thank Decemberists fans for not being annoyingly loud.

100 Favorite Songs: 81-85

The one with the surprise ending.

81. “Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart” by Elton John and Kiki Dee (1976)

I can't resist a fabulous duet.

Best or worst promotional video ever?

82. “Sweet Baby James” by James Taylor (1970)

Written for James Taylor's nephew James, this song is a perfect lullaby.


Incredibly weird to see him so young.

83. “Cocaine Blues” by Johnny Cash (1968) (written by T.J. "Red" Arnall in 1947)

I think this would be the perfect campfire song.


It's just so fun to sing along to, really.

84. “Baby I Love Your Way” by Peter Frampton (1975)

Yes. Peter Frampton. It's a good song, okay?

And at least I didn't choose this version.


Also, wikipedia tells me it was written by Bob Marley so...face.

85. “Fast Cars and Freedom” by Rascal Flatts (2005)

Once again outing myself as a lover of cheesy cheesy songs. I cannot resist a good pop song, even if it's got a splash or 12 of country.

You have to admit these fellas sound good live.

100 Favorite Songs: 76-80

I'm representing all styles today.

76. “Take Me On” by a-ha (1985)

I'm usually not a big fan of falsetto, but when it's used so shamelessly, I can't help but love it. Especially with that sweet, sweet synth line.


Lead singer: A pompadoured Norm McDonald?

77. “How Deep Is Your Love” by The Bee Gees (1977)

Anyone how knows me well knows that I love some really cheesy crap despite efforts to seem cool. Anyway, one of those really cheesy things is the Bee Gees. I love "How Deep Is Your Love" so much. Mosst of that has to do with "And you come to me on a summer breeze" section that might be second bridge because there seems to be more than one, but it doesn't really matter because the entire melody is just so good.


And 2/3 of the group are bearding up. Bonus points!

78. “No Woman No Cry” by Bob Marley & the Wailers (1974)

I really could have put any of the songs off of the Legend compilation, but "No Woman No Cry" is just all encompassing: organ, background singers, politics, nostalgia. Lovely.


I love that you can find live stuff like this on YouTube.

79. “We’ve Got Tonight” by Bob Seger (1978)

I don't think I could resist someone playing this song on a boombox right outside my bedroom window (that currently faces the neighbor's fence). Especially if that person had an epic Bob Seger beard.


Towel.

80. “You Were Mine” by The Dixie Chicks (1998)

People may complain about how gloomy country music can be, but there are times you just want to be sad, you know? Here, the Dixie Chicks give us some sad mixed with some vitriol.

Oh, dear. How do their outfits look so dated already?

100 Favorite Songs: 71-75

Soul with mellow, stadium, and glam rock.

71. “Swingtown” by The Steve Miller Band (1977)

Mellowest band ever?


Unfortunately I couldn't find young Steve Miller Band footage, so have some vinyl instead.


72. “Ballroom Blitz” by The Sweet (1973)

I love some theatrical in my rock. The "I see a man in the back" section is the best.


The "Are you ready, Steve?" shoutout is pretty great, too.


73. “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green (1971)

It's great song.


That blazer is all kinds of excellent.



74. “Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding (1966)

Soul-licious.

Here's Otis Redding and many members of the Bar-Kays' last television appearance:


Mini-skirt dress.


75. “Heat of the Moment” by Asia (1982)

Again, I can't control my love of epic 80s rock songs. Sorry.


It's just so epic, you know?

100 Favorite Songs: 66-70

I...don't know.


66. “Mushaboom” by Feist (2004)

Sometimes Feist is a little too twee/hipster for me to really like, but this song is all the adorableness in the world in under 4 minutes.


Cute cute cute.


67. “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye (1973)

The best part about working at Burgerville was setting the jukebox to "Let's Get It On" at least twice a shift.


Too sexy for clothes, apparently.


68. “Sister Christian” by Night Ranger (1984)

Yeah. I went there.

If you must know, mostly because the build up to the chorus is perfection.


Proof that emotional investment is directly tied to how much you sweat.



69. “Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)” by Phil Collins (1984)

Simple melody, great vocal performance, heartbreaking devastation.


How good does this sound live? Phil, you're great.



70. “King of Pain” by The Police (1983)

I love that the melody on the first chorus becomes the harmony to the rest. Also, I love Sting.


So many shorts.

100 Favorite Songs: 61-65

Dear Past Kelsy,

What a great selection of songs. You have great taste!

Love,
Future Kelsy

61. “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” by Billy Joel (1977)

ack ACK ACK ACK!!!! Right?


This just looks fun.

62. “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins (1995)

The drums and bassline on this song--great.


Is there anything cooler than a female bassist?

63. “We Work the Black Seam” by Sting (1985)

This song is strangely addictive with its blend of social consciousness and inaccurate science.


A fun practice/live version.

64. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2 (1983)

Also known as the only U2 song I like. It's pretty powerful stuff, helped by the fact that Bono hadn't become the pretentious message-bearer he's become today.


The black and white style makes this even more timeless.

65. “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys (1966)

The Beach Boys not singing about surfing is my favorite. When they use their powers of sweet harmonies for a gorgeous singles like this, perfection.


Mmmm, lip synching.

100 Favorite Songs: 56-60

Music of the '70s, '90s, and today!

56. “Bad Company” by Bad Company (1974)

I love anything that sounds like a grizzled drifter.


I love that the drummer is the only one bringing the crazy, while every one else mellowly goes about their work.

57. “Evil Woman” by Electric Light Orchestra (1975)

Strings + rock = fabulous combination. Also, fun falsetto.

Who knew Jeff Lynne had eyes?

58. “Paper Bag” by Fiona Apple (1999)

So many things to love: horn section, angry girl lyrics, and a melody in my range.

Happy birthday, Daddy?

59. “The Heart of Life” by John Mayer (2006)

I enjoy the inherent contradiction of playing an electric guitar gently like an accoustic, but I think it benefits this song. It gives the cheesiness with an edge that supports the song's lyrics.

I recommend this song for epic emotional breakdowns.

60. “Chop ‘em Down” by Matisyahu (2004)

Live at Stubb's is one of those albums I bought on a whim and have never regretted it. I'm tragically undereducated about Matisyahu's other work, but I love this guy live.

I will never be able to look at Matisyahu and not think of my sister's fiance.

100 Favorite Songs: 51-55

I can't come up with a cohesive or funny statement about this section other than all the songs are awesome.

51. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (1967)

Best duet ever? Probably.


Plus, these two were adorable performing together.


52. “Why Georgia” by John Mayer (2003)

I like to associate this song with driving around in a Volvo when I first got my license. I like to disassociate this song with John Mayer in real life.


I also can't stand looking at his face when he sings, so here are some lyrics.


53. “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel (1986)

I love the mood and rhythm of this song; it's incredibly romantic without being saccharine. I think I just love earthy '80s songs.

Here he is performing the song with Youssou N'Dour:


I love everything about this performance. Everything.


54. “Young Lust” by Pink Floyd (1979)

I think I meant to choose a second Pink Floyd song from another album besides The Wall, but too bad. I just love David Gilmour too much.


"Oooo, I need a dirty woman." So fun to sing.


55. “Another Night” by Real McCoy (1993)

Dance parties of my childhood were filled with the sounds of Real McCoy in tape cassette single form.


It just never gets old.

100 Favorite Songs: 46-50

More evidence that I really did just make this list off the top of my head: a double dose of Journey.

46. “There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of It Yet ” by Panic! At the Disco (2005)

Remember when this band was still happening? And how terrible that title has always been? But then the song is just really fun to sing along to? Also, the phrase "I'm the new cancer"? Awesome.

This was the least ridiculous performance I could find of this song. I'm giving you lower quality and Ryan encouraging jazz hands so you don't have to suffer Brendon dancing with skanky Victorian girls.


47. “You Never Give Me Your Money” by The Beatles (1969)

Such a gorgeous beginning with a weirdly vocalized middle (yeah, that's Paul) and ridiculous nursery rhyme end. And you know I can't resist vocal harmonies.


I'm a bigger fan of the latter portion of the Beatles' career. You?


48. “Wedding Bell Blues” by 5th Dimension (1969)

Originally a Laura Nyro song, the 5th Dimension had a big hit with this catchy song. Mostly, I just love Marilyn McCoo's voice.

Incidentally, the guy Marilyn's singing to is named Billy, and the two married in 1969.


49. “Lights” by Journey (1978)

I discovered my love of this song on a choir trip in high school to San Francisco (coincidence?). One of my roommates on the trip and I had a Journey dance party since the local classic rock radio station was no doubt having a Block Party Weekend. In other words, a great night.

Is Yevgeny Plushenko the reincarnation of Steve Perry? Discuss.

50. “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey (1981)

You'd think you could get sick of a song you've listened to hundreds of times, but "Don't Stop Believin'" never gets less powerful.

They sound great live despite the bassist's molester mustache.

100 Favorite Songs: 41-45

Poppy rock.

41. “I Want You to Want Me” – Cheap Trick (1977)

Apparently it took a live album recorded in Japan for this song to become a big hit, but its addictiveness finally caught on in the States. And let's be honest, how many of us know it because of 10 Things I Hate About You? The TV show*?


How does the guitarist with the hat's outfit not look dated?

42. “Life in a Northern Town” – The Dream Academy (1985)

Hey! A song from the 80s! What can I say, I'm a sucker for vaguely tribal chant-singing. And apparently the oboe.


Who is the woman that introduces the band?

43. “Celebrate Me Home” – Kenny Loggins (1976)**

It really shouldn't shock anyone that I love cheesy pop music. Especially when it's blue-eyed soul. I must warn you that a lot of this performance is a sax attack of the late 80s/early 90s kind.

OMG scatting.

44. “If Only” – The Kooks (2006)

Much like Boston, The Kooks' songs all sound like variations of the same awesome piece of music. That's not a complaint so much as a nod to beautiful consistently. "If Only" as a 2 minute representation of this glorious trend.


So British.

45. “Killer Queen” – Queen (1974)

This song is so opera and so fun to sing.

To my sister: how do you feel about Freddie in this get-up?

Can you grope a microphone stand?

*Which it actually love, despite first impressions. Give it to episode 3.

**I think American Idol uses this song in their results episodes. I choose to ignore that that show exists, so this choice is totally legit.

100 Favorite Songs: 36-40

Huh.

36. “Lyin’ Eyes” – Eagles (1975)

If only for the phrase "the cheatin' side of town."


Although I always forget how long this song is...


37. “Comfortably Numb” – Pink Floyd (1979)

Mostly written by David Gilmour, "Comfortably Numb" is definitely one of the less pompous moments of The Wall. Also, David kills his guitar solos.


Would have loved to see this live.


38. “Toxicity” – System of a Down (2002)

System of a Down had some of the hardest core music I can withstand, mostly because they still managed to have melody and avoid a lot of screaming. "Toxicity" is one of their most fun to sing along with.


Speaking of Pink Floyd's The Wall.


39. “Fields of Gold” – Sting (1993)

Probably his least weird song, Sting managed to write a song in the early '90s that sounds timeless.


I also associate it with this so-cheesy-it's-great book called They Loved to Laugh, in which Quakers, orphans, and brothers vying for the heart of one woman all happen in one book.


40. “Plush” – Stone Temple Pilots (1993)

Sounds just as good acoustic as it does electric.


Singing in a throne. Impressive.

100 Favorite Songs: 31-35

Well this is an interesting bunch.

31. "The Look of Love" by Dusty Springfield (1967)

More Burt Bacharach, but this time from the soundtrack for the spooftastic Casino Royale. Mostly I just love the bridge. At least I think it's the bridge, but since there's no discernible chorus, it's hard to tell. It's the part that's starts with "I can hardly wait to hold you..."


I may or may not start to move like Dusty Springfield whenever I sing.

32. "Old Love" by Eric Clapton and Robert Cray (1989)

2 ways to get me to listen to blues: an interesting chord progression or gorgeous instrumental solos. Luckily this has both--mostly in the form of gorgeous guitar solos from both Eric and Robert in this version.


I love Sting so much.


33. "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5 (2004)

Their one song that doesn't get obnoxious after about 5 times through. Plus I can never resist some good blue-eyed soul. (Skip to about 1:30)


It's just so catchy.

34. “More Than a Feeling” by Boston (1976)

I love pretty much every song by Boston since they all sound like slightly different versions of the same awesome road trip song, but "More Than a Feeling" is their finest. Not only was this the least obnoxious ring tone I ever had, but it contains some great Brad Delp's voice blending into a wailing guitar moments.


Mmmmmustache.

35. "Photograph" by Def Leppard (1983)

Blah blah blah, Def Leppard is pretty lame and WTF was with all those Union Jacks. Whatever. This is pop rock at its finest.


Passion killer? Cage? Marilyn Monroe? This video's creepy.

100 Favorite Songs: 26-30

Love gone wrong in the '60s and '70s

26. "Silver Springs" by Fleetwood Mac (1977)

"Silver Springs" didn't make it into the original cut of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, but it just may be my favorite song on the (rereleased version) album. It's a beautiful piece of music with a cathartic "we would have been awesome together, idiot" message.

Personally, I'm not a fan of knickers, even though I'm a fan of period drama.

27. "Over the Hills and Far Away" by Led Zeppelin (1973)

I only let myself pick 2 songs per artist, so "Over the Hills and Far Away" is the last for Led Zep on this list. What can I say? I can't resist the soft beginning/rockin' chorus combo.

I can never get over how goofy Jimmy Page looks.

28. "Walk on By" by Dionne Warwick (1964)

I love Burt Bacharach.

My mom has some great Dionne Warwick was a total diva stories from 1970s BYU.

29. "Hello Darlin'" by Conway Twitty (1970)

When you're on the losing end of the break-up.

Where can I get that sequin guitar strap, please?

30. "Cecilia" by Simon and Garfunkel (1970)

This song has been stuck in my head since my 5th grade obsession with Bridge Over Troubled Water, and it hasn't gotten less awesome.

Can anyone tell me what painting this is? I just chose this video because it had good audio.

100 Favorite Songs: 21-25

Most eclectic 5 yet?

21. "Interstate Love Song" by Stone Temple Pilots (1994)

'90s alternative always sounds homey to me, especially this understated break-up song. Here's a 2001 performance:


Love Scott's moves.


22. "Bring It On Home to Me" by Sam Cooke (1961)

Sam Cooke's vocals are perfect in this song when balanced out with Lou Rawls' lower harmonies.


Perrrrfection.


23. "Electric Feel" by MGMT (2008)

MGMT seems to be a decent live band, but nothing beats the studio polished reverb on every "ooo girl" and "baby girl."


Hipster jungle?


24. "Alison" by Elvis Costello (1977)

This is one of the better songs that's on permanent rotation in my head.


Have you ever met an Al(l)i/yson you didn't like?


25. “Mykonos” – Fleet Foxes (2008)

I love vocal harmonies. So much. Also, this song held up to several iterations a day during my crappy summer kiosk job.


Rock sensibly.

100 Favorite Songs: 16-20

Pop-folk-blues?

16. "Peace Like a River" by Paul Simon (1972)

I'm not really sure who's wielding lead guitar in this song, but it's spectacularly earthy.


Fun fact: that's a picture of the Provo River taken by yours truly.

And just in case it gets pulled:

17. "Strong Enough" - Sheryl Crow

While I love the sparer, slower version on the recorded version (I may have had an epic emotional breakdown to this song one time), this live performance from Lilith Fair 1997 gives the lyrics a fun spin. Also, accordion.

Apparently Lilith Fair is back.

18. "You Got the Silver" by Susan Tedeschi (2005)

A cover of The Rolling Stone's 1969 song, I prefer Susan Tedeschi's strong vocals to Keith Richard's Bob Dylanesque approximation of singing*--especially at the end when she takes turns with a slide guitar's melody to create a mixture of awesomeness.

I wish I had this woman's pipes.

19. "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison (1970)

Right? Plus, references to gypsies.

In case you can't get Groove Shark to work its magic, here's a good cover (in that it gets real hard core at the end) from Canadian songstress Deb Whalen at some random wedding (Van Morrison's people are big on pulling any Van Morrison original stuff):


Because this is the lady portion of the list, apparently.

20. "Delta Lady" by Joe Cocker (1969)

Penned by Leon Russell for Rita "The Delta Lady" Coolidge, I mostly just enjoy the lyrics which are fun, blunt, and a little sexy. Plus, you just can't beat Joe Cocker's gravelly singing style.

Did I mention mutton chops?

*I admit it kind of has its charms, if you're in the mood.

100 Favorite Songs: 11-15

Listy list face.

11. “Miami 2017 (See the Lights Go Out On Broadway)” by Billy Joel (1976)

I've rarely been a good sleeper, so I tend to listen to music in bed to distract me into relaxing my brain. "Miami 2017" was a guaranteed relaxer my sophomore year of high school. I'd usually space out somewhere in the upbeat middle and realize I was tired enough to sleep at the beautiful piano outro, causing me to turn off my CD player, take off my headphones, and fall asleep.


Not to say this song is soporific. It's lovely.

12. "Blood" by The Middle East (2009)

This is the newest song on this list, but I think my love of it will endure. It was one of those songs I instantly loved. The music is sad and hopeful and gives life the lyrical portrait of a family.


Love this video, too.

13. "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants (1990)

It's just so catchy, and once you learn all the bizarre lyrics, you can't not sing along.


The one song My 99.5 FM overplayed that I liked.

14. “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen (1979)

I think I've featured this song multiple times on this blog, but can you ever get sick of this song? Ever?


Also, this song is part of the best scene in Shaun of the Dead.

15. “Swallow” by The Wailin’ Jennys (2006)

Canadian bluegrass. Awesome. I'm mostly in love with brief Wailin' Jennys member Annabell Chvostek's voice in this song. I love a lady with rich low voice.

Also known as one of the few songs I can play on guitar.

100 Favorite Songs: 6-10

Numbers 6 through 10 of my unintentionally randomized list of favorite songs.

1. "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5 (1969)

As much as listening to prepubescent voices sing love songs is weird, lil' Michael Jackson did it well. This is one of my favorite vocal performances ever, and set to classically catchy Motown music to boot. Here's a fantastic performance:


Too bad it's way too high to sing along to.


2. "Karma Police" by Radiohead (1997)

Haunting, lovely, bizarre, transcend at "For a minute there..." Love love.


Even live it captures the same ethereal feeling.

3. "Sax and Violins" by Talking Heads (1991)

Talking Heads' songs are usually pretty hit-or-miss for me, but I love "Sax and Violins." The chorus absolutely soars (I may or may not bust out in tribal dance every time I hear this song), and the lyrics are playful with intraline rhyming. And it somehow manages to sound timeless and early 90s at the same time.


Toucan?


4. "What If" by Coldplay (2005)

I have this uncontrollable desire to hate Coldplay, but I just can't when Coldplay comes out with songs like "What If." Not one of their released singles, it's part of their extremely listenable album X&Y. It combines a gorgeous verse melody with powerful chorus. I don't even hate the falsetto in this song, and that's saying a lot.


The voice of my old piano teacher Judy is telling me that Chris Martin is sitting too high up and that his forearms should be parallel to the stage.

5. "Once" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglová (2007)

As underwhelmed as I am with most of the movie Once, I'm entrance by the title track from it. A lot of that has to do with the fact that Glen Hansard's yell-singing makes sense in this context (I love it, but for every song?), but also because I can't resist good brush drumming in conjunction with well sung harmonies.

Better audio here:

100 Favorite Songs: 1-5

So, I like the idea of doing a top 100 list, but some things just don't seem feasible. Like top 100 albums? Dude, Napster came on the scene during my formative middle school years defeating any chance that I'd buy complete albums of most musical artistes (sorry). And top 100 movies just seems like a lot of work to figure out what movies I have seen let alone rank them. But I figured out a lazy list of top 100: my top 100 songs .

Disclaimer: The songs picked have to have been good enough to be obsessed with at some point, but not so much that I'm sick of it now. Also, I didn't put jazz standards in since so many people cover those songs. In fact, the list is primarily rock and pop songs with just a dash of country and R&B. And I don't really listen to enough rap or techno or heavy metal to list any of those songs as favorites--sorry fans of those genres. Mostly, this is just to say that this list is completely arbitrary and an excuse to talk about songs I like.

So, in the order I thought of them, my top 100 songs, 5 at a time:

1. "Caught Up in You" by .38 Special (1982)

This hit from the extremely average looking .38 Special (when they still had punctuation) is an example of the perfect rock song. Perfect short intro, perfect verse length, perfect chorus with catchy enough melody to cover mistaken words, a perfect guitar solo (harmonizing guitar!), but most of all, a perfect bridge. This song may feature my favorite bridge from any song ever (at 2:13 and 2:53). I love the way they break it down with the unison rhythm of the instruments. I just love it too much!


Although the awkward flirting going on in this video dampens the song's effect a bit.

2. "I Want it That Way" by The Backstreet Boys (1999)

In the boy band war of the late 90s, I was staunchly a BSB fan (better music and better singers, duh). Their iconic song "I Want it That Way" is my favorite of their songs, and stands as a perfect example of how successful incomprehensible lyrics set to a catchy melody can be (the alternate version of the lyrics just sounds weird). Plus, it featured the voices of every one of the boys at some point in the song, including my beloved Kevin at the bridge of the song (of course).


'99 was also the summer I watched a ton of TRL. Worth it.

3. "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt (1991)

Best song if you're in the mood for a good cry. 'nuff said.


I have nothing to add.

4. "When the Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin (1971)

Led Zep at their grittiest. The drums are monstrous, the vocals are strong, the harmonica and slide guitar bring the sound out west while the guitar is a steady onslaught of awesome. It never feels like a 7 minute no matter how many times I hear it.


Great song to work custodial to, FYI.

5. "Baba O'Riley" by The Who (1971)

Also proving that long doesn't mean boring is the Who. There's such a perfect build to the song that gets more and more urgent as the song goes on, finally ending on a fast folk rhythm. And they use synthesizer so well that it sounds organic in the song. Seriously, a violin/synth duet? Brilliant.


Their live version with a harmonica is pretty great, too.

There's a reason these were the first 5 I thought of when making this list. From here on out the choices get increasingly more random. Until next time.