Okay, let's start with my top ten from 1967:

1. "Nights in White Satin", THE MOODY BLUES

Perhaps the pinnacle of orchestrated rock. Atmospheric and haunting. However you feel about the Moody Blues, orchestrated rock, art rock, or ballads, if this song doesn't move you at SOME level (even if you won't admit it) you ought to re-assess your musical appreciation abilities. It still gives me chills.

2. "Strawberry Fields Forever", THE BEATLES
Another exercise in pure musical beauty. Actually, now that I consider it after listing them together, very much in the style of the Moody Blues and you can see here the influence the Beatles had on the Moodies. I don't know what it is John screams at the end fade-out of the song, but it sure isn't "Cranberry Sauce".

3. "Shades of Grey", THE MONKEES
Okay, here's another song heavy on the orchestation. Actually, as beautiful as the music is on this one, what really matters here are the lyrics, a poignant musing on the both the confusion of adolescence and the jadedness of adulthood. Actually, I could just as easily have picked "You Just May Be the One", which I consider one of the all-time great three-minute rock songs, from Headquarters.

4. "Tuesday Afternoon", THE MOODY BLUES
I had to go back to Days of Future Passed because this song is every bit as haunting and moving as "Nights" and so it would be wrong not to include it here.

5. "Ruby Tuesday", THE ROLLING STONES
Ome of the Stone's all-time most moving and moody ballads, with one of Jagger's most plantive vocal performances. This became a hit in the US because of the contreversiality of the A-side's "Let's Spend the Night Together", DJs in America played the B-side instead.

6. "She's a Rainbow", THE ROLLING STONES
Again, sheer beauty from the Stones, this time Piano as opposed to string-driven and with a little bit of hard-rock backbone thrown in in the chorus. I actually prefer the single version to the album version which has a lengthly psuedo-psychadellic intro and which insists on spoiling things by a lot of messed up sound effects near the end.

7. "Brown Eyed Girl", VAN MORRISON
Okay, let's throw in a rocker (of sorts), lest anyone here think I'm a total ballad-loving softie. Maybe the greatest dance song ever.

8. "Little Wing", JIMI HENDRIX
My personal choice for favorite Hendrix song (closely edging out "Purple Haze"). Perhaps his most influential as well, look for example at the impact it had. It practically inspired David Gilmour's whole career with Pink Floyd, among others.

9. "Alone Again Or", LOVE
I knew I just had to pick a song from Forever Changes for this one. It came down to a hotly contested battle between this and the fantatic "Red Telephone" as well as "Live and Let Live" (perhaps the only great classic rock song outside of Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" to use the word "snot" in the lyrics.) "Alone Again Or" won out because it is the most famous and energetic of the album's songs.

10. "Break on Through", THE DOORS
The song in which the Doors introduced themselves to an unsuspecting word, they prophesized and summed up their entire philosophy and career in these two and a half minutes. The essential Doors song.

Not that I'm trying to upstage you, Todd, but the best I can do is narrow my list down to a Top 20. And these are my Top 20 favorite songs of 1967:

1. "Pleasant Valley Sunday" - the Monkees (Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork have cited this as the best thing the Pre-Fab ever recorded. It's hard to argue. It was one of the first, if not the first attempt the Monkees ever made at "social commentary. I really do still love this song, no matter how many times I've heard it.)

2. "Strawberry Fields Forever" - the Beatles (Hey! We agree not only on this song, but we agree on where it belongs. It's not my favorite Beatles song, but it is one of the best ones they recorded in their baroque period.)

3. "I Can See For Miles" - the Who (A vicious kiss-off by Pete Townshend. Roger's voice was truly coming to be a force to be reckoned with and fully able to hold its own against Towser's guitar and Moonie's drumming.)

4. "Shades of Gray" - the Monkees (Another song on which we agree. For pretty much the same reasons, too. The lyrics are simply great and touching. Only Mike Nesmith fails to sing a lead on this song. I think that's a record for any Monkees song; three lead vocalists.)

5. "A Day In the Life" - the Beatles (The finale to Sgt. Pepper's. The song starts slow and builds to one helluva musical climax. Outstanding.)

6. "Ruby Tuesday" - the Rolling Stones (Again, we have a song on which we agree, Todd. An elegantly melancholy song. Quite wistful.)

7. "California Nights" - Leslie Gore (Okay, it's pure pop of the very disposable kind. Still, I love Leslie's vocals on this one. The simple guitar strumming is haunting. I remember hearing this on an ep of Batman, so it goes back to my childhood.)

8. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" - Procol Harum (Based on Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, I'm surprised that I've rated it so highly. Yet, for its time, it really was a powerful tune.)

9. "White Rabbit" - Jefferson Airplane (Acid Rock meet Lewis Carroll. Another song inspired by classical literature. It operates on two levels, true. But I think we know which level Paul, Grace and the others had in mind. )

10. "Venus In Furs" - the Velvet Underground (And yet another song inspired by literature. This one by one Leopold Sacher-Masoch. Yes, it's about that. And that I like a song based on that kind of a novel, probably says a lot more about me than needs to be said.)

11. "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" - the Monkees (Good enough that the Sex Pistols used to perform it live. Um, maybe that's not much of a recommendation, after all. Still, this is a surprisingly harsh song for this teeny bopper band to have recorded. It still rocks after all these years.)

12. "Manic Depression" - the Jimi Hendrix Experience (I dunno why, but this is one of my favorite of James Marshall Hendrix's tunes. It rocks.)

13. "Nights In White Satin" - the Moody Blues (Once again, we have a tune we agree upon. I place it lower because it just doesn't have the impact upon me that it once did. Still, that poem at the end... "Breath deep/The gathering gloom...")

14. "Purple Haze" - the Jimi Hendrix Experience (I probably should rate this one higher than "Manic Depression", but for some reason I think "MD" is better. Great guitar work by Jimi, helping to usher in a new era: The Era of the Guitar God. And Jimi is still Zeus to whom all other guitarists bow.)

15. "Herion" - the Velvet Underground (What a slap in the face of the good vibrations of "The Summer of Love"! A song unafraid to reveal to the dark side of drug use. Scary even after all these years.)

16. "Happy Together" - the Turtles (Yeah, I know. Such a shift in moods. This song is far less than a romantic ballad and more of one man's fantasy of how love could be. ["Imagine me and you/I do."] This has to be the most misunderstood song on my list. It's actual meaning was so well buried by its pop melody.)

17. "Daydream Believer" - the Monkees (Yeah, I went ahead and listed this one here for irony's sake, I guess you could say. Nonetheless, this is almost inarguably Davy Jones' finest moment with the Pre-Fab Four. Of course, I do have a CD with a great live version by the song's author, John Stewart, that blows this version away... Still, a classic.)

18. "Ode to Billy Joe" - Bobby Gentry (One of pop rock's greatest mysteries: Just what was thrown off the Talahachee Bridge. I know what the movie says, but what did Bobby Gentry have in mind?)

19. "Castles Made of Sand" - the Jimi Hendrix Experience (Sorry, but this, to me, is the best cut on Axis: Bold As Love.)

20. "My Back Pages" - the Byrds (Some great cryptic lyrics by Bob Dylan, made into a great song by the Byrds. I love the chorus: "I was so much older then/I'm younger than that now.")

np - The Best of Boney M - Boney M

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

>17. "Daydream Believer"

Well, shoot. I had this on my '68 list. I forgot that it was actually recorded during the PACJ sessions and was released as a single late in '67, although it wouldn't be released on an album until '68. (which is what I was going by according to dating.) Just plug it in to the number 6 slot on my list and bump everything else down one.

Comments on the song: The classic Monkees single, the epitome of "sunshine pop", with an infectious chorus. Along with "I'm a Believer", the Monkees signature tune.

Tarim! Magical Mystery Tour was 1967, not 1968? Then I have a correction to make. #4 should be "I Am the Walrus". From there, bump everything down one notch, omitting "My Back Pages".

Comments on "I Am the Walrus":

Yet another literary based song and the first of two of my favorites inspired by Lewis Carroll. Bizarre, nonsensical, but a great deal of fun. Lennon having fun playing with words. A great one to listen to over the headphones. It's fun to hear the moment the song switches from mono to stereo. This is probably my favorite Beatles song. Definitely the best of their baroque period.

I am now going back to work on my 1968 list.

np - In Concert - Howling Wolf

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

Okay, since Todd started the last round, I'll start this one. Here's my Top 20 for 1968:

1. "Hey Jude" - the Beatles (Yeah, it's an obvious pick. Still, it does deserve it. McCartney's advice to Julian Lennon is still a classic tune.)

2. "(Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding (By the time this song made it to #1 on the charts, Otis was dead. A shame. Redding was a great singer and should have been and should still be better known than he is.)

3. "As We Go Along" - the Monkees (One of three songs from the soundtrack to the Monkees' one movie, Head. This one is a gorgeous, eloquent love song. Beautiful, beautiful.)

4. "Skip a Rope" - Henson Cargill (Country takes a look at the toll on children of parents fighting and a few other hypocrisies. Cargill's voice is deep and penetrating and drives the song home.)

5. "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" - Ohio Express (Yes, I am very embarrassed to be listing this song. I'm even mortified that I'm ranking it so high. But ya know, I remember this song from back when I was a little wolfcub. It's goofy, inane and I don't care. I like it.)

6. "Crimson and Clover" - Tommy James and the Shondell (Psychedelic music by a purely pop band. It works, too.)

7. "Mrs. Robinson" - Simon and Garfunkel (One of Paul and Artie's best songs. It's a song that is indeed, trying to seduce you.)

8. "Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)" - the Monkees (Wistful, elegiac. Another gorgeous song from the Head soundtrack. Didn't do as well as it should have on the charts.)

9. "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother and Holding Company, featuring Janis Joplin (A primal scream that inroduced the Flower Children to one of its most powerful voices. Pearl, you died much too young.)

10. "Scarborough Fair (Canticle)" - Simon and Garfunkel (Lush, soft and sounding like an ancient ballad. Paul and Art's voices blend together beautifully on this one.)

11. "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf (Wild and rebellious. Not so much an anthem as a statement.)

12. "Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again" - the Monkees (The third and final song from Head. It's also Peter Tork last contribution to the Monkees. One of the rare times he was allowed to sing lead on a song. It rocks.)

13. "Revolution" - the Beatles (Fierce, powerful, this song captured the spirit of protest. It points the way to Lennon's later politcal songs.)

14. "All Along the Watchtower" - the Jimi Hendrix Experience (Jimi was a Dylan fan. But he took Robert Allen Zimmerman's song to a level that Dylan never dreamed of. This song now and forever belongs to Jimi Hendrix. It doesn't matter who wrote it.)

15. "Auntie's Municipal Court" - the Monkees (A bizarre little tune. I think it's about alienation, but I'm not sure. I like it, though.)

16. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye (Forget the California Raisins! This is the version of the song! Gaye sings it with an incredible amount of passion.)

17. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - the Rolling Stones (Not really one of the Stones' better efforts. It still beats out most of the competition.)

18. "Folsom Prison Blues" - Johnny Cash (The Man in Black made you believe he really shot a man just to watch him die. Now that's talent!)

19. "Harper Valley PTA" - Jeannie C. Riley (Another hit that deals with hypocrisy. This time the hypocrites are in a small town. Normally, Country Music dares not criticize Small Town Morality, indulging in the belief that the Small Town is the soul of virtue. Jeannie C. Riley tells us differently. [Okay, so Tom T. Hall did. He wrote the thing.])

20. "Son of a Preacher Man" - Dusty Springfield (Dusty's vocals were superb on this song. She sang with just the right amount of innocence to make it work.)

np - What's Going On? - Marvin Gaye

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

I don't know what it is John screams at the end fade-out of the song, but it sure isn't "Cranberry Sauce".Todd Pence

No, it is "cranberry sauce." The fourth disc of the Beatles Anthology has the Strawberry Fields drum track isolated and you can hear it rather clearly.

10. "Scarborough Fair (Canticle)"Benn

Um? "Scarborough Fair" was released in 1966, as the title track (more or less) to the album "Parsely, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme." If you're looking for an actual '68 song, I'd reccomend "America" or "A Hazy Shade of Winter," along with the aforementioned "Mrs. Robinson."

Interesting, because I have three sources list "Scarborough Fair" as a hit in 1968. One source is The Harmony Encyclopedia of Rock, the 7th edition. (According to it, the song reached #11.) Then these websites also list it:

http://top40.about.com/library/weekly/aa1968e.htm

(It ranks it at #89 on this list.)

http://musiclab.co.jp/billboard/at/no1hc/top40hits_1968.html

(These are in alphabetical order, so you'll have to scroll down to spot it.)

I don't dispute that it was originally released in '66. But it looks like it was relesed as a single two years later. Is that possible?

np - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars - David Bowie

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

Strrrrrrrrange. allmusic.com doesn't have it listed as a single, period, but then again they only list three of the duo's singles and they had a whole lot more than that! I'm gonna try and track down a more comprehensive singles discography in hopes of getting more concrete data.

Oh, and while we're on the subject, guess who's getting back together?

Strrrrrrrrange. allmusic.com doesn't have it listed as a single, period, but then again they only list three of the duo's singles and they had a whole lot more than that! I'm gonna try and track down a more comprehensive singles discography in hopes of getting more concrete data.

Oh, and while we're on the subject, guess who's getting back together?

Actually, I did look on allmusic.com, too. What they did was list it as a "Song Highlight". But it is credited as being from 1966 and the album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme.

I bet you'll have your ticket for the Simon and Garfunkel reunion show two or three months in advanced should they come your way, eh, Sparrow?

np - Heart - Heart

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

Well, I might if I weren't a starving college student. I have a feeling that tickets are gonna be just a bit on the pricey side. But if they're in the same city, at the same time, as I am? Well, you never know...

Okay, here's mine from 1968:

1. "Jumping Jack Flash", THE ROLLING STONES
Disagree that it's not one of the Stone's better efforts - along with 1964's "Satisfaction", I consider it one of the two Stones signature songs. Classic strum riff combined with Jagger's howling vocals.

2. "Three-Four", MOBY GRAPE
Absolutely the loveliest song the Grape ever did, from the Wow album. Highlighted with a magnificent violin arrangement and Bob Moseley's deep but rangy vocals. When his vocals and the strings reach a crescendo sings "When I'm dead and gone / and my life has passed beyond your view / there inside of you / my life goes on and on", well that's an all-time great musical moment for me. I can't believe this song was left off of the 2-CD Columbia/Legacy Moby Grape anthology which came out about ten years ago, especially since they included almost everything else from Wow.

3. "Born to Be Wild", STEPPENWOLF
One of the great rock-out tunes in history, and the classic road-trip anthem. Supposedly this song's lyrics share the credit with a William Burroughs novel for creating the phrase "heavy metal".

4. "America", SIMON AND GARFUNKEL
This song had everything the duo were famous for - a soft acoustic riffand vocals which build into power and pathos and a lovely organ section. Also memorable lyrics. ("I'm empty and aching and I don't know why . . .") ranks with the singing moment cited above.

5. "Afterglow", THE SMALL FACES
From the straight song side of Odgen's Nut Gone Flake, a joyous love song bursting with sun-drenched organ and rounded out by nice solid drum fills. Unfortunately, the Small Faces recordings from this time (probably due to poor technology or condition of the master tapes) have an absolutely horrible sound quality, even in the remastered versions. I can only wonder how awesome a decent-sounding version of this song would sound like.

6. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", THE BEATLES
George Harrison's signature Beatle song. I knew I couldn't leave a Beatles song off the list in the year of the white album. Really though, that's one of those albums where the whole is greater than the individual sum of its parts, and you can't really point to one song as a standout among the album. But if pressed, I'll go with this one, narrowly beating out "Revolution". I know the popular choice is "Hey Jude", but I was never really big on that song and always thought it a tad on the boring side.

7. "Trust", THE PRETTY THINGS
Coming near the end of the proto-rock-opera S.F. Sorrow, this is arguably that work's most memorable song. With Beatle-esque vocal harmonies and keyboards, but with relentlessly downbeat vocals and lyrics. An absolute gem of a little two-and-a-half minute song in a sometimes meandering album. S.F. Sorrow makes the Wall look like an uplifting album by comparison.

8. "Wasn't Born To Follow", THE BYRDS
Hey, another song from the Easy Rider soundtrack (along with "Born To Be Wild")! Some of the coolest guitar effects in a song bridge, a gently flowing acoustic melody, and way-cool lyrics sung in an easy manner.

9. "Tin Soldier", THE SMALL FACES
One of the pop classics from this year. A rousing upbeat rocker with an infectuous chorus, it would be covered many times by future bands. Also based loosely on Hans Christian Anderson's fable, one of my favorite childhood stories. Unfortunately the original studio version suffers from the same sound quality problems that "Afterglow" does.

10. "Point Me At The Sky", PINK FLOYD
As discussed elsewhere on the music board, this is the great "lost" Pink Floyd song and as of this writing is (as far as I know) commercially unavailible on CD. The fogotten "A-side" of the more famous "Careful With That Axe, Eugene". I've come to really like it a lot, with some of the most memorable lyrics of this era of Floyd as well as a neat change from mellow to dramatic heaviness, and a rousing finale.

Well, there it is for your digestion. I'll post my '69 songs later this evening.

Okay, here's my '69 list: this one is going to have to be 15 items long.

1. "You Can't Always Get What You Want", THE ROLLING STONES
This was adopted by my high school graduating class as their official song, so it will always hold a special place for me. The mock chorus intro, Mick's ragged storytelling, the classic chorus, the gospel-like finale, all make this a classic timeless anthem. The centerpiece of the Let It Bleed album and an indispensible Stones number.

2. "The Ballad of Easy Rider", THE BYRDS
Okay, now we have yet another song from the Easy Rider soundtrack. And The Band's "The Weight" just missed the '68 cut. Can you tell that this is one of my favorite soundtracks of all time? Despite its brevity, this tune is simply gorgeous.

3. "Watching and Waiting", THE MOODY BLUES
Speaking of simply gorgeous . . . this closing track from the Moodies' Children album is as fine as anything they ever did, creating a breathtaking atmosphere with oh-so-stirring vocals. One of Justin Hayward's masterpieces.

4. "Pinball Wizard", THE WHO
The definitive song from Tommy, this classic is good enough to stand on its own merit outside the framework of that rock opera.

5. "It's a Beautiful Day Today", MOBY GRAPE
As good as an acoustic pop song gets, with great vocal harmonies and a sublime whistled midsection. Absolutely lovely playing and singing on this incredible track which can bring to mind a hot summer day even when listened to in the depths of winter. I can only attribute the publicity problems the Grape were suffering at the time to the fact that this tune didn't become a classic.

6. "Something In the Air", THUNDERCLAP NEWMAN
A deserved '60's classic, with magnificent instrumentation and plenty of drama and variety packed into its four minutes. The revolutionary lyrics may date it a little, actually they are quite militant (the antithesis of the Beatles' "Revolution") and are belied by the song's lovely arrangement. Highlighted by Andy Newman's piano solo, even if he does make a couple of noticable mistakes. The song was featured in the soundtracks of recent movies such as Almost Famous and Kingpin, a testament to its staying power.

7. "Out and In", THE MOODY BLUES
Another stunning track from the Moodies' Children album, this one takes your mind into another universe with it's dreamy mind-blowing atmosphere reminiscent of vintage Pink Floyd.

8. "Green Is the Colour", PINK FLOYD
Well, speak of the devil. This relatively unknown song from the relatively unknown More soundtrack exudes pure pastoral beauty and is the best of a group of similiarly mellow songs from that work. Another "lost" Floyd classic.

9. "Listen To the Band", THE MONKEES
The last great single of the original Monkees. A big band orchestral sound flavored with a tinge of country, the style Mike Nesmith had embraced at this point in his career, and it arguably never worked better than here.

10. "In The Court Of The Crimson King", KING CRIMSON
This early prog classic with a haunting semi-gothic arrangement and great whimsical fantasy lyrics not only provided this unique band its namesake, but was also the best thing they ever did.

11. "Here Comes The Sun", THE BEATLES
Another Harrison Beatles song gets my vote as the best of a classic Beatles album!

12. "What Is and What Should Never Be", LED ZEPPELIN
One of the most original of the early Zeppelin tunes, and a showcase for how they could effectively mix the light and the heavy in the same track to great effect.

13. "Anybody's Answer", GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
My favorite of the band's classic proto-heavy metal debut. Some vicious rocking and shifts in style with lyrics as meaningful as any the band ever came up with (okay, so maybe that's not saying a whole lot, but the song kicks butt anyway).

14. "Touch Me", THE DOORS
Demonstrates that the Doors may have been at their best when M&M cut out all the heavy mysticism and concentrated on simply making a great pop song.

15. "Home to You", EARTH OPERA
I thought this deserved a place for being maybe the best tune to come out of the Boston Sound movement (the efforts of the more well-known Orpheus and Ultimate Spinach notwithstanding), so I plugged it into the final slot. It was good enough for Peter Rowan to re-do when he formed Seatrain for their first album. Famous for its classic head-scratching opening lyric, "It's tired and I'm getting late".

I should have listed "While My Guitar Weeps", but forgot to. I agree with your assessment of "The White Album". I may revise 1968 to include "...Guitar..." or I might not. I'll think about it.

"Supposedly this song's lyrics share the credit with a William Burroughs novel for creating the phrase 'heavy metal'." - Todd Pence

The novel in question is The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs.

"8. 'Wasn't Born To Follow', THE BYRDS"

I've read somewhere that the Monkees were supposed to record this one. It sounds like something Papa Nez would have sang lead on. And it is possible. Some Monkees money, I believe, went into the making of Easy Rider. The producers of the TV series, Bob Rafelson and Burt Schnider were involved in the making of the movie. Plus, if you watch the Monkees' movie, Head carefully, you'll see that Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper make an unbilled cameo in the film. Nicholson also did a great of "scriptwriting" for the Monkees movie, too. So there is a connection between the two projects. So, yeah, I can believe that the Monkees almost recorded it.

Next up, my Top 20 list for 1969.

np - Shakedown 1979 - Favorites From 1979 - various artists (It's a tape I made several years ago.)

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

And now The Top 20 for the Class of 1969, my version:

1. "One" - Three Dog Night (An ironic choice, yes. But still, I've known this song most of my life. One of the best things Three Dog Night ever recorded.)

2. "Games People Play" - Joe South (Another song I've known most of my life. Inspired by Eric Berne, M.D.'s book of the same name, the song is a warning that children imitate what they see their elders doing.)

3. "I'm Free" - the Who (Sorry, I prefer this to "Pinball Wizard". Not that "Pinball..." wasn't considered. I just like this one better. A defiant cry for freedom and self-determination. I love it.)

4. "Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)" - Neil Diamond (I'm not much of a Neil Diamond fan. This is one of four-six songs by him that I like. It's a nice little pop gem. What can I say?)

5. "Proud Mary" - Creedence Clearwater Revival (This is one of those songs that it seems strange to learn that it was written within my lifetime. It sounds ancient, like it was born in the 1800s. That's a helluva tribute to John Fogerty's writing skills. A great Bayou, Southern Rocker, even if Fogerty sings it like a New Yorker ["Woiking for the man every night and day."])

6. "Come Together" - the Beatles (Not even the fact that Michael Jackson covered this song can weaken its power. Sure Lennon ripped off Chuck Berry. [Hey! If you've gotta steal, steal from the best! ] But this song has a great riff and some of Lennon's best word-play. The best thing, IMO the Fab Four did in '69.)

7. "Someday Man" - the Monkees (The B-side to "Listen to the Band", written by Paul Williams [of all people!], I actually like this song better. I guess in many ways I relate to the lyrics. Many people these days do consider me to be very laid back. It's one the few songs Davy sang lead on that I really like.)

8. "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" - Zager and Evans (Okay, it's a preachy, simplistic, sci-fi folk song. So what? It worked. That's what's important.)

9. "Down On the Corner" - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Another Bayou/Southern Rocker. This one without the Noo Yawk accent. The hook is infectious. John Fogerty is a rather under-rated songwriter.)

10. "Get Back" - the Beatles (Talk about irony. The Beatles did not get back. A reminder that Paulie really could write a good rock song when he wanted to. I'd still like to hear the Pakistani version, though.)

11. "Listen to the Band" - the Monkees (Papa Nez final got the A-side of a single. This little country rocker was a harbinger of things to come. Too bad the Monkees never got props for leading the way to Country Rock, though. Demoted several points because of the repetitive lyrics. It's a trick R.E.M. would pull a couple of decades later with "The One I Love".)

12. "Acid Queen" - the Who (A song that demonstrates Roger's ability to assume the voice of any character. In this case, a woman. And he does it without sacrificing any of his machismo. A neat trick.)

13. "Good Morning, Starshine" - Oliver (I was a little kid when I first heard this song. Bob on Sesame Street sang it to Grover and some of the other monster muppets. Defintely a pop artefact of the Hippie Era, but a good one.)

14. "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Fogerty tries his hand at social commentary. A vicious snipe at classism. "It ain't me" indeed.)

15. "Brother Love's Travelin' Salvation Show" - Neil Diamond (I don't know what it is about this song that I like, but I really do. There are others by him I like better, but this one is still good.)

16, "Lay Lady Lay" - Bob Dylan (Zimmerman's first appearance on my lists. This is probably one of Bob's most melodic tunes.)

17. "Smile a Little Smile For Me" - the Flying Machine (Okay, this is schmaltzy as hell. It's still catchy.)

18. "Take a Letter, Maria" - R.B. Greaves (A classic divorce song, if slightly politically incorrect now.)

19. "Atlantis" - Donovan (Okay, so all it is is just Donovan reciting the history of Atlantis and singing "Way down/Below the ocean/Where I wanna be/She may be" over and over and over and overandover and... well, you get the point. But there's something hypnotic about that that draws me into the song. What can I tell you?)

20. "Strawberry Farms" - Tom T. Hall (This is such a haunting, lovely tune about an orphanage. Okay, so was the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever", but this Tom T. Hall cut is unique and deserves a berth of its own. A country classic.)

np - Shakedown 1979 - Favorites From 1979 - various artists

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

Okay, I've got my list for 1970 made. This is a strange, eclectic year. Two novelty songs make the list. And no one act has more than one song listed for this year. Here it is:

1. "What a Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong (This song always brings tears to my eyes. Any song that powerful is automatically the best of its year. Satchmo was one of the greats and this is one of his best vocal examples. What a wonderful world indeed that can give us someone as great as Pops was. Thanks!)

2. "The Seeker" - the Who (I almost listed "Summertime Blues", then I found out this came out in 1970. Not only is it a better song, it's one of my theme songs. So it gets the number 2 slot.)

3. "Uncle Charley and His Dog Teddy/Mr. Bojangles" - the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Someone once gave me a 45 with "Mr. Bojangles" on it. On the B-side was the song with the "Uncle Charley and His Dog Teddy" prologue. Since hearing the song that way, it's become the version of this song to me. This is another song that sounds much older than it is.)

4. "Immigrant Song" - Led Zeppelin (What a killer riff! Bob Zeppelin's (Robert Plant*) vocals soar through the speakers in this song. Classic Zep.)

5. "Sixty Years On" - Elton John (The obvious choice is "Your Song". But I'm about half sick of the tune now. Besides, this meditation on growing always was the better cut off Elton John.)

6. "Lola" - the Kinks (The "Coca Cola" version, please. Great riff. Ray Davies actually slipped this ode to a transvestite past the radio censors. That's one hellluva neat trick.)

7. "25 to 6 or 4" - Chicago (Another song with a great riff. I remember the band at Weatherford Junior High playing this song on the stage in the school's cafeteria. Could be a song about an acid trip. Sounds like it. Who cares? This one rocks.)

8. "Closer to Home/I'm Your Captain" - Grand Funk (Before they added a Railroad. This is a great song about paranoia, homesickness and seasickness, too.)

9. "Looking Out My Back Door" - Creedence Clearwater Revival (What the hell is this song about? "Listening to Buck Owens"? Still, it's another cool, great CCR song.)

10. "Let It Be" - the Beatles (The Fab Four's advice to their fans as they call it quits. The version without Phil Spector's tinkering is better, though.)

11. "Hitchin' a Ride" - Vanity Fare (Y'know, I thought this song was older than this. Paul Simon co-wrote it, I believe, and it does sound like something he and Artie could've recorded. It's throw-away pop, but again, so what?)

12. "Tennessee Bird Walk" - Terrence Blanchard and Misty Morgan (Sorry, I still get a kick out of this song. It's dopey, silly, goofy and I love it!)

13. "Ride Captain Ride" - Blues Image (Kind of a companion piece to "Closer to Home", I guess. Not much else to say except it is a nicely crafted pop song.)

14. "If You Could Read My Mind" - Gordon Lightfoot (Not my absolute favorite by Gord, but this is still a hauntingly, achingly beautiful folk ballad. It manages to stay just this side of maudlin.)

15. "The Thrill Is Gone" - B.B. King (One of Riley B. King's best blues tunes. Killer guitar work - but then I'd expect nothing less than great from the Memphis Blues Boy. This is what the blues is all about.)

16. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (Motown does Pagliacci. Smokey's vocals are so eloquent on this song. You'd honestly think he was singing about himself. [Maybe he is and I just don't know it.])

17. "Thank You (Falenttime Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly and the Family Stone (Weird spelling that Prince would emulate years later. A nice funky song by one of the greats of funk/rock.)

18. "Joanne" - Michael Nesmith and the First National Band (In which Papa Nez becomes the only member of the Monkees to have a big solo hit. He'd never equal it, mind you, but he at least he had a big hit. This song, about a cow, believe it or not, shows Mike to be a Country Singer at heart. No wonder he left the Monkees.)

19. "Gimme Dat Ding" - the Pipkins (This song could get annoying. But still, despite its weirdness, this is a really fun song.)

20. "Kentucky Song" - Elvis Presley (One of the few songs by "The King" that I actually like. This will be his only appearance on these lists for me. Probably not as good or as vital as his Sun Records days, but still a well-crafted song and better than most of the fluff he was cranking out back then. If he could have found more material like this, he wouldn't've had to hide out in Vegas to earn a living.)

And that's the Class of 1970 according to me.

np - Last Splash - the Breeders

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

*I saw Robert Plant on his Now and Zen tour, when he was finally embracing his Zeppelin heritage by playing some Led Zep songs. I was getting a bit of a buzz at the show and started to call Plant Bob Zeppelin. For me, the nickname stuck.

I might point out that Simon and Garfunkel's "The Boxer" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" came out in 1970 (unless I've got this date wrong, too). And both are pretty darn good, in my opinion.

Here's my 20 from '70 list. Hey, ain't this fun, Benn?

1. “The Long and Winding Road”, THE BEATLES
Along with “Yesterday”, this is my favorite Beatles song, and one of the most emotionally moving songs in pop music history. I know some people don’t care for the Phil Spector orchestration, but I think it works to great effect. Of course, since I’ve never heard the raw version, I can’t really compare. It’s funny the associations you can sometimes provide with songs – at the time I was first getting into this one, in about the eighth grade, I was also reading Robert Cormier’s classic novel I am the Cheese. It struck me how much the lyrics of this song reflected the plight of the book’s doomed hero, Adam Farmer, and so I’ve never been able to hear LAWR without thinking of I am the Cheese. Strange association, huh? I still feel they should have used this song in the movie of that novel.

2. “Fire and Rain”, JAMES TAYLOR
JT’s most stark and soul-baring ballad, you can listen to it a hundred times, and it will still have the impact upon you it did when you first heard it.

3. “Your Song”, ELTON JOHN
Perhaps the ultimate love song. Elton would later become renown for his heavily produced hits, but here he takes a fairly minimalist approach with great effect. By this point in my song descriptions I’ve already run out of synonyms for “beautiful” and “lovely”, so grab your Thesarus and plug in your own here.

4. “Time Machine”, STRAY
An absolute sparkling gem of a hard rock classic which sounds so fresh it could have been recorded yesterday. Magnificent, driving guitar work and one of many incredible solos from Del Bromham whose name should be mentioned in the same breath as Hendrix, Page and Blackmore. The lyrics tell of a guy who tries to impress his chick by taking her out for a spin in his time machine to see sights such as the burning of Rome and Custer’s last stand. BTW, this is probably the most obscure choice to appear on any of my lists, I defy anyone to find a copy. Which is a shame, because every fan of rock should hear this song. “Around the World in Eighty Days” from Stray’s self-titled debut album is almost equally as good.

5. “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, SIMON AND GARFUNKEL
Okay, do I really need to defend this choice on this board? If you’ve heard it you already know why it belongs here. My favorite part, the hair-raising “sail on silver girl” verse.

6. “Tangerine”, LED ZEPPELIN
The prototype for “Stairway to Heaven”, and in many ways more focused. Again, a prime example of Zep’s ability to mix light and shade.

7. “After The Gold Rush”, NEIL YOUNG
Neil’s warbling vocals have seldom been so compelling as on this number. The title track of an album full of similarly stark, moody, instrospective bare-bones ballads.

8. “Nature’s Way”, SPIRIT
Appropos that this should follow “Gold Rush”, since the two songs are very similar in style, although this one relies on acoustic guitar as opposed to “Gold Rush”’s piano. “It’s nature’s way of telling you something’s wrong”, is basically the only lyric in this tune, but that doesn’t distract from the song’s appeal. Sometimes the most thought-provoking lyrics are the simplest ones, and they certainly tend to have the more universal appeal. (WHAT is nature’s way of telling you something’s wrong?, many who have listened to this have wondered and each come up with their own individual answer). My own interpretation is that this song speaks about escalating natural disasters as the Earth’s revenge for its increased despoiling in a more technological era. Sorry, didn’t mean to get to deep there. Anyway, gorgeous vocal harmonies.

9. “Summer Of ‘68”, PINK FLOYD
One of three great slow songs from side two of Atom Heart Mother, this one ranks up with “Wish You Were Here” and “Comfortably Numb” as one of my favorite all-time Floyd songs and must surely rank as Rick Wright’s greatest contribution to the band. Brilliant arrangement with the classic Floyd sound, Horn section used to great effect, and lyrics meaningful to any one who has ever had a one-night stand.

10. “Stone Believer”, IRON BUTTERFLY
Yeah, I actually picked an Iron Butterfly song for one of these lists, and it was NOT “Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida”. While that is a great song, its appeal tends to range from the esoteric to the campy. By contrast, “Stone Believer” is simply a magnificent rock and roll song in the Credence Clearwater Revival style. In a better world, this would have been one of the blockbuster hits for this year. This song rocks, man.

11. “Question”, THE MOODY BLUES
This is one of the Moodies’ showcase songs because it displays both their most mellow and their more . . . um . . . ahem . . . more “heavy” side. This is mainly becuase it is made up of two seperate songs which weren’t working alone and which were decided to be combined together. The result of this fusion works just fine. But it is the softer section, with the poignant lyrics about the loss of an idyllic childhood world, that really carry the day. Great song, guys.

12. “Let It Be”, THE BEATLES
Another Beatles classic and another reason why Let It Be is my favorite Beatles album.

13. “Child In Time”, DEEP PURPLE
This one is one of the all-time early heavy metal greats. Gothic in overtones and with some truly onimous apocolyptic moments, as well as killer instrumentation. Although the lyrics are sparse, they are great “If you think you’re safe from flying lead . . . just wait for the ricochet”. Wow, this is fantastic stuff. Definitely to be credited as a major influence on the British new wave of heavy metal. This, “Stairway to Heaven”, and “July Morning” are considered the early seventies golden trio of semi-progressive heavy-metal epics, and this easily has the sharpest edge of the three.

14. “Soon I Will Be Gone”, FREE
My favorite of a number of superb rock-blues songs from Free’s incredible Highway album. Paul Rogers, who a few years back won a magazine poll as the greatest classic rock vocalist of all time, never sounded as great as he does on this album. “Bodie” and “I Love You So” are also standout tracks from Highway, but “Soon I Will Be Gone” is a pure magnificence and one of the greatest album-closing tracks ever.

15. “The Boxer”, SIMON AND GARFUNKEL
Another indispensable number from Tom and Jerry. A lot of people questioned its relevance as the song Paul Simon chose to sing on Saturday Night Live the week after 9/11, but I think Simon couldn’t have picked a more appropriate choice from his repritore, as the song is all about resiliance in the face of overwhelming loss and defeat.

16. “Look What You’ve Done”, BREAD
Hi, my name is Todd Pence, and I’m a Bread fan. This is one of their lesser known numbers, but it’s one of my favorites – it has all the great features of their most well-known hits and is one of the ultimate breakup songs, IMHO. A great emotional buildup and vocal performance near the end. “Make It With You” from the same album became the number one hit, but this song is WAY better.

17. “Lola”, THE KINKS
The Kinks’ signature song. Actually, my introduction to this one came, embarrassingly enough, via Weird Al Yankovic’s “Yoda” parody.

18. “Ride, Captain, Ride”, THE BLUES IMAGE
Pleased to see you chose this one as well, Benn. I remember being in a bar several years back and hearing this song on the radio and I just HAD to find out who did it. Unfortunately, this seems to be the only song this band did currently available, I’d love to hear other songs by them.

19. “Silver Paper”, MOUNTAIN
Okay, I know if I picked Mountain song from this year it really should have been the all-time teeth-jarring rocker “Mississippi Queen”. But I really dig “Silver Paper”, even if it did steal the lyrics to the chorus from Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm of the Flinstones show, of all places.

20. “Layle”, DEREK AND THE DOMINOS
And now we close with a classic radio staple. Geez, at this point I’m tired of writing about how great all these songs are so I’ll let this one stand on its own.

Isn't that "Layla", not "Layle"? And is it the acoustic or electric version?

It's the electric version. The acoustic version did not debut until the 1990s.

I'm finding "Layla" to be similar to "Scarborough Fair". The album it was released from is a 1970 issue. However, The Book of Rock Lists has it listed as a "Top of the Pop" in 1972. allmusic.com also states that the song became a hit in the summer of '72. (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll) Plus this webisite http://musiclab.co.jp/billboard/at/no1hc/top40hits_1972.html also lists it as a 1972 hit. So, instead of revising my 1970, I'm going to rank it my Class of '72, due to the preponderance of evidence.

Sparrow, as for why I omitted "The Boxer" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water", well, call me a Philistine, but I've never been a big fan of either tunes. My favorite Simon and Garfunkel songs are "The Sounds of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson" and "Scarborough Fair". In that order. So... But that's just my taste in music.

And yeah, Todd, this has been pretty fun. I kinda wouldn't mind seeing similar lists from some of the others. Personally, I wouldn't think that everyone has to rank the songs in order or even comment on their choices. And even if they start back at 1967, I'd be fine with that. What about you, Todd?

I think I'll start work on 1971 here in a few.

np - The Platinum Collection - Blondie

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

Todd? Benn? You two have WONDERFUL taste; you do know that, right? Of course you do! Well, I'm no good at narrowing down things into "best of" list, but I do have one or two nominations that seem to have sliped through the cracks.

(Oh, and about the whole "Scarborough Fair" dating thing, I believe that it wasn't a single until the soundtrack to The Graduate came out.)


1967:

"Good Vibrations" The Beach Boys. Brilliant, even if it is a bit over rated these days.

"Waterloo Sunset" The Kinks. Not a hit, maybe, but a brilliant song none the less.

"I See The Rain" Marmalade. "Pictures of Matchstick Men" meets "Hey Joe" with Hollies harmonies and REALLY big bass lines thrown in for good measure. The best psychedelic pop song ever? Heck, I dunno, but it sure could be.

"Sunday Morning" The Velvet Underground. Everyone makes such a big deal about the more "ground breaking" aspects of the VU songbook, it's the pure pop moments that I think stand out.

"Friday On My Mind" The Easybeats. I'm still trying to figure out how George Young played the guitar on this without severing a finger on the string.

"Arnold Layne" Pink Floyd. Well, we've already got one song about a cross dresser here, why not two?

"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" The Yardbirds. Jeff Beck. Jimmy Page. 'Nuff said.

"Strage Days" The Doors. One of there best.

1968:

"Gonna Have A Good Time (Good Times)" The Easybeats. One of the all time great Rock and Roll party songs (featuring Steve Marriott of The Small Faces)

"Big Sky" The Kinks. Just about everything on The Village Green Preservation Society is great, but this is my personal pic for the best.

"When The Alarm Clock Rings" The Blossom Toes. The best song The Moody Blues never wrote.

"Land Of Make Believe" The Easybeats. For my money, the best thing The Easybeats ever did. Beautifly haunting psychedelic rock.

"Yes, The River Knows" The Doors. Robbie Krieger REALLY should have written more for The Doors.

"Brief Candles" The Zombies. Well, I could mention almost all of the album here (such as the hit "Time Of The Season", but this one is a personal fave.

1969:

"Barabajagal" Donovan. His best hard rocker (something you don't say much about DONOVAN), thanks to backing by The Jeff Beck Group.

"Wishful Sinful" The Doors. Those who bash The Soft Parade need a laxative, if I may use a quip from Don Henley for my own devices.

"Beginning To See The Light" The Velvet Underground. Good old fashion folk rock, when good old fashion folk rock was getting too old to be recognized as good.

"Dazed and Confused" Led Zeppelin. High School stoners of the world unite.

"Izba Bar" Pink Floyd. Acid rock like this is a bit of an oddity from these guys. Too bad.

"Go To The Mirror Boy" The Who. Not to slight "I'm Free" or "Pinball Wizard", but this is the best song on Tommy.

1970:

"Riki Tiki Tavi" Donovan. My personal favorite.

"It's Up To You" The Moody Blues. Well, they sound more like Badfinger on this, but that's hardly bad. Speaking of whom...

"No Mater What" Badfinger. Required listening for any fool who wants to start a rock band.

And if I may jump ahead of you guys a bit:

1971:

"The Story In Your Eyes" The Moody Blues. The single best rocker they ever did.

Finally, I wish that 1966 was included here, so "Eight Miles High", "19th Nervous Breakdown", "Paperback Writer", "God Only Knows", "Rain", "It Won't Be Wrong", and a whole lot more could be mentioned.

Oh, there's also a few songs who's year I can't remember. Anyone know when "Days" by The Kinks, "She's Comming Home" by The Zombies, and "Take Me For What I'm Worth" by The Searchers were released?

Fine with me if everybody started making their own lists. And, yeah, "Layle" was a typo on my part.

>"I See The Rain" Marmalade

Yeah, I almost put this one on my '67 list. Hendrix proclaimed it his favorite record of that year.

Philistine! Philistine!

Hey Sparrow! Did you ever find a more comprehensive Simon and Garfunkel discography so we can settle the question of "Scarborough Fair"'s placement? I'd be very interested in knowing the results.

np - The Essential Chet Atkins - Chet Atkins

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

20. "Kentucky Song" - Elvis Presley (One of the few songs by "The King" that I actually like. This will be his only appearance on these lists for me. Probably not as good or as vital as his Sun Records days, but still a well-crafted song and better than most of the fluff he was cranking out back then. If he could have found more material like this, he wouldn't've had to hide out in Vegas to earn a living.) - me

"Kentucky Rain". "Rain", not "Song." Boy, am I embarrassed.