My Top Five Songs

A dear friend recently asked me out of the blue what my favorite songs were. Considering I have a collection of literally millions, narrowing it all down to my top five would be tricky ...

But, of course, I have this in my head already. It's really a top four with a fifth position which can change depending on the weather. So here goes.

1.) Joan Armatrading - Love And Affection (1976)

Joan's haunting, aching song of the warring feelings of loneliness, an ache for that very special kind of love and a maddening confusion about how to relieve it makes this my all-time favorite song. (P.S. Don't ever listen to anyone's cover versions. They will suck.)

2.) Donna Summer - I Feel Love (1977)

For my money, one of the most influential songs of the 1970s. David Bowie told it best when he talked about how he and Brian Eno were in Berlin banging their heads as to how to move music forward when Eno came running down the hall with a 45 of this song. A throbbing electronic score like nothing that had been heard before with this gospel-like angelic diva voice soaring over it. Hypnotic and perfect.

Sadly, since the song is so much a studio creation, my girl Donna has (in my estimation) never done it justice in concert. (And don't even get me started on the goofy snake-like/robotic arm movements when she sings it.)

Recently, we saw the Blue Man Group do this in concert and it really was the first time I've seen it live when it has been magical. Now if Donna could just do it with them.





3.) Gladys Knight & The Pips - I've Got To Use My Imagination (1973)





A pounding beat. The pain (or is it paranoia?) of knowing that a relationship is over and the driving, overpowering spirit that tells you that you simply have to ... you must ... keep keeping on. That voice simply won't let you give up.

4.) Pretenders - Precious (1980)


YouTube is killing me here. The only "video" of this is this fake with the original song laid over another band's video. At least you get the song.



Anyways, it is raw power. A kiss off of epic proportions. And the first song I ever had that had the word "fuck" in it. What fun it was to call the college radio station and have them play it and then hear them freak out three minutes in.

Since the classic original Pretenders lineup (with two bandmates who would die within a year of the recording) is the only one that matters for me, here's a clip of another classic song of theirs, "Tattooed Love Boys." Enjoy.





Finally, since number five can change at the drop of a hat, I'll go Broadway.

5.) Angela Lansbury & Len Cariou - A Little Priest (1979)



From Stephen Sonheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Hey, the movie was great, but nothing will ever match the original. How can you argue with a cheery waltz about cannibalism?

So, what are yours? Comment or write.