Post #207072 by tikivixen on Thu, Jan 12, 2006 12:58 AM

I love the stuff that's coming up...stuff I love and figured no one would think of, like the Breeders and My Bloody Valentine and World Party and "Beat on the Brat"!! Will I be the first to mention PJ Harvey? "To Bring You My Love", specifically.

Nick Lowe...he sure is the quintessential pop/rock artist, isn't he? The whole album "Dig My Mood" is awesome--I could listen to it forever. Likewise "Time Wounds All Heels". And of course...his masterpiece...

"Shting Shtang". :lol:

My favorite Nick Lowe song is probably "What Lack Of Love Has Done", though.

Some songs that really stick with me through the years:

1. "The Big Heat" Stan Ridgway
2. "El Paso" Marty Robbins
3. "London Calling" The Clash
4. "Major Tom" Peter Schilling
5. "People Are People" Depeche Mode
6. "Sweet Dreams" Patsy Cline
7. "Deep Song" Billie Holiday
8. "Heartbreak Hotel" Elvis
9. "Heart of Glass" Blondie
   10."These Boots Are Made For Walking" Nancy Sinatra
   11."Moon River" by anybody, any version
   12."Wicked Game" Chris Isaak
   13."Invisible Sun" The Police
   14."Holding Back The Years" Simply Red
   15."Running Up That Hill" Kate Bush
   16."Great Balls of Fire" Jerry Lee Lewis
   17."Back on the Chain Gang" The Pretenders
   18."Brown-Eyed Girl" Rolling Stones
   19."Nothing Can Change This Love" Sam Cooke
   20."The Future" Leonard Cohen
   21."Sweet Dreams" Eurythmics
   22."Night and Day" Frank Sinatra (I am sure he recorded
   this more than once, but the version I'm thinking of is an
   old 40's one, probably with Dorsey)
   23."Ghost Riders In The Sky" Tennessee Ernie Ford
   24."From This Moment On" Ella Fitzgerald
   25."Begin The Beguine" Artie Shaw

OK, I went into Big Band there, which is more pure pop than pop/rock, but hey. "Begin The Beguine" exhilarates me more than the best rock song I've ever heard, and in a not dissimilar way. Talk about rhythm!!!!!!!

I second the vote on whoever it was mentioned Jeff Buckley's version of Cohen's "Hallelujah". It's sublime. So's his take on the Nina Simone classic "Lilac Wine". Those are two perfect recordings. Literally. Perfect. I still can't believe that guy's dead. So weird.

Virtually every song the Beatles did was some kinda perfect pop/rock. How to pick one???

Last but not least, "Sea of Heartbreak" by Don Gibson is another totally perfect pop/rock song. Like Nick Lowe, Gibson was a genius of that particular genre. I wonder if he ever wrote a song that wasn't hopelessly catchy...