I'm Corona'd out and viewing very little television and internet news these days, back to my studies and music. I've been working on this project for a couple of weeks, making yet another Top 100 playlist.

My imaginary scenario...

I'm going away for life and can take only 100 songs with me with no chance of acquiring more music. Since that's all I'll ever have, I have to keep in mind the multiple genres I listen to.

I know I'm playing it loose with what defines a "song" with a couple of Rush 20 min. album-side filling singles! Unfortunately it can also work against you like with the last set of songs at the end of the Beatles' "Abbey Road" album.

Man, it was *really* hard to narrow my selection down to only 100 songs and it took multiple trial listens before deciding on a final listing. Just narrowing it down to 500 songs that I wouldn't want to live without was tough, and that's not including several great albums without a standout single (Alan Parsons Project's "Turn of a Friendly Card" comes to mind). I finally chewed it down to 300 songs which will serve as my base for any future huge playlists (like for taking a road trip).

Note that some songs are not the biggest hits from a band as I either: a) tired of the biggest hits or b) have always liked the lesser-known songs better. Also, I wanted my top two albums in their entirety, although I could probably live without "Money" and "Vital Signs". But then they wouldn't be complete, and "Vital Signs" takes some of the 'Sting' out of having so very little Police.

This scenario assumes that my misses is coming with me, else many of these songs would be trash canned (just wouldn't want to listen to them anymore). She's been peeking over my shoulder, wants me to help her make her own top 100 which will include some songs that I passed on (i.e. choosing the Eagles' "Please Come Home For Christmas" over another holiday favorite, Dan Fogelberg's "Same Old Lang Syne").

So here's my playlist, including some guilty pleasures that had to make my top tier listing (there really is a reason for every one of these songs, even the ones that make you cringe ), many associated memories locked deep inside this Rock-filled head)...



Anyway, I'm hoping some of you similarly-aged gents (b. '67, age 52) will get a kick out of my all-time greatest going away forever song selection. Later I'll post my top 100 runner-ups which were so very hard not to include (along with hundreds more that I'm glad I don't have to ditch forever).

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EDIT: My Top 100 Runner-ups 1st tier...



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EDIT: My Top 100 Runner-ups 2nd tier (about 50 songs didn't make the cut)...



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EDIT: Actually there were thousands of songs which could have made one these lists, but it's all irrelevant as I'm sticking with my first original Top 100. But so many songs I would miss, as well as complete albums, many with no representation here.

From the favorite albums thread, most of my favorites (sans any Greatest Hits or Soundtracks):

...and again, no Hits compilations which would be another long listing.

That's a pretty good list you have there. I'd say I like about half of the songs in your list. The other half are divided between songs I'm not familiar with and songs I don't care for.

Hey, at least I'm batting 500!

I believe I could take a cross-country road trip which just about anyone within 10 years of my age, and if all we had to choose from was the music in my own expansive CD collection, they'd find enough common interest to last the trip. Unless all they listened to was Rap/Hip Hop, then we'd have a problem (of ~10,000 songs I have maybe a dozen).

For you PM, I think I'd start by dusting off my Beatles collection (I believe I have every album), then add some Genesis and ELO (both individual albums and hits compilations). Billy Joel? Paul McCartney/Wings? You'd find enough.

I often wonder what older music I have yet to explore. For example, the band Oasis seems to be liked by some here outside of the US, yet only recently (within the past 10 years) have I even heard of them (and right here on SimHQ).

EDIT: And of course, "The Wall"!

I'm finding that creating a top 100 runner-up playlist is even more difficult than the top 100!

Which reminds me of a pic I once posted on a defunct game dev board. It was in response to a Boomer comment (not addressed to me) about making a Queen mix tape.

So I posted this...

A few random thoughts...

1. Making a digital PC 'mix tape' playlist is so much easier than the old-school way of having to:

- calculate song lengths from various LPs to fit nicely on each side of a cassette (totaling 60 or 90 min., or even 120 if you lived dangerously).
- simultaneously press Pause and Record and then trial play each song to set the L/R record levels properly (letting the meters bump but not exceed 'redline').
- practice impeccable timing of unpausing the tape deck to record each song when the stylus was perfectly between songs, and then...
- repause on the mark when the song is over.

Making a good quality mix tape (assuming you used terms like: "cartridge", "turntable", "tape deck" and "receiver" [or "integrated amp and tuner"] and not "all-in-one stereo with built-in record player, complete with record-changing spindle and 45 attachment" ) was an art form and something you did before a date as you wanted control of mood and atmosphere. You certainly didn't want to rely on Easy Listening FM radio, else you might have a special moment with your girl and end up with a freaking Paul Davis tune stuck in your head for the rest of your life (while thanking the musical gods that at least it wasn't "Sweet Life")!


2. I could never stream music as I have too much trouble deciding what to include in my playlists even with such a limited number of songs. Having unlimited choices would drive me insane!


3. One disadvantage going from your parent's home straight to married life (at age 20, not the current 35?) is that you never get that span of time to do whatever the hell you want. My parents said, "No way!" and now my wife says "Nope!" but dammit, this poster would look totally AWESOME in our office bedroom!




4. Once again this playlist project was fun and one day I'll complete it with a 100 runner-up listing (which will make it much more complete...needs some Metallica and Rick James), but I'm spent and out of time.

You are correct in your assumption concerning my music tastes since I love all of those artists you mentioned.


Concerning Oasis, they were never as big in the US as they were in Europe but the height of their commercial success was in the late 90's so I did at least know about them at that time. Their big hit "Wonderwall" was played all the time on the radio so you couldn't get away from it.

I have a particular sim-related memory of Wonderwall.

Back in the 90's (I think the song came out in '95) I was playing EF2000 and it allowed you to play a music CD during the game. It was on endless repeat Can't stand it now.

Ah, I had already checked out from listening to new music. In '96 I moved from Atlanta to Jacksonville and had never heard of Oasis nor any of their music on the radio in either city. But then I was listening to Rock radio (96Rock Atlanta, 96?something in Jax) so it doesn't surprise me.



I'll probably keep this mentally filed away, like remembering that Cat listened to DLR Van Halen while playing DID's follow-up Total Air War (F-22).

I gave this tune a listen and although I've never heard it before, it's not bad (other than someone using a record changer at beginning of video)...

Oasis - Wonderwall (Official Video)...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx1Bh8ZvH84

Very...modern British? Not really my taste (and it sounds like you tired of it?), but I'm sure that my very American/Canadian (and one German) 80's romantic power ballads are not going to appeal to the average European.

It's not a bad song but it suffered from being overplayed to death on radio. I think it got played almost as much as "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion.

This playlist project had me scrutinizing my entire music library, forgetting how much I enjoyed some of the 'oldies'. I grabbed my Fender acoustic for the first time in years and tried playing one of my favorites, the Beatles' "Blackbird" (White Album). I used to be able to play it pretty well but it's no longer in memory and I now lack the coordination and speed to play it properly. "Rocky Racoon" I can still play though, also "Mother Nature's Son" which are much easier.

No calluses on my fret fingers, old hard strings biting into my fingertips like thin dental floss (ouch). Sounds really flat and I know my neck is shot.

Some older pics (missing is "Eagles Complete" book)...






I also play around on my mom's Yamaha keyboard (once an amateur pianist [real piano], she had no room for it so it's in my cave), but I haven't gotten very far with it.

You have 100x the musical talent that I have Mark., That's no exaggeration!

Yeah, but I was cursed with no internal clock, no rhythmic sense of timing whatsoever! So while I can learn some impressive (at least to other beginner-level amateurs) pieces, I could never pull off an entire song with consistent timing.

Thus, I'm also a horrible dancer, even for a white boy! Even with some of the easy slow stuff, my pace has to be led (although the effort is always appreciated).

Now I find that stretching out a barre chord hurts the top of my hand. I bet it's common for aging musicians to be always feeling at least some moderate pain on stage.

I have no clue how Keith Richards pulls it off after so many decades. lol

Always cracks me up!

Added my Top 100 Runner-ups to first post. Unfortunately, they'd get left behind with another 300 songs that didn't make The Final Cut <- I'd be missing that one too.

It's an exceptionally slow work day for me today so I'll go ahead and list my personal top 100 songs.

It will be easiest for me to list them if I just go by artist/band order,


1. Hey Jude - Beatles
2. We Can Work It Out - Beatles
3. A Day in the Life - Beatles
4. Paperback Writer - Beatles
5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Beatles
6. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - Beatles
7. In My Life - Beatles
8. Norwegian Wood - Beatles
9. Sexy Sadie - Beatles
10. The Long and Winding Road - Beatles
11. Wish you were Here - Pink Floyd
12. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
13. Us and Them - Pink Floyd
14. One of these Days - Pink Floyd
15. The Trial - Pink Floyd
16. Echoes - Pink Floyd
17. Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd
18. Brain Damage - Pink Floyd
19. Welcome to the Machine - Pink Floyd
20. Another Brick in the Wall part 1 - Pink Floyd
21. Proud Mary - CCR
22. Green River - CCR
23. Who'll Stop the Rain? - CCR
24. Have you ever seen the rain? - CCR
25. Down on the Corner - CCR
26. Fortunate Son - CCR
27. Looking out my back door - CCR
28. Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
29. Rough Boy - ZZ Top
30. Gimme all your loving - ZZ Top
31. Gypsy - Fleetwood Mac
32. Little Lies - Fleetwood Mac
33. Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
34. Everywhere - Fleetwood Mac
35. Hotel California - Eagles
36. Tequila Sunrise - Eagles
37. Lying Eyes - Eagles
38. Take it Easy - Eagles
39. Desperado - Eagles
40. One of the nights - Eagles
41. Wrapped Around Your Finger - Police
42. Every breath you take - Police
43. Synchronicity II - Police
44. Message in a Bottle - Police
45. Roxanne - Police
46. Everything she does is magic - Police
47. Don't Stand so close to me - Police
48. Vienna - Ultravox
49. Trans Europe Express - Kraftwerk
50. The Robots - Kraftwerk
51. The Man Machine - Kraftwerk
52. Das Model - Kraftwerk
53. Tour De France - Kraftwerk
54. Paint it Black - Rolling Stones
55. Jumping Jack Flash - Rolling Stones
56. Ruby Tuesday - Rolling Stones
57. Love is Strong - Rolling Stones
58. Beast of Burden - Rolling Stones
59. Missing You - Rolling Stones
60. Sympathy for the Devil - Rolling Stones
61. More than a feeling - Boston
62. Don't Look Back - Boston
63. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zep
64. Black Dog - Led Zep
65. Living Loving Maid - Led Zep
66. Kashmir - Led Zep
67. Immigrant Song - Led Zep
68. Rock n Roll - Led Zep
69. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
70. Somebody to Love - Queen
71. The Show Must go on - Queen
72. Crazy Little thing called Love - Queen
73. Another one bites the dust - Queen
74. We are the champions - Queen
75. I want to break free - Queen
76. Flash - Queen
77. Mony, Mony - Tommy James & the Shondelles
78. Crimson & Clover - Tommy James & the Shondelles
79. Dragging the Line - Tommy James
80. Piano Man - Billy Joel
81. Honesty - Billy Joel
82. You may be right - Billy Joel
83. It's still rock and roll - Billy Joel
84. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel
85. Only the good die young - Billy Joel
86, Fantasy - Earth, Wind & Fire
87. September - Earth, Wind & Fire
88,. Saturday in the Park - Chicago
89. I'm a man - Chicago
90. 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago
91. Beginnings - Chicago
92, The End - The Doors
93. Light my fire - The Doors
94. LA Woman - The Doors
95. The Musical Box - Genesis
96. Supper's Ready - Genesis
97. Selling England by the Pound - Genesis
98. Wheel in the sky - Journey
99. Separate Ways - Journey
100. Band on the Run - Wings




Ok so I screwed up and found out that a top 100 list isn't nearly enough for me but I'll stop there.

^ Thanks for that, PM!


I know, right? Even with another 100 songs as runner-ups, I neglected to include any Foreigner (and that's inexcusable for me)! So I *have* to do one more hundred to rectify this injustice.

Yeah, I know that I can't take more than 100 with me but it'll make me feel better to have a few more at least represented as second-tier runner-ups.

I promise I'll stop at 300, no more!

I'm finding my third and final 100 (2nd-tier runner-ups) song selection almost impossible, but I'm down to 137 songs. It'll include the typical syrupy sap, heartbreak hell (those guitar solos ) and 'Satan' that I listen to, but I want it to be even more diversified. It needs to include a couple of Punkish tunes (Clash and Green Day) and more Progressive Rock (ELP and Yes), along with more Soul and Classical.

Posted my second set of 100 runner-ups (totaling 300 songs) with about 50 that were left homeless.

Time for each set:

- 1st 100 songs: 8.1 hrs.
- 2nd 100 songs: 8 hrs.
- 3rd 100 songs: 7.9 hrs.

So with 200 runner-ups, 300 total is a perfect 24 hr. day of my favorite tunes (not including some complete albums now also listed on first post)!

But this was to be a Top 100 songs only and I'll stand by my original selection. Man, I would miss the rest of them though.

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Syrup to Metal, I guess in the middle would be Yacht Rock. Enjoy (featuring Joe Walsh on guitar)...

Jay Ferguson - Thunder Island 1978 (Lyric Video) 1080P...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlOtO2ZimrE

Some closing comments...

This was an impossible project (sampling of old pics)...










I'm enjoying listening to a contrasting change of styles and moods in a single large playlist (all 300). I'll keep my focused playlists (a date night playlist being drastically different from a yard work or a concentrated listening playlist), but I really like the constant variation which is not how I usually listen to music.

Yesterday we left the house for the first time in over a month just to joyride on some rural highways listening to tunes (don't know why we waited this long, bringing masks and gloves just in case).

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Fortunately my wife has outgrown most of the music of her early teens (she was even going to concerts before I was, Alabama '84 with her was my first)...



...although it isn't all terrible...




I knew from the beginning that, although our personalities were completely different, we at least had a common interest in our love of music and live performances (including the night we became a couple, following a chance meeting in a theater lobby after a movie musical). This works well for us today.

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BTW, this was my first live act (at a State Fair). I was mesmerized by a live performance...

The Producers - She Sheila (digital audio)...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k89_UrZXNw


Happy New Year 1983...

The Producers - "She Sheila"...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzZVhwa2sSA

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So, fun project but time for a break with something completely different...



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EDIT: My favorite albums listing on first post will never be complete, added Todd Rundgren's "Hermit of Mink Hollow".