1.Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd - My favorite song ever. I probably listened to it fifteen straight times win I discovered this gem. The lyrics absolutely wear on my heart and the vocals hold onto it without letting go. You can feel his voice. The perfect song. By the time he sings ''we're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year'' you get goosebumps. The two guitars are beautiful.
2.Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones - Perfectly describes the dark feelings that people get when surrounded by goodness. Especially relevant to me, born white middle class christian america. ''i see the girls go by dressed in their summer clothes, I have to turn my head until my darkness goes.'' Shows that these feelings are not that abnormal, and a disgust with people who try to put on the appearance of perfect little lives. Drop the mask and be who you are. The anticipation for the drums to kick in is amazing and when they do your heart pounds.
3. Hey You by Pink Floyd - The first Pink Floyd song I ever heard, and oh did it get me hooked. I had never heard lyrics like this. Brutally honest and pyschological. They tore into my inner pysche. The when you realize what he's talking about you're scared and enlightened as this guy sits in his hotel room and these thoughts scream into his head, and you wonder would mine be much different. The drums are amazing as the roll together. ''hey you don't tell me there's no hope at all''
4. simple man by lynyrd skynyrd - The man I want to be, ''a simple kind of man that some day you'll love and understand'' A touching song about what to strive for in this world of money and possessions. We don't need all that. It won't bring happiness. This simpler you make life the happier you'll be.
5.American Girl by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- Appropriately the first song on their Greatest Hits CD. Describes young love and other parts of growing up. Getting out of your small town and discovering the world for yourself, instead of excepting what other people tell you. ''God is so painful, something that's so close, but still so far out of reach.''
6. Like a rolling Stone by Bob Dylan - the poet who was a major part of his entire generation. An anarchist who questions the establishments we have set for ourselves. Talks about why we need to have a house and job and money. We should be more interested of building friendships and spreading love. ''you better take your diamond ring, you better pawn it babe.''
7. crazy train by Ozzy Osbourne - The definitive Ozzy song. So true for who he is, but so true for all of us as well ''crazy but that's how it goes'' ''i've listened to preachers i've listened to fools'' if you listen to everyone you will go crazy, especially true in his case with his fame, but true for all of us. Have to learn to listen to ourselves. Do what we want to do.
8. teenage wasteland by The Who - intro builds anticipation, and then guitar gets a good feeling going inside of you. Describes the struggles of growing up. '' I don't need to fight to prove i'm right, I don't need to be forgiven'' ''it's only teenage wasteland. We will find our way. Have so many ways to go but we will go. I knew the exact feeling they described. Wasteland is the best description of the teenage experience I've heard. No where to go.
9.Hotel California by the Eagles - Absolutely classic song. Tells a nice story of a stranded traveller, probably very relevant to a rock and roll band who is always on the road. Great lyrics, great music. ''stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast.''
10. Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin - Another classic song. Not quite sure what all the lyrics mean, but that's part of the beauty of the song. Beautifully orchestrated, pretty much brillant, going slow to fast to medium. Probably the best sounding rock song ever has she's ''buying her stairway to heaven''.
11. Mr. Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan - May be about drugs, but says a lot of good things about life as well. The way he manipulates words is just beautiful. ''And take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind, down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves, the haunted frightened trees, out to the windy beach, far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow ... with all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves, let me forget about today until tommorrow.'' makes a strong case for drugs. Shows the incredible power they hold. Why are they bad when the make YOU feel good?
12. Time by Pink Floyd - Another classic Pink Floyd song about our lives slowly dwindling away. Great music great lyrics on their own, and to think that each song is part of the greater whole. Amazing. Represents the longing I have to slow down time. It's the great constant. Can't out run it. ''Ticking away the moments that make up the dull day. ... picking around on a piece of ground in your home town. waiting for some little something to show you the way''. Another song about growing up and looking back once you are grown. Awesome song.
13. Can't get no satisfaction by Rolling Stones- Great song. How many of us feel. Love when he says '' can't be a man cause he doesn't smoke the same cigarrettes as me.'' Delivers the line with such gust, makes me want to start smoking.
14. Heart of Gold by Neil Young - A great song about love. Embodies what guys want in a girl. She doesn't have to be the best looking but a heart of gold is a must. ''I've been to Hollywood, I've been to redwoods ... searching for a heart of gold''.
15. glycerine by Bush - hard to pick my favorite Bush song. Just recently got into them. Great lyrics and vocals. Don't know what Glycerine is but doesn't matter, ''don't let the days go bye'' hits home hard. Make the most out of every second you have.
16. lithium by Nirvana - again hard to pick one nirvana song. Great band that tragically ended. ''cause I found God ya ya ya ...'' I love the ya's. It means to me what it means to be a person. I'm not coming back when I die so treat me nice. I know who my friends are.
17. bullet with butterfly wings by smashing pumpkins how we all feel when the world gets us down. ''can you fake it for just one more show'' you feel like a ''rat in a cage'' but I think it's overall message is good that you have to keep going on.
18. american pie by don McLean absolutely classic song. I think everyone knows the lyrics to this one, a testament to how great the song is. No one knows for sure what the song is about. A ton of interpretations, that's the great thing everyone can have their own. To me it's religious and talks about his faith. ''the three men I admire most, the father, son, and the holy ghost, took the train to the coast, the day the music died''
19. my name is jonas by Weezer Had some great songs, but this is my favorite. Love it when he yells ''my name is wakefield'' Given all they have to give, but still finding energy to fight on. ''got a box full of your toys, fresh out of batteries, but still making noise.''
20. enter sandman by Metallica. My favorite metallica song. Of course that great music that is portrayed in all their music, but the lyrics in this one are my favorite.” off to never, never land.''
