Top 10 favorite songs of all time

Raising hand, also 47!
I know there's no way on earth i'd be able to whittle mine
down to 10 or even 40. There's just so many... and so
many genres/moods.
But i love reading everyone else's lists!!!

I see so many and think "uh-huh, yup, me too..." ... or
"OMG i might have forgot to list that!"

Now the fun part is going to be looking up some of the
tunes i might not know!    

I don't know... Off the top of my head, these are ten
songs I not only jam out to, really get into when I
listen to them, but also catch myself singing them when
I'm not listening to them, even if I haven't heard them
for a long time. I don't think I could rank a very
favorite song, so these are in no particular order:

- Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - Michael Jackson (the
album version... never fails to at least get my foot
tapping)
- Alphabet St. - Prince (the album version)
- Niagara - Barbra Streisand (maybe my favorite melody of
any song, ever)
- All Through the Night - Cyndi Lauper (again, the melody
on the chorus is really appealing to me for some
reason... sometimes I just hum it without singing the
words)
- Fountain of Sorrow - Joan Baez (from her "Diamonds and
Rust" album, one of my two favorite albums)
- Close to the Borderline - Billy Joel (from my other
very favorite album, "Glass Houses")
- 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover - Paul Simon (which I
hardly EVER listen to for some reason, but it's one of
those that takes me back to a really specific time and
place, and a happy place at that)
- Play a Simple Melody - Bing & Gary Crosby (phenomenally
good, if you like Dixieland)
- I Had the Craziest Dream - Harry James Orchestra with
Helen Forrest (again, that melody, but Helen Forrest also
had one of the most gorgeous voices I've ever heard)
- Deep in a Dream - Artie Shaw with Helen Forrest (lots
of versions of this song, but this uptempo version is my
favorite, again with the great Helen Forrest)

Subject to change without notice. :D

I'd have a hard time ranking the all-time favorites, but what I will do is go year-by-year starting with 1970 and listing my 5, 10 (or more) favorites from that year. This is easier because I kinda compiled these lists as each year actually ended (well, starting in 1973). Here are the '70s. Eventually, I'll type up the '80s

1970:
1 Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) - Edison Lighthouse (hence, my moniker!) This probably would be my #1 favorite of all time, if I had to narrow it down to one.
2 My Baby Loves Lovin' - White Plains
3 (You've Got Me) Dangling on a String - Chairmen of the Board
4 No Matter What - Badfinger
5 Tears of a Clown - Miracles
6 I Think I Love You - Partridge Family
7 Cracklin' Rosie - Neil Diamond
8 Every Little Move She Makes - Tony Burrows
9 Give Me Just a Little More Time - Chairmen of the Board
10 Come and Get It - Badfinger

1971:
1 What Is Life - George Harrison
2 Happy XMas - John Lennon
3 Layla (Part 2 - the instrumental part) - Derek & the Dominoes
4 Could It Be Magic - Featherbed (featuring Barry Manilow)
5 Summer Days - Partridge Family

1972 (the year I started listening to radio):
1 Without You - Nilsson
2 Something's Wrong With Me - Austin Roberts
3 Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan
4 Run To Me - Bee Gees
5 Play Me - Neil Diamond
6 Beautiful Sunday - Daniel Boone
7 Do Ya - The Move
8 How Do You Do - Mouth & MacNeal
9 It Never Rains in Southern California - Albert Hammond
10 Black and White - Three Dog Night

1973:
1 Tie a Yellow Ribbon - Tony Orlando & Dawn
2 Photograph - Ringo Starr
3 Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose - Tony Orlando & Dawn
4 Last Song - Edward Bear
5 Let's Pretend - Raspberries
6 Pretty Lady - Lighthouse
7 D'Yer Mak'er - Led Zeppelin
8 I Wanna Be With You - Raspberries
9 Step Into Christmas - Elton John
10 Big City Miss Ruth Ann - Gallery
(Runners up:)
11 Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest
12 My Maria - BW Stevenson
13 Little Willy - Sweet
14 Heartbeat - It's a Lovebeat - DeFranco Familiy
15 Bad Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce
16 Avenging Annie - Andy Pratt
17 Touch Me in the Morning - Diana Ross
18 Drivin' Around - Raspberries
19 Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend - Lobo

1974:
1 Rock Me Gently - Andy Kim
2 Billy, Don't Be a Hero - Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods
3 Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks (hey I was a kid back then!)
4 Who Do You Think You Are - Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods
5 Steppin' Out (Gonna Boogie Tonight) - Tony Orlando & Dawn
6 Everlasting Love - Carl Carlton
7 The Air That I Breathe - Hollies
8 The Entertainer - Marvin Hamlisch
9 You Won't See Me - Anne Murray
10 Dark Lady - Cher
11 The Show Must Go On - Three Dog Night
12 The Loco-Motion - Grand Funk
13 Beach Baby - First Class
14 Waterloo - Abba
15 Mandy - Barry Manilow
16 The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace
17 Piano Man - Billy Joel
18 Band on the Run - Paul McCartney
19 Star - Stealers Wheel
20 Hooked on a Feeling - Blue Swede (TIE)

1975:
1 Killer Queen - Queen
2 Could It Be Magic - Barry Manilow
3 Sky High - Jigsaw
4 I Write the Songs - Barry Manilow
5 The Proud One - Osmonds
6 Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers
7 Rocky - Austin Roberts
8 We May Never Love Like This Again - Maureen McGovern
9 Bad Time - Grand Funk
10 SOS - ABBA
11 Love Will Keep Us Together - Captain & Tennille
12 The Hungry Years - Neil Sedaka
13 Ding Dong; Ding Dong - George Harrison
14 The Immigrant - Neil Sedaka
15 He Don't Love You - Tony Orlando & Dawn
16 Rendezvous - Hudson Brothers
17 Look in My Eyes Pretty Woman - Tony Orlando & Dawn
18 Laughter in the Rain - Neil Sedaka
19 The Hustle - Van McCoy
20 You - George Harrison
   #9 Dream - John Lennon (TIE)

1976:
1 Love Fire - Jigsaw
2 Wham Bam Shang-a-Lang - Silver
3 Did You Boogie (With Your Baby) - Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids (without Wolfman Jack!)
4 Love Really Hurts Without You - Billy Ocean
5 Falling Apart at the Seams - Marmalade
6 Save Your Kisses for Me - Brotherhood of Man
7 Is It So Wrong - Richard Kerr
8 Lost in France - Bonnie Tyler
9 Paloma Blanca - George Baker Selection
10 If You Know What I Mean - Neil Diamond
11 Livin' Thing - ELO
12 Rock 'n Roll Love Letter - Bay City Rollers
13 Highfly - John Miles
14 This One's For You - Barry Manilow
15 Where Did Our Love Go - J. Geils Band
16 Moonlight Feels Right - Starbuck
17 Weekend in New England - Barry Manilow
18 More More More - Andrea True Connection
19 Never Gonna Fall in Love Again - Eric Carmen
20 You're My Best Friend - Queen
   I'm Mandy Fly Me - 10cc (TIE)

1977:
1 Living Next Door to Alice - Smokie
2 I Think We're Alone Now - Rubinoos
3 Da Doo Ron Ron - Shaun Cassidy
4 That's Rock 'n Roll - Shaun Cassidy
5 Romeo - Mr. Big
6 Spring Rain - Silvetti
7 Here Comes Summer - Wildfire
8 Cherry Baby - Starz
9 Carolina's Comin' Home - Shaun Cassidy (shoulda been a single!)
10 Don't Worry Baby - BJ Thomas
11 I'm Dreaming - Jennifer Warnes
12 Boats Against the Current - Eric Carmen
13 Red Light Spells Danger - Billy Ocean
14 Daybreak - Barry Manilow
15 Tightrope - ELO
16 Rich Girl - Hall & Oates
17 Give a Little Bit - Supertramp
18 Love Is All That Matters - Eric Carmen
19 Still the Lovin' Is Fun - BJ Thomas
20 Money Money Money - ABBA
   Amarillo - Neil Sedaka (TIE)

1978:
1 Can't Smile Without You - Barry Manilow
2 Only the Good Die Young - Billy Joel
3 Love Is In the Air - John Paul Young
4 Somewhere in the Night - Barry Manilow
5 Sometimes When We Touch - Dan Hill
6 Since You Been Gone - Head East
7 Ego - Elton John
8 Copacabana - Barry Manilow
9 It's a Heartache - Bonnie Tyler
10 Love Is Like Oxygen - Sweet
11 Street Corner Serenade - Wet Willie
12 Make You Feel Love Again - Wet Willie
13 Fool (If You Think It's Over) - Chris Rea
14 Can We Still Be Friends - Todd Rundgren
15 I Will Still Love You - Stonebolt
16 Part-Time Love - Elton John
17 Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - Santa Esmerelda
18 I Do - J. Geils Band (studio version)
19 Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Meat Loaf
20 Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel
   Take a Chance on Me - ABBA (TIE)

1979:
1 Different Worlds - Maureen McGovern
2 Just When I Needed You Most - Randy Vanwarmer
3 Music Box Dancer - Frank Mills
4 If You Remember Me - Chris Thompson
5 Lady - Little River Band
6 Chiquitita - ABBA
7 Ships - Barry Manilow
8 Don't Cry Out Loud - Melissa Manchester
9 I'll Never Love This Way Again - Dionne Warwick
10 I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love - Rita Coolidge
11 Theme From Ice Castles - Melissa Manchester
12 Get Used to It - Roger Voudouris
13 I Don't Wanna Lose You - Hall & Oates
14 Angeleyes - ABBA
15 Cruel to Be Kind - Nick Lowe
16 Can You Read My Mind - Maureen McGovern
17 Every Time I Think of You - Babys
18 Don't You Write Her Off - McGuinn, Clark & Hillman
19 So Good, So Right - Brenda Russell
20 Shadows in the Moonlight - Anne Murray
   One Way or Another - Blondie (TIE)


Edited by EdisonLite

Since we're on a personal note I do see Three Dog Night and Gilbert O'Sullivan on the lists. I'd have to say thet for the former "Pieces of April" would have to be my #1 favorite. Backstory: I was the morning DJ on WFCS, the FM station at Central CT State College in 1974. A girl called the request line and asked me to play some Three Dog Night songs. It was her favorite group. We spoke for a while, I put down the phone and asked some other staffers if they knew this girl Peggy. They said she won on the trivia show frequently. I asked if she looked good they said she did. I asked her if she wanted to meet and we did. That was on April 19,1974. Good memory? Maybe. We got married on April 19, 1975 and had 13 years before amicably divorcing.

I went to a respected hospital in New England for a third opinion by arrangement of my doctor. I saw a world renowned oncologist who specialized in multiple myeloma. He made small talk and I related the above story. He never heard of Three Dog Night.....Hey, I missed Woodstock. That does something to you.

One day I was in the waiting room at my local cancer center waiting for a blood draw. Someone in an adjacent reception area had an iPad or XM playing oldies. I heard The Animals "House of the Rising Sun". Not exactly a positive song for that environment. After the blood test it played "Alone Again (Naturally)"...

Great lists! I realized that I never finished up the rest of Ron's Dream Jukebox, so here are the remaining 29 entries:

A-72. I CAN'T LET GO - Hollies (1966)
A-73. BRANDY (YOU'RE A FINE GIRL) - Looking Glass (1972)
A-74. BUST A MOVE - Young MC (1989)
A-75. WHAT IS LIFE - Olivia Newton-John (1972)
A-76. DON'T WANNA FALL IN LOVE - Jane Child (1990)
A-77. TAKIN' IT EASY - Seals And Crofts (1978)
A-78. DON'T TREAT ME BAD - Firehouse (1991)
A-79. CRAZY HORSES - Osmonds (1972)
A-80. CHAMELEON - Herbie Hancock (1974)
A-81. YOU NEVER DONE IT LIKE THAT - Captain And Tennille (1978)
A-82. I WISH - Stevie Wonder (1977)
A-83. HOME AND DRY - Gerry Rafferty (1979)
A-84. THIS BEAT GOES ON/SWITCHIN' TO GLIDE - Kings (1980)
A-85. CHANGE OF HEART - Change (1984)
A-86. ANOTHER NAIL IN MY HEART - Squeeze (1980)
A-87. KAYLEIGH - Marillion (1985)
A-88. EARN ENOUGH FOR US - XTC (1986)
A-89. MAGIC - Olivia Newton-John (1980)
A-90. SAUSALITO SUMMERNIGHT - Diesel (1981)
A-91. MAMA USED TO SAY - Junior (1982)
A-92. ONE SIMPLE THING - Stabilizers (1987)
A-93. AH LEAH - Donnie Iris (1980)
A-94. IT'S A MIRACLE - Barry Manilow (1975)
A-95. DANCE ACROSS THE FLOOR - Jimmy Bo Horne (1978)
A-96. TAKE ME TO THE RIVER - Al Green (1974)
A-97. APACHE - Incredible Bongo Band (1973)
A-98. FREE RIDE - Edgar Winter Group (1973)
A-99. SIGNED SEALED DELIVERED (I'M YOURS) - Stevie Wonder (1970)
A-100. LE FREAK - Chic (1978)