Top 100 Songs

I first published a list of my 100 favourite songs on my old Wordpress site back in 2010.

I revisit the list often and wrestle with the quality of my choices. Sometimes I think it needs updating, but honestly it’s hard to identify what could be replaced. So here’s my list, in no particular order:

  1. The Prodigy – No Good Start The Dance
  2. The Beatles – In My Life
  3. Radiohead – The Bends
  4. The Smiths – Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
  5. Prefab Sprout – Faron Young
  6. Jay Z & Lincoln Park – Numb
  7. Everything But The Girl – Missing
  8. Arctic Monkeys – When The Sun Goes Down
  9. Bright Eyes – First Day Of My Life
  10. James – Hymn From A Village
  11. The Proclaimers – The First Attack
  12. Simple Minds – Speed Your Love
  13. The Passengers – Miss Sarajevo
  14. Dr Dre – Forget About Dre
  15. Eminem – Stan
  16. House Of Pain – Jump Around
  17. Des’ree – Kissing you
  18. Portishead – Numb
  19. Oasis – Live Forever
  20. Hue & Cry – Labour Of Love
  21. Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel – White Lines
  22. Don McLean – American Pie
  23. The Cure – In Between Days
  24. The Streets – Never Been To Church
  25. The Libertines – Don’t Look Back Into The Sun
  26. Paolo Nutini – Candy
  27. Cowboy Junkies – You Will Be Loved
  28. The Avalanches – Frontier Psychiatrist
  29. Justin Timberlake – Cry Me A River
  30. Belle & Sebastian – Dirty Dream Number Two
  31. The Specials – Message To You Rudy
  32. Faithless – Insomnia
  33. Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good
  34. David Bowie – Starman
  35. Cake – I Will Survive
  36. Soft Cell – Tainted Love
  37. George Michael – Jesus To A Child
  38. The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work
  39. Coldplay – In My Place
  40. The Rolling Stones – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
  41. Smokey Robinson – Tears Of A Clown
  42. Michael Jackson – Give In To Me
  43. The Killers – When We Were Young
  44. The Strokes – Hard To Explain
  45. Snow Patrol – Run
  46. The Coral – Dreaming Of You
  47. Prince – When Doves Cry
  48. Roberta Flack – The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
  49. The Beatles – Hey Jude
  50. Dolly Parton – I Will Always Love You
  51. Johnny Cash – Hurt
  52. Paul Weller – You Do Something To Me
  53. The Kinks – Lola
  54. Bob Marley – Redemption Song
  55. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
  56. Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
  57. Joy Division – She’s Lost Control
  58. The Clash – Should I Stay Or Should I Go
  59. The Undertones – Teenage Kicks
  60. REM – Losing My Religion
  61. The Pixies – Hey
  62. The Pogues – The Old Main Drag
  63. The Stone Roses – I Am The Resurrection
  64. The Jam – Beat Surrender
  65. The Who – My Generation
  66. Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Scar Tissue
  67. Ouklast – Hey Ya
  68. Jimi Hendrix – All Along The Watchtower
  69. Lou Reed – Perfect Day
  70. ABBA – Lay All Your Love On Me
  71. Jay Z – Lucifer
  72. The Kings Of Leon – Sex On Fire
  73. The Waterboys – Fisherman’s Blues
  74. Travis – Sing
  75. Cameo – Word Up
  76. Air – All I Need
  77. Violent Femmes – Blister In The Sun
  78. Simply Red – Stars
  79. Muse – Plug In Baby
  80. Ian Brown – F.E.A.R
  81. Underworld – Born Slippy
  82. Pulp – Sorted
  83. Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy
  84. Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
  85. Stevie Wonder – Superstition
  86. The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
  87. Morrissey – First Of The Gang To Die
  88. The Smiths – Handsome Devil
  89. The Clash – Should I Stay Or Should I Go
  90. Kraftwerk – The Model
  91. Blondie – Denis
  92. The Zombies – Time Of The Season
  93. Radiohead – Exit Music (For A Film)
  94. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – Beggin’
  95. Lauryn Hill – Sweetest Thing
  96. The Fugees – Ready Or Not
  97. Kate Bush – Cloudbursting
  98. New Order – Shellshock
  99. Panjabi MC – Jogi
  100. Badly Drawn Boy – Shining
Paul McCafferty @paulmccafferty