Twenty years ago, Phil Dellio and I each published our 100 favourite singles in Phil’s Radio On fanzine. To commemorate this important Vigintennial, we decided to do it all over again, this time in a Facebook page we created — called, excitingly enough, Phil & Scott’s Top 100s. I’m re-printing our current lists here, sans comments (which you can read on Facebook if you have an account and are so inclined to bother).
My Top 100 is below, I’ll post Phil’s tomorrow. Of course, I’d already change about a quarter of my list, and as I noted right from the start, the order of songs is virtually meaningless to me. To prove my point: just as an experiment, when we completed our countdown (on Facebook we each posted one song per day), I reprinted my entire list in reverse order. It made exactly as much sense to me with Frank Hutchison at #1 and Brian Eno at #100, with George McRae at #2 and Fifth Dimension at #99, etc. (Shirley and Company at #46, however — that never changes.)
1. “Here Come the Warm Jets,” Eno (1973)
2. “Wedding Bell Blues,” Fifth Dimension (1969)
3. “They Don’t Know,” Tracey Ullman (1984)
4. “Who Knows Where the Time Goes,” Fairport Convention (1969)
5. “Life’s Little Ups and Downs,” Charlie Rich (1969)
6. “Sometimes,” My Bloody Valentine (1991)
7. “Fancy,” The-Dream (2009)
8. “Mother of Pearl,” Roxy Music (1973)
9. “Digital Love,” Daft Punk (2001)
10. “Astral Weeks,” Van Morrison (1968)
11. “I’m Not in Love,” 10cc (1975)
12. “Money Changes Everything,” Cyndi Lauper (1984)
13. “You Can’t Change That,” Raydio (1979)
14. “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” Steely Dan (1974)
15. “Try Again,” Aaliyah (2000)
16. “Express Yourself,” Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band (1970)
17. “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio,” Joni Mitchell (1972)
18. “Both Sides Now,” Judy Collins (1968)
19. “Rock and Roll Lullaby,” B.J. Thomas (1972)
20. “Candy Carol,” Book of Love (1991)
21. “West End Blues,” Louis Armstrong (1928)
22. “Make Me Smile (Come up and See Me),” Steve Harley & Cockney Rebels (1975)
23. “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” Bob Dylan (1963)
24. “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall ,” Bryan Ferry (1974)
25. “Big Fun,” Inner City (1988)
26. “Zero,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2009)
27. “You Were on My Mind,” We Five (1965)
28. “Tougher Than the Rest,” Bruce Springsteen (1987)
29. “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” Smiths (1986)
30. “Young Offender,” Pet Shop Boys (1993)
31. “Like a Prayer,” Madonna (1989)
32. “Little Star,” Elegants (1958)
33. “That’s the Joint,” Funky Four Plus One (1981)
34. “Hitsville UK,” Clash (1981)
35. “Bette Davis Eyes,” Kim Carnes (1981)
36. “Shake Some Action,” Flamin’ Groovies (1976)
37. “Wichita Lineman,” Glen Campbell (1968)
38. “Umbrella,” Rihanna (2007)
39. “Lost Paraguayos,” Rod Stewart (1972)
40. “The Long Way Around,” Dixie Chicks (2006)
41. “Map Ref 41’N 83′ W,” Wire (1979)
42. “You! Me! Dancing!,” Los Campesinos! (2007!)
43. “Albuquerque,” Neil Young (1975)
44. “About You Now,” Sugababes (2007)
45. “All the Young Dudes,” Mott the Hoople (1972)
46. “Shame, Shame, Shame,” Shirley and Company (1975)
47. “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man,” Prince (1987)
48. “Absolute,” Scritti Politti (1985)
49. “Mysteries of Love,” Julee Cruise (1985)
50. “Set it Off,” Strafe (1985)
51. “Rhiannon,” Fleetwood Mac (1975)
52. “Right Here/Human Nature,” SWV (1992)
53. “Criss Cross,” Thelonious Monk (1962)
54. “With Every Heartbeat,” Kleerup feat. Robyn (2007)
55. “Classical Gas,” Mason Williams (1968)
56. “Split,” Kleenex/Liliput (1980)
57. “Hide and Seek,” Imogen Heap (2005)
58. “Some Sing, Some Dance,” Pagliaro (1972)
59. “Gin & Juice,” Snoop Dogg (1994)
60. “Only Love Can Break Your Heart,” Saint Etienne (1991)
61. “Love is Like a Butterfly,” Dolly Parton (1974)
62. “We’re Only Gonna Die,” Bad Religion (1982)
63. “Too Little Too Late,” JoJo (2006)
64. “Maggot Brain,” Funkadelic (1971)
65. “LDN,” Lily Allen (2006)
66. “Intro-Introspection,” Osymyso (2001)
67. “All Day Long,” New Order (1985)
68. “Angel Baby,” Rosie & the Originals (1960)
69. “Cruisin’,” Smokey Robinson (1979)
70. “Kerosene,” Miranda Lambert (2005)
71. “The Stranger Song,” Leonard Cohen (1967)
72. “Rill Rill,” Sleigh Bells (2010)
73. “Christmas Time is Here,” Vince Guaraldi (1965) [note: Christmas Day post]
74. “Franz Schubert,” Kraftwerk (1977)
75. “Je T’aime Moi Non Plus,” Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin (1969)
76. “Airport,” Motors (1978)
77. “Beat-Bop,” Rammellzee Vs. K-Rob (1983)
78. “See My Friends,” Kinks (1965)
79. “Common People,” Pulp (1995)
80. “Aerosol Burns,” Essential Logic (1979)
81. “Hello Stranger,” Barbara Lewis (1962)
82. “Rivers of Babylon,” Melodians (1970)
83. “Pressure Drop,” Toots & Maytals (1970)
84. “Do It To It,” Cherish (2006)
85. “Oh,” Ciara (2004)
86. “Theme from Valley of the Dolls,” Dionne Warwick (1968)
87. “Hold Me Now,” Thompson Twins (1984)
88. “Hey Ya!,” Outkast (2003)
89. “Toys in the Attic,” Aerosmith (1975)
90. “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy),” John Lennon & Yoko Ono (1980)
91. “Tik Tok,” Ke$ha (2010)
92. “Young Americans,” David Bowie (1975)
93. “The Voice,” Moody Blues (1981)
94. “Tighter, Tighter,” Alive and Kicking (1970)
95. “Love Wars,” Womack & Womack (1983)
96. “Cotton Crown,” Sonic Youth (1987)
97. “Wuthering Heights,” Kate Bush (1986)
98. “Chapel of Love,” Dixie Cups (1964)
99. “Rock Your Baby,” George McRae (1974)
100. “K.C. Blues,” Frank Hutchison (1929)
RockCritics.com 