My Top 20 Favorite Songs

Music to me is like Art : it is creative, thoughtful, endearing, and, if done right, it can touch you in ways you could never even think of. Music is the culture of a decade and society. Music fills my soul . Music helps to keep me positive. So, it is only fitting for my second blog post to be about my favorite songs and music out there. The problem is: I have literally dozens of songs that I listen to. So much so that if I were to comprise them all into one list , it would be a top 40 favorite. To save you all time , I decided to narrow it down to 20. Thus  ,without further ado, here is my Top 20 Favorite Songs

 

20 – This is Home – Bryan Lanning

What do you get when you modernize Beautiful Boy by John Lennon and you actually do it right? You get Bryan Lanning’s hit single This is Home. This song is light-hearted,sweet, and thoughtful. I have done musical theater for years so I mean it with authority when I say he knows how to sing. Check out this link of him singing the song acoustically if you don’t believe me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WpUbQmfhDU

The meaning of this song is to be grateful for your family. It’s a beautiful meaning and it really gets me when I realize the tragedies he and his wife had to go through to finally start a family. He has documented his story on youtube and is now a daily vlogger with 2 million people subscribed to him. He is due to release his new album Us in January of 2017.

19. Penny Lane – The Beatles

I love The Beatles so much . Their song Penny Lane is no exception. I really love the chorus and Paul McCartney’s voice and the harmonies between the band mates. The melody for this song is  catchy and memorable. The lyrics are also good as well.What’s really interesting about this song is that Penny Lane is actually a real street in England and inspired the self-titled song. While it may not be my favorite song from this band; It is a nice song with a catchy melody that I will be humming in my head long after I am done writing this post.

18. Dancing Queen – ABBA

If I was a teenager when this song came out , this would be my go to jam. How do I know this ? Because during my senior year of high school , my friends and I would sing this song at the top of our lungs during school dances. Yes, this song is still played at school dances. I love the harmonies and the chorus a lot. Dancing Queen is a straightforward story about a girl who’s 17 and wants to live life young and find her king to dance with.

17. We Will Rock You – Queen

 

In my opinion, This is one of the few songs that defined current rock n roll today. It is a timeless classic that will continue to be enjoyed for centuries to come. My favorite part of this song is the second verse were the lead singer Freddie Mercury talks about a movement and rebelling. The first verse refers to a regular kid, who dreams of being someone big. the second verse refers to the boy ,now a young man, in a riot, the “Wavin’ your banner all over the place” is literal, as the participants are waving the Flag of their social or political movement. The third verse says that the young man, now an old man, has failed, his movement failed, and he sees that everywhere, with things just like they were and no change, and he wishes his eyes would just quit or maybe that he would die, so he can just have some peace.

 

16.Let’s Twist Again – Chubby Checker

While the current generation of teens have twerking , the 60s had a dance move called The Twist. Let’s Twist Again is a song that makes use of this once popular dance move. In fact, this is one of the songs that helped invent it. It has catchy lyrics , the dance is quite hilarious to watch and it is interesting to see what music other generations listened to . the melody is also very catchy . I like the meaning of this song a lot . This song means to hang loose and not worry so much . it isa great song to go to when I need some cheering up.My favorite part of this song is when the singer sings “round and round and round we go again . Oh baby let me know you love me so.“

15. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

This is easily by far my favorite song by Queen. I love the piano , I love Freddie Mercury’s voice , and I love the harmonies. I really like the reference to one of my favorite astronomers Galileo.  The lyrics for this song are well written and I know a good chunkof them by heart.the music video for this song is unbelievable for its time as this was released , believe it or not, in 1975. I l love the harmonies and Mercury’s voice so much and the meaning, though depressing, is
thoughtful and the music video is very innovative.

14. Earth Song – Michael Jackson

Where do I even begin with this song? This song was released in November of 1995 and to be honest with you all , I refuse to believe it . Unlike some other 90s singles, this song is timeless and will continue to be adored for centuries to come. The reason why is because of the meaning of this song . The Earth Song is about all the bad in the world and how we must overcome these struggles. The song talks about deforestation, the decreasing population of animals, and apathy . He even talks about the travesties that come with war and how lives are destroyed through conflicts. My favorite line of this song is “ Did you ever stop to notice, all the children dead from war? ” Today there is a war in Aleppo, Syria literally taking the lives of children . This line speaks volumes for me of that conflict and how our politicians have done virtually nothing to solve the issue.

13.American Pie – Don Mclean

I remember when I first heard of this song when I was  11 or 12  walking down Fremont Street in Las Vegas hearing this song and singing along to it. I like the melody for this song. I also really like Don Mclean’s voice. This song is an homage to the era of the 60s and late 50s . My favorite verse is the 3rd verse when Mclean sings “ we sang dirges in the dark.”Dirges are mournful songs usually sung at funerals. Many tragedies occurred in the 1960s such as the assassinations of President John F Kennedy in 1963 , Senator and presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy in 1968, and Martin Luther King also in 1968. It is all in all a great look back at the history  of the united states in the 60s and a fun song to listen to and sing out loud.

12.Beautiful Boy – John Lennon

This song is such a beautiful piece of art. The melody, the lyrics,  and the pitch are all perfect. John Lennon is a legend and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to hear this song. The meaning of this song is very beautiful and it always puts a smile on my face. Beautiful Boy is a song dedicated to John Lennon’s son Sean. It is a remarkable lullaby and I can picture myself years from now singing this to my future kids. What really gets to me though is the ending part. John whispers to his son ” goodnight sean. I’ll see you in the morning.” I think this is because symbolically, his dad John is asleep. The only thing is, lennon  can’t wake up. On December 8th 1940 , just a day before his 40th birthday John Lennon was shot down by an assassin’s bullet leaving behind his wife Yoko Ono and his son. It pains me to think that the only memories lennon’s son ever has of his father is when he was a toddler.

11- New York, New York – Frank Sinatra

To be honest , this is the song that got me excited about going to New York this last summer. Frank Sinatra’s voice is one of a kind. I really like his pitch and tone. I also enjoy the catchy melody that once one hears it , it is stuck in ones head for a long time. I like the meaning of this song as well. New York is a beautiful state with spectacular scenery. New York is also home to some of the greatest musicals ever such as Hairspray and Wicked. Not only that but the locals can be very thoughtful. When I went to the Empire State building one guy ,who works at Univision, gave me and my family exclusive access to a viewing platform to see all of Manhattan. This song is all in all a great homage to one of my favorite cities in the world and I will remember this song for years to come.

10. Falling in Love With You – Elvis Presley

This list would not be complete without mentioning Elvis Presley . He defined music for nearly 2 decade with singles such as Jailhouse Rock and Hound Dog. One of my top 4 Elvis Presley favorites is this song. It is a romantic ballad for men to sing to their significant other. His voice is probably the most soothing that I have ever heard in a love song. The lyrics are your stereotypical profession of love . Unlike most artists though, i can tell that he means it with every fiber of his being when he says that he can’t help but fall in love.What really solidified it making it all the way to the top 10 though is the ending note . The ending puts a smile onto my face and I am sure that it now leaves many fans of his shedding tears knowing that artist is gone in heaven now.

 

9.I’m All Shook Up – Elvis Presley

This is another love song , Elvis however puts his own twist on it and makes it memorable. I like the upbeat tempo and the lyrics are quite catchy. Just like in Falling in Love, he genuinely means it when he says that he is all shook up. My favorite part of the song is in the chorus when he sings “ i’m all shook up.“ It is all in all a nice song that I will remember for years to come.

8. A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles

I love to sing out loud to this song so much. I love the harmonies between the bandmates and I love the lyrics. The melody is very upbeat and it always puts me in a good mood. The band’s lead singer ,Paul McCartney, is a very good singer and I enjoy his voice a lot. It’s hard to believe but this is actually a love song. It is so vastly different from most love songs i hear and trust me , it is a good thing. I love a song that I sing along to happily and let out a good laugh. This song does that and more. I also love a song that gets me thinking and the meaning behind this song is interesting. Like I said it is a love song so it has some sweet lyrics and ,like Elvis, are very genuine. This is not the first spot The Beatles have taken on my list and it is certainly not the last.

7. Hound Dog – Elvis Presley

My goodness , how I love this song. This is the only song of Elvis’s that I actually know all the words to. I love the background singers and how they harmonize. I love the upbeat tempo of this song. I also really like Elvis’s pitch and tone in this song . He doesn’t have many flat notes when he sings live which is amazing , considering he is dancing at the same time. He is on key throughout the entirety of this song and take it from me , a guy who has been doing musical theater for almost 5 years , when one is dancing on stage; it is easy to go off-key. Not every artist can do it and in my opinion it takes true talent to pull that off; so I got to give him credit for that . He makes it look easy but it really is not. All in all this is a great song that will live on for centuries to come.

6. Rockin Robin – Bobby Day

What a nifty little song this is. I love the melody and the lyrics are memorable. The singer , Bobby Day, is good and gives me an upbeat vibe that I really like. What really solidified it making it into my top 6 is the meaning of this song. Rockin’ Robin is about a robin chirping rock and roll who thinks he is the best singer out of all the birds in the neighborhood regardless of their species. It is a very different kind of meaning from most songs I hear. It has a good vibe and I can definitely see my self rocking out to this. One interesting thing about this song is the fact that it has been covered multiple times. The first is by Michael Jackson in 1972. The second is by Ray Smith in the 60s . It is a fun song to sing to and a timeless classic of the 50s.

5. Twist and Shout- The Beatles

Like I have said before, I love The Beatles. They are my favorite artists ever. Out of all the singers on my list , The Beatles appear the most. That’s because i love their sound. Whenever i am not feeling happy, i listen to their songs and i feel better. I love the melody so much. I also really like Paul McCartney’s voice in this song . I love Paul McCartney’s screamo in the middle of this song. The band has really great pitch and are really in tune with each other. They also harmonize very well. All in all this is a classic rock and roll song that I will never get tired of singing out loud to whenever I hear it.

4. Live and Let Die – Paul McCartney and Wings

I am not kidding you, the picture above is a live performance of this epic song.I love Paul McCartney’s voice alone so it makes sense that he would take a spot on my list , however the reason why this is in my top 4 is because of how epic it is to hear this song live. When the verse ends , fireworks come shooting up to the sky and light up the night. I can’t even begin to imagine how exhilarating it must be to see fireworks this close while also hearing one of the best voices ever to come out of a singer . I have said it before many times and i will say it again, Paul McCartney’s voice is perfection. He has such a high range of vocals and he truly surprises me with this song.

3.  I Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles

I am running out of words to describe my love for this band. Let’s just say that this is my 2nd favorite Beatles song ever. Unlike most romantic ballads, I know the words to a vast majority of this song. Not many artists can pull it off so kudos to The Beatles for that. This song has the best melody to a romantic ballad that I have ever heard. As always, I can never get enough of Paul McCartney and John Lennon harmonizing. In all , this is a great song and a timeless classic of The Beatles.

2. Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley

This is the song that invented rock and roll . Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. This song is my favorite by Elvis Presley ever. Not even Hound Dog can beat this song for me. Everything about this song is perfection. Whenever I tell others how amazing Presley is, this is the song that I use to prove it. Quite frankly, without this song rock and roll would not exist. Like Bohemian Rhapsody , the music video for this is very creative and innovative for its time . believe it or not the song was released in 1957. This song is one of my top 2 favorite songs by my 2nd favorite artist of all time.It was a rather tough choice as to who gets to have the number 1 spot and unfortunately this song doesn’t quite top my number 1. However , this song is a solid 2 on my list and I will always hold a special place inside of me for this song.

Honorable Mentions

Like I have said before , I have a lot of favorite songs ; so making this list was difficult as i had to force myself to narrow it down to 20. Sadly, that means that some songs ,  and even artists, simply did not make the cut. This does not mean that I do not appreciate their music  or the song itself because i do,however it takes more then appreciation for a song to make it onto my  top 20 . So without further ado, these are my honorable mentions

I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston

Staying Alive –  Bee Gees

ABC – Jackson 5

Thriller – Michael Jackson

7 Years – Lukas Graham

Just The Way You Are – Bruno Mars

 Lucy in The Sky  with Diamonds – The Beatles

Yellow Submarine – The Beatles

My Way – Frank Sinatra

Live While Your Young – One Direction

YMCA – Village People

We Don’t Need No Education – Pink Floyd

We Are The Champions – Queen

 

Hey Jude – The Beatles

 

This is the one . The best song of all time. And it just happens to be by my favorite artists. It has been my favorite since the first day I heard it in March 2010. That’s how amazing this song is. The fact that I actually remember the month and year I discovered this song is truly incredible and very few artists have been able to achieve that distinction. The two pictures above are actually from the music video for this song. I have never seen a music video shot like this before and I love it . It is very imaginative, creative,  and thoughtful to actually invite fans to shoot a music video . I can’t even begin to imagine how they must feel knowing that they are singing with The Beatles in a music video . It was a tough choice for my number 1 but I feel like I made the right decision. This song is perfection. I love Paul McCartney’s voice as always. What really sells me though is the chorus . It is the single most catchiest tune that i have ever heard produced. If you don’t remember the verses , you will remember the chorus. If you have ever wanted to know who invented the na nas that you hear in music, it was The Beatles with this song. What else can I say other then the fact that this song is a classic. Not only is this song a classic but The Beatles themselves are a classic. There has never ever been any artist that ,in my opinion, has ever come close to dethroning this song from its number 1 spot other then The Beatles themselves and Elvis Presley. When you consider the fact that there are literally thousands of artists out there , that is saying a lot. The Beatles are a timeless classic and I will always love and appreciate them for as long as I live.

As you can see, Music has had a great impact on me and it helps to lighten up my mood. If you liked this post, be sure to click the follow button so you can keep up to date with my posts . Until next time ; simply “Smile, Laugh, and Live While You Are Young”.