I was recently asked by a friend (who obviously doesn’t know my great love of music) “what is your most favourite song of all time?” What sort of question was that? Was she setting me a challenge or did she honestly expect that I would be able to come back with a quick answer. Did she actually anticipate that I would be able to give her an answer? Well, I’m embarrassed to say I couldn’t give her an answer. When I thought of all the songs that I have been exposed to over the years, my mind boggled and my head hurt. Narrowing my choices down to just one song is impossible. IMPOSSIBLE, I tell you.
However, not one to back away from a challenge, I have taken the liberty of revising the initial question to “What ARE your most favourite songS of all time?” This question is (slightly) easier to answer. I can narrow the field down to my top 12 most favourite songs. This is a low as I could go, culling the list to 12 was hard enough, a top 10 would not be possible. So you’re getting 12 and I can even give you a reason why they’re my favourites, how good is that? So, here goes (in no particular order):
- Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
I have my Dad to thank for this choice. He is a big Led Zep fan, so I was exposed to their greatness from a very young age. Stairway to Heaven is quite simply the most epic song of all time and would never be omitted from this list.
- Always Where I Need to be – The Kooks
This song just makes me want to dance around the room while screaming the lyrics.
- Walk on the Wild Side – Lou Reed
The simple riff makes this song a classic and so easy to listen to. Melbourne artists, Yves Klein Blue do a great cover of this song, which I am loving at the moment also.
- Paper Aeroplanes – Angus and Julia Stone
Anybody that knows me knows how much I love “The Stones siblings”. It was a very hard task only allowing myself to include one song of theirs in this list. Paper Aeroplanes, from their initial EP, was the first song of theirs I ever heard so it has stuck as my favourite.
- Steal My Kisses – Ben Harper
This is another song that is just so darn catchy and easy to dance to. However, I have to admit it did have a bit of competition though; “Beloved One” comes in as a close runner up.
- Fix You – Coldplay
Coldplay’s concert at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in 2007 was my first big arena concert. I will never forget Chris Martin singing this song to a packed house that was kept silent while listening in awe.
- What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
A song from my childhood that I just can’t give up.
- Unfinished Business – Mumford and Sons
This song is a cover that Mumford and Sons performed for Triple J’s Like a Version. When you hear the original version, you can see just how Mumford and Sons made it there own, I love the story played out in the song.
- Last Request – Paolo Nutini
I have my best friend to thank for introducing me to Paolo Nutini. This is the token break-up song in my list - it’s quite heart wrenching, but I never grow tired of hearing it.
- Clair de Lune – Debussy
This Debussy classic made its way into the list because of its simplicity. It is just a beautiful piece of classical music.
- Passenger – Powderfinger
Powderfinger’s album, Internationalist was the first album I bought and I was obsessed with the song Passenger as a 17 year old studying for my year 12 exams.
- Paranoid Android – Radiohead
If I really feel like listening to something heavy then Radiohead is my first choice and Paranoid Android is my favourite.
So, there it is – the list of my favourite songs (for time being). Ask me again in 5 years time and I’m sure my choices will have changed.
On a side note, some of the artists that are getting some serious airplay on my iPod at the moment include:
The Hungry Kids of Hungary
Mark Ronson
The Black Keys (Brothers is my album of the year)
Boy & Bear
Vampire Weekend
Broken Bells
Ben Howard
Dan Sultan (Never Let You Down nearly made my top 12 list)
The Holidays (saw them play at the Laneway Festival recently and they didn’t disappoint)
Little Red (first album – Listen to Little Red – I don’t like the latest one)
The Roots (actually just one song – The Seed 2.0)
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