The Top 250 - Debut

by Conroy

Well it's time for the unveiling of my eagerly anticipated Top 250 songs list. I consider this to be one of the most definitive rankings of songs...wait a minute Conroy, you're thinking, are you trying to pull a fast one on us? Is this really what your post is about? Top 250 songs, whatever that is? What do I care about your Top 250 songs? Maybe I'll surf to another page...but I say wait...before you go, understand that this list will be interesting regardless of your enjoyment, or even knowledge, of the songs I have included.

It's actually not a new list, I first put it together nine years ago when I was still an undergrad, at that time a ranked Top 100 list. Since then it has been revised dozens of times. The current Top 250, which also includes a ranked Top 100, represents my very favorite of a collection of nearly 6,000 songs (just more than 4 percent of the total collection). The nine years of refinement has resulted in a tight yet eclectic mix spanning the last fifty years (and seven decades) of popular music. I'm sharing it here because the best part of music is the experience of shared listening, discovering, and discussion. Listening to music with a few friends is always better than alone in your car. A concert is always more fun than a pair of iPod earbuds.

I won't write too much more, I'll let the list speak - or play - for itself (I've included links to listen to some tracks). I hope, and really I'm certain, my readers will find at least some of the artists and songs featured to be of interest. A few stats:

• 157 artists are represented on the list
• 39 artists have multiple songs on the list led by Rilo Kiley (10), Weezer (9), Bruce Springsteen (8), Pulp (8), Radiohead (8), Oasis (7), U2 (6), The Beatles (5), and Death Cab for Cutie (5)
• In addition, Rilo Kiley has the most songs ranked in the Top 100 (5), followed by Bruce Springsteen, Pulp, Radiohead, and Weezer, all with four apiece
• The songs per decade breakdown: 50s - 2; 60s - 9; 70s - 15; 80s - 56; 90s - 88; 00s - 79; and 10s -1

Without further ado, the Top 250...



Conroy's Top 250 Songs

[Note the numbers in parentheses represent the ranking for the Top 100 songs. Songs with an "I" in parenthesis indicate inclusion on the inaugural Top 100 list from Fall 2001.]

(listed in alphabetical order by artist; Song - Artist)

Take on Me - A Ha
Sometime Around Midnight - The Airborne Toxic Event (78)
You Outta Know - Alanis Morissette
Scared - Albert Hammond, Jr.
Wake Up - Arcade Fire (77)
People in Love - Art Brut
Life Less Ordinary - Ash (86)
The Funeral - Band of Horses
The Old Apartment - Barenaked Ladies
Good Vibration - Beach Boys (I)

A Day in the Life - The Beatles (33), (I)
Elenor Rigby - The Beatles (I)
I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles (I)
Norwegian Wood - The Beatles (47), (I)
Ob la di Ob la da - The Beatles
Sunday Sun - Beck
Rocky Took a Love - Bell X1
The Blues Are Still Blue - Belle and Sebastian
Stand By Me - Ben E. King
Take My Breath Away - Berlin (I)

Not Alone - Bernard Butler
Burned - Better Than Ezra (20)
Desperately Wanting - Better Than Ezra (17)
Good - Better Than Ezra
Allentown - Billy Joel
This Modern Love - Bloc Party
Two More Years - Bloc Party (71)
Dreaming - Blondie
Cut Some Rug - Bluetones
No Distance Left to Run - Blur

Tender - Blur
Blue Angels Air Show - Bright Eyes
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (24), (I)
Brilliant Disguise - Bruce Springsteen (8)
Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen
Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
Thunder Road (live) - Bruce Springsteen (54)
Tougher Than the Rest - Bruce Springsteen
Trapped - Bruce Springsteen
Tunnel of Love - Bruce Springsteen (57)

Swallowed - Bush (51), (I)
Lloyd I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken - Camera Obscura
Let Your Troubles Roll By - Carbon Leaf
Wild World - Cat Stevens (41), (I)
I Wonder - Chris Isaak
Wicked Game - Chris Isaak
You Never Can Tell - Chuck Berry
Time After Time - Cindy Lauper
Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies
Dreams - Cranberries

A Letter to Elise - The Cure
Friday I'm in Love - The Cure (84)
Just Like Heaven - The Cure (28)
Bohemian Like You - The Dandy Warhols (27), (I)
You Were the Last High - The Dandy Warhols
The Maker - Daniel Lanois
Panic in Detroit - David Bowie (68)
Go to Hell - David Ford
A Movie Script Ending - Death Cab for Cutie
Cath... - Death Cab for Cutie (55)

Crooked Teeth - Death Cab for Cutie
Someday You Will Be Loved - Death Cab for Cutie
The Sound of Settling - Death Cab for Cutie
O Valencia - The Decemberists (81)
It's No Good - Depeche Mode (97)
Freak Scene - Dinosaur Jr.
Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran (I)
Ordinary World - Duran Duran (96), (I)
Stutter - Elastica (40), (I)
Pastry Organ - Ellen Cherry

Waltz No. 2 - Elliott Smith
Daniel - Elton John (93)
Sacrifice - Elton John
Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John (36), (I)
I'll Wear it Proudly - Elvis Costello (I)
You Look Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
Apron Strings - Everything But the Girl
Sugar We're Going Down - Fall Out Boy
Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
Got You Where I Want You - The Flys (67)

Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis
The Gutterati - The Fratellis
The Twist - Frightened Rabbit (94)
No. 1 Crush - Garbage (83)
Special - Garbage (30)
Never You Done That - General Public (82)
Follow You Follow Me - Genesis
Father Figure - George Michael (72)
Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms (91)
Flowers and Football Tops - Glasvegas

Geraldine - Glasvegas
Don't Cry - Guns 'n Roses
God - Head Automatica (85)
Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn - Hellogoodbye
No One is to Blame - Howard Jones
Laid - James
Cigarettes and Wine - Jason Isbell (70)
Soldiers Get Strange - Jason Isbell
St. Teresa - Joan Osborne
I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash

Right Moves - Josh Ritter (100)
The Temptation of Adam - Josh Ritter (89)
Oh My God - Kaiser Chiefs
This Woman's Work - Kate Bush (31)
The Cheapest Key - Kathleen Edwards
All These Things That I Have Done - The Killers (58)
Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Dyer Maker - Led Zeppelin
Fool in the Rain - Led Zeppelin (52)
Lightning Crashes - Live (56), (I)
,
Smothered in Hugs - Local H
Love at First Sight - Lush (76)
La Isla Bonita - Madonna
Who's That Girl - Madonna
Song Beneath the Song - Maria Taylor
Different Drum - Matthew Sweet
Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
A Short Happy Life - Medicine (46)
One More - Medicine
Time to Pretend - MGMT

Hot Summer Nights - Miami Sound Machine (88), (I)
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Wanna be Starting Something - Michael Jackson (92)
When It's Cold I'd Like to Die - Moby
Life in Mono - Mono (73), (I)
Your Wildest Dreams - The Moody Blues (61)
Everyday is Like Sunday - Morrissey
First of the Gang to Die - Morrissey
Only Shallow - My Bloody Valentine (5)
I'm Not Okay - My Chemical Romance

What a Wonderful Man - My Morning Jacket
Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National (90)
Holland, 1945 - Neutral Milk Hotel
In an Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
Sonny - New Found Glory
Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order (6)
Temptation - New Order
Challengers - The New Pornographers
Letter From an Occupant - The New Pornographers (2)
The Bleeding Heart Show - The New Pornographers (22)

The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism - The New Pornographers
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana (99), (I)
Champagne Supernova - Oasis
Don't Go Away - Oasis
Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis (14), (I)
Live Forever - Oasis (I)
Stand By Me - Oasis (95)
Stay Young - Oasis
Wonderwall - Oasis (I)
The President's Dead - Okkervil River

Joan of Arc - OMD
Graceland - Paul Simon
So Hard - Pet Shop Boys
In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
Nancy Boy - Placebo
Nothing Better - The Postal Service
Recycled Air - The Postal Service (35)
Back on the Chain Gang - The Pretenders (21)
Purple Rain - Prince (66)
Pretty in Pink - The Psychedelic Furs

Cocaine Socialism - Pulp
Common People - Pulp (3), (I)
Do You Remember the First Time - Pulp (42)
Glory Days - Pulp
Like a Friend - Pulp (1), (I)
Sorted for E's and Whizz - Pulp (53), (I)
The Fear - Pulp (I)
This is Hardcore - Pulp (I)
Accident - Rachael Yamagata (87)
Steady As She Goes - The Raconteurs

All I Need - Radiohead
Creep - Radiohead (4), (I)
Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead (10), (I)
Karma Police - Radiohead (45), (I)
Let Down - Radiohead
Nice Dream - Radiohead (I)
No Surprises - Radiohead (25), (I)
Paranoid Android - Radiohead (I)
Uncertain Times - Raveonettes
Sweetness Follows - REM

You Are the Everything - REM (79)
A Better Son/Daughter - Rilo Kiley
Emotional (Until Crickets Guide You Back) - Rilo Kiley (29)
Jenny, You're Barely Alive - Rilo Kiley (50)
More Adventurous - Rilo Kiley (44)
My Slumbering Heart - Rilo Kiley (65)
Pictures of Success - Rilo Kiley
Portions for Foxes - Rilo Kiley (9)
Science vs. Romance - Rilo Kiley
The Execution of All Things - Rilo Kiley

Three Hopeful Thoughts - Rilo Kiley
Love Underground - Robbers on High Street
Can't You Hear Me Knocking - The Rolling Stones (39)
Monkey Man - The Rolling Stones
More Than This - Roxy Music (37)
Like a Motorway - Saint Etienne (43)
Sad and Lonely - The Secret Machines
Nothing Compares to You - Sinead O'Connor
Alison - Slowdive (7)
1979 - Smashing Pumpkins (12), (I)

Today - Smashing Pumpkins (15), (I)
Tonight Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins
How Soon is Now - The Smiths (32), (I)
Run - Snow Patrol
Goodbye Girl - Squeeze (13), (I)
You Ex-Love is Dead - The Stars (64)
Dear Rose - Steve Reynolds
I Just Called to Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
Being Here - The Stills (80)
Asphalt World - Suede

Spinning Away - Sugar Ray (63)
Grace - Supergrass
Tom's Diner - Suzanne Vega
Head Over Heels - Tear for Fears (60)
You Wouldn't Like Me - Tegan and Sara (75)
Ana Ng - They Might be Giants (69)
We Don't Need Another Hero - Tina Turner
Free Falling - Tom Petty (49), (I)
Obscurity Knocks - The Trashcan Sinatras (48)
All I Want to do is Rock - Travis (I)

All I Want is You - U2
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me - U2 (26)
Red Hill Mining Town - U2
Until the End of the World - U2 (23)
Who's Going to Ride Your Wild Horses - U2
With or Without You - U2 (I)
Kingston Town - UB40
Brown-Eyed Girl - Van Morrison (I)
Into the Mystic - Van Morrison
Crazy Town - Velocity Girl

Sweet Jane - The Velvet Underground (19)
Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve (74), (I)
American Music - The Violent Femmes (62), (I)
The Whole of the Moon - The Waterboys
This is the Sea - The Waterboys
The Reasons - The Weakerthans (98)
Devotion - Weezer
El Scrocho - Weezer (18), (I)
Falling for You - Weezer (34), (I)
I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams - Weezer

My Name is Jonas - Weezer
Only in Dreams - Weezer (I)
Pink Triangle - Weezer (38), (I)
Say it Aint So - Weezer (11), (I)
The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived - Weezer
Baba O'Riley - The Who (16), (I)
A Shot in the Arm - Wilco
Misunderstood - Wilco (59)
Earn Enough for Us - XTC
The Mayor of Simpleton - XTC


Conroy's Top 100 Songs (in ranked order)


1. Like a Friend - Pulp
2. Letter From an Occupant - The New Pornographers
3. Common People - Pulp
4. Creep - Radiohead
5. Only Shallow - My Bloody Valentine
6. Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
7. Alison - Slowdive
8. Brilliant Disguise - Bruce Springsteen
9. Portions for Foxes - Rilo Kiley
10. Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead

11. Say it Aint So - Weezer
12. 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
13. Goodbye Girl - Squeeze
14. Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis
15. Today - Smashing Pumpkins
16. Baba O'Riley - The Who
17. Desperately Wanting - Better Than Ezra
18. El Scrocho - Weezer
19. Sweet Jane - The Velvet Underground
20. Burned - Better Than Ezra

21. Back on the Chain Gang - The Pretenders
22. The Bleeding Hearts Show - The New Pornographers
23. Until the End of the World - U2
24. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
25. No Surprises - Radiohead
26. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me - U2
27. Bohemian Like You - The Dandy Warhols
28. Just Like Heaven - The Cure
29. Emotional (Until Crickets Guide You Back) - Rilo Kiley
30. Special - Garbage

31. This Woman's Work - Kate Bush
32. How Soon is Now - The Smiths
33. A Day in the Life - The Beatles
34. Falling for You - Weezer
35. Recycled Air - The Postal Service
36. Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John
37. More Than This - Roxy Music
38. Pink Triangle - Weezer
39. Can't You Hear Me Knocking - The Rolling Stones
40. Stutter - Elastica

41. Wild World - Cat Stevens
42. Do You Remember the First Time - Pulp
43. Like a Motorway - Saint Etienne
44. More Adventurous - Rilo Kiley
45. Karma Police - Radiohead
46. A Short Happy Life - Medecine
47. Norwegian Wood - The Beatles
48. Obscurity Knocks - The Trashcan Sinatras
49. Free Falling - Tom Petty
50. Jenny, You're Barely Alive - Rilo Kiley

51. Swallowed - Bush
52. Fool in the Rain - Led Zeppelin
53. Sorted for E's and Whizz - Pulp
54. Thunder Road (live) - Bruce Springsteen
55. Cath... - Death Cab for Cutie
56. Lightning Crashes - Live
57. Tunnel of Love - Bruce Springsteen
58. All These Things That I Have Done - The Killers
59. Misunderstood - Wilco
60. Head Over Heels - Tears for Fears

61. Your Wildest Dreams - The Moody Blues
62. American Music - The Violent Femmes
63. Spinning Away - Sugar Ray
64. Your Ex-Lover is Dead - The Stars
65. My Slumbering Heart - Rilo Kiley
66. Purple Rain - Prince
67. Got You Where I Want You - The Flys
68. Panic in Detroit - David Bowie
69. Ana Ng - They Might be Giants
70. Cigarettes and Wine - Jason Isbell

71. Two More Years - Bloc Party
72. Father Figure - George Michael
73. Life in Mono - Mono
74. Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve
75. You Wouldn't Like Me - Tegan and Sara
76. Love at First Sight - Lush
77. Wake Up - Arcade Fire
78. Sometime Around Midnight - Airborne Toxic Event
79. You Are the Everything - REM
80. Being Here - The Stills

81. O Valencia - The Decemberists
82. Never You Done That - General Public
83. No. 1 Crush - Garbage
84. Friday I'm in Love - The Cure
85. God - Head Automatica
86. Life Less Ordinary - Ash
87. Accident - Rachael Yamagata
88. Hot Summer Nights - Miami Sound Machine
89. The Temptation of Adam - Josh Ritter
90. Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National

91. Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms
92. Wanna be Starting Something - Michael Jackson
93. Daniel - Elton John
94. The Twist - Frightened Rabbit
95. Stand By Me - Oasis
96. Ordinary World - Duran Duran
97. It's No Good - Depeche Mode
98. The Reasons - Weakerthans
99. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
100. Right Moves - Josh Ritter