My Top 50 Favorite Songs as of November 25th, 2017

Martin_Canine So, it took me pretty long since I registered on this site to make a post like this, but now I finally felt it was time. To clarify: these are my favorite songs in general, up to this point. Most of them I have known for several years, only some have I discovered in the last two years, but really, almost all have been around for quite some time in my life. These songs grew attached to me, and I do really love them. What this list is NOT is a compilation of songs I often listen to at the moment. Those songs come and go, and even if I keep listening to them, it barely goes beyond liking the song or getting hooked on it. Another thing this post is also NOT about is judging what songs I objectively are the most musically challenging or skillful songs. No, this is a purely subjective post about songs I genuinely love, and that do have a place in my heart. In the future, I might discover new songs, or my views will change, who knows, that's why the date is in the title. Note that even though some artists featured in this post have died recently, this did not affect the listing in the slightest. I loved these songs just as much before.

I think you will be surprised by what made it into my list and what didn't. For example, I am a fan and excessive listener of German hip hop, yet no German hip hop song made it into the list. Why is that so? While I am almost euphoric listening to the albums by great artists such as Kollegah, individual songs are different. With albums, I usually let myself fall into a certain mood and want more, and the better it is delivered, the more I will love the album. But individual songs that I consider my favorites work on much deeper levels, speaking to me. Always musically, sometimes lyrically. A song goes much beyond the boundaries of its genre and premise, and works more out of context.

I originally intended to write a full text for each of the songs, but it just didn't work out. It is easy to explain why a song whose lyrics are a major focus point is great, but as soon as it comes to any emotional aspect of melody, harmony and atmosphere, I am simply out of words. This is something I want to let the music speak for itself, that's why I added the YouTube links to the songs. Most of them can be heard in their original album version, but even if not, the differences are only minor, so you would barely realize it. The quality differs, but it is just a free impression of the song and can't compete with the experience of a physical medium. I hope the links all work, but I can't guarantee as some videos don't work in all nations.

So, here they finally are in all their glory, my 50 favorite songs:

50. Linkin Park - What I’ve Done
Year: 2007
Album: Minutes to Midnight
Length: 3:25

49. Udo Jürgens - Griechischer Wein
Year: 1974
Album: Griechischer Wein - Seine neuen Lieder
Length: 4:05

48. Coldplay - Paradise
Year: 2011
Album: Mylo Xyloto
Length: 4:37

47. Cyndi Lauper - I Drove All Night
Year: 1989
Album: A Night to Remember
Length: 4:10

46. Cher - Dark Lady
Year: 1974
Album: Dark Lady
Length: 3:28

45. Paula Cole - Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?
Year: 1996
Album: This Fire
Length: 4:26

44. ABBA - The Winner Takes it All
Year: 1980
Album: Super Trouper
Length: 4:55

43. Rodriguez - To Whom It May Concern
Year: 1971
Album: Coming From Reality
Length: 3:25

42. Pink Floyd - Goodbye Blue Sky
Year: 1979
Album: The Wall
Length: 2:47

41. Björk - Jòga
Year: 1997
Album: Homogenic
Length: 5:05

40. Insane Clown Posse feat. Slash - Halls of Illusions
Year: 1997
Album: The Great Milenko
Length: 4:20

39. Die Toten Hosen - Hier kommt Alex
Year: 1988
Album: Ein kleines Bisschen Horrorschau
Length: 4:59

38. Herbert Grönemeyer - Bochum
Year: 1984
Album: 4630 Bochum
Length: 3:50

37. Vanilla Ninja - Blue Tattoo
Year: 2004
Album: Blue Tattoo
Length: 4:10

36. Prince & the Revolution - When Doves Cry
Year: 1984
Album: Purple Rain
Length: 5:54

35. America - The Last Unicorn
Year: 1982
Album: The Last Unicorn
Length: 3:08

34. Jodi Benson - Part of Your World
Year: 1989
Album: The Little Mermaid - Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack [sampler]
Length: 3:13

33. Within Temptation - Restless
Year: 1997
Album: Enter
Length: 6:09

32. Annett Louisan - Das Liebeslied
Year: 2004
Album: Bohème
Length: 3:28

31. Madonna - American Life
Year: 2003
Album: American Life
Length: 4:57

30. Kim Wilde - Cambodia
Year: 1981
Album: Select
Length: 3:57 (7:14 including reprise)

29. Howard Blake feat. Peter Auty - Walking in the Air
Year: 1982
Album: The Snowman
Length: 3:30

28. The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
Year: 1966
Album: Revolver
Length: 2:05

27. Queen - The Show Must Go On
Year: 1991
Album: Innuendo
Length: 4:31

26. The Brothers Four - Greenfields
Year: 1960
Album: The Brothers Four
Length: 3:02

25. Ich+Ich - Du erinnerst mich an Liebe
Year: 2005
Album: Ich +I ch
Length: 3:33

24. Björk feat. Thom Yorke - I’ve Seen It All
Year: 2000
Album: Selmasongs
Length: 5:29

23. No Doubt - Don’t Speak
Year: 1995
Album: Tragic Kingdom
Length: 4:23

22. Peter Maffay - Nessaja
Year: 1983
Album: Tabaluga, oder Die Reise zur Vernunft
Length: 4:12

21. Mary Hopkin - Those Were the Days
Year: 1968
Album: Postcard [US version]
Length: 5:05

20. Michael Jackson - Earth Song
Year: 1995
Album: HIStory - Past, Present & Future Book I
Length: 6:46

19. Ben Moody & Anastacia - Everything Burns
Year: 2005
Album: Fantastic 4 - The Album [sampler]
Length: 3:41

18. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
Year: 2006
Album: The Black Parade
Length: 5:11

17. Carmen Twillie & Lebo M. - Circle of Life
Year: 1994
Album: The Lion King - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [sampler]
Length: 3:59

16. Queen - Innuendo
Year: 1991
Album: Innuendo
Length: 6:29

15. Nightwish - Sleeping Sun
Year: 1999
Album: - [initially a non-album single, it has since been included on several reissues of the 1998 album “Oceanborn”]
Length: 4:04

14. Dionne Warwick - I Say a Little Prayer
Year: 1967
Album: The Windows of the World
Length: 3:08

13. Falco - Jeanny
Year: 1985
Album: Falco 3
Length: 5:54

12. Within Temptation - Deceiver of Fools
Year: 2001
Album: Mother Earth
Length: 7:35

11. Eminem feat. Dido - Stan
Year: 2000
Album: The Marshall Mathers LP
Length: 6:44

10. Rammstein - Mutter
Year: 2001
Album: Mutter
Length: 4:32

9. Madonna - Live to Tell
Year: 1986
Album: True Blue
Length: 5:51

8. Alexandra - Mein Freund, der Baum
Year: 1968
Album: Alexandra
Length: 3:42

7. Lebo M. - He Lives in You
Year: 1995
Album: Rhythm of the Pride Lands
Length: 4:51

6. Nena - Vollmond
Year: 1983
Album: Nena
Length: 3:04

5. Kōji Wada - Target ~Akai Shougeki~
Year: 2000
Album: All of My Mind
Length: 4:26

4. Nightwish - Ghost Love Score
Year: 2004
Album: Once
Length: 10:02

3. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds & Kylie Minogue - Where the Wild Roses Grow
Year: 1995
Album: Murder Ballads
Length: 3:57

2. Mike Oldfield feat. Maggie Reilly - Moonlight Shadow
Year: 1983
Album: Crises
Length: 3:37

1. Die Ärzte - Schrei nach Liebe
Year: 1993
Album: Die Bestie in Menschengestalt
Length: 4:13

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