My Top Ten Songs For Playlists. Shake Up What You Have Been Listening To.
1. Blue Sky — Allman Brothers Band
The Number one spot goes to this classic southern rock tune written by Dickey Betts. Recorded in 1971 and released on the album Eat a Peach released in 1972. Featuring portions of the last work Duane Allman recorded with the group before his death, the truly electrifying first guitar solo of this song (1:07) sets the tone for everything taking you on a sweeping journey through valleys of low notes ending with soaring on high notes that leave you flying with bald eagles in this American classic. Betts joining in to compliment with some harmonies (2:28) and taking over shortly after compliments Allman’s style and paints a masterfully crafted blue sky on a sunny day. Go listen to this track and let it sweep you away on a cool breeze into summer feelings.
2. Hurricane — Bob Dylan
My Number two spot has to go to this protest song about the wrongful trial and conviction of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter. Bob Dylan being the greatest songwriter of our time knocks this out of the park, flawlessly telling the facts of the events while commentating on the blatant racism, witness coercion, and profiling involved in Carter’s case. This track was also able to help spread the awareness of the case and ultimately helped free Carter. Eighteen gruesome years after being convicted, Carter was released after the 1967 ruling was overturned. Listen to this track and you will hear the call Dylan makes to free an innocent man. The parallels of law enforcement then and today make this song seem timeless, hopefully, the day will come when this song is purely an example of what times used to be like for people of color.
3. Watch it Fall — Billy Strings
If you’ve never heard of the revolutionary bluegrass hero Billy Strings, stop reading this list, hop on YouTube, Pandora, Spotify, or whatever you’re preferred music hub might be, and check him out. Combining classic bluegrass rhythm with heavy metal-inspired riffs that leave your head spinning and heading for the still down Copperhead Road. Watch It Fall comes off of the Grammy-winning second album, Home (2019). This song asks a question that American’s have been struggling with for a long time, “How long until there’s nothing left at all?”. Provoking over and over sentiments of greed, political unrest, wondering when we established that there’s not enough for all. This heart-felt work will leave you asking the same questions and pondering solutions.
4. I Got a Name — Jim Croce
This song creates such a somber emotion in the depths of your heart. Stemming not only from the phenomenal songwriting but from the knowledge that this was some of Jim Croce’s last work. As the song starts with “Like the pine trees lining the winding road, I got a name, I got a name, Like the singing bird and the croaking toad, I got a name, I got a name” the great message that nothing is insignificant, every life has meaning permeates its way into your mind. Setting the tone for the following chorus, “Movin’ me down the highway, Rollin’ me down the highway, Movin’ ahead so life won’t pass me by.” which in turn becomes an anthem for the song. You can’t help but sing along from the bottom of your heart.
5. So Many Roads — Grateful Dead
This song holds a special place in my heart. I remember hearing it for the first time in my life that I felt so incomplete and broken that nothing mattered. I’d been listening to live shows of the Grateful Dead on YouTube for weeks because it’s all I could even stomach to listen to. A song I hadn’t heard started playing and the first strums of the guitar instantly made me feel something and I started to watch a venue recording of Jerry in 1994 the year before he died and I remember hearing the words;
“If you don’t — who else will?”
From over on the far side of the hill
All I know the sun don’t shine,
The rain refuse to fall
And you don’t seem to hear me when I call
Wind inside & the wind outside
Tangled in the window blind
Tell me why you treat me so unkind
Down where the sun don’t shine
Lonely and I call your name
No place left to go, ain’t that a shame?
Hearing these words from such a broken and dying man who was still doing the thing he loved to do most. It made me well up with tears and I played it again and again. With each play, I picked up new favorite parts until the whole song was my favorite. I still listen to this song three to four times a day almost ten years after first hearing it. I really wanted to put this song at number one, but I felt I was letting too much of my personal feelings and emotions about the song cloud where it should really fall on this list. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfGD94CchJU this is the link to the video I watch and listen to, I strongly suggest listening to it and hearing for yourself.
6. The Sorcerer’s Den — K-Rino
This Houston-based rapper is the pinnacle of storytelling, placing you in his songs, as a character watching everything happen. Combining first and third-person perspective flawlessly;
“Now the second after all of the consent forms were signed
He started warming up by moving objects with his mind
He was blindin’ us with magic now our vision was impaired
He was changing forms and all of the children were getting scared
He just laughed and continued to carry out more deeds
I said, “Sir we’ve seen enough, can you open the door please?”
He said “I haven’t put my whole repertoire on display
I’ll release you when I get ready, follow me this way”
“Goodness gracious what have I got myself into?
Who are you, what are you, where are you from, who sent you?”
He said “I am the sorcerer I’ll never let’chu go
But I’ll brief you with my true histories since you like to know
I’m from a family of oracle I’m fifth generation
I frequently listen to apparition conversations
I’m skilled in levitation and spirit communication
But my specialty is deconstructing dream interpretation.”
“OK, then but to use it like, this is not intelligent.”
He said “I’m testing mortal minds as an experiment
And right now, there’s nobody comparable to my skill
So who could ever challenge me?” I smiled and said, “I will.”
In this second verse, we hear the first-person perspective that carries through the whole song yet you find it so easy to find yourself listening to the retelling of a story you were part of. Like you were in the room with him, witnessing everything. The storytelling and verbal prowess impressed in this song calling for its position on this list. If you have not heard of K-Rino, I recommend listening to this song and the entirety of Annihilation of the Evil Machine.
7. A Little Lost — Molly Tuttle
Molly Tuttle’s rendition of Arthur Russell’s song A Little Lost beckons with the intention behind the song of having feelings for someone when the situation around that person is messy and fragile. Molly’s voice sings the words in a way that we all wish we could, carrying the sadness and understanding following the realization that we cannot be straightforward with our feelings in every situation. Coming full circle her voice carries a hope that it will not always be that way. This is a song that truly escapes any amount of words to describe it, a song you truly need to put on and listen to and feel it make its way to your heart and the top of your playlists.
8. Excitable Boy — Warren Zevon
This track titled after Warren Zevon’s 1978 album of the same name brings a powerhouse of lyrical craft along with strong piano leads, solid guitar riffs, perfect use of saxophone, and repetitive background vocals. All these attributes tied together with a beat you can’t help but move too, make this a true and respectable banger that should be included in any road trip or party playlist. The content matter of the lyrics will appease anyone with a dark sense of humor, and the upbeat dance rhythm keeps the dancers happy, while the spectacular music itself keeps all the music purist’s delighted. Make sure to lend an ear to this track and whole album which I plan on doing an in-depth review and breakdown on in the future.
9. Ascend — TheDooo
A single released by YouTube’s guitarist/video game streamer TheDooo begins with an innocent melodic piano that sucks you into a trance the moment it hits your ears. From there a simple drum pattern emerges followed by a heavily distorted electric guitar repeating the melody of the piano and taking you on a whiplash speed guitar solo that carries the duration of the song. Ascending through layer after layer of skill and technique before ending with one last bar of the piano. For any prog fans, this is a must-listen, heavily influenced by the likes of Dream Theater and Dragonforce TheDooo wrapped technique from both into a pretty little gift for your ears.
10. Copperhead Road — Steve Earle
This southern folk/rock song written by Steve Earle about the heritage and dangers of moonshine running in Johnson County Tennessee is not only an anthem for the counties moonshiners, but serves as a Vietnam protest, stating in the third verse;
I volunteered for the Army on my birthday
They draft the white trash first round here anyway
I done two tours of duty in Vietnam
I came home with a brand new plan
I take the seed from Colombia and Mexico
I just plant it up the holler down Copperhead Road.
Included in this verse he says he is going to grow marijuana instead of running moonshine as his family has done for two generations. This song combines traditional bluegrass with late eighties rock forging a great sound that is sure to leave you blasting it again in your car or truck while cruising your local back roads.
