Thursday, November 17, 2011

Top 10 Soundtracks of the 90's

And please note this is needle drop only. NOT scores. That is a different and, honestly, much more difficult list for me to make outside of the top 3.

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And for the lazy folks out there I made you a best of Playlist on Spotify. Complete with many songs seen here and some other random additions that just scream "90's Soundtrack"

Spotify 90's Soundtrack Playlist:

http://open.spotify.com/user/12440324/playlist/5fkdH8aMXMfOHAMYmlGA16


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Bonus Pick
#11
) Trainspotting


Iggy Pop, Brian Eno, New Order, Pulp and more? Yes please. It also features my favorite song by one of my alltime favorite artists in Lou Reed's brilliant "Perfect Day"

1. Lust for Life - Iggy Pop 
2. Deep Blue Day - Brian Eno 
3. Trainspotting - Primal Scream 
4. Atomic - Sleeper 
5. Temptation - New Order 
6. Nightclubbing - Iggy Pop 
7. Sing - Blur
8. Perfect Day - Lou Reed 
9. Mile End - Pulp
10. For What You Dream Of -  Bedrock 
11. 2:1 - Elastica 
12. A Final Hit - Leftfield 
13. Born Slippy .NUXX - Underworld 
14. Closet Romantic - Damon Albarn


10) The Crow


I listened to this far too much to be able to omit it. Looking back, it wasn't nearly as good as I recalled but a number of standouts still exist. The Cure's "Burn", NIN's cover of Joy Divisions "Dead Souls" and one of my favorite STP tracks highlight the album. I also am still oddly driven to Jane Siberry's "It Can't Rain All the Time" which I remember listening to on repeat in my bedroom under a ton of blacklights. Yeeeeaaaah... Ahem.

1. Burn - The Cure 
2. Golgotha Tenement Blues - Machines of Loving Grace 
3. Big Empty - Stone Temple Pilots 
4. Dead Souls - Nine Inch Nails (Joy Division)
5. Darkness - Rage Against the Machine
6. Color Me Once - Violent Femmes 
7. Ghostrider - Rollins Band 
8. Milktoast - Helmet 
9. The Badge - Pantera
10. Slip Slide Melting - For Love Not Lisa 
11. After the Flesh - My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult
12. Snakedriver - The Jesus and Mary Chain 
13. Time Baby III - Medicine
14. It Can't Rain All the Time - Jane Siberry 


9) Jerry Maguire


Not as reminiscent of the decade but still full of older goodies to be found from The Who, Tom Petty and more. Aimee Mann's "Wise Up" (although better utilized in PTA's Magnolia) helped the cause in my list more than most would know. I also will forever be an apologist for Springsteen's "Secret Garden". Yep.

1. Requiem Again -The Durutti Column
2. The Horses - Rickie Lee Jones
3. I'll Be You - The Replacements
4. Momma Miss America - Paul McCartney
5. Singalong Junk- Paul McCartney 
6. Pocket Full of Rainbows - Elvis Presley
7. The Lonely Bull - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
8. Angel of the Morning - Merrilee Rush
9. Getting In Tune - The Who
10. Magic Bus - The Who
11. Something in the Way - Nirvana
12. For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) - AC/DC
13. Free Fallin' - Tom Petty
14. Neil Young – World on a String
15. Shelter from the Storm- Bob Dylan
16. Secret Garden - Bruce Springsteen
17. Bitch - The Rolling Stones
18. Wise Up - Aimee Mann



8) Gross Pointe Blank


First can we just all acknowledge now how underrated this flick is? Good, I agree. Another soundtrack that doesn't necessarily capture as much of the 90's but still strikes the right chord for the decade as a film in the process. It also helped catapult Violent Femmes back into the spotlight, a feat that deserves recognition alone. I also gave extra points for Faith No More and the addition of a top 25 track of all time in "Under Pressure"

1. Blister In The Sun - Violent Femmes
2. Rudie Can't Fail - Clash
3. Mirror In The Bathroom - English Beat
4. Under Pressure - David Bowie, Queen
5. I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
6. Live & Let Die - Guns N' Roses
7. We Care A Lot - Faith No More
8. Pressure Drop - Specials
9. Absolute Beginners - Jam
10. Armagideon Time - Clash
11. El Matador - Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
12. Let My Love Open The Door (E. Cola Mix) - Pete Townshend
13. Blister 2000 - Violent Femmes


7) So I Married an Axe Murderer


It was really hard to keep this just at 7 actually. Perfectly illustrates the 90's both in film and soundtrack including some of the most distinguishable tracks of the decade most notably with the Spin Doctor's "Two Princes". Throw in Toad the Wet Sprocket, Soul Asylum and a cheerful closing track in "There She Goes" and we have a perfectly balanced 90's soundtrack.

1. Brother - Toad the Wet Sprocket
2. The Break - Soul Asylum
3. Starve To Death - Chris Whitley
4. Rush - Big Audio Dynamite
5. This Poem Sucks - Mike Myers
6. Saturday Night - Ned's Atomic Dustbin
7. Long Day in the Universe - Darling Buds
8. Two Princes - Spin Doctors
9. My Insatiable One - Suede
10. Maybe Baby - Sun 60
11. There She Goes - La's


6) Forrest Gump


This easily could have been the top soundtrack of the 90's but I knocked it a few points for not having anything truly "90's" about it. Whats so great about this list for me is the time period it exemplifies and although this is one of the greatest music soundtracks of all time it does not have anything definable in it for said decade. Having said all that, Holy Hell is this an amazing soundtrack.

Disc One
1. Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
2. Rebel Rouser - Duane Eddy
3. (I Don't Know Why) But I Do" - Clarence "Frogman" Henry
4. Walk Right In - The Rooftop Singers
5. Land of 1000 Dances - Wilson Pickett
6. Blowin' in the Wind - Joan Baez
7. Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
8. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) - The Four Tops
9. Respect - Aretha Franklin
10. Rainy Day Women #12 - Bob Dylan
11. Sloop John B - Beach Boys
12. California Dreamin' - The Mamas & the Papas
13. For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
14. What the World Needs Now Is Love - Jackie DeShannon
15. Break on Through (To the Other Side) - The Doors
16. Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel

Disc Two
1. Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane
2. Let's Get Together - The Youngbloods
3. San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) - Scott McKenzie
4. Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds
5. Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In - The 5th Dimension
6. Everybody's Talkin' - Harry Nilsson
7. Joy to the World - Three Dog Night
8. Stoned Love - The Supremes
9. Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head - B. J. Thomas
10. Mr. President - Randy Newman
11. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
12. It Keeps You Runnin' - The Doobie Brothers
13. I've Got to Use My Imagination - Gladys Knight & the Pips
14. On the Road Again - Willie Nelson
15. Against the Wind - Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band



5) Singles


The second Cameron Crowe film to make the list which if you follow him close enough should be no surprise. As a whole, I feel that the power here is more in the bands themselves then the tracks but in the end you can't make a 90's list and not mention something that includes the likes of Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden and more. Nothing exemplifies the grunge era better than this.

1. Would? - Alice in Chains
2. Breath - Pearl Jam
3. Seasons - Chris Cornell
4. Dyslexic Heart - Paul Westerberg
5. The Battle of Evermore (live Led Zeppelin cover) - The Lovemongers
6. Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns - Mother Love Bone
7. Birth Ritual - Soundgarden
8. State of Love and Trust - Pearl Jam
9. Overblown - Mudhoney
10. Waiting for Somebody Paul Westerberg
11. May This Be Love -The Jimi Hendrix Experience
12. Nearly Lost You - Screaming Trees
13. Drown - Smashing Pumpkins



4) Empire Records


Not as many individual standouts in terms of singles but it was an album I listed to on repeat for many years. There isn't a bad track on the album with some of the most definable 90's pop bands to be found. Gin Blossoms, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Cranberries, Better Than Ezra and more. It's one of the first thoughts I have when I think of "90's Soundtracks" and for good reason.

1. Til I Hear It from You - Gin Blossoms
2. Liar - The Cranberries
3. A Girl Like You - Edwyn Collins
4. Free - The Martinis
5. Crazy Life - Toad the Wet Sprocket
6. Bright As Yellow - The Innocence Mission
7. Circle of Friends - Better Than Ezra
8. I Don't Want to Live Today - Ape Hangers
9. Whole Lotta Trouble - Cracker
10. Ready, Steady, Go by The Meices
11. What You Are - Drill
12. Nice Overalls - Lustre
13. Here It Comes Again - Please
14. The Ballad of El Goodo - Evan Dando
15. Sugarhigh - Coyote Shivers
16. The Honeymoon Is Over - The Cruel Sea



3) Can't Hardly Wait



A wonderfully balanced soundtrack with some amazing little known tracks from under-appreciated bands like Feeder and Matthew Sweet with huge hits from Blink and Busta Rhymes. Throw in some great older party mix tunes from the 80's in GnR and Run DMC and you have a winner from top to bottom.

1. Graduate - Third Eye Blind
2. Can't Get Enough Of You Baby - Smash Mouth
3. Dammit - Blink 182
4. I Walked In - Brougham
5. Turn It Up/Fire It Up - Busta Rhymes
6. Hit Em Wit Da Hee - Missy Elliott feat. Lil' Kim and Mocha
7. Swing My Way - K.P. & Envyi
8. Flashlight - Parliament
9. It's Tricky - Run D.M.C.
10. High - Feeder
11. Tell Me What To Say - Black Lab
12. Farther Down - Matthew Sweet
13. Can't Hardly Wait - The Replacements
14. Umbrella - Dog's Eye View
15. Paradise City - Guns N' Roses


2) Cruel Intentions
Two songs firmly had this planted on the top 3 without me even trying: The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and one of my top 5 songs of the decade "Colorblind" by the never out of style Counting Crows. Throw in an amazing decade defining track from Fatboy Slim and some wonderful additions by Blur, Skunk Anansie and Marcy Playground and you have a fantastic soundtrack that unlike others on this list, better encompasses my current musical taste.

1. Every You Every Me - Placebo
2. Praise You - Fatboy Slim
3. Coffee And TV - Blur
4. Bedroom Dancing - Day One
5. Colorblind - Counting Crows
6. Ordinary Life - Kristen Barry
7. Comin' Up From Behind - Marcy Playground
8. Secretly - Skunk Anansie
9. This Love - Craig Armstrong
10. You Could Make A Killing - Aimee Mann
11. Addictive - Faithless
12. Trip On Love - Abra Moore
13. You Blew Me Off - Bare Jr.
14. Bitter Sweet Symphony -The Verve


1) Reality Bites


It just oozes 90's in every aspect and includes a wonderful mix of radio friendly pop hits like Big Mountain's "Baby I Love your Way" and the Knacks "My Sharona" with some of the edgier influential bands of the decade like Dinosaur Jr and the Posies. More importantly (and what puts this album over the top for me) it features two of my all-time favorite songs: The impeccable beauty Lisa Loeb doing two versions of her #1 hit "Stay" (including an acoustic version that still gets to me today) and one of the greatest unknown U2 love songs in the nearly 7 minute "All I Want is You". I can still listen to this from start to finish today and enjoy every minute of it just like I did as a HS Sophomore, which in the end is what allowed this to narrowly edge out the #1 spot.

1. My Sharona - The Knack
2. Spin The Bottle - The Juliana Hatfield 3
3. Bed Of Roses - The Indians
4. When You Come Back To Me - World Party
5. Going, Going, Gone - The Posies
6. Stay (I Missed You) - Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
7. All I Want Is You - U2
8. Locked Out - Crowded House
9. Spinning Around Over You - Lenny Kravitz
10. I'm Nuthiin' - Ethan Hawke
11. Turnip Farm - Dinosaur Jr.
12. Revival - Me Phi Me
13. Tempted (94) - Squeeze
14. Baby, I Love Your Way - Big Mountain
15. Stay (I Missed You) (Living Room Mix) - Lisa Loeb
16. Ass It Up - Ethan Hawke
17. Confusion - New Order
18. Disco Inferno - The Trammps
19. Give A Man A Fish - Arrested Development
20. Fools Like Me - Lisa Loeb



Honorable Mention:

Pulp Fiction - Some of the most entertaining parts are the integrated sound bites from the movie leading into the music. Unfortunately those don't really count for me in the rules I went by here.

The Chase - Maybe the best Punk soundtrack *ever*. Sadly though a real "soundtrack" was never released so this is here because of that technicality. Artists include: NOFX, Bad Religion, Down by Law, Rancid, Rollins Band and more.

Angus - In some ways I am shocked this didn't make crack my top 10 here as I have nothing but fond memories of this on repeat driving around Tampa in my car. Greenday, Ash and (of course) Weezer highlight but tracks by Love Spit Love and Dance Hall Crashers also got plenty of run and rightfully so.

Phenomenon - More of a guilty pleasure for me than anything else but some solid tracks by Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, Marvin Gaye. Jewel and yeah, I said it: Aaron Neville.

The Matrix - Honestly I just got really sick of this (and still am 12+ years later). But it did have some standout tracks from Rage Against the Machine, Rammstein, Prodigy and more. It's worth noting too that (lamely) half the songs on the Soundtrack were not even featured in the film. Another point that frustrates me in a "Disturbing Behavior" level way. Which if you know what I am referring to right now are likely my friend for life. 

American Pie - The first album out of the top 11. A variety of fun tracks from bands like Blink, Third Eye Blind, Tonic and more with two excellent subdued counterparts with Bic Runga's "Sway" and her duet with Semisonic's Dan Wilson with "Good Morning Baby"

Cable Guy - It starts and ends with a top 25 track of the decade for me in Primitive Radio Gods hit "Standing Outside a Broken Telephone Booth with Money in my Hand". Throw in Filter's "Hey Man Nice Shot" and Rob Zombie's hit "More Human than Human" and you have another album that was tough to leave off the list.



Spotify 90's Soundtrack Playlist: 
http://open.spotify.com/user/12440324/playlist/5fkdH8aMXMfOHAMYmlGA16


Friday, November 11, 2011

Top 10 Songs Likely to be heard at the Doofin’s wedding




and in no particular order...


Jimmy Eat WorldFor Me this is Heaven 
second song that came to my head


Ryan Adams - Wonderwall 
because it's beautiful and the greatest cover of all time. A point we both agreed upon


Tonic If you could only see
First song that came to my head


Guster Satellite
I had to pick a Guster song. And although my guess is something like 'Either Way' would be a favorite, lyrically it made the least sense for a wedding.


Fall Out BoyGrand Theft Autumn/Where is Your Boy
You know I must love you to have taken my time to find a Fall Out Boy song for this list. <3
And lyrically its a stretch but it works(ish)



John Williams - Jurassic Park Soundtrack - Main Theme
and it will be at my wedding too...



DecemberistsThe Rake's Song
Can't make a list for my Doofin without some Colin. This was the obvious choice IMO


Randy Edelman- Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack - Promentory
You have to think of me at some point in the wedding. This addition should suffice
 


The BeatlesEleanor Rigby  
I think we discussed this actually. Some lyrics might not fit but otherwise its perfect  


Pete YornJust Another Girl 
 too many to choose from here. but to for me... this one is heaven (oh and see below)

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Top 10 Songs with Whistling




10) Foster the PeoplePumped Up Kicks
-2:49 mark-


9) Warren G ft. Nate Dogg - Regulate
-opening-



8) Rilo KileyRipchord (written about Elliot Smith btw)
-1:45-



7) Ottis Redding - Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay
-2:30-



6) Guns N' Roses - Patience
-opening-



5) Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home
-Opening and every Chorus-


4) Tom Waits - Green Grass 
-2:33-




3) Bobby McFerrin - Don’t Worry Be Happy 
-opening-



2) Andrew Bird – Oh No (but really this is for just about *any* Andrew Bird song) 
- :57 mark for the intro and sporadic after that-


1) Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks 
-err... everywhere-


Honorable Mention:

They Might Be Giants - Whistling in the Dark
Only listed because its a song about whistling that has no whistling. Yep.