POOLEYBLOG's Top 100 Songs #30-21

30. This year -- The Mountain Goats

This is a song about triumph! And about being strong in the face of adversity! And about defiance! Yeah!

Best line: "I am gonna make it though this year if it kills me! I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me!"

POOLEYBLOG's Top 100 Songs #40-31

40. Asleep and dreaming -- The Magnetic Fields

Stephin Merritt has a gift for using classic/cliched imagery in a way that's moving and fresh.  His songs talk about butterflies, trains and ships, soldiers at war, roses, etc. etc. but it's never silly -- or at least, it's never silly in a way that's a problem.

This song also happens to contain one of the sweeter sentiments about love I've ever heard.

Best line: "I've seen you laugh at nothing at all, I've seen you sadly weeping.  The sweetest thing I ever saw was you asleep and dreaming.  I've seen you when your ship came in and when your train was leaving.  The sweetest thing I ever saw was you asleep and dreaming.  Oh, you may not be beautiful, but it's not for me to judge.  I don't know if you're beautiful because I love you too much."

POOLEYBLOG's Top 100 Songs #50-41

50. Bad reputation – Joan Jett

One of the classic rebellion songs.  I developed an affinity for this one when I became a “Freaks and Geeks” fan.  I’m pretty sure it’s also in 10 Things I Hate About You. 

Best line: “I don’t give a damn about my reputation.  You’re living in the past it’s a new generation.”

POOLEYBLOG's Top 100 songs #60-51

60. Coming home -- John Legend

It's moving and the vocals are incredible, especially at the end.

Best line: "I'll make it home again, I pray you fall in love again."

POOLEYBLOG's Top 100 songs #70-61

70. Such great heights -- The Postal Service

I normally wouldn't like this kind of song (I don't like anything else from this band) but this song is just so charming.  I dislike the Iron & Wine version and refuse to link to it. 

Best line: "And I'm think it's a sign that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned. And I have to speculate that God himself did make us into corresponsding shapes, like puzzle pieces from the clay."

POOLEYBLOG'S Top 100 Songs #80-71

80. Born on a train -- The Magnetic Fields

So, this is one of my favorite Magnetic Fields songs, and I thought it was just me because it's not one of the famous ones.  But lo and behold, when I was looking for a youtube link to the song, I discovered this FUCKING AWESOME cover of the song by none other than Arcade Fire.  Win Butler apparently likes the song too.  Could my life be any better?

Best line: "Well I've been making promises I know I'll never keep.  One of these days I'm gonna leave you in your sleep."

POOLEYBLOG's Top 100 songs #90-81

90. If I ain't got you -- Alicia Keys

Good solid R&B. 

Best line: "Some people want it all, but I don't want nothing at all if it ain't you."

POOLEYBLOG's Top 100 songs #s100-91

Today is the first installment of my 100 favorite songs.  Now, these are favorite songs, not best songs -- I am in no way trying to argue here that some song from "That Thing You Do!" is better than "A Change is Gonna Come." This is about love, not objective appreciation.  So let's go!

100. Home -- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Just cracking the top hundred for me is this wonderful little song -- whistling, sentimentality, that happy feeling -- what more could I want?

Best line: "Home, let me go home.  Home is wherever I'm with you!"