My Top Songs of All Time 976-1,000

976 River Deep Mountain High                 Ike and Tina Turner
977 Sussudio                                            Phil Collins
978 The Rain                                            Oran "Juice" Jones
979 Ticket to Ride                                    Beatles
980 I Want to Take You Higher                Sly and the Family Stone
981 Jesus is Just All Right                          Doobie Brothers
982 Neither One of Us                              Gladys Knight and the Pips
983 Just Seven Numbers                           Four Tops
984 Sloop John B                                     Beach Boys
985 So Emotional                                     Whitney Houston
986 I'm a Believer                                     Monkees
987 I'm Telling You Now                          Freddie and the Dreamers
988 Young Girl                                         Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
989 Superstar                                           Carpenters
990 Workin' My Way Back                      Four Seasons
991 Doo Wah Diddy                                Manfred Mann
992 Just a Little                                        Beau Brummels
993 Dandelion                                         Rolling Stones
994 Whatcha See is Whatcha Get            Dramatics
995 My Maria                                          BW Stevenson
996 Roxanne                                            Police
997 I Feel Fine                                          Beatles
998 How Can I Be Sure?                          Young Rascals
999 Naughty Girls Need Love Too            Samantha Fox
1000 When Smokey Sings                         ABC

Oran "Juice" Jones is truly a one-hit wonder with his #9 hit in 1986 The Rain----I saw you and him walkin in the rain....Alas after one hit and apparently a bit of a struggle he stopped recording to take care of his mother and raise a family. His two children are apparently very active in the music world.

I thought the Beau Brummels growing up were an English group but they were actually a San Francisco band who patterned their music after the British invasion and whose sound can remind one of the Beatles or Zombies. They were also credited for setting the foundation of the San Francisco sound. Just a Little and Laugh Laugh are both great songs.

Just Seven Numbers is the first of 8 songs on my list by the Four Tops--one of the great bands of all time. I believe 3 of the original Four Tops have passed away including most recently their fabulous lead singer Levi Stubbs.

Speaking of which, I heard a couple of months ago that Ron Banks the voice of the Detroit-based Dramatics passed away. Up much higher on my survey is their classic song "In the Rain"

Sadly this list has another song from an artist who left us far too early. BW Stevenson passed away at 38. My Maria was his one top 40 hit.

My Top Songs of All Time 1001-1025

1001 More Today Than Yesterday                       Spiral Staircase
1002 A Lovers Concerto                                      Toys
1003 Midnight at the Oasis                                    Maria Muldauer
1004 Wrapped Around Your Finger                      Police
1005 Black Friday                                                Steely Dan
1006 Light My Fire                                               Doors
1007 Daddy Don't Live in That New York City     Steely Dan
1008 Walkin in Rhythm                                         Blackbyrds
1009 It Don't Come Easy                                      Ringo Starr
1010 Walk This Way                                            Aerosmith
1011 California Girls                                             Beach Boys
1012 Sweet Soul Music                                        Arthur Conley
1013 Electric Avenue                                            Eddie Grant
1014 Emma                                                          Hot Chocolate
1015 One Monkey Don' Stop No Show               Honey Cone
1016 I'll Be Around                                              Spinners
1017 Signed Sealed Delivered                              Stevie Wonder
1018 She's My Girl                                              Turtles
1019 Just Like Me                                               Paul Revere & the Raiders
1020 Kung Fuu Fighting                                       Carl Douglas
1021 Last Dance                                                  Donna Summer
1022 Holiday                                                       Madonna
1023 The Love You Save                                    Jackson Five
1024 Only Wanna Be With You                          Hootie and the Blowfish
1025 White Wedding                                          Billy Idol


I can't miss a chance to talk about my all time favorite group Steely Dan who scores twice in the grouping. Both Black Friday and Daddy Don't Live in that New York City No More are from the album Katy Lied--Steely Dan's fourth album. This just might be their greatest album ever--in addition to these two I have four other songs from this album in my countdown--Any World That I'm Welcome To(formerly my son's #1 song of all time--he was 7 yrs old),Doctor Wu, Your Gold Teeth and Rose Darlin'. This was not one of Steely Dan's favorite albums as Fagan and Becker were not happy with the sound quality due to an equipment malfunction with the noise reduction system. Michael McDonald sang background on a number of songs on this album.

On a different note, Honey Cone charts for the first time with their smash One Monkey Don't Stop No Show. Further up the charts is Want Ads--an even bigger hit my the group. Edna Wright, the voice of Honey Cone, still performs today with two other gals in an act entitled Edna Wright and Honey Cone.

Arthur Conley was discovered by the great Otis Redding and his song Sweet Soul Music pays tribute to some of the great acts of the late 60s--Lou Rawls, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding and James Brown. After some minor hits Arthur spent his life in Europe and died at a young age a few years ago.