My Top Songs of All Time 951-975

951. Turn-Down Day                                   Cyrkle
952. King Kong                                            Jimmy Castor Bunch
953. Aqarius/Let the Sunshine In                   5th Dimension
954. Girlfriend                                              Pebbles
955. You Showed Me                                  Turtles
956. Life's Been Good                                  Joe Walsh
957. Mama's Pearl                                        Jackson 5
958. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me             Diana Ross ad the Supremes & the Temptations
959. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da                Police
960. Get Down                                             War
961. I Feel for You                                        Chaka Khan
962. Back on the Chain Gang                         Pretenders
963. Break Up to Make Up                           Stylistics
964. I Still Haven't Foung What I'm Lookin' For U2
965. I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better                     Byrds
966. Leavin' on a Jet Plane                              Peter, Paul & May
967. Vehicle                                                   The Ides of March
968. It's Too Late                                           Carole King
969. Eleanor Rigby                                         Beatles
970. My Life                                                  Billy Joel
971. Laughter in the Rain                                Neal Sedaka
972. I Want You Back                                   Jackson 5
973. We're an American Band                        Grand Funk Railroad
974. Higher Love                                            Steve Winwood
975. Everyday People                                     Sly and the Family Stone

This is the first of four songs on my countdown by the r&b group from Philadelphia The Stylistics led by the incredible voice of Russell Thomphins, Jr. The band had a string of hits in the early 1970s but when producer Thom Bell left the group the group faded. Today the group has splintered into two separate groups and both tour.

The Illonois-based Ides of March are not one hit wonders but Vehicle was their only hit to make the top 40, peaking at #2 in 1970. Vocalist/gitarist Jim Peterich went on to co-found the band Survivor(Eye of the Tiger). The band remnis on tour today.

Get Down by War is the third on nine songs on my countdown by War. The song was never rteleased as a single but their is a live version on one of my old 8 tracks that I love. Four original member of War now play in the Low Rider Band which doesn't seem to do too many gigs while original member Lonnie Jordan remains with War.

You Showed Me is the second of five songs on my list from The Turtles who had a great string of hits in the mid-to-late 1960s. For most of the time since the two singers(Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman) have toured as Flo & Eddie and the Turtles. This summer Flo & Eddie and the Turtles are touring on the Happy Together tour with the Buckinghams, the Grass Roots, Mark Lindsay(lead singer of aul Revre and the Raiders) and the Association. That is a can't miss event!

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.
                          

My Top Songs of All Time 1026-1050

1026 Gudby to Jane                                       Slade
1027 Band of Gold                                         Freda Payne
1028 My Name Is.....                                     Eminem
1029 Machine Head                                       Bush
1030 Baba O'Reilly                                        Who
1031 Come on Down to My Boat                   Every Mothers Son
1032 Good Thing                                            Paul Revere and the Raiders
1033 Sweet Caroline                                       Neil Diamond
1034 Hot in Here                                           Nellie
1035 Eight Days a Week                                Beatles
1036 Mexico                                                 James Taylor
1037 Opportunities                                        Pet Shop Boys
1038 Walk Away from Love                         David Ruffin
1039 I Am I Said                                          Neil Diamond
1040 Home At Last                                      Steely Dan
1041 Opus 17                                               Four Seasons
1042 I Saw Her Again                                  The Mamas and the Papas
1043 Hotel California                                    Eagles
1044 New York New York                         Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
1045 Stop                                                     Moody Blues
1046 Never Gonna Give You Up                   Rick Astley
1047 Ohio                                                     Crosby Stills Nash & Young
1048 King for a Day                                      Thompson Twins
1049 The Other Woman                                Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio
1050 I Can See for Miles                              Who

This is the first entry for my favorite band of all time--Steely Dan--who has an incredible 30 songs in my countdown--far more than any other musical act. I consider Donald Fagen a musical genius and saw him recently in NYC where Steely Dan was as good as ever. Home at Last is from their CD Aja--which is one of my favorite Steely Dan CDs.

I loved Paul Revere and the Raiders since the mid-1960s was on the TV every day. Good Thing is the first of four from this band in the countdown. The band is still on tour today with the legendary Paul Revere still the frontman--two other Raiders have been in the band for over 30 years. Mark Lindsey, original lead singer is still alive and well.

Many think of Every Mothers Son as a one hit wonder with their #6 smash  in 1967 Come On Down to My Boat. However they did have 5 other songs which quickly hit the top 100. However the band was done in 1968. The band was led by the Larden Brothers out of New York City and Dennios Larden went on to play with Ricky Nelson's Stone Canyon Band.

Who can forget Rick Astley's famous video of Never Gonna Give You Up.....or the parody of the video--very funny.

The Pet Shop Boys and the Thompson Twins were two of my favorite bands to come out of the 1980s.and this represents the first of 4 songs in my countdown for the Pet Shop Boys led by the very talented and innovative Neil Tennant and the first of five by the Thompson Twins led by Tom Bailey.

Two T206 Pop1s with None Higher

My Top Songs of All Time 1051-1075

1051 Think                                         Aretha Franklin
1052 On the Wings of Love                Jeffrey Osborne
1053 Baby It's You                            Smith
1054 Keep on Dancin'                        Gentrys
1055 Woodstock                                Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
1056 Jean Genie                                  David Bowie
1057 Praise You                                  Fatboy Slim
1058 Why Can't We Be Friends          War
1059 Strawberry Fields Forever           Beatles
1060 Like a Rolling Stone                    Bob Dylan
1061 634-5789                                   Wilson Pickett
1062 Brown Sugar                               Rolling Stones
1063 I Wanna Have Some Fun            Samantha Fox
1064 White Room                               Cream
1065 Pass the Dutchie                         Musical Youth
1066 Hard to Say I'm Sorry                Chicago
1067 Ruby Tuesday                            Rolling Stones
1068 Basketball Jones                        Cheech & Chong
1069 Love is Like Oxygen                  Sweet
1070 Human                                       Human League
1071 Nineteen                                    Paul Hardcastle
1072 Its Just Begun                            Jimmy Castor Bunch
1073 Ring of Fire                               Johnny Cash
1074 Give More Power to the People Chi Lites
1075 Little Willy                                  Sweet

If you grew up during the Viet Nam war, the experience probably had a significant effect on you. It had a greater effect on the combat soldier. The song Nieteen  starts out in WW II the average age of the combat soldier was 26. In Viet Nam he was 19. InInInInInInIn Viet Nam he was 19. Once you hear that song once you will never forget the song about not only the age of the soldier but the affect it had on the soldiers who served.

Musical Youth was a 5-boy reggae group who recorded a clean version of Pass the Kouchie(pass the joint). It contained two setrs of brothers and was a Grammy Nominee in 1982. The Musical Youth nwas also the first black group on MTV.

Keep on Dancin' was by far the Gentrys biggest hit--charting in 1965. What they may be better known for is producing Jimmy Hart--"The Mouth of the South" who went on to become a pro wrestling manager.

Why Can't We be Friends is the first of nine songs by War in my countdown. War was one of my favorite bands growing up and I saw them live in Shea Stadium in 1975. I keep hoping Lonnie Jordan who is the singer/organ player in War and who tours with a bunch of non-War guys will rejoin his old band now called the Low Rider Band which consists ex-War guys Howard Scott, Lee Oskar, Bebe Dickerson and Harold Brown but I'm afraid that won't happen.

My Top Songs of All Time 1076-1100

1076 Sugar Daddy                                    Jackson 5
1077 Day by Day                                     Godspell(Original Cast)
1078 Fortunate Son                                  Creedence Clearwater Revival
1079 Say You Love Me                            Fleetwood Mac
1080 Jungle Boogie                                   Kool and the Gang
1081 Hooked on a Feelin'                          BJ Thomas
1082 Hey Jude                                          Beatles
1083 You Were On My Mind                   We Five
1084 Songbird                                           Fleetwood Mac
1085 96 Tears                                           ? and the Mysterians
1086 Back off Boogaloo                           Ringo Starr
1087 You and I                                        Rick James
1088 Livin' in Shame                                 Diana Ross and the Supremes
1089 Release Me                                      Wilson Phillips
1090 Its Not Unusual                                 Tom Jones
1091 25 or 6 to 4                                      Chicago
1992 King Tut                                           Steve Martin
1093 Its a Livin' Thing                                Electric Light Orchestra
1094 Holly Holy                                        Neal Diamond
1095 Somebody                                       Bryan Adams
1096 My Baby Must be a Magician           Marvalettes
1097 Goodbye Stranger                             Supertramp
1098 Slide                                                 Goo Goo Dolls
1099 Brown Eyed Girl                                Van Morrison
1100 The Tide is High                                 Blondie

Needless to say this is the only time the San Francisco-based We Five will be in my countdown with their #3 hit in 1965 You Were  On My Mind. They did chart in the Billboard Top 100 with Lets Get Together  which was remade into a monster hit by the Youngbloods. The voice of the We Five, Beverly Bivens is still in the music business I believe and the group has been crediited with being the bridge between Peter Paul & Mary and The Mamas and the Papas.

Similarly, this is the only time that the garage-rock Michigan-based band ? and the Mysterians will appear on my countdown with the #1 smash in 1966 96 Tears. Although they had a minor hit with I Need Somebody(peaked at #22) and two other songs hit the Billboard top100, they are primarily known for 96 Tears. Fronted by Rudy Martinez, they have recorded in recent years in the Michigan but the last concert they gave is listed on their website as 2008.

One of my favorite bands of all time and probably my wifes favorite is Fleetwood Mac. Songbird and Say You Love Me represent the first two of 11 songs on my countdown. Unlike many fans of this band, my favorite singer is not Stevie Nicks but Christie McVie who alas I believe is retired in Scotland somewhere and seems highly unlikely to return.