Top 100

There’s a popular mystery writer called, notice I didn’t say named, John Sanford. His actual name is John Camp. He’s written a few books under his real name; but, mostly he makes his living writing “…Prey” novels starring Lucas Davenport in Minnesota. They're pretty good reads.

Lucas is married to Weather something or other, a physician. A few books back she gave him an Ipod or an MP3 player and a certificate to download a hundred songs.

He didn’t run out, so to speak, and get them. Nope.

Interspersed in the novel between his search for the maniacal killer, he ruminated about what he should download and talked to his fictional friends about it. He decided to download the best hundred rock songs of all time.

When the book ended, there were a couple of pages of titles. Some I agree with, others, not so much.

Back then, I talked to Big Rick (do a search on the blog if you are new and don’t know who I’m talking about) about compiling our list, inviting our friends to play. He immediately dismissed the idea, saying that there was no way he could narrow down the best hundred ever in his opinion; and, he certainly wasn’t going to argue with me about my picks (no Beatles, per Rick).

Then today at the local establishment, Rick said he’d gotten a link from the Drudge Report to Rolling Stone’s list of the best rock songs and albums of all time. He was shocked, outraged and pretty much pissed off at their picks. He went on for sometime. A pause. “And can you believe there was nothing by …?”

My idea of the best hundred would probably make a good meme. I’m expanding the category beyond rock. Classical, Country, Hip Hop, Gospel. You name it. What moves you? You want to nominate an album and not just a song, be my guest. List your favorites, post them at your place if you have a blog with a link to here if you are so inclined, leave them here in a comment, do both. Invite others to do the same if you want to. OK, I just invented a meme (non-blog people, it's a kind of chain letter with no reward, just like the real chain letters; though I've heard that Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are thinking of throwing a few million from the new foundation into the reality series, "Where are the Top 100 Now" that I'm producing on VH-1). Play if you want with whatever rules you want to follow.

List as few or as many as you want. Tell us why they’re the best, or not.

If there’s any kind of response, I’ll compile them down the road.

Here’s a few to start the process:

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry. Hank Williams. One of the prettiest, saddest, most haunting songs I’ve ever heard.

Layla, all versions. By God. Nothing more need be said.

Mr. Bojangles. Sammy Davis, Jr. Best seen and heard in an early sixties black and white TV performance I saw as a kid on a show I don’t remember.

Stairway to Heaven. Led Zeppelin.

Days of Future Past. Moody Blues. Am I giving away my age?

Stardust. Willie Nelson.

Enough. Maybe I’ll add some later. Dr. Sardonicus, I do expect you, of all people, to play.