Top 30 Favorite Songs (one song per artist)

#30 - "2 Faced" - Louise

#29 - "What Is Love?" - Haddaway

#28 - "Love Resurrection" - Alison Moyet

#27 - "Crazy" - Eternal

#26 - "Push the Button" - Sugababes

#25 - "Moonlight Shadow" - Mike Oldfield

#24 - "Mack the Knife" - Bobby Darin

#23 - "Self Control" - Laura Branigan

#22 - "The Riddle" - Nik Kershaw

#21 - "High Energy" - Evelyn Thomas

#20 - "Rock DJ" - Robbie Williams

#19 - "Biology" - Girls Aloud

#18 - "Solid" - Ashford & Simpson

#17 - "Bring It All Back" - S Club 7

#16 - "The Power of Love" - Huey Lewis & The News

#15 - "Allies" - Heart

#14 - "Shine" - Take That

#13 - "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" - Arctic Monkeys

#12 - "How Do I Live" - Trisha Yearwood

#11 - "New York State of Mind" - Billy Joel

#10
"Pretenders to the Throne" - The Beautiful South

What is it about The Beautiful South I enjoy so much? I suppose its their beautiful, piano-driven sound with all sorts of nuanced touches that bring their work to life, I guess it's partly their casually poetic lyrics? This song in particular is magnificently put together and the subject matter of city character makes the song feel adventurous and alive, like an out of body experience in pop form. "Good as Gold (Stupid as Mud)" would also be a strong contender for this list if I was not limited to one song per act.

#9
"Fascination" - Alphabeat

Gotta love songs like this, which pump you up in sheer jubilance.

#8
"Jackie" - Elisa Fiorillo

I seriously think this song was specifically tailored for me. Not only is my own name Jackie, it's full-on loaded with musical traits which, though clearly not for everybody, fill me with giddy joy. By having a vocalist this enthusiastically sugary, production this sharp and catchy, a fantastic melodic progression, and even lyrics that transcend the conventional boundaries of heteronormativity, despite coming out in the late '80s, this song is a true reminder to me that the world does in fact know people like me exist.

#7
"Footloose" - Kenny Loggins

This is 80s cheese taken to the absolute max, both in insanity and irresistible delight. Kenny Loggins already has one of the best high-energy voices in pop music history, but saddle him with this rockin' toe tapper, and you get a dance anthem to end all dance anthems.

#6
"Basket Case" - Green Day

I've always been a huge fan of pop punk, even back when I was a kid, but this has to be easily the best example the genre has to offer. Not only is its composition intensely melodious, just as I like it, the lyrics are superlatively visceral and somehow encapsulate every little itch about adolescence into one giant package of cathartic beauty. Listening to this song evokes emotion from me that no other song of this typically casual genre can.

#5
"Carnival" - Natalie Merchant

This is even better if you listen to the full, 6+ minute version from Merchant's Tigerlilly album. Why is it so good that it's in my all-time top 10? I suppose it's because it's one giant casserole of things I love in music. Its beat is not only funky, but smooth and laid back. The Clapton-esque guitars and subtle electric organ both create a comforting aura that provokes meditative thought. The lyrics are beautifully poetic, yet lightly melancholic and somewhat ominous at the same time, not to mention they match the three-dimensional sound perfectly. The main melody is full of memorable, catchy hooks all the way through that retain the song's elegant mood all the way. The song is phrased to really settle you in at the beginning, slowly build in gravity, and end by evaporating into the scene it so vividly painted during the preceding six minutes. Natalie Merchant has an excellent singing voice, in my opinion, as is particularly suited to bring this composition to life.

#4
"Somewhere Out There" - Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram

I can't believe a song this moving was originally attached to an animated kid's film! For me personally, this is the quintessential whimsical ballad, starting off soft and affected, yet building upon its wistful sentiment into an explosion of heart-throbbing passion.

#3
"Thunder Road" - Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen has a talent for taking the mundane adventures of your typical American underdog and turning them into emotionally charged epics, a lot like the movie Rocky, and nowhere else does that come to life than on the opening track to his Born to Run LP.

#2
"Go West" - Pet Shop Boys

Yeah, the video is embarrassing, but the song itself, as performed by the Pet Shop Boys, is unbelievably moving to me.

#1
"I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)" - Rachel Stevens

I personally considered listening this song an easier and more intuitive alternative to having sex. I'm not even kidding. So much intensity, yet such impeccable craft and such convicting vocals. It's just as powerful as a heavy metal symphony, but it has all the flavour and control to perfectly back those qualities up, to the point that it's my favourite song of all time.