First up - Rock 1990 to Today
#1 on My Charts Pt. 4 - Rock 1990-Today
VH1’s been showing “The 100 Greatest Rock Songs” a lot lately. I figure I better get in on this while the subject is still hot. That, and I particularly like this stuff because a lot of it is just so timeless. There are countless numbers of sub-genres within rock, and years down the line, a lot of it will still sound fresh to me. So why did I choose pre-1990? Well that’s the decade from which I get a lot of the music I enjoy, and the 90s was a big decade for rock. The popularity of 80s punk was beginning to wane, the grunge era was beginning to enjoy mainstream success, nu metal was born, and the sound of synthesizers was suddenly not that cool. But I digress. Onto the music.
Keane – Sunshine
There’s just some dreamy character to this track. It’s a nice lighthearted tune that’ll make you feel like gliding across the horizon.
Death Cab for Cutie – Tiny Vessels
Not a huge fan of this particular group, but its somber feel underlying the storytelling of the track gives me something to relate to.
Something Corporate – Good News
I think it was the piano backing of this track that initially attracted me to it. One of the few modern punk tracks I can tolerate.
Elliot Smith – Shooting Star
Rest In Peace, Elliot Smith. You still shred a mean guitar, posthumously.
Sublime – Summertime
Another song on this ever-growing list of my favorites that has been influenced by the musical “Porgy and Bess.”
Bloodhound Gang – I Hope You Die
I’m convinced that if the Bloodhound Gang had followed up by making a music video for this song instead of that really crappy song “Mope” right after the success and popularity of “The Bad Touch,” they would have enjoyed more mainstream success.
Metallica – No Leaf Clover
A collaboration of this iconic group and the London Symphony Orchestra? Amazing.
Nirvana – Lithium
Nirvana pretty much brought the grunge to the mainstream, and though “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is often praised as their greatest contribution to music, I like this track a lot more.
Foo Fighters – Times Like These
Still my favorite Foo Fighters track (and there are a lot of them that I do like).
Nine Inch Nails – We’re In This Together Now
In terms of how the rest of Nine Inch Nails’ stuff sounds like, this is relatively tame. Still a good track though.
Korn – Thoughtless
Say what you will, Korn is still the king of the nu-metal genre. How much more angsty can you get?
The Mars Volta – The Widow
These guys take concept based albums to a new level. Dream Theater’s still my favorite prog-rock group, but these guys hold their own fairly well too.
Slipknot – Wait and Bleed
A relic from my teenage angst stage in life, I put this song on the list mostly for sentimental reasons.
Weezer – Pink Triangle
Ooh, it was tough to choose a single favorite Weezer track. But after careful deliberation, this is the track I’ll never get tired of (but I’d put all of Pinkerton on the list if I could).
Dream Theater – As I Am
These Berklee educated musicians take progressive rock to a new level. My absolute favorite band for a few years, their work has given me a benchmark to base musicality on.
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R&B and Slow Jams
# 1 on My Charts - Pt. 4 - Slow Jams and R&B
If there was one genre I grew up with and like just as much as the previously mentioned, its R&B and Slow Jams. Whenever I need a good love song, or if I need tracks that are a little more chilled out, I turn here. I mean, I can’t always be hippin and hoppin or rockin out. A lot of this stuff I’ve been listening to ever since I became musically aware, and I can always find the right song that’ll tug on your heartstrings just the right way. It doesn’t have to always be about love, breakups, and sex, (but it helps). Bonus for being a soulful track with a cool beat.
Musiq – Half Crazy
Musiq is one of my favorite R&B artists. Formerly Musiq Soulchild, he dropped the second part of his name because he felt he “hadn’t mastered his craft yet.” Musiq embodies everything I enjoy about slow jams: that it doesn’t have to be about love and sex, we can just kick it, and I miss what we had as friends before.
The Roots – You Got Me
Yeah the Roots are a hip hop group, but this is more of an R&B track than anything and I’ve seen em live; these guys are the epitome of what a music group should encompass. The Roots are legit, and whenever they do this track live, it’s truly art.
Maxwell – Softly
Who doesn’t like a little bit of Maxwell to just chill to? If I could somehow someday learn to sing, I’d want my voice to be just like Maxwell’s. On this track.
Blackstreet – No Diggety
Another classic track produced by none other than the great Dr. Dre
John Legend – It Don’t Have to Change
I like a lot of John Legend tracks. But of all of them, I think this one has the most heart.
Robin Thicke – Complicated
I remember seeing Robin Thicke open up for John Legend a few years back. I’ll admit, I didn’t know who the hell he was at the time, but after a few listen-thrus of his albums, I think I’ve grown to like this guy’s work. This is arguably his best track. Who doesn’t wish they could be less complicated?
Wyclef Jean – 911
Somone please call 911, The alleged assalaint, Is my lover, And she shot me through my soul – classic lines
Shai – If I Ever Fall In Love
As a middle schooler, this was everyone’s favorite track to play on their CD players at lunchtime.
Lauryn Hill – Everything Is Everything
Say what you will about Lauryn Hill’s ability to sing, I still think this track is cool. And did anyone else notice I featured another member of The Fugees on this list?
Faith Evans – Can’t Believe
When I wasn’t wallowing in teenage angst, I was wallowing in petty middle school romance, augmented by tracks like this. Still a favorite of mine, this used to be my anthem.
Boyz 2 Men – Thank You
Boyz 2 Men has the accolade of being one of the few boy bands who have substance and talent. Nobody harmonizes like Motown Philly, and this track exemplifies their talents, without getting lost in the background instrumentals.
Carl Thomas – Wish I Never Met Her
In addition to having one of the smoothest beats ever to grace a slow jam (which is even more awesome when you learn it on piano), this song is really inexplicably sad.
Brian McKnight – Love of My Life
This track has often been deemed the song in which it sounds like someone has a hold of Brian McKnight’s balls. I say, you try and sing a whole song falsetto.
BellBivDevoe – Poison
With one of the sickest beats out there, I knew this song became timeless when it was featured on Scrubs:
Next time: Classical Overtures
"will someone sign me off please? I wanna get out of here!"
-as heard over the loud speaker at Ralph's
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