This post is part of a series counting down my favorite songs of all time. Follow the links at the bottom of this post to read related posts.
30. The Mountain Goats – Golden Boy
Let’s get the gushing out of the way first: I think John Darnielle is the best lyricist of the last 20 years. Straight up, the dude can spin a phrase like none other. At his best, he blends humor, drama and raw humanity with an effortless flair. Some might be turned off by his nasal vocal delivery. His early songs – including this one – also reveal a penchant for lo-fi stylings that might not appeal to some. Still, I can’t think of any other contemporary songwriter capable of transforming banal topics into profound glimpses of the hidden brilliance of life. Name another artist who has tackled the poetics of divorce, death metal bands, high school football players, sexual abuse, Morrissey and specialty peanuts.
29. Caetano Veloso – You Don’t Know Me
Hearing Caetano Veloso for the first time was a revelation. You know that moment when you hear an artist and feel an instant kinship with his perspective? That was my initial reaction his music. I arrived at his sound during a time in the early 00s when Tropicalia, a unique mixture of Anglo-American psychedelia and Bahian rhythm, experienced a new-found popularity. Even though I don’t speak a lick of Portuguese, this collision of sounds provoked a response in me that forced me to investigate Veloso and his contemporaries closely. But Veloso’s discography alone is a trip in and of itself. This song is the opening track of my favorite Veloso album, Transa, one of several bilingual albums Veloso released throughout his career.
28. Stevie Wonder – I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)
The 1970s are the best decade in the history of pop music and Stevie Wonder is a major reason why. In the 70s, Wonder hit the apex of his career, releasing album after album of absolute pop genius. It’s kind of baffling how he was able to keep the quality and inventiveness of his tunes so consistent. But if I had to pick one song from this era to take with me to a desert island, it might be this one. For about five minutes, Wonder washes away the cynicism with a swig of hope so potent it could drown the most jaded misanthrope. And then the tune goes into a clavinet funk collapse that will annihilate you.
27. The Feelies – The Boy with the Perpetual Nervousness
The Feelies are one of those legendary 80s bands that usually only get the appreciation they deserve from critics. They’re one of the original college rock bands, a key reference point of the American Underground that helped establish a way forward for many of the big alternative acts that rose to prominence in that decade. If I could describe the band’s first album in a single word, it would be “wiry.” The rhythms are slightly off-beat, the guitars jangle and chirp and the vocals endearingly nerdy. Before indie rock had a name, it was this.
26. The Beach Boys – I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times
It’s comforting to know that every generation feels a complete disconnect with their times. I think that’s why I like this Beach Boy song above all others. Many Beach Boys tunes came across my mind for this list, but I think few resonate with me as much as this one. Who hasn’t felt like they were out of place in some way or another? This feeling tends to manifest in our tastes. Myself, I tend to gravitate to old things: music from decades past, old books, classic clothing and so on. Still, it’s an immature inclination to imagine things would have been better if you lived in a different decade. The fact of the matter is that you probably would feel the same in any decade, really. Moreover, if artists like Brian Wilson felt like they fit in, they probably wouldn’t have produced such singular music in their own time. His arrangements on this song are so cozy you can just disappear into the folds of sound and, for a moment, pretend you are at some other time or place.
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