Since it's the end of the year, and since I vaguely promised a few weeks ago that I'd reel off a list of musical recommendations at about this time, here are my 101 most played MP3 files of the year, at leaast according to the counters on the files, as played in Audion. Doesn't count tunes played on CD, vinyl or tape (all of which have become very occasional) or played elsewhere. These are not necessarily my favourite tracks by these artists, and by no means all my favourite artists, nor even my favourite types of music are represented - I don't think there's any jazz in here, for example, and not very much blues. Still:
- Leavin' - Shelby Lynne (45)
- I'll Fly Away - Alison Krauss / Gillian Welch (37)
Valentine's Day - Steve Earle - Love Itself - Leonard Cohen (36)
Tears Are In Your Eyes - Yo La Tengo
The Beast In Me - Nick Lowe - Cold Cold Heart - Lucinda Williams (34)
- No Woman No Cry - Fugees (33)
- Do You Want My Job - Little Village (32)
Sometimes She Forgets - Steve Earle
Alexandra Leaving - Leonard Cohen
Every Grain of Sand - Bob Dylan - Still Too Soon To Know - Elvis Costello (31)
- Angel Band - Stanley Brothers (30)
Malaika - Angelique Kidjo
You Can Have It All - Yo La Tengo
Down To The River To Pray - Alison Krauss / Gillian Welch - Guantanamera - Wyclef Jean (29)
Carwash Hair - Mercury Rev
Dread Heights - Fat Man Rydim Section - Why Not Smile - REM (28)
Give Me The Flowers - Terry Allen - Spinning Away - Brian Eno & John Cale (27)
Searching For My Love - Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces
Caroline - Millls Brothers
Bizarre Love Triangle - Frente - Devoted To You - Everly Brothers (26)
Indian War Whoop - Hoyt Ming & His Pep Steppers - Walking In The Rain - Grace Jones (25)
Stan - Eminem
Rasta Train - Raphael Green & Dr Alimantado
Dear Someone - Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch
Goodbye - Steve Earle
Most of The Time - Bob Dylan
Nothing I Haven't Seen - Beck
Vincent Black Lightning - Richard Thompson
Carey - Joni Mitchell - Old Man - Love (24)
Bulbs - Van Morrison
El Medahey - Master Musicians of Jajouka
Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page
Pennies From Heaven - Mills Brothers
Love Letters - Kitty Lester
Don't Stay Away - Phyllis Dillon
Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
A Thousand Kisses Deep - Leonard Cohen - U Don't Dance 2 Tekno Anymore - Alabama 3 (23)
Blade Runner Theme - Vangelis
La Maison Ou J'ai Grandi - Francoise Hardy
Stardust - Timi Yuro
In My Secret Life - Leonard Cohen
Gone Til November - Wyclef Jean
Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Ink Spots - Dance of Death - John Fahey (22)
Thoughts of Mary Jane - Nick Drake
Why Must I Plead - Richard Thompson
The Long Road - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Eddy Vedder
Let Me Die In My Footsteps - Bob Dylan
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, end titles - Jack Nitzsche
Crazy - Patsy Cline
Say You - Ken Boothe
I Get Along Without You Very Well - Sam Browne & The Lew Stone Band
Song To The Siren - This Mortal Coil
Verdi Cries - 10,000 Maniacs
Caislean na nor / Bobby Casey's hornpipe - Kevin Burke - I've Seen That Face Before - Grace Jones (21)
Book of Rules - Heptones
Allah Uya - Ali Farka Toure
Untitled (from Green) - REM
Opportunity - George Faith
Sail Away - Neil Young
Crying, Waiting Hoping - Wreckless Eric
Perfidia - Phyllis Dillon
Backwood - Shantel
To Be A Lover (Have Mercy) - George Faith
Rave On - Steeleye Span
Anna (Go To Him) - Beatles
Next Sens - Beth Hirsh
Why Not Smile (Oxford American Version) - REM
The Wild Waggoner—Jilson Setters - You And Your Sister - This Mortal Coil (20)
You Set The Scene - Love
Ohm Sweet Ohm - Kraftwerk
Everybody Knows - Leonard Cohen
Picking Up After You - Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle
Red Sails In the Sunset - Spaniels
Wendell Gee - REM
Moonlight Lover - Joya Landis
Things You Say You Love - Jamaicans
Baby Mine - Bonnie Raitt & Was (Not Was)
Another Dance - Bunny Wailer
Never Ever - All Saints
I'm Not In Love - 10cc
Supernatural thing - Ben E King
Sisters of Mercy - Leonard Cohen
Downtown Lights - The Blue Nile
Truckload of Art - Terry Allen
Perfect Circle - REM
A Kerry Reel / Michael Coleman's / The Wheels of the World / Julia Delaney - Kevin Burke
Georgia Stomp - Andrew & Jim Baxter
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part One - Flaming Lips
This list probably reveals all sorts of things about me, the most obvious of which, at least to me, being that I'm no longer particularly devoted to contemporary music, and that for at least the past year I've been using my music collection as something of a security blanket...
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
Man, you get around musically, and there's plenty of newish stuff to keep you from labeled a "heritage" dude. I love that Eno/Cale album - you like Leonard a little more than I do. I typically prefer his songs by other people, other than his Phil Spector album (sacrilege, I know).