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My Top 10 Favourite Songs of All Time: Number 1: Genesis - Mad Man Moon

The document lists the author's top 10 favorite songs of all time. It provides 1-2 paragraphs about each song, describing what makes it great or meaningful to the author. The songs span various genres including classic rock, pop, electronic, and classical. Artists mentioned include Genesis, The Beatles, Owl City, Chopin, Boards of Canada, and others.

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150 views12 pages

My Top 10 Favourite Songs of All Time: Number 1: Genesis - Mad Man Moon

The document lists the author's top 10 favorite songs of all time. It provides 1-2 paragraphs about each song, describing what makes it great or meaningful to the author. The songs span various genres including classic rock, pop, electronic, and classical. Artists mentioned include Genesis, The Beatles, Owl City, Chopin, Boards of Canada, and others.

Uploaded by

mrduckbillface
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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My Top 10 Favourite Songs of All Time

Number 1: Genesis Mad Man Moon

I never wasand still am notfamiliar with the work of Genesis as a whole. I only knew them
vaguely from listening to 80s pop stations on the radio since when I was young. I knew
Misunderstanding, Land of Confusion, all the usual suspects. But there was an elusive mystery
that I had not yet cracked. My dad spoke of a strange album called A Trick of the Tail, wherein
there were songs about magical beasts and dragons and all sorts of wacky things. I always
imagined a sort of bards song i.e the travelling song from that Phineas and Ferb episode where
they go on a quest in the medieval times. Truthfully, I wasnt very far off. When I eventually
listened to this elusive album, I very much enjoyed it, but one song truly stuck out from the
rest. Mad Man Moon is an epic prog-rock masterpiece, with powerful diction, beautiful
harmonies, and an authentic aura of genius throughout. Never in my life had I heard this genre
done so perfectly. If you are a fan of classic rock, this is a must-listen. It displays such incredible
song-writing skill from the band that I have to say this is my personal pick for the greatest song
ever written, despite the fact that I normally dont meddle much in this type of music.

Number 2: The Beatles Across The Universe


The Beatles need no introduction. A stunning band who changed popular music forever. In my
own personal opinion, however, their final LP was also one of their weakest post-Help!
Let It Be always felt very forgettable to me, but one song I will certainly never forget is Across
The Universe, a Lennon balled that despite its simplicity, elicits such specific and intense
emotion that I find it hard to think of another song that compares. John Lennon, in his typical
loose song-writing style, extends bars extra beats on occasion and haphazardly strums as if hes
in some kind of fight with his guitar. Yet despite all this incoherence, Lennon pulls out a truly
beautiful track that swells your soul and makes you feel like youre flying. This song means so
much to me on an emotional level that even though I dont listen to it very often anymore, I
find it hard not to include it in my number 2 spot. Jai guru deva om.

Number 3: Owl City The Technicolor Phase

If you ask any Owl City fan what their favourite Young track is, The Technicolor Phase would not
come up very often. Indeed, this is an unusual pick even for a top ten list of greatest Owl City
songs, let alone top ten songs of all time. This song is, I believe, the most underrated Owl City
song of them all. A beautiful floaty synth arpeggio accompanies Youngs timid vocals which
speak of the struggles of young (heh) love. The entire song just screams Owl City, and I believe
this is the exemplification of his early style, not only in sound, but also in quality.
Number 4: Frederick Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 3 (Tristesse)

Chopins Etude Op. 10 No. 3 is an extremely dramatic piece of music. Chopin was a Polish child
prodigy who composed a very large number of piano pieces throughout his lifetime. I have not
come close to listening to all of them, but somehow I doubt I will enjoy one more than I have
this piece. With a classic ABA structure, Chopins signature soft style, and stupendously
beautiful harmonies, its an instant classic. Whether you want a bittersweet love song,
something to play at the crossroads of a new chapter in your life, or you just want to relax by
the fire drinking bourbon, this versatile masterpiece has you covered.

Number 5: Boards of Canada 1969


Boards of Canada are a strange group to say the least. The cult of personality which surrounds
their name is not entirely their fault, but they have done little to dispel it (and after all, why
would they?). Their 2002 LP Geogaddi is a horrifying mess of electronic nostalgia that makes
you wish you could go back in time--and then set it on fire. The track 1969 from this album truly
strikes nerves, but in a weird, soothing sort of way. The utterly genius harmonies of the chorus
couple with the haunting voice of a woman to make a track which feels not at all friendly, but
not entirely terrifying either. Sort of like having your first drug trip and its not going /great/,
but youre with your friends and thats what matters. Absolutely brilliant, original, killer track
from BoC. Overall, I rate it [(the whole number just below 7x10) plus half of 2] out of 10
Number 6: Color Therapy Wintering

Talk about a song which would only appear on a list of mine: this track from Adam Young side-
project Color Therapy is a soothing window into the most adventurous corners of your mind.
With a basic song structure, chords, and melody, this track is a far-cry from the complex
harmonic madness of Boards of Canada, but somehow Young still manages to create a vivid
sound which is entirely distinct from his peersyet still incredibly familiar to fans of ambient
music. Tracks like this prove that you dont need anything fancy to make a fantastic tune.
Number 7: Owl City The Real World

This is a popular track among Owl City fans, and with good reason. It opens up the album All
Things Bright and Beautiful, and perfectly sets up the tone of the record. Beyond that, it simply
oozes with creativity and brilliant song-writing. With sections in 7/8 time, and such complicated
arrangement that I have heard life-long Owl City fans say they are still discovering new layers in
this track. Truly a must-listen for anyone wanting to get into Youngs music.

Number 8: Aivi & Surasshu Im Still Here


A slightly unusual pick for sure. A brilliant instrumental track from the musical duo Aivi &
Surasshu, who compose the music for Steven Universe on Cartoon Network. This is a very
personal entry for me because I have always admired the mixing of sound and visuals in a clever
and intuitive way. You have not gotten the full experience of this track until you have seen the
visuals that go along with it, and understand their context. I dont believe this is a bad thing at
all, and I highly encourage the use of other mediums in order to enhance the experience of
music. I love how music can make a scene go from totally boring, to utterly moving with
nothing but sounds. This track is more of an iconic choice rather than me saying I truly think this
is one of the greatest tracks ever. This entry represents my love of visuals (or other mediums)
which can compliment music.

Number 9: Gavin Bryars Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet


I feel as though my love of avant-garde music doesnt need to be reiterated. I love it not
because it is pleasant to listen to, but because it dares to challenge the norm. However, this
track from Gavin Bryars manages to do what few have done before: make a track that is both
unorthodox, and beautiful. Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet is a largely homogenous 24 minute
long song built up from a snippet of an old homeless man singing on the road. Bryars was
filming a documentary, but it was never made and his footage was not used. Thats when he
decided to use some of it to make a song. The story goes that he left it looping on a tape in the
recording studio, and when he returned to retrieve his tape, a person was sat there crying next
to the tape recorder. He said that from that moment on, he knew the power that minimalism
can have. Listen to this track and I promise you will never forget it.
Number 10: Boards of Canada New Seeds

Just when everyone thought BoC was finally cheering up their sound, they take a 9 year break
and then drop their most depressing album to date (and indeed, possibly one of the most
depressing of all timeat least as far as instrumental music goes). New Seeds is part of what I
consider the closing portion of the album, and while every track before it has been nothing but
gloomy, the last half of New Seeds has almost a glimmer of optimism, which at this point in the
record, feels like finding a pond after trekking a week through the desert. The sun-bleached
instrumentals and foreboding vibe of the main section mixed with the cautious optimism and
hope of the ending section make for a bitter-sweet track which makes you feel like dying for
something, if youre not already dead by the time you get this far into the album, that is.

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