Quote:
Originally Posted by ferretchucker
[B]Symphony No. 5 (Ludwig Van Beethoven)
Though there are no words to this, so I don't know if it can be called a song, I really love this piece of music. Though it's classical, a genre not appreciated by a great number of people in this day and age, it is incredibly well known, and has a real impact on whatever it is being used with, if anything.
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Good choice. I collect Beethoven 5ths. My personal favorite is Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic. My (very close) second favorite is Bruno Walter conducting the Columbia Symphony. Though some may not be able to tell the difference each version is a little different and sometimes a whole lot different. :)
Arthur C. Clarke once famously observed "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" to which I would add "music is magic." And magic is what you would need to come up with a list even approximating the five best songs in an arena as vast and varied as popular music. One man's enthusiasm would be a good as another's and no two experts would arrive with identical selections. I certainly don't have the qualifications to suggest the top five but I can choose five that when they flow out of my headphones put an extra bounce in my walking shoes.
1. "The Stars And Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa. Jay Pee's masterpiece whether you're a patriot or not. In my mine the greatest march ever written. The three different melodies weaving together at the end is music lovers' heaven.
2. "Penny Lane" by the Beatles. Released as a single with"Strawberry Fields" in early 1967 this precursor to the quantum leap known as Sgt. Pepper mixes offbeat imagery and poetry to tell a compelling story which almost but doesn't quite make sense. But it's a story I never tire of.
3. "Adiemus" by Karl Jenkins. Not sure how to categorize this or explain why it appeals to me so much. First heard it on a television airline commercial and later found it on the Pure Moods album and have never felt such joy. Atmosfearic, otherworldly, magical, brilliant.
4. "Main Title" from THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY by Ennio Morricone. Stunningly original, never heard anything quite like it before or after I first viewed the movie upon its initial release. One morning it (the song) came on and I punched the repeat button and walked at least forty-five minutes listening to this miracle of music over and over.
5. "Silver Moon" by Michael Nesmith. Not sure how many have heard this catchy tune but one of the truest tests I have to judge the quality of a song is how well it holds up to repeated listenings and "Silver Moon" just keeps getting brighter.