Best Music Ever?

Roger Dan
Originally uploaded by paynehollow

Recently, McCain and Obama offered their top ten songs. Interesting lists (McCain lists ABBA. TWICE!) but pretty shy on Ol' Timey music. My favorite joke so far has been the wag who wondered that McCain didn't have more music from his youth (you know, like Gregorian Chants)...

Hey, I happen to like Gregorian chants, myself.

The lists:

Obama:
1. Ready or Not, Fugees
2. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye
3. I'm On Fire Bruce, Spingsteen
4. Gimme Shelter, Rolling Stones
5. Sinnerman, Nina Simone
6. Touch the Sky, Kanye West
7. You'd Be So Easy to Love, Frank Sinatra
8. Think, Aretha Franklin
9. City of Blinding Lights, U2
10. Yes We Can, will.i.am

McCain:
1. Dancing Queen, ABBA
2. Blue Bayou, Roy Orbison
3. Take a Chance On Me, ABBA
4. If We Make It Through December, Merle Haggard
5. As Time Goes, Dooley Wilson
6. Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys
7. What A Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
8. I've Got You Under My Skin, Frank Sinatra
9. Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
10. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, The Platters

You know, "Take a Chance on Me," might make a good campaign theme song for McCain...

Anyway, that led to Geoffrey offering his own list of top ten albums and he invited others to opine similarly. And so, here are my Top Ten Albums of all times (or at least how I'm thinking today). In no particular order...

1. Birds Fly South, Zoe Speaks

(Zoe Speaks WAS a duo from here in Kentucky. The duo - Mitch Barrett and Carla Gover - have since gone their separate ways and each are making wonderful music alone and in various other configurations. Still, their Zoe Speaks albums were all fantastic and worthy of checking out.)

2. A liturgy, a legacy and a ragamuffin band, Rich Mullins

(Giving a nod to my Contemporary Christian Music days - still, I think Mullins' album holds up in any context. Unfortunately, Mr. Mullins left this world much too soon. His was one of the greatest concerts I've ever attended.)

3. Tanglewood Tree, Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer

(Great album. Period. Poetry in motion.

Dave Carter has, sadly, passed away all too young and too soon. The good news is that Tracy Grammer is still plugging away.)

4. Wrecking Ball, Emmy Lou Harris

(Emmy Lou. Nuff said)

5. World in Motion, Jackson Browne

(A bit dated, but great political soul-searching and rabble rousing)

6. Tracy Chapman, Tracy Chapman

(I don't think her subsequent albums were as great as her first one here, but this one is simply great.)

7. Legend, Bob Marley

(A best-of album, and a great collection)

8. O Brother Where Art Thou, soundtrack

(If soundtracks can be included - and in my list, they can be - this would be one to consider. Not a bad song on here. Plus it resurrected a genre and became a phenomenon, which is not true for most music I like. Also inspired, the related "Down from the Mountain Tour" album and in a similar vein... no wait...)

9. Cold Mountain, soundtrack

(I was going to throw this in with the previous item, but decided it needed its own entry - a great soundtrack)

10. Old Crow Medicine Show, OCMS

(These guys are just fantastic, bringing an energy and joy to bluegrass music that makes it feel contemporary - and they have a new album coming out soon!)

Do you have a top albums list? Or just a list of favorite songs?