"SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW" KEANE (2004)

Hopes and Fears brings me back. Me and a group of friends instantly loved this album. We heard nothing else like it before. And Keane never had anything like it since. What makes “Somewhere Only We Know” more special to me these days is the fact that my oldest son also now loves this song. I will catch him singing it randomly sometimes. I used to wonder why this song appealed to him so much. As I thought about it more, I realized it’s the song’s beauty. People are attracted to beautiful things. This song has proven over the last 15 years that true beauty never fades.

“Oh, simple thing, where have you gone? I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on. So tell me when you're gonna let me in. I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin.”

"SOLSBURY HILL" PETER GABRIEL (1977)

This is a song about letting go from the past and looking ahead to the future. It’s a sentiment captured in the amazing lyrics and reflected in the timing. It was Gabriel’s solo debut, written and performed on the heels of his departure from Genesis. And it’s a sentiment revealed in the music. Each note bearing an apparent sense of optimism. Without being corny or insincere. Which, when you think long and hard about it, puts “Solsbury Hill” in a very small group of distinguished rock songs.

“When illusion spin her net, I'm never where I want to be. And liberty she pirouette when I think that I am free. Watched by empty silhouettes, who close their eyes but still can see. No one taught them etiquette. I will show another me.”

"TOPAZ" THE B-52'S (1989)

On Cosmic Thing, everyone will remember “Love Shack”. Many will fondly remember “Roam”. Alt rock fans won’t forget “Channel Z”. But I’ll always remember “Topaz”. The second-to-last track. The almost forgotten song. The easily overshadowed one. But it was The B-52’s finally stepping outside of their party mentality. Still kids at heart, but this was a band that was growing up before our ears. “Topaz” gave us a more mature perspective and sound that I appreciated back in high school. And still do.

“New cities by the sea. Skyscrapers are winking. Some hills are never seen. The universe expanding.”

"SEASONS" FUTURE ISLANDS (2014)

How many bands sing and play with all their soul? How many bands put everything they have into the music because it’s all they got and it’s all they live for? Probably not many. But Future Islands is certainly one of them. They’re proof that synthesizers can still have soul. Proof that you don’t have to act like or look like a rock band to make some noise in this industry. But if you absolutely love what you do, you can make people love it, too. “Seasons” is strangely contagious and utterly ambitious. Hands down, one of the best songs from the last 10 years.

“Seasons change, and I've tried hard just to soften you. The seasons change, but I've grown tired trying to change for you.”

"MOVE ON UP" CURTIS MAYFIELD (1970)

It’s hard to believe that when “Move On Up” was first released as a single, it failed to chart. Couldn’t even crack the Top 100. Now it’s a soul classic. We hear it in stadiums. In movies. In presidential campaigns. This song shows us what music can do when you take it as far as you possibly can in every regard. The horn arrangements. The soulful vocals. The poetic lyrics. That rollicking percussion. It’s hard to not feel positive after hearing it.

“Hush now child, and don't you cry. Your folks might understand you, by and by. Move on up, toward your destination. You may find from time to time, complication.”

"PORCELAIN" MOBY (1999)

This is one of the great ones from Moby’s breakthrough album. From the first moment I heard Play, I just thought it was one the finest, fullest albums ever recorded, from top to bottom. But “Porcelain” is the one track I always want to hear first. Delicate. Gorgeous. Soulful. Not rave Moby. This was a totally different side we hadn’t heard before. And it almost didn’t make it onto the album. Moby’s manager had to convince him this song was more than just “average”. Moby reluctantly agreed to include it. Thank God.

“In my dreams I'm dying all the time. Then I wake it's kaleidoscopic mind. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to lie.”

"DON'T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME)" SIMPLE MINDS (1985)

Instantly recognizable from that first hit of the snare. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” was a turning point in the commercial trajectory of Simple Minds. Up until then, they wrote a fair amount of great music, but not many in the States knew about them. The Breakfast Club changed all that. This was one of the original brat pack anthems. This was one of our anthems. No matter how you saw us. In the simplest terms. In the most convenient definitions. A brain. An athlete. A basket case. A princess. A criminal.

“Don't you try and pretend. It's my feeling we'll win in the end. I won't harm you or touch your defenses. Vanity and security.”

"LOST CAUSE" BECK (2002)

Misery and loss have led to some of the most beautiful music ever made. It’s the odd, yet redemptive truth about music. And it’s the case of Sea Change, one of Beck’s most brilliant, yet simplest albums. This is not the sonic Beck, but the somber one. “Lost Cause” proved you don’t have to wallow in your own pity after a loss. You can use it to emphasize and connect with complete strangers. All you need are a couple of well trusted guitar chords and a willingness to bear your heart.

“Your sorry eyes cut through the bone. They make it hard to leave you alone. Leave you here wearing your wounds. Waving your guns at somebody new.”

"LINGER" THE CRANBERRIES (1993)

I don’t often get overly upset when celebrities die, because I don’t know them personally. But when Dolores O’Riordan passed away two years ago, I was deeply saddened for her, her family and the music world. The Cranberries made songs that no one else could make. Dolores’ voice and vocal cadence are instantly recognizable, and the band carved out a unique sound during a time when many bands sounded like copycats of each other. “Linger” takes me back to the summer of 1993. I heard the song in my car and nearly felt like I was floating through the windy roads of my hometown.

“If you, if you could return, don't let it burn, don't let it fade. I'm sure I'm not being rude, but it's just your attitude. It's tearing me apart. It's ruining every day.”

"EVER FALLEN IN LOVE" BUZZCOCKS (1978)

The first time I heard this punk anthem was when I came across the Fine Young Cannibals cover. After hearing it, I went back and listened to the original. I’m not well versed or particularly wedded to the punk scene, but I’ve asked myself many times since: how the hell did I miss this band? In “Ever Fallen in Love”, they took a human experience that many can identify with, and translated it with such simplicity and conviction. Two traits of a well-crafted punk song made to withstand the test of time.

“Ever fallen in love, in love with someone, you shouldn't have fallen in love with? I can't see much of a future, unless we find out what's to blame, what a shame. And we won't be together much longer, unless we realize that we are the same.”

"MR. BRIGHTSIDE" THE KILLERS (2004)

In 2004, new wave was resurrected and reninvented—and “Mr. Brightside” was the entrance song. Every song on Hot Fuss did something musically unusual. These songs simultaneously brought us back and ushered us forward. This is a space that The Killers owned for many albums. Recollections of hearing “Mr. Brightside” in my friend’s car are some of my favorite road tune memories. My friend swaying to the music as he drove full throttle up the Palisades Parkway. Me headbanging and playing air keys on his dusty dashboard.

“Jealousy, turning saints into the sea. Swimming through sick lullabies. Choking on your alibis. But it's just the price I pay. Destiny is calling me. Open up my eager eyes. 'Cause I'm Mr. Brightside.”

"HEAD ON" THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN (1989)

When you boil it down, there are two characteristics that make a song exceptional. There are the songs that feel like they were written for you, that capture your mood or emotion. Then there are songs that lift you out of some preexisting condition and usher you into a new kind of mood or emotion. “Head On” is the latter. When I’ve felt awful, hopeless or uninspired, “Head On” gave me a firm kick in the ass and put me into a totally different mindset. Songs can do that.

“And there's something going on inside. Makes you want to feel, makes you want to try. Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky. I can't stand up, I can't cool down. I can't get my head off the ground.”

"ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER" JIMI HENDRIX (1968)

Throughout my middle and high school years, I lived next door to a Jimi Hendrix fanatic. My brother was fascinated with the sounds that guitars made, and Hendrix was one of the masters that inspired and influenced him and many other players. This Dylan cover has always been one of my favorite songs from a music catalog that was impressively deep given Hendrix’s brief life span. In “All Along the Watchtower”, he found a way to make rock, blues and jazz blend so effortlessly together.

“There must be some kind of way outta here, said the joker to the thief. There's too much confusion. I can't get no relief.”

"NIGHTSWIMMING" R.E.M. (1992)

For the bulk of “Nightswimming”, there are just two musicians: Michael Stipe on vocals and Mike Mills on piano. The fact that this song came out in the height of grunge is telling. It flew in the face of the times. But it’s remembered fondly by many. “Nightswimming” went in circles, but had intrigue through its story. For those of us who have skinny-dipping nights etched into our memory, this song brings us right back to those moments.

“Nightswimming deserves a quiet night. The photograph on the dashboard, taken years ago. Turned around backwards so the windshield shows. Every streetlight reveals the picture in reverse. Still, it's so much clearer. I forgot my shirt at the water's edge. The moon is low tonight.”

"BOX OF RAIN" GRATEFUL DEAD (1970)

I’m pretty sure it’s universally accepted that non-deadheads will never truly understand deadheads. I’ve known a few, from high school, through college and beyond. I never got it. Then again, I’ve never seen the Dead live. The recordings take on new life in concert I’m sure. But I can still appreciate 1970 as a prolific era for this band, pumping out both Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty in a single year. And I can still appreciate “Box of Rain” for throwing in a few chord progressions that I didn’t see coming.

“What do you want me to do, to do for you to see you through? For this is all a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago.”

"INTRO" THE XX (2009)

Here we have one of the greatest instrumentals of the 21st century. Written by The XX, who were pretty much just kids at the time. Deliberately simple. Monochromatic in its sound. This was the song that set the tone for a strong debut album. I never heard anything like it before. “Intro” was a powerful introduction to a band that mastered minimalism. This is clean, stripped down musicality with mood.

"IT'S MY LIFE" TALK TALK (1984)

Growing up as an 80’s kid is pretty core to who I am. That’s why I will always have a bias for 80’s music. There are some decent songs and albums from the era, but it’s the nostalgia that resonates with me the most. It’s why Talk Talk’s original version of “It’s My Life” will always be much better than No Doubt’s version, which was no musical slouch itself. “It’s My Life” took a desperate plea and turned it into a feel good song, and raised the bar for dozens of British synth pop bands in the process.

“It's my life. Don't you forget. Caught in the crowd. It never ends.”

"MR. TAMBOURINE MAN" BOB DYLAN (1965)

From now on, this song will always remind me of when my daughter Sophia was just a few weeks old. To help her fall asleep I’d carry her in the bathroom with the fan on and I’d sing her this song. She would just stare at me with her wide eyes, barely blinking. Like the songwriter, she was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep. And it seemed all she was interested in was listening to a song. When I listen to “Mr. Tambourine Man” again today, I’m right back there on that bathroom floor, helping my baby girl get some shuteye while growing her deep, deep love for music.

“Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me. I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to. Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me. In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you.”

"AUTUMN SWEATER" YO LA TENGO (1997)

Good music doesn’t have to be exceptionally played, remarkably produced or even well-written. It just needs to create a mood. That’s often enough to make a song great. That’s the case of “Autumn Sweater”. It’s so deliberately simple, but in its simplicity it can transport you to another place. This is a song that I picture being played in someone’s basement. In many ways, Yo La Tengo is the quintessential indie band. Not pretentious. Not trying too hard. Just a ton of fun to listen to.

“We could slip away. Wouldn't that be better. Me with nothing to say. And you in your autumn sweater.”

"MORE THAN THIS" ROXY MUSIC (1982)

Many bands have covered this song over the years. But one thing they haven’t been able to do is capture the unique sound of Roxy Music. This is a band that gave the music world an unusual, progressive rock tilt in the 70s, then elevated pop music in the 80s. “More Than This” was a prime example of the latter. You can’t copy Bryan Ferry’s vocals and you wouldn’t even try. And you can’t mimmic the intricate instrumentation because the soul of the song is Roxy Music, not just the melody.

“It was fun for a while. There was no way of knowing, like a dream in the night. Who can say where we're going. No care in the world, maybe I'm learning why the sea on the tide has no way of turning.”