My Top 40
Every even-numbered year since 1998, I’ve compiled a list of my 40 favorite songs. Some are old. Some are new. Some are beautiful. Some are cheesy. My selections are based entirely on how much a song moves me. When a song gives me chills and goose bumps, or when it gets me so excited that I have to dance and/or sing as loud as possible, it belongs on the list. I admit it’s all a bit arbitrary (in part because I don’t include classical music, which I love deeply), and I know that my musical taste–along with my manhood–will be questioned, but whatever. I can take it. So here it is, my Top 40 for 2006…
1. Amsterdam – Coldplay
2. Hidden Grove – Slender Means
3. Maybe I’m Amazed – Paul McCartney
4. Luna De Fuego – Gipsy Kings
5. In A Little While – U2
6. Steppin’ Out – Joe Jackson
7. Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’Sullivan
8. Lothlórien – Enya
9. Down In A Hole (unplugged) – Alice In Chains
10. Dudu – Tarkan
11. Your Latest Trick – Dire Straits
12. Play The Game – Queen
13. Share The Land – Guess Who
14. Light Flight – Pentangle
15. Let It Grow – Eric Clapton
16. Billy Breathes – Phish
17. Second Avenue – Tim Moore
18. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – Peter, Paul & Mary
19. Simple Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd
20. Nora – Blessid Union Of Souls
21. Beautiful Stranger – Madonna
22. I Believe – Earls
23. Find The Cost Of Freedom – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
24. I Wrote A Simple Song – Billy Preston
25. Axel F – Harold Faltermeyer
26. Fantasy – Earth, Wind & Fire
27. Sunlight – Youngbloods
28. John Barleycorn Must Die – Traffic
29. Back When My Hair Was Short – Gunhill Road
30. Misty – Johnny Mathis
31. Lucie – Pascal Obispo
32. Foolish Games – Jewel
33. Knock Three Times – Dawn
34. I Know What You Want – Busta Rhymes & Mariah Carey f/ The Flipmode Squad
35. Cold As Ice – Foreigner
36. Mad World – Gary Jules
37. Push – Junior Caldera
38. Making Our Dreams Come True – Cyndi Grecco
39. Date Rape – Sublime
40. Turn Off The Light – Nelly Furtado
The Baseball Collector 
L-y-n-y-r-d-S-k-y-n-y-r-d-A-n-d-H-a-p-p-y-N-e-w-Y-e-a-r.
HEY ZACK!! Long time no posts. I just got back from juvy. Ya sounds bad but it was somewhat fun. I ever even heard of half of the songs on ur list. One you should add is JoJo – Too Little Too Late. HAHAHA I love it.
Love the list Zack. I posted a similar one of my own on my blog, but it was the last 40 songs played on my iPod.
My favorite on your list is #39. I love Sublime, but i’m more of a “Wrong Way” guy.
J
http://boogiedownbaseball.mlblogs.com/
Cool list you got there, although I must admit, I’ve never heard of half the people on it. I was so happy when I saw “Mad World” by Gary Jules make your list. I’ve never met anybody else who has even heard the song, let alone enjoyed it. Awesome.
Also, thanks for the Spring Training tips on your last entry. I can’t wait to get down there and resume snagging.
BOODLEHEIMER-
Thanks. Sometimes I need people to spell things out for me.
LOGAN-
You got back from where?! Don’t know the JoJo song. I’ll check it out…
JASON-
I love your list. “Pardon Me” by Incubus. Yes yes yes. I tried to leave a comment for you, but I kept getting redirected to “Armchair GM.” What’s up with that? I don’t know “Wrong Way,” so I’m adding that to my loooooong list of stuff to check out.
GREG-
Cool. Thanks. I’m surprised to hear that you don’t know anyone else who knows that song. I have a recommendation for you. It’s similar to “Mad World” in that it has a pretty/mysterious minor melody and deals with suicide. (Not that I recommend suicide.) It’s called “Theme From M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)” and it’s by Johnny Mandell.
hey zack
more about spring training. Is it better to go before the schedule starts or during the schedule? when they play there games do they still practice early in the morning and w.e? What team would be better to see boston or minnesota? When they play away games what goes on at the field during those days? i know you havnt been for over 10 years but any help is good help.
oh and they use the green training balls mostly in spring training. not sure about in the games but in practices they do.
Hey. You’re asking me stuff I don’t know. But I can tell you that ANY game with Boston will be packed. Green training balls? Huh. I was wondering about that. Good to know. Thanks. Wish I could tell you more about Spring Training, but it’s true…it’s been over a decade since I’ve been there.
Nice list. never heard of a lot of them.
So I had a question. I’m planning on visiting NY this summer with some freinds (yipee!!)… mostly because shea and yankee stadium are to be torn down soon.
I was looking on the mets website and tickets go from like $5-20 on any day (upper reserved)… Does it have something to do with the matchups? What do you think the price would be for a Weekday night vs. Cincinatti… weekend?
Thanks for your help.
-Ethan
Nope, I’ve never met anybody who had even heard the song. In fact, that’s part of the reason it took me a while to figure out what the song was. Originally, I heard it on an episode of CSI a couple years ago, but I couldn’t remember many of the lyrics to search for it online. Then I saw the episode again a couple months ago and I was able to track down the song.
Cool, I will have a listen to the song. And I would never commit suicide. That’s just stupid.
Hello long time since I posted so lets make it short.
Pretty good list but Turn Off The Light – Nelly Furtado is really annoying.
ETHAN-
Thanks. Don’t worry about not having heard of most of these groups/artists. There’s a lot of old stuff on the list, and on top of that, some of it is semi-obscure. The different pricing plans do have to do with the matchups. Cincinnati is not a team that Mets fans care about, so they’d be on the cheaper end. Maybe $14 for a weeknight in the upper deck? Could be a couple bucks more on a weekend. But I don’t know if the Mets are raising prices this year.
GREG-
Yeah, I’m always paying more attention to melodies than lyrics, so when I hear an unknown song that I like, I have to make an extra special effort to catch the words. Glad you’re planning to stay alive.
JIMMY-
Hello again. Why do you think that Nelly Furtado song is annoying? Just because it’s overplayed? Or is it the music itself? Or her voice?
Zack-
I’m not sure how trying to leave a comment was redirecting you to Armchair GM. I can’t duplicate that when I try. Not sure what that’s all about.
J
Fair enough. It was very strange, tho.
Is Mad World that song from Donnie Darko? That whole soundtrack is amazing, I get the creeps every time it comes on my mp3 player.