Top 5 American Songs of the Century

[muggle]

The top 5 American songs of the Century.The Recording Industry Association of America compiled the list with The National Endowment for the Arts. For a look at the top twenty click here:
http://www.rareexception.com/Garden/Best/Toptwenty.php

1 Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland
2 White Christmas, Bing Crosby
3 This Land Is Your Land, Woody Guthrie
4 Respect, Aretha Franklin
5 American Pie, Don McLean - Buy the album by clicking here!

What songs would you have picked for the top 5 of the Century. Not necessarily your favorite song but the songs that you "think" should have been in the top 5.

I believe that the only change I would have made would to include Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" in place of "Respect" by Aretha Franklin although "Respect" is a great song.

 

[steffee]

I would keep Respect.

Never heard of number 3, so would swap that for a Frank Sinatra (he was American right? ), probably New York, New York.

 

[Poppy1]

Yes I would go with your Louis Armstrong for No. 5. Muggle. I'm not familiar with Respect although would probably know it if I heard it. I like Woody Guthrie(and son Arlo even better) but would prefer Bob Dylan, perhaps Blowing in the Wind.

 

[abecedarian]

I have less problems with the top five than I do with some of the other 15 on the list. I love This Land Is Your Land, and like the idea of a nod to folk music, and I see why there's a nod to Jazz..(all great songs). But why is the Rolling Stones on the list, when they aren't American? I don't care for Mack the Knife as a representative song either..

 

[abecedarian]

Yes I would go with your Louis Armstrong for No. 5. Muggle. I'm not familiar with Respect although would probably know it if I heard it. I like Woody Guthrie(and son Arlo even better) but would prefer Bob Dylan, perhaps Blowing in the Wind.

I agree.. but it wasn't even in the top 20 and it was a major song of the folkie/ war protester era. I demand a recount!!

 

[Poppy1]

No disrespect to This Land Is your Land - it's just one of those songs we used to thrash to death on school/bus trips many years ago.

 

[abecedarian]

No disrespect to This Land Is your Land - it's just one of those songs we used to thrash to death on school/bus trips many years ago.

That's ok hun, on MY bus we trashed Battle Hymn of the Republic...


Glory glory Hallelujah
Teacher hit me with a ruler
Met her at the door with a loaded 44
And she aint my teacher no more...

We also sang all our favorite songs from our music books. These were folk songs, and we sometimes had a few that some older kid got from his older sibs that weren' t as kosher as the above lyrics...We kept the bus driver entertained anyway!

 

[Poppy1]

In the 6th form at school, we used to sit at the back of the assembly hall and whilst everyone else was singing Rock of Ages or whatever, we'd be singing "I'm a Little Fire Engine, Flick is my Name". The headmaster could never work out why it didn't sound quite right. Aren't children little darlings - you have to admire their imaginations.

 

[abecedarian]

In the 6th form at school, we used to sit at the back of the assembly hall and whilst everyone else was singing Rock of Ages or whatever, we'd be singing "I'm a Little Fire Engine, Flick is my Name". The headmaster could never work out why it didn't sound quite right. Aren't children little darlings - you have to admire their imaginations.

Proof positive that some adults truly were never ever kids at all! You'd of thought the headmaster would have caught on after a while

Muggle: sorry about hijacking your great thread..

 

[Poppy1]

Yes, sorry Muggle. I hope everyone keeps going as this is really interesting

 

[muggle]

That's ok. We used to sing the "99 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall" song when we were kids.

 

[muggle]

99 bottles of beer on the wall
take one down
pass it around
98 bottles of beer on the wall

98 bottles of beer on the wall
98 bottles of beer
take one down
pass it around
97 bottles of beer on the wall

and on and on until none are left

 

[abecedarian]

We did that one too..keep in mind this was all in grade school. By middle school we were too cool to sing on the bus

 

[muggle]

We did that one too..keep in mind this was all in grade school. By middle school we were too cool to sing on the bus

In High School we "cuddled' on the bus.

 

[abecedarian]

In High School we "cuddled' on the bus.

By high school, the ones who could, avoided the bus, and drove themselves..the ones left usually didn't date anybody who rode the same bus..if they dated at all

 

[Poppy1]

I can see we were very immature high school students. We still sang, hardly anyone could afford to buy a car, let alone keep it going but we did do a bit of cuddling at times. They were hard days, but good. Had to walk 4 miles to school, uphill both ways ......

 

[abecedarian]

I can see we were very immature high school students. We still sang, hardly anyone could afford to buy a car, let alone keep it going but we did do a bit of cuddling at times. They were hard days, but good. Had to walk 4 miles to school, uphill both ways ......

And you're much better for the experience too Seems like some things are universal!

 

[muggle]

actually, I lived right across the road from the school. However, we took the bus to sporting events and that is when the cuddling occurred. I played basketball in H.S. and my girlfriend was a cheerleader and we all rode the same bus to games at night. Whoopee.

 

[muggle]

Back on topic. The top 20 songs:

1 Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland
2 White Christmas, Bing Crosby
3 This Land Is Your Land, Woody Guthrie
4 Respect, Aretha Franklin
5 American Pie, Don McLean - Buy the album by clicking here!
6 Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, The Andrews Sisters
7 West Side Story, Original Cast
8 Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Billy Murray
9 You've Lost That Lovin Feelin, The Righteous Brothers
10 The Entertainer, Scott Joplin
11 In the Mood, Glenn Miller Orchestra
12 Rock Around the Clock, Bill Haley & The Comets
13 When the Saints Go Marching In, Louis Armstrong
14 You Are My Sunshine, Jimmie Davis
15 Mack the Knife, Bobby Darin
16 Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones
17 Take the 'A' Train, Duke Ellington Orchestra
18 Blueberry Hill, Fats Domino
19 God Bless America, Kate Smith
20 Stars and Stripes Forever Sousa's Band

 

[bluedahlia]

I think that instead of "Satisfaction", it could be "Born in the USA", by Bruce Springsteen. Not being an american, both the song and the singer are very representative of the US fos us who live outside of it...I dunno if I made my point clear .