My Top 25 Songs (Apparently)

 

Tonight as I was driving to Adoration, there was an absolutely gorgeous sunset. At least I was driving right toward it, so I did get to enjoy it, but if it had been an evening that I could just stay at home, then I could have run out to the dock with my camera and shared it with you.

The other day I was listening to music on iTunes, and I saw they had made a list of my 25 most listened-to songs. Since the music in my iTunes library is already my favorite music (except for early music), then it stands to reason that these are my 25 most favorite songs of all time. So here they are:

"Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" by Will Smith. I mean, "Summertime" is a great jam, but this one is more uptempo. What's not to love about this perfect song?

"Hey Ya!" by Outkast. Shake it, shake it like a Polaroid picture! This jam never gets old.

"Slide" by Calvin Harris featuring Frank Ocean and Migos. I mean, it's a great song, but this should really be "Flashlight" by Parliament, which somehow isn't on this list. What up with that??

"September" by Earth, Wind and Fire. The perfect song by the perfect band, except that they apparently don't believe in the Oxford comma. Pure joy has never been so perfectly captured in music.

"Touch It" by Monifah. Great beat and slightly raunchy lyrics are just what I need to get my blood pumping! This is a perfect example of the early 90's house music with the man rapping and the woman singing.

"A la Hora Que Me Llaman Voy" by Jose Alberto "El Canario." If "September" is R&B pure joy, then this is the old school salsa equivalent, just a song about how he'll sing whenever they call him.

"I Can Transform Ya" by Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Swizz Beats. I mean, yeah, it's got a great beat, but I really wouldn't have guessed this would be in my Top 25.

"Marcando la Distancia" by Manolito y su Trabuco. Very danceable, yet wistful - at least what I can gather from the Spanish. I think it's about a relationship falling apart.

"Happy" by Pharrell Williams. Remember when everyone was listening to this nonstop in 2014? In my world it's always 2014!

"The Anthem" by Pitbull featuring Lil Jon. I first heard this at an exercise class and immediately fell in love. It's about the highest-energy song I know.

"Jump Around" by House of Pain. This was huge when I was in college, and they still play it at every Badger football game because it has aged like a fine wine.

"Azuquita pa'l Cafe" by El Grand Combo de Puerto Rico. The finest song by a very fine old school salsa band. "What puts the sweet in the coffee?" Hint: it's a metaphor.

"Con los Pobres Estoy" by Roberto Roena. More old school salsa with a social voice. He's singing about his allegiance to the forgotten poor.

"Cupid Shuffle" by Cupid. He's representin' for the Dirty South! I can't not dance when this comes on.

"Return of the Mack" by Mark Morrison. The best of a lot of great R&B that dropped in the 90's.

"(I Wanna Give You) Devotion" by Nomad. Hearing this song makes me feel nineteen again. Yes, that's an actual rave in the background. This song is what all my silly techno songs aspired to be.

"Yeah!" by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris. Well... yeah!!!

"Hot Tottie" by Usher featuring Jay-Z. This song was so underrated. Though to be fair, I think it made this list because it was one of the first songs I downloaded, hence it's been listened to more than some others.

"This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan. Another absolutely wonderful 90's R&B jam.

"SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland. Tiffy loves this song too, so there you go.

"How Do U Want It" by 2Pac. The critics say "Dear Momma" is his best song, and I do love "Only God Can Judge Me," but this one samples a Quincy Jones groove and it's just perfect.

"Pon de Replay" by Rihanna. Her first hit before she became so huge, and it really reflects her island roots with its tropical rhythm.

"Who Am I? (What's My Name?)" by Snoop Dogg. Was it possible to make George Clinton's "Atomic Dog" even better? Apparently so!

"I Want Her" by Keith Sweat. A hot yet cool R&B jam from the 80's that I loved as a teenager... and still do!

"The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground. No question, this is the sickest bassline ever. If it wasn't on this list, I would wonder what I was doing with my life.

So there you go, in case you were wondering what I listen to besides early music.

Famous Hat