Top 500 Songs (with links!)

The past few days I have been listening to the radio and the local classic rock station was playing their annual Top 500 countdown for Memorial Day weekend.  So, mildly intrigued, I decided to see what songs were available for voting.  I then realized that a large portion of the "top 500 rock songs of all time" are bad songs.  Such is life. So because I'm bored and haven't done anything here in a while, I decided to list my Top 500 from my iTunes. So there.  These aren't the absolute 500 best songs of all time.  Not even my 500 favorite.  Just my 500 favorite that are currently on my iTunes, coming from a library of over 12 days worth of music. If you disagree, write your own list.

Happy Memorial Day and remember the great Randy Savage. WARNING: some nsfw language throughout the list




500. The Cowboy in Me - Tim McGraw

499. Iris - Goo Goo Dolls

498. I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack - Not my most masculine choice and kind of a creepy video...but dammit, this song gets to me.

497. Just a Friend - Biz Markie - Come on, you laughed when you first saw Biz playing the piano. Also the first instance of "Brethren before Wenches" in song.

496. If I had $1,000,000 - The Barenaked Ladies - I just like in the description of the video link the poster says "A MUST for any hardcore BNL fan." Is there any such thing?

495. The Dance - Garth Brooks

494. Shine on Me - Chris Dane Owens - Before you click on this link, just know this: this is the greatest, most epic music video of all time. Be prepared to have your mind blown.

493. The Shape of My Heart - Backstreet Boys - The Backstreet Boys are better than 'N Sync. Always have been. Always will be.

492. The Book of Love - Peter Gabriel - And Peter Gabriel is better than Phil Collins. Always has been. Always will be.

491. Don't Stop Believing - Journey

490. Take On Me - A-Ha

489. The Breakup Song - Wale

488. I Love College - Asher Roth - I miss college.

487. Ex's and Oh's - Atreyu

486. Into the Void - Black Sabbath

485. Lust for Life - Iggy Pop and the Stooges

484. Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode

483. The Weight - The Band

482. The River - Bruce Springsteen

481. Ready or Not - The Fugees - I know that "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" is awesome, but after a while, don't you have to follow it up with at least one other project to keep your "genius" label?

480. Don't Believe the Hype - Public Enemy

479. Careless Whisper - Seether

478. Woo Hah! (Got You All in Check) - Busta Rhymes

477. Rebel Yell - Billy Idol

476. A Rush of Blood to the Head -Coldplay

475. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper

474. The Bleeding Heart Show - The New Pornographers - The hipster in me hates how mainstream I've become.

473. Fireman - Lil' Wayne

472. Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello

471. I Will Follow You into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie

470. Crash Into Me - Dave Matthews Band

469. Around the World - ATC

468. Dragula - Rob Zombie

467. Living After Midnight - Judas Priest - Rob Halford was a gay musician before it was cool.

466. She is Beautiful - Andrew WK

465. Seize the Day - Avenged Sevenfold

464. Waiting - Sugar Ray

463. Debaser - Pixies

462. Hips Don't Lie (feat. Wyclef Jean) - Shakira - I could listen to Shakira read the phone book in Spanish and still be mesmerized.

461. In the Meantime - Spacehog - Whatever happened to Spacehog? Seriously, I'd love to book them for the next Benjopalooza.

460. I Need You Tonight - INXS

459. Sober - Pink

458. Be Yourself - Audioslave

457. Liar - Rollins Band

456. Redemption Song - Bob Marley and the Wailers - Reggae is overrated.  People like it because it reminds them of sitting on the beach either drunk or stoned.  But everything sounds good when you're stoned and/or drunk. That being said, this is a great piece of music. (And Ben shits on his own point)

455. Don't Say Nuthin' - The Roots

454. Rehab - Amy Winehouse

453. Got Your Money - Ol' Dirty Bastard - There is a fine line between crazy and genius.  ODB was crazy.

452. Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads

451. I Wanna Hold Your Hand - The Beatles - Here is where I fully expect to get some guff. I have over 40 Beatles songs in my collection, yet only a few make it on this list. I know the Beatles are great and all that. I just don't enjoy them that much. I'm an asshole.

450. Even Flow - Pearl Jam

449. Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

448. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

447. Crawl Through Knives - In Flames

446. Her Portrait in Black - Atreyu

445. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses? - U2

444. Superman (It's Not Easy) - Five For Fighting - I'm glad I'm not him given how tough it is to be him.

443. Heroes - David Bowie

442. Boom - P.O.D.

441. Heaven - Los Lonely Boys - And while we're looking for Spacehog, find me Los Lonely Boys.

440. Hey You - Pink Floyd

439. Zero - Smashing Pumpkins

438. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen - One of the most epic tracks of all time, I actually prefer the Muppets' version.

437. You're Gonna Go Far, Kid - The Offspring

436. It Was a Good Day - Ice Cube - Indeed it was.

435. White America - Eminem

434. Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones

433. Friday I'm in Love - The Cure

432. Short Skirt, Long Jacket - Cake

431. My Generation - The Who

430. Take a Bow - Muse

429. Loser - Beck

428. My Coco - Stellastarr*

427. Can I Kick It? - A Tribe Called Quest - Yes you can!

426. Disturbia - Rihanna

425. Teenage Love Song - Rilo Kiley - The hipster in me knew about me before I was cool.

424. Touch It - Busta Rhymes

423. Close Yet Far - CKY

422. Got the Life - Korn

421. Sweetest Girl (feat. Akon & Lil' Wayne) - Wyclef Jean

420. Down Under - Men at Work

419. The Last Time - Gnarls Barkley

418. DARE - Gorillaz

417. Heart of the City (Ain't No Love) - Jay-Z - For a guy who complains a lot about haters and not getting any love, Jay-Z is incredibly popular.

416. Mo' Money, Mo' Problems (feat. Puff Daddy & Mase) - Notorious B.I.G. - Biggie and company may be right, but I'd much rather have more problems stemming from more money rather than the one problem of "I'm poor".

415. Never Let You Go - Third Eye Blind

414. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

413. Hurt - Nine Inch Nails - Trent Reznor said he cried when he heard Johnny Cash's cover of this song because he realized that the song was no longer his.  Sadly he was right.

412. Vice Versa - Pastor Troy - AARGGGHHHHHH I WANT TO FIGHT SOMEONE!

411. Xxplosive - Dr. Dre

410. Hash Pipe - Weezer

409. Human - The Killers

408. Listen to Your Heart - DHT

407. Friends in Low Places - Garth Brooks - If you have degenerate drunks for friends, you need to learn every word to this song.

406. This Fire Burns - Killswitch Engage

405. Country Grammar - Nelly

404. Black Stacey - Saul Williams -

403. B.Y.O.B. - System of a Down

402. Superstition - Stevie Wonder

401. My Best Friend's Girl - The Cars

400. Since You Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson - American Idol has now crowned 10 winners and only Kelly, Carrie Underwood, and kind of Jordin Sparks have had any major success post-show. Shocking.

399. Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix

398. Dirty Harry - Gorillaz

397. Not Dark Yet - Bob Dylan

396. Every Time We Touch - Cascada

395. The Message - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - One of the first pieces of social commentary in rap ever.

394. Jeremy - Pearl Jam - Flannel.

393. Elephant Bones - That Handsome Devil

392. White Room - Cream

391. Heart of Gold - Black Label Society - Better than the original.

390. Sabotage - Beastie Boys

389. A Long December - Counting Crows - It is impossible to believe that Adam Duritz dated both Jennifer Anniston and Courtney Cox at the height of their fame.

388. Holler If Ya Hear Me/Crazy - Tupac and Gnarls Barkley- Biggie is better than Tupac. You're an idiot if you think otherwise.

387. Bring the Noise (feat. Anthrax) - Public Enemy

386. 3's and 7's - Queens of the Stone Age

385. Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis - ...Unless you're drunkenly fighting your brother.

384. Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac

383. Monkey Wrench - Foo Fighters

382. Hate Me- Blue October

381. Silver and Cold - AFI

380. Heaven - DJ Sammy - This is a fun song.  The original Bryan Adams is a creepy song.

379. Kiss From a Rose - Seal - Do you think Seal sings this every night to Heidi Klum? Also, Val Kilmer as Batman.

378. Guerilla Radio - Rage Against the Machine

377. I Hung My Head - Johnny Cash

376. Beat It - Michael Jackson - If only every gang war could be solved with one weird knife fight and a dance off.

375. Bump 'n Grind - R. Kelly - You will never see something like that a Radiohead concert...

374. Miss You - The Rolling Stones

373. Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers

372. Fight for Your Right - Beastie Boys

371. OPP - Naughty By Nature - "What does OPP stand for?" was once a question on a history test I took in high school.  I was the only person who knew.

370. On - Bloc Party

369. Reach Out, I'll Be There - The Four Tops - It is impossible for anybody who appreciates music to not enjoy the old Motown sound.

368. Metaphor - In Flames

367. Save Tonight - Eagle Eye Cherry - Sign him up with Los Lonely Boys and Spacehog.

366. I Like It Raw (ODB Tribute) - Buckethead

365. Who's That Lady? - Isley Brothers

364. The Boxer - Carbon Leaf

363. What Else is There? - Royksopp

362. Heartless - Kanye West - An anthem for any guy that's ever been dumped. Kanye might actually be the voice of a generation.

361. Best of You - Foo Fighters

360. Aenima - Tool

359. Make Damn Sure - Taking Back Sunday

358. Rock the Casbah - The Clash - The only band that matters.

357. Radio Radio - Elvis Costello - This song once got Mr. Costello banned from Saturday Night Live.

356. Kiss Me - New Found Glory

355. Bloodtrocuted - Dethklok - While they are technically a fake band, Dethklok is seriously "metal".

354. Last Call (feat. Slimm Calhoun, Lil' Jon & the Eastside Boyz, and Mello) - Outkast

353. You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC

352. Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns 'n Roses - This video marks the debut of the Axl Rose dance.

351. Truth - Seether

350. Like Eating Glass - Bloc Party

349. Slow Chemical - Finger Eleven

348. In Your Wildest Dreams - The Moody Blues

347. I Wanna Be Your Dog - Iggy Pop and the Stooges

346. Peace of Mind - Boston - Boston is easily the king of the directional bands (I'd put Kansas second, and Europe dead last).

345. Heaven is a Place on Earth - Belinda Carlisle

344. Beds are Burning - Midnight Oil - LOOK AT THAT DANCING!

343. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

342. Cells - The Servant

341. The Wicker Man - Iron Maiden - Bees?

340. Ocean Breathes Salty - Modest Mouse

339. An End Has a Start - Editors

338. Good Day - Nappy Roots

337. Rosenrot - Rammstein

336. Daylight - Matt and Kim - Possibly my sister's favorite song, for what it's worth.

335. The Beast and the Harlot - Avenged Sevenfold

334. The Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd

333. Bat Country - Avenged Sevenfold

332. Lucky - Britney Spears - Maybe this was her cry for help...I'm sorry I didn't listen, Britney.

331. 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago

330. Let It Be - The Beatles

329. Disarm - Smashing Pumpkins

328. Whiskey Lullaby (feat. Allison Krauss) - Brad Paisley

327. New Soul (feat. Yael Naim) - Wale

326. The Suffering - Coheed and Cambria

325. Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits

324. Jumpin' Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones

323. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd - Go ahead, request this at a concert. Doesn't matter what concert.

322. Steady as She Goes - The Raconteurs

321. Piano Man - Billy Joel

320. Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio

319. Stand Still, Look Pretty - The Wreckers

318. Lonely Day - System of a Down

317. Evil in a Closet - In Flames

316. Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz

315. We Used to be Friends - The Dandy Warhols

314. Monkey Gone to Heaven - Pixies

313. Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2

312. Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival

311. All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix - The ultimate cover song. Most people don't even know that this is originally a Bob Dylan song.

310. Rock Out - Motorhead - Lemmy is rock and roll.

309. Ms. Jackson - Outkast

308. What's the Difference? (feat. Xzibit and Eminem) - Dr. Dre

307. Mr. Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan

306. Pressure Point - The Zutons

305. Don't Tread on Me - Metallica

304. Thunderstruck - AC/DC

303. Fake It - Seether

302. I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow - Soggy Bottom Boys

301. Bodysnatchers - Radiohead

300. The One I Love - R.E.M. - Probably one of the most misunderstood songs out there, this is not by any stretch a love song.

299. Goodbye Horses - Q Lazzarus - If you aren't kind of uneasy listening to this song, you clearly haven't seen Silence of the Lambs

298. Don't Bring Me Down - Electric Light Orchestra

297. The Red - Chevelle

296. Lake of Fire - Nirvana

295. Fuck Shit Stack - Reggie Watts - Everything Reggie does is improvised, with the exception of this track.  Solid results all around I'd say.

294. Tiny Dancer - Elton John

293. Blue Orchid - The White Stripes

292. Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers

291. Express Yourself - N.W.A. - This is the only N.W.A. song that doesn't include the word "fuck".  The more you know.

290. Erase Me (feat. Kanye West) - Kid Cudi

289. New Slang - The Shins - In this song, there is a line "the dirt in your fries" and this track was once used in a McDonald's commercial.  And now you know.

288. White Houses - Vanessa Carlton

287. Anarchy in the UK - The Sex Pistols

286. One - Metallica

285. When You Were Young - The Killers

284. The Beautiful People - Marilyn Manson

283. She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5 - Some disparity: the woman in the song is a 18 year old girl, but the woman in the video is Kelly Preston, who is not 18.

282. Chapter Four - Avenged Sevenfold

281. Beer for My Horses (feat. Willie Nelson) - Toby Keith

280. Cry for You - September

279. Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

278. Simple Man - Shinedown - There are about a million different covers of this song and the original Skynyrd version, but this is my favorite.

277. I Feel It All - Feist

276. Mathematics - Mos Def

275. ABC - The Jackson 5

274. Poison - Alice Cooper

273. Always New Depths - Bloc Party

272. C'Mon C'Mon - The Von Bondies

271. Kids - MGMT

270. Stay Together for the Kids - Blink-182

269. Sleep Now in the Fire - Rage Against the Machine - At 1:03 of the video you'll notice a sign predicting events 11 years in the future.

268. Wherever I May Roam - Metallica

267. Cum on Feel the Noize - Quiet Riot

266. Tracks of My Tears - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

265. Summertime Blues - Alan Jackson - Memorial Day weekend means the start of summer so this song is particularly appropriate this weekend.

264. Sound of Da Police - KRS One - Who has a bigger mouth: Busta Rhymes or KRS One?

263. The Next Episode (feat. Snoop Dogg) - Dr. Dre

262. Baba O'Riley - The Who - The title of this song is not, nor has it ever been, "Teenage Wasteland".

261. Come As You Are - Nirvana

260. Intergalatic - Beastie Boys

259. Just Like Heaven - The Cure

258. Tonight Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins

257. Parabola - Tool

256. Assassin - Muse - The beginning of this always reminds me of the old Spy Hunter videogame.

255. The Holiday Song - Pixies

254. I'm Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphys - Pahk tha cah up so we can wahtch Nomah up at Fenway Pahk.

253. Fight the Power - Public Enemy

252. 19th Nervous Breakdown - The Rolling Stones - I would have gotten checked out after 12, but that's just me.

251. Downfall - Children of Bodom

250. Question! - System of a Down - Answer!

249. All I Want is You - U2

248. November Rain - Guns 'n Roses

247. This is the New Shit - Marilyn Manson

246. My Immortal - Evanescence

245. Every Day is Like Sunday - Morrissey - Yet another example of commercials using a song when they don't really know the meaning: the NFL network commercial using this song.

244. So What - Pink

243. Mother's Little Helper - The Rolling Stones

242. Stan (feat. Dido) - Eminem

241. Somebody to Love - Queen

240. Plans - Bloc Party - I couldn't find the studio version of this, but if you can, I encourage you to listen to that.

239. Sunshine of Your Love - Cream

238. Coming Undone - Korn

237. Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel

236. Bohemian Like You - The Dandy Warhols

235. Slow Motion - Third Eye Blind

234. 100 Miles and Runnin' - N.W.A.

233. Ignition (Remix) - R. Kelly - This song almost makes up for R. Kelly's transgressions. Almost.

232. Rebel Rebel - David Bowie

231. Icky Thump - The White Stripes - Not to be confused with the Icky Shuffle.

230. Where is My Mind? - Pixies

229. Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothing to Fuck With - Wu-Tang Clan

228. The Parachute Ending - Birdy Nam Nam

227. Untouched - The Veronicas

226. Check the Rhyme - A Tribe Called Quest - The question remains: "You on point, Tip?"

225. Ten Million Slaves - Otis Taylor

224. Slaughter - Pantera

223. Reise, Reise - Rammstein - Even an old sea shanty sounds angry in German.

222. Reptilia - The Strokes

221. Ralph Wiggum - Bloodhound Gang - Definitely the most quotable character from television's most quotable show.

220. Lithium - Nirvana

219. Mr. Brightside - The Killers - Eric Roberts sighting

218. Positive Tension - Bloc Party

217. Stockholm Syndrome - Muse

216. Lean On Me - Bill Withers - The best version I've ever heard of this song was a homeless man on the metro singing it.

215. Nuthin' But A G Thang (feat. Snoop Dogg) - Dr. Dre - Great usage of the Compton Piano here.

214. Bad - U2

213. Y Control - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

212. Whenever, Wherever - Shakira

211. Love Lockdown - Kanye West

210. A Milli - Lil' Wayne

209. I Want to Break Free - Queen

208. Go With the Flow - Queens of the Stone Age

207. I'm Broken - Pantera

206. Strutter - Kiss

205. Movin' Cool (The After Party) - Outkast

204. Ion Square - Bloc Party

203. Raining Blood - Slayer - Listen to how fast that is!

202. Hysteria - Muse

201. What Hurts the Most - Rascal Flatts - *sniff* Be strong, Ben.

200. Vermillion - Slipknot

199. Drop - The Pharcyde - Coldplay totally stole the filmed backwards thing for "The Scientist" from the infinitely more-talented The Pharcyde.

198. Samson - Regina Spektor

197. Africa - Toto

196. Vermillion, Pt. 2 - Slipknot

195. A Line in the Sand - Motorhead

194. Fuck the Pain Away - Peaches

193. On to the Next One (feat. Swizz Beats) - Jay-Z

192. Kick Out the Jams - MC5

191. Psycho Killer - Talking Heads - This is how I learned French in high school.

190. Southern Hospitality - Ludacris

189. Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

188. The Beginning is the End is the Beginning - Smashing Pumpkins

187. Run Around - Blues Traveler

186. Forgot About Dre (feat. Eminem) - Dr. Dre

185. Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie

184. Banquet - Bloc Party

183. Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys - This is probably the best-produced song of all time.

182. Afterlife - Avenged Sevenfold

181. Fine Again - Seether

180. The First Time - U2

179. Triumph - Wu-Tang Clan - This is the ultimate in late-90s/early 2000s rap video-making.

178. Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz

177. Come Together - The Beatles

176. Feed My Frankenstein - Alice Cooper

175. Without Me - Eminem

174. Fire Water Burn - Bloodhound Gang

173. Man in the Box - Alice in Chains

172. Christmas Song - Dave Matthews Band

171. Ain't No Rest for the Wicked - Cage the Elephant - Maybe so, but your grammar is terrible.

170. Back in Black - AC/DC - This song was the first single the band released after Bon Scott's death. Needless to say, they came back strong.

169. Purple Haze - Black Label Society

168. Torture Me - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Flea showing off why he's one of the best bassists alive today.

167. Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top

166. Starlight - Muse

165. The Quiet Place - In Flames

164. Obvious - Blink-182

163. Sad But True - Metallica

162. Walk - Pantera

161. Duality - Slipknot - Who knew there were so many angry people in Iowa?

160. Party Hard - Andrew WK

159. Comfort Eagle - Cake

158. Alive - Pearl Jam

157. Supersonic - Oasis

156. Under Pressure - David Bowie and Queen - Sorry, Vanilla Ice, you took the bassline.

155. Creep - Radiohead

154. Thunderhorse - Dethklok - C-C-C-YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

153. Fear of the Dark - Iron Maiden

152. Still - Geto Boyz

151. Welcome to the Terrordome - Public Enemy

150. One Headlight - The Wallflowers

149. List of Demands (Reparations) - Saul Williams

148. Da Mystery of Chessboxin' - Wu-Tang Clan

147. I'm On Fire - Bruce Springsteen

146. Hell's Bells - AC/DC

145. Mercy - Duffy

144. Otherside - Red Hot Chili Peppers

143. Paint It, Black - The Rolling Stones

142. Thinking 'Bout Something - Hanson - Turns out the little boys who did Mmmbop are actually super-talented.

141. How Soon is Now? - The Smiths

140. La Tortura (Shaketon Remix feat. Alejandro Sanz) - Shakira

139. With or Without You - U2

138. Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright - This is another song with quite a few versions floating out there, most notably, Jeff Buckley's ethereal take. But this is my favorite version.

137. Hocus Pocus - Focus - I miss the days of yodeling in progressive rock.

136. Levon - Elton John

135. Cain Said to Abel - Bloc Party

134. Metal Militia - Metallica

133. I Believe in a Thing Called Love - The Darkness - I think we can all agree that falsetto in rock music is stupendous.

132. Sober - Tool

131. Closet Freak - Cee-lo

130. House of the Rising Sun - The Animals - While it's not my favorite song (hence, the 130 ranking on this list), if an alien race were to come to Earth and ask, "What is the height of achievement in popular music from the 20th century onward?" (and odd claim, perhaps), this song would have to be on the short list of tracks to submit.

129. Suffragette City - David Bowie

128. Turn Me On - Kevin Lyttle

127. Don't Think Twice, It's Alright - Bob Dylan

126. Halo - Bloc Party

125. Blind - Korn

124. Stockholm Syndrome - Blink-182 - I have two songs titled "Stockholm Syndrome"...what are the odds?

123. My Maria - Brooks & Dunn

122. Let The Beat Build - Lil' Wayne

121. Gimme the Loot - Notorious B.I.G.

120. Feeling Stronger Every Day - Chicago

119. Black - Pearl Jam - Has there ever been a stronger debut album that "Ten"?

118. Cherry Cola - Eagles of Death Metal

117. Holy Diver - Killswitch Engage - I always felt that Dio's version would be better heavier. Behold, Killswitch Engage has delivered.

116. Shelter From the Storm - Bob Dylan

115. Up Up & Away (Wake and Bake Song) - Kid Cudi

114. Jenny Don't Be Hasty - Paolo Nutini

113. God of Thunder - Kiss

112. Bliss - Muse

111. Psychosocial - Slipknot

110. Higher Love - Steve Winwood - This is a gift for you, bumblebee bitch.

109. Showbiz - Muse

108. Fuck the Police - N.W.A.

107. Talons - Bloc Party

106. Welcome to the Jungle - Guns 'n Roses

105. Come Clarity - In Flames

104. Up Around the Bend - Creedence Clearwater Revival

103. Mind Eraser, No Chaser - Them Crooked Vultures - This is the third different band that both Dave Grohl and Josh Homme have appeared in on this list.

102. I Will Buy You a New Life - Everclear

101. Calm Like a Bomb - Rage Against the Machine

100. Hard to Concentrate - Red Hot Chili Peppers

99. Helicopter - Bloc Party

98. Stillborn - Black Label Society

97. I Miss You - Blink 182

96. The Trooper - Iron Maiden

95. Beggin' - Madcon

94. All Aboard the New Nighttrain - Public Enemy

93. Wake Up - Arcade Fire - Who the hell is Arcade Fire?

92. Heat of the Moment - Asia - If South Park has taught us anything, it's that one heartfelt rendition of this song can get stem cell legislation passed.

91. Night Moves - Bob Seger

90. Barroom Hero - Dropkick Murphys

89. Settle for a Slowdown - Dierks Bentley

88. Talk to Strangers - Saul Williams - Kids, don't actually take his advice.

87. This Modern Love - Bloc Party

86. Strange Times - The Black Keys

85. Mind Playing Tricks on Me - Geto Boys

84. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley

83. Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson

82. Blunt Force Trauma - Damageplan

81. The Prayer - Bloc Party

80. Blow Away - A Fine Frenzy - It's impossible to listen to this song and not be happy.

79. They Don't Write 'Em Like That Anymore (The Breakup Song) - Greg Kihn Band - Nope. No they don't.

78. Tighten Up - The Black Keys

77. Wait and Bleed - Slipknot

76. Mad World - Gary Jules

75. This Disaster - New Found Glory

74. All Nightmare Long - Metallica

73. Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers

72. More Than a Feeling - Boston - This is a perfect song. That doesn't mean the best, but it's my go-to example of perfection; there is nothing you could add or subtract from this track to make it better.

71. I'm the Man - Joe Jackson

70. Civil War - Guns 'n Roses - Probably my favorite sample of all time.

69. Sophisticated Bitch - Public Enemy - Bitches be trifling.

68. Just What I Needed - The Cars

67. Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A.

66. Prodigal Son's Prayer - Dierks Bentley

65. Hillbilly Deluxe - Brooks & Dunn

64. Take Me Home Tonight - Eddie Money - Saxophone solos need to make a comeback.

63. Beer - Reel Big Fish

62. Valerie - Steve Winwood

61. Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Pt. 2 - My Morning Jacket

60. Always Where I Need To Be - The Kooks

59. Get Like Me - Childish Gambino - Donald Glover is clearly one of the most talented people working today.

58. Fury - Muse

57. Stricken - Disturbed

56. Paranoid - Black Sabbath

55. In the Sun - Joseph Arthur

54. Ghostwriter - RJD2

53. C.R.E.A.M. - Wu-Tang Clan - Cash Rules Everything Around Me

52. Dysentery Gary - Blink-182

51. Left Hand Suzuki Method - Gorillaz

50. Welcome Home - Coheed and Cambria

49. Ready to Die - Notorious B.I.G. - Terribly prophetic.

48. The Seed (2.0) - The Roots - One of the secretly dirtiest songs of all time.

47. The Impression That I Get - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

46. Can't Tell Me Nothing - Kanye West - Which do you prefer: the original or the Zach Galifianakis version?

45. Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

44. Biko - Bloc Party

43. 'Till I Collapse (feat. Nate Dogg) - Eminem

42. MoneyGrabber - Fitz and the Tantrums

41. Unholy Confessions - Avenged Sevenfold

40. Story of Lonely Guy - Blink-182 - Story of my life... *tear and self-pity*

39. Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine

38. Search and Destroy - Iggy Pop and the Stooges

37. 1234 - Feist

36. Hot Mess - Chromeo

35. The Beginning is Near - Reggie Watts - One man. One machine. Totally improvised. Truly amazing.

34. Boyz in the Hood - N.W.A. - I understand the whole "folk singers covering gangsta rap" thing; a movement kinda started/popularized by Dynamite Hack and this track.  But I will ask you to stop for a moment consider the context and social impact of said gangsta rap before you lampoon it. Then get to it.

33. Plug-In Baby - Muse - Now THAT is a guitar riff.

32. Make It Wit Chu - Queens of the Stone Age

31. Your Love - The Outfield - If you actually listen to the lyrics, it's kind of a creepy song.  But whatever, still sounds good.

30. God's Gonna Cut You Down - Johnny Cash

29. Freaks and Geeks - Childish Gambino - As the man says, "I am not a rapper, you could've fooled me." This is just filthy.

28. One More Chance - Bloc Party

27. Party and Bullshit in the USA (feat. Miley Cyrus) - Notorious B.I.G. - For my money, hands down the greatest mashup of all time.

26. Electric Feel - MGMT

25. Adam's Song - Blink-182

24. I Won't See You Tonight, Pt. 1 - Avenged Sevenfold

23. Seek and Destroy - Metallica

22. Everlong - Foo Fighters

21. Master of Puppets - Metallica

20. B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) - Outkast - This track just blows you away from the word "Yeah".

19. Map of the Problematique - Muse

18. I Never Dreamed - Black Label Society - One of the strongest and most powerful covers out there.

17. Dammit - Blink-182

16. One Month Off - Bloc Party

15. Shut 'Em Down - Public Enemy

14. The Wanderer (feat. Johnny Cash) - U2

13. Lucinda - Tom Waits

12. No Diggity (feat. Dr. Dre and Queen Pen) - Blackstreet - Funkiest song of all time.

11. 1901 - Phoenix

10. The Chosen Pessimist - In Flames

9. Shrinking Universe - Muse - That wail at the end single-handedly hooked me on Muse.

8. I Want You Back - Jackson 5

7. Hurt - Johnny Cash - This cover has almost made Trent Reznor an afterthought, which is very very hard to do.

6. Ride the Lightning - Metallica

5. Next Girl - The Black Keys - Great Song. Greater video.

4. Flux - Bloc Party

3. Soundtrack 2 My Life - Kid Cudi - The perfect song for anybody who has just bottled something up and is dealing with the stressed and pains of life.

2. Sleepyhead - Passion Pit - Just an outstanding track that will always get you feeling better no matter your situation.

1. Better Than Heaven - Bloc Party - This is simply a perfect track.  I could go into why in depth, but you've already been reading a bunch and I've been writing even more.  All I'll say is this: it's a song that perfectly encapsulates all the emotions from bliss to sorrow that can be found in a relationship with someone.

Wrestling Finisher Extravaganza

Because why not, here are my favorite 30 wrestling finishers. Discuss.

Honorable Mention: The People's Elbow (The Rock)- As somebody who unabashedly loves The Rock, I had to include this. It really isn't his best maneuver or really all that impressive phyiscally, but sweet sassy molassy if it isn't excited as hell.



30. The Pounce (Monty Brown)- Perhaps the simplest move on the list, it still is a high-impact spot that the crowd can get behind.



29. Hell's Gate (The Undertaker)- Called a gogoplata in MMA, this has ended matches in both pro wrestling and sporting events without pre-determined outcomes.



28. Codebreaker/Backstabber (Chris Jericho/Carlito)- Essentially the same move, just one is to the front and one to the back. Still looks sweet.



27. Batista Bomb (Batista)- Power upon power.



26. Gory Bomb (Chavo Guerrero)- Performed originally by his grandfather, Gory, Chavo keeps this move alive as one of the oldest moves on the list.



25. The Walls of Jericho (Chris Jericho)- A great submission finisher must be equal parts painful-looking and open for preening. Other than the Sharpshooter, no submission does this better than the Wall of Jericho.



24. The Rock Bottom (The Rock)- High impact move from my all-time favorite.



23. Ankle Lock (Kurt Angle)- Ever tried this on your younger brother? Hurts like hell.



22. Figure Four Leg Lock (Ric Flair)- WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!



21. 5 Star Frog Splash (Rob Van Dam)- One the most exciting aerial moves ever. RVD also sold it better than anybody.



20. Sharpshooter (Bret Hart)- Ever had this tried on you by your little brother? Hurts like hell.



19. Vertebreaker (Gregory Helms)- This just looks dangerous.



18. Crucifix Powerbomb (Scott Hall)- Called the Razor's Edge when using his Razor Ramon gimmick, the finest example of Cuban stereotypes in American Sports.



17. Killswitch (Christian)- I liked it better when they called it the Unprettier.



16. Pedigree (Triple H)- Even without being married to the boss's daughter, the backstage politics, and the refusal to go away, Triple H still would have had a big career because he has one of the quickest and best finishers in the business.



15. Go to Sleep (CM Punk)- The GTS works so well because it's so easy to work it into a match. It can be set up and performed from just about any position.



14. The F5 (Brock Lesnar)- His power levels are over 9000.



13. Chokeslam (Kane)- Performed by plenty of big men throughout the years, there is nothing like a good, old-fashioned chokeslam to get the crowd pumped.



12. The RKO (Randy Orton)- A worthy successor to the Stunner as the lightning-quick, high-impact move that gets used in an undiscriminating manner.



11. Jackhammer (Goldberg)- For all of Goldberg's shortcomings, and there were many, you always knew what to expect: great entrance, intensity, spear, jackhammer, more intensity.



10. Alabama Slam (Hardcore Holly)- Ouch.



9. Spear (Edge)- Plenty of folks have used the spear (Goldberg, Rhyno, etc.) but Edge does it best.



8. Stunner (Stone Cold Steve Austin)- More devastating than a shot from the Six Million Dollar Man.



7. The 619 (Rey Mysterio)- While I don't particularly like Rey Mysterio (not good on the mic, same 4 or 5 moves every match, cannot be a heel, same storylines every time), this finisher is one of the best to watch when combined with the West Coast Pop.



6. Tombstone Piledriver (The Undertaker)- This move is so dangerous that it has been barred from use by anyone in the WWE other than the Undertaker, a fact which only adds to its legend.



5. Green Bay Plunge (Mr. Kennedy)- A very cool-looking finisher to be paired with perhaps my favorite gimmick of all time. You mean to tell me WWE didn't have a place for him?



4. The Shooting Star Press (Evan Bourne)- Also called Air Bourne, this move is incredibly dangerous but always looks incredible. It's especially fun when bigger guys (Brock Lesnar, etc.) have tried it.



3. Sweet Chin Music (Shawn Michaels)- Great finisher for a great wrestler. This never looks like it doesn't hurt.



2. The C4 (Paul Burchill)- An explosive move and near impossible to perform.



1. The Canadian Destroyer (Petey Williams)- Yes, hard to believe anything Canadian and not hockey-related could be #1 on any list, but, seriously, just watch it.

And now for something that made me laugh way more than it should have...

Best Day of the Year

Happy Opening Day, America. In a time when professional football may not be played next year, professional basketball seems doomed for a similar fate, professional hockey can't seem to get the footing it deserves, and college sports is rampant with scandal and athletes who don't go to class, it's nice to know that baseball is still there for you. Yes baseball has its problems, but it is still America's great pastime.

So please, dear fan, go off and enjoy some of the finest sport that God ever blessed us with.




Matt Wieters approves.

(Kinda) Daily Good Music

Today's jam is "The Break Up Song" by Wale.

Wale, despite already having a couple of hits and collaborating with some high-profile artists, is an up-and-coming artist from DC. With a smooth delivery and some impressive lyrical skill, he is helping to lead the movement of young, talented DC-based artists (including the previously-mentioned Young Prince) who will soon be dominating the hip-hop scene.

Enjoy.

(Kinda) Daily Good Music

Today's jam is "BOB" by OutKast.

Straight up: this is a dope-ass track (as the kids are saying). OutKast's library is full of great tracks and I believe this to be the greatest.

Enjoy.

(Kinda) Daily Good Music

Today's jam is actually a mashup.

A few years old, this mashup combines the Notorious B.I.G.'s Party and Bullshit with Miley Cyrus's Party in the USA. No doubt an odd combination, but really that's the fun of a mashup. And this one certainly works.

Enjoy.

Adventures in Advertising 2

At the risk of sounding like an 80s comedian, did you ever notice how the Olive Garden logo has the words "Italian Restaurant" written below its name?

It's like they have to remind you what they're supposed to be.  And really, why wouldn't they? Nothing at the Olive Garden is particularly Italian.  I mean, they use Italian ingredients, kinda.  And the dish names are Italian, kinda.  But really it's just terrible.

"But, Ben! They have great breadsticks!" I hear some of you protest.  Maybe so, but bread is free.  Literally every restaurant ever gives out bread.  So to claim that the free thing that everybody else does is what you do best is pretty lame.  That's like saying, "Ted's shits are the best. Nobody shits better than Ted." Yeah, fine.  But nobody mentions that Ted is also a terrible accountant and has cost his clients tons of money.

And their slogan, "When you're here, you're family." That's all well and good, but if I'm with my family, are they not when I'm elsewhere?  "Mom, Dad, your decision to go to the Cheesecake Factory this evening was a disastrous one, we are no longer related." "I'm sorry to hear that, son.  I guess we're going to have to kick you out of the house now or you're gonna have to start paying rent."  "But, Mom, I'm 14." "Yes, but we didn't go to the Olive Garden."

Also, maybe I don't want to be family.  Maybe I'm taking a girl out on a first date (and if I'm going to the Olive Garden, also a last date).  Maybe I'm wooing (and losing) a client.  I'm not trying to be that person's family, I just want a cheap meal that won't give me food poisoning.

One final point: do you really send your chefs to Italy?  If so, maybe you shouldn't be trying to make Italian food.  Either that or you're sending them to Italians who can't cook.  As shocking as it may seem, not every Italian can cook, just like not every American can cook, not every Frenchman can cook, and every Englishman cannot cook.

But whatever, do your thing, Olive Garden.  I'm off to Chili's.

(Kinda) Daily Good Music

Today's jam is "MoneyGrabber" by Fitz and the Tantrums.

Their appearance on last night's episode of Conan inspired me to research the band and I'm quickly becoming a fan. I encourage you all to follow suit.

Enjoy.

(Kinda) Daily Good Music

Today's jam is "Hot Mess" by Chromeo.

Chromeo is sweet. Supremely talented and with a sense of humor, the Montreal duo has made a name for itself with its great beats and soulful melodies.

This is the lead single and sexy video from their most recent album, "Business Casual".

Enjoy.