The Most Important Song Ever Written

I woke up with an offer from Bono to choose one of U2's songs. Apparently his ego is not bloated enough already.

Then I was thinking along the lines of Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas," which raised millions for Ethiopian famine relief (sound familiar?) and inspired "We are the World," Live Aid and countless other efforts. Seriously, do we really want to encourage Bob Geldof and stroke more celebrity ego?

Then my thoughts turned to "Rock Around the Clock" written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers for Bill Haley & His Comets, which is generally regarded as the song to kick start Rock-and-Roll.

I finally had to to settle for the Shins "New Slang."

In the words of Natalie Portman in Garden State, "You gotta hear this one song, it'll change your life I swear."

You can do much worst than what Natalie Portman tells you.

I was all ready to give an in-depth post of why Imagine should be #1 but I wouldn't be able to live with doing that now that I see it's already been nominated like ten times.

So my second thought was Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone.

Happy Birthday.

What other song allows you to embarrass your friends year after year in public places.

Star Spangled Banner.

I don't know the name of the song but it goes like this:

Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are.

This song is known to children around the world and remains with them throughout life. It is a part of the beginnings that lead us all to look beyond ourselves and search for knowledge. It helps to make us smarter.

Hail to the Chief

Although George W. Bush has somewhat hurt the reputation of the Oval Office, and William Jefferson Clinton did some unthinkable things as well, the President of the United States of America remains the single most powerful man in the world.

When it's played, you know it is being played for the President. This song reintegrates the power of the position, and is my pick for the most important song ever written.

Chuck Berry - Johnny B Good

His innovative new style become one of the foundations of every kind of music that we hear today. A forefather of rock and roll, this song changed the way music was played, listened to, and thought of.

"Let It Be" - The Beatles

The Ride of the Valkyries (Richard Wagner).

What does important mean? It's vast and needs framing. I chose to focus on the human, a universal constant and sought to incorporate history and psychology to give it context.

In addition to its legacy as a world-renown German opera, some scholars have suggested the opus as a possible psychological factor in Hitler's egomaniacal dementia, and in that context, it may be said to have changed the very course of world history.

More recently it was used in Apocalypse Now, a cultural landmark. Coppola used the song as harbinger of the death and destruction preceding an Air Calvary attack. The film stands as a modern interpretation and reflection of the Vietnam War, and indeed the horror of all war and again, this music seems to have woven itself into the very fabric of history.

The most important song ever written is what comes from deep within your souls. It may be that sudden outburst in the shower, or that hum while you're cleaning. It can never be out of tune. It can never be completely written and finished. It is unique. It is you.

The only intrinsic value of music is the way it affects peoples emotions. It's such a subjective process that it's hard to pin down one song as the most influential. But then I thought about how music can be used to inspire hatred and violence in people. What incites men to murder more than patriotic songs? There's so many to choose from, but I will settle with the popular Civil War Era song,The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Mine eyes have seen the glory
Of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage
Where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning
Of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.

Wouldn't that make you want to kill those evil Confederates?

"Happy Birthday to You"

Most people do not realize that this song is copyrighted until the year 2030. The Guinness Book of World Records has this song down as the most popular song in the world and it is has been translated into many, many different languages.

Why is it important? Generally a person will hear this song once a year for the rest of their life. They will not just sing it, or hear it being sung, it will be sung TO them by a group of people. This is a song that will stand the test of time and never be replaced with an alternative.

Redemption Song - Bob Marley

I'm caught between "Fixing to Die," one of many songs that may have turned public opinion against the Vietnam war, and "Strange Fruit", the tragic lynching song sung by Billie Holiday, music & lyrics by Abel Meeropol, that gave voice to the anti-lynching movement back in 1939.

Both songs made it impossible for the public to ignore what was going on. Both make we wonder about the absence of songs protesting our Iraq debacle. The backstory of "SF" is compelling. Meeropol was a schoolteacher & his song was first performed at a teacher's union meeting. Somehow it got from meeting hall to the nightclub stage, and found its perfect interpreter in Miss Holiday. Holiday fought to have "Strange Fruit" recorded in 1939; because of this backstory & because it is the better song, I will go with "Strange Fruit."

To learn about this important song visit:

pbs dot org/independentlens/strangefruit/film.html

Starship - We Built This City

Where would Top 50 Worst Songs lists be without Starship?

And now for a little inspiration....

Someone always playing corporation games Who cares theyre always changing corporation names We just want to dance here someone stole the stage They call us irresponsible write us off the page

Marconi plays the mamba, listen to the radio, dont you remember We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll

"Short People" - Randy Newman

There are few purposes greater than belittling short people.

Madonna - Like a Virgin

It was an icon of the time. A true commentary on where the world was, and where it was going. Few songs have changed the world as much.

Probably half of humanity can hum the little ditty that serves as the theme of the choral finale—a setting of Schiller's revolutionary-era drinking song, "Ode to Joy."

The song has sublime power, a mysterious history, and took 5 years to write, I defy you to find a better representation of skill and Schiller's lyrics to bring us home our space on this planet. It doesn't and can't get better than this.

Barry McGuire's ever-trenchant "Eve of Destruction" actually resulted in getting 18 year olds the vote and was a powerful statement about the Viet Nam war. To the youngsters out there, Viet Nam was the only instance of a war being ended BY THE PEOPLE, through protest, that I can think of. Not something to be repeated soon; the mainstream media ignore protesters, or trivialize their ideas.

Ironically, they lost the privilege to drink not much later....

The Happy Birthday song.

• It is world-wide known song.
• Translated in many languages.
• It is most likely sung daily.
• Easy to learn.
• There is always a celebration related with its singing

What more can you say about it.

"Grandma Got Run over by a reindeer"

Mostly because it brought some of the fun back into christmas outside of purely gifts...

"I like Big Butts..."

-Sir-Mix-A-Lot

Imagine. But it's been said, many times.
Therefore, as a runner up, I nominate "Alexandra Leaving" by Leonard Cohen.
It is the most beautiful, most painfully true love song ever.

"God Save The Queen"
-The Sex Pistols

Peace Train - Cat Stevens