This might be the hardest category in the 30 day song challenge... I'm notorious for saying "This song is my favorite" Dave always says "every song is your favorite" and he's right, there are nearly an infinite number of life changing, earth shattering, mind blowing, soul wrenching incredible songs in the history of music. I mean how do you quantify your favorite? I don't think the amount of times I've listened is an accurate indicator, because there are some songs I love soooo much that I have to exercise self control and be ever so careful to not overplay them. It kills me to just choose one, Honestly, even though I have to come up with a favorite song, it doesn't mean it's the favoritest of favorites, I just merely have to choose... and it is sad, cause I don't want to leave any of my favorites behind. It's like picking a favorite child... impossible, though I don't have children, (yet) let alone a child, but I can imagine if I did, it would be like trying to pick a favorite song... you just can't, it just aint right... am I Taking this to seriously? for sure. Are you surprised? probably not.
Okay so (one) favorite: GOD ONLY KNOWS-THE BEACH BOYS
I think I read somewhere that God Only Knows also happens to be Paul McCartney's favorite song. And though it didn't air on American Idol, I sang this song in Hollywood week and was the song that put me through to the top 50. It is hard for me to articulate what I love about this song, maybe it's the heartbreak in the melody, the jingle bells and percussive sounds of horse shoes, or the intricate harmonies, or the lyrics "i may not always love you, but as long as there are stars above you", really it's just... emotionally perfect. Always makes me a little teary eyed. always. Brian Wilson is a genius.
Oh and this morning it was brought to my memory by @rocky_rosa on twitter, that it also plays during one of the most heartbreaking moments of all TV history, when Winnie breaks up with Kev for another man on The Wonder Years, which also happens to be my favorite TV Show of all time. Coincidence?
Runners Up:
How about you?
I love this song too Brooke. And keep writing and singing the music you love...it IS relevant. ;-)
ReplyDeleteOne of the greatest songs ever created, for sure. "Pet Sounds" is an excellent album.
ReplyDeleteI believe your real favorite song is among one of your own children.
ReplyDeleteI love this song too Brooke, especially because its part of the soundtrack of one of my favourite movies which is Love Actually :)
ReplyDeleteDon't asky me why I thought you would had choose "Let it be" as your favourite song.
You are right it is really hard just picking one song. God Only Knows is amazing, as is Brian Wilson. Lately it has come back into my life as the theme for the opening sequence of the TV show "big Love".
ReplyDeleteFor me it is really hard to pick just one, and it also depends on the day. Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin keeps coming into my head as the right answer. It is the song I turn to whenever life throws something at me that I am not ready for.
I think Hold Up My Heart is a pretty great song too.
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That's my favourite song too. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are your father's daughter!!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great one. I love your song "Smile", Brooke, also an old fave of mine is the classic "Annie's Song" by John Denver. (from Nantucketbreeze)
ReplyDeleteI can't come up with a song but "God Only Knows" is the song we used for our photo montage at our wedding. Always make me smile & tear up - in the good way.
ReplyDeleteI really dislike questions like this. How can you pick just one? I would find it hard to pick one in each genre, even (although I love Born to Run in rock and think Laughter in the Rain is a near perfect pop song).
ReplyDeleteHaving a music site, I also get all antsy when it gets to the end of the year and I'm supposed to do my "best of" list. Every year tens-of-thousands of records are released and I might, if I'm lucky, hear 200 to 300. How do I know that their isn't a really great one in the myriad of albums I DIDN'T hear? It's silly to try and make such a list (and I refused to do it this past year).
Along with the original, which Sir Paul called "perfect," I'd like to point out the cover duet by Michael Stipe (REM) and Mandy Moore.
ReplyDeleteCorrect, a tough question. My favorite Beach Boys song would be In My Room; and then probably dozen of their songs ahead of this one. But then aside from the Beatles, Brian's band would be the second best ever.
And speaking of Beatles (or in this case post-Beatles work) my vote would be Imagine for favorite/best/whatever you'd call it -- at least in pop culture. Actually my favorite would come from hymns -- probably O My Father or I Am A Child Of God.
Actually, waffling here a bit, "Because I Have Been Given Much"... Or better yet "A Poor Wayfaring Man"...
Hey... props to the Girls With Glasses theme song... which I avoid listening to because it gets caught in my brain because if I play once I play in a loop of dozen repeats.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to answer this question. You picked a good one. I'm not a huge Beach Boys fan for some reason, but I do like that song a lot.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite would be between "Something" by the Beatles and "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" by U2.
One of my favorites as well! This one, Billie Holiday's 1956 version of "God Bless the Child", and several Sondheim songs top my list.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the Live from Abbey Road version with Brian and the band he picked up to play it with him? If you haven't, it's on YouTube. (just search "God Only Knows Abbey Road") I make sure to listen to it every now and then. :)
Oh man, this is a hard one! I'd have to go with "Everything I Do ( I Do It For You)" by Bryan Adams. Honestly I can't pick just one favorite song, but this one is definitely in my top 10 favorite songs of all time list :)
ReplyDeleteHeya, Brooke - given my obsessive muscial nature, this is going to be SO much fun! Here's my Day One: http://www.writerofthestorm.com/2011/01/30-day-song-challenge-day-1.html
ReplyDeleteMy favorite song is Hero by Mariah Carey...it has carried me through all the awkward jr high/high school years and through a battle with kidney cancer so it will forever be my "life"song. And i love Smile/What A Wonderful World by Ima because it has both my fave songs in one; and Time of Your Life by Green Day
ReplyDeleteI love this song, too. It's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It's very hard so (one of) my favorite - Norah Jones "Come Away With Me"
ReplyDeleteThis song was playing through my headphones my freshman year of college as I sat in the local coffee shop night after night, fingers stained highlighter yellow, snow falling out the window in East Lansing, MI living thousands of miles from my (large very close) family for the first time. Bringing me peace while I was busy figuring out who exactly I am. Knowing that those moments were the first real steps to become who I was put on this earth to be.
Hi Brooke - I hadn't realized you added to your Day1 post, thx for the shout-out! We seem to have similar tastes, from fave tv shows to fave bands(mine's the Eagles) to intros and even guilty pleasures. Great selections! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI also share your interest in screenwriting. I'm working on one right now about a singer-songwriter and the true purpose of life - it has a similar theme to what you wrote in your post about the Linus Xmas monologue(another fave scene of mine). Screenwriting is a LOT of work if you want to do it right, but it's a very rewarding experience. BTW, great job in "Change of Plans," amazing work for a complete novice!
Looking forward to hearing your new recordings and hope to see you tour the New England area someday. Just LOVE your voice, it's the best and most moving I've heard in 10 seasons of Idol.