My Hundred Favorite Songs |
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| Listed by name of the song, the performer or composer, and the album where the song appears.
(back to my favorite music) |
| All We Ever Wanted Was Everything | Bauhaus | The Sky’s Gone Out | |
| Who Killed Mr. Moonlight | Bauhaus | Burning From the Inside | |
| Is It Wicked Not To Care? | Belle & Sebastian | The Boy With the Arab Strap | |
| The Carrier | Brian Eno & David Byrne | My Life In The Bush of Ghosts (and the book that inspired this album is worth reading) | |
| Avalon | Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music | Street Life - Greatest Hits | |
| More Than This | Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music | Street Life - Greatest Hits | |
| It Doesn't Matter Anymore | Buddy Holly & The Crickets | Buddy Holly’s Greatest Hits From The Original Master Tapes | |
| Cowboy's Lament (Streets of Laredo) | Burl Ives’ arrangement and performance of this folk song | Burl Ives Sings His Favorites | |
| Mr. Rabbit | Burl Ives’ arrangement and performance of this folk song | A Twinkle in Your Eye | |
| Sevilla | composed by Albeniz, Isaac (1860-1909 and played by Virginia Luque | Rumores de Espana | |
| The Willow Song | Composed by an anonymous musician for Shakespeare’s Othello | The English Lute Song | |
| J. S. Bach’s suites for solo cello, especially #1. | Composed by Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750) | Casals - Bach: Suites For Cello - Vol.1 | |
| Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Herz und Mund und Tad und Leben) | Composed by Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750) | Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, Famous Bach Choruses; The Monteverdi Choir | |
| Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, especially the third movement. | Composed by Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827) | I have no preference among my several recordings of this. | |
| Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony | Composed by Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827) | I have several recordings of this. | |
| Sweet Loving Friendship from The Transports | Composed by Bellamy, Peter (1944-1992) | The Transports: A Ballad Opera by Peter Bellamy | |
| The Green Fields of England from the Transports | Composed by Bellamy, Peter (1944-1992) | The Transports: A Ballad Opera by Peter Bellamy | |
| In freezing winter night (from Ceremony of Carols) | Composed by Britten, Benjamin (1913-1976) | Benjamin Britten A Ceremony of Carols | |
| Flower Duet from Lakme | composed by Delibes, Leo (1836-1891) | The Ultimate Relaxation Album II | |
| Say, Love, If Ever Thou Didst Find | Composed by Dowland, John (1563-1626) | Farewell Unkind: songs and dances by John Dowland (1563-1626) | |
| The Third Symphony, (especially the third movement, Lento - Cantabile-semplice) | Composed by Gorecki, Henryk (1933- ) | Symphony No. 3, Op. 36 (1976) (Zinman) | |
| Solveig's Song from the Peer Gynt Suite | Composed by Grieg, Edvard (1843-1907) | Sir Thomas Beecham · RPO: Peer Gynt | |
| Ave, generosa | composed by Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) | Feather on the Breath of God: Sequences and Hymns by Abbess Hildegard of Bingen (+1179) | |
| Caritas abundat | Composed by Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) and performed by Canty | Wings of Wisdom: Sacred Chants of Hildegard von Bingen | |
| Ordo Virtutum, (especially Symphonia: O Quam Mirabilis) | Composed by Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) and performed by Sequentia | Ordo Virtutum | |
| The Planets (especially Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity) | Composed by Holst, Gustav (1874-1934) | Holst: The Planets & Grainger: The Warriors, John Eliot Gardiner conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra | |
| Foundations Of Stone (especially the last 30 seconds, although the first minute of “Flight to the Ford” from Fellowship of the Ring is just as good) | Composed by Howard Shore | Lord of The Rings: Two Towers | |
| Ging heut' morgen übers Feld, Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen | Composed by Mahler, Gustav (1860-1911). The musical theme is also used in the first movement of Mahler’s First Symphony (Titan) | Great Recordings of the Century - Mahler: Lieder, Kindertotenlieder, 5 Gesänge. (Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau) | |
| Barcarolle | Composed by Offenbach, Jacques (1819-1880) | Lesley Garrett, A Soprano at the Movies | |
| Carmina Burana (especially “Floret Silva” and “Were diu werit alle min” and “Stetit puella”) | Composed by Orff, Carl (1895-1982) | Orff Carmina Burana, Zubin Mehta / London Philharmonic Orchestra | |
| Serra Pelada | Composed by Philip Glass | Powaqqatsi soundtrack | |
| The third scene of the third act (King) in the opera Satyagraha | Composed by Philip Glass | Satyagraha (with the New York City Opera, Christofer Keene conducting) | |
| St. Michael Archangel (San Michele Arcangelo) | Composed by Respighi, Ottorino (1879-1936) | Respichi: Church Windows & Brazillian Impressions – Chandos | |
| Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, opus 30 | Composed by Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai (1844-1908) | Rimsky-Korsakov, Sviatoslov Richter, Moscow Radio Orchestra (Everest 3393) | |
| Russian Easter Festival Overture | Composed by Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai (1844-1908) | Rimsky Korsakov 3 Symphonies | |
| 3 Gymnopédies | Composed by Satie, Erik (1866-1925) | Satie: Complete Piano Music (Frank Glazer, piano) | |
| Also Sprach Zarathustra (especiallyThe Dance Song - The Night Wander's Song ) | Composed by Strauss, Richard (1864-1949) | The Philadelphia Orchestra with Wolfgang Sawallach, conducting Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra, Burleske, Don Juan | |
| Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rites of Spring) | Composed by Stravinsky, Igor (1882-1971) | Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Petrushka, Le Sacre du Printemps | |
| Petrushka | Composed by Stravinsky, Igor (1882-1971) | Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Petrushka, Le Sacre du Printemps | |
| Hodie 16. Epilogue: In the beginning was the Word | Composed by Vaughan Williams, Ralph (1872-1958) | Vaughan Williams: Hodie and Fantasia on Christmas Carols with David Willcocks, London Symphony Orchestra, Bach Choir, Choristers of Westminster Abbey | |
| The Lark Ascending | Composed by Vaughan Williams, Ralph (1872-1958) | Lark Ascending, The Soft Sounds of Vaughan Williams | |
| Concerto in D for Lute and Strings, Largo | Composed by Vivaldi, Antonio (1678-1741) | I prefer the version by Paul Grund and Artur Rumetsch, on Music For Lute, Guitar, Mandolin, but Paul O’Dette’s version on Vivaldi: Music For Lute And Mandolin is also good. | |
| The music for the last scene (last seven minutes or so) of Das Rheingold (especially the Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla) | Composed by Wagner, Richard (1813-1883) | I like several versions of this, and perhaps my favorite is the one with Georg Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic. | |
| Awake | Conrad Lambert | Heathrow Terminal One Revisted | |
| Knight Of The Greatest Name | Conrad Lambert | Heathrow Terminal One Revisited | |
| Brimful Of Asha | Cornershop | When I Was Born For The 7th Time | |
| I Ain't Think It's Just A Trick | Crass | Stations of the Crass | |
| Who Do You Watch | Crass | Penis Envy | |
| Ballad of Lhasa | Dadawa | Voices from the Sky | |
| Sky Burial | Dadawa | Sister Drum | |
| Gates Of Steel | Devo | Greatest Hits | |
| Epistle to Derroll | Donovan | Try for the Sun – The Journey of Donovan | |
| Happiness Runs | Donovan | Barabajagal | |
| Jennifer Juniper | Donovan | Hurdy Gurdy Man | |
| The Sun Is a Very Magic Fellow | Donovan | Hurdy Gurdy Man | |
| There Is a Mountain | Donovan | Donovan’s Greatest Hits | |
| Ocean Rain | Echo and the Bunnymen | Live in Liverpool | |
| The Cutter | Echo and The Bunnymen | Songs To Learn & Sing | |
| Yu-Gung | Einsturzende Neubauten | Halber Mensch | |
| Farewell, Farewell | Fairport Convention | No More Sad Refrains | |
| A Sailor's Life | Fairport Convention (Sandy Denny singing and Richard Thomson on guitar) | Watching The Dark | |
| Altain Magtaal | G. Yavgaan, D. Tubsinjargal, T. Ganbold | Hoomii and Urtin Duu (Mongolia) | |
| The Song of the Seals | Jean Redpath | Song of the Seals | |
| Disorder | Joy Division | Heart and Soul | |
| Growing Concern | Land of the Loops | Bundle of Joy | |
| Multi-Family Garage Sale | Land of the Loops | Bundle of Joy | |
| Kokoku | Laurie Anderson | Mister Heartbreak | |
| Suzanne | Leonard Cohen | The Best of Leonard Cohen | |
| Ya Habibi (My Love) | Malouma Mint Maideh | Divine Divas | |
| Fadaye to Ay 'Bahá' | Manoochehr Sadeghi | Artists for the Arc | |
| Bill Norrie | Martin Carthy | The Collection | |
| I Melt With You | Modern English | After The Snow | |
| Girl At the Bus Stop | My Drug Hell | This Is My Drug Hell | |
| Ay Chashm-e T'o Rowshan | Narges Nouhnejád Fáni and friends | Melodies, City of the Covenant | |
| Age Of Consent | New Order | Power, Corruption & Lies | |
| There Is A Fountain In Christ's Blood | Norma Waterson | Norma Waterson | |
| International | Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark | Dazzle Ships | |
| The Leaves in the Woodland from The Transports | Performed by June Tabor, Composed by Bellamy, Peter (1944-1992) | The Transports: A Ballad Opera by Peter Bellamy | |
| Oh, Had I A Golden Thread | Pete Seeger | The Essential Pete Seeger | |
| A Pilgrim's Way | Peter Bellamy (words by Rudyard Kipling) | Wake The Vaulted Echoes | |
| Recessional | Peter Bellamy (words by Rudyard Kipling) | Wake The Vaulted Echoes | |
| The Old Songs | Peter Bellamy (words by Tom Copper) | Wake The Vaulted Echoes | |
| O Death, Rock Me Asleep | Popularly supposed to have been composed (at least the lyric) by Anne Bolynn the night before her execution | The English Lute Song | |
| Tanola Nomads | Sainkho | Trance Planet Volume 1 | |
| Hlioths Bith Ek Allar (The Prophecy Of The Seeress) | Sequentia (Ensemble for Medieval Music) put to music this saga from Icelandic/Norwegian sources | Edda: Myths From Medieval Iceland | |
| Personent Hodie | The Arrangement of this Christmas Carol by Holst, Gustav (1874-1934) | I don’t like my recording of this song and I’m looking for a better one. | |
| Across the Universe | The Beatles | The Beatles Anthology #2 | |
| Flying | The Beatles | Magical Mystery Tour | |
| Only A Northern Song | The Beatles | Yellow Submarine | |
| Sun King | The Beatles | Abbey Road | |
| Inoculated City | The Clash | Combat Rock (the original version that has the toilet bowl cleaner advertisement is better than the censored version) | |
| The Street Parade | The Clash | Sandinista | |
| Train in Vain | The Clash | London Calling | |
| Considering A Move To Memphis | The Colourblind James Experience | Colorblind James Experience | |
| Goin' Against Your Mind | Built to Spill | You in Reverse | |
| Like An Animal | The Glove | Blue Sunshine | |
| Song To The Siren | This Mortal Coil (the original version by Tim Buckley is quite good as well) | It'll End In Tears (and I have Tim Buckley’s version from Morning Glory: The Tim Buckley Anthology, which is also good) | |
| Of the Father’s Love Begotten | Words by Aurelius Prudentius (translated by John M Neale and Henry W. Baker) and music from the 11th Century tune (Divinum Mysterium). | It's easy to sing, so learn it and sing it yourself. Otherwise, I recommend by the version by John Michael Talbot from Birth of Jesus: A Celebration of Chirstmas and the version by Jean Watson from her CD Christmas Presence | |
| For The Beauty Of The Earth | Words by Folliot S. Pierpoint (1864) and music by Conrad Kocher (1838) | I feel most inspired by hymns when I sing them, so I won’t recommend any album with this. Get a hymnal and learn to sing this. If you want to hear a good instrumental version, I recommend the one by Dean Evenson and Tom Barabas from their CD Gift for Mother | |
| All Creatures of Our God and King | Words by Saint Francis of Assisi, translated by William H. Draper. Music by Peter von Brachel. | You can learn about this Hymn at the Cyberhymnal. There is a nice version of this on the CD Be Still My Soul. Dan Higgins, Grant Geissman, and Tim Heintz have a fine version on The Nature of God. Sufjan Stevens has an interesting piece called "Variation On 'Commemorative Transfiguration and Communion At Magruder Park'" on the CD I Am the Resurrection: A Trbute to John Fahey. | |
| The White Haired Girl (especially the music for scenes 5, 6, and 7) | Yan Jinxuan | China National Symphony Orchestra with Zhohuang Chen | |
| Marieke | Jacques Brel | Infiniment |