Per·fect song - /pur-fikt sawng/ : 1) A song that you find to be perfect; one in which you would not change a single note, beat or word. 2) A song that you connect to emotionally, or attach to a memory, a special person, or an experience. 3) Songs that speak directly to you or about you.

We here at Blendetta have decided to compile a top 50 list of what can only be described as perfect songs. No two people will have the same reasons as to why they find a song to be perfect, so we made two separate lists. So without further ado, here are the songs and the reasons why they are perfect, to us:

“One” – U2
I don’t know if I get the song or if the song gets me. It’s amazing that a song can be so ambiguous and meaningful: it speaks personally to so many people and but doesn’t necessarily say the same thing twice.

“Thank You” – Led Zeppelin
Zeppelin recorded many love songs, but this one takes the cake. There is something wonderful about the vulnerability that’s heard in Robert Plant’s voice. 80’s rockers WISH they could have written ballads like this.

“Where Are We Going” – Mavin Gaye
It’s incredible that this song, which Marvin recorded just before the “Let’s Get It On” sessions wasn’t released until 2001 – 17 years after his death. I once heard his work described as “joyful sadness”. This song is that.

“The Old Apartment” – Barenaked Ladies
Anyone who’s ever had to move from their “home”, not their house, gets this song. It makes me miss the giant, tacky wooden fork and spoon that hung on the wall in the kitchen of my childhood home… and brings a tear to my eye.

“Say Goodbye” – Dave Matthews Band
This is such a sexy song. It takes my breath away every time I hear it. I love this song for a few reasons, but I’d prefer to keep them private… like you can’t figure it out on your own : )

“Angie” – Rolling Stones
This is one of the greatest break-up songs ever written. This song pretty much sums up relationships that end bitter-sweetly. If you’ve been there, you get this song.

“Unchained Melody” – The Righteous Brothers
For me, this is THE essential love song. It’s also, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful, touching songs ever written.

“Part of the Queue” – Oasis
I guess could describe Dundalk, Maryland, where I grew up, as a town that’s on “the wrong side of the tracks”. Living there was sometimes difficult because of my name, and living elsewhere was twice as hard because I was from Dundalk. Lyrics like “suddenly I found that I’d lost my way in this city” mean something to me.

“The Very Thought of You” – Billie Holiday
It is amazing that a jazz standard, written almost 75 years ago as held the test of time. It has always and will always be one of my favorites. Billie’s vocals on this song are just simply beautiful.

“Born to Run” – Bruce Springsteen
Not a Bruce fan, but I love this song! It might be because I was once young and dumb, “invincible” and hung out with guys who drove fast cars. It also might be because of Bruce’s emotional vocals and Max Weinberg’s bad-ass drum work.

“Everlong” – Foo Fighters
Everyone really liked this song when it was released, including me. But years later, at HFStival 2005 at M&T Bank Stadium, I attached new meaning and new wonderful memories to this song. It was the perfect soundtrack to an amazing experience.

“Midnight Train to Georgia” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
After a long night of bar hopping and / or drinking with friends, this song always ended up closing our evening. It almost reminds me of the “Tiny Dancer” scene from Almost Famous, minus the “Tiny Dancer” part. “Woot Woot!”

“Stuck in a Moment” – U2
I’ve been there – stuck in a moment. This song is about moving on but not forgetting. I get that whole-heartedly and this song got me through some rough times. U2’s “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” has meant so much to me. It kind of summarizes my theory that you can run far away from anything, but you always have to take yourself with you…

“Unsatisfied” – Nine Black Alps
“Everything Is” is an amazing album, but “Unsatisfied” is definitely the stand-out track. The opening guitar riffs had me before I heard the lyrics, which are great. We’ve all been there at some time or another: “Just sick and tired of all I’ve tried, unsatisfied”.

“Wish You Were Here” – Pink Floyd
The lyrics to this song are so poignant, but I’d probably still love it even if it were instrumental. “Wish You Were Here” has that perfect blend of melody, emotion and heartfelt lyrics.

“Whiter Shade of Pale” – Procol Harum
When I hear the phrase “haunting lyrics” I think of this song. I’m not sure what the song means… Some claim it’s about a cocaine overdose, some claim that it’s about Marilyn Monroe. It’s doesn’t matter to me; it’s beautiful either way.

“I Have Nothing” – Whitney Houston
This is probably my favorite female vocal of all time. Of all of the amazing songs that Whitney has recorded, I believe that this one best showcases her incredible range. It still gives me chills every time I hear it.

“A Minor Incident” – Badly Drawn Boy
Written for the About A Boy Soundtrack, it’s a song about parting ways, making amends, and forgiveness. It’s simple, delicate, beautiful and deeply meaningful.

“A Long December” – Counting Crows
I could list every line of this song and explain what each one means to me, but I won’t. I’ll just say that every time I hear “the smell of hospitals in winter” and the refrain “A long December and there’s reason to believe, maybe this year will be better than the last” speaks volumes to me.

“God Only Knows” – Beach Boys
I’ll put it this way – before my husband and I got married I made him a mix CD. This song was the first and last track of the mix. It makes me think of him and how much he means to me. I’m sorry but I’m sappy like that.

“Run” – Snow Patrol
Last time I heard this song was right after someone close, who had been very sick, had passed away. It’s been connected to a memory and I haven’t listened to it all of the way through since then. It’s crazy how much emotion a song can evoke…

“Hurt” – Johnny Cash
I loved this song when Nine Inch Nails released it, but I love the Cash cover even more. There’s something about hearing a man at that age, with voice trembling, recite those lyrics.

“Layla” – Derek and the Dominos
As much as I love those guitar riffs, the stunning piano piece might be my favorite part of this song. And I know that all love songs have a meaning behind them but this one in particular is interesting. For those of you who don’t know it, be very ashamed of yourselves!

“What It Takes” – Aerosmith
Another perfect break-up song. It reminds me of a particular relationship that I knew I needed to leave, although I still loved the person. But as Steven Tyler says, “I don’t (didn’t) want to burn in paradise”.

“Maybe I’m Amazed” - Paul McCartney & Wings
I was fortunate enough to see Paul perform “Maybe I’m Amazed” live a few years ago. Thing is, I was balling so hard that I barely remember it! It’s the kind of song that does that to me.

“Love Will Tear Us Apart” – Joy Division
Not to discount the lyrics, but Ian Curtis says everything he needs to say here with the tone of his voice. There’s a distant quality to Curtis that flawlessly conveys the very sound of a relationship that barely seems worth fighting for. Perfection.

“Mis-Shapes” – Pulp
Jarvis Cocker always made me feel good about not fitting in back in high school. “Mis-Shapes” was like a rallying cry to all the smart kids, weird kids, poor kids, and everybody else who just generally didn’t fit. Not being a cheerleader didn’t seem so bad when you thought you could grow up to be as effortlessly cool as Jarvis instead.

“What Difference Does It Make?” – The Smiths
Years ago, a friend gave me a Christmas card that he’d written a few of this song’s lyrics in. We’d had a lot of problems with each other, and I couldn’t have begun to explain our relationship – but somehow this song did. I really could’ve picked any Smiths or Morrissey song for this list (there aren’t many I don’t love) but when a song can put your own life into words you could never find, that’s one that’ll stay with you forever.

“Bohemian Like You” – The Dandy Warhols
With references to working at a vegan restaurant, being in a band no one’s heard of, and living with the ex (cause he still pays the rent) – this will forever remind me of any number of indie kids I’ve known throughout my life. Plus, it’s catchy as all hell and one of my favorite songs to dance to.

“Stratford-On-Guy” – Liz Phair
Liz Phair has an uncanny ability to turn the mundane into something sublime. This deceptively simple song about a flight to Chicago is nothing if not the perfect example of that ability.

“From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea” – The Cure
With no real verses or chorus, this is basically a narrative set to music. And oh what a narrative it is, as Robert Smith does what he does best, weaving a desperate tale of a doomed romance over a beautiful gothic rock soundtrack.

“Kool Thing” – Sonic Youth
When I imagine myself as the 60s B-movie bad girl that some part of me thinks I was always meant to be, this is the song that plays in my head. Manages to combine feminist leanings with music that feels like it belongs on the soundtrack for “Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” Further proof that Kim Gordon is the coolest woman on the planet.

“This Corrosion” – Sisters of Mercy
I could not even begin to count the number of times I danced to this at Alchemy, the DC goth night I had a lot of great times at. Anyone who’s spent time at a club like that should be well familiar with this one — besides being a gothic classic, it’s 10 minute length makes it the song DJs like to put on when they have to go to the bathroom.

“Take Me Out” – Franz Ferdinand
I’ve also spent a fair bit of my life at indie dance clubs, and there’s no song I associate more with those nights than “Take Me Out.” When that slow-build intro would start in with, “So if you’re lonely…” you knew you had roughly one minute to put your drink down and get to the dancefloor before the song you’d been waiting all night for kicked in.

“She Sells Sanctuary” – The Cult
Proof that a line as simple as, “The sparkle in your eyes keeps me alive,” can be amazing when it’s sung this passionately. Also tied to some fond memories for me, since my favorite manager from my record store days used to always play this over the store speakers for me.

“Every You Every Me” – Placebo
Placebo’s frontman, who I’ve always found fascinating, is often at his most engaging when he’s bluntly admitting to things that most people won’t. “Every You Every Me” is his best confessional, a candid ode to using someone, knowing it’s wrong, and also knowing you’re not going to stop.

“The Good Old Days” – The Libertines
The Libertines were one of the bands that made me believe in new music again, after a period of time where there didn’t seem to be any current bands worth caring about. I remember hearing this song and its refrain of, “If you’ve lost your faith in love and music, oh the end won’t be long” and thinking that finally, somebody gets it.

“Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” – Oasis
If ever there was a song that summed up Oasis as a band, this is it. But it’s also a song that resonates with anyone who’s ever looked at their regular job, everyday existence and thought, “Wasn’t I supposed to do so much more?”

“Harder Better Faster Stronger” – Daft Punk
The most insanely catchy example of Daft Punk’s robot rock shtick, this is the kind of electronic track that sounds just as good on the car stereo as it does on the dancefloor. No wonder Kanye West sampled nearly the entire thing for his hit, “Stronger.”

“Dear God” — XTC
I was around 15 when I first heard “Dear God” on the Sunday afternoon retro show they used to have on local alterna-radio station WHFS. I remember feeling like someone had taken all of my confusion and general ambiguity toward organized religion and put it into one of the most amazing songs I’d ever heard.

“Low” – Cracker
Grabs you from note one with what may be the greatest guitar riff of the mid-90s alternative scene. Keeps you there with a sleepy vocal that proves itself a seductive match.

“Chemical World” – Blur
I grew up in the type of suburban mediocrity described in Blur’s “Chemical World.” Characters
like the girl who uses chocolate as her way of forgetting she’s spent too much to pay her rent could be a whole lot of people I’ve known, and I doubt that’s particular to me. It’s such a typically “middle class” way of coping — Blur had a talent for writing songs about the general malaise that often underlies suburbia.

“Loverman” – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
You can play me any black metal band in the world, and I’ll still tell you nobody writes darker songs than Nick Cave. Dripping with sleaze wrapped in a lush lounge vibe, “Loverman” is like a car crash on the side of the road – you feel dirty for watching, and yet you can’t turn away.

“Golden Touch” – Razorlight
Most pop bands will work their entire career and never write a melody as perfect as this track from Razorlight’s debut. Lyrically clever as well, painting a picture of a girl who’s both worshipped from afar and despised by nearly everyone she knows.

“Can’t Make A Sound” – Elliot Smith
Back in college, when I wanted to drown out my annoying roommate and the makeshift “sorority” she would drag through our room, I would play Elliot Smith’s Figure 8 record at top volume. It probably would have been more annoying for her if I’d put on one of my Skinny Puppy CDs, but Elliot Smith always made me feel better. “Can’t Make A Sound,” in particular, seemed an apt description of feeling isolated no matter how many people were around.

“Pyromance” – Chemlab
One of the sexiest industrial-rock songs ever written, “Pyromance” moves like a violent waltz in a darkened alley. There’s a delicate balance between the sinister and the sexual here that’s as intoxicating as it is ominous.

“Walk on the Wild Side” – Lou Reed
When I was in elementary school listening to the oldies station my mom played in the car, I didn’t really pick up on the drug dealers, transvestites, and prostitutes inhabiting this Lou Reed classic. But I knew I loved the music. Once I was old enough to actually understand the lyrics, I had a whole new respect for Reed’s talent – you’ve gotta give it a man who can write a subversive song even an 8-year-old can love.

“I Wanna Be Your Lover” – Prince
Prince’s first hit was a slice of poppy R&B magic. Has a classic theme of “The rich guy can’t treat you better than me,” but being that it’s Prince, in this case it’s a bit more like, “The rich guy can’t treat you better than me…in bed.”

“Long Snake Moan” – PJ Harvey
Raw, vicious, and somehow also quite tuneful, “Long Snake Moan” is Harvey’s wicked tour de force. There’s possibly nothing more simultaneously captivating and chilling than PJ moaning, “Is my voodoo working?”

“The Drowners” – Suede
Part ’70s glam rock, part ’90s Britpop, Suede’s early work was an alluring combination, nowhere better displayed than on “The Drowners.” With a driving guitar riff guiding Brett Anderson’s hazy vocals and sexually ambiguous lyrics, this one sucks you in and never lets go.

If you would like to add some songs and the reasons why they are perfect to you, please leave a comment. We’d be interested to see what makes songs perfect to for other people.

Tags: aerosmith, Badly Drawn Boy, Barenaked Ladies, Beach Boys, Billie Holiday, Blur, Bruce Springsteen, chemlab, Cracker, Cult, Cure, Daft Punk, Dandy Warhols, Dave Matthews Band, Derek and the Dominos, Elliot Smith, Foo Fighters, Franz Ferdinand, Gladys Knight, Johnny Cash, Joy Division, Led Zeppelin, Libertines, Liz Phair, Lou Reed, Marvin Gaye, Nick Cave, Nine Black Alps, oasis, paul mccartney, Pink Floyd, PJ Harvey, Placebo, Prince, Procol Harum, Pulp, Razorlight, Righteous Brothers, rolling stones, sisters of mercy, Smiths, Snow Patrol, sonic youth, Suede, u2, Whitney Houston, XTC

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 27th, 2008 at 8:10 pm and is filed under Lists, MVTM, Music, Video Games, Video of the Week. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.