My Top 10 Songs

1. The Beatles - "In My Life" - So much is packed into this little song, and I consider it in many ways to be a culmination of centuries of musical efforts. After Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich sought to produce aural magic with majestic symphonies on a grand scale, along came artists such as John Lennon and Paul McCartney, conveying a great host of emotions in a work as simple as this. In a little over two minutes, The Beatles prove themselves here to be masters of consonant melody and minimalist pop. The atmosphere is utterly tranquil, offering a sense of peace as if to say "all is well"; in other words, The Beatles excelled far more at what Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Ros, and Eluvium tried to accomplish almost 40 years later.

2. Skepticism - "The Gallant Crow" - While this is technically (I mean, instrumentally) a metal song from a metal album, I do not necessarily consider it to be the pinnacle of metal by any means for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the attitude of this song is not rebellious, aggressive, or oppressive, but rather it is deeply emotional and transcendent. Secondly, the production places the metal elements (distorted guitars and vocals) deep in the background while ambient elements are brought to the foreground. The dynamics are such that this essentially becomes a minimalist organ work. Anyway, the melodies here are just about the best thing any minor scale has ever produced. While the lyrics are indiscernible, I imagine an epic ballad of tragedy and loss as the otherworldly melodies sweep me away.

3. Bathory - "A Fine Day To Die" - Did I mention the words "pinnacle of metal" earlier? Well, this is it. Not some Judas Priest tune celebrating leather, spikes, and motorcycles, nor some Sodom thrasher spewing hatred and blasphemies, but this. For one thing, all the simple elements are here in the highest quality; the riffcraft is top notch, and the songs properly build up tension then release said tension with powerful and commanding guitar solos. The highlight of this track, however, is its epic quality. Other than Beethoven's 5th and Howard Shore's works, such majesty has never been achieved elsewhere in sonic form, though perhaps Dark Side of the Moon or Crystal Logic come close. The lyrics paint a vivid image of warriors on the eve of battle, and stir up in the listener deep nostalgia for this epic tale.

4. The Beatles - "I'm Looking Through You" - I'm afraid not much can be said of this song that was not already said of "In My Life"; it's melodies and minimalist nature are simply some of the best in music. However, this song is more guitar driven than "In My Life", and, in my humble opinion, epitomizes the chord-strumming style of acoustic guitar (I specify this style because I do consider Michael Hedges to be a more accomplished acoustic guitarist in general by far). Also, the atmosphere is distinctly different in this track. "I'm Looking Through You" is not quite melancholy but certainly does not contain the same above-mentioned attitude of contentment and peace.

5. Dead Can Dance - "In Power We Entrust The Love Advocated" - While Dead Can Dance stuck to their world music roots throughout their career, they did not always infuse this influence with their legendary neoclassical style. Instead, on their first album and EP, they mixed the sounds of the early post-punk scene with world music influences; listeners could draw comparisons to earlier works of The Cure or Joy Division. Most of this early material is worthwhile but a bit droning (as some post-punk can be). This track, on the other hand, is an absolute beauty, and one of the most ethereal pieces of music these ears have ever beheld. In addition to the sublime and otherworldly atmosphere, Brendan Perry's lyrics on his early work were as interesting as ever, and he manages to sing baritone astoundingly and without sounding monotone.

6. Opeth - "The Leper Affinity" - Opeth is a curious band; any seasoned music fan will note a myriad of technical flaws in their music, most notably in form. However, despite questionable moments here and there, especially on their first two albums, they often display an uncanny ability to flow from one section to another seemingly unrelated section with great dexterity. This song best displays that trait, and, as an added bonus, just happens to contain several of Opeth's best riffs and two of their finest solos. It drops off ever so slightly towards the end, but that can be forgiven, given that, for the first seven minutes or so, Opeth blaze through riffs of the highest quality with no apparent feelings of disjointedness, and rapidly change moods from sinister, technical metal riffs to gorgeous acoustic sections.

7. Howard Shore - "The Ring Goes South" - Most of the credit must go to Tolkien for this entry, as it's his magical world that Shore's soundtracks bring to life. Middle-Earth lore is, to me, the most intricate and fascinating of the world of fiction, and Howard Shore's themes effectively bring me boatloads of nostalgia as they cause me to reflect on Tolkien's remarkable creation. As far as music goes, I'm not the most well-versed person in classical music, but even amongst the great German composers, I think Shore has earned his place as one of the finest composers of leitmotifs. I chose this "song" simply because it is a simple track portraying the most notable of Shore's leitmotifs, although the Rivendell theme and the Rohan theme are personal favorites as well.

8. Fates Warning - "Guardian" - In the vast world of prog, there have been two types of guitar solos. Those that pour every ounce of the guitarist's emotion into each and every well-placed note, and those that mindlessly noodle about, seeking only to flaunt the guitarist's technical skill. The former obviously being preferable, the best example in '70s rock would be David Gilmour's soulful leads. As for the world of heavy metal, one of the finest displays of lead guitar is here, in Jim Matheos' gorgeous solos. Both solos in this song rank amongst the best in music, if you ask me, with sparse sections and with shredding sections, but ever so-tasteful unlike the robotic shreds of John Petrucci. In other news, John Arch's soaring vocals are at their absolute best here, as are is lyrics, which do not follow the dark trends of most heavy metal.

9. Townes Van Zandt - "Marie" - Townes was always a bluesy songwriter, but "Marie" is simply on a whole new level. A song about the American homeless, this is possibly the most tragic piece of music I have ever heard. While we may not relate on a socioeconomic level, most can relate on some level to this work, which really speaks volumes about the human condition in general. The guitars are certainly melancholy, but it's the lyrics that are borderline frightening, especially to the anxious heart. 

10. Tool - "No Quarter (Led Zeppelin Cover)" - Once my favorite song years ago, I've often listened to this song on repeat in my car when mp3 players weren't an option and onlySalival remained in my CD player. It's truly remarkable how Tool have taken one of the most classic Zeppelin tunes and, in some ways, improved upon it. While the original song is haunting and bluesy, this polished version of Tool's is heavy and beautiful at once. Most importantly, a factor that makes me prefer this to the original, Tool build up tension in the latter half of the track and release it in a most fierce and climactic way, that trumps the more meek sound of the original. Also important, this version contains the most beautiful interlude I've ever heard in rock music.

Considered But Rejected Entries:

- Neil Young - "Harvest"

- Miasma - "Baphomet"

- The Beatles - "You Won't See Me"

- Slayer - "At Dawn They Sleep"

- Chopin - "Nocturne No.1 in B Flat Minor"

- Agalloch - "A Desolation Song"

- Alcest - "Sur L'Ocean Couleur De Fer

- Eluvium - "Radio Ballet"

- Jeremy Soule - "Nerevar Rising"

- Katatonia - "Elohim Meth"

- Townes Van Zandt - "Black Crow Blues"

- Judas Priest - "Tyrant"

- Townes Van Zandt - "Fare Thee Well, Miss Carousel"

- Vali - "Doedens Evige Kall"

- Warning - "Footprints"
- John Lennon - "Working Class Hero"