Music Thread: Songs to hear at least once before you die

[Ship Ship McGipp]

Just about anything that Billy Joel ever did, especially Piano Man and Only the Good Die Young and the Entertainer.

American Pie.

Profit.

[Stagger_Lee]

O'Malleys Bar - Nick Cave

[luckyjimm]

Yeah quite a lot of people have missed the point of this thread and have posted "quite good" songs that they happen to like but which you'd hardly call for on your deathbed. I mean Head Like A Hole? I was a huge NIN fan as a kid - they were the first band I ever saw on my own, in London in 1994 - but I would hardly call them essential listening and I really don't think they should be on this list! If absolutely forced to include them I'd pick Something I Can Never Have or Hurt, anyways.

I think there should be more soul/motown songs here. How about "This Old Heart of Mine is Weak For You"?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6jMAvpXfI68

[Stagger_Lee]

Sweet Surrender - John Denver

[Stagger_Lee]

Or take a look at a diatonic harmonica, have a play around with it - and then listen to a Charlie McCoy album. And then a Little Walter album.

[luckyjimm]

How about Van Morrison's Astral Weeks?

[unbluffable]

The Scorpions - Wind of Change
The scorpions - Still loving you

[jbrent33]

Cissy Strut - The Meters

[luckyjimm]

[ QUOTE ]
more Nina Simone

Ne me quitte pas



[/ QUOTE ]

How about Jacques Brel's original also?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEAGo...ed&search=

And singing it when he was younger this time with English subtitles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rag_H...ed&search=

[JaBlue]

You guys (OP included) are just listing your favorite songs. When I saw this thread title I was thinking of absolutely classic songs that everyone should be forced to hear at least once in their life. Granted, technically a lot of songs could qualify because there is very little to lose in having to listen to a song, but its my intuition that the songs in this thread should be extremely, extremely good. Like one in a million or something. Very few of the songs mentioned in this thread qualify and I'll have to retract my suggestion of Refused - New Noise in light of my new qualifications.

Another quick note: I hate that rendition of Pachelbel's Canon

I stand by my recommendations of Cantus (in memory of benjamin britten) and Summa. FWIW I think Part (umlaut over the a, pronounced [pear]t) is the most brilliant composer I've ever heard.

Cantus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e348n660zrA
Summa: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5495725 (I don't like this version, a much better one can be purchased on itunes as part of the sanctuary CD)

if you like my suggestions you can look forward to a thread I will make soon on contemporary music. In it I hope to discuss Part, Reich, Takemitsu, and a whole bunch of others.