I found this blog called a small victory that had a neat little feature called "500 Songs." It contained a listing of 500 songs (duh) that were meaningful to the writer. In my own dorky way, I found the idea intriguing and I want to see where it goes for me. These will be annotated, if I can get to them all. A little at a time, I guess.

A quick note: She uses the word "favorite;" I won't. Some of these will be favorites, and some are songs I wouldn't listen to again if you paid me. Not the "best" or the "worst," but the ones that were evocative of a particular emotion or memory. And actually listing 500 songs is going to take a while. Don't get impatient.

Chris' 500 Songs

1. The Beatles- "The Fool on the Hill" (notes)
2. The Doors- "Touch Me" (notes)
3. The Beach Boys- "Surfin' USA" (notes)
4. Peter, Paul & Mary- "Puff the Magic Dragon" (notes)
5. The Allman Brothers Band- "Jessica" (notes)
6. Arlo Guthrie- "The City of New Orleans" (notes)
7. Color Me Badd- "I Wanna Sex You Up" (notes)
8. C+C Music Factory- "Gonna Make U Sweat" (notes)
9. Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch- "Good Vibrations" (notes)
10. Pure Prairie League- "Amie" (notes)
11. Prince- "Diamonds & Pearls" (notes)
12. Michael Jackson- "Beat It" (notes)
13. Genesis- "I Can't Dance" (notes)
14. Janet Jackson- "If" (notes)
15. Lee Greenwood- "Proud to be an American" (notes)
16. The Grateful Dead- "Casey Jones" (notes)
17. Coven- "One Tin Soldier" (notes)
18. George Michael- "Freedom '90" (notes)
19. Nirvana- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (notes)
20. Pearl Jam- "Jeremy" (notes)
21. Nine Inch Nails- "Head Like a Hole" (notes)
22. Meat Loaf- "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" (notes)
23. Pearl Jam- "Black" (notes)
24. Counting Crows- "''Round Here" (notes)
25. Tom Petty- "You Don't Know How It Feels" (notes)
26. Aerosmith- "Livin' On The Edge" (notes)
27. Led Zeppelin- "Black Dog" (notes)
28. Jimi Hendrix- "All Along the Watchtower" (notes)
29. Rob Base & DJ Easy Rock- "It Takes Two" (notes)
30. Billy Joel- "River of Dreams" (notes)
31. MC Hammer- "U Can't Touch This" (notes)
32. Vanilla Ice- "Ice Ice Baby" (notes)
33. Ugly Kid Joe- "Cats in the Cradle" (notes)
34. Debbie Gibson- "Only In My Dreams" (notes)
35. Genesis- "Invisible Touch" (notes)
36. Stone Temple Pilots- "Interstate Love Song" (notes)
37. AC/DC- "Thunderstruck" (notes)
38. Queen- "Princes of the Universe" (notes)
39. Harlem Yacht Club- "Brother Will" (notes)
40. Metallica- "Enter Sandman" (notes)
41. The Bloodhound Gang- "Fire Water Burn" (notes)
42. Bon Jovi- "You Give Love a Bad Name" (notes)
43. R.E.M.- "Losing My Religion" (notes)
44. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers- "Don't Come Around Here No More" (notes)
45. Tina Turner- "What's Love Got To Do With It?" (notes)
46. Cyndi Lauper- "Time After Time" (notes)
47. Tiffany- "I Think We're Alone Now" (notes)
48. U2- "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (notes)
49. Weird Al Yankovic- "Eat It" (notes)
50. Gin Blossoms- "Hey, Jealousy" (notes)
51. Better Than Ezra- "Good" (notes)
52. Green Day- "Basket Case" (notes)
53. Red Hot Chili Peppers- "Under the Bridge" (notes)
54. The Beastie Boys- "Fight For Your Right" (notes)
55. Prince- "Batdance" (notes)
56. Partners In Crime- "T-U-R-T-L-E Power" (notes)
57. Huey Lewis & The News- "Power of Love" (notes)
58. Everclear- "Santa Monica" (notes)
59. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young- "Love the One You're With" (notes)
60. Buffalo Springfield- "For What It's Worth" (notes)
61. 311- "Down" (notes)
62. CeCe Peniston- "Finally" (notes)
63. R.E.M.- "It's the End of the World As We Know It" (notes)
64. Billy Joel- "We Didn't Start the Fire" (notes)
65. Guns ' n ' Roses- "November Rain" (notes)
66. Michael Jackson- "Thriller" (notes)
67. Bon Jovi- "Always"
68. Cherry Poppin' Daddies- "Zoot Suit Riot"
69. Stabbing Westward- "Shame" (notes)
70. Queen- "Fat Bottomed Girls" (notes)
71. Metallica- "Sad But True"
72. They Might Be Giants- "Particle Man" (notes)
73. White Zombie- "Children of the Grave"
74. Led Zeppelin- "Stairway to Heaven"
75. Jimmy Page & Robert Plant- "Gallows Pole"
76. Nirvana- "Territorial Pissings"
77. Poison- "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" (notes)
78. Pink Floyd- "Another Brick in the Wall" (notes)
79. Phil Collins- "In the Air Tonight" (notes)
80. Reel Big Fish- "She Has a Girlfriend Now" (notes)
81. The Beatles- "Revolution"
82. The Rolling Stones- "Love is Strong" (notes)
83. Better Than Ezra- "The Killer Inside" (notes)
84. Led Zeppelin- "The Battle of Evermore"
85. Everlast- "What It's Like" (notes)
86. Limp Bizkit- "Faith" (notes)
87. Technotronic- "Pump Up the Jam"
88. The Eurythmics- "Sweet Dreams" (notes)
89. Dave Matthews Band- "Two Step" (notes)
90. Steve Miller Band- "Serenade" (notes)
91. Fun Loving Criminals- "Scooby Snacks" (notes)
92. Marcy Playground- "Sex and Candy" (notes)
93. Radiohead- "Paranoid Android"
94. Joey Lawrence- "Nothin' My Love Can't Fix" (notes)
95. Bruce Springsteen- "Streets of Philadelphia"
96. Prince- "Seven" (notes)
97. Bon Jovi- "Livin' on a Prayer"
98. Black Lab- "Wash it Away" (notes)
99. Stabbing Westward- "What Do I Have To Do?" (notes)
100. Everclear- "Local God"
101. Garbage- "#1 Crush" (notes)
102. No Doubt- "Don't Speak"
103. Aerosmith- "Movin Out" (notes)
104. Celine Dion- "My Heart Will Go On" (notes)
105. Everclear- "Amphetamine"
106. matchbox twenty- "Real World" (notes)
107. Less Than Jake- "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts" (notes)
108. Blind Melon- "No Rain"
109. Guns ' n ' Roses- "Welcome to the Jungle"
110. The Bangles- "Manic Monday" (notes)
111. Elton John- "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" (notes)
112. Queen- "One Vision" (notes)
113. Green Day- "When I Come Around"
114. Weird Al Yankovic- "Amish Paradise" (notes)
115. Coolio- "Gangsta's Paradise" (notes)
116. Dr. Dre- "Nuthin' But a G Thang" (notes)
117. Snoop Dogg- "Gin 'n' Juice" (notes)
118. American Hi-Fi- "Flavor of the Weak" (notes)
119. Nate Dogg & Warren G- "Regulators"
120. Eric Cartman- "Come Sail Away"
121. Live- "Lightning Crashes" (notes)
122. The Doors- "When the Music's Over" (notes)
123. The Beach Boys- "Wouldn't It Be Nice"
124. Barenaked Ladies- "One Week"
125. Five For Fighting- "Superman" (notes)
126. Leroy- "Good Time"
127. Better Than Ezra- "Desperately Wanting" (notes)
128. Outkast- "Rosa Parks" (notes)
129. Tupac- "Changes"
130. They Might Be Giants- "Birdhouse in Your Soul" (notes)
131. Queen- "Gimme the Prize"
132. Counting Crows- "Catapult" (notes)
133. The Beatles- "Elenor Rigby"
135. Berlin- "Take My Breath Away"
136. Salt'n'Pepa- "Push It" (notes)
137. Dead or Alive- "You Spin Me Right Round (Like a Record)"
138. Everclear- "Learning How to Smile"
139. Britney Spears- "Hit Me Baby One More Time" (notes)
140. Christina Aguilera- "Genie in a Bottle" (notes)
141. Billy Joel- "All About Soul" (notes)
142. Aerosmith- "Just Push Play" (notes)
143. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers- "Angel Dream (No. 4)" (notes)
144. Less Than Jake- "History of a Boring Town"
145. Bob Marley- "Is This Love?"
146. Bush- "Comedown" (notes)
147. Creed- "My Own Prison" (notes)
149. Blue Oyster Cult- "Don't Fear the Reaper" (notes)
150. The Beastie Boys- "Intergalactic"
151. Journey- "Remember Me" (notes)
152. Chantal Kreviazuk- "Leaving on a Jet Plane"
153. Alien Ant Farm- "Smooth Criminal" (notes)
154. Wheatus- "Teenage Dirtbag" (notes)
155. Three Doors Down- "Kryptonite" (notes)
156. Spin Doctors- "Jimmy Olsen's Blues" (notes)
157. matchbox twenty- "3am"
158. Adam Sandler- "At a Medium Pace" (notes)
159. Joan Jett- "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" (notes)
160. Michelle Branch- "Goodbye to You"
161. Derek & the Dominoes- "Layla" (notes)
162. Aerosmith- "What It Takes"
163. K's Choice- "Not an Addict" (notes)
164. Live- "White, Discussion" (notes)
165. The Byrds- "Turn, Turn, Turn!"
166. The Angels- "My Boyfriend's Back" (notes)
167. Sarah McLachlan- "Building a Mystery" (notes)
168. Ani DiFranco- "32 Flavors"
169. No Address- "When I'm Gone (Sadie)" (notes)
170. Less Than Jake- "The Ghosts of Me & You"
171. Ben Folds Five- "Mess" (notes)
172. Weezer- "Say It Ain't So"
173. Cake- "Going the Distance"
174. Sonny & Cher- "I Got You, Babe"
175. The Pixies- "Where is My Mind?"
176. Candlebox- "You"
177. Ben Folds Five- "Uncle Walter"
178. Butthole Surfers- "I Had a Dream Last Night"
179. Better Than Ezra- "Sincerely, Me" (notes)
180. Bob Schneider- "Big Blue Sea"
181. A3- "Woke Up This Morning" (notes)
182. Queen- "Who Wants to Live Forever?"
183. Black Sabbath- "Paranoid"
184. Jimi Hendrix- "Highway Chile"
185. Mike Farley Band- "Can't Be Your Man" (notes)
186. ekoostik hookah- "Backwoods Rose" (notes)
187. Nada Surf- "Popular" (notes)
188. David Gray- "Babylon"
189. LFO- "Summer Girls" (notes)
190. Smash Mouth- "All Star" (notes)
191. Everclear- "AM Radio"
192. Lenny Kravitz- "American Woman" (notes)
193. The Guess Who- "These Eyes"
194. Blood, Sweat & Tears- "Spinning Wheel"
195. They Might Be Giants- "Don't Lets Start"
196. Counting Crows- "Anna Begins"
197. Tom Petty- "To Find a Friend" (notes)
198. King Missile- "Detachable Penis"
199. Wham!- "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (notes)
200. Metallica- "Until It Sleeps"
201. Will Smith- "Miami"
202. Alice in Chains- "Got Me Wrong"
203. Green Day- "F.O.D." (notes)
204. Black Sabbath- "Tomorrow's Dreams" (notes)
205. Backstreet Boys- "I Want It That Way" (notes)
206. Bon Jovi- "Bed of Roses"
207. Meat Loaf- "Life is a Lemon (and I Want My Money Back)" (notes)
208. Live- "The Dolphins' Cry" (notes)
209. Metallica- "Turn the Page"
210. New Found Glory- "Hit or Miss"
211. Linkin Park- "In the End"
212. Bob Dylan- "Lay Lady Lay"
213. Eric Clapton- "Lay Down Sally"
214. The Penguins- "Earth Angel"
215. Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories- "Stay"
216. Queen- "Bohemian Rhapsody" (notes)
217. Tom Cochrane- "Life is a Highway" (notes)
218. Aerosmith- "Falling In Love (is Hard on the Knees)"
219. Fuel- "Shimmer" (notes)
220. Everclear- "Father of Mine"
221. Ben Folds- "The Luckiest"
222. matchbox twenty- "Feel"
223. Fastball- "The Way"
224. Eels- "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues" (notes)
225. The Rolling Stones- "Like a Rolling Stone"
226. Colin Hay- "Beautiful World"
227. Tears for Fears- "Shout" (notes)
228. Bobby Darin- "Beyond the Sea"
229. Ray Gelato Giants- "Tu Vuo'Fa l'Americano" (notes)
230. Red Hot Chili Peppers- "Scar Tissue" (notes)
231. Live- "Turn My Head" (notes)
232. Richie Valens- "La Bamba"
233. Seven Mary Three- "Cumbersome"
234. Sheryl Crow- "Strong Enough" (notes)
235. Poe- "Angry Johnny" (notes)
236. Soundgarden- "Spoonman"
237. Rage Against the Machine- "Wake Up" (notes)
238. Staind- "Outside"
239. Sublime- "What I Got"
240. Supergrass- "Moving"
241. Tenacious D- "Fuck Her Gently"
242. The Toadies- "Possum Kingdom"
243. Michael Jackson- "Give In To Me"
244. U2- "Mysterious Ways"
245. Vanessa Williams- "Save The Best For Last" (notes)
246. The White Stripes- "Fell In Love With a Girl" (notes)
247. The Who- "Pinball Wizard"
248. Aerosmith- "Ain't That a Bitch"
249. Meat Loaf- "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (notes)
250. Alanis Morissette- "You Oughta Know"
251. The Allman Brothers Band- "Melissa"
252. Arrested Development- "Fishing 4 Religion"
253. Barenaked Ladies- "Break Your Heart"
254. Snow Patrol- "How to Be Dead"
255. Blues Traveler- "The Mountains Win Again"
256. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band- "Night Moves"
257. The Coral- "Dreaming of You"
258. Deep Purple- "Smoke on the Water" (notes)
259. Creedence Clearwater Revival- "Bad Moon Rising"
260. John Fogerty- "Centerfield"
261. Dispatch- "Lightning"
262. Edwin McCain- "I'll Be"
263. LeAnn Rimes- "How Do I Live?"
264. Elton John- "Your Song"
265. Filter- "Trip Like I Do"
266. Fiona Apple- "Criminal"
267. Fiction Plane- "Cigarette" (notes)
268. Madonna- "Frozen"
269. Third Eye Blind- "Semi-Charmed Life"
270. Soggy Bottom Boys- "I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow" (notes)
271. Tori Amos- "Crucify" (notes)
272. Metallica- "Astronomy"
273. Blue Oyster Cult- "Veteran of the Psychic Wars"
274. Everclear- "Unemployed Boyfriend"
275. John Denver- "Thank God I'm a Country Boy"
276. The Allman Brothers Band- "Blue Skies"
277. Natalie Merchant- "Carnival"
278. Natalie Imbruglia- "Torn"
279. Queen- "One Vision"
280. Pearl Jam- "Release"
281. Nine Inch Nails- "Terrible Lie"
282. Metallica- "Of Wolf and Man"
283. Yellowcard- "Life of a Salesman"
284. Backstreet Boys- "Larger Than Life"
285. R.E.M.- "Strange Currencies"
286. Radiohead- "Exit Music (for a film)" (notes)
287. Kajagoogoo- "Too Shy" (notes)
288. Brian Hyland- "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini"
289. Harvey Danger- "Flagpole Sitta"
290. The Calling- "Wherever You Will Go" (notes)
291. The Killers- "Mr. Brightside" (notes)
292. Elton John- "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me"
293. The Hollies- "Carrie-Ann" (notes)
294. Meligrove Band- "Our Love Will Make the World Go Round" (notes)
295. Morningwood- "Nth Degree" (notes)
296. Metallica- "Loverman"
297. Jack Johnson- "Flake" (notes)
298. New Radicals- "You Only Get What You Give"
299. Moby & Gwen Stefani- "South Side" (notes)
300. Pearl Jam- "Do the Evolution"
301. Aerosmith- "Rattlesnake Shake"
302. Cumshotte- "Lethal Hot Beef Injection"
303. Petra Haden and Bill Frisell- "Yellow"
304. The Raconteurs- "Steady as She Goes"
305. Pearl Jam- "Yellow Ledbetter"
306. Warren Zevon- "Keep Me In Your Heart"
307. Never Heard of It- "Alone"
308. A-ha- "Take On Me"
309. Bay City Rollers- "Saturday Night" (notes)
310. Southern Culture on the Skids- "Camel Walk" (notes)
311. Chris Cornell- "Sunshower"
312. Better Than Ezra- "Porcelain"
313. DJ Kool- "Let Me Clear My Throat" (notes)
314. Boyz II Men- "Motown Philly"
315. New Found Glory- "Your Biggest Mistake"
316. The Spill Canvas- "Sunsets and Car Crashes"
317. Snow Patrol- "Chasing Cars"
318. Linkin Park- "One Step Closer"
319. Tenacious D- "Fuck Her Gently"
320. Gemma Hayes- "Back of My Hand"
321. Imogen Heap- "The Walk"
322. Cake- "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps"
323. William Shatner- "Common People"
324. Rod Stewart- "Broken Arrow"
325. They Might Be Giants- "She's an Angel"
326. Hinder- "Lips of an Angel"
327. The Innocence Mission- "Wonderful World"
328. OutKast- "Morris Brown"
329. Lovage- "Strangers on a Train"
330. Katie Melua- "Just Like Heaven"

hey little fella, how are you doing today?: contemplative