It’s close to the end of 2008… this is the time of year where a bunch of “Best of 2008″ lists come out. Rolling Stone magazine just released their Top 50 Albums of 2008 list, and LargeHeartedBoy.com has compiled a great “Best of 2008″ compilation from various other blogs.
I’m going to contribute my lists to the lot, but I’m going to do things a bit differently here. These lists will be based off of the number of plays as stated on my iTunes/iPod. The logical conclusion would be that the higher the play count, the more I liked the song.
I am sure that many critics will disagree with me when I say that a great song is one that has high re-listenability. Sure, it’s great to come across a release that has some sort of innovative production, style, or performance, but when it comes down to it… it’s just a song. How many times can I listen to the song over and over again without getting sick of it? THAT, my friends, is the mark of a GREAT song.
So here are, according to my iTunes/iPod, my Top 6 Mellow Songs of 2008.
Keep in mind, these are the Top 6 MELLOW Songs of 2008, so there are NO fast, hard-rockin’, head-bangin’ songs on this list.
Sally Jaye – Amarillo
Sally Jaye was the featured artists here on TheFrontloader.com a few weeks ago. If you missed that article, you can check it out here.
Her latest release, Amarillo, has become one of my favorite albums of 2008. I love the sound, the stories, the songs, and pretty much everything else about it. One of my favorite songs of the year is the title track off the album, “Amarillo.”
I haven’t had the album for long, so I was shocked when I saw that I had played the track “Amarillo” a whopping 211 times. WOW. That’s a LOT of plays. I mean, I know that I’ve been spinning it a LOT for the past few weeks, but 211 times??? WOW.
To make more sense of this, let me break it down for you:
The song is about 5 minutes long, which translates into 1055 minutes spent listening to this song.
1055 minutes turns into almost eighteen hours.
EIGHTEEN HOURS.
That places “Amarillo” at the top of this list. No other mellow song came close to this. I absolutely LOVE this song, though, which makes this entirely A-OK with me. The guitar solo KILLS me every time I hear it. Here is the song again, in case you missed it the first time around.
Your Dig-It Download:
Download: Amarillo (Sally Jaye)
Buy Sally Jaye on Amazon
Buy Sally Jaye on iTunes
Idaho (live) – Josh Ritter
Since this list is based off of my iTunes/iPod play count, it would make sense that not all the songs were necessarily released in 2008. In 2006, Josh Ritter put out a live album, In The Dark: Live At Vicar Street. This record was in support of his astronomically excellent collection, The Animal Years.
I guess I loved the opening track to the live album a LOT, because I played “Idaho” 174 times, according to my iTunes play count.
This is such a great version of the song, though. The cd opens with the roar of the crowd, and then a quite hush sweeps across the venue as the lone droning note takes center stage. It’s just Ritter, his guitar, and an organ… and they capture the crowd throughout the entire performance. It’s a risky way to open a show because most people want to come out with a BANG, but it works quite nicely here.
I prefer this live version of “Idaho” to the album recording, as I thought the album’s was TOO empty.
Your Dig-It Download:
Download: Idaho (live) (Josh Ritter)
Buy Josh Ritter on Amazon
Buy Josh Ritter on iTunes
9 Crimes – Damien Rice
Here’s another song that wasn’t released in 2008. “9 Crimes” comes off of Damien Rice‘s 2006 album, 9.
Although I didn’t like this record as much as I enjoyed his debut, O, I thought he did a bang-up job with the opening track. He did such a bang-up job, that I played the song 166 times this past year.
The line “And is that alright?” always grabs me for some reason.
Lisa Hannigan’s harmony vocals have always added depth to Rice’s music, which is probably another reason why I listened to “9 Crimes” so much. Their voices work so well together, it’s a shame that they have both since parted ways professionally.
I’m not too surprised that this song made it on the list. It’s one of those songs that creeps up on you… there are times when I leave it on repeat and just enjoy the mood it creates.
Your Dig-It Download:
Download: 9 Crimes (Damien Rice)
Buy Damien Rice on Amazon
Buy Damien Rice on iTunes
Horizon – Rachael Yamagata
I wrote about Rachael Yamagata‘s latest record, Elephants… Teeth Sinking into Heart a while back, and it has remained a regular spin for me ever since. I still prefer the “Elephants” side…
“Horizon” is my favorite track off the album… all eight minutes and fifteen seconds of it. I think this is where Yamagata shines the most, as the song is just a great marriage for her melody and voice. The sultriness of her vocals makes it hard to turn away. I’m actually listening to the song right now and loving every second of it.
“Horizon” was played 109 times this last year, placing it at the number four spot of the Top 6 Mellow Songs of 2008.
Your Dig-It Download:
Download: Horizon (Rachael Yamagata)
Buy Rachael Yamagata on Amazon
Buy Rachael Yamagata on iTunes
Goodbye – Emmylou Harris
If I had done this list every year for the past thirteen years, “Goodbye” by Emmylou Harris would have probably made it every single year.
Originally penned by Steve Earle, “Goodbye” is one of the most heart-wrenching songs I’ve ever heard. Emmylou Harris’ production of it is simply GORGEOUS and, in my humble opinion, far surpasses the original recording by Earle.
Producer Daniel Lanois‘ (U2, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson) work on Wrecking Ball helped secure the Best Contemporary Folk Album Grammy in 1996, which also aided in Harris’ revival as an artist. “Goodbye” is a wonderful example of why that album earned such high praise.
I don’t know why I like sad songs so much… maybe because sad songs say so much. Hmmm… that would be a GREAT song title… what? It’s already been used?
CRAP!
“Goodbye” was played a total of 97 times in 2008.
Your Dig-It Download:
Download: Goodbye (Emmylou Harris)
Buy Emmylou Harris on Amazon
Buy Emmylou Harris on iTunes
Jessie’s Girl (acoustic) – Rick Springfield
You know, I don’t even CARE if this song didn’t actually MAKE the list, it deserves to be here simply because it’s the greatest song EVER WRITTEN. Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl” gets an overhaul here, complete with slide guitar and a different vocal line, but it’s still the same awesome song that has won every award since it’s release, INCLUDING the Nobel Peace Prize.
Don’t ask me how it won, just understand that it DID win.
According to my iTunes play count, I played this version fifteen times this past year… sure, there were plenty of other songs that beat it, but who cares because it’s JESSIE’S GIRL, man!
Dig it and show your friends how cool you are because you have an acoustic version of the greatest song ever written by man.
Your Dig-It Download:
Download: Jessie’s Girl (acoustic) (Rick Springfield)
Buy Rick Springfield on Amazon
Buy Rick Springfield on iTunes
If you’ve never paid attention to the play count on your iTunes or music player, you’re missing out on a great resource to see what you ACTUALLY like. It’s a great tool, and I highly recommend utilizing it.
Be on the lookout for more lists up to the New Year… I’m amazed on what I’m discovering about my music listening habits… makes me REALLY wonder what kind of music I like!!!!!
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Any list that includes Josh Ritter is okay in my book!! I just smile everything I see him in one of your posts here :)
Thanks for the intro to Sally and Rachael as well, such wonderful artists.
And what can you say about “Jessie’s Girl”, other than it is awesome!
good lord, that Emmylou song is just lovely. And “Amarillo”… very, very nice.
but we will have to agree to REALLY disagree on that, uh, greatest song ever written. GAWD.
Very nice list. I absolutely LOVE 9 Crimes. I could listen to that one on repeat for like 593 hours straight and never get sick of it.
holy crap, you were NOT KIDDING about the guitar solo on Amarillo. I got goosebumps listening to that! The last time I got goosebumps listening to a guitar solo on a mellow song (don’t laugh :P) was “Everything I Do (I Do For You)” By Bryan Adams. The song was so-so, but the solo was an effin’ MASTERPIECE.
The gearhead in me wants to ask: any insight into what kind of gear (guitar, amps) was used to record that?
I’ve seen Sallie Jaye and Rachael Yamagata both play with my current FAVE, an artist named MEIKO – have you heard of her? If you’re in love with mellow songs, check out “Hawaii”, “Walk By” and “Sleep” on her album – her MySpace page has music featured – http://www.myspace.com/meiko
It IS awesome! Greatest song ever WRITTEN awesome!!!!
I would not say such things if I were you… you do NOT want the “JEssie’s Girl” curse put on you!
That’s the curse where Rick Springfield whacks you in the face with the headstock of his guitar… much like the way he did to the bathroom mirror in the song’s video.
Yeah, be afraid and TAKE THAT BACK.
Ah, but what about the 594th time???
LOL!!! I was wondering the same thing?
Yes I dig on her music as well!!!!! Great artists coming out of the LA scene now… thanks for bringing her name up!!!!!