Above the Fold

A digital 'zine by Original Fuzz about creativity and making stuff.

★  Mar 29, 2024  ★

Desert Island Mixtape

Cover art for Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde

My friend Jack sent out an email yesterday to his friends and family asking that we send him our "ten all-time favorite songs or more recent hits." He's going to compile them into a "massive, classic playlist."

This got me thinking. Actually, it kept me from doing anything else until I completed the assignment because I couldn't stop thinking.

It's unrealistic to expect anyone who cares about something to list their "favorites" or "the best of" whatever it is they care about. So I figured, what are the first ten songs that come to mind that I would even seriously consider for a list like this?

Mine are not critically unassailable and they skew sentimental, but if I'm gonna boil music down to ten songs, I need some songs that are gonna make me feel something. I need songs that will help me get through a rough patch and celebrate a good one.

So here's my list. It'll be different next week. They're not ranked, but they are listed in the order that they came to mind.

Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're trying to be so quiet...

  • Bob Dylan - "Visions of Johanna"
  • Uncle Tupelo - "New Madrid"
  • Velvet Underground - "I Found a Reason"
  • Rolling Stones - "Rocks Off"
  • John Prine - "Sam Stone"
  • Beatles - "All You Need Is Love"
  • Miles Davis - "Freddy Freeloader"
  • Ramones - "Danny Says"
  • Neil Young - "Out on the Weekend"
  • Paul Simon - "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"