Friday, August 23, 2013

Great Songs under 155 Seconds

I was thinking how much I love short pop songs. These are the kind of songs that you hate when they are over. I went through my digital music library and I pulled out some of my favorite songs that are under 2:35. Why that number? I wanted to keep it under 2 minutes, thirty seconds but I bumped it up five more seconds. Here they are:

Under Two Minutes
Gimme Shock Treatment (1:53) - The Ramones - could have been 25 of their songs.
Five Feet High and Rising (1:49) - shortest Johnny Cash song, we'll see another one.
Fell in Love with a Girl (1:50) - One of the best pop songs of the early 00s. Guitar and drums. Short, simple, brilliant.
I’ll Follow the Sun (1:50) - first Beatles song. A lot of their early catalog was under 2:30.
Crazy for You – Best Coast (1:52) - one of the more recent songs. I think they are coming to Columbia soon.

Under Two Minutes Thirty Seconds
Walkin’ After Midnight (2:01) - a Patsy Cline favorite.
And Your Bird Can Sing (2:01) - underrated Beatles song.
Girlfriend in a Coma (2:04) - The Smiths had a few songs under 2:30. One of their most popular here.
For No One (2:05) - The Beatles - Is that a french horn on that song? (Yes it is).
I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down (2:06) - Elvis Costello - A great pop song writer.
Pink Moon (2:06) - Nick Drake - more well known for being in a VW ad in the 90s.
His Latest Flame (2:11) - Early Elvis is hard to beat.
Another Girl (2:12) - not fair, another Beatles song.
Blitzkrieg Bop (2:11) - one of the more recognizable Ramones' songs (Hey! Ho! Let's Go!)
Ain’t Got Nothin (2:15) - was glad to be able to include a song by Oasis (off their last [ever?] release)
Question (2:15) - Old 97s - I bet this gets played a lot by guys about to propose.
Don’t Panic (2:17) - Coldplay - opening song in Garden State
Ace of Spades (2:17) - not from Motorhead but guitar twang virtuoso Link Wray.
I Feel Fine (2:18) - Sorry, another Beatles' song.
I Kicked a Boy (2:19) - Sweet sounding song from The Sundays.
Agua de Beber (2:20) - Astrud Gilberto - I got into a bossa nova kick a while back.
Not Fade Away (2:21) - Buddy Holly and the Crickets. I believe the guy on the drums is just hitting a big cardboard box.
Level (2:21) - I know people who hated The Raconteurs. I liked this song and Steady as She Goes.
No Depression (2:21) - written by the Carter family, but this is Uncle Tupelo's verson.
Happy Hour (2:22) - The Housemartins - infectious pop song from the mid-80s.
Connection (2:23) - Elastica - I couldn't get this song out of my mind in the early 90s.
Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain (2:24) - Willie Nelson - my favorite song by him.
Runaway (2:24) - Del Shannon - if there was a canon of American pop music, this would have to be included, right?
Everybody Knows (2:25) - Ryan Adams - I hate it when this song ends
Oregon Girl (2:26) - Put Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin on the map.
Gone Daddy Gone (2:28) - the Gnarls Barkley version.
Cry, Cry, Cry (2:29) - one of Johnny Cash's best early songs (in my opinion).

From Two Thirty to Two Thirty Five
Canary in a Coalmine (2:30) - The Police - saw them in concert in 1983 (and 2007)
Why Do You Let Me Stay Here (2:31) - She and Him - can't explain it, but I like this song
Fly Me to the Moon (2:32) - The Chairman of the Board!
Mambo Italiano (2:34) - Rosemary Clooney - again, can't explain why this song is in my library
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg (2:34) - The Temptations - one of the classic Motown songs
Outtasite (Outta Mind) (2:35) - Wilco - I had to stretch it to get Wilco on here.