The Third 100

Yes, Beagle Man has gone dark for over a month now, as many of my friends and followers have observed.  Intentionally so.  I’d become abundantly aware that a lot of you out there felt I’d gotten well into the overkill stage in my research, my pros-and-cons lists, my live-dog interviews, my biding time, and my endless fretting and mulling over Future Dog.  Fair enough.

So for this post, I’m turning to another of my obsessions — as I publicly unveil . . . Hank’s third 100 Favorite Songs of All Time.  And yes, I know:  I’ve done this entire thing bass-ackwards.  Back in the summer of 2012, I released Hank’s 100 Favorite Songs of All Time.  Last summer I disclosed my next 100.  And now, my third 100.  Damn!  How much more impressive and dramatic would it have been had I released the third 100 (counting down from #300 to #201), then the second one hundred, and then finally . . . drum roll . . .  “Hank’s 100 Favorite Songs of All Time”!  Doy.  Hey, I never said I was the strategic planner in the family.

Also:  I had an important revelation while working on this year’s list.  When I made my Top 100 two years ago, I swore I’d never go back and re-do the order.  I was adamant that the way I felt about those 100 songs back then was perfectly valid for that point in time.  If my tastes changed, so be it.

But this time around, something was bothering me.  When I made that first list two summers ago, “Somethin’ Bout a Truck” by Kip Moore didn’t exist yet.  So the best I could do was give it the #101 slot in 2013.  But it’s clearly one of my Top Five songs of all time.  And earlier this year, after re-reading Patti Smith’s memoir, and getting back into a heavy Patti Smith phase, I realized that her version of “Gloria,” which I’d previously positioned at #116, might well be the greatest rock & roll song of all time!  Also:  whenever I play Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll” (#64), it draws a raucous ovation, and probably should be bumped up quite a bit.  I mean quite a bit.

Conversely, I also had to admit to myself that I perhaps got a little too excited with some newcomers when I composed the original list, and Adele might have been over-valued with both #13 (“Rolling In the Deep”) and #34 (“Someone Like You”).  Ditto for Lady Gaga.  Though I’ll defend to the death my two top-20 rankings for Eric Church (“Springsteen” at #18 and “Drink In My Hand” at #4.  Yes, you heard me — #4).

So what I’ve decided:  Next year, instead of releasing a new list, I’ll reconfigure My 300 Favorite Songs Of All Time.  That will be THE definitive list — the only one you’ll need on your iPod if you, say, decide to drive across the country with a beagle.

And before releasing this year’s list, allow me to warn you against judging my picks too harshly.  Two years ago, Robby and his wiseguy friends laughed their heads off at a lot of my choices, particularly songs from back in the day that they’d never heard of.  Then, gradually, sheepishly, they began asking if they could download my playlist onto their phones and iPods.  Last fall, Robby and a bunch of buddies drove from L.A. to San Francisco for the USC-Stanford game.  The soundtrack for this carload of 20-year-old college kids cruising up the PCH?  Yup, you got it.  Hank’s 100 Favorite Songs Of All Time.

Finally, my disclaimer:  If you don’t like my choices, if you’re horrified that Taylor Swift placed six songs in my Top 300 compared to only four for the Beatles, then I’ll tell you what I tell friends and family who were there at the “release party”:  MYODL*

*  Make Your Own Damn List

• 201.  Radio Nowhere / Bruce Springsteen (2007)
• 202.  So You Want To Be a Rock and Roll Star / Patti Smith (1979)
• 203.  The Waiting / Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (1993)
• 204.  Helpless / Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)
• 205.  Gloria / The Shadows of Night (1966)
• 206.  Jumpin’ Jack Flash / The Rolling Stones (1970)
• 207.  Gold on the Ceiling / The Black Keys (2011)
• 208.  C’mon C’mon / Sheryl Crow (2002)
• 209.  Tweeter and the Monkey Man / The Traveling Wilburys (1988)
• 210.  Surfin’ Safari / The Beach Boys (1962)
• 211.  You Might Think / The Cars (1984)
• 212.  Free Money / Patti Smith (1975)
• 213.  Legs / ZZ Top (1983)
• 214.  Walk / Foo Fighters (2011)
• 215.  Old Man / Neil Young (1972)
• 216.  Boulevard of Broken Dreams / Green Day (2004)
• 217.  Like a Rolling Stone / Bob Dylan (1965)
• 218.  You Can All Join In / Traffic (1968)
• 219.  All Too Well / Taylor Swift (2011)
• 220.  Better Dig Two / The Band Perry (2013)
• 221.  I’ll Never Know / The Dave Clark Five (1965)
• 222.  Tornado / Little Big Town (2012)
• 223.  Land / Patti Smith (1975)
• 224.  I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) / The Four Tops (1965)
• 225.  I Know What You Are / Trish Murphy (1999)
• 226.  Cuts Like A Knife / Bryan Adams (1983)
• 227.  Working On A Dream / Bruce Springsteen (2009)
• 228.  Fastest Girl In Town / Miranda Lambert (2012)
• 229.  The Wandering / Ryan Bingham (2010)
• 230.  Monroe Suede / Ashley Monroe (2013)
• 231.  Wild Horses / The Rolling Stones (1971)
• 232.  Ball and Chain / Connie Britton & Will Chase (2013)
• 233.  The Long Way Around / Dixie Chicks (2006)
• 234.  Knock Knock / Mac Miller (2011)
• 235.  Working On The Highway / Bruce Springsteen (1984)
• 236.  I Saw Her Standing There / The Beatles (1963)
• 237.  More Than a Feeling / Boston (1976)
• 238.  Mississippi / Sheryl Crow (1998)
• 239.  All Shook Up / Elvis Presley (1957)
• 240.  Waitin’ On the Sky / Steve Earle (2011)
• 241.  It’s My Life / Bon Jovi (2000)
• 242.  What If I Was Willing / Chris Carmack (2013)
• 243.  You Keep Me Hangin’ On / The Supremes (1967)
• 244.  I Told You So / Keith Urban (2007)
• 245.  My Sharona / The Knack (1979)
• 246.  Midnight Rider / The Allman Brothers (1970)
• 247.  California Girls / The Beach Boys (1965)
• 248.  You’re My Everything / The Temptations (1967)
• 249.  Beer Money / Kip Moore (2012)
• 250.  Hold On, I’m Coming / Sam & Dave (1966)
• 251.  Smoke a Little Smoke / Eric Church (2009)
• 252.  All The Way Home / Bruce Springsteen (2005)
• 253.  Baba O’Riley / The Who (1971)
• 254.  Paradise City / Guns N’ Roses (1987)
• 255.  It’s A Long Way To The Top / Lucinda Williams (2008)
• 256.  My Favorite Mistake / Sheryl Crow (1998)
• 257.  Jet Airliner / Steve Miller Band (1977)
• 258.  Devil With the Blue Dress On / Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels (1966)
• 259.  Before He Cheats / Carrie Underwood (2005)
• 260.  I’m Thinking / The Dave Clark Five (1965)
• 261.  The Tide Is High / Blondie (1980)
• 262.  When I Come Around / Green Day (1994)
• 263.  Wave On Wave / Pat Green (2003)
• 264.  Runnin’ Down A Dream / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1979)
• 265.  Tell Me / Aubrey Peeples (2013)
• 266.  Rebel Yell / Billy Idol (1983)
• 267.  Against The Wind / Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (1980)
• 268.  Piano Man / Billy Joel (1973)
• 269.  American Idiot / Green Day (2004)
• 270.  Jemima Surrender / The Band (1969)
• 271.  Girls In Their Summer Clothes / Bruce Springsteen (2007)
• 272.  Our Country / John Mellencamp (2007)
• 273.  Some Hearts / Carrie Underwood (2005)
• 274.  The Authority Song / Jimmy Eat World (2001)
• 275.  Breakaway / Kelly Clarkson (2004)

  

• 276.  The Edge Of Glory / Lady Gaga (2011)
• 277.  Genevieve / Sugarland (2008)
• 278.  Tonight’s the Night / Rod Stewart (1976)
• 279.  Foxey Lady / The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)
• 280.  Miami / Counting Crows (2002)
• 281.  Dream Lover / Bobby Darin (1959)
• 282.  Up Around The Bend / Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)
• 283.  Candy / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (2010)
• 284.  Runaway / Del Shannon (1961)
• 285.  Tick Tock / The Vaughan Brothers (1990)
• 286.  All I Have To Do Is Dream / The Everly Brothers (1960)
• 287.  Pearly Queen / Traffic (1968)
• 288.  California Dreamin’ / The Mamas & The Papas (1966)
• 289.  You Really Got Me / The Kinks (1964)
• 290.  Mine Would Be You / Blake Shelton (2013)
• 291.  We’ve All Got Our Reasons / Pat Green (2001)
• 292.  Walk Like a Man / The Four Seasons (1963)
• 293.  Handle With Care / The Traveling Wilburys (1988)
• 294.  Casey Jones / Grateful Dead (1970)
• 295.  With Or Without You / U2 (1987
• 296.  Honey I’m Home / Shania Twain (1997)
• 297.  Immigrant Song / Led Zeppelin (1970)
• 298.  Atlantic City / Bruce Springsteen (1982)
• 299.  Mrs. Robinson / Simon & Garfunkel (1968)
• 300.  Toes / Zac Brown Band (2006)

LOOK FOR A NEW BEAGLE MAN POST EVERY THURSDAY.  OR PRETTY CLOSE TO THURSDAY.  COULD BE WEDNESDAY.  OR FRIDAY.  LET’S NOT GET TOO OBSESSIVE HERE . . . OH, AND BTW, YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER