[MUSIC]Favorite Bruce Springsteen Song

Did you get to see any of them in concert? That's always made a huge difference to me. Many of the classic albums of the '60's and '70's didn't capture what the groups/artists were like in person (especially during the 1960's). Also, all those groups/artists have had different incarnations at different times. For example, I prefered the Fleetwood Mac of the Peter Green era to that of later years, and some of the later versions more than others. As for listening, though, I go through phases where I'll get back into someone that I haven't listened to much for ages and wonder why I'd put them in the back of the stack.

 

Sure, seen Santana, Fleetwood Mac, and Neil Young. But while I might have liked them live, it didn't translate into liking their studio albums as much as others. Don't get me wrong- I actually like those groups, I'm merely saying that they're not among the top 40-50 of my favorites. Out of my top 10, I guarantee you there are 1000s who would say any one of these is nowhere near their top 10- which is perfectly fine with me:

1. Bruce Springsteen
2. The Who
3. U2
4. REM
5. The Beatles
6. Marvin Gaye
7. The Kinks
8. Cheap Trick
9. Radiohead
10. Rush

You know someone's gonna say, "How can you put Cheap Trick ahead of groups like The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Doors, etc.?" That's what makes debates interesting.

 

I won't give a top ten (don't have the mental energy to wrestle with it), but I won't argue the point. We all have different tastes. Different likes and dislikes, and they can evolve and change over time. Like your list. If you revisit it 2 years from now, 5 years from now, that list, I bet, will be quite different. Like how I view some of those artists/groups on your list. Several years ago (more like 25-30 years), I would have had Bruce way up there. Maybe not top 5, but in the mix. Today, he'd be lucky to make Top Ten. U2 is a group I really like, but have never been a huge fan of. I'm a fan of some of their songs. They have some great ones. But I see them has constantly struggling against being pretentious (and other similar words). They wouldn't make my list. I like Cheap Trick and Rush, but they wouldn't crack my list, either. Radiohead? I just haven't listened enough to them. I need to do that. The Kinks? The Who? The Beatles? REM? Absolutely. Marvin Gaye? I'm a huge fan. I'd probably want him on a different kind of list, though.

Anyway, it's fun talking about this stuff. Going to concerts and chasing chicks was what I did, back in the day. Actually, taking chicks to concerts. Every weekend. During the week, if someone came into Houston. Tickets were $3 to 5 bucks. When they went up to $6, there were demonstrations in front of the Music Hall and the Roman Barn. I could afford the lifestyle. A groovy time in my life, for sure.