An infinite number of songs can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns.
That's the premise of my long-threatened book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1), a project that's been relegated to the back burner while I work on a different book due out in late 2022. But the GREM! book is never far from my mind, and I've continued to tweak it here, there, and everywhere. You can read a summary of the book's paused status here.
That said, it's been quite a while--over a year-- since I've posted an update to GREM!'s proposed Table of Contents, so let's remedy that right now. The book's scope has evolved and expanded again and again; it was 165 songs as of the last public update, it's been 175 and 185 and even 199 in various plans since then, and I also made an abortive attempt to prune it back to 155. This current TOC offers 180 songs, consisting of 175 entries supplemented by five more songs (listed as Overture, Entr'acte, Encore!, Encore!!, and Coda). Interludes add a few more songs, but I'm not counting them in the 180. Think of 'em as bonus tracks.
As always, this is NOT intended as a definitive listing of the all-time best songs; it is but a glimpse of a very few of the infinite number of worthy candidates. Some of my own top Fave Raves (by the Yardbirds, the Animals, the Vogues, the Plimsouls, and others) are deliberately excluded. The chapters listed below represent the songs I've chosen to talk about in my book.
THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (VOLUME 1)
Table of Contents
FOREWORD
DISCLAIMERS AND DECLARATIONS (A User's Guide To The Greatest Record Ever Made!)
A Fistful Of 45s
OVERTURE THE RAMONES: Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?
1. BADFINGER: Baby Blue
2. CHUCK BERRY: Promised Land
3. DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: I Only Want To Be With You
4. THE SEX PISTOLS: God Save The Queen
5. ELVIS PRESLEY: Heartbreak Hotel
6. WILLIE MAE "BIG MAMA" THORNTON: Hound Dog
7. PATTI SMITH: Gloria
8. LITTLE RICHARD: The Girl Can't Help It
9. NEIL DIAMOND: Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show
10. CRAZY ELEPHANT: Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'
11. WILSON PICKETT: In The Midnight Hour
12. THE HOLLIES: I Can't Let Go
13. MELANIE WITH THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS: Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)
14. SAM COOKE: Chain Gang
15. PETULA CLARK: Downtown
16. ARTHUR ALEXANDER: Soldier Of Love
17. TRANSLATOR: Everywhere That I'm Not
18. LESLEY GORE: You Don't Own Me
19. THE SHANGRI-LAS: Leader Of The Pack
20. THE SHIRELLES: Will You Love Me Tomorrow
21. THE RAMONES: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
22. AMY RIGBY: Dancing With Joey Ramone
23. PINK FLOYD: Wish You Were Here
24. GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS: Midnight Train To Georgia
25.THE BOBBY FULLER FOUR: I Fought The Law
26. MERLE HAGGARD: Mama Tried
27. THE TEMPTATIONS: Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
28. BUDDY HOLLY: Peggy Sue/Everyday
29. JOHNNY NASH: I Can See Clearly Now
30. ELTON JOHN: Saturday Night's Alright For Fightin'
31. SUZI QUATRO: I May Be Too Young
32. ALICE COOPER: School's Out
33. THE RARE BREED/THE OHIO EXPRESS: Beg, Borrow And Steal
34. OTIS REDDING: (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
35. ARETHA FRANKLIN: Respect
INTERLUDE The Monkees Play Their Own Instruments
36. THE MONKEES: Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)
37. PRINCE: When You Were Mine
38. THE 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS: You're Gonna Miss Me
39. THE ROLLING STONES: Get Off Of My Cloud
40. PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS: Just Like Me
41. BOB DYLAN: Like A Rolling Stone
42. THE KINGSMEN: Louie, Louie
43. BARON DAEMON AND THE VAMPIRES: The Transylvania Twist
44. NELSON RIDDLE: The Batman Theme
45. THE MARVELETTES: I'll Keep Holding On
46. THE CREATION: Making Time
47. THE WHO: I Can't Explain
48. TODD RUNDGREN: Couldn't I Just Tell You
49. SHOES: Tomorrow Night
50. THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise
51. TELEVISION: Elevation
52. DONNA SUMMER: I Feel Love
53. THE POLICE: Roxanne
54. SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES: The Tears Of A Clown
55. JUDAS PRIEST: Heading Out To The Highway
56. ABBA: Dancing Queen
57. THE NEW YORK DOLLS: Personality Crisis
58. MILLIE SMALL: My Boy Lollipop
59. THE EASYBEATS: Friday On My Mind
60. IKE AND TINA TURNER: River Deep Mountain High
61. THE RONETTES: Be My Baby
62. RONNIE SPECTOR AND THE E STREET BAND: Say Goodbye To Hollywood
63. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Girls In Their Summer Clothes
64. KISS: Shout It Out Loud
65. THE LEFT BANKE: Walk Away, Renee
66. THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Rock And Roll Love Letter
67. THE KNICKERBOCKERS: Lies
68. THE WONDERS: That Thing You Do!
69. THE GO-GO'S: We Got The Beat
70. THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL: Summer In The City
71. VAN HALEN: Dance The Night Away
72. PEGGY LEE: Fever
INTERLUDE The Tottenham Sound Of...The Beatles?!
73. THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Any Way You Want It
74. JAMES BROWN: Please, Please, Please
75. GRAND FUNK: We're An American Band
76. THE VELVELETTES: He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'
77. WAR: Low Rider
78. THE FIRST CLASS: Beach Baby
79. THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Summer Breeze
80. THE RUBINOOS: I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
81. THE PANDORAS: It's About Time
82. P. P. ARNOLD: The First Cut Is The Deepest
83. BIG STAR: September Gurls
84. SAMMY AMBROSE: This Diamond Ring
85. PETER, PAUL AND MARY: Leaving On A Jet Plane
86. PAUL COLLINS: Walking Out On Love
87. THE STONE PONEYS: Different Drum
88. THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET: Take Five
ENTR'ACTE THE BEATLES: Yesterday
89. THE BEATLES: Revolution
90. THE MC5: Kick Out The Jams
91. THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS: Time Has Come Today
92. MARVIN GAYE: I Heard It Through The Grapevine
93. RAY CHARLES: Hit The Road Jack
94. THE MUFFS: Saying Goodbye
95. THE SHOCKING BLUE: Send Me A Postcard
96. THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Shake Some Action
97. THE CARPENTERS: Only Yesterday
98. MATERIAL ISSUE: Kim The Waitress
99. THE 5TH DIMENSION: Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In (The Flesh Failures)
100. THE JACKSON FIVE: I'll Be There
101. SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: Everybody Is A Star
102. JUDY COLLINS: Both Sides Now
103. EMITT RHODES: Fresh As A Daisy
104. THE BANGLES: Live
105. THE SEARCHERS: Hearts In Her Eyes
106. THE HUMAN SWITCHBOARD: (Say No To) Saturday's Girl
107. THE BYRDS: I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
INTERLUDE Rick James! Neil Young! Motown Sensations THE MYNAH BIRDS!
108. RICK JAMES: Super Freak
109. THE FLIRTATIONS: Nothing But A Heartache
110. THE SPINNERS: I'll Be Around
111. TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS: American Girl
112. THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY: I Woke Up In Love This Morning
113. LED ZEPPELIN: Communication Breakdown
114. EDDIE COCHRAN: Somethin' Else
115. THE BANDWAGON: Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache
116. DON HENLEY: The Boys Of Summer
117. THE CLASH: Train In Vain (Stand By Me)
118. BEN E. KING: Stand By Me
119. GENE PITNEY: Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa
120. RUFUS: Tell Me Something Good
121. THE SPONGETONES: (My Girl) Maryanne
122. THE TRAMMPS: Disco Inferno
123. HAROLD MELVIN AND THE BLUE NOTES: Don't Leave Me This Way
124. GRANDMASTER AND MELLE MEL: White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)
125. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: I'll Be Your Mirror
126. DEL SHANNON: Runaway
127. THE EVERLY BROTHERS: Gone, Gone, Gone
128. THE COCKTAIL SLIPPERS: St. Valentine's Day Massacre
129. FREDDIE AND THE DREAMERS: Do The Freddie
130. SAM AND DAVE: Soul Man
131. BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY: Piece Of My Heart
132. THE MAYTALS: Pressure Drop
133. T. REX: 20th Century Boy
134. HEART: Kick It Out
135. THE RUNAWAYS: Cherry Bomb
136. AMERICA: Sister Golden Hair
137. THE KINKS: Waterloo Sunset
138. THE KINKS: You Really Got Me
139. HOLLY GOLIGHTLY: Time Will Tell
140. THE SMITHEREENS: Behind The Wall Of Sleep
141. THE COWSILLS: She Said To Me
142. ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS: (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
143. THE FOUR TOPS: Reach Out I'll Be There
INTERLUDE Old Time Rock 'n' Roll
144. THE BOB SEGER SYSTEM: 2 + 2 = ?
145. THE JIVE FIVE: What Time Is It?
146. LULU: To Sir, With Love [Museum Outings Montage]
147. FREDA PAYNE: Band Of Gold
148. EARTH, WIND AND FIRE WITH THE EMOTIONS: Boogie Wonderland
149. THE CONTOURS: Do You Love Me
150. BLONDIE: (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear
151. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS: All For Swinging You Around
152. WHAM!: Freedom
153. THE SUPREMES: You Keep Me Hangin' On
154. THE BEACH BOYS: God Only Knows
155. JOAN ARMATRADING: Me Myself I
156. THE SELECTER: On My Radio
157. TRACEY ULLMAN: They Don't Know
158. MANNIX: Highway Lines
159. THE DRIFTERS: On Broadway
160. FIRST AID KIT: America
161. THE FIVE STAIRSTEPS: O-o-h Child
162. SOLOMON BURKE: Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
163. THE JAM: That's Entertainment
164. THE COASTERS: Yakety Yak
165. CHEAP TRICK: Surrender
166. DAVID BOWIE: Life On Mars?
167. THE O'JAYS: Put Your Hands Together
168. THE GRATEFUL DEAD: Uncle John's Band
169. EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS: Do Anything You Wanna Do
170. THE PRETENDERS: Back On The Chain Gang
171. JOAN JETT: Bad Reputation
172. STEVIE WONDER: I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
173. MARYKATE O'NEIL: I'm Ready For My Luck To Turn Around
174. EYTAN MIRSKY: This Year's Gonna Be Our Year
175. THE JAYHAWKS: I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
An Infinite Number
INTERLUDE Underrating The Beatles
ENCORE! THE BEATLES: Rain
ENCORE!! THE T-BONES: No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)
Cruisin' Music
CODA THE RAMONES: Blitzkrieg Bop
AFTERWORD
l think this preserves almost all of the individual song sequences presented in our recent GREM! special on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio. The only exception is Cotton Mather's "The Book Of Too Late Changes," which is no longer in the book's current plan. (Though it's just as likely I'll knock out a Beatles song and put Cotton Mather back in. Priorities, man.)
Is this the final line-up? Don't be silly. It will change many more times before it becomes a book, if it becomes a book. This is what it looks like today, in its own infinite turn.
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This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.
The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:
Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio: CD or download
I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl.
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