What are your very favorite songs - songs you can listen to over and over again?

January 17, 2012 4:39 PM

Need more music. What are your very favorite songs - songs you can listen to over and over again?

Almost exactly 2 years ago, there was an awesome thread here on Ask Mefi: What songs do you listen to on repeat--and then once more? I discovered a ton of new songs from that thread.

Also found some new music here, on Reddit: What song do you absolutely love, which no one has ever heard of; but when you play it for others - they instantly fall in love with?

I'm still looking for new music... so in the spirit of the above questions I would like to ask the Mefi community to revisit this topic. What songs do you listen to over and over again - songs you just can't get enough of? If we get good responses I will put together a Spotify playlist with all the songs mentioned.

I'll start with a few of my favorites:

Mountain Goats: Noctifier Birmingham, Golden Boy Peanuts, Autoclave
Spoon: You Got Your Cherry Bomb
TMBG: Meet the Elements, Contrecoup
Kinks: Get Back in Line
Andrew Bird: Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left
Decemberists: Apology Song
R Kelly: Ignition (Remix)
Kanye West: Homecoming
The Weeknd: High for This
LCD Soundsystem: Home
Clash: Lost in the Supermarket
Cake: Waiting

posted by kdern to media & arts (80 answers total)

I've been listening to M83's "Midnight City" and "Steve McQueen" pretty much non-stop lately. They're from the album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming.

I'm just looking at my (very minimal) playlist here at work. A few others I listen to fairly obsessively are/have been:

"Billie Holiday" by Warpaint
"Map of the Problematique" by Muse
"How Fortunate the Man With None" by Dead Can Dance
"Shimmering, Warm and Bright" by Bel Canto
"Shiny Metal Rods" by Aphex Twin
A buttload of different Guided By Voices tunes.
posted by tumid dahlia at 4:51 PM on January 17

Off the top of my head: Mika - "Grace Kelly" and "Blame it on the Girls."
posted by trillian at 4:54 PM on January 17 [2 favorites]

Country/blues/Alt Country:

Jay Munly
Goose Walking Over My Grave
Ragin' Cajun

Reverend Glasseye
Penitentiary Highball
Midnight Cabaret

Cowboy Junkies
Lungs
Me and the Devil Blues

Rap/Hip Hop:
Princess Superstar, The Roots, Serengeti, Eric B & Rakim

Check out the MeFi CD Swap threads in MetaTalk for more suggestions than you can shake a stick at.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:58 PM on January 17 [1 favorite]

I both love and am frustrated by these questions, because the reality is that what you attach to is often totally dependent on your current life/emotional situation. What resonates right now may not resonate in three months. That said, I'll give it a try:

I spent basically all morning listening to "Welcome Home, Son" by Radical Face on repeat. Calm, then swelling catharsis.

If you've got romantic/sensuous on the brain, very little beats "Your Rocky Spine" by the Great Lake Swimmers.

Florence and the Machine supplies some kind of timeless, theatrical intensity I can never seem to get enough of -- "Rabbit Heart," "Cosmic Love," "Shake it Out"

If you're getting ready for a night out, you might wanna try "Right On" by The Roots (feat. Joanna Newsom!), "Lights" by Ellie Goulding (the Bassnector remix), or "Ten-Twenty-Ten" by the Generationals.
posted by aintthattheway at 4:58 PM on January 17 [7 favorites]

Gnarls Barkley, Going On
Gnarls Barkley, Run
Janelle Monae, Tightrope
Janelle Monae, Many Moons
Azealia Banks, 212
St. Vincent, Strange Mercy
St. Vincent, Year of the Tiger
Amanda Palmer, Leeds United
Major Lazer, Pon de Floor (you'll recognize this beat)
Likke Li, Little Bit
Cults, Go Outside
Almost anything off of Shabazz Palaces, Black Up
posted by outlandishmarxist at 5:00 PM on January 17 [1 favorite]

This is totally out of my normal taste in music, but:

2pac -- "Can't C Me" and "Thug Passion"

That guy was a musical genius and a true lyrical poet.
posted by buckaroo_benzai at 5:02 PM on January 17

Blahzay Blahzay - Danger
Dilated Peoples & Tash - Soundbombing
Smoothe Da Hustler f. Trigger tha Gambler - Broken Language
Main Source - Snake Eyes
Jeru the Damaja - Come Clean
posted by box at 5:06 PM on January 17 [2 favorites]

As far as more personal, slow-moving, minor-key tracks go:

Nina Simone performing "Feelings" at the Montreaux Jazz festival is at the top of my current listening charts.
I both dread and love listening to Gotye's "Somebody that I Used To Know."
posted by outlandishmarxist at 5:08 PM on January 17 [3 favorites]

@box: it's been forever since I heard anyone talk about Dilated Peoples. Thanks!
posted by outlandishmarxist at 5:09 PM on January 17

according to my current iTunes :pop: playlist (which is only vaguely accurate -- I don't listen to iTunes that much), my top five songs are:

Hot Hot Heat - middle of nowhere

TV on the Radio - staring at the sun

Apparitions - God Monkey Robot

Jim James + Calexico - goin to Acapulco

Soltero - communist love song
posted by philip-random at 5:10 PM on January 17 [2 favorites]

nthing M83's "Midnight City". It's the reason I no longer ride inside the bus, but stand on the roof in a fight stance as we barrel down the highway, stripped to my underwear and playing the sax.
posted by Beardman at 5:10 PM on January 17 [6 favorites]

Philip Glass, "Living Waters" from "Anima Mundi"
Betty Hutton, "Igloo"
Pete Townshend, "Let My Love Open the Door"
They Might Be Giants, "Operators Are Standing By"
Public Enemy, "Fight the Power"
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:10 PM on January 17

If you like Spoon and Andrew Bird, you might like Timber Timbre - I listened to Magic Arrow on repeat on a recent trip. (Also maybe recognizable from Breaking Bad and The Good Wife.)
posted by Beardman at 5:14 PM on January 17

I had Joanna Newsom's Ys on repeat in my car for about six months. Maybe longer. First "Cosmia" over and over again and then "Only Skin".

At the moment it is "Burn, Don't Freeze!" by Sleater-Kinney and "Bang!" by Le Butcherettes.

According to itunes I listened to Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Maps" over 100 times. I don't actually remember this.
posted by book 'em dano at 5:17 PM on January 17

Bessie Smith f Clara Smith - My Man Blues
Ernest Stoneman - Kenney Wagner's Surrender
Blind Roosevelt Graves and Brother - Woke Up This Morning
Rev. Chambers - Me and the Devil
The Nugrape Twins - I Got Your Ice Cold Nugrape
posted by box at 5:19 PM on January 17 [3 favorites]

I Can't Help It by The Roots
Body Heat (So Far Away) by Active Child
Hanging On by Active Child
Hometown Glory by Adele
Never Let Me Go by Florence and the Machine
Remain Nameless by Florence and the Machine
I Wish (cover) by How To Dress Well
Everyday Struggle by Notorious BIG
Blueprint (Momma loves me) by Jay-Z
Get By (remix) by Talib Kweli
EVERYTHING by the National
posted by livinglearning at 5:19 PM on January 17 [3 favorites]

Do you have Spotify? I have a playlist of these.
posted by Jairus at 5:22 PM on January 17

Speaking of The Decemberists, I couldn't get enough of "O Valencia!" at one point. Apparently I'm a sucker for songs with exclamation points! in the titles.
posted by book 'em dano at 5:24 PM on January 17

Regina Spektor - On the Radio, Samson
The Head and the Heart - Lost in my Mind, Down in the Valley
Kanye West - Spaceship, Family Business, Touch the Sky
Haley Bonar - Drinking Again
The National - Sorrow, Bloodbuzz Ohio, Lemon World

I'm already super-excited about this thread!
posted by lunasol at 5:27 PM on January 17

Round and Round by Ariel Pink.
posted by the foreground at 5:54 PM on January 17 [1 favorite]

Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way
Diana Ross - Upside Down
Emma Baloka - Let's Love Each Other
Tappa Zukie - Freaks
Blood Sisters - Ring My Bell
posted by box at 6:04 PM on January 17

Currently:

FURTHUR by DropxLife

The Undertaker (Renholder Remix) by Pucifer

Strange Overtones by Brian Eno and David Byrne

Exile Vilify by The National (not an original idea, it would seem)

Spice by Perfume

Sugarless by Autolux
posted by koucha at 6:08 PM on January 17

Bullet and a Target - Citizen Cope
Side with the Seeds - Wilco
Takin' my Time - Bonnie Raitt
1972 - Josh Rouse
Gypsy - Stevie Nicks
Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson
posted by kirst27 at 6:19 PM on January 17

The Exciters - He's got the power
Detriot Cobras - He did it
The Sundresses - Europe, or Utah?
Billie Jo Spears - Get behind me Satan and Push
posted by birdbone at 6:34 PM on January 17 [1 favorite]

Carbon/Silicon - The News
Paul Simon - Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War
posted by Flannery Culp at 6:45 PM on January 17 [1 favorite]

Big Country (either the Bela Fleck & the Flecktones or BF, Edgar Meyer & Mike Marshall version)
Alison by Elvis Costello
I Think It's Going to Rain Today by Nina Simone
Doomsday by Elvis Perkins
Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset by Modest Mouse
Go to Sleep by the Avett Brothers
Sometimes by James
Angel Dust by Gil Scott-Heron (but only the Ultimate Jazz Collection cut--it's a full-on JOURNEY)
California Stars by Billy Bragg & Wilco
posted by smirkette at 7:03 PM on January 17 [2 favorites]

Anything by Teleman, Handel, Bach, or Purcell.
posted by crunchland at 7:06 PM on January 17

Dexy's Midnight Runners - Tell Me When My Light Turns Green
Tom Tom Club - On, On, On, On
Martha & the Muffins - Casualties of Glass
Gentle Giant - Cogs in Cogs
Yes - Long Distance Runaround
Talking Heads - Love -> Building On Fire (but only live versions)
posted by Sys Rq at 7:18 PM on January 17

Come One, Come All by Zeph and Azeem
Baby's a Red by House of Heroes
That Girl by Sway and Kevin Tuffy
Go for the Throat by the Elected
Strangers in the Wind by Cut Copy
The Spirit of Jazz by the Gaslight Anthem
What Are You Working For? Big Country
posted by Issithe at 7:25 PM on January 17

Another Day by This Mortal Coil
posted by rockhopper at 7:32 PM on January 17

Every few days I get stuck on a song and I play it to death and then don't listen to it again for a few months. I like sloppy guitar pop with big hooks and I've been feeling the need for happy music, so currently I'm grooving to All Kindsa Girls by The Real Kids and Hands by King Tuff.

Ask me tomorrow and I'll have a different answer.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 8:06 PM on January 17

Pink Mountaintops - Single Life
The Pack AD - There are three of their songs that go on repeat Take, Sirens and Ride)
The Animals - Smokestack Lightening followed by
John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom Boom
A song from the movie Delhi Belly that I don't know the words to, but that doesn't stop me from trying to sing along.
posted by squeak at 8:26 PM on January 17

Our Lady Peace - Innocent
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - The Beat that my Heart Skipped
Thirsty Merc - Umbrella (Rhianna Cover) - I also considered Someday Someday or 20 Good Reasons...
Seu Jorge - Life On Mars (David Bowie Cover)
The Tea Party - Temptation
Mason Jennings - Soldier Boy
Mumford and Sons - Winter Winds
Saul Williams - The Tao of Now
Immortal Technique - The Third World (totally NSFW)
Peter Mulvey - On the Way Up
Lupe Fiasco - The Show Goes On
Ben Sollee - Hurting
Alpha Rev - New Morning
Eric Mongrain - Air Tap!
Michael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries
Stellan Wahlstrom Drift Band - So This is What the End Looks Like
Great Big Sea - The Night Patty Murphy Died
My Morning Jacket - One Big Holiday
Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday
Beirut - Elephant Gun
Jump Little Children - Cathedrals
The Tragically Hip - Bobcaygeon (or 38 Years Old, or Nautical Disaster)
Richard Shindell - Are You Happy Now?
Jo Stafford - La Vie En Rose
Sage Francis - Makeshift Patriot
Dub Pistols - Six Million Ways to Live
Bishop Allen - Click Click Click Click
Antoine Dufour - These Moments
Less than Jake - The Rest of My Life
The Format - On Your Porch
The Magnetic Fields - All my Little Words
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Hanuman
Griffin House - Liberty Line
edIT - Artsy Remix
Cage The Elephant - Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
Sweatshop Boys - Better Days
Sondre Lerche - After All
Yonder Mountain String Boys - Sidewalk Stars
Iron and Wine - Boy With a Coin
Carbon Leaf - The War was in Color
Polyphonic Spree - Light and Day
Saosin - You're Not Alone
Social Distortion - Story of My Life
posted by Nanukthedog at 8:44 PM on January 17 [3 favorites]

I have said before that I can listen to The Band's "Up on Cripple Creek" all day long.

Also probably The The's "This Is The Day".
posted by cardioid at 9:19 PM on January 17 [1 favorite]

Currently,
Telefonica's "Heartbeatings for those with heartbeats" (bandcamp link)
posted by robotot at 9:23 PM on January 17

Thanks for all the great ideas. Can't wait to go through them all... so much stuff that is new to me.

Here's a Spotify playlist for all songs above this point that I could find on Spotify (163 tracks so far).

I will post an update below if we continue to get more posts and song ideas.

Here are the songs from above that I could NOT find on Spotify and are NOT in the playlist above. I have a feeling that at least some of the ones I can't find could be due to misspellings or incorrect titles... if so, please let me know and I will add them.

Kinks: Get Back in Line
The Weeknd: High for This
"Shiny Metal Rods" by Aphex Twin
Cowboy Junkies: Lungs
Cowboy Junkies: Me and the Devil Blues
Major Lazer, Pon de Floor
Dilated Peoples & Tash - Soundbombing
Nina Simone performing "Feelings" at the Montreaux Jazz festival
Gotye's "Somebody that I Used To Know."
Apparitions - God Monkey Robot
Jim James + Calexico - goin to Acapulco
Soltero - communist love song
Philip Glass, "Living Waters" from "Anima Mundi"
Betty Hutton, "Igloo"
Pete Townshend, "Let My Love Open the Door"
They Might Be Giants, "Operators Are Standing By"
Joanna Newsom's "Cosmia"
Joanna Newsom "Only Skin"
Rev. Chambers - Me and the Devil
I Can't Help It by The Roots
I Wish (cover) by How To Dress Well
Everything by the National
Emma Baloka - Let's Love Each Other
Tappa Zukie - Freaks
Blood Sisters - Ring My Bell
Futher by DropxLife
Spice by Perfume
Sugarless by Autolux
Billie Jo Spears - Get behind me Satan and Push
Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset by Modest Mouse
Martha & the Muffins - Casualties of Glass
Come One, Come All by Zeph and Azeem
King Hands by King Tuff
The Animals - Smokestack Lightening
Thirsty Merc - Umbrella (Rhianna Cover), Someday Someday or 20 Good Reasons
Stellan Wahlstrom Drift Band - So This is What the End Looks Like
Great Big Sea - The Night Patty Murphy Died
edIT - Artsy Remix
Sweatshop Boys - Better Days
Telefonica's "Heartbeatings for those with heartbeats"
posted by kdern at 9:44 PM on January 17 [1 favorite]

for repeated plays in particular, repeatedly (ie. i keep coming back and playing them 10 times in a row multiple times over the years)

">daft punk - digital love
the smiths - girlfriend in a coma
duke ellington and john coltrane - in a sentimental mood
brian eno - an ending (ascent)
posted by messiahwannabe at 10:18 PM on January 17

Bill Withers, Aint no Sunshine.

Never get tired of it.
posted by sweetkid at 10:24 PM on January 17 [1 favorite]

sheesh, why do my links keep doing that?

daft punk - digital love
posted by messiahwannabe at 10:28 PM on January 17

Here are my top five most played songs, according to my iTunes:

1) The Promised Land - Bruce Springsteen

2) Damaged Goods - Gang of Four

3) Sally MacLennane - The Pogues

4) The Imposter - Elvis Costello

5) Inertia Creeps - Massive Attack
posted by camneely at 10:45 PM on January 17

Apparitions - God Monkey Robot
Jim James + Calexico - goin to Acapulco
Soltero - communist love song

I'm pretty sure that these three are accurately spelled. The Jim James cut is from the "I'm Not There" soundtrack. The other two are both easily found on YouTube and LastFM.
posted by philip-random at 11:41 PM on January 17

Things I Have Listened To About Ten Times Per Day So Far This Week:

Attaboy - the first track off the Goat Rodeo album. (Doublebass, Cello, Violin and Mandolin playing classical-cum-country, if that doesn't sound Fricking Amazing to you then you are WRONG my friend)

For 12 - most catchy thing on Other Lives' debut album, something like Philip Glass meets Radiohead meets Doves?

Tabarly - haunting title track from documentary about boatman, by Yann Tiersen - remember him? He did the absolutely fabulous soundtrack to Amelie.
posted by greenish at 2:05 AM on January 18

Lately I cannot get enough of Grum's Heartbeats album. It's infectious! He's a Scottish DJ who, in my opinion, should have been included on the Drive soundtrack (which has also been on repeat lately).
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 5:40 AM on January 18

20 songs I have listened to more than a 60 times in the last 3 months...

Song Title - Artist - Album
Leave You Nothing (the Clinical Brothers Remodelling) - Mesh - Leave You Nothing (MCD)
Propane Nightmares - Pendulum - In Silico
I'm Not Driving Anymore (inst) - Rob Dougan - Furious Angels: Instrumental Versions
Blister In The Sun - Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
The Bird and The Worm [Full Instrumental Version] - The Used - n/a
Thou Shalt Always Kill - Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip - Angles
I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry - One Of The Boys
I Hate Everyone - Get Set Go - Ordinary World
09 - Spectre - - GITS - Megatech Body
Doctor Who - Orbital - The Altogether
Take On Me - A-Ha - Electric (1)
My Favourite Game - The Cardigans - Gran Turismo
Speed Me Towards Death (inst) - Rob Dougan - Furious Angels: Instrumental Versions
Aerodynamic - Daft Punk - Discovery
Nothing At All (inst) - Rob Dougan - Furious Angels: Instrumental Versions
Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) (Edit) - Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) The Sunscreen Song (Class of '99)
Don't Stop - Innerpartysystem - Innerpartysystem
Still Alive - Portal - The Orange Box
crash mesh collision mix - Mesh - crash single
posted by Faintdreams at 5:53 AM on January 18

Daft Punk "Something About Us"
posted by 4ster at 7:03 AM on January 18

Beirut -- Santa Fe
posted by *s at 7:06 AM on January 18

My current obsessions are "Holland 1945"' and "Song Against Sex" by Neutral Milk Hotel.
posted by Aversion Therapy at 7:08 AM on January 18

HEALTH - USA Boys
Opeth - Ghost of Perdition
Darkstar - Lilyliver
Evil 9 - All the Cash
M83 - 0078h
Lustmord - Decompression
Saul Williams - 1987
Gogol Bordello - Mala Vida
Orbital - One Perfect Sunrise
posted by FatherDagon at 8:02 AM on January 18

Love it.

I've updated the Spotify playlist. Up to 196 tracks now.

(Still lots of songs that are not on Spotify...)
posted by kdern at 8:54 AM on January 18

I would go for:

Sparky's Dream - Teenage FanClub
Lonely Teardrops - Jackie Wilson
Ride a White Swan - T Rex
Ice Cream Man (live extended version) - Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
14 Years - Guns N' Roses
Sound and Vision - David Bowie
I Can't Wait - ODB
Seven Seas of Rhye - Queen
Promised Land - Chuck Berry
Picture This - Blondie
Do You Love Me - The Contours
Yakety Yak - The Coasters
Where's Me Jumper? - Sultans of Ping FC
My Country Girl - Euros Childs
Galaxy Song - Monty Python
Mambo #8 - Perez Prado
No Strings - Fred Astaire
Mighty, Mighty Man - Roy Brown
Jesus on the Mainline - Ry Cooder
Take On Me - a-Ha!
Faith - George Michael
Macho Man - The Village People
Back in Black - AC/DC
Mad About the Boy - Noël Coward
I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover - Willie Nelson

Hopefully you'll find something in there; I've tried to select a range.
posted by danteGideon at 8:58 AM on January 18

Wow, These lists are great.
The most addicting one on my playlist in years has been Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's "skin of my yellow country teeth"

More recently is AWOLNation's "Sail"

Also: Citzen Cope "let the Drummer Kick" Check out also "107 degrees"

Parlor Mob "Can't Keep No Good Boy Down"

More recently, The War on Drugs: "I Was There"

The Joy Formidable "Whirring"
posted by newpotato at 9:22 AM on January 18

Updated playlist. Up to 220 tracks.

I just couldn't bring myself to add Macho Man by the Village People or "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover". Sorry.

Here are the songs NOT included on the playlist because I couldn't find them on Spotify.


Kinks: Get Back in Line
The Weeknd: High for This
"Shiny Metal Rods" by Aphex Twin
Cowboy Junkies: Lungs
Cowboy Junkies: Me and the Devil Blues
Major Lazer, Pon de Floor
Dilated Peoples & Tash - Soundbombing
Nina Simone performing "Feelings" at the Montreaux Jazz festival
Gotye's "Somebody that I Used To Know."
Apparitions - God Monkey Robot
Jim James + Calexico - goin to Acapulco
Soltero - communist love song
Philip Glass, "Living Waters" from "Anima Mundi"
Betty Hutton, "Igloo"
Pete Townshend, "Let My Love Open the Door"
They Might Be Giants, "Operators Are Standing By"
Joanna Newsom's "Cosmia"
Joanna Newsom "Only Skin"
Rev. Chambers - Me and the Devil
I Can't Help It by The Roots
I Wish (cover) by How To Dress Well
EVERYTHING by the National
Emma Baloka - Let's Love Each Other
Tappa Zukie - Freaks
Blood Sisters - Ring My Bell
Further by DropxLife
Spice by Perfume
Sugarless by Autolux
Billie Jo Spears - Get behind me Satan and Push
Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset by Modest Mouse
Martha & the Muffins - Casualties of Glass
Come One, Come All by Zeph and Azeem
King Hands by King Tuff
The Animals - Smokestack Lightening
Thirsty Merc - Umbrella (Rhianna Cover), Someday Someday or 20 Good Reasons ...
Stellan Wahlstrom Drift Band - So This is What the End Looks Like
Great Big Sea - The Night Patty Murphy Died
edIT - Artsy Remix
Sweatshop Boys - Better Days
Telefonica's "Heartbeatings for those with heartbeats" (bandcamp link)
Attaboy - the first track off the Goat Rodeo album
Leave You Nothing (the Clinical Brothers Remodelling) - Mesh - Leave You Nothing (MCD)
09 - Spectre - - GITS - Megatech Body
Doctor Who - Orbital - The Altogether
Speed Me Towards Death (inst) - Rob Dougan - Furious Angels: Instrumental Versions
Nothing At All (inst) - Rob Dougan - Furious Angels: Instrumental Versions
Still Alive - Portal - The Orange Box
crash mesh collision mix - Mesh - crash single
Evil 9 - All the Cash
M83 - 0078h
Lustmord - Decompression
Where's Me Jumper? - Sultans of Ping FC
My Country Girl - Euros Childs
Citizen Cope "107 degrees"
posted by kdern at 10:30 AM on January 18 [2 favorites]

Suspended in Gaffa - Kate Bush
See Emily Play - Pink Floyd
Unsolved Child Murder - the Auteurs
Fear Is a Man's Best Friend - John Cale
Sweet Lady Genevieve - Kinks
Soho Square - Kirsty Maccoll
Beautiful Life - Gui Boratto
Walking on Thin Ice - Yoko Ono
Oh! Wot a Dream - Kevin Ayers
Cola Bottle Baby - Edwin Birdsong
Fairytale in the Supermarket - Raincoats
Meet on the Ledge - Fairport Convention
Say You Don't Mind - Colin Blunstone
Disco Inferno - It's a Kid's World
Connected for Life - Mack 10
posted by Adventurer at 10:47 AM on January 18

Disco Inferno's the act, not the song. Sad to see there's no This Heat on Spotify. And I forgot More Than a Woman.
posted by Adventurer at 10:50 AM on January 18

Other Lives - For 12
posted by cnc at 11:46 AM on January 18

Right now it's Bill Fox - My Baby Crying
Previous obsessions...

Okkervil River - A Stone
New Pornographers - Sing Me Spanish Techno
Ghostface Killah - Daytona 500
Neutral Milk Hotel - Oh Comely
posted by Gortuk at 12:05 PM on January 18

I've scrobbled the last 95,000 or so tracks I've listened to, so I actually have really good data on this.

top on my list is
The National - All Dolled Up in Straps
which is kind of hilarious for this thread given that there is prominent a line in it "My head plays it over and over"

also gleaned from my "Top Tracks" list
Grand National - Peanut Dreams
Zero 7 - Crosses
Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko

and last but not least
Hooverphonic - Mad About You
posted by mcstayinskool at 12:34 PM on January 18

If I go by my lastfm data, my top 3 tracks are:

Radiohead - Weird Fishes / Arpeggi
Thom Yorke - Atoms for Peace
Portishead - Mysterons

Those are skewed by what I listen to while working - not necessarily my favorite songs.
posted by kdern at 1:00 PM on January 18

songs that I can listen to endlessly:

Pinback - Good To Sea
Tom Waits - Cold Water
Menomena - My My
Mugison - The Animal
Neil Young - Vampire Blues (can only find cover versions on yt)
Tortoise & Bonnie Prince Billy's version of Springsteen's Thunder Road
posted by mannequito at 1:09 PM on January 18

I Am the Black Gold of the Sun/It's Alright, I Feel It by Nuyorican Soul feat. Jocelyn Brown
posted by nanojath at 1:33 PM on January 18 [1 favorite]

You can listen to most of the songs that you couldn't find on spotify on www.hypem.com!

P.S. Sorry, I got excited and said EVERYTHING by The National, but what I meant by that was listen to every single song by The National because their work is amazing (in my opinion). My favourite record by them is Boxer though.
posted by livinglearning at 2:16 PM on January 18

I'm a total listen-on-repeat type! Here are some of my favorites for that. I sorted them out mostly because I don't want to force people who are not fans of the whole emo thing to sort through a bunch of Saves the Day to get to the Tullycraft stuff:

Indie
Marian Call- Don't Try, All New (Heart Shut Tight)
The Decemberists- O Valencia (already mentioned, I went through a really obsessive O Valencia phase too, not entirely sure why, but I think it was related to getting jumped and then listening to it afterwards with the friends who were with me and associating it with that bonding experience, but I think it's still a good song), The Infanta
The Mountain Goats- This Year, No Children
Immaculate Machine- No Such Thing as the Future
Calexico/Iron and Wine- Sixteen Maybe Less
Iron and Wine- Naked As They Came, Muddy Hymnal
Tullycraft- Polaroids from Mars
Belle and Sebastian- Piazza New York Catcher
The Postal Service- Sleeping In
Death Cab for Cutie- Soul Meets Body

Guilty Pleasure (mostly post-punk and emo)
Alkaline Trio- Message From Kathlene, Fine
Saves the Day- The Way His Collar Falls, Holly Hox/Forget-Me-Nots
Motion City Soundtrack- The Future Freaks Me Out
Something Corporate- Straw Dog, Konstantine (warning: this song is like 12 hours long)
Matt Skiba/Kevin Seconds- In Your Wake

Rock and Ska
The Hold Steady- Stuck Between Stations, Constructive Summer
Gaslight Anthem- Meet Me By The River's Edge, Bring It On
Gin Blossoms- Hey Jealousy
Streetlight Manifesto (or Catch-22)- Keasbey Nights
Less than Jake- Faction, The Brightest Bulb has Burnt Out
Barenaked Ladies- Light Up My Room

Other
Ani Difranco- Gravel
Universal Hall Pass- Dragonfly
Battles- Atlas
posted by NoraReed at 6:30 PM on January 18 [1 favorite]

Chariots Rise by Lizzie West
Magpie To The Morning by Neko Case
Dominos by The Big Pink
Bird On A Wire by Rogue Wave
This Boy Is Exhausted by The Wrens
Dry The Rain by The Beta Band
Jens Lekman's cover of We're All Going to Die
Heart's A Mess by Gotye
Mockingbird by Dusty Springfield
Hook and Sling by Eddie Bo
posted by EvaDestruction at 8:39 PM on January 18

Hard to answer this accurately in terms of play counts, (I haven´t had full access to my mp3 collection in months) but I definitely do the ¨listen to one song for weeks on end¨ thing. This list includes both consistent oft-repeats and passing obsessions.

In no particular order at all...

Richard and Linda Thompson-Wall of Death
Richard Thompson-Bathsheba Smiles
Fairport Convention-Who Knows Where the Time Goes
Jez Lowe and the Bade Pennies-Tom Tom
Drive-By Truckers-The Day John Henry Died
Drive-By Truckers-My Sweet Annette
J Roddy Walston and the Business-Don´t Break the Needle
Paul Simon-Me and Julia Down by the Schoolyard
Regina Spektor-Fidelity
Mary Lou Lord-The Wind Blew All Around Me
The Velvet Underground-All Tomorrow´s Parties
Concrete Blonde-Tomorrow, Wendy
October Project-Bury My Lovely
REM-Supernatural, Superserious
The Duhks-Your Daughgters and Your Sons
The Weepies-Nobody Knows Me At All
The Clash-Rudy Can´t Fail
Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer-Tillman County
Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer-The Promised Land
Tracy Grammer-Shadows of Evangeline
Girlyman-St Peter´s Bones
Storm Large-8 Miles Wide (NSFW. You´ll laugh, until you find yourself singing this somewhere totally socially unacceptable. Ask me how I know.)
Bruce Springsteen-O Mary Don´t You Weep
Joan Baez-Jerusalem (Steve Earle cover)
Ernesto Djedje-Zadie Bobo
Laura Nyro-Stoney End
Joan Armatrading-Rosie
The Shins-Saint Simon
Tom Waits-All the World is Green
Joni Mitchell-Urge for Going
They Might Be Giants-Spiralling Shape
Elvis Costello-The Angels Wanna Wear my Red Shoes
Ani DiFranco-Napoleon
posted by ActionPopulated at 9:04 PM on January 18

My top 5 of the last 3 months according to last.fm:

M83 – Midnight City
tUnE-yArDs – Bizness
Bon Iver – Holocene
Broken Social Scene – 7/4 (Shoreline)
WU LYF – We Bros

To which I'd add:
Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect – Decemberists
Civilian – Wye Oak
Holy Holy – Wye Oak
Lakes of Canada – Innocence Mission
posted by dw at 10:01 PM on January 18

Oh, and:
Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone – Ted Leo
posted by dw at 10:03 PM on January 18

Missed the Boat and Float on - Modest Mouse
Demon Kitty Rag - Katzenjammer
Hold it In - Jukebox the Ghost
Ready for the Floor - Lissy Trullie
Trouble is a Friend - Lenka
Nice to Be Nice - Pugwash
We're all Light - XTC
posted by Glinn at 5:32 AM on January 19 [1 favorite]

Devendra Banhart's Carmencita
Harry McClintock's Candy Mountains
Cocorosie's West Side
Antony and the Johnson's The Lake
and of course anything by Joanna Newsom.
posted by Tarumba at 6:23 AM on January 19

Belle and Sebastian- Piazza New York Catcher


love it, love it, love it!
posted by Tarumba at 6:24 AM on January 19

Road to Nowhere - Talking Heads

What is Life - George Harrison
posted by marxchivist at 7:29 AM on January 19

One that I can't get sick of, no matter how hard I try:

Stop, I'm Already Dead - Deadboy & the Elephantmen
posted by Ducks or monkeys at 8:20 AM on January 19

And two more, now that I'm thinking about it:

Carnival - Mark Lanegan
Jigsaw Falling Into Place - Radiohead
posted by Ducks or monkeys at 8:24 AM on January 19

All that I can find have been added to the playlist, available here.
posted by kdern at 4:51 PM on January 19

Most played in my iTunes over the two years I've had my computer:

"Suzanne", "Famous Blue Raincoat", and "Who By Fire", all by Leonard Cohen

"You've Really Got A Hold On Me", by Thao and the Get Down Stay Down

"Mykonos" by Fleet Foxes

"Mister Blue Sky" by ELO

"Skinny Love" by Bon Iver

"Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys (I like to listen to this while running, shut up It is actually a good song, though)

"Frederick" and "Dancing Barefoot" by Patti Smith (subjects of a recent blog post, so probably artificially inflated; I can listen to them over and over, though)

"I Want You" by Bob Dylan
posted by Sara C. at 9:22 PM on January 19

Fantastic! Thanks so much for Spotifying the suggestions; it may well make my day. From my personal "I've been thrashing these tunes constantly lately" playlist:

Holy Fuck, "1MD"
Stereolab, "Metronomic Underground"
Boards of Canada, "Seven Forty Seven"
Helium, "Silver Angel"
Airiel, "Halo"
AMP, "Eternity"
Caribou, "Niobe"
Kristin Hersh, "William's Cut"
Atlas Sound, "Let the Blind Lead Those Who Cannot Feel"
Secret Shine, "Know"
Death in Vegas, "Your Loft My Acid"
Wire, "Please Take"
Wire, "Down to This"
Blonde Redhead, "23"
Dandy Warhols, "I Love You"
Cadallaca, "Your One Wish"
Mary Timony Band, "Pink Clouds"
WILD FLAG, "Black Tiles"
posted by Sonny Jim at 6:04 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Now spotified ...
posted by Sonny Jim at 6:55 AM on January 20

Songs I will never get sick of:

The Alan Parsons Project - Games People Play
Stevie Nicks - Edge Of Seventeen
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round And Round
Rangers - Woodland Hills
Brotman and Short - No Shock
JT IV - Death Trip
JT IV - The Monitors
Tommy Jay - I was there
The Seeds - Mr Farmer (From Raw and Alive, 1968)
Minimal Man - Showtime
Alien Sex Fiend - Now I'm Feeling Zombiefied
Black Tambourine - Throw Aggi off the Bridge
Bobby Conn - The Whistler
GG Allin - Die When You Die
King Diamond - A mansion in darkness
The Wipers - Better off Dead
The Clean - Beatnik
Look Blue Go Purple - Circumspect Penelope
Able Tasmans - Sour Queen
Dead Moon - 54/40 or Fight
Monoshock - Hawkwind Show
Pufftube - Boys of Summer
posted by wcfields at 10:11 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Ha! Thanks for reminding me about Look Blue Go Purple, wcfields. [Listens to "As Does the Sun," a track he loved when he was 19, but had completely forgotten about since. Awesome!]
posted by Sonny Jim at 10:51 AM on January 20

The spotify playlist has been updated with everything I could find (373 songs total).

Here are the tracks I couldn't find on Spotify:


Kinks: Get Back in Line
The Weeknd: High for This
"Shiny Metal Rods" by Aphex Twin
Cowboy Junkies: Lungs
Cowboy Junkies: Me and the Devil Blues
Major Lazer, Pon de Floor
Dilated Peoples & Tash - Soundbombing
Nina Simone performing "Feelings" at the Montreaux Jazz festival
Gotye's "Somebody that I Used To Know."
Apparitions - God Monkey Robot
Jim James + Calexico - goin to Acapulco
Soltero - communist love song
Philip Glass, "Living Waters" from "Anima Mundi"
Betty Hutton, "Igloo"
Pete Townshend, "Let My Love Open the Door"
They Might Be Giants, "Operators Are Standing By"
Joanna Newsom's "Cosmia"
Joanna Newsom "Only Skin"
Rev. Chambers - Me and the Devil
I Can't Help It by The Roots
I Wish (cover) by How To Dress Well
Emma Baloka - Let's Love Each Other
Tappa Zukie - Freaks
Blood Sisters - Ring My Bell
Further by DropxLife
Spice by Perfume
Sugarless by Autolux
Billie Jo Spears - Get behind me Satan and Push
Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset by Modest Mouse
Martha & the Muffins - Casualties of Glass
Come One, Come All by Zeph and Azeem
King Hands by King Tuff
The Animals - Smokestack Lightening
Thirsty Merc - Umbrella (Rhianna Cover), Someday Someday or 20 Good Reasons
Stellan Wahlstrom Drift Band - So This is What the End Looks Like
Great Big Sea - The Night Patty Murphy Died
edIT - Artsy Remix
Sweatshop Boys - Better Days
Telefonica's "Heartbeatings for those with heartbeats" (bandcamp link)
Attaboy - the first track off the Goat Rodeo album
Leave You Nothing (the Clinical Brothers Remodelling) - Mesh - Leave You Nothing (MCD)
09 - Spectre - - GITS - Megatech Body
Doctor Who - Orbital - The Altogether
Speed Me Towards Death (inst) - Rob Dougan - Furious Angels: Instrumental Versions
Nothing At All (inst) - Rob Dougan - Furious Angels: Instrumental Versions
crash mesh collision mix - Mesh - crash single
Evil 9 - All the Cash
M83 - 0078h
Lustmord - Decompression
Where's Me Jumper? - Sultans of Ping FC
My Country Girl - Euros Childs
Citizen Cope "107 degrees"
See Emily Play - Pink Floyd
Pinback - Good To Sea
Mugison - The Animal
Tortoise & Bonnie Prince Billy's version of Springsteen's Thunder Road
Antony and the Johnson The Lake
Calexico/Iron and Wine Sixteen Maybe Less
Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer Tillman County
Devendra Banhart Carmencita
Ernesto Djedje Zadie Bobo
Jens Lekman We're All Going to Die
Jez Lowe and the Bade Pennies Tom Tom
Pugwash Nice to Be Nice
Radiohead Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Saves the Day Holly Hox/Forget-Me-Nots
Storm Large 8 Miles
Ted Leo Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone
XTC We're all Light
"You've Really Got A Hold On Me", by Thao and the Get Down Stay Down
"I Want You" by Bob Dylan
Rangers - Woodland Hills
Brotman and Short - No Shock
JT IV - Death Trip
JT IV - The Monitors
Minimal Man - Showtime
Bobby Conn - The Whistler
Look Blue Go Purple - Circumspect Penelope
Able Tasmans - Sour Queen
Dead Moon - 54/40 or Fight
Monoshock - Hawkwind Show
Pufftube - Boys of Summer
posted by kdern at 12:06 PM on January 23 [3 favorites]

Thunderheist - Little Booty Girls,
Boog Brown - Friction,
Little Dragon - Fortune,
Ice-T - Addicted to Danger,
Beyonce - Yes,
The Clipse - Wamp Wamp,
Failure - Stuck on You,
Louis Logic - Dos Factotum,
Redman - Smash Sumthin
Dert feat Jose Gonzalez & Aceyalone - The Greatest Show on Earth/Hints,
Jean Grae - Mean
Tori Amos - Raspberry Swirl
Keke Wyatt - Put Your Hands on Me
Amerie - I Just Died
posted by cashman at 7:07 AM on February 3