My Hot 100 - #25 - 1

Well, it's time to name my 25 favorite songs of all time. If you need to get caught up, check out parts 1, 2 & 3 at the provided links. It was very tough putting this list together. I had to find the tracks that I will never get tired of hearing. In the case of my favorite artists, I had to choose just one to represent them. While you may not care for my picks, know that I put a ton of thought and re-listening towards picking them.

Let's finish this.

#25 - "The Search Is Over" - Survivor

Most people only know Survivor for the song "Eye of the Tiger". While I like that song fine, I just prefer the operatic feel of this power ballad. Jimi Jamison is one of the most underappreciated vocalists in 80s rock, and his singing in this one rips me apart every time.

#24 - "What It's Like" - Everlast

Everlast was awesome as part of House of Pain, but his first solo effort is one of the best hip hop tracks of the 90s. This song could accurately be called "Truth Bomb" because Erik Schrody nails one harsh reality after another flawlessly. I liked this song when it was new back in 1999, but, as I became more socially conscious as I got older, I grew to respect it a whole lot more.

#23 - "It's All Coming Back To Me Now - Celine Dion

I already talked about this one in my soft rock playlist. Just know that the combination of Jim Steinman's writing mixed with Celine Dion's absolutely unbelievable voice is magic. Also, as you'll see later, I'm not done with Jim Steinman yet.

#22 - "Maneater" - Hall & Oates

While Darryl Hall and John Oates made plenty of awesome New Wave and soft rock, their trip into jazz territory was just perfect. "Maneater" is just cool all around, from the sax solos to Darryl Hall's potent voice. Leave it to these guys to make a song about a toxic woman one of the sexiest-sounding things you will ever hear.

#21 - "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" - Kylie Minogue

I think I've established that I'm not a huge fan of dance songs (aside from disco) or techno. While I can enjoy them just fine at a club, I don't care to listen to them at home. I make a special exception for the adorable and sizzling Kylie Minogue, especially this track. The driving beat gets me moving like few songs do, and Kylie's soft voice practically purrs for attention. It is the sexiest dance song I've ever heard.

#20 - "I Still Believe In You" - Vince Gill

I'm still surprised at how much country music got into my Hot 100, but there was no way Vince Gill was going to be left out. His voice in this 90s gem is pure silk. Listening to it can always put me at ease, no matter what kind of day I may have had. This is the best country song I've ever heard.

Psst... Don't tell Ally I said that. She's still irritated Johnny Cash didn't make my list.

#19 - "You Got It" - Roy Orbison

From one smooth voice to another. Roy Orbison is one of my favorite singers ever. While "Blue Bayou" or "Pretty Woman" could've easily scored spots on this list, I just couldn't deny his final masterpiece. While he was mere months from death when he recorded it (and the single was released posthumously), his voice was still every bit as soaring as it was in his heyday. What a way to go out on top!

#18 - "Meet Me Half Way" - Kenny Loggins

Kenny Loggins was the king of movie songs back in the 80s thanks to Top Gun and Footloose. However, it was his contribution to the very underappreciated movie Over the Top that gets me every time. Not only does the song fit perfectly with a movie about a father trying to reconnect with his son, but its message of mutual love resonates even if you've never heard of the movie.

#17 - "I Keep Forgetting" - Michael McDonald

Here's another that I already talked about in my soft rock playlist. This is some of the smoothest production I've ever heard in a break up song, its bassline grabs me every time, and Michael McDonald gets to showcase his voice probably more than he ever did with the Doobie Brothers.

#16 - "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" - Def Leppard

Def Leppard are rock gods at this point; so, it seems crazy that my favorite from their 40+ years of recorded output is their first big hit. Joe Elliot's voice is pure power, and Steve Clark just kills it on guitar. This one deserved to become a hair metal anthem just as much as "Rock Of Ages" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me".

#15 - "Africa" - Toto

This is one of the most unique songs ever to come out of the 80s. Part New Wave, part World, part House, and part Rock. Even though the lyrics are little more than just a bunch of references to Africa, it's just a joy to listen to regardless. Every part fits together beautifully. It would be on this list even if it was just an instrumental.

#14 - "Feels So Good" - Chuck Mangione

This one is an interesting addition since I only learned its name and who performed it a few months ago. I heard it when I was young and loved it, I heard it again in the movie Hard To Kill and still loved it, and I finally researched and find out its name recently so it could get on my list. This is 70s jazz perfection. Chuck Mangione's cornet just grabs your attention immediately, and the jazz rhythms and funky guitar hold it flawlessly. It even has a sax solo! This is one of the greatest instrumentals ever recorded!

#13 - "War Of Hormone" - BTS

I have said a lot (AND I DO MEAN "A LOT") about KPop, but I've deliberately avoided talking about one of the biggest acts in the world BTS simply because everyone does. In choosing one song from this septet for my list, I came EXTREMELY close to putting "Boy With Luv" or "Dynamite" on it. However, I just had to choose the song that first hooked me to the group. "War Of Hormone" is a perfect picture of teenage lust and one of the catchiest songs in the past decade. Every member has a chance to shine, from Jungkook's unexpected rap verse to V and Jimin clearly having fun during the chorus. However, it was J-Hope (my favorite member) spitting out one of his best verses that clinched it for me. :-)

#12 - "Take Me Home" - Phil Collins

It may seem criminal that I have one of Phil Collins' solo tracks this high on the list while Genesis was barely edged out, but I can't help it. This track appeals to me the same way that "Africa" by Toto did. What put this one over "Africa" is the tighter production and the wistfulness of Collins' lyrics. It just gets me longing to see the world and to return home at the same time. While that seems contradictory, it makes sense to me.

#11 - "Rag Doll" - Aerosmith

(NOTE: I had to go to DailyMotion to find the original video for this one. I have no idea why it wasn't on YouTube.)

Aerosmith is my favorite band of all time! While their sound is all over the rock landscape, they were at their best when they had their bluesy swagger, and that kickass quality is all over "Rag Doll". This is just one of the most energized and funkiest rock songs of the 80s. The fact that Joe Perry could take my most hated instrument, the steel guitar, and make it sound awesome rather than its usual whine automatically puts this song over the top for me!

#10 - "Is This Love" - Whitesnake

Here's yet another one that I've talked about already in my soft rock playlist. Long story short, this is the sexiest power ballad of the 80s. David Coverdale was at his best here, no question. For the record, this is also one of the sexiest music videos ever. Period.

#9 - "Total Eclipse Of the Heart" - Bonnie Tyler

I told you Jim Steinman would be back! Most music nerds associate him with his work with Meatloaf, but this is his true masterpiece. This is as grand scale as anything he had done with Meatloaf, and Bonnie Tyler's powerful yet vulnerable voice fit perfectly. Of all the songs that got on my "Epic" Playlist, this one is my favorite.

#8 - "Do You Believe In Love" - Huey Lewis & The News

There aren't nearly enough fun love songs out there. Leave it to Huey Lewis to provide the best there is! Every part puts a smile on my face, from the perfect vocal harmonies to the sax solo in the middle. Huey Lewis may not have the largest vocal range, but his singing still gets me smiling. This song is just happy! (Why didn't I think to put this on my upbeat playlist?)

#7 - "Sultans Of Swing" - Dire Straits

Here's one that DID get on my upbeat playlist and for good reason. Yeah, it has a driving beat and Mark Knopfler's best guitar work of his whole career, but that's not why this song is so on my list. Knopfler's story song is all about doing what you love, even if it may never amount to anything. That resonates with me on a very deep level. I don't know if my writing will ever make me rich or famous, and, in the end, that doesn't matter much to me. I do it because I love to do it. The Sultans Of Swing in the song have the same mindset.

#6 - "Baby Come Back" - Player

This 70s classic has seen its popularity explode again in the last couple of years thanks to react channels on YouTube, and I couldn't be happier! If only more people associated the term "yacht rock" with this rather than "Margaritaville" or "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)". Every part is flawless from Peter Beckett's vocals to the synthesizer riffs. It's one of the most perfect songs of the 70s.

#5 - "Careless Whisper" - George Michael

Yes, I know it was actually released by Wham, but Andrew Ridgeley is barely on it. This is George Michael's baby through and through. He and the sax riffs are enough to get it this high on this list, but the amazing production would make anyone wonder what can possibly top it.

#4 - "Heart Of Glass" - Blondie

If my listening interests were a band, it would be Blondie. They refused to be pigeonholed as just punk or New Wave. Here, they dabble in disco and make a true masterpiece! While plenty of rock bands like the Stones and Rod Stewart tried to do dance songs, none of them truly "got it" like Blondie did. The instrumentation is fun and funky, and Debbie Harry just commands attention. Blondie deserves a lot more love than they usually get.

#3 - "Dare To Be Stupid" - "Weird Al" Yankovic

How sad is it that I like a loving homage to Devo more than I like Devo themselves? Then again, this is "Weird Al" we're talking about here! I've been a die-hard fan of Al for almost my whole life, but the title track from his third album will always be my favorite even over gems like "White & Nerdy" or "The Night Santa Went Crazy". Even Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo's frontman, called "Dare To Be Stupid" "the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard" as shown in Behind the Music. Now, THAT'S an endorsement!

#2 - "Pinch Me" - Barenaked Ladies

I've said before that I'm fascinated by upbeat songs with downer lyrics, and this is the best example of that mindset I've ever heard. This is a song that sounds like the lightest, airiest pop rock song ever, but the lyrics are about a guy who's so depressed that he's lost his joie de vivre. (I can use the French term here since the Barenaked Ladies are Canadian. Ha!) You can be forgiven for missing the message since the lyrics are laced with the group's oddball sense of humor. "Pinch Me" came unbelievably close to making #1 due to its uniqueness and fun sound, but, in the end, I just couldn't deny...

#1 - "How Deep Is Your Love" - The Bee Gees

When I put this absolutely perfect song on my soft rock playlist, I already considered it one of my favorite songs of all time. After careful consideration, it became my absolute favorite song of all time. This soft disco gem is actually the first song I could remember truly loving. See, when I was young, I often had the local soft rock station (WLAC in Nashville at the time) playing when I was going to sleep. When this song came on, I was entranced and at total peace at the same time. While its instrumentation is some of the most gorgeous of the late 70s, its true power is in the vocal harmonies of Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb. Nothing this beautiful will ever be made again, especially since Barry is the only Bee Gee left now. Thank you, lads, for giving me such eternal joy with this one.

So, what do you think of my musical tastes? Delighted by the gems? Weirded out by the spastic directions? Let me know! Also, for those that want to hear the whole playlist from #100 to #1, check it out down below! Thanks for joining me! Take care!