Top 10: Musical Artists

Last week we looked at specific songs that I love. Now we’ll go a little broader and look at artists/bands. There is definitely some overlap but a few new ones. One of the qualifying elements to make this list was my owning multiple albums by a group. In some cases it’s just a compilation or Best of Album that I counted as multiple. But that was just done to save money.

1. Billy Joel
2. Alanis Morissette
3. Matchbox 20
4. Garth Brooks
5. Green Day
6. The Beatles
7. Five for Fighting
8. Hootie and the Blowfish
9. The Cranberries
10. Sister Hazel

There are only a few overlaps and I talked a bit about Matchbox 20 and Billy Joel last week. As for the other overlap, I’m not a huge country music fan but for a brief period I got into some of it, due mostly to my sister. Garth Brooks in particular stuck with me. Last week I put Standing Outside the Fire on the top 10 list because it has remained at the top of his stuff for me. Though it’s a pretty close race against a number of others (Ireland, Callin’ Baton Rouge, Lonesome Dove, and The Thunder Rolls). My short story, Lonesome, is loosely based on the song Lonesome Dove.

You may be wondering why the rest on this list don’t have songs on the other list. Mostly it’s because of either two things. 1) I pretty much like all of their songs equally or 2) I like their style in general more than a particular song.

The Cranberries for instance, I really like their Irish accent so it makes listening to all their songs enjoyable. Alanis Morissette is another one of those that I can’t narrow down a particular song I like the best, but really enjoy her voice and songs.

Five for Fighting, Hootie and the Blowfish and Sister Hazel I all lump together as similar style in my mind, but I’d be hard pressed to explain it. 100 Years and Superman by Five for Fighting almost made the top 10 songs list but beyond that, I just like all of those three groups songs in general.

Green Day was big when I was a kid, though I never really got into them at the time. American Idiot came out at the same time as my anti-establishment rebellion was setting in during college, as I finally started to think about things. It was the perfect theme album for the time. And while I’ve mellowed a bit in my sentiment, it’s still a fun album.

And of course, the Beatles are just well, the Beatles.