1. “What’s Your Name Little Girl?” Lynrd Skynyrd
Good for most social settings.2. “The Greatest,” Kenny Rogers
One Word: Inspirational!
3. “Firebird Fly” Little Big Town
Little Big Town is a great group with strong harmonies and a non-twangy country sound, sometimes comparable to Fleetwood Mac or the Eagles. While Little Big Town is best known for their song “Boondocks,” “Firebird Fly” has more of a rock and roll feel that makes you want to “… leave it all behind.”
4. “Viva la Vida,” Coldplay
I have not been a fan of Coldplay, but they redefined themselves with their new album, “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends.” With its meaningful lyrics, strings, chimes and an entirely new sound, Viva la Vida is a great song on a good album.
5. “Think,” Aretha Franklin
No music list is complete without Aretha. Her powerhouse vocals set her apart from nearly everyone else, and her soulful sound is infectious. Because of the musicality of this song and because Aretha makes you believe what she is singing, this is one of my favorites.
6. “(Theme From) Chariots of Fire,” The Bad Plus
Drummer-composer Dave King has come to the LU coffeehouse with his other group Happy Apple several times in recent memory. I have been transfixed with Dave’s musical expression through the drums and am hooked on his other trio, The Bad Plus, with their modern avant-garde jazz covers of “Iron Man,” “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and “We Are the Champions” Besides, I just watched the movie “Chariots of Fire” and run a lot for the other LUCC.
7. “Dancing Queen,” ABBA
No dance party at Lawrence is ever complete without this classic.
8. “Jack Sparrow,” Hans Zimmer, composer
“Jack Sparrow” is the first track of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” and encompasses most of the themes of the movie throughout. It’s 6:07 long and every second is an epic adventure as epic as the movie itself.
9. “My Curse,” KillSwitch Engage
While this metal band is known for their screaming tendencies, this song has some incredible guitar riffs and the words behind the song are nothing short of amazing as well. A perfect song to air guitar and head bang to.
10. “The Final Countdown,” Europe
There just isn’t much I want to do in the world after I hear this song, except: A) Run 5 miles, B) Add a major or C) Vote Nov. 4!