• Given the fascinating discussion on perfect albums I thought it might be interesting to consider the topic of "perfect songs." These are songs that for me work perfectly, both musically and (when relevant if the song is not purely instrumental) lyrically. My admittedly non-exhaustive list (in no particular order) includes:

    After the Gold Rush - Neil Young

    The Big Ship - Brian Eno

    Boys of Summer - Don Henley

    The Royal Scam - Steely Dan

    Low Spark of High Heeled Boys - Traffic

    The Weight - The Band

    A Day in the Life - The Beatles

    The Last Resort - Eagles

    The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel

    Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

    Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones

    Solitude Standing - Suzanne Vega

    Supper's Ready - Genesis

    Cinema Show/Aisle of Plenty - Genesis

    Mad Man Moon - Genesis

  • Where does one begin, with Genesis of course:


    Ripples

    Mad Man Moon

    Watcher of the Skies

    One For The Vine

    Many too Many


    Others:

    Amoureuse - Kiki Dee

    MacArthur Park - Donna Summer

    Highwayman - Glen Campbell

    Forever Autumn - Justin Hayward

    While My Guitar Gently Weeps - George Harrison

    Something - George Harrison

    Let it Grow - Eric Clapton

    Astronomy - BOC


    more later!

  • Amoureuse - Kiki Dee


    Something - George Harrison

    Great choice of Amoureuse, man that takes me back but it's also timeless.


    Something is the most perfect George Beatles number. Interesting how tastes differ - you paired it with WMGGW which bores me. But I know it's very popular with rock fans.


    The ultimate perfect Beatles song for me is Penny Lane, which also has my favourite line ever - "And though she feels as if she's in a play/She is, anyway". Utter genius - and as Ian MacDonald says so eloquently, 'sung with a shiver of grace-notes'.


    For Genesis, it's Carpet Crawlers but there's a really nice sort of compact perfection to M&SJ, like their multi-sectioned 70s sensibilities distilled. I agree with MTM.

    Abandon all reason

  • Amoureuse is my favourite song.


    Others:

    Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper

    W.O.L.D. - Harry Chapin

    Cat's in the Cradle - Harry Chapin

    Year of the Cat - Al Stewart

    Your Song - Elton

    I'm Not in Love - 10cc

    All the Young Dudes - Mott/Bowie

    Life on Mars - Bowie

    Grendel - Marillion

    Lady Fantasy - Camel

    Running Up That Hill - Kate

    On Days Like These - Matt Monro

    The Night - Frankie Valli

  • This is a bit easier than the albums one for me I think.


    Genesis - Carpet Crawlers, Firth of Fifth, Duchess, Mama, You Might Recall


    Suede - My Dark Star

    The Cure - This Twilight Garden, A Strange Day

    Brody Dalle - Meet the Foetus, Carry On

    Muse - Bliss

    The Foals - Into The Surf

    Smashing Pumpkins - Eye, Muzzle, Stand Inside Your Love

  • I thought there must be a few perfect Genesis songs so I had a think through from soup to nuts and this is what occurred - chron:


    Happy The Man

    Fountain

    Watcher

    Can Utility

    Moonlight Knight

    I Know What I Like

    NYC

    Carpet Crawlers

    Anyway

    Lamia

    Inside & Out

    Many Too Many

    Behind The Lines

    Duchess

    Turn It On Again

    No Reply

    Me & Sarah Jane

    Throwing It

    Fading Lights

    Abandon all reason

  • Oh no. There are far too many. I could just list my top 20 favourite songs, all of which I consider'perfect'.


    Some of them are:


    A Day In The Life - Beatles

    Romeo & Juliet - Dire Straits

    Tunnel Of Love - Dire Straits

    Sailing To Philadelphia - Mark Knopfler

    Stiarway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin

    Kashmir - Led Zeppelin

    Home By The Sea/Second Home By The Sea

    Land Of Confusion

    In The Air Tonight

    Solsbury Hill

    Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush

    Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac

    Sympathy For The Devil - Rolling Stones

    Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones

    Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

    Nights On Broadway - Bee Gees

    Band On The Run - Wings

    Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John

    Knowing Me, Knowing You - Abba

    Locomotive Breath - Jethro Tull


    I could list at least another 50 Beatles songs. The same for Dire Straits. I can certainly list more Genesis songs. Maybe I should list songs I love which I think are perfect which aren't by my favourite artists. Keith C mentions Amoureuse, Let It Grow & Forever Autumn, for instance. I will stop there....

  • interesting topic.

    I will start with my 3 fav perfect (all none Genesis related) songs of all time:

    Louis Armstrong - What a wonderful world

    John Lennon - Imagine

    U2 - One


    And Genesis (and related):

    The Lamia

    Darkness (pg)

    Mad man moon

  • You are right, this is waaaaay too big a list. There are a few you mention that I'd go for too, but how far back to go? In The Mood by Glenn Miller, for example.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • Perhaps it should be top 20 - make everyone work a bit harder!

    I like that. "20 Perfect Songs" - also more or less a ready-made playlist. I did my Genesis list, I'm going to go with your 20 model for my general list. Ah man I love stuff like this!

    Abandon all reason

  • I did my Genesis list, I'm going to go with your 20 model for my general list.

    That said... I might have to think about a Genesis solo selection too, to keep the Genesis universe separate. Also...

    I could list at least another 50 Beatles songs.

    ...I think I'll have to keep Beatles ones out of my 20 for this 👆 reason, do a separate one for them and have a non-Genesis/non-Beatles list.

    Abandon all reason

  • My list would be hundreds of songs long. I will leave out Genesis and their (ex-)members solo since those lists could go in other sections in the forum. I will divide this up into two lists of 20: one for major or well-known artists and one for lesser-known ones. Both lists are in no particular order


    Well-known artists:

    1. Baba O'Riley - The Who
    2. Superstition - Stevie Wonder
    3. Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
    4. Pride - U2
    5. The Morning Fog - Kate Bush
    6. Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
    7. Acadian Driftwood - The Band
    8. Respect - Aretha Franklin
    9. Closer to Fine - Indigo Girls
    10. Deadbeat Club - The B-52s
    11. Papa Was a Rolling Stone - The Temptations
    12. Jungleland - Bruce Springsteen
    13. Little Red Corvette - Prince
    14. Never Going Back Again - Fleetwood Mac
    15. The Boys of Summer - Don Henley
    16. Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
    17. Dancing Queen - ABBA
    18. When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
    19. St. Dominic's Preview - Van Morrison
    20. Every Breath You Take - The Police


    Lesser-known artists:

    1. Iceblink Luck - Cocteau Twins
    2. Gentleman Who Fell - Milla
    3. Mass Romantic - The New Pornographers
    4. Could've Been Anyone - Aimee Mann
    5. Book of Dreams - Suzanne Vega
    6. Stereochrome - Emm Gryner
    7. There She Goes - The La's
    8. Harbour Lights - Bruce Hornsby
    9. Waiting for Wednesday - Lisa Loeb
    10. On the Way Down From the Moon Palace - Lisa Germano
    11. Wall of Death - Richard and Linda Thompson
    12. Hasn't Hit Me Yet - Blue Rodeo
    13. Little Blue River - The Bears
    14. The Walking (and Constantly) - Jane Siberry
    15. The King Is Half Undressed - Jellyfish
    16. Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
    17. Half Way Home - Brian Kennedy
    18. In the Road - Weeping Tile
    19. Kiss From a Rose - Seal
    20. Money City Maniacs - Sloan
  • I don't think I can list 20 'perfect' Genesis songs. The word equates to 'favourite' for me in this case. Anyway I will do it, off the top of my head:


    1. Home By The Sea/Second Home By The Sea

    2. Land Of Confusion

    3. Dancing With The Moonlilt Knight

    4. The Musical Box

    5. Duchess

    6. Turn It On Again

    7. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

    8. Carpet Crawlers

    9. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe}

    10. Mama

    11. I Can't Dance

    12.That's All

    13. Jesus He Knows Me

    14. Watcher Of The Skies

    15. Follow You Follow Me

    16. Afterglow

    17. Firth Of Fifth

    18, Ripples

    19. Back In NYC

    20. Dodo/Lurker


    I tried not to put those in 'favourites' order.