Tomorrow, I will be turning 35. I don't really have any feelings about it one way or the other, I just see it as another birthday.

I have, however, decided to make a list of 35 Songs from every year I've been alive. I will post these periodically throughout the year, until I am able to find 35 songs in 2007.

Oh yeah, just so you know, these songs are not what I consider to be the Greatest Songs of that Year. What it does contain is my history; songs that were influential to me for a variety of reasons or songs that just bring back good memories.

I have tried to include the reasons why each song is included on the list, but some songs are on there just because I like them.

One more thing. The songs that I picked for each year are based on a number of factors including Billboard charts, rock encyclopedias, album release dates, single release dates and certain websites. I have tried to put the songs in the correct years, but some may be a year off. I'm only saying this because I know someone out there is going to try to correct me. So before you waste your time, don't.

Now without any further ado, let's star with...

1972

The year I was born. A lot of great songs were released in 1972. Granted, it took me a few years before I started to recognize the songs, but once I started listening to music, I never stopped.

A Horse With No Name by America

I didn't know it when it came out, but this would eventually be the first song I would ever learn to play on the guitar.

American Pie by Don McLean

I didn't know Buddy Holly when I first heard this song. Granted, I had probably heard a few of his songs, but I had no idea who he was and what an influence to musicians he was at the time.

Even when I heard "American Pie" I had no idea it was about Buddy Holly, but I did know that whoever Don McLean was singing about, meant something to him.

This eight and half minute epic needs to be read to be fully understood. Check out Jim Fann's interpretation of American Pie. It's quite extensive.

Burning Love by Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was the King from March 1956 until about October 1962, with 17 Number One Hits. Then music started to change. The English bands were starting to make themselves known and the Beatles were ready to take the world by storm.

Ten years later, an older, more mature Elvis hit the charts - Number 2 - with a song called "Burning Love". It would be his final Top Ten hit, but it just proved that the King was not dead.

Five years later, when he passed away, I was five-years-old. I didn't know a lot about him at the time, but I knew that the world lost a King.

Changes by David Bowie

I have to admit, my introduction to David Bowie was "Under Pressure". Sure, I knew that he sang songs before that, but the first time I actually remember putting a name to the voice was on "Under Pressure". (Hey, it could be worse. I could know him as the guy in Labyrinth.)

Anyway, after hearing that song, I decided to check out the rest of his songs, I just didn't know where to start.

I listened to a classic rock station at the time (Rock 103!) and I would call them and ask them to play Bowie. (Believe it or not, there was a time in radio where you could actually request songs.) I didn't have any song titles, I just wanted to hear anything by the man, because I figured the DJ would pick the best stuff.

The song that I heard was "Changes" and the DJ (Barry Moll, I think) said "Here's some requested David Bowie." I listened closely because I felt that I owed it to the DJ.

I was totally blown away!

Not only with the song, but the fact that I called a radio station and the guy played a song for me.

That was my first step in wanting to work in radio for a living.

Could it Be I’m Falling In Love by The Spinners



Day After Day by Badfinger

I think it's fair to say that Badfinger had one of the worst runs of bad luck than any other band in rock music. (Def Leppard comes close, though.)

In 1970, Pete Ham & Tom Evans wrote a song called "Without You". That song would - two years later - become a Number One hit for Harry Nilsson (see below) and later, a Number Three Hit for Mariah Carey.

About the same time, their group, Badfinger, was one of the first groups to sign on the Beatles' Apple label.

From there, luck kept going their way. They helped John Lennon on his Imagine album, Paul McCartney asked them to sing a song for the Peter Sellers movie, The Magic Christian, they had three singles hit the Top Ten, with George Harrison produced "Day After Day" breaking the Top Five.

Yep, everything was going perfect.

Then they realized that Apple was going under. The band signed a contract with Warner Bros., but their songs were on the Apple label. After the Apple label went under, the royalties of their songs were tied up in legal matters, costing the band thousands of dollars.

By 1974, they were in debt and the lawyers were still working out the situation. Pete Ham, seeing that he would never get anything he had coming to him, hung himself in April 1975.

The troubles for the surviving band members continued until November 1983, when Tom Evans hanged himself, also.

The band will never know how much of an influence they had a guy in Salt Lake City, Utah. They would have no idea that, when he was trying to get his child to sleep, he would sometimes sing:

I remember holding you while you sleep
Everyday I feel the tears that you weep
Looking out of my lonely gloom day after day
Bring it home baby make it soon
I give my love to you

Do It Again by Steely Dan

STUPID FACT: One of the early versions of this band was called "The Leather Canary". The drummer at this time was actor Chevy Chase.

Steely Dan is one of those bands that people often confuse as being a person.

"Steely Dan? Yeah, I love his songs."

The simple fact of the matter is, there's not even a Dan in the group. There's a Donald (Fagen) and a Walter (Becker), but no Steely and no Dan. (Truth is, they got their name from a book called "Naked Lunch".)

Do It Again was their first big hit. I don't know if I have any big memories with this song except that whenever I hear it on the radio, my stereo is turned up and suddenly I am singing my guts out with the band.

Eric the Half a Bee by Monty Python

I love Monty Python. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this skit/song. In fact, I go by the name of "Eric Chase" on one of the radio stations I work for and I use this quite a bit.

Do yourself a favor, find this - complete with the skit that precedes the song - and laugh until your sides hurt.

Everything I Own by Bread

My brother played guitar. I remember back when I was younger that he used to play a lot of Cat Stevens, James Taylor, John Denver and Bread.

He probably played a lot more, but those are the artists that I associate with his guitar-playing.

The lyrics of "Everything I Own" are amazing. While a lot of people use it as their wedding song, it was actually written - according to David Gates - for his dad after he had passed away.

This is one of the few songs that I've been trying to teach my daughters to like so they will choose it as the "Daddy/Daughter" dance at their weddings.

About 35 years from now.

Heart of Gold by Neil Young

Hold Your Head Up by Argent

I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash

I liked this song long before they used it in the opening scene of Grosse Pointe Blank, but that sealed the deal.

I'll Take You There by Staple Singers

Joy by Apollo 100

Layla by Derek and The Dominos


Lean On Me by Bill Withers

Let’s Stay Together by Al Green

I almost feel like this list was picked after I watched a Tarantino festival.

If I had could only pick 18 songs to be on burned compilation CD, and then that CD would be the only CD I would ever own, you better believe that this song would be on there.

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) by The Hollies

I always thought this was Creedence Clearwater Revival. In fact, when I was 13 or 14, I bought the Creedence Chronicles cassette tape from Columbia House Record Club, assuming that it would include this song. Needless to say, I was very disappointed when I didn't find it on the cassette.

Never Been To Spain by Three Dog Night

The only reason I even started liking this song is because I heard Elvis sing it on the Madison Square Garden concert.

STUPID FACT: This song was written by Hoyt Axton, who also wrote "Joy to the World". His mom, Mae Axton, co-wrote "Heartbreak Hotel."

Nights In White Satin by Moody Blues

When I was younger, I used to listen to a morning radio show called "Jon & Dan". They used to play a fake commercial called "Arnold Sings the Beatles."

In the commercial - a parody of K-Tel ads where they sell useless compilations - the announcer would talk and then you'd hear an Arnold impersonator singing along with the Beatles.

It continued to say that if you called now, you'd also get "Arnold Sings the Doobies" and "Arnold Sings the Moody Blues."

At that point, the Arnold would say "Breathe deep the gathering gloom, Watch lights fade from every room".

Every time I heard it, I would laugh.

Oh Girl by The Chi-Lites

Peaceful, Easy Feeling by The Eagles

When I was teaching myself to play the guitar - the thirteenth time - I really wanted to learn this song. I kept getting stuck on the chord where it says, "I got a peaceful, easy feeling." I would play the chord and sing, "I got a pea..." and then I would screw-up the chord and go back. "I got a pea..."


About this time, I noticed that my wife was laughing. I had been so focused on trying to get the chord, I had no idea why she was laughing."Why do you keep saying that you gotta pee?" she asked.

I still can't listen to this song without thinking of that.

Rocket Man by Elton John


Rocky Mountain High by John Denver

A lot of my music influence comes from my older brothers & sister. My sister loved John Denver almost as much as she loved Barry Manilow.

While there are plenty of John Denver songs that I can honestly say I love, this is probably my all-time favorite.

Saturday In The Park by Chicago

School’s Out by Alice Cooper


Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple



Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin

One of my favorite parts in Wayne's World was when Wayne went to the guitar store to check out "Excalibur", the Fender strat that he had his eye on.

As he was about to break into song, the clerk points to a sign that says "No Stairway to Heaven."

Wayne looks at the camera and says, "No Stairway. Denied."

I think every guy who has ever picked up a guitar laughed at that, knowing that we all learned to play guitar for one simple reason: To play "Stairway to Heaven."

Interesting Fact: This song never hit the Top 40 in the United States, yet if you ask most people to name a Led Zeppelin song, this would be the one they would name.

Stuck in the Middle by Stealers Wheel

Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty were a duo known as Stealers Wheel when they recorded this Dylanesque, pop, bubble-gum favorite...as K-Billy's Super Sounds of the Seventies continues."

I liked this song even before it showed up in Reservoir Dogs. I think my first attraction to it was because the group's name was "Stealers Wheel" and being a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, that made me want to like them.

But the song is quite catchy and I also am a big fan of Rafferty's work. ("Baker Street" and "Right Down the Line" will be on later lists.)

Superstition by Stevie Wonder

It's a trip, it's got a funky beat and I can bug out to it!

Taxi by Harry Chapin

Harry Chapin is one of the greatest storytelling songwriters of all-time. Unlike a lot of songs that are a bunch of words put together in a poetic form, Harry's songs have a beginning, a middle and an end.

Interesting thing about this song. I never really loved it until I went to see Mandy Patinkin in concert. Sure, I had heard it many times before that, but I didn't actually listen to this song until I was sitting there, listening to Mandy tell the story of two former lovers that meet again later in life.

The Cover of the Rolling Stone by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show

Let's be honest here. Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show were not what you'd call "magazine cover worthy."



But I think that is what makes this song work. Well, that and the tongue-in-cheek lyrics that mock a lot of the stupid things the artists of the 60's were doing.

Even though this song was released in 1972, it didn't actually hit the charts until February 1973. One month later, the band finally made the cover of Rolling Stone.

(Stupid Fact: This song was written by children's poet Shel Silverstein. Shel also wrote "A Boy Named Sue" which was made famous by Johnny Cash.)

Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed

I had heard this song quite a few times on the classic rock station that I used to listen to, but I never really got into it until it was used on a commercial for the Honda Scooter.

Without You by Nilsson

We're going to pretend that this is the only version of this song that you have ever heard. As far as we're concerned, Mariah Carey never sang it and Air Supply definitely didn't sing it.

(I will, however, give credit to Heart, but that's just because I wanted to marry Ann or Nancy when I was younger.)

You Don’t Mess Around With Jim by Jim Croce

Like so many before him, Jim Croce died before he could really become a star. And also - like many before him - his death was due to a plane crash.

Four simple rules are found in this song:

1. Don't tug on Superman's cape
2. Don't spit into the wind
3. Don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
4. Don't mess around with Jim

Whenever I hear this song on the "Oldies" station, I find myself singing along.