My Hot 100 - #75 - 51

It's time for Part 2 of my 100 favorite songs of all time! (Check out Part 1 if you haven't already.) These are the songs that have permanent status on my YouTube and Spotify playlists. Just a quick reminder: I am only counting one song per artist, soloists and their bands count as two artists, and all genres and musical eras are fair game.

Let's get to it!

#75 - "She's Got Issues" - The Offspring

I got into The Offspring with their Americana album. That's some awesome punk rock there! While all the attention on MTV went to "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)", I took to "She's Got Issues" more. Considering that I was between relationships at the time, I identified with how women could be a real pain. This could've been a very bitter track, but it has a great sense of humor throughout.

#74 - "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen

What else can I say about Freddy Mercury's magnum opus? It's the reason I created my "Epic" Playlist years ago! It's one of the most grand-scale rock songs ever made! Check out my previous article for more details.

#73 - "Learning To Fly" - Pink Floyd

I know what you're thinking. What? You're picking a Pink Floyd track that doesn't have Roger Waters? Why not something from Dark Side of the Moon or The Wall? Apart from those being way too obvious and my not wanting to be too predictable, I just love the trance-like feel to this one. Listening to it feels like a spirit quest, a far cry from how harsh prog rock tends to be.

#72 - "Say My Name" - Destiny's Child

I generally don't care for Beyoncé. I find her superiority complex rather grating. However, when teamed up with the rest of Destiny's Child, her normally harsh stance becomes more palatable. "Say My Name" is one of the strongest R&B tracks of the last 30 years with its driving beat and rapid-fire lyrics that feel like genuine rage rather than just the man-bashing Queen B would become infamous for later.

#71 - "Sunny Came Home" - Shawn Colvin

When I talked about Arlo Guthrie, I mentioned that I'm not that big into folk rock. He was one of the exceptions, and so is Shawn Colvin. "Sunny Came Home" provides the perfect image of a relationship falling apart with Colvin's soft vocals and no-nonsense lyrics. It feels like something tailor-made for the Lilith Fair scene, timely and timeless at the same time. And speaking of the Lilith Fair...

#70 - "Building a Mystery" - Sarah McLachlan

Here's the face and voice of the Lilith Fair herself! Sarah McLachlan has a gorgeous voice, but it feels mostly wasted on the softer-than-soft easy listening tracks she normally performs. "Building a Mystery" gives her a chance to rock out, and it works flawlessly! The jangly guitars and hard beat complement her beautiful voice effortlessly. It's like if Enya teamed up with The Wallflowers. (Say, that's an idea!)

#69 - "Smooth Operator" - Sade

I said in Part 1 that there'd be plenty more sax solos in the rest of the list. Here's the proof. "Smooth Operator" would've scored a spot just for that sax opening, but the whole song is one of the sexiest tracks of the 80's. The smooth jazz rhythm grabbed my attention, and Sade's silky voice held it. It's such a slick song that you'd almost forget its lyrics are about a lying, cheating scumbag.

#68 - "Honesty" - Billy Joel

It was almost impossible to pick just one Billy Joel song for this list; almost his entire discography is a must-listen. What put "Honesty" over "Uptown Girl" or "The Longest Time" is just that it is one of the most well-built soft rock songs ever. It plays to every one of Joel's strengths perfectly but with extra soul.

#67 - "La Isla Bonita" - Madonna

Madonna doing Latin pop would seem wrong in today's overly PC culture (if you ignore her acclaim playing Evita Perón), but she gives the genre all the care and respect possible with "La Isla Bonita". The rhythm feels authentic enough for any of Gloria Estefan's songs, the Spanish guitar comes in at the just the right times, and the restraint in Madonna's voice makes the song extra hypnotic. ¡Qué bellissima!

#66 - "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" - Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes is one of the greatest rappers in the history of the whole genre, and this song shows him off more than any other. I can't tell what's more impressive, his ability to craft rhymes that can run whole verses or his rapid-fire delivery. Even though it's as boastful as a lot of 90's rap tended to be, his creativity with his lyrics and flow make me want to keep up with him.

#65 - "The Way" - Fastball

I struggled to come up with insightful commentary on this 1998 alternative masterpiece. It is a perfect fusion of 60's and 90's rock sensibilities. It almost manages to find a way to tell a story of child abandonment while staying upbeat. I mentioned before that songs with that dichotomy always fascinate me, and Fastball scored on that one big time!

#64 - "Nothing Else Matters" - Metallica

I'm not a metalhead. However, I was drawn to this Metallica staple quickly. It's an extremely well-built rock ballad. Metallica are known for being technical perfectionists on their hardest tracks like "Master of Puppets", but they proved that can carry that precision to something slower easily. Also, James Hetfield's voice can be quite pleasant without having to growl all the time.

#63 - "California Dreamin'" - The Mamas and the Papas

This is the oldest song in my Hot 100. That's right; there are no Beatles, Stones, Byrds, or Herman's Hermits. The Mamas and the Papas got on to the list for two things. First, a song about going out West really resonates with me. Second, they have the best harmonies of any group not named the Beach Boys.

#62 - "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" - Green Day

Depending on who you ask, American Idiot is either Green Day at their best or the most sell-out of sell-outs. I fall in between for the album in general, but this song is easily one of the trio's best. While more polished than most the group's earlier work, it still speaks of the kind of disillusionment that the group often addressed. This punk piece just speaks to me.

#61 - "The Great Beyond" - R.E.M.

Forget "Shiny Happy People"; this is the right way for R.E.M. to do optimism! While a much simpler song than "Man on the Moon" or "Losing My Religion", it gets across its ideas of hope within chaos a lot better than other R.E.M. songs. It's a perfect fit for a movie about Andy Kaufmann; that's for sure!

#60 - "You Don't Know How It Feels" - Tom Petty

No other song... and I do mean NO other song... sums up who I am more than this Tom Petty track. It doesn't mince words. It's so blunt with its message, it could be used as a stun club. Aside from the part about rolling joints, this song describes me to a T, both what's said and how it's said.

#59 - "Back For Good" - Take That

I have nothing against boy bands as long as they do good work. The fact that the Backstreet Boys already showed up on my list is proof of that. Take That's only U.S. hit is on the list for no reason other than it being a phenomenal pop ballad. Gary Barlow did such a great job with the lead vocals on this one that it's a shame he didn't have a bigger career outside the U.K.

#58 - "Whenever, Wherever" - Shakira

The best Latin pop is as spicy as the best Mexican food, and Colombia's second greatest export (after coffee) Shakira definitely delivers! I really don't have much to say. It's just an amazingly catchy tune, and Shakira grabs your attention instantly even if you aren't looking at the video (though she is stunning in the video, certainly).

#57 - "Tom Sawyer" - Rush

Gedde Lee's band Rush are prog rock legends alongside Pink Floyd, and "Tom Sawyer" shows off their skills more than anything else they ever recorded. Yes, even more than "YYZ". The lyrics don't make much sense, but that can easily be forgiven. The instrumentation is beyond compare. It just sounds cool! Little wonder an episode of Chuck revolves around it!

#56 - "Baker Street" - Gerry Rafferty

Here's another memorable sax part, and it's attached to one of the greatest tunes of the 70's. While I can't identify with the idea of drinking away your sorrows, I can definitely understand all-encompassing weariness. Gerry Rafferty captures the feeling of fatigue with life perfectly. It's outright heartbreaking.

#55 - "Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum

Speaking of heartbreak, here's some country music! While country music being miserable is a bit of a cliché, Lady Antebellum took that cliché and gave it some much needed sincerity. It helps that it has some of the best production work Nashville ever put out, and the duel vocals of Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley meshed flawlessly to provide the feel of two sides having missed connections. This song definitely gets the tears flowing.

#54 - "Uptown Funk" - Mark Ronson (Feat. Bruno Mars)

I really don't have to say anything here. It's one of the biggest hits of the past decade. It's in my Upbeat Playlist from last year. It's a modern funk masterpiece! Seriously, there's no way it wasn't making my Hot 100!

#53 - "Wonderwall" - Oasis

Oasis wanted to be the Beatles of the 90's. I think I mentioned that before. Funny enough, their smallest scale song is actually their best. Like most of their songs, the lyrics are very oblique, but Liam Gallagher's singing lends the words power nonetheless. Restraint on the production served them well here, too. However, since Oasis made the cut...

#52 - "Country House" - Blur

Blur had to, as well! Damon Albarn may not think highly of this track nowadays, but it's my favorite. Blur tears apart how stupid it can be for the perpetually advantaged to be despondent, but they do it in a way that's just a lot of fun to listen to. Modern life may be rubbish, but Blur can always find a great way to sing about it.

#51 - "Smooth Criminal" - Michael Jackson

This song (along with its legendary video) is pure undiluted coolness.

Do I REALLY need to say anything else? Come on! It's Michael Jackson, for crying out loud!

Seriously, if the freakin' King of Pop himself couldn't crack the top 50 on my list, who could? Check in next time for Part 3, and hit me up on Twitter if you want to gripe about my musical tastes! See ya!