What is the Greatest Song Of All Time, and why is it “Fish Heads”?*
Support Life And Music seeks to transform the musical world into a safer, less treacherous, more survivable place, and part of that mission is to communicate the fundamental human need for music and its creators, benefitting us as individuals and for our shared global cultures. There are songs that have transformed and inspired multitudes across generations. The “Greatest Songs of All Time, Like Ever” S.L.A.M. column will present musings/essays/articles/quotes on the most awesome, important, and culturally impactful songs ever released.
Music is life, blood, intellect, heart, and soul.
More than the music itself, though, as recordings of notes in patterns and rhythms, it’s the connection and impact of music that is transcendental, that is important, that is vital. People only bond on emotional levels with four things: other living beings, visuals, stories, and – – music.* Each of those kinds of connections feels unique; e.g.: your deep fandoms for Spider-Man (or Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Bernie Sanders, Sydney Sweeney, Martin Scorsese, Bridget Jones, Robin Williams, your cat, etc.) are not the same as your swooning for your favorite songs. It’s this blissful connection that we wish to discuss and understand better. Rapturous musical affinity doesn’t require greatness or grandeur; you can feel something in your bones for a jingle or a ringtone. But the momentary endorphin rush of a pleasant or catchy melody can’t be equated to the profound experience of one of the GSoATLE. These are the songs which change our lives, and which change our shared society.
So, to answer one of the questions in your mind: what will qualify a song for analysis in this series? Topping Billboard charts? Grammy Awards? Getting played at weddings and/or funerals? When every drunk in the bar sings along to it on the jukebox? Covered by Kidz Bop? Must the “Must Song” recipient be some kind of enduring cultural phenomenon, or can it be an obscure personal favorite? Well, none of the above would disqualify a song from this feature. . . But no. S.L.A.M.’s chief writer and founder, Jack Mangan, along with guest writers, will be identifying the GSoATLE by a more intangible qualities, a sense of widespread human resonance to them, songs that appear to be profoundly and enduringly meaningful to a large number of people. The criteria for inclusion will not be based on anyone’s personal tastes, although biases will come through in the analyses.
So, “The Macarena” and its dance have been inescapable since it was unleashed in the 1990s. Will that be covered? Probably not, but you’ll just have to keep reading to find out. . . “Beat It” was a massive phenomenon when it hit; will it be listed as a GSoATLE? Or is “Eat It” more worthy? Beethoven’s “Fur Elise?” “Stairway to Heaven?” “Respect?” “Hey Jude?” “Rhapsody in Blue?” “Fight the Power?” “Just a Friend?” (RIP Biz Markie) “Islands in the Stream?” “Smells Like Teen Spirit” “Imagine?” “The Salaminizer?” “Theme from ‘Star Wars?’” “Superstition?” “Free Bird!!”
Feel free to make suggestions. And please, keep reading and keep listening.
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*The Barnes and Barnes classic absurdity was a Dr. Demento favorite.
**Forgive me if you feel like food and drink should be in this list. I won’t discount the culinary as an artform; I just think a plate of amazing food is too far afield from the things I listed.