gARTh's 2002 Movie Awards

WINNERS: 2002

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Film:
Hero (Ying xiong)

Director:
Roman Polanski - The Pianist

Actor:
Daniel Day-Lewis - Gangs of New York

Actress:
Julianne Moore - Far from Heaven

Supporting Actor:
Chris Cooper - Adaptation.

Supporting Actress:
Catherine Zeta-Jones - Chicago

Adapted Screenplay:
Charlie Kaufman & Donald Kaufman - Adaptation.

Original Screenplay:
Todd Haynes - Far from Heaven

Editing:
The Hours

Cinematography:
Road to Perdition

Stuntwork:
Hero (Ying xiong)

Art Direction:
Gangs of New York

Costume Design:
Frida

Make-Up:
Gangs of New York

Visual Effects:
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Sound Mixing:
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Music - Original Score:
Thomas Newman - Road to Perdition

Music - Original Song:
Eminem - "Lose Yourself" - 8-Mile

Music - Use of Previously Recorded Song; Feature:
Moby - "Extreme Ways" - The Bourne Identity

Music - Use of Previously Recorded Song; Trailer:
Elton John - "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" - Moonlight Mile

Animated Feature Film:
Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi)

Documentary Feature Film:
Bowling for Columbine

Foreign Language Film:
Hero (Ying xiong) - China

Animated Performance:
Andy Serkis - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Villainous Performance:
Dwight Yoakam - Panic Room

Comedic Performance:
Bruce Campbell - Bubba Ho-tep

Cameo / Bit-Part Performance:
John Travolta - Austin Powers in Goldmember

Breakthrough Performance:
Marshall "Eminem" Mathers - 8 Mile

Breakthrough Filmmaker:
D.J. Caruso - The Salton Sea

Cast:
Catch Me If You Can

Scene:
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - The battle begins at Helm's Deep.

Quote:
Gangs of New York - "I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. So because you are lukewarm, I will spew you out of my mouth. You can build your filthy world without me. I took the father. Now I'll take the son. You tell young Vallon I'm gonna paint Paradise Square with his blood. Two coats. I'll festoon my bedchamber with his guts. As for you, Mr. Tammany-fucking-Hall, you come down to the Points again, and you'll be dispatched by my own hand. Get back to your celebration and let me eat in peace."

Tagline:
Gangs of New York - "America was born in the streets."

Poster Art: (select link to view)
Adaptation. (One Sheet)

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Most Underrated Film:

Films that did not receive a wide release, were unsuccessful at the box office, were not nominated for any major awards or receive acclaim at any major film festivals, and were generally unknown to most audiences at the time of their release... but were well-liked by most critics and audiences that did happen to see them.

Interstate 60 - Written and Directed by Bob Gale.

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Special Achievement Award:

David Fincher, Conrad W. Hall, and Darius Khondji (Panic Room)

Prior to 2008, I didn't write long-winded reasons why the film or person(s) won, but briefly:

The cinematography, the use of computer generated shots and how they intergrate into the real ones, and the indescribable amount of time and effort put into the art direction so that the camera could flow freely through walls, floors and other obstructions creates a look and feel unparralelled in a film like this. The work paid off, and while the film itself may pale in comparison to the technical acheivements involved in its creation, I commend those technical achievements wholeheartedly.

gARTh's 2001 Movie Awards

WINNERS: 2001

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Film:
A Beautiful Mind

Director:
David Lynch - Mulholland Drive

Actor:
Russell Crowe - A Beautiful Mind

Actress:
Nicole Kidman - Moulin Rouge!

Supporting Actor:
Jude Law - A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Supporting Actress:
Jennifer Connelly - A Beautiful Mind

Adapted Screenplay:
Todd Field & Robert Festinger - In the Bedroom

Original Screenplay:
Christopher Nolan & Jonathan Nolan - Memento

Editing:
Black Hawk Down

Cinematography:
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Stuntwork:
Black Hawk Down

Art Direction:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Costume Design:
Moulin Rouge!

Make-Up:
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Visual Effects:
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Sound Mixing:
Black Hawk Down

Music - Original Score:
Howard Shore - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Music - Original Song:
Randy Newman - "If I Didn't Have You" - Monsters, Inc.

Music - Use of Previously Recorded Song; Feature:
José Feliciano, Nicole Kidman, Jacek Koman, Ewan McGregor & Richard Roxburgh (Sting) - "El Tango de Roxanne" - Moulin Rouge!

Music - Use of Previously Recorded Song; Trailer:
Billy Corgan - "Reflect (Time)" - From Hell

Animated Feature Film:
Monsters, Inc.

Documentary Feature Film:
Murder on a Sunday Morning

Foreign Language Film:
Amelie (Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain) - France

Animated Performance:
Mike Myers - Shrek

Villainous Performance:
Alan Ford - Snatch

Comedic Performance:
Will Ferrell - Zoolander

Cameo / Bit-Part Performance:
David Duchovny - Zoolander

Breakthrough Performance:
Dakota Fanning - I Am Sam

Breakthrough Filmmaker:
Richard Kelly - Donnie Darko

Cast:
Ocean's Eleven

Scene:
Training Day - The neighborhood turns their back on Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) after his fight with Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke).

Quote:
Memento - "I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can't remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still there. Do I believe the world's still there? Is it still out there?... Yeah. We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I'm no different."

Tagline:
Hannibal - "The silence will be broken."

Poster Art: (select link to view)
Blow (One Sheet)

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Most Underrated Film:

Films that did not receive a wide release, were unsuccessful at the box office, were not nominated for any major awards or receive acclaim at any major film festivals, and were generally unknown to most audiences at the time of their release... but were well-liked by most critics and audiences that did happen to see them.

The Cat's Meow - Directed by Peter Bogdanovich. Written by Steven Peros.

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Special Achievement Award:

Baz Luhrman and the cast and crew of Moulin Rouge!

Prior to 2008, I didn't write long-winded reasons why the film or person(s) won, but briefly:

This movie (even if it's not your thing), is one of the most ambitious and creative films in modern film history. It is quite possibly the most artistic mainstream film I've ever seen. The ideas involved are original, and unique (doubt you'll ever see anything like this again), and (even if it's not your thing) all those involved, from the director to the stars to the choreographers to the sound editors to the costumers to the production designers to the composer to the lighting techs, give 110%, bringing audiences something they truly had never seen before. Most people I know that don't enjoy the film either don't enjoy musicals in general or don't enjoy the songs used. That's all well and good and it's their opinion, but one cannot deny the creative genius and, well, balls it takes to pull a film like this off, much less make it as good as it is. To Baz Luhrman, I thank you for bringing back film musicals (two years before "Chicago" took all the credit) and for bringing them back in a way that celebrates not only the art of telling a story through song, but songs that are relevant to modern culture and in a style that celebrates the cinema, pop music, the theater, and the arts.

gARTh's 2000 Movie Awards

WINNERS: 2000

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Film:
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long)

Director:
Steven Soderbergh - Traffic

Actor:
Geoffrey Rush - Quills

Actress:
Joan Allen - The Contender

Supporting Actor:
Willem Dafoe - Shadow of the Vampire

Supporting Actress:
Frances McDormand - Almost Famous

Adapted Screenplay:
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Original Screenplay:
Cameron Crowe - Almost Famous

Editing:
Requiem for a Dream

Cinematography:
Sunshine

Stuntwork:
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long)

Art Direction:
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long)

Costume Design:
Gladiator

Make-Up:
The Cell

Visual Effects:
X-Men

Sound Mixing:
Gladiator

Music - Original Score:
Clint Mansell & Kronos Quartet - Requiem for a Dream

Music - Original Song:
Bob Dylan - "Things Have Changed" - Wonder Boys

Music - Use of Previously Recorded Song; Feature:
Elton John - "Tiny Dancer" - Almost Famous

Music - Use of Previously Recorded Song; Trailer:
Control Machete & Ely Guerra - "Amores Perros" - Amores Perros

Animated Feature Film:
Chicken Run

Documentary Feature Film:
Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport

Foreign Language Film:
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long) - Taiwan

Animated Performance:
Patrick Warburton - The Emperor's New Groove

Villainous Performance:
Michael Caine - Quills

Comedic Performance:
Jim Carrey - Me, Myself & Irene

Cameo / Bit-Part Performance:
Bruce Springsteen - High Fidelity

Breakthrough Performance:
Jamie Bell - Billy Elliot

Breakthrough Filmmaker:
Alejandro González Iñárritu - Amores Perros

Cast:
Traffic

Scene:
Almost Famous - The band Stillwater and their traveling entourage are brought closer together by the power of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer."

Quote:
High Fidelity - "What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"

Tagline:
Traffic - "No one gets away clean."

Poster Art:
U-571 (One Sheet 2)

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Most Underrated Film:

Films that did not receive a wide release, were unsuccessful at the box office, were not nominated for any major awards or receive acclaim at any major film festivals, and were generally unknown to most audiences at the time of their release... but were well-liked by most critics and audiences that did happen to see them.

Animal Factory - Directed by Steve Buscemi. Written by Edward Bunker and John Steppling. Based on the novel by Edward Bunker.

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Special Achievement Award:

Bryan Singer's X-Men (Shared with Hugh Jackman)

Prior to 2008, I didn't write long-winded reasons why the film or person(s) won, but briefly:

Bryan Singer, with the help of the screen presence of the previously unknown actor Hugh Jackman, helped save Marvel Films from themselves by finally delivering a previously established Marvel comics property as a film that was actually a hit. Technically, "Blade" came out 2 years before this, but the success of that film wasn't based on it's comic fanbase, it was also a Wesley Snipes action vehicle, and a vampire horror film, and many other things that would make for a successful film besides its comic book roots. "X-Men" was the first Marvel Comics film that the public recognized as a comic film, that was a box office smash, and paved the way for the comic book adaptation phenomenon that would come in 2002 with "Spider-Man." It's also helpful to note that the last few comic book related films that were 'superhero' films, were the DC Comics films "Batman & Robin" and "Steel" which were box office poison, so it also helped revitalize the superhero film genre for other studios, as well.

gARTh's Movie Awards: A Brief History...

I recently went back through and filled in some holes, gaps and years-off in my Movie Awards lists. At first it was just for my own overly-attentive and geeky organization purposes, but then it evolved so that I might share the results of all the years I've been keeping up with it.

The history of my desire to do an end-of-year "Awards" list came from my disdain for the major film awards shows and their lack of consistency, their politiking, and the fact that they leave off great films that were either unprofitable (not necessarily a telling sign of a film's quality) or that simply came out too early in a year to be remembered by the time the lists began to be tallied (which is ridiculous in the digital age, by the way... I mean, if I can look online to see what films came out in the first quarter of a year, why can't The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or The Hollywood Foreign Press? Do these people not own a computer?).

Anyway, so in 1999 I'd had enough, and while sitting in my Trinkle Hall dorm room at Radford University I created a list of nominees that reflected my and my friends' personal tastes, and catered to underdog films and performances usually deemed unworthy of any artistic recognition. In my experience, the films that I love are generally not the ones that win Best Picture (and I don't think I'm alone on this), so why not create something that would place a film like "The Matrix" as an equal to a film like "The Cider House Rules," instead of relegating such a film to just Visual Effects and Sound Mixing awards. Anyway, I ran off copies and handed 'em out to my friends and we all voted and it was just a bit of fun. I remember thinking then that the next time I'd put more effort into it to create a more thorough and comprehensive list. And that I did, for the next few years anyway.

By that time I was running my movie-related website Salty Cracker Pictures (R.I.P.), and so from 2000-2003 the Salty Cracker Movie Awards were posted on that site. I'd laid out a full range of categories that took their cues from a multitude or places, from the Oscars to MTV's Movie Awards (I've always thought the Best Villain award was a cool idea). As the website became harder to keep up with, so did I slack on keeping up with the awards. I kept up with movies, of course, just not the end-of-year accolades I'd generally give out.

In 2008, amidst the popularity of Myspace, I began the 'voting' thing. It made sense that with the advent of social networking I didn't have to narrow down these films on my own anymore, I could invite other opinions into the mix, thus making my Awards list something more official, more real. And that's what I've been doing ever since.

So I now present to you the winners of the years 2000-2010. From 2008 forward they were voted on (except for categories that were added later than the year in question), and all the years prior were tallied up by me (I put a lot of work into these, pondering and deciding and such, so if you don't like the results: eat me).

For this list, I also added a new category, The Most Underrated Film category, which is essentially films that received good reviews and were well-liked by audiences, but bombed at the box office or barely got a limited theatrical release. Films that, in short, should have been bigger and more recognized than they were.

There are a few Winners on these lists that I know aren't going to go over well with those of you that now have the Oscar winners burned into your memories, but I tried to do what I always do, which is balance out the awards a bit. I don't choose films or performances based on popularity. In fact, there are plenty of films I give a lot of credit to that are widely viewed as being 'garbage.' I have a personal hatred for the more recent 'jumping on the "hate this movie" bandwagon' disease that infects online movie buffs that read too many reviews written by morons that pretend to be experts, and I can only hope that one day people will regain their freedom to judge a movie on their own without all of these outside opinions clouding their vision. (I mean, if you go to see a movie on opening night and you've been sitting around all day reading reviews about the film that attack it and point out flaws and so on, what are you going to be paying attention to when you watch the film? You sure as hell aren't going in with an open mind, that's for sure. And you can try to convince yourself that these outside opinions don't influence your own at all, but you'd be lying). Anyway, to get back on point... I try to include movies that I feel are unfairly viewed as inferior films right next to the ones that are critically acclaimed.

That's it. I'll be posting up one a day, or something like that, so check back regularly so you can yell at me because I didn't pick your favorites. (I actually feel that I corrected some grievous errors made by the Oscars over the years, but maybe that's just me).

- gARTh -

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: Epilogue

The Top 50 are songs that represent some particular time in my life and could, if put in chronological order of when I started listening to it, sort of tell the "Story of Garth." To completely tell that story, I'd have to include damn near every song I've ever heard (my original list was almost 300 songs, and that was before I had put a lot of thought into it, so obviously I had to whittle it down a bit). These 10 'Honorable Mentions' are songs that still stand out and are still an integral part of 'Me,' but just not as much as the Top 50.

A Few Honorable Mentions (Listed alphabetically):

1. BLACKstreet's "No Diggity" (Featuring Dr. Dre) - Don't judge me! I like this song; always have, always will.
2. Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" - Liked it before, have come to love it the older I get.
3. Dire Straights' "Money for Nothing" - Every time I hear that guitar lick kick in, it's like hearing it for the first time.
4. Eminem's "'Till I Collapse" - My favorite song my Mr. Mathers, where he proved he could make a rhyme out of anything, even phlegm-hocking noises.
5. Foo Fighters' "Tired of You" - I love everything they do, but this one strikes an emotional chord with me.
6. Gonzo's "I'm Going to Go Back there Someday" from The Muppet Movie - Always brings a tear to my eye.
7. Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" - Another song that I've come to appreciate more and more as the years go by.
8. Gerard McMann's "Cry Little Sister" - A powerful goth-rock anthem, it's become much more to me than just the theme to an 80's vampire movie.
9. Procal Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale" - Heard this when I was young and thought it was beautiful, and it's stuck with me ever since.
10. Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" - Never fails to bring a smile to my face, and it's so infectious that I can't help but sing along.

At the end of the day, this list wasn't about songs that I think are great songs, or songs that will go down in history as the best these artists have done, or songs that represent the music of the latter half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. These are just 50 songs that I like, that have in some way shaped who I am and what I like to listen to. Some of them speak to me on personal levels, some I owe a debt of gratitude to for making me the person I am today, but most are just songs that I think are fun. I get tired of reading lists that include the "essentials" by bands that are obviously revered and artists that have obviously made an impact.

I find it hard to believe that everyone out there that really listens to music, when it comes down to their Top 50 trapped-on-a-desert-island must-haves, all choose the same songs by the same artists from the same list that Rolling Stone Magazine picks as the best songs of all time. There are plenty of songs that I know aren't very important in the scheme of things, but I personally can't live without. That's all this list is. I decided very early on to choose songs that I regularly listen to, and have regularly listened to for a little while, despite the popularity of the artist or the impact their careers have had. Judging solely on how much I personally like a song, and that's it.

A friend of mine helped inspire this list with a list of his own (that I think another list of mine had helped inspire... inspiration is a beautiful thing), and I've noticed that, true to his nature, he's choosing songs that he likes despite (or in spite, sometimes) of what others may think of that choice. And I liked that honesty, that 'sticking to your guns and not caring what anyone will think" nature of his list of songs. If editors working for Spin Magazine or Rolling Stone had that sort of constitution when creating their "official" lists, then those lists might mean more to more people.

Hope you enjoyed this, and I hope at one point during this list I sparked a conversation or two.

- gARTh -

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 50

50. "The Great American Nightmare" by Rob Zombie featuring Howard Stern

I'm a big fan of White Zombie. I liked the groove that Zombie and his cohorts were able to instill into what could've just been generic hard rock music. I liked the genre references, old monster and science fiction film clips and the like, that added a sense of fun into the proceedings (hard rockers and metal-heads take the music too seriously sometimes, trying too hard to be 'badass,' so it's good when some artists realize how goofy it all is and just have fun with it). When the band White Zombie split and Mr. Zombie himself took off on a solo career, it has steadily over the years lost the fun and cool it used to have. I don't mind it, I guess, but none of it's been the same as the high point just after the entire world was overtaken by "More Human Than Human." In the years just after that song was in every commercial, MTV News break, movie trailer and so on, Zombie took what would become the first of his solo-outings, creating a few songs for some film soundtracks (a move that would become a staple of his solo career). One of them was for the Howard Stern autobiography Private Parts, and featured backing vocals by Stern himself (using the same vocal filter that Zombie does, so their voices are damn near indistinguishable). It's got one of those guitar riffs that reminds me of why I like hard rock music, and the lyrics are some of the coolest Zombie ever wrote (he's not always known for making sense lyrically). It's just one of those songs I like to listen to. Its groovy and cool and fun and 'badass' all rolled in together, and never fails to play well on any mix tape/cd/playlist I've ever thrown it on.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 49

49. "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder

I've loved this song for as long as I can remember. When I was young (and I mean, really young) there was this Disney Channel program that had pop songs playing over inter-cut clips from various Disney related shows and films, sort of like Disney videos to pop songs. Anyway, there was one for this song, with clips of Maleficent and the Disney Sleepy Hollow and the wizard battle in Sword and the Stone, and I would go wild. I just loved the funk when I was a kid, I guess. Today, I still go wild for this song. The Jeff Beck composed drumbeat is infectious in the perfect way, the funky clavinet riff that's become so iconic that no one else could do it justice but Wonder, and the lyrics, with their playful beauty, that any other person would make seem corny. Wonder just plays it as it is, without going too dark and faux-creepy with it (can you imagine, anyone else in '74 doing a song about superstitious practices would've made the song in the vein of "The Monster Mash," or something just as cheesy). Instead, Wonder created one of the single coolest songs ever written.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 48

48. "Black Stacey" by Saul Williams

I was introduced to Saul Williams early on, with the film Slam, and while he was good and the film was cool, I didn't pay him any mind as an artist. Skip ahead about 6 or so years, and I was re-introduced to him as a music artist working with Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha on the song "Act III Scene 2 (Shakespeare)," which blew me away. I picked up the 2004 self-titled album not too long after and could not stop listening to it. From the first track to the twelfth and final, it was brilliant on so many levels and in so many ways that it always left me speechless. The auto-biographical "Black Stacey" always hit me with its message, its music and its raw intensity. It was beautiful and angry, sad and strong, humorous and self-deprecating, and more than anything else, honest and touching. Williams quickly became one of my most respected artists, and now anything he's involved in is an automatic purchase. I've seen him live and he's even more powerful without the studio polish. This song in particular, live, was an experience I'll not soon forget.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 47

47. "Duel of the Fates" by John Williams

Just because I like to listen to Danny Elfman more doesn't mean I can't give credit where credit is due, and this is John Williams' masterpiece. It doesn't play out like a film score, it doesn't need context or characters to have you appreciate the theme. It's just a brilliantly composed modern orchestral piece, and that repeating string arrangement coupled with the enchanting vocal work is probably one of the single coolest things I've ever heard. This song is much better than anything in the film it was written for, (for those living under rocks, that would be Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace), and not unlike Juno Reactor's "Navras" (which almost made this list) from the third Matrix film, I sort of wish the song could be separated away from the film for remembrance's sake. One hundred years from now (if humanity is still around) I don't want people to remember this song as just "that song written for the first Star Wars prequel," because that would be doing this piece a disservice.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 46

46. "Cowgirl" by Underworld

Yet another song that was introduced to me by the soundtrack to the film Hackers. I remember liking the song originally, and then liking it more and more as the years went by. The hypnotic hum of the bass, the slow build of the beats, and the lulling vocals that are not vocals in the standard musical form. These words are saying something, but it's not about the meaning; its about how the vocals become a part of the overall listening experience. The repetition of the words is used just as the bass and drums are, as an instrument. It's the first song I had ever heard that used vocals as a musical instrument and nothing more. I still find this song brilliant, as I do the entire album it came from, 1994's dubnobasswithmyheadman.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 45

45. "Jesus Christ Pose" by Soundgarden

Whenever I hear a song for the first time and think, "How in the world does someone play that?" it's usually a sign that I'm going to like it. Add to the mix that Chris Cornell can belt out his lines like no one since Robert Plant's glory days, and that the rest of the band was exploring sounds that preceded the movement they'd later be made a part of, and it's a song that'll stay with me. "Jesus Christ Pose" was first introduced to me playing over the opening credits to the film S.F.W. and not too long after I had the album, 1991's excellent Badmotorfinger. The song's lyrics, pointing out the flaws in the finger-pointing self-righteous, are clever and simplistic at the same time. The guitar work and drums are top-notch, Cornell's vocal abilities impress as usual, but it's the bass line of the song, more than anything else, that made me sit up and take notice, (I mean, seriously, holy shit!). It's a good song with, in my opinion, a good message, too (although those that need to hear it won't ever listen to this song).

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 44

44. "Stand Inside Your Love" by Smashing Pumpkins

Smashing Pumpkins are an acquired taste, due to the unusual voice of lead singer Billy Corgan, but I've always liked its frailty and his ability to be both soft and gentle and then immediately harsh and scary. His voice makes me believe in his lyrics that much more, because there's emotion in his words. Plus, besides Corgan's interesting vocal style, the band is really, really good at what they do. The song "Stand Inside Your Love" is one such example, and while it came at the end of an era for them, 2000's Machina: The Machines of God, I felt the song more than any before it. I adore the bass and guitar line to this song, and the darkness that it betrays. I love the imagery the lyrics unleash without having to. This is another cinematic song, another story-teller song, and yes, another love song (I'm a hopeless romantic, I can't help it), and my favorite song by a band that, while they may be unusual, have so many great, great songs.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 43

43. "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones

I've never been a huge Rolling Stones fan. In fact, whenever I see lists that try to tell me that "Satisfaction" or "Brown Sugar" are two of the best rock songs ever written, I generally go into an hour long rant about why I disagree... but I can't deny how much I love the song "Paint It Black." And I do realize how stupid it is that a kid who likes The Crow and Nine Inch Nails and the whole industrial scene had to pick a song called "Paint It Black" of all the songs they released, but I actually love this song. I think, more so than many of The Stones songs that are just as or more recognized, it has a feel, a palpable silky primal darkness, that compares to no other song before or since. I can appreciate The Stones, and they do have a lot of good songs ("Sympathy for the Devil" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" are also tracks I love). "Paint It Black" is the one song by them that stands above what I dislike about the band, and remains a song that I don't have to completely like the band to like listening to.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 42

42. "Know Your Enemy" by Rage Against the Machine

One of the most important bands of the last 20 years, Rage did what no one was doing yet... making hard rock music with rap-infused vocals... and they did it before it was cool to do so. Their entire self-titled debut, with De la Rocha's flow, style and passion and Morello's singular guitar-playing sound, is a masterpiece of politically fueled "rise up against those that mean to put you down" anthems that one can't help but get caught up in, but the track that always stuck out was "Know Your Enemy." The guitar riff is so infectious that, in another life, it could have been made for the dance-hall instead of the frontlines, the bass and drum groove is energetic and fun. But there's another side to the song, and De la Rocha's screaming, and the sudden halting the music takes during the bridge, drive that home. This song may sound fun, and it may be fun to listen and jam out to, but what it's about isn't really all that fun. There's a message here, and they want you to pay attention. I guess I did, because I was hooked, and have been ever since. (Plus it doesn't hurt that Maynard James Keenan makes an appearance).

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 41

41. "The Show Must Go On" by Queen

As cinematic as I believe Queen could ever get, this song is like experiencing an entire Broadway production in the span of 5 minutes. The synth strings are memorable and mood-setting, then Mercury's iconic and unmatched voice comes in, singing some of the best lyrics the band ever wrote, then belting them as only he can do. As the chorus kicks in, (and it really kicks in), with May's guitars, Deacon's bass and Taylor's drums coming in full-on, the song builds to an emotional high and then falls back again to frail moments of beauty and sadness. I absolutely love this song, and I always get swept away. Queen is one of those band's that have so many great songs to choose from, but there's always that one song that speaks to you more than others, and this song, the final track on 1991's Innuendo, their last studio album before Mercury's death, has always hit me pretty hard.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 40

40. "REV 22:20" by Puscifer

This song is a vice. Its one of those songs that, lyrically, I don't know if I should like it as much as I do... but I can't help myself. Again, it all goes back to Maynard James Keenan's voice, although having ex-Nine Inch Nails collaborator Danny Lohner on music duties and actress/singer Milla Jovovich lending some feminine backing vocals doesn't hurt either. The best way I can describe this song is sinful. Some people will think this is one of the most evil songs ever written, I'm sure. I find it interesting and, well, for lack of a better word, sexy. Its the epitome of lust. But it's beautifully written and not vulgar. It's expertly executed and doesn't shock for the sake of shocking. I think there's a part of what makes us human that needs to experience, in some detached way, these sinful ideas. Think of it as the same reason we watch horror movies. Puscifer, Keenan's solo-career moniker, is not for the faint of heart (as if anything he's ever done really is, though), but honestly, if you couldn't tell by the name he chose, then you're clueless anyway.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 39

39. "Mary Jane's Last Dance" by Tom Petty

"Running Down a Dream" and "Into the Great Wide Open" are also favorites, but I'll never get tired of the harmonica hook this song has. The lyrical flow is catchy and fun and memorable, while the lyrics themselves represent everything I love about Petty's songs, in particular his story songs. The guitar and harmonica work so well together in this song, creating a groove that is instantly recognizable. This is Petty at the top of his game. There are so many great Tom Petty songs, and I love Traveling Wilburys and the other various places he's popped up to lend his talents over the years, but I've loved this one since it first premiered and its stuck with me ever since.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 38

38. "Pet" by A Perfect Circle

I really, really love the song "The Noose" from the same album, The Thirteenth Step, but I can't get enough of this song. "Pet" is a beautiful ballad and it's a hard-rocking horror story, all wrapped up together. It's like a Grimm fairy-tale. There are parts to this song that to this day still give me goosebumps (not the creepy kind, but the "Holy shit, that was awesome!" kind... like hitting that first drop on a musical roller coaster). Maynard James Keenan's voice is, in my opinion, one of the best in rock music. He can do anything with his vocals, and it still sounds amazing. This song, because of its roller coaster ups-and-downs, lets him showcase so many different aspects to his abilities. And the rest of the band builds the music up so brilliantly that the final experience isn't like listening to a song at all, it's like living through something wondrous and frightening.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 37

37. "Immortality" by Pearl Jam

I'm not going to get into an argument about Eddie Vedder's vocal abilities. Nor do I give a rat's ass about how or why they charge what for tickets. People really do add on a lot of unnecessary baggage to bands... it's just music. You're supposed to listen to it. It's supposed to be a very simple thing. You listen to something you like, you don't listen to what you don't like. Anyway, I'm not a die-hard Pearl Jam fan, but I do like some of their albums a lot, and in particular I think Vitalogy is a Top 10 album of the '90's. This is my favorite song off of that album, and my favorite song by Pearl Jam, and possibly one of my favorite songs of the '90's. I just love the feel the song has, it almost has texture... like brittle parchment paper, so aged that with a single touch it would turn to dust and blow away. That's what this song sounds like. It doesn't sound like a modern song, not musically or lyrically, it sounds too worn down, but I guess that's exactly why I love it.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 36

36. "Regular People (Conceit)" by Pantera

Definitely not their best song, (although Vulgar Display of Power is my favorite Pantera album), but this is my "driving song." This is my "road-rage" song. Everyone that gets road-rage has that song (or has had that song, sometimes you grow out of it) that they love to put on when they're in the car and it just... well, it speaks for you. This is my song. I remember, when I first started driving, throwing this on and screaming along with the chorus at the bad drivers in the other lane. Some people may think I'm crazy, but I always found listening to angry music when I'm angry, that someone else, somewhere, in another time even, also felt the way I'm feeling, is very comforting and allows me a healthy release of my anger in the form of music. People who don't listen to or like heavy or angry music won't understand, but it's really no different than identifying with a sad song and using that songs lyrics to help you get through a bad spot, just flip the emotion.

My Top 50 Favorite Songs: 35

35. "Carmina Burana: Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi (O Fortuna)" by Carl Orff

This is the only real classical piece on my list, mostly because I'm not going to try to pass myself off as someone who regularly listens to classical music. I don't. I love it, but I just don't listen to it very often. This piece, however, I can remember being a kid of, I don't know, maybe 5, watching for the millionth time a rented VHS copy of Conan: the Barbarian, (as well as John Boorman's Excalibur, although my memory is more of Conan), and when this piece kicked in I felt its power take hold. Over the years, every time it would pop up in pop culture, in a movie or as a sample in another song somewhere or in a TV commercial, I always remember back to watching these films with my older brother and my dad and how kick-ass that part was. The song defines the word 'epic,' and yes it has gotten played out to the point of being a cliche, but I don't care. Almost every other classical piece or film score that I love, and actually many rock songs as well, build in a way similar to this one, and I think unconsciously that 'epic buildup' has shaped more of what music I listen to, and how I listen to it, than I could ever fully understand on a conscious level.