Ask a non-musician their favorite song, no problem. But as a musician, at least speaking for myself, wow... 'tain't easy. There are so many... and those favorites change. As ChuckH says, it often depends on what I'm working on currently, which now happens to be:

Love Will Keep Us Together
Can't Take My Eyes Off Of U

A few classics that I enjoy performing:

Dream A Little
What A Wonderful World
I've Got U Under My Skin
Night & Day

The variety of responses are proving to be interesting... OK Scott, your turn.

Glenn

I have always loved the (Jazz) Crusaders and the compositions of Joe Sample. The Music Finder inspired me to play (study!) One Day Fly - otherwise known as One Day I'll Fly Away
I use the Randy Crawford version as a lead (got to get the chords from somewhere!) and it is an amazingly clever composition, so I add this one to my favorites!
However the style needs some work!
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drdalet

[This message has been edited by drdalet (edited 09-29-2004).]

Like many others, I too tend to fall in love with songs I am currently working on or learning. Since I am currently working on a CD of latin songs, I have literally fallen in love with two songs I have recently recorded:
- Voçè è linda, by Caetano Veloso
- Fotografia, by Tom Jobim

First of all, many thanks for all the interesting responses (31) given. As expected, what the audience expects doesn’t necessarily match up to the songs which may provide more personal musical satisfaction to us as musicians. I’ve noticed that song favorites generally given by the non musician general public most often are the songs they enjoyed most during their coming of age (14-24) years. I suppose I'm a bit different because, though I fondly recall the hits from my adolescent years, my song 'favorites' were written before my time. For me, a lastingly memorable song must: 1) deliver a convincingly believeable story/message, 2) have an interesting melody or beat (groove) and/or have interesting (chord) changes.



Ok, here are my personal favorite songs along with recording artists:

Standards:
Cheek To Cheek – Irving Berlin, performed by Buddy Greco
Come Fly With Me - performed by Frank Sinatra
Don't Fence Me In - Cole Porter, peformed by Rosemary Clooney
Embraceable You - George Gershwin, performed by Sarah Vaughan
I'm An Old Cowhand - Johnny Mercer, performed by Harry Connick Jr.
Lady Is A Tramp – Rogers & Hart, performed by Buddy Greco
Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Harold Arlen, performed by Judy Garland
This Could Be The Start Of Something Big – Steve Allen, performed by Buddy Greco
Too Marvelous For Words - Johnny Mercer, performed by Ella Fitzgerald
Top Hat White Tie and Tails - Irving Berlin, performed by Fred Astaire

Latin:
Boulevard of Broken Dreams - performed by Diana Krall
Sway - performed by Peter Cincotti
This Masquerade – Leon Russell, performed by Karen Carpenter & Ella Fitzgerald
Wave - Antonio Carlos Jobim

Country/R&B Blues
Big City - Merle Haggard
Cold Cold Heart - Hank Williams Sr, performed by Norah Jones
For The Goodtimes - Ray Price
He Walked On Water - Randy Travis
I Won't Mention It Again - Ray Price
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams Sr, performed by BJ Thomas
Long Gone Lonesome Blues - Hank Williams Sr
Night Life, the, performed by Ray Price
Ring Of Fire - Johnny Cash
Satisfied Mind - Porter Wagoner
Sweet Dreams - Patsy Cline
When Something Is Wrong With My Baby – Patti LaBelle & Travis Tritt

Ballads:
Anyone Who Had A Heart - Burt Bacharach, performed by Wynonna Judd
But For Now - Bob Dorough, performed by Jamie Cullum
If I Fell – Beatles
Midnight Sun – Johnny Mercer, performed by Sarah Vaughan
Poor Side Of Town - Johnny Rivers
Rainbow Connection - Kermit (Jim Henson)
Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael
Yesterday - Beatles (especially after 9/11 with revised lyrics

Scott

Please list your PERSONAL song favorites !

Excellent Choice. - Scott ;


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http://scottyee.com

Haven't heard the revised lyrics of Yesterday.
Willie wrote Night Life and sold it for nearly nothing.
DonM

Hi Don,

With just a few slight changes made (by me) to the original lyric, 'Yesterday' takes on a whole new meaning. Not the most optimistic view, but one which (especially right after 9/11) hit the hearts of us all:

Yesterday:

Yesterday all our troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though their here to stay
Oh I believe in yesterday

Suddenly life is not the way it used to be
There's a shadow hanging over me
Oh yesterday came suddenly

Why it had to change
I don't know who can explain
Sadly (gravely) somethings wrong
Now I long for yesterday

Yesterday life was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh I believe in yesterday




Willie is truly among the great songwriting masters. I'm glad he eventually stepped into the limelight to record his many timeless classics songs, made famous first by other artists, himself. His own vocal renditions (imho) match or exceed the original hit version. I HIGHLY recommend the following Willie Nelson anthology album which was released in 2003: http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=2785004

Scott

So many to choose from....
I will have to keep adding to this

Off the top of my head... (where there used to be hair)

My top 2 that I have enjoyed for a long time (both listening to and playing):

Classical Gas - Mason Williams
Joy - Performed by Apollo 100 (Bach)

most Beatles songs
For playing I really enjoy show tunes.

Eres Tu
Windy

I will come back and edit this when I go down and go through my music.

- Brian

Scott,
No need to add the "Sr" to Hank's name.
There's only ONE Hank Williams.
Jr doesn't exist in my books.

Dave,

There are now actually THREE generations of Hank's in that family:

Hank Williams Sr.
Hank Williams Jr.
Hank Williams III
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:709sa9cgu230
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:me5f8qbnbtz4

Though Hank Sr still reins as 'the king' in my book too, Hank Jr, after eventually developing his own unique style, with his own brand of songs: including Family Tradition, Country Boy Can Survive, and All My Rowdy Friends, has proven himself a talented songwriter & musician as well. Bocephus lives! Only time will tell about his son Hank III.

Scott