33. Ignition (Remix) by R. Kelly (Chocolate Factory
"Now usually I don't do this but uh..." I have reservations about even mentioning R. Kelly, who is clearly a creep, but "Ignition (Remix)"—probably the slowest song ever about the joys of partying—is so good it makes me want to do karaoke.
34. Give It Up, Turn It Loose by En Vogue (Funky Divas
What went wrong with En Vogue? Around the time of Funky Divas, they could do no wrong—including this sweet girl-power kiss-off—and then they just collapsed.
35. Hard Road by Sam Roberts (We Were Born in a Flame
The biggest Canadian musician that Americans have never heard of.
36. Oh My God by Pink featuring Peaches (Try This
I have a soft spot for Pink, particularly when she lowers the bombast. Her duet with Peaches—all murmur, no scream—should be the theme song to The L Word.
37. The Sun, The Moon and Stars by Prince (Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic
I've already mentioned how I like Prince best as a kooky romantic, a side he hasn't shown as much in recent years. But just listen to his reggae-ish rap here; he's having a ball singing about making someone "come like the cold winter dew in Montreal."
38. La Vie en Rose by Grace Jones (Island Life
Is it wrong to prefer this "La Vie en Rose" to Edith Piaf's? So what. The semi-acoustic disco is all peaks and valleys, and Grace's singing—she goes from talking to cooing to belting to screeching, sending it in a very New Wave direction—is right even when it's wrong.
39. The Love Parade by Dream Academy (Dream Academy
The Dream Academy is best-known for "Life in a Northern Town," a legitimate classic. But I've always liked "The Love Parade" more. Not sure why, to be honest.
40. London 1888 by Momus (20 Vodka Jellies
I went through an intense Momus phase in the mid-90s.... Before he became unlistenably inscrutable—and vice versa—he married literate lyrics with pop better than anyone, even the Smiths. "London 1888" is about a time-traveling gay Japanese man who goes back to Victorian England. When was the last time you heard Aubrey Beardsley mentioned in a lyric? Or, for that matter, "stable boys of easy provenance"?
41. Carmen by Paula Cole (Greatest Hits: Postcards from East Oceanside
I seem to be working a theme here, if inadvertently. "Carmen" is a very sexy love song about a woman who, having loved a woman named Carmen, doesn't know if she can "go back." (So much for wondering where all the cowboys have gone.) Thanks again, Kristen, for introducing me to it. Given that Paula Cole's greatest-hits CD is $7 on Amazon, I'll be owning it outright soon.
42. True Love Travels on a Gravel Road by Percy Sledge (It Tears Me Up: The Best of Percy Sledge
When I was an editorial assistant at HarperCollins in 1992, I grabbed a copy of the Sweet Soul Music compilation CD from the giveaway table. (It was a companion to Peter Guralnick's book of the same name.) I don't know if I ever really listened to it until a few months ago, when I was driving home from Connecticut.
43. B.P.D. by Over the Rhine (Ohio
Have you ever loved every song on a double album that wasn't a greatest-hits package? (Even Sign o' the Times had "The Cross" on it.) I chose "B.P.D." fairly randomly—almost any song from Ohio would sound great in this spot.
44. Legend of a Cowgirl by Imani Coppola (Chupacabra
"Legend of a Cowgirl" was maybe too quirky to be the megahit it should've been back in 1997. Ten bucks says it's on Lady Gaga's iPod.
45. Your Silent Face by New Order (Power Corruption & Lies
I like to end mixtapes on slower or sadder songs, but it's hard to downshift from "Legend of a Cowgirl." Introspective lyrics and upbeat music? Sounds like a job for New Order.
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