60-51 (my top 100 tunes of all time)

60 The Man With The Child In His Eyes Kate Bush 55

Ah Kate Bush. One of the most supremely talented British singer/songwriters of the past 35 years. How talented? She wrote this song aged 13 and recorded it aged 16. Even then she had a lyrical and musical sophistication that would make people gnash their teeth in jealousy. This song is beautiful. Her ethereal voice is beautifully controlled, the orchestration is both powerful and understated, the unusual chord progressions make it feel as if you are being blown on a breeze. It's a short song but ever such a good song. And she was 13 ffs!

59 Cabaret Louis Armstrong 54

Whilst at University, my friend Jo (who turned me on to Prince), also introduced me to the incredible Kander and Ebb musical, Cabaret. I fell in love with the show and in watching the film I fell in love with Liza Minelli. Later, Jo and I saw an outstanding production of the show at the Donmar Warehouse starring Alan Cumming and Jane Horrocks. It is fair to say that I know the musical inside and out. So when I first heard Louis Armstrong singing the title song there was a danger that perhaps it would seem wrong to have a man singing it. In actual fact Armstrong makes the song stand on its own. He plays it as a straight trad jazz tune. You can close your eyes and imagine a 1930s jazz band playing in a smokey club. Satchmo's vocals are unmistakable and his trumpet playing lifts rather than overpowers the song. It is a joy to behold.

58 Wuthering Heights Kate Bush new

How on earth did I miss this song the first time I compiled this top 100? It is a tour de force. There is madness in her vocals, and it is never less than compelling. Bush was a veteran when she wrote this. Well compared to the song at number 60 on my list anyway. She was 18. It was one of the first songs of hers I can remember hearing. I loved it then and I love it still. A little factoid for you: Kate Bush was born 140 years to the day after Wuthering Heights author Emily Bronte. Another factoid: When Kate Bush took this song to Number 1, she was the first woman to do so with a self penned song.

57 Mayor of Simpleton XTC 52

I remember watching a Saturday morning kids' tv show called Going Live back in 1989. They had a feature called the video vote, where new songs were reviewed, and there was a video on by a band I had never heard of. Having heard it though I knew I had to have it. So the next time I found myself in a record shop I bought the 7" single of The Mayor of Simpleton by XTC. I played it and played it, over and over. I loved the central conceit, that the singer might be thick as two short planks but he knows the one thing that really matters, that he is in love. It's a great pop tune and I assumed it was a hit. But looking into it now, I find that it reached number 46 in the UK charts. Charts be damned, this is a great song.

56 Johnny Come Home Fine Young Cannibals new

I knew that I wanted to include a FYC song in this list, but which one? I love their version of Suspicious Minds, but the Elvis version is on the list at 54 so I discounted that. Ever Fallen In Love, She Drives Me Crazy, Good Thing, Blue. Aaagh, so many to choose from. In the end I chose this because even today there is a freshness to it, typical of a band on the cusp of greatness. They later released a fantastic album called The Raw and the Cooked. Well this song is raw but delightfully so. The music scene remains a poorer place for the absence of Roland Gift's vocals.

55 Inbetweener Sleeper 97

Those halcyon days of britpop. How I miss them. Sleeper were a band whose flame burned brightly but they were unable to outlive the britpop bubble. The gorgeous Louise Wener may not have had the strongest voice but I think it was a case of right person in the right place at the right time. Sleeper wrote catchy songs, and I have always loved this one in particular. I listen to this and it takes me to happy memories.

54 Suspicious Minds Elvis Presley 51

Elvis didn't always have the greatest quality control. Especially in his latter years. But this song is the equal of any in his catalogue. From the "We're caught in a trap" opening, to the emotional chorus and the change to/from the 3/4 time signature, the song is an exhilarating rollercoaster.

53 Birdhouse In Your Soul They Might Be Giants 48

There's a risk of writing this song off as a novelty song but there is more depth to it than you may think. For me, this song takes me back to UKC Radio discos at University. A night wouldn't be complete without "Size of a cow" by the Wonderstuff and this song. For a song with such bizarre lyrics it has the great virtue of allowing anyone to sing along by yelling fragments of lyrics such as "who watches over you" at the appropriate moment.

52 I Am The Resurrection Stone Roses 49

This proto britpop anthem is the antithesis of throwaway pop. There is a place for throwaway pop, and indeed several places for it on this list. I Am The Resurrection however, has a relentless driving rhythm, a majestic chorus, an instrumental section, and then it stops. Before going into an extended indie instrumental that is also eminently danceable. For anyone who thinks that dance music has to be electronic I would play them this. It's also a great song for power walking to. It is no wonder that the Stone Roses are so revered. With songs like this there can be no dispute.

51 Levi Stubbs Tears Billy Bragg 46

The first appearence of the Bard of Barking on my list. Bragg is well known for his political songs, but his love songs and social commentaries are as good if not better. The segway where Bragg name-checks "Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong..." is sublime. This song is not political prosletising, it's just telling a story. There is disatisfaction, unhappiness, and domestic referenced in the lyrics. It's powerful stuff, and part of that power is drawn from the simplicity of the orchestration. Bragg + guitar = 50 Shades of Awesome.