Top 15 songs of my life

A group of friends are busy creating their Top 15 songs of their life list. The idea is to list the top 15 songs that have influenced you throughout your life. It was very hard to narrow it down to 15, but here goes (in no particular order):

1. Eagles - One of These Nights
I discovered women to this song. I spent my summers as a kid in NJ and on one very warm, breezy evening at Seaside Heights NJ, I was suddenly very in tune with the beautiful women strolling the boardwalk. This song was playing on the P.A. at that moment. T'was very appropriate.
2. April Wine - You Won't Dance With Me
This song hits home with me on many levels, the first being that I was way too geeky to be of interest to girls in high school. However, I think I did climb a few notches on the social ladder when I became the 'light guy' for a local DJ. This song was a popular night closer at the time.
3. Vince Guaraldi - Christmas Time is Here
This is the song to get me in the mood at Christmas. I have no idea why it resonates so much for me, but it's a very jazzy, emotional, moody piece of music that just embodies the whole spirit of the holiday.
4. Pink Floyd - Great Gig in the Sky
From the greatest album ever sold, comes the most emotional vocal performance in the history of rock. Growing up in Montreal, I recall that CHOM-FM used to dub this 'The Multiple Orgasm Song". Call it what you want - it's a powerful piece. To think that Clare Torry got this down in one take - amazing.
5. George McCrae - Rock Your Baby
Since I can't pick a favourite KC & the Sunshine Band song, I'll pick a song they wrote for this artist - it may as well be them with George on guest vocals. Images of summer, youth, fun down by the river in Deux Montagnes........ good times.
6. Supertramp - Downstream
The perfect love song? Could this be a script to my life? "So down here on the ocean, we will stay..." If I had the nerve - I would sing this song to Darlene.
7. Sigur Ros - Svefn-G-Englar
While I have little respect for most of the new music coming out, along comes this band from Iceland that inspires me the same way Pink Floyd did in their prime. This is the song that began that inspiration.
8. Bee Gees - Nights on Broadway
One of my first jobs out of high school was working for Polygram Records in their warehouse in Montreal. I was initiated into the stock and shipping world of music courtesy of what was then the bread and butter of their catalogue - Saturday Night Fever. Man did we move a lot of those records people. This song isn't on that particular album, but of all their tunes, this one rocks.
9. Gary Wright - Dream Weaver
Not sure why I love this song, I just consider it perfect pop music.
10. Foreigner - Double Vision
We used to have this pool hall across the street from my high school (Lake of Two Mountains High School - LTMHS) named Mario's. They made the best home-cut french fries I can remember. Beside the door to the place was this jukebox and I'd say one of the most played records in the thing was this song.
11. Elton John - Someone Saved My Life Tonight
I heard a lot of Elton's hits while spending my youthful summers in NJ, but this one was very common and seems to be the soundtrack for those visits. Great times with cousins and days in the local high school playground.
12. 10CC - I'm Not in Love
Maybe it's my love of electronica that influences my enjoyment of this song, I don't know for sure. But it's been a steady favourite of mine since childhood. The chorus effect is sublime. In another weird coincidence, my sister Heidi likes it a lot too.
13. Beatles - Get Back
In my mind, this is the Beatles at their best. The version I prefer is the album version, with the try-out feel and John saying "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition".
14. Bruce Springsteen - Streets of Philadelphia
I'm actually not a real fan of Springsteen, but I absolutely love this song. It's simple, raw, melodic and full of emotion. Of course the association with the movie it's from helps, but this is Bruce's best song - bar none.
15. David Bowie - Fame
Have you ever had dreams so real that they registered in your mind as actual memories? I have - and the ones from my youth have this song in the soundtrack.