The Playlist: Q107 Top 60 GUITAR SOLOS

Q107 is the classic rock station of the Toronto area and they took the time to vote in their favourite songs featuring some really wicked solos. The guitar solo is what separates the men from boys in rock and roll and the songs listed below are truly some of the Rock Gods of our time. Below is the Top 60 Greatest Solos in Classic Rock as voted by the fans.

60. "Cocaine" by Eric Clapton

59. "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith (Joe Perry)

58. "Wooden Ships" by Crosby, Stills & Nash (Stephen Stills)

57. "Working Man" by Rush (Alex Lifeson)

56. "Beck's Bolero" by Jeff Beck

55. "Foreplay/Long Time" by Boston (Barry Goudreau/Tom Scholz)

54. "Paradise City" by Guns 'N' Roses (Slash)

53. "Heartbreaker/Living Loving Maid" by Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)

52. "Alive" by Pearl Jam (Mike McCready)

51. "New Year's Day" by U2 (The Edge)

50. "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendrix

49. "Keep Yourself Alive" by Queen (Brian May)

48. "25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago (Terry Kath)

47. "Barracuda" by Heart (Nancy Wilson)

46. "Who Are You" by The Who (Pete Townshend) 

45. "Limelight" by Rush (Alex Lifeson)

44. "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top (Billy Gibbons)

43. "White Room" by Cream (Eric Clapton)

42. "Roundabout" by Yes (Steve Howe)

41. "Jessica" by The Allman Brothers Band (Dickey Betts)

40. "Pride & Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan

39. "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End" by The Beatles (Paul McCartney/George Harrison/John Lennon)

38. "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC (Angus Young)

37. "All We Are" by Kim Mitchell

36. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" by Santana (Carlos Santana)

35. "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath (Tony Iommi)

34. "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who (Pete Townshend)

33. "Money" by Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)

32. "YYZ" by Rush (Alex Lifeson)

31. "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix

30. "Light My Fire" by The Doors (Robbie Krieger)

29. "Since I've Been Loving You" by Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)

28. "Hey Hey My My (Into The Black)" by Neil Young

27. "Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith (Joe Perry)

26. "Do You Feel Like We Do" by Peter Frampton

25. "Reeling In The Years" by (Elliot Randall)

24. "American Woman" by The Guess Who (Randy Bachman)

23. "November Rain" by Guns N' Roses (Slash)

22. "Hot For Teacher" by Van Halen (Eddie Van Halen)

21. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)

20. "Sultans Of Swing" by Dire Straits (Mark Knopfler)

19. "Tom Sawyer" by Rush (Alex Lifeson)

18. "Highway Star" by Deep Purple (Ritchie Blackmore)

17. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles (Eric Clapton/George Harrison)

16. "Sympathy For The Devil" by The Rolling Stones (Keith Richards)

15. "Dazed & Confused" by Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)

14. "Crossroads" by Cream (Eric Clapton)

13. "Sweet Child 'O Mine" by Guns 'N' Roses (Slash)

12. "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne (Randy Rhoads)

11. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen (Brain May)

10. "Hotel California" by Eagles (Don Felder/Joe Walsh)

9. "Time" by Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)

8. "All Along The Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix

7. "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)

6. "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd (Allen Collins/Garry Rossington)

5. "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" by Jimi Hendrix

4. "Layla" by Derek & The Dominos (Eric Clapton)

3. "Eruption/You Really Got Me" by Van Halen (Eddie Van Halen)

2. "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)

1. "Stairway To Heaven" by Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)

Since it was voted by the fans, I'm not surprised that "Stairway To Heaven" was voted number one since it is universally considered the best song in rock ever but MY personal choice for number one would have been "Comfortably Numb" which just oozes with feeling. Also, where is "Cliffs Of Dover"?! All in all, it's a pretty good list filled with Clapton and Hendrix so I'm happy.

The Playlist: BBC 6 Music's Greatest Hits - The Top 100

BBC Radio 6 Music is the most listened to BBC digital radio station which broadcasts songs that are not necessarily the most mainstream songs, as well as a lot of fringe music (e.g. dance, jazz, soul, Jamaican music).  At the beginning of 2013, they asked their fans to vote for the greatest songs the station has released since their inception on March 11th 2002. Below is the Top 100 songs they compiled from all the votes - and warning to all, it is a Eurocentric (like you didn't know that).

Check out the link for the YouTube Playlist

100. "Calling & Not Calling My Ex" by Okkervill River

99. "Brains" by Lower Dens

98. "The Ride" by Joan As Policewoman

97. "Milkshake" by Kelis

96. "1,2,3,4" by Feist

95. "Paris" by Friendly Fires

94. "Five Years Time" by Noah & The Whale

93. "Young Folks" by Peter, Bjorn & John

92. "Fix Up Look Sharp" by Dizzee Rascal

91. "Heartbreaker" by Metronomy

90. "From The Floorboards Up" by Paul Weller

89. "Robot Rock" by Daft Punk

88. "Jesus Walks" by Kanye West

87. "Tightrope" by Janelle Monae

86. "Country Girl" by Primal Scream

85. "1901" by Phoenix

84. "Golden Skans" by Klaxons

83. "We Are Your Friends" by Justice vs. Simian

82. "Galvanize" by The Chemical Brothers

81. "Welcome To Jamrock" by Damian Marley

80. "The Greatest" by Cat Power

79. "Strict Machine" by Goldfrapp

78. "Lightning Bolt" by Jake Bugg

77. "Two Months Off" by Underworld

76. "Standing In The Way Of Control" by Gossip

75. "House Of Jealous Lovers" by The Rapture

74. "Phantom Limb" by The Shins

73. "Walking On A Dream" by Empire Of The Sun

72. "Ch-Check It Out" by Beastie Boys

71. "Golden Retriever" by Super Furry Animals

70. "Molly's Chambers" by Kings Of Leon

69. "A-Punk" by Vampire Weekend

67. = "Two Weeks" by Grizzly Bear

67. = "Laura" by Bats For Lashes

66. "That Man Will Not Hang" by Mclusky

65. "Sophia" by Laura Marling

64. "Your Love Alone Is Not Enought" by Manic Street Preachers

63. "Weak Becomes Heroes" by The Streets

62. "The Seed (2.0)" by The Roots

61. "My Girls" by Animal Collective

60. "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service

59. "Over & Over" by Hot Chip

58. "The Words That Maketh Murder" by PJ Harvey

57. "First Day Of My Life" by Bright Eyes

56. "Paper Planes" by MIA

55. "Juicebox" by The Strokes

54. "Oh My God" by Kaiser Chiefs

53. "Dare" by Gorillaz

52. "Hounds Of Love" by The Futureheads

51. "Islands" by The XX

50. "Men's Needs" by The Cribs

49. "Crazy by Gnarls Barkley

48. "Obstacle 1" by Interpol

47. "Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys

46. "Mykonos" by Fleet Foxes

45. "Tessellate" by Alt J

44. "Fire" by Kasabian

43. "Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens

42. "Spanish Sahara" by Foals

41. "There She Goes My Beautiful World" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

40. "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People

39. "Time To Pretend" by MGMT

38. "The Cave" by Mumford & Sons

37. "The Importance Of Being Idle" by Oasis

36. "Hold On" by Alabama Shakes

35. "In For The Kill" by La Roux

34. "Hey Ya" by Outkast

33. "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand

32. "Love You Better" by The Maccabees

31. "Banquet" by Bloc Party

30. "Out Of Time" by Blur

29. "All My Life" by Foo Fighters

28. "Hometown Glory" by Adele

27. "There Goes The Fear" by Doves

26. "Kiss With A Fist" by Florence + The Machine

25. "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse

24. "Video Games" by Lana Del Ray

23. "The Rat" by The Walkmen

22. "Time For Heroes" by The Libertines

21. "Tonight The Streets Are Ours" by Richard Hawley

20. "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver

19. "Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

18. "Irish Blood, English Heart" by Morrissey

17. "Hoppipola" by Sigue Ros

16. "No One Knows" by Queens Of The Stone Age

15. "Roscoe" by Midlake

14. "Midnight City" by M83

13. "All My Friends" by LCD Soundsystem

12. "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire

11. "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse

10. "There There" by Radiohead

9. "Remember Me" by British Sea Power

8. "Hurt" by Johnny Cash

7. "Do You Realize??" by The Flaming Lips

6. "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes

5. "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers

4. "Bloodbuzz Ohio" by The National

3. "One Day Like This" by Elbow

2. "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" by Arctic Monkeys

1. "Clocks" by Coldplay

I am not surprised at all that "Clocks" and "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" are numbers one and two, respectively. On the other hand, I am very surprised that bands like FRANZ FERDINAND, PHOENIX, MUMFORD & SONS, and even ADELE (at 28) scored so low! Even one of my favourite bands INTERPOL scored a measly 48 on this list, although this confusion in me may be attributed to my ignorance of British music lovers.

The Playlist: MY Top 20 NEW ROCK RIFFS

Now here is MY personal favorite riff list. I did my best to follow the rules, laid out by the original Edge Riff List meaning only songs that they would play on a new rock station like Edge 102.1, and only one song per artist (which makes for a more interesting list otherwise this entire list would be made up entirely of only RATM and QOTSA songs). This limitation also takes away from classic rock and metal songs (no Beatles here!).

20. "Downfall" by TRUSTCompany
19. "Last Resort" by Papa Roach
18. "Dammit" by Blink 182
17. "Down With The Sickness" by Disturbed
16. "Check My Brain" by Alice in Chains
15. "Schism" by Tool
14. "Romantic Rights" by Death From Above 1979
13. "Bulls On Parade" by Rage Against The Machine
12. "In My Place" by Coldplay
11. "El Scorcho" by Weezer
10. "Brain Stew" by Green Day
9. "Plug In Baby" by Muse
8. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
7. "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers
6. "Interstate Love Song" by Stone Temple Pilots
5. "Enter Sandman" by Metallica
4. "No One Knows" by Queens Of The Stone Age
3. "Sweet Child O Mine" by Guns 'N Roses
2. "Slither" by Velvet Revolver
1. "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes



Slash himself calls "Seven Nation Army" this generation's "Smoke on the Water," as in the first song that everyone learns how to play on the guitar. A great riff is instantly recognizable and people should be able to hum along to it immediately and "Seven Nation Army" has this in spades.

The Playlist: Best Songs of the Year 1960-2012

From Adele Calvin Harris to Ray Charles

At the end of every year I look back and think of what I thought were the best songs of the year. This past year I made my list public with my post - Top Ten: Songs O' 2012 (also check out my Top Ten: Songs O' 2011). 

I've decided to take that idea and stretch it back to 1960 and so without further ado, what I think are the best songs of the year (along with runner-ups), starting with 2012 and going backwards. Surprisingly good playlist if played in order. 

Also, if you were a fan of this list back in 2011, I have to warn you that I made some changes since then. Please criticize as such.

The Playlist: Josie's Top 20 Halloween Haunts

Wow, I seem to listen to a lot of local Toronto new rock station 102.1 The Edge...  

So Halloween has came and gone (Hurricane Sandy be damned!) and it was always one of my favourite times of the year especially when everyone gets in the spirit of the scary festivities. 

Check out the list below for Josie's scary tunes which all have a certain eerie feel to them. No "Monster Mash" here.

The Playlist: Josie's Top 20 Edge Riffs

On my way home from a weekend road trip to Chicago (there will be something about this later), we caught local Toronto new rock station 102.1 The Edge and their top 20 "Edge" Riffs. 

If anyone knows anything about my taste in music - I am in love with the "riff".  A "riff" is a short, repeated, memorable musical phrase that a song revolves around.  This musical idea is what gets in your head, what separates it from other songs, what makes a song special. The riff can make a good rock song into a legendary rock song.

Check out the list below.  While I don't necessarily agree with this list, it still has some pretty awesome songs.

The Playlist: Josie's Top 20 Of Everything MUSE

MUSE's sixth studio album, The 2nd Law, comes out to North America on October 2nd so to celebrate, local Toronto new rock station 102.1 The Edge made a top 20 list consisting of MUSE songs and other songs that has to do with their career.

Check out the list below.  You can also check out my own personal Top Ten: MUSE Songs

The Playlist: OSHEAGA 2012

The Osheaga Music And Arts Festival is a multi-day indie music festival held at Parc Jean-Drapeau right in Montreal (a music festival that could be reached by subway?! Incroyable). 2012 marked the year I went to a really big music festival and I must say, it was awesome and I would definitely make this a yearly thing.

For an "indie-music" festival, there were a lot of big names present (i.e. Justice, Snoop Dogg, The Black Keys) but what really stole the show for me was the EDM tent which was just plain fun every time  you approached it.

Well, I know its kind of late, but here is a playlist of some of the favourite acts I saw during this 2012 iteration of the festival, organized chronologically by day and time they performed (see the whole lineup schedule HERE):

FRIDAY

"I Am A Heart" by Hey Ocean!

"My Girl" by Yukon Blonde

"We Are Young" by fun.

"She's Dope" by Down With Webster [funnest performers at the place]

"Dougou Badia" by Amadou & Mariam

"Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand

"House Of Balloons / Glass Table Girls" by The Weeknd

"Rude Boy" by Zeds Dead

"Waters Of Nazareth" by Justice

SATURDAY

"The Kids Were Wrong" by Memoryhouse
"Lightshow" by Plants And Animals
"My Body" by Young The Giant
"Le Bonheur" by Dumas
"Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades" by Brand New
"Push It" by Garbage
"It's Another Day" by The Death Set
"Constant Surprises" by Little Dragon
"Gin And Juice" by Snoop Dogg


SUNDAY

"Are You Gonna Waste My Time?" by Zeus
"Post-War Blues" by Dan Mangan
"Changes" by The Airborne Toxic Event
"Take A Walk" by Passion Pit
"Ghetto Dreams" by Common
"Simple Song" by The Shins
"Kettling" by Bloc Party
"Undertaker" by Wolfgang Gartner
"Midnight City" by M83
"Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys
"Bonfire" by Knife Party

Overall, review of my time at Osheaga 2012:

• Most fun = Down With Webster
• Most out of place = The Weeknd (just sounded weird at 6:40pm)
• Best surprise = Wolfgang Gartner
• Best "mosh pit" = Bloc Party
• Best show = Justice

The Playlist: DigitalDreamDoor's 100 Greatest Electronic/Dance Songs Of THE 2000s

DigitalDreamDoor is a music geek's dream website with several very comprehensive lists such as 100 Greatest Double-Sided Rock Singles, 1952-1989 and 100 Greatest Metal Guitar Riffs. The latest playlist they released looks at this decade's greatest electronic/dance songs and ranked them based on impact, influence, and popularity.


I already covered the decade's best rock songs with 102.1 the Edge's Top 102 New Rock Songs of the 2000s.

The Playlist: ST. PATTY'S DAY

 

A little late I know, but I just recently rediscovered this ol' playlist. Comprised of mainly Irish artists from a mix of genres, this list is built for fun and to be sung along to during any drinking pursuits. 22 songs, 1.2 hours.

The Playlist: 102.1 the Edge's Top 102 New Rock Songs of THE 2000s

Local Toronto new rock station 102.1 the Edge played their top 102 new rock songs of the 2000s over the past weekend. I'm not sure how they compiled this list, I'm guessing it's through people's votes, but I decided to post up the results anyways and remember, it will contain a lot of Canadian talent. While I don't completely agree with this list, it doesn't make it any less interesting to see what music came out this past decade.

The Playlist: CHRISTMAS

Here's my Christmas playlist, a mix of classics and contemporary. 35 songs, 1.9 hours

Play in order.

Favourite Christmas song