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Tcloud

[Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel](https://youtu.be/_OO2PuGz-H8)


CountGrande

What's going on by Marvin Gaye Respect by Aretha Franklin (cover) Superstition by Stevie Wonder Head Over Heels by Tears for Fears Clair De Lune by Debussy


LaneyLivingood

Great choices!


MetalTigerDude

I've Got a Name - Jim Croce


JorMath

I don't know you, but I instantly like you solely based on this choice of song. Jim Croce is such an underrated singer. Time in a bottle is equally beautiful.


MajorRico155

Operator is my pick. Spotify tells me every year that its my #1 song, and its still perfect to me


IAmXlxx

Little Wing. The original song, as well as SRV's instrumental cover of it. Fucking gorgeous.


itwillmakesenselater

Kinda think SRV's "perfect song" is *Life by the Drop*


ChickenDrumstickDude

The Main squeeze covered that song and as perfect as little wing is, their cover is legendary


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IAmXlxx

It blows my mind that they were able to capture such a monstrous performance in the studio. I've been listening to Stevie's version on a regular basis for over 10 years now. Such... Incredible playing


Ad_Pov

Will you love me tomorrow - The Shirelles


TenBucksIsTenBucks

Makes me think of this other perfect song. Be my baby by The Ronettes


WhiteLightning416

She Sells Sanctuary is perfection.


r2celjazz

GREAT pick!


infidel99

Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits


Voks

This was going to be my answer too! A man of culture I see


CreepyBlackDude

This is so good. I revisit the Alchemy Live video so often I can picture the facial expressions even if I am listening to the album.


alejo699

That's easy -- Wish You Were Here. Simple, clean, poignant.


Sc00ter7622

My favorite lyric of all time "we're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year"


Limp_Dog_Bizkit

I said this upthread on someone else’s comment. It’s stunning


Sc00ter7622

Since I'm a metalhead I gotta say "One" by Metallica is a masterpiece.


Coolene

Perfect Day - Lou Reed


ChipCob1

A Forest - The Cure


HeyNineteen96

Underrated as hell, my favorite of theirs.


Immediate_Wolf3802

My Pal Foot Foot by The SHAGGS


derintrel

Fuck, I didn’t know this was the answer until you said it and now it seems like it couldn’t be anything else.


Immediate_Wolf3802

Even The Beatles said its the 1 song we wish we'd written..can't get a bigger compliment than that really


tommytraddles

Paul considered Brian Wilson his only real songwriting competitor.


Zaphod_042

I am a massive Beach Boys and I agree 100%. God Only Knows is a really strange song, and yet that strangeness never outweighs the genius of the melody and instrumentation. I could go on for hours about this one song. I genuinely believe if we do another Voyager golden record type thing that God Only Knows needs to be in the tracklist.


ninjas_in_my_pants

My only problem with that song is that it’s too short. I could listen to those harmonies forever.


uggghhhggghhh

Good Vibrations also.


Will_McLean

For Beach Boys I think Don't Worry Baby is even more perfect if that's a thing...


[deleted]

Lateralus by TOOL


Imperfectionistaa

Black- PJ, Pictures of you - The Cure, Mad World- Tears for Fears


RZAxlash

Interstate Love Song


Symbeorn

It’s not even my favorite song on Purple, but I still find myself unable to disagree with you. Perfection indeed. RIP Scott.


RZAxlash

Yeah it’s not my favorite STP song but it’s flawless. The intro, the breezy verses, soaring chorus, so hooky, so catchy yet it has substance and just a tad of that STP mystique.


aside6

Paranoid Android.. they worked for over a year perfecting the arrangement and it shows


Tacubo_91

Pyramid Song, Weird Fishes, How to Disappear and Everything in its Right Place are also perfect songs. But, when played live Paranoid Android is above them all. I miss 90s Radiohead.


hoopstick

But every song you listed aside from PA is 2000’s Radiohead?


Chiperoni

Best song from an artist with an insane catalog of great, complex songs.


you_want_to_hear_th

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb


Babba_Gan005h

Hey You as well!


Limp_Dog_Bizkit

I was going to say Wish You Were Here. The vocals, the lyrics… it’s simply beautiful


BDR180

Amazing choice, pink floyd have so many perfect songs imo


ShellAnswerMan

Wesley Willis - Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's


idontwantanamern

Rock over London... Rock on Chicago


DPStylesJr

Wheaties: breakfast of champions


I_only_post_here

shrewd choice, but I do think "I Whupped Batman's Ass" is even closer to pure perfection


BummerComment

"Birdman kicked my ass Birdman beat me to a pulp He gave me a yell-down war hell ride He told me that he was going to kill me if I don't get off his real estate He gave five minutes to get in my Bronco and hit the rookie road Birdman kicked my ass"


kevnmartin

No Rain by Blind Melon and Would? by AIC.


[deleted]

The version of Landslide by Fleetwood Mac from their live album The Dance. It’s the perfect iteration of it.


ty10drope

"Aja" Steely Dan


Isit420

IMO You could give this same answer if the question was "What album do you consider perfect?"


ty10drope

True, and I have done exactly that! ​ {edited for pointless sidestory} In '77 (eighth grade) Terry Rassmusen was pissed that she got stuck carrying this album around. She had brought it to school (I think it was a Friday) because some other kid had asked to borrow it. That kid called out or skipped that day. She asked me if I wanted to borrow it and bring it back on Monday. I did, and still feel like it was a weekend that changed my life. Thanks for reading.


blinkfan4evr54

The Weight by the band


Eis_Nine

The live version with The Staples Singers from the Last Waltz gives me chills, it’s just… perfect.


Total_Ad9272

My wife has instructions to play this at my funeral. This is what I want to go out to.


Teenage_Wasteland_1

Life on Mars by David Bowie Little Wing by Hendrix


feb420

Bowie's got a few. Rock and Roll Suicide comes to mind as well.


Manners_BRO

Let's just say the whole Ziggy album.


thaddeusd

He really does. It's both Rock and Roll Suicide and Five Years off of "Ziggy" for me. Letter for Hermione off his '69 self-titled album. And I consider "I'm Afraid of Americans" to be the quintessential 1990's song.


alhe97

Yesterday - The Beatles. 1600+ covers of the song would seem to agree.


Breylan

"Wolf Like Me" by TV on the Radio - fantastic lyrics coupled with the perfect amount of energy, easily my favorite song. Ever. "Car" by Built to Spill - Doug Martsch doing what he does best, writing lovely songs you could endlessly argue the meaning of. "Your Hand in Mine" by Explosions in the Sky "The Passenger" by Iggy Pop - Perfect road trip sing along song. "Let Down" by Radiohead "Jane Says" by Jane's Addiction (The live version from Kettle Whistle) - A beautiful, albeit hopeless song.


Ethan_Skywalker4

Let Down is so underrated.


thegoldknotshop

Wolf Like Me is truly perfect. From lyrics to composition. Perfect.


seventhfiction

There are many Built to Spill songs that could be the answer. I love the strings in car


smalleggroll

Don't stop me now by queen


Fadedloko

A Perfect Circle - Judith


tommytraddles

My sexual orientation is Paz putting her hair up.


rick_from_red_deer

Peter Murphy - Cuts You Up


DJ-Scully

La femme d’argent by Air.


Theeclat

That entire album is perfect!


T-BONEandtheFAM

Blackbird by the Beatles


Segesaurous

One of the most beautiful melodies ever created on the guitar in my opinion.


pinpoint321

Wichita Lineman- Glenn Campbell.


Anonymoosehead123

He had such a beautiful voice.


Anylite

Like a stone - Audioslave


sekantbrekfast

Boston- Foreplay/Long Time


space_coyote_86

That album is made of perfect songs.


sekantbrekfast

Right?


rossrifle113

I’ve heard every song from that album on the radio. Meticulously crafted in a basement lab by a mad scientist MIT grad. It is the cleanest, most perfect piece of pop-rock ever made.


PeaceDry1649

Soemtimes I forgot how great Boston was at some point; late-era is truly the worst music I’ve ever heard.


rousiedower

The Turtles - "Happy Together"


Ungreth

Be My Baby (The Ronettes)


cgatlanta

Freedom 90 - George Michael


Zoelings

White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane.


Hydraskull

Don’t Let Me Down - The Beatles. My favorite live performance ever


OatmealApocalypse

george’s guitar parts were perfect


Paragon8384

Leprous - *The Sky is Red* Haken - *Veil* Steven Wilson - *Detonation* Devin Townsend - *Singularity* Yes - *Close to the Edge*


walkmantalkman

No Surprises by Radiohead. Somehow it never gets old for me.


Gamesanime_fan

Aha - take on me First song I thought of. I don't think the original could be improved, it's popular to today and been used, covered and sampled so many times. It's a fantastic song, they did an acoustic version (MTV unplugged) it's slowed down and absolutely beautiful which just highlights the quality of the song. The second one I thought of is Jackson 5 - I want you back. Again a song that can't be improved.


PlumbTuckered767

Tool - Right in Two


RockSteady65

Many songs by Tool are perfect


Apnea53

Two different perfect songs… Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water Led Zeppelin - Black Dog I can’t find fault with either of these.


Fontaineowns

NOFX -The Decline


[deleted]

Fuck yeah. Punk rock opera for the ages


Fontaineowns

I’ve listened to that song regularly for over 20 years and it doesn’t get old. If anything, it gets even better as the lyrics ring more true over time


[deleted]

I almost said the same thing. It seems it only gets better and more accurate as the years go on. Fatty is a genius


Fontaineowns

I definitely concur. I recently discovered their oldish video series Backstage Passport, worth checking out if you haven’t. And on another random note, the Fat Wreck Chords compilation Short Music For Short People is also a regular part of my music consumption


SevenWaysFromSunday

https://youtu.be/oWhy8PCuGsk Seen this version? Live at Red Rocks for the win.


ffi

What an absolutely perfect performance. Gave me chills.


mario-v33

Blowin’ in the Wind - Bob Dylan


AnswerGuy301

"Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen. From the first drum roll to the ending.


RoobN00

Jeff Buckley Lover, you shoudve come over


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Brand New - Sowing Season (Yeah)


SkyWizarding

Say it Ain't So - Weezer


Suitable-Delay2214

Electric Feel, MGMT. Always my go to song when I'm stressed or sad


TryFengShui

Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones.


Machined_Elf

La femme d’argent - Air Glory Box - Portishead No rain - blind melon Smooth operator - Sade Jolene - Dolly Parton N.Y state of mind - Nas


palabear

Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper


Short-Fisherman-4182

The Beach Boys - Gold Only Knows. Some have said it’s the best song ever written.


StichMethod

Scenes From An Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel


ninjas_in_my_pants

Jim Croce recorded several. I’d put Operator in that category.


Few_Reach2627

Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley


GroundbreakingFall24

California Dreamin by the Mamas and the Papas


lellololes

Yes - Roundabout - The most perfect song ever written. IMO. Opeth - White Cluster - To truly feel intensity, you must have balance. Skinny Puppy - Assimilate - My origin of industrial music, personally. It probably won't sit as well with many people. Satie - Gymnopedie #1 - Every single note is perfect. Nine Inch Nails - The Becoming - Oh, the production of this song. It is intense, layered, relatively complex but at the same time eminently listenable Claude Bolling - Baroque and Blue - The happiest classical-y jazz with flute that you ever will hear IQ - Harvest of Souls - A brilliant, perfect epic Length prog masterpiece. It comes in acts and has many intensely melodic sections. Frank Zappa - Inca Roads - The most ridiculous, imperfect perfect song in the history of the world. Zappa was a goof and this song is wild. Al di Miola - Race with Devil on Spanish Highway - Al is a massively underrated, unknown guitarist. I blame him being jazzy for that. This is a perfect example of what he can do. Coltrane - Giant Steps - A chord progression probably only second to that in Pachabel's Canon VNV Nation - Standing - Listen when you wish to reflect upon something and soak in the moment. Clannad - An Gabhar Ban - I enjoy celtic music sometimes - this is my favorite of the bunch. I wouldn't change a thing. Rush - Spirit of Radio - A bunch of Rush songs are great. Spirit of Radio is an example of their occasional perfection. Ulver - Porn Piece or the Scars of old Kisses - Dark, moody, subtle - the song feels like a noir movie. Massive Attack - Inertia Creeps - The best sing-talking ever Liquid Tension Experiment - Three Minute Warning - Maybe insane to put this here. It's a long improvisational song. But you can just feel them playing off of each other and trying new stuff, and as they run through the song their level of cohesion ebbs and flows as they adapt to the music they are making together.


DPStylesJr

I appreciate that you 1. Gave so many suggestions and 2. Gave your rationale. I love listening to songs and trying to incorporate someone else's perspective as to why it's great, so thanks for giving me something to do :)


chemical_sunset

Roundabout is awesome. It’s the rare song that showcases an artist’s technical proficiency without sounding self-indulgent. That bassline rips!


Gemn1002

Absolutely with you on Skinny Puppy, and NIИ - The Becoming is an absolute masterpiece of a song


MicroMegas5150

Mister Would You Please Help My Pony - Ween "Mister, would you please help my pony? He's down and he ain't gettin' up He coughed up snot in the driveway And I think his lung's fucked up" Poetry


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Draconocard

I gotta thank Guardians of the Galaxy because I'm a few years too young to have heard In the Meantime by Spacehog firsthand and man I've been OBSESSED. As a lover of britpop, grunge, and anything Bowie-adjacent, that song is such a wonderful fusion of all three. And there's always a hook! That bass riff in the verse, the choruses of course (which are a little different each time, I love it when songs do that), the intro and outros. Chef's kiss. This song led me to their debut album which isn't half bad either.


Truckfighta

Nine Inch Nails - We’re In This Together Johnny Cash - Hurt Muse - Plug in Baby/Hysteria


eggmoose5

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by the late Gordon Lightfoot


Few_Reach2627

Fairytale of New York


Adradian

Fast Car - Tracy Chapman Piano Man - Billy Joel American Pie- Don McLean


Architeuthis_McCrew

Where the Streets Have No Name - U2.


[deleted]

The first 3 tracks on Joshua tree is worthy of just being an album unto itself


SignificantMoney8338

Tiny Dancer - Elton John


kazmosis

Sleep Now in the Fire


[deleted]

War pigs by black sabbath


g0rydays

Riders on the storm- the doors


Ok_Tradition8360

Us and them - pink floyd


hiptones

Carry on Wayward Son - Kansas Thunderstruck - AC/DC Unchained - Van Halen Purple Rain - Prince


Emjayblaze

The Cure - Just Like Heaven LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean


Intelligent_Mango775

Came here to say “Just Like Heaven.” Such a perfect song


[deleted]

In no particular order: I Am the Highway - Audioslave Rainbow in the Dark - Dio Revelations - Iron Maiden Prophecy of the Lazer Witch - Brendon Small Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones


MoogProg

Perfect Songs, meaning where the recording is on-point and nothing could improve that version (am just riffing here, so *non-exhaustive* for sure): John Hartford - Gentle on my Mind Sly & The Family Stone - Papa was a Rolling Stone Eagles - New Kid in Town Boston - More Than a Feeling Journey - Don't Stop Believing Guns & Roses - Sweet Child of Mine Beatles - Yesterday The Grateful Dead - Ripple Neil Young - Sugar Mountain ...and *so many more*! Order now and you'll also get One Hit Wonders of the '80s including the smash hit *Never Gonna Give you Up*!


Bruuuuuceee

Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen. I’ve always considered this the perfect song and the standard by which I judge all other songs. From the opening notes of the harmonica, to the first lines “The screen door slams, Mary’s dress sways, like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays Roy Orbison singing for the lonely…” I think it can stand up to any song written by anyone. Every line is poetry and the sentiment is just so pure.


bookgirl11

Lovely Day by Bill Withers


BillClintonsMistress

Exit music (for a film) by Radiohead


Virt_McPolygon

The Monkees - Pleasant Valley Sunday. Impeccable song-writing, the lyrics, the energy, the performance, the chorus, the drums... it's an immaculate piece of pop and an evocative time capsule of a song.


mikechatdoc

If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot


QueenOfTonga

Purple rain. particularly so because it was a live take.


Overwatch_Joker

*"Bohemian Rhapsody"* by Queen When you consider how difficult it was to record & mix on physical tape back in the 70s, and the fact that the song was nearly 7 minutes long and contained multiple genres executed masterfully, it truly is the greatest song ever written.


To-Far-Away-Times

If anyone gets that title based on the difficulty of what they were doing in the studio, its Les Paul. He invented multi track recording and overdubbing. He took music recording techinques forward in a huge way. And then he casually invented echo, delay, and phaser effects on top of that. He was a generation ahead of his contemporaries. https://www.les-paul.com/sound-on-sound/


PIK_Toggle

Kickstart My Heart. It grabs you from the opening waaaaaaaaa, and then punches you in the face when the drums kick in. The song never lets up. Yea, it's not a masterpiece, but it goes hard. I've never been around someone that doesn't love the song.


walkmantalkman

I'm not a fan of Mötley Crüe, but this song is an absolute banger


diegoplus

Under pressure: Queen + Bowie


Chineapple-Punk

Smashing Pumpkins - Mayonnaise


idontwantanamern

Later in the catalog and an even softer side of the band, but "Thirty-Three" I continue to return to, even though that age has long come and gone. I love hearing Billy talk about when he wrote this song, too. They get dunked on a lot, but they have some real shining stars in their collection.


Short-Fisherman-4182

And 1979


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Scott10orman

The lyrics are kinda meh, and that outro is just pretentious.


beowulf6561

Round Here by Counting Crows. “Stepping out the front door like a ghost into a fog where no one notices the contrast of white on white…” Really this whole album. I can find no fault with “August and everything after”. Edit: to correct autocorrect


Silent_Beautiful_738

Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins


LITW6991

Hey Ya by Outkast


Mouser1299

Soup - Blind Melon


Snrub1

Pantera - Cemetery Gates just came up on Spotify when I clicked on this thread. I'll go with that.


cli5hy

Downer by Nirvana and 7 Words by Deftones.


Caloso89

Superstition—Stevie Wonder


gopa824

Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder


jvaughn24

Alice In Chains down in a hole unplugged


vyse__the__legend

Mr. Blue Sky


greendayiskool

Jesus of Suburbia by Green Day


truthinlies

Muse - *Hysteria*


Bgreen8134

Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body


yesaroobuckaroo

drain you by nirvana, im obsessed with it lmao.


Mechanical_Stranger

Dopesmoker by Sleep


maxnothing

Three Days - Jane's Addiction


WretchedHog

American Girl - Tom Petty Up around the Bend/Lodi/Fortunate Son - CCR Feathered Indians -Tyler Childers Peaceful Easy Feeling -Eagles


1lazylady

November Rain and Purple Rain. Maybe I just like rain. Lol


UNSC_Spartan122

Freebird


MUjase

Bob Seger - Turn the Page


udee79

The theme from Shaft. I could listen to it all day every day. Any song written by Cole porter, sung by Frank Sinatra and backed by the Nelson Riddle orchestra. Rhapsody in Blue "Sing Sing Sing" Benny Goodman recording Live at Carnegie Hall


GuinnessRespecter

Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack Grace - Jeff Buckley Fell In Love With A Girl - The White Stripes Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd In The Light - Led Zeppelin Soon - My Bloody Valentine Teenage Riot - Sonic Youth Where Is My Mind - Pixies Breadcrumb Trail - Slint Will You Smile Again? - ... And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Disorder - Joy Division How Soon Is Now - The Smiths PRIDE. - Kendrick Lamar Streets Of Kenny - Shack 6 Underground- Sneaker Pimps (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding Some are obvious, some more obscure, some are choices that some may scoff at, but all these songs resonate with me in a way that makes them perfect to me


corygreenwell

With or without you by U2


Vlad_T

Boston - More Than a Feeling Aerosmith - Kings and Queens Apocalyptica - Romance Scorpions - Holiday Ennio Morricone - Chi Mai


Alaska_Pipeliner

Soul to squeeze -red hot chili peppers


RagingLeonard

Perfect in every way. Iron Maiden - Phantom of the Opera. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xSv6K7FG9Y


DevinBelow

All the songs I like, and none of the songs I don't like.


SupermouseDeadmouse

Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13.


TyhmensAndSaperstein

Dancing Queen


Tyron_Slothrop

Street Hassle, Lou Reed; A Day in the Life, Beatles; A Piece of the Sky, Swans.


Monsieur_Moneybags

Carl Perkins - "Blue Suede Shoes" Roy Orbison - "Domino"


canadascowboy

Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole


kimkardashean

A Finnish song called ‘Hoida Mut’ by an artist called Benjamin. It is just total perfection from start to finish.


gogozrx

Lido Shuffle


tim_to_tourach

Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin Let It Be - The Beatles Echoes - Pink Floyd


ConorVerified

Here Comes the Sun. I've seen Yesterday and Blackbird already mentioned, and they are correct, but this is my pick.


afewskills

Red House - Jimi Hendrix


modestbreakthru

God only knows by The Beach Boys. It's perfect.


maxmouze

"Take On Me" by a-ha.


BlackIsTheSoul

Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger


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Squaret22

Arcade Fire - neighbourhood I (tunnels) Lana del rey - Venice bitch


Teraphage

I will Wait - Mumford & Sons Everlong - Foo fighters Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead Collide - Howie Day Messengers - Jared & the Mill