Nobody likes to come up empty handed. The best of us shoot for the stars, but not all of us are armed with this:
And so some of us settle, or at least grasp at the lower hanging fruit.
Countless songs have been written over the years about our hopes and dreams, our true desires, and our basic necessities for survival.
This entry focuses on two primary categories – The best songs ever written about what we “want” and the best songs ever written about what we “need.”
The rules are simple: The word “want” (or an acceptable variation) or “need” must be in the title of the song (sorry to the likes of “Box of Rain,” “Somebody,” “Where the Streets Have no Name,” “Just a Friend,” “Dead or Alive,” and “Young Lust” – all great songs with lyrics featuring our buzz words, but alas, rules is rules). Also, the song must be great – at least in your humble author’s opinion – sorry if my taste in music offends you.
We will begin with the best songs with “want” in their titles – these songs greatly outnumber those with “need,” well, because we all desire more in life than we actually require to get by. So without further delay, please find the top 25 songs in recent memory that focus on our wants, counting down to the best from number 25:
25) I Want to Break Free – Queen
24) Tie: All She Wants to Do Is Dance – Don Henley /
What Do You Want From Me – Pink Floyd
23) I Want It That Way – Backstreet Boys
22) All I Want For Christmas – Mariah Carey
21) Tie: Any Way You Want It – Journey /
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
20) If You Want Me to Stay – Sly and the Family Stone
19) Baby I’m-A Want You – Bread
18) I Wanna Rock – Twisted Sister
17) Wanna Play That Game – Hall and Oats
16) I Want Candy – The Strangeloves
15) All I Want Is You – U2
14) I Want to Hold Your Hand – The Beatles
13) You’re the One that I Want – Grease Soundtrack
12) I Want You Back – Jackson Five
11) I Want to Know What Love Is – Foreigner
10) I Want You to Want Me – Cheap Trick
09) If You Want to Sing Out – Cat Stevens
08) Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ – Michael Jackson
07) I Want a New Drug – Huey Lewis and the News
06) I Want Your Sex – George Michael
05) Girls Just Want To Have Fun – Cindy Lauper
04) I Wanna Love You – Bob Marley
03) Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want – The Smiths
02) I Want You – Bob Dylan
…And the greatest song of all in this category, the one that inspired this entry in the first place and the perfect segue into the next section….
01) You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones
As previously mentioned, based on the slim pickins of song titles that feature them, our needs are evidently not nearly as prolific as our wants. Or at least they aren’t as interesting for the creative minds of lyricists and song writers. I had a great deal of trouble finding enough gems to balance our lists, and so I did the best I could creating a smaller (but no less impressive) list of songs about what we need in life. Below are the top fifteen, starting with number 15:
15) I Need Somebody To Lean On – Elvis Presley
14) I Need A Doctor – Eminem Featuring Dr. Dre
13) Baby I Need Your Loving – The Four Tops
12) I Need You – America
11) All I Need – Jack Wagner
10) You’re All I Need to Get By – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
09) Tie: I Need A Hero – Bonnie Tyler /
Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
08) Love’s In Need of Love Today – Stevie Wonder
07) I Need You Tonight – INXS
06) I Need to Know – Tom Petty
05) I Need Love – LL Cool J
04) I Need A Miracle – Grateful Dead
03) A Man Needs A Maid – Neil Young
02) All You Need Is Love – The Beatles
01) I Need a Lover (That Won’t Drive Me Crazy) – John Cougar Mellencamp
You might find you got what you needed from today’s ramblings. Or maybe not so much. Either way, I am sure you are fuming over some of your author’s selections and rankings. Still, if you have any opinions, feel free to voice them below.
Til next time,
IDROSA
idontrollonshabbas 