All-time Favorite "Popular" Music

Greetings, pets.  My ability to stay on task and write these blog posts have clearly been a challenge for me.  But, here I am, making my appearance in an attempt to get back on track.

Everyone is very aware of my very ecclectic tastes in music - with the exception of some hard-core country and hard-core rap music, I can find music in almost any genre that I can appreciate.  A friend at massage school the other day asked me if I had to name my top ten favorite songs, what would they be.  That, frankly, was an evil, sadistic question.  But, I set out on the task to determine what my favorite "popular" music would be.  I have to set "popular" aside from "traditional/classical" music since that list is just as long and just as difficult to put together (perhaps, I'll put that one together, too). 

So, that said, here's my list - although admittedly it's more than 10 songs! And I've included the artist from whom I like their version of the song (in some cases, there are more than artist that's recorded the song).  There is no particular order to these.  Where I could, I've put a link to the youtube video of it:

Aretha Franklin, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - a VERY young Aretha. Click here

Black Eyed Peas, "Shut Up" Click here

Bon Jovi, "Prayer 94" Click here

Boston, "To Be a Man" Click here

Brad Paisley & Dolly Parton, "When I Get Where I'm Going" Click here

Carole King, "A Natural Woman" Click Here

Chicago, "Saturday In the Park" Click Here

David Bowie, "Space Oddity" Click Here

David Bowie & Nine Inch Nails, "I'm Afraid of Americans" Click Here

Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), "I'm Alive" Click Here

Eryka Badu, "Didn't Cha Know" Click Here

George Clinton and the Paliament Funkadelics, "Flashlight" Click Here

Godhead, "Eleanor Rigby" Click Here

Human League, "Together in Electric Dreams" Click Here

Petra Haden, "Let Your Love Flow" Click here

*Irene Cara, "Out Here on My Own" Click here

Naturi Naughton, "Out Here on My Own" Click here

Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole, "Somwhere Over the Rainbow" Click here

Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity" Click here

Jane Siberry, "It Can't Rain All the Time" Click here

Janet Jackson, "You Ain't Right" Click Here

Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson, "Scream" Click here

Janis Joplin, "Piece of My Heart" Click here

Joan Jett, "Bad Reputation" Click here

kd Lang, "Summerfling" Click here

kd Lang, "Barefoot" Click here

Lene Lovich, "Lucky Number" Click here

Marilyn Manson, "Tainted Love" Click here

The Ours, "Mercy" Click here

Porcupine Tree, "Sentimental" Click here

Prince, "When Doves Cry" Click here  (No bass guitar!)

Queen (with David Bowie), "Under Pressure" Click here

Revolting Cocks, "Do Ya' Think I'm Sexy" Click here (weird Belgians, and the video is stupid, but good music)

Sade, "Smooth Operator" Click here

Sly and the Family Stone, "If you want me to stay" Click here

Styxx, "Boat on the River" Click here

The Beatles, "Hey Jude" Click here

The Black Crowes, "Hard to Handle" Click Here