Top 10 songs from 2006

My favorite songs from 2006...

1. Oh Mary Don't You Weep- Bruce Springsteen

2. Take a Breath- David Gilmour

3. On An Island- David Gilmour

4. Life Wasted- Pearl Jam

5. Dani California- RHCP

6. Snow- RHCP

7. Jesse James- Bruce Springsteen

8. God's Gonna Cut You Down- Johnny Cash

9. World Wide Suicide- Pearl Jam

10. Crazy- Gnarls Barkley 

David Gilmour: Take a Breath (2006)

"Take a Breath" is one of the few songs on Gilmour's On an Island release that sounds like Pink Floyd. It was his first solo record in 22 years. The lead track earned a Grammy nod for best instrumental. The album itself sounded extremely personal with some nods to his past like "Take a Breath."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzX_zPSrqcQ

The Who: It's Not Enough (2006)

Pete Townshend wrote "It's Not Enough" with partner Rachel Fuller and recorded the song with The Who. The song became the band's first hit since 1982. Townshend broke up The Who in 1982, but the band reunited occasionally through the years. The Concert for New York and addition of Ringo Starr's son, Zak Starkey, on drums reinvigorated the band. They are currently on hiatus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-0ScKQcSo0

Bruce Springsteen: The Ballad of Jesse James (2006)

"The Ballad of Jesse James" dates to at least 1924 when Bascom Lamar Lunsford recorded the folk song. It has been covered several times since then. Bruce Springsteen recorded his version in 2006. The piece transforms Jesse James into a family man and Robin Hood figure cut down in his prime by a coward. Interesting that a cold blooded killer should be transformed by the culture into a tragic hero.

The Ramblin' Riversiders version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuKSFl6h0VU

Bruce Springsteen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX0xOgygfS4&feature=related

Amy Winehouse: Rehab (2006)

Amy Winehouse (1983-2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUmZp8pR1uc&ob=av2n

Another member of the "27" club.

Bruce Springsteen: O Mary Don't You Weep (2006)

"O Mary Don't You Weep" dates to before the Civil War. It's an old slave song which contained coded messages of hope and deliverance. The slaves use the Biblical stories of liberation including Lazarus, Exodus, and the Flood. It was first recorded in 1915 for posterity. The song experienced a resurgence with the Civil Rights Movement.

Springsteen version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tebjshm7f_I

Gospel Version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVwhBendHds

Aretha Franklin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ditHPMxHATg

882. Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley (1994)

Jeff Buckley recorded the best known cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Despite being released in 1994, it did not chart until 2006. By that point, Buckley was long gone. He died in a swimming accident in 1997.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8AWFf7EAc4

889. God's Gonna Cut You Down by Johnny Cash (2006)

The theme of Johnny Cash's final album was death. He knew the end was near and the album reflected his feelings. The album and song were released three years after Cash's passing. The video featured several celebrities influenced by the Man in Black. "God's Gonna Cut You Down" is a traditional folk song that warns sinners against God's judgement.

See who you recognize in the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxh-FfElY0M