Top 20 Songs

[Anthile]

List your favourite 20 songs. In particular order or not.


Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element
Pain of Salvation - Beyond The Pale
Ansur - An Exercise In Depth Field
The Flower Kings - The Truth Will Set You Free
Yes - Close To The Edge
Radiohead - Karma Police
Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower
Pink Floyd - Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun
Green Carnation - Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness (okay, that's actually cheating...)
The Velvet Underground - Heroin
Talk Talk - The Rainbow/Eden/Desire
Dream Theater - The Count of Tuscany
Dream Theater - Octavarium
The Mars Volta - Vismund, Cygnus Vismund
The Mars Volta - Cassandra Gemini
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Sleep
Faith No More - The Real Thing
Avantasia - The Seven Angels
Opeth - Black Rose Immortal


Damn, that was hard.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

Where is A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers?

This is difficult, I have far too many songs that I love, but there are some that are of particular meaning to me. I will try to list them.

Iron Maiden - Infinite Dreams
Dream Theater - Octavarium
Dream Theater - Learning to Live
Dream Theater - The Dance of Eternity
Devin Townsend - Ki
Devin Townsend - Ants
Devin Townsend - Coast
Van der Graaf Generator - A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers
Van der Graaf Generator - Killer
Strapping Young Lad - Force Fed
Strapping Young Lad - Almost Again
Strapping Young Lad - Love?
King Crimson - In the Wake of Poseidon
King Crimson - The Court of the Crimson King
Arcturus - For to End Yet Again
Voivod - Macrosolutions to Megaproblems
Machinae Supremacy - Kings of the Scene
Uriah Heep - July Morning
Yes - Heart of the Sunrise
Deep Purple - Child in Time

The last three songs form my "holy trinity" of 70s around-10-minutes-in-length epics. The list is subject to change, of course.

Also, there are some albums that I just love too much, and I couldn't possibly pick any less than all of the songs on those albums, but that would be a dull list, so they deserve mention:

Devin Townsend - Terria
Warning - Watching From A Distance
Love - Forever Changes
In the Woods - Omnio
Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris

 

[preilemus]

oh geez, well... here goes:

Tears for Fears - Swords and Knife
Tribe - Outside
Blink 182 - Adam's Song (gah, i cant believe this makes the list, but it meant a lot to me at another time)
Dream Theater - Octavarium
Dream Theater - Take the Time
Opeth - Bleak
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Opeth - Face of Melinda
Riverside - The Curtain Falls
Pyramaze - Mighty Abyss
Guilt Machine - Perfection?
Tiamat - Do You Dream of Me?
Nine Inch Nails - Closer
Bathory - Blood Fire Death
Kalisia - Cybion (fine, I'm a cheater too )
Ayreon - The Sixth Extinction
Isis - Syndic Calls
Isis - Grinning Mouths
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Storm
Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness


and so it is. for now

 

[Tales of Kings]

Oh my goodness, you guys dig some cool jams

Clair de Lune-Claude Debussy, not sure if this counts : P
Atlantis-Donovan
Intergalactic-Beastie Boys
Starry-Eyed Surprise-Paul Oakenfold
Solitary Shell-Dream Theater
County of Tuscany-Dream Theater
Apple Scruffs-George Harrison
Intuition-John Lennon
Burro-Beck
Mr. Blue Sky-Electric Light Orchestra
Shine a Little Love-Electric Light Orchestra
Red Sector A-Rush
Goodbye, Goodbye - Oingo Boingo
Big Sur Moon-Buckethead
Hills of Eternity-Buckethead
A Moment So Close-Bela Fleck
Something About Us-Daft Punk
Blue Sunday - The Doors
Peaches En Regalia - Frank Zappa
Crying - TV on the Radio

Thatttt was tough : (

 

[Puffy]

Where is A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers?

I'll give you some

No order.

A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers- Van Der Graaf Generator
When Big Joan Sets Up- Captain Beefheart
Dogs- Pink Floyd
Natural Science- Rush
Exiles- King Crimson
In the Wake of Poseidon- King Crimson
Strawberry Fields Forever- The Beatles
Eulogy- Tool
The Invisible Man- Marillion
Come Away Melinda- Uriah Heep
Astronomy- Blue Oyster Cult
Enigma- Dialeto
Heart of the Sunrise- Yes
Any Day Now- Elbow
Meeting of the Spirits- Mahavishnu Orchestra
All Apologies- Nirvana
Levitate Me- The Pixies
Jerry was a Racecar Driver- Primus
We're not gonna take it- The Who
Cross the Breeze- Sonic Youth

 

[Anthile]

List your favourite 20 songs. In particular order or not.


Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element
Pain of Salvation - Beyond The Pale
Ansur - An Exercise In Depth Field
The Flower Kings - The Truth Will Set You Free
Yes - Close To The Edge
Radiohead - Karma Police
Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower
Pink Floyd - Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun
Green Carnation - Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness (okay, that's actually cheating...)
The Velvet Underground - Heroin
Talk Talk - The Rainbow/Eden/Desire
Dream Theater - The Count of Tuscany
Dream Theater - Octavarium
The Mars Volta - Vismund, Cygnus Vismund
The Mars Volta - Cassandra Gemini
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Sleep
Faith No More - The Real Thing
Avantasia - The Seven Angels
Opeth - Black Rose Immortal


Damn, that was hard.

I feel like rearranging this... severely.


Nevermore - Dreaming Neon Black

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9Xvf-BAt70

Pain Of Salvation - The Perfect Element

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMqW3MNbz5I

Yes - Close To The Edge

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6xNhksHyXI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WunYz7Io-68

Van Der Graaf Generator - A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlBuSZMnxo4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7bqxuKQK8I&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfnV3TdBqKE&feature=related

Pink Floyd - Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOI70cYoWWA

The Mars Volta - Cassandra Gemini

Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14qTXRkAKr8

Thy Catafalque - Neath Waters

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTv5wSGRzd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI3epuflmng
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKt5QGqfXes

Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9i-jaMaEpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO4y4jxc3WU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YeKZpfnmfk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwuDbddDUXQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqWeGHuqyDc&feature=related

Green Carnation - Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3byTvkKnukI&videos=v4AsG94iclc&playnext_from=TL&playnext=1

Helloween - Occasion Avenue

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVOt0m2GQ6E

Dream Theater - The Shattered Fortress

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4oA3nuxs7E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRA1AY6Giiw&feature=related

Dream Theater - Octavarium

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BPm1wc7FQY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZyhYvqxuqs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeczcLwdWQ4&feature=related

The Mars Volta - L'Via L'Viaquez

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hB4rbSF_FA

King Crimson - 21st Schizoid Man

Spoiler

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

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Sleep

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7eo8tGJUIc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vpzge_WaT8

Redemption - Sapphire

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW7T8yqYEbU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mcnehi0-XA

Opeth - Deliverance

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5z860jB9-c

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyIhETjCK-A

While Heaven Wept - The Furthest Shore

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IejhG4loGDU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Iq2zXDx1Uw&feature=related

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Formicary

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N8LvNQkAwo

And yeah, I was a bit bored today.

 

[Sparrow]

David Lanz - Return to the Heart
David Lanz - Beloved
Chopin - Raindrop Prelude
Iron Maiden - Brave New World
Gordon Lightfoot - If you could read my mind
Gary Jules - Mad World
Tool - Right In Two
Albinoni - Adagio in G minor
Schubert - Serenade
Rush - Losing It
Porcupine Tree - Lazarus
A Perfect Circle - The Outsider
New Order - Ceremony
Pavarotti - Caruso
The Killers - Read my mind
David Bowie - Everyone says Hi
U2 - City of Blinding Lights
Train - Drops of Jupiter
Soul Asylum - Runaway Train

 

[shoeless]

(in no particular order -- numbered so i can keep track)

1. what katie did ~ the libertines
2. mardy bum ~ arctic monkeys
3. king of carrot flowers pt. 1 ~ neutral milk hotel
4. you don't know me ~ ben folds (feat. regina spektor)
5. genius next door ~ regina spektor
6. apache rose peacock ~ red hot chili peppers
7. cold brains ~ beck
8. loose lips ~ kimya dawson
9. expectations ~ belle & sebastian
10. half jack ~ the dresden dolls
11. for the widows in paradise, for the fathers in ypsilanti ~ sufjan stevens
12. closer ~ the tiny
13. creeper ~ islands
14. pale blue eyes ~ the velvet underground
15. such great heights ~ the postal service
16. my manic and i ~ laura marling
17. life on mars ~ david bowie
18. super theory of super everything ~ gogol bordello
19. the book of right-on ~ joanna newsom
20. almost time to go ~ jason webley


baaaah i feel like i'm leaving out so many amazing songs.
sigh.

 

[Gather_Wanderer]

I'll give you some

No order.

A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers- Van Der Graaf Generator
When Big Joan Sets Up- Captain Beefheart
Dogs- Pink Floyd
Natural Science- Rush
Exiles- King Crimson
In the Wake of Poseidon- King Crimson
Strawberry Fields Forever- The Beatles
Eulogy- Tool
The Invisible Man- Marillion
Come Away Melinda- Uriah Heep
Astronomy- Blue Oyster Cult
Enigma- Dialeto
Heart of the Sunrise- Yes
Any Day Now- Elbow
Meeting of the Spirits- Mahavishnu Orchestra
All Apologies- Nirvana
Levitate Me- The Pixies
Jerry was a Racecar Driver- Primus
We're not gonna take it- The Who
Cross the Breeze- Sonic Youth

im glad someone else recognized pink floyd's "dogs". one of my top 5 probably.
i can't do a top 20 without the process taking about a week to finish, in my head. too hard.

 

[jonehaze]

My top 20 songs are here...

Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N Roses
Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
Stronger - Kanye West
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
Jump Around - House of Pain
Voodoo Child - Jimi Hendrix
Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson or Alien Ant Farm
Black Betty - Ram Jam
I will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
Crank That - Soulja Boy
Intergalatic - the Beastie Boys
Crazy in Love - Beyonce
Renegades of Funk - Rage Against the Machine
Survivor - Destiny's Child
Family Affair - Mary J Blige
Lose Yourself - Eminem
Back in Black - AC/DC
Dirty Little Secret - All American Rejects
Meet Your Master - Nine Inch Nails
Let it Rock - Kevin Rudolf

 

[bananaphallus]

*as of 10:34 PM EST, 1/21/2010

[I may or may not actually like any of this music]

Van Morrison - Caravan (Last Waltz)
Caetano Veloso - Cucurrucucu Paloma
Van Morrison - St. Dominic's Preview (It's Too Late to Stop Now)
Kronos Quartet performs Philip Glass - String Quartet No. 5: V.
The Clash - Train in Vain
The Clash - Stay Free
Ghostface Killah - Blue Armor
Broken Social Scene - Stars and Sons
Seu Jorge - Cirandar (Live at Montreux '05)
Blueboy - Fondette
Basement Jaxx - Romeo
Steely Dan - Do It Again
Animal Collective - Reverend Green
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37: III. Rondo. Allegro
Hugh Masekela - Ha Lese Le Di Khanna
Al Green - Let's Stay Together (Live at the Apollo '93)
Rusted Root - Lost in a Crowd
Damian Marley - Stuck in Between
Erasmo Carlos - Mane Joao
Brian Eno - St. Elmo's Fire

 

[echoplex]

A pathetic attempt, for now:

* Gojira - To Sirius
* Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
* Porcupine Tree - The Sound of Musak
* Porcupine Tree - Don't Hate Me
* Mastodon - The Czar
* Ayreon - Day Eight: School
* The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
* Alice in Chains - Killer is Me
* Devin Townsend - Deep Peace
* Nine Inch Nails - We're In This Together
* Nine Inch Nails - The Becoming
* A Perfect Circle - Weak and Powerless
* A Perfect Circle - 3 Libras
* Strapping Young Lad - Skeksis
* Strapping Young Lad - Detox
* Voivod - Clouds in My House
* Blind Melon - Pull
* Nevermore - Final Product
* Radiohead - Pyramid Song
* Riverside - I Turned You Down

Admittedly, this is more of a now-ish list than one for all time. An all-time list would be far too difficult to compile.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

^It's a good list. *adores this prog-loving community*

 

[Cavallier]

Hmmm...I'll take a stab at it. I fear posting this because I'm intimidated by everyone's music knowledge.

Spoiler

While these are my top 20 they are by no means in any particular order other than that order in which they came to mind:

Dave Brubeck Quartet - Blue Rondo a la Turk
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Kathy's Waltz
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Pick Up Sticks
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five (though that entire album is awesome)

Spoiler

Take Five

Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit

Spoiler

Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit (This song is intense.)

Coltrane - Countdown

Pete Fountain - Lazy River

Leonard Cohen - Who By Fire

Spoiler

Who By Fire

Air - Cherry Blossom Girl

Spoiler

Cherry Blossom Girl

Johann Strauss - Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, Op.214 (On busy days I feel like this should be playing in the background)

Spoiler

Tritsch-Tratsch Polka

Clare Fader & the Vaudevillains - The Epic Moon

Spoiler

.

Mark Knopfler - Brothers in Arms

Spoiler

Brothers in Arms

Beatles - Blackbird

Spoiler

Blackbird

Jill Tracy - Fine Art Of Poisoning

Spoiler

Fine Art of Poisoning

Paul Simon - Pigs, Sheep, and Wolves

Niel Young - Needle and the Damage Done

Spoiler

Needle and the Damage Done

Niel Young - After the Gold Rush

Cake - Nugget

Spoiler

Nugget

Stephen Stills - Treetop Flyer

Spoiler

Treetop Flyer

Moody Blues - Nights in White Satin

Spoiler

Nights in White Satin

Also, ummm....yeah, so the Moody Blues guys are not terribly attractive and I really hate live recordings so I went with someone's hack job video. *shrug*

Bob Dylan - You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
^(Madeleine Peyroux does a wonderful cover that I love)

Spoiler

You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

Bob Dylan - Simple Twist of Fate

Spoiler

Simple Twist of Fate
Tunstall does a nice cover of this song and since I think Dylan is a brilliant song writer but only a so so singer...

Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue

Spoiler

Tangled Up In Blue
I've never heard anybody do a cover of this song that was better than Dylan himself.

*I really hate live recordings. For some of these I could find good versions. For some of them I really couldn't

Edit: Looking back...I like old man music....

 

[Puffy]

Most lists so far have been quite focused so I wouldn't be intimidated, yours is a sound list anyway .. Mine's changed a lil bit, may post another top 20 if today gets that boring..

 

[bovinity]

HMMM

Agalloch - Limbs
Agalloch - Not Unlike the Waves
Agalloch - In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion
Agalloch - You Were But a Ghost in my Arms
Summoning - Mirdautas Vras
Summoning - In Hollow Halls Beneath the Fells
Summoning - Like Some Snow-White Marble Eyes
Howard Shore - Shelob's Lair
Howard Shore - A Knife in the Dark
Howard Shore - Concerning Hobbits
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 5
Current 93 - The Carnival is Dead and Gone
Immolation - Unpardonable Sin
Burzum - Det Som en Gang Var
My Bloody Valentine - When You Sleep
Weakling - Dead as Dreams
Peste Noire - Dueil Angoisseux (Christine De Pisan, 1362-1431)
Ulver - All the Love
Ulver - Porn Piece or the Scars of Cold Kisses
Moonsorrow - Pimeä

 

[IssphitiKOzS]

i can't do a top 20 without the process taking about a week to finish, in my head. too hard.

Same, I'm still in the process of doing this. I was going to do an annual "what's my favourite 25 songs of all time" list so I could look back on it down the road and compare. But it takes forever! That said, I'll try to be back with mine.

 

[WeAreTheStrange]

\
i can't do a top 20 without the process taking about a week to finish, in my head. too hard.

Same, I'm still in the process of doing this. I was going to do an annual "what's my favourite 25 songs of all time" list so I could look back on it down the road and compare. But it takes forever! That said, I'll try to be back with mine.

I got up to number 14 , until i noticed that this ( for me at least ) is impossible in such a short amount of time. I kept changing my list and regretting the changes , then not regretting the changes but changing it for some other songs then regretting those changes. -_-

 

[Gather_Wanderer]

I'm back to try and do this. I probably still won't make it...

Everything after the top 6 is pending...I don't see how the top 3 could be replaced.

1) Stevie Wonder-Es Un Historia
2) Pink Floyd-Dogs
3) Yes-Starship Trooper
Pharrell Williams-Frontin' (High school memories...)
Musiq-Realove/Onenight
Nas-The World Is Yours
Coldplay-Yes/Strawberry Swing
Justin Timberlake-Nothing Else (Don't ask why, alright? )
The Beatles-While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Prince-If I was Your Girlfriend (Especially the live version w/Miles Davis)
Jay-Z-Allure
Oasis-Nature of Reality
Andre 3000-Spread
Lupe Fiasco-Paris,Tokyo/I Gotcha


Every song has hit me in a specific way I can't describe at one point or another in my life. My top 10 will always earn their ranking based upon how much impact they had on me the time I discover them and after; That's the only way I can sort them out.

There are a lot of ties.

I heard Es Un Historia for the first time 4-5 years ago. From the "Songs In the Key of Life" album...I believe that was the closest I've ever been to crying from any song, ever. I couldn't believe it. To this day, nothing come close to what I think of it. It's the most beautiful song I've ever heard and absolutely care not of what anyone would ever say about it. I don't even care if they, too, like it. I think I would bark at them if they started talking about it.....

....?



I also, while trying to compile this list, have noticed that I was a really horny bastard growing up. A lot of my favorite songs have to do with love and/or sex.

 

[zxc]

Not ranked:

Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element
Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness
Porcupine Tree - A Smart Kid
Porcupine Tree - Heartattack in a Layby
Porcupine Tree - I Drive the Hearse
Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons
Dream Theater - Learning to Live
Dream Theater - Stream of Consciousness
Liquid Tension Experiment - When the Water Breaks
Matt Uelmen - Tristram
Matt Uelmen - Rogue
Ennio Morricone - Humanity (Part One)
Hans Zimmer - The Battle
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Opeth - Black Rose Immortal
Opeth - To Bid You Farewell
Vali - Sorg
Vali - Dypt Inne I Skogen
Rachmaninov - Prelude in C#m
Riverside - Second Life Syndrome

I noticed short songs and heavy 'rockin' songs were at a disadvantage when it comes to this sort of list. Shortage of happy/uplifting songs too.

Fun fact: Pre-2008, 3 of these songs would be on the list; pre-2005, 2 songs.

 

[Ermine]

These are my people.

Sway - I'm not sure which Jazz artist sang it first
Why So Serious? - Hans Zimmer
Panic Room 02 - Riverside
Sever - Porcupine Tree
Lightbulb Sun - Porcupine Tree
Peruvian Skies - Dream Theater
Windowpane - Opeth
Trains - Porcupine Tree
Dulcinea - Isis
Cassandra Gemini - The Mars Volta
The Widow - The Mars Volta
The Outsider - A Perfect Circle
Limelight - Rush
Anything Sigur Ros
Mexico - Incubus
Expromt - Beethoven
Layla (unplugged) - Eric Clapton
Right Where It Belongs - Nine Inch Nails
Road Trippin - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Scientist - Coldplay

 

[Anchorite]

Let's Not Shit Ourselves - Bright Eyes
When the Curious Girl Realizes She Is Under Glass - Bright Eyes
Road Joy - Bright Eyes
Old Soul Song - Bright Eyes
Spring Cleaning - Bright Eyes
A Day in the Life - The Beatles
Mrs. Robinson - The Beatles
I'm Looking Through You - The Beatles
And Your' Bird Can Sing - The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles
This Time Tomorrow - The Kinks
Baby Boomer - Monsters of Folk
Brooklyn - Neva Dinova
Bacardi - Babyshambles
A Certain Romance - Arctic Monkeys
Fake Tales of San Francisco - Arctic Monkeys
Bucket Shop - The Libertines
Up the Bracket - The Libertines
The Day the Music Died - Don McLean
Tombstone Blues - Bob Dylan

I bet you can't guess my favorite bands. . .

 

[Minuend]

Diablo Swing Orchestra - Infralove
Diablo Swing Orchestra - A Tap Dancer's Dilemma
Aina - The Siege of Aina
Fair to Midland - Dance of the Manatee

Scar Symmetry - Prism and Gate
Borknagar - Colossus
Ne Obliviscaris - Forget Not
Serj Tankian - Empty Walls

Machinae Supremacy - Stand
Orphaned Land - Barakah
Paradise Lost - As Horizons End
Pain of Salvation - Diffidentia (Breaching the Core)

Helloween - Mr Torture
Tarot - From the Void
Turmion Kätilöt - U.S.C.H
Ewan McGregor - El Tango de Roxanne

Kamelot - Love You to Death
Ayreon - Comatose
Sisters of Mercy - Alice
Kamelot - Karma

 

[Puffy]

I'm necro'ing because I'm curious how current members favorite music contrasts with that of a few years ago (I guess that's a limited sample above, anyway, but there are a few patterns to it.)

I'll update mine. They're not favorite songs of all time, there's a lot of songs I'd normally consider favourite of all time that I haven't felt like playing for ages and can't get into, so I find it hard to count them. Just some current ones:

Hanged Up - No More Bad Future
Soft Machine - Slightly All the Time
Robert Wyatt - Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road
Miles Davis - Pharaoh's Dance

Matmos - Rag for William Burroughs
Rachel's - Lloyd's Register
Nico - Innocent and Vain
Jacaszek - Evening Strains to be Time's Vast

King Crimson - Lark's Tongue in Aspic part 1
King Crimson - Level Five
King Crimson - The Howler
Portishead - Cowboys

Van der Graaf Generator - A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Static
Captain Beefheart - When Big Joan Sets Up
Captain Beefheart - Hair Pie Bake 1

Captain Beefheart - Best Batch Yet *
Sonic Youth - Cross the Breeze
Aphex Twin - Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount
Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children **

*

Spoiler

realistically, I think my top twenty would come near to my top twenty Beefheart tracks

**

Spoiler

I'm cheating, but I don't care, the whole album is just one track on my computer and so shall it stay.

 

[redbaron]

Quality necro Puffy!

Clutch - Pulasky Skyway
Clutch - (Notes from the Trial of) La Curandera
Aphex Twin - Windlowlicker (possibly some bias influenced by the hilarious music video intro)
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Lila's Dance
Mahavishnu Orchestra - One Word
King Crimson - Elephant Talk
Tool - Lateralus
Tool - Rosetta Stoned
Nas - N.Y. State of Mind
Army of the Pharaohs - Swords Drawn
Billy Cobham - Crosswinds
Billy Cobham - Red Baron
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mellowship Slinky in B Major
Marcus Miller - Power
Kimbra - Good Intent
MC 900ft. Jesus - The City Sleeps
Primus - Tommy the Cat
A Perfect Circle - The Outsider
The Crystal Method - Busy Child
Nas - The World is Yours

I would just put the entirety of Nas' 'Illmatic' album. So much of Marcus Miller, Billy Cobham, Steve Gadd. It pains me to limit the list to 20 songs!

I'm more a fan of live performances, and I generally listen to albums in their entirety than just songs.