If you’ve been on Twitter (or “X”) recently, you may have seen the tweet (or “post”) from Nick Worrall prompting to people to make a list of their 20 all-time favorite tracks (one per artist), with the criteria that the list is “not the ‘best’ songs, the ones that bring instant joy the second you hear the first note, the ones that give other people the best insight into what stirs your soul.” As of this posting, it has over 12,000 quotes, over 700 replies, and other people chiming in outside of the original post. One of the thousands of people who participated is Perfume Genius’ Mike Hadreas, who shared a Spotify playlist of 20 songs and then a second Spotify playlist with 20 more.
His list includes songs by Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, This Mortal Coil, Des’ree, Nina Simone, Otis Redding, Elliott Smith, Sinéad O’Connor, Nick Drake, Björk, Low, The Breeders, Roxy Music, Julee Cruise, Big Star, Enya, Nico, Dead Can Dance, Sade, Yo La Tengo, Lucinda Williams, Robert Wyatt, Townes Van Zandt, Cat Power, Phosphorescent, and more. He also replied to someone asking if Joanna Newsom would be there if she was on Spotify, saying, “She is more entire album for me than one song. But maybe ‘Easy.'” See his full list below.
Perfume Genius – 40 Favorite Songs
The Platters – Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
This Mortal Coil – Song To The Siren
Fleetwood Mac – Sara
Fairuz – Kamat Mariyam
Bob Dylan – Oh, Sister
Des’ree – I’m Kissing You
Nina Simone – Consummation
Otis Redding – These Arms of Mine
Elliott Smith – Angeles
Sinéad O’Connor – Troy
Nick Drake – Way To Blue
The Innocence Mission – I Haven’t Seen This Day Before
Björk – Harm of Will
Low – Laser Beam
The Breeders – Off You
Bulgarian State Television Female Choir – Mir Stanke le (Harvest Song from Thrace)
Roxy Music – 2HB
Julee Cruise – Mysteries of Love
Big Star – Blue Moon
Lhasa De Sela – Rising
Enya – Caribbean Blue
Nico – Afraid
Dead Can Dance – The Host of Seraphim
Sade – Jezebel
Yo La Tengo – Tears Are In Your Eyes
Lucinda Williams – Fruits of My Labor
Robert Wyatt – Shipbuilding
Tindersticks – Willow (ft. Robert Pattison)
Cass McCombs – County Line
John Tavener – Song of the Angel
Mary Margaret O’Hara – To Cry About
Randy Newman – Old Man
Roberta Flack – The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face
Townes Van Zandt – Tower Song
Cat Power – Maybe Not
ANOHNI – If It Be Your Will (Leonard Cohen cover)
Jimmy Scott – Nothing Compares 2 U
Phosphorescent – Wolves
Johann Sebastian Bach – Come, Sweet Death