The three hundred and twenty-ninth song: Imagine - John Lennon
Imagine can feel a bit like an overplayed anthem - the message is worn on its sleeve and continues to apply as it feels the world doesn't get better. There's a lot of hope here in a Phil Spector produced track, obviously aimed at a larger audience, and enhanced by Lennon's myth after his death. Does it work? It feels a bit too much sometimes, a bit too big, but it does connect with me enough to work.
The three hundred and thirtieth song: Laughing - David Crosby
Maybe it's because I'm tired as I'm sitting hiere, feeling more sensitive, but for some reason the steel guitar really grated on me - it overwhelmed in an unpleasant way. I'm not getting the message or the mood of the song, and it just didn't do anything but make me feel unpleasant. On a less tired relisten, there's a gentle song and meldoy here with a sweet sound, but a guitar that still won't quite go away.
The three hundred and thirty-first song: When The Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
It's good to see that despite rock progressing, blues covers can still take place. When The Levee Breaks starts with a long intro that uses a lot of this, while the subsequent song takes a lot of this, Robert Plant initially sticking to a standard blues sound despite the music surrounding him while adding flourishes later. The song itself focuses more on the music anyway, using the original to support longer riffs. Downside is that it becomes fairly repetitive towards the end - a seven minute song needs to live up to that, and here it doesn't pull that off.
The three hundred and thirty-second song: Surf’s Up - The Beach Boys
With the Beach Boys having long abandoned their surf image, it feels like here we get a belated response, the title indicating the end of their trend while creating a bigger sound that shows what they became famous for and fills the room here far more. It's complex, varied, with strong, central vocals and a lot build around them. It's wistful enough that I can read this element in it, but it stands on its own, without needing a history, to create a gentle, pleasant song.
The three hundred and thirty-third song: Theme from Shaft - Isaac Hayes
Film soundtracks are obviously rare on this list, with few title tracks like this making it (and I don't count Tommy, that was the wrong way around). Here it's shown off by having a long intro that undoubtably works even better with its visuals, while two minutes in the description of Shaft actually starts. The vocals weren't really needed anyway, the sound of the track is enough to carry you through and get you in the mood.
The three hundred and thirty-fourth song: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Gil Scott-Heron
Here's a spoken word album - some funk, getting the stage ready for rap to come on. It's better than some of these that we've had before - no "When the revolution comes". Here it's clearly political, anarchistic and ready for a fight. It's expertly done, following a very set beat and underlying percussion that really focuses the message, underscored where needed by the flute playing through.
The three hundred and thirty-fifth song: It’s Too Late - Carole King
After that, any other song is probably going to feel a bit out of touch, but Carole King's love ballad sounds good. It takes from doo wop and pop from earlier eras, but manages to make it sound more modern, with vocals that feels sharper and sadder. It's the end of a relationship, with an intense set of feelings and clear explanation, ready to end it. The music drives it, moving forward and having some optimism in the sadness of the song. It's sung precisely and powerfully, which really makes an impact here.
The three hundred and thirty-sixth song: Dum Maro Dum - Asha Bhosle
After what I just said about film tracks, here we get another Bollywood song - the second of the year even, and from Lata Mangeshkar's sister. The basis is an Indian song, but with the Western influences the movie requires - synthesizers aren't normally common. It stays true to its roots, but amps it up and it's clear why it would have been beloved. The refrain is also incredibly catchy and the song a delight to follow.