20 Random Songs Ranked

I’ve ranked a lot of random things on this blog, including a variety of songs, but that got me thinking … what if I ranked something truly random?

I played the first 20 shuffled tracks from my “Liked Songs” playlist on Spotify (which has over 3600 songs) and ranked them from least good to best. I also allowed a maximum of three songs per artist to allow for a more varied crop of songs. Let’s see where this little experiment gets us!

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Play It Once Or Twice

These are the songs I added to my Liked Songs on a whim, but I barely replay them anymore.

20 – Overdue (Muse)

I’m not gonna lie … I was tempted to remove “Overdue” from my Liked Songs when it came up.

I’ll keep it for now, since these early, raw Muse tones are fun, but just know it’s on a razor’s edge.

19 – The Dark (Anouk)

A song I like purely for the bassline.

“The Dark” by Anouk isn’t noteworthy other than the bass, but that bass does enough to justify the song a place among my Liked Songs.

18 – I Belong to You (Muse)

I’ve always stood by “I Belong to You” despite it being a generally hated Muse song, but over time I’ve softened on it.

The French-speaking section is cringe, but the rest is harmless enough.

17 – Forever Young (Alphaville)

Endearing message and powerful chorus, but “Forever Young” is a little drawn-out and soppy to justify multiple listens.

Good Fun

I’m impartial to playing these songs every now and again.

16 – Fugue State (Vulfpeck)

A tight groove that would work both as elevator music and haunted house music – a tiny Venn Diagram overlap if ever there was one.

15 – When I’m Sixty-Four (The Beatles)

John Lennon not-so-affectionately called this “granny music”, and I can kinda see why.

It’s not one of McCartney’s very best, but then again I always have fun whenever “When I’m Sixty-Four” comes on.

14 – Survivor (Destiny’s Child)

I’m not a Destiny’s Child superfan by any means, but “Survivor” is a powerful bop.

13 – Woke Up This Morning (Alabama 3)

The Sopranos theme couldn’t have been cooler if it tried.

I have to be in a certain mindset to listen to “Woke Up This Morning” … but on those rare occasions, I become prepared to face the day with a swagger to my step.

12 – Getting Better (The Beatles)

Another Beatles song from Sgt. Pepper’s, and I think “Getting Better” is marginally superior.

McCartney’s upbeat vocals are undercut by some cheeky, downbeat Lennon dismissals.

Banger

I know I’m in for a great time when these songs come on.

11 – She Said She Said (The Beatles)

The third (and therefore final) Beatles song in this random crop of twenty, and yet again it ever so slightly edged out competition.

I love the psychedelic tones, and the vocal harmonies are sublime.

10 – Strange Days (The Doors)

One of wackier and more ethereal Doors songs, and I love it.

The instrumental breaks in “Strange Days” are a highlight.

9 – Concerning Hobbits (Howard Shore)

How do you rank a film score among a sea of popular music? Questions like that are exactly why I came up with this Spotify experiment.

“Concerning Hobbits” is one of the more famous Lord of the Rings songs, and as far as I’m concerned Howard Shore is a genius. Give me a quaint life in the shire, second breakfast and all, any day.

8 – Love Of My Life (Queen)

A slower song on “Night at the Opera”, but it hits just as hard as the faster ones.

This is Freddy Mercury at his best – he sings the touching ballad with total conviction.

7 – Black Skinhead (Kanye West)

There was a time when “Black Skinhead” was my favourite Kanye song.

It probably isn’t anymore, but that deep synth and those aggressive lyrics always hold my attention.

6 – Take Me to the River (Talking Heads)

I’ve come full circle on “Take Me to the River” – I used to love it, then found it overrated compared to the rest of “More Songs About Buildings and Food”, and now I’m back to loving it.

That slow groove is odd for a Talking Heads song but it somehow works.

5 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2)

U2 are one of the few bands I’ve actually seen live, and I’ll never forget how the drum riff of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” opened a fantastic concert.

It’s raw and comes from a place of genuine strife, and Bono’s vocals cut deep.

4 – Heart-Shaped Box (Nirvana)

“In Utero” isn’t as good as “Nevermind”, but it’s damn close when there are songs like “Heart-Shaped Box” in its tracklist.

It’s definitely one of my favourite Nirvana songs for its spooky verses and explosive choruses.

A Personal Favourite

These remain some of my favourite songs of all time.

3 – Miss You (The Rolling Stones)

I remember listening to “Miss You” for the first time and thinking it was the grooviest song ever recorded.

This is a side of the Rolling Stones that we rarely see, and as a result it’s one of my favourites.

2 – The Chain (Fleetwood Mac)

It’s a testament to the quality of “Rumours” that “The Chain” isn’t in my top two songs of that album and yet it made the top two of this ranking.

The first two-thirds are great, but it’s the bass in the outro that makes it legendary.

1 – Starless (King Crimson)

My love of King Crimson is growing by the day, and even though “Starless” is a song I only heard for the first time a few months ago it has quickly skyrocketed to one of my all-time favourites.

The first few verses are fantastic, the middle section is ominous as hell, and then the final moments are absolutely glorious. It’s 12 minutes long but not a single second is wasted.

Aaaand that’s my list! I might make this a recurring series … but until the next instalment, you can check out some of my latest blog posts below: