Pop 100

Well, it turned out to be 103 in the end.
Since November, I added one piece each night to my short list. Something that had been thought about, looked at from all angles and judged worthy of a Top 100 place.
Having reached 100 I thought I had better continue for a while but only made it to 106 until I thought that I had the main favourites in the Top 60 or so and after that it does become more and more open to various options. So, then I put them all onto an Excel spreadsheet and gave them all an estimated position in the Top 100, with The Turtles being given number 100 because I wanted them in. Then they were sorted into ascending order, with another column added to separate those on the same mark.
I have just played around with the placings at the bottom but could not eventually eliminate Hey Jude or Yazoo completely and so we go with 102.
(And then, much later, George Michael was re-instated from a previous list).
Beast Of Burden by the Stones crashes out from a one-time no. 5 position, if I remember rightly. And it probably is hard luck on Led Zeppelin as much as anybody but great favourites of the past, including Chic, Public Image Limited, Medicine Head, Hurricane Smith and many others don't quite make this elite list at the moment. But this looks about right to me. As right as it is ever likely to look.

PAPA WAS A RODEO        THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

WALK AWAY RENEE        THE FOUR TOPS

THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS        SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES

ALL MY LITTLE WORDS  THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

JUST MY IMAGINATION  THE TEMPTATIONS

ONE STEP AHEAD  ARETHA FRANKLIN

I WANT YOU BACK           THE JACKSON FIVE

I DON'T REALLY LOVE YOU ANYMORE         THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

THE BOOK OF LOVE         THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

STOP ! IN THE NAME OF LOVE   DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES

I'M STILL WAITING           DIANA ROSS 

GET IT ON     T.REX

ONE APRIL DAY     STEPHIN MERRITT

IT'LL NEVER BE OVER FOR ME TIMI YURO

RAVING TONIGHT GREGORY ISAACS

A WHITER SHADE OF PALE        PROCUL HARUM

COME SEE ABOUT ME      THE SUPREMES

WILD IS THE WIND            DAVID BOWIE

ALL THE UMBRELLAS IN LONDON      THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

A CHICKEN WITH ITS HEAD CUT OFF THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

MASSACHUCHETS THE BEE GEES

THIS OLD HEART OF MINE         THE ISLEY BROTHERS

MARIA, MARIA, MARIA   STEPHIN MERRITT

BE MY BABY           THE RONETTES

ONE WOMAN          AL GREEN

I'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER YOU         THE SEEKERS

I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU   AL GREEN

DON'T TALK TO HIM         CLIFF RICHARD

SUNDAY MORNING          THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

LADY ELEANOR    LINDISFARNE

GOD ONLY KNOWS           THE BEACH BOYS

I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF   DUSTY SPRINGFIELD

I'M GONNA MAKE YOU LOVE ME        DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES AND THE TEMPTATIONS

YOU TRIP ME UP    THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN

A CASE OF YOU     JONI MITCHELL

BIRD GIRL   ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS

I'D RATHER GO BLIND     CHICKEN SHACK

CARRICKFERGUS  BRYAN FERRY

LEAVING NEW YORK       R.E.M.

MAGGIE MAY         ROD STEWART AND THE FACES
JESUS TO A CHILD     GEORGE MICHAEL

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT           ODYSSEY

I DON'T NEED YOUR LOVE         BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS

OVERJOYED            MATCHBOX 20

REBEL REBEL         DAVID BOWIE

THE NEXT TIME      CLIFF RICHARD

THAT'S HOW HEARTACHES ARE MADE          BABY WASHINGTON

WORD ON A WING            DAVID BOWIE

I'LL BE YOUR MIRROR     THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

I DON'T WANT TO GET OVER YOU       THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

IF I FELL       THE BEATLES

SO. CENTRAL RAIN           R.E.M.

WILLOW TREE        GREGORY ISAACS

ROGUES IN A NATION     STEELEYE SPAN

HOT LOVE    T.REX

LAST BEAUTIFUL GIRL    MATCHBOX 20

THE ONLY ONE      ROY ORBISON

DAYDREAM BELIEVER   THE MONKEES

WHEN YOU WERE MY BABY     THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

I WILL           BILLY FURY

IF I DON'T HAVE YOU      GREGORY ISAACS

SMOOTH .     SANTANA FT. ROB THOMAS

OLIVER'S ARMY     ELVIS COSTELLO

;911     WYCLEF JEAN FT. MARY J. BLIGE

TUMBLING DICE    THE ROLLING STONES

LEAVING TO ZION            BLACK UHURU

MY NUMBER ONE  GREGORY ISAACS

LET OFF SUP'M        GREGORY ISAACS AND DENNIS BROWN

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE       THE BEATLES

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD          BOB DYLAN

LOFTY SKIES           TYRANNOSAURUS REX

I CAN'T MAKE IT ALONE DUSTY SPRINGFIELD

SI TU DOIS PARTIR            FAIRPORT CONVENTION

GREEN GROW THE RUSHES O   R.E.M.

SWEET LOVIN' MAN          THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

COME BACK FROM SAN FRANCISCO  THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

IT'S RAINING           DARTS

REFUGEES   THE TEARS

YOU WEAR IT WELL         ROD STEWART AND THE FACES

DO YOU WANNA DANCE            THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS

I'M A BELIEVER     THE MONKEES

WE SHALL NOT BE LOVERS       THE WATERBOYS

JEEPSTER      T.REX

LEAVE           MATCHBOX 20

I'M STILL WAITING           BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS

SOWING SEEDS      THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN

LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER      THE DRIFTERS

I HEAR A SYMPHONY      THE SU[PREMES

DANCING AT WHITSUN   TIM HART

PRIVATE NUMBER            WILLIAM BELL AND JUDY CLAY

DANCING SHOES   BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS

I'LL TAKE YOU THERE     THE STAPLE SINGERS

FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE        THE CURE

I DIDN'T KNOW      AL GREEN

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN        ROD STEWART 

BABY I NEED YOUR LOVING    THE FOUR TOPS

ALL THE YOUNG DUDES MOTT THE HOOPLE

THE GIRL ALL THE BAD GUYS WANT BOWLING FOR SOUP

NOWHERE TO RUN            MARTHA REEVES AND THE VANDELLAS

GOODTIME GIRL    STONE THE CROWS

SHE'D RATHER BE WITH ME       THE TURTLES

HEY JUDE     THE BEATLES

TOO PIECES YAZOO