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
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
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
I'D RATHER GO BLIND CHICKEN
SHACK
CARRICKFERGUS BRYAN
LEAVING NEW YORK
MAGGIE MAY ROD
STEWART AND THE FACES
JESUS TO A CHILD GEORGE MICHAEL
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.
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
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
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