This was not easy. Literally only the first 3 are ones where I can put at the top without any inkling of a doubt.
I have a wide range of music in my library. A majority of it is "Alternative" or Alternative Rock. Lots of 90s stuff. Lots of Green Day, Yellowcard, Foo Fighters, and Sum 41.
Trying to come up with this list, I asked myself "would I play this almost every time it comes up or am I skipping that song. Even then, some songs are definitely skippable on certain days that I'm looking for specific songs. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go 1 song per band/singer or just ignore the possibility. I also have songs where I used to consider them to be personal favorites that have since fallen from that. Big example is "Pieces" by Sum 41. I've also got a lot of classics that I like, but wouldn't consider them favorites.
I don't think I'm going to be able to rank these songs...
Green Day - Basket Case
Goldfinger - Superman
Billy Joel - Piano Man
Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla
Blues Traveler - Run-Around
Capital Cities - Safe and Sound
My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
Side Note: I hate when radio stations shorten the intro...
The Killers - When You Were Young
Shakira - Whenever, Wherever
Chris Cornell - You Know My Name
Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies
Side Note: I love that the video features a guy skateboarding, because I listened to this song a LOT in
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.
Yellowcard - One Year, Six Months
Side Note: They apparently rarely play this song live. I got to see them play it live last month as they were performing all of the songs from Ocean Ave in order.
Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench
nano.RIPE - Last Chapter
Side Note: This song and the end song (ED) called "
Crossing Road" are the only good things about the fifth season of Food Wars.
Len - Steal My Sunshine
The Wallflowers - One Headlight
Side Note: I'm pretty sure my first time hearing this song was in a
Geico motorcycle insurance ad.
The Funeral Party - Giant
Reel Big Fish - Kids Don't Like It (Skacoustic)
Electrasy - Cosmic Castaway
Republica - Ready to Go
Disclaimer: Video has a LOT of zooming and unzooming. Full non-video version is 5 minutes long, and doesn't have the cool guitar bit that is present at the end of the music video (3:21).
Here's the Original version. I'm personally not a fan of that version.
Other note: If you've ever been to Cedar Point and rode the Top Thrill Dragster, you heard this song every time the prepped a launch.
HMs:
Morningwood - Nth Degree
Fastball - The Way
Rancid - Time Bomb
ELO - Twilight (Song starts at 1:40)
Pearl Jam - Unthought Known
Men Without Hats - Safety Dance (Video Version)
Remy Zero - Fair
The Darkness - Christmas Time
Andy Williams - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Dropkick Murphys - The Season's Upon Us
Spin Doctors - Two Princes
Yellowcard - Believe
Sum 41 - So Long Goodbye
Five for Fighting - 100 Years
Syntax - Destiny
311 - Don't Tread on Me
NWA - Express Yourself (Extended Mix)
Billy Joel - Downeaster Alexa
Damizza - I'll Do Anything
Spacehog - In the Meantime
Johnny Cash - Hurt