Dirt
2014
Clawson and Tompkins built a whole life around one word; the duo nearly cut the closing lines about mortality.
★ 1.8
The Songs canon
Sourced and sung.
Every song chosen by hand, with the recording to play it.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Generator (First Floor)
2010
Queens kids who met on Craigslist and busked subway platforms, then made banjo and glockenspiel sound euphoric.
★ 2.0
Back Where I Come From
2000
Mac McAnally's 1990 original about his Mississippi hometown reached number fourteen; Chesney's cover went gold without ever being a single.
★ 2.4
You Are a Tourist
2011 · From Codes and Keys
Death Cab's first number one on alternative radio, and its video was performed live in one unbroken take.
★ 3.0
Landed
2005
Folds went back to a trio for Songs for Silverman, and made its lead single a phone call home.
★ 3.7
My Blue HeavenGene Austin
My Blue Heaven
1928
Donaldson wrote the tune waiting his turn at a Friars Club billiard table; Austin's soft croon sold millions.
★ 4.5
Lights
2011
Goulding wrote it about a childhood fear of the dark, and the Hot 100 kept it fifty-two weeks.
★ 4.7
Small Town
1985 · From Scarecrow
Written in the laundry room of Mellencamp's old house, it makes Indiana sound like enough for one life.
★ 4.7
Summer Breeze
1972
Larry Knechtel on piano, Jim Gordon on drums, and a chorus that arrives like the evening it describes.
★ 4.8
Carry Me Ohio
2003 · From Ghosts of the Great Highway
Kozelek grew up in Massillon, Ohio, and this is what he sends back: an apology set to ringing acoustic guitars.
★ 4.9
California
2002
Jason Schwartzman still drummed for the band when they cut it; The O.C. later made it a UK top ten.
★ 5.0
Carolina In My Mind
1968 · From James Taylor
McCartney played bass and Harrison sang uncredited backing on the Apple debut, while Taylor sat in London missing North Carolina.
★ 5.3
On My Block
2002 · From The Fix
Five mics from The Source for The Fix, a Mike Dean beat, and Scarface drawing his Houston block affectionately.
★ 5.6
Welcome to ParadiseGreen Day
Welcome to Paradise
1994 · From Dookie
Armstrong wrote it about squatting in a West Oakland warehouse, and the Dookie re-recording is the one everyone knows.
★ 5.7
Chattanooga Choo Choo
1941
Cut in Hollywood in May 1941; nine months later RCA handed Miller the first gold record ever presented.
★ 6.0
Return of the Grievous Angel
1974 · From Grievous Angel
A Boston fan's poem, reworked by Parsons, Emmylou Harris on harmony, and an album out four months after his death.
★ 6.1
Helpless
1970 · From Deja Vu
One of three Deja Vu tracks the four cut together, Young keening about the Ontario town of his childhood.
★ 6.4
Bloodbuzz Ohio
2010 · From High Violet
Cut in Aaron Dessner's Brooklyn garage, a horn part stripped out late, leaving that rolling drum pattern and Berninger's baritone.
★ 6.4