No. 1

Sweet Child O'Mine - Guns N' Roses (1987) Video - I'm a sucker for a great riff and, in my opinion, there's none greater than this. I like it because it's all things. Bad boy rockers doing a love song that's not even close to selling out. No other song feels so much like a love song and hard rock at the same time. This is as good as it gets. Off their debut album, Appetite For Destruction, where there is nary a bad song. Definitely one of my 21 albums.

"She's got a smile that seems to me reminds me of childhood memories where everything was as grey as the bright blue sky. Now and then when I see her face, she takes me away to that special place where if I stay too long, I'll probably break down and cry.

Whooooooaaaa sweet child o'mine. Sweet love o'mine.

She's got eyes of the bluest skies that if they thought of rain, I'd hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain. Her hair reminds of a warm safe place where as a child I'd hide and pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by.

Whooooooaaaa sweet child o'mine. Sweet love o'mine."

No. 2

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd (1975) Video - When I compiled my list of 21 original albums I'd leave my kids, they were the only group with two albums on the list. Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon. For non-Pink Floyd fans, Wish You Were Here is both a song and an album.

As with all Pink Floyd albums, it explores many themes, but most notably the mental decline of former frontman Syd Barrett. Syd had been the dominant creative force in their early work, but had lost his mind on drugs. He spent his remaining years living with his parents, rarely being seen, never giving interviews. During the recording of the album, Syd appeared at the studio where his bandmates failed to recognize him. It was a sad testament to the power of drugs to change people. The band had been successful beyond belief, but the man who defined their beginning was not there to experience the success and they wished he was there.

No. 3

Where the Streets Have No Name - U2 (1987)* Video - The opening track to one of 21 albums I'd leave my kids, 1987's Joshua Tree. The next 2 songs - With or Without You and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. It's also the intro song for my beloved Kansas Jayhawks. Having seen it performed live with 90,000 of my closest friends, I can attest to its power.

The meaning of the song can be traced to the streets of Belfast, based on the notion that you can identify a person's religion and income based upon what street they grew up.

"I wanna run, I want to hide. I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside. I want to reach out and touch the flame where the streets have no name."

No. 4

Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (1970) Video - The ultimate protest song about the Kent State shootings is the masterpiece of my favorite songwriter, Neil Young, who I will hopefully be seeing in concert in a few weeks.

"Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming, we're finally on our own. This summer I hear the drumming, four dead in Ohio. Gotta get down to it, soldier's are gunning us down. Should've been done long ago. What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground. How can you run when you know?"

No. 5

Grace Is Gone - Dave Matthews Band (2002) Video - Well, here we are at the best kept secret on my entire list. The single from Busted Stuff that never registered on any chart, should've. I was a Dave Matthews Band fan for 2 years before I realized how great this song was. As far as I'm concerned there's no better breakup song, no song that encapsulates the spirit of missing one of the great ones. Most songs don't have one line on par with every line of the song.

"Neon shines through smoky eyes tonight. It's 2 a.m., I'm drunk again, it's heavy on my mind. I could never love again, so much as I love you. Where you end, where I begin, it's like a river going through. Take my eyes, take my heart 'cause I need them no more if never again they fall upon the one I so adore.

Excuse me please one more drink, could you make it strong 'cause I don't need to think, she broke my heart, my grace is gone, one more drink and I'll move on.

One drink to remember, then another to forget, how could I ever dream to find sweet love like you again. One drink to remember, and another to forget.

Excuse me please one more drink, could you make it strong 'cause I don't need to think, she broke my heart, my Grace is gone, one more drink and I'll move on.

You think of things impossible then the sun refused to shine, I woke with you beside me, your cold hand lay in mine.

Excuse me please one more drink, could you make it strong 'cause I don't need to think, she broke my heart, my Grace is gone, one more drink and I'll go.

Excuse me please one more drink, could you make it strong 'cause I don't need to think, she broke my heart, my Grace is gone, one more drink and I'll move on. One more drink and I'll be gone. One more drink my Grace is gone."

If you're keeping score at home, that's 14 drinks :)

No. 6

Fire and Rain - James Taylor (1970) Video - A song about drug addiction, career failures, and the death of a friend, Fire and Rain is a sweet melody of which I never tire. Having been through some challenging times in the last couple of years, I enjoy the perspective of looking back from a calmer time, but never forgetting the road you've left behind.