Any artist would tell you that making perfect art is impossible. Whether it’s a painting, a manuscript, a movie, a television show, a song, or any other medium, there are always going to be things we think could have been done just a bit better.

People who consume media would argue otherwise, though, because even if the artist would change things, we think it’s perfect the way it is – and these people say these songs for sure fall into the “perfect” category.

Anything at all.

Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce.

Also Operator by Jim Croce

Maybe anything by Jim Croce

The classics are getting some love.

Clair de Lune – Debussy

And to think!

“God Only Knows” – The Beach Boys

Pet sounds is one of the best albums ever made. I hop between God Only Knows and Sloop John b as the best song off that record

And to think that probably their most famous song, Good Vibrations, wasn’t even on the album as it was released as a single instead!

I’m not sure many would argue.

Moonlight Sonata

The best part.

Gimme Shelter.

My favorite part is when Merry Clayton is singing “R**e, M**der,” at one point you hear her voice crack because she is just belting it out, and you can hear a barely audible “whoo” from Mick.

Not a single complaint.

“I Put a Spell On You”, the Nina Simone version.

The string arrangement, the vocals, the piano, the instrumental solo – all perfect.

Takes you right back.

Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule the World

I worked at an amusement park in my teen years and late at night on a summer weeknight when it wasn’t too crowded I could lean out the window of my store and listen to the music they played and my favorite was Everybody Wants to Rule the World.

Still takes me right back to those nights when I hear it.

A true hero.

Stand by me by Ben E. King.

This song meant the world to me growing up – I met Ben E King when I was stage managing at the venue in the town I grew up in, and got to shake his hand and thank him for it! A true hero/legend.

You can feel it in your lungs.

“Nessun Dorma” from Puccini’s Turandot.

You can feel it in your lungs and diaphragm.

Those lyrics.

The Boxer – Simon and Garfunkel

“In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade and he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down or cut him till he cried out In his anger and his shame “I am leaving, I am leaving” But the fighter still remains.”

Total masterpiece.

Head over heels – Tears for Fears

I heard this song for the first time in years in a grocery store last week. Total masterpiece, I can’t choose what kind of pickles to buy to THIS. I had to take a little wander and just enjoy.

Also the cover.

Space Oddity by david bowie

If you haven’t seen/heard it, you should watch the video for Chris Hadfield’s cover of it. He filmed and recorded it while he was actually in space

More meaningful.

Here Comes the Sun and In My Life

In My Life” somehow more meaningful with only two remaining Beatles that still alive today.

They can’t unsee it.

My initial thought was “Just like Heaven” and I stand by it 100%. My one criticism with pictures of you isn’t even with the music, but instead its liner notes.

It reads “Bigger, and brighter, and wider than snow” and I know in my heart is should be whiter than snow!

You never get sick of it.

Dreams – Fleetwood Mac

Perfect vocals, drums, guitar, harmonizing in the chorus just to name a few things.

Lyrics! I’ve never gotten sick of it.

Perfect length! Leaves you wanting more.

A random connection.

Rainbow connection.

In 1996, in New Zealand, a man broke into a radio station and held the only employee that was there hostage, saying he had a bomb.

His only demand was that the station play the original version of Rainbow Connection, because he said this would communicate to the world how he felt.

The station played the song for 12 hours.

The man was then arrested. He didn’t have any explosives.

Jaw-droppingly incredible.

Wish You Were Here- the Pink Floyd version

We’re just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
What have we found?
The same old fears
Wish you were here

I mean those are just jaw-droppingly incredible lyrics.

One cover missing.

Mazzy Star – Fade Into You

I wish so badly that Johnny Cash would have covered this song in his late career when he started doing covers from all genres.

I do really like most of these songs.

I’m off to consider what else I would put on the list.