Allow me to be self indulgent and post my 15 perfect songs

Honourable mentions:Daft Punk-I found it hard to choose a single Daft Punk song, I was caught between Harder Better Faster Stronger and interestingly Da Funk which has risen in my estimation alot lately.

Mogwai-I love Mogwai, but sadly I must confess to not being able pick out one particular striking amazing song of theirs. That's a fact.

Spiritualized-I actually just remembered Spiritualized, I'd probably go for "I think I'm in Love".

New Order-I have a shocking ignorance of most of New Orders material, I could have named Blue Monday, but I don't think I could do it justice by way of explanation, of course this may be true of the songs I have named too, let's hope not.

I don't remember anything else I've forgotten.

Well I really like two thirds of these, which is a very good hit rate, but there's only one where I would have chosen the same track by the act (Pet Shop Boys). I'd have gone for Search & Destroy by the Stooges, Red Alert by Basement Jaxx, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry by Hank Williams*, The Rockefeller Skank by Fatboy Slim and Loaded by Primal Scream, for instance.

*Is there a more perfect verse anywhere than "The silence of a falling star / Lights up a purple sky / And as I wonder where you are / I'm so lonesome I could cry"? Poetic beauty, vivid description and heartbreaking emotion in 24 words.

I was battling between "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" and "Lovesick Blues" actually. I was going to put down both in the same line but that's cheating I guess. I'm still not comfortable with one or the other on their own.

I think Higher Than The Sun is better than Loaded, and the best song on Screamadelica by a long long way.

Basement Jaxx was a three way tie between Set Yo Body Free, Get Me Off, and YoYo actually. It's obviously harder with a band when you love all their work, but Set Yo' Body Free just about clinches it.

As for the Stooges, TV Eye is it for me, no question. I did a thread about it over on ILM at some point. I love it. My favourite song of its kind.

I have to admit that I only know one of those songs. I'll have to think of 15 perfect songs. It's all good that everyones lists are different.

don't johnny's voice just give you orgasmic blues chills on solitary?

"but that died too......"

exactimundo James....and then you read the liners and go, fuck - Neil Diamond wrote this!!!???!!!!

I quite like that Basement Jaxx remix of Missy E (how dat E E E is E-propriate) of For My People or whatEVAH it's called. Even though I bleghrhate their stomping beats this track sort of like totally RAWKS.

Super Furry Animals-Northern Lites

This is an excellent song. I almost did it for the FT 102 beats thang.

Respect! Bar the country tracks I don't know I love all of these. And Ronan the way you so airily combine liking alt-country with dance music is making me think perhaps I should finally investigate the genre more than I have.

I've only heard about 3 of these too, but I'm sure you're right about them all. "Higher Than The Sun" is one of my favourites too.

A very good list, except for the absence of anything by The Specials.

"Higher Than The Sun" and "Slip Inside This House" are both genius. Everything else they did could pretty much fall into the ocean and I wouldn't notice.

"I See a Darkness" is glorious.