One urbanist's top 10 list

Sam Cooke (1931-1964) Image source

WXPN, the terrific Philadelphia public radio station that hosts "The World Cafe," is surveying listeners for an upcoming countdown of the 2020 best songs of all time. You can vote here.

For awhile I was paralyzed by limitless choice, but then I decided to make a list to celebrate urbanism. I limited myself to post-1964--sorry, Duke Ellington--and tried to spread the selections across time periods and styles. My votes:

Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke, w/m Sam Cooke (Ain't That Good News, 1965). This barely cracked the top 40 when it was released the year after Cooke's life was taken, but it has endured as an anthem of hope-in-tribulation. A perfect vehicle for Cooke's incredible voice. [NOTE: The song appeared on two WXPN staff lists, so I have high hopes for its appearance on the list.]

Crowded Table by The Highwomen, w/m Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, and Lori McKenna (The Highwomen, 2019). Amanda Shires assembled the female vocal quarter for the album of which this anthem to inclusion is the highlight. Urbanism is nothing if not inclusive, with "a place by the fire for everyone."

Downtown by Petula Clark, w/m Tony Hatch (Downtown, 1964). Celebrates the joys and wonders of successful city centers, not to mention their therapeutic qualities, at a time when America at least was all in on suburbs. It was her first and biggest U.S. hit.

Freedom Highway by Mavis Staples, w/m Roebuck "Pops" Staples (Mavis Staples Live: Hope at the Hideout, 2008). Written early in the civil rights movement, and recorded with a note of longing by the Staple Singers in 1965 when Mavis was 26, the re-recording celebrates liberation with unabashed triumph. 

Mortal City by Dar Williams, w/m Dar Williams (Mortal City, 1996). Long, fraught tale from her second album about a young woman who's so overwhelmed by the big city (New York?) that she shuts down, only to come alive on a fixed-up date during an ice storm. More than 20 years later, Williams wrote an urbanist book, What I Found in a Thousand Towns [Basic, 2017].

No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley and the Wailers, w/m Vincent Ford (Live at the Lyceum, 1975). First recorded on the 1974 studio album Natty Dread, it reaches its apotheosis in the live version--long, majestic, and communal. Though recorded in a concert hall, it sounds like the crowd singing along could be sharing food around a bonfire.

Nothing But Flowers by Talking Heads, w/m David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth (Naked, 1988). Snarkily humorous look at a post-apocalyptic world without the things urbanists decry: franchise chains, parking lots, and shopping malls. "I wish I had a lawnmower," but he doesn't.

Only a Song by Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore, w/m Ben Sollee, (Dear Companion, 2010). Tender song, two voices accompanied by strummed cello, exploring our place in the universe and the role of artistic expression in the world.

Spanish Harlem by Aretha Franklin, w/m Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector (Aretha's Greatest Hits, 1971).  Come for Franklin's soaring gospel-influenced treatment of this song, first recorded by Ben E. King ten years earlier. Stay for the enchanting lyric of persistent hope lived by the rose growing "right up through the concrete." The singer promises nurture and a place to belong.

Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits, w/m Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits, 1979). Away from the crowds and the tourist traps, the real city reveals itself in a half-empty jazz club on a rainy night. Six strong verses enhance the mood almost as much as Knopfler's flashy guitar licks. I still remember where I was when I first heard this song, appropriately enough driving down an empty street on a cold rainy morning.

Honorable mention:

Bus Stop, Hollies

Saturday in the Park, Chicago

The Spot, Your Smith

Stay on the Ride, Patty Griffin

Waterloo Sunset, Kinks

What's Going On, Marvin Gaye

SEE ALSO:

"An Urbanity Playlist," 12 June 2013

"Urbanity Playlist II: More Urbanity," 23 July 2014