The artrockometer splits the songs I know in six tiers:
6/6 "hors concours", one of about 200 most favourite songs.
5/6 "essential", one of about 500 next favourite songs.
4/6 "important", songs I would put on my MP3 USB stick.
3/6 "good to have", OK to hear it on the radio.
2/6 "not required", I don't need this.
1/6 "no thanks", I really prefer not to hear this.
Reality is of course more fluid than that, but it makes for a decent split. This site I created especially for the 6/6 "hors concours" songs, but in the current page I will put the spotlight on the next tier, 5/6 "essential". I'll stop there, because the 4/6 tier contains at the moment over 5000 songs.
At the moment this list is not complete yet (I estimate 90-95% are done, but there are albums of the past ten years I need to listen to again), additions will be put in the coming months. As with the 6/6 songs, this list is not cast in stone, and promotion to or degradation from the adjacent tiers may occur with time.
- 10cc - Art for Art's sake
- 10cc - Don't hang up
- 10cc - The Wallstreet shuffle
- ABBA - Eagle
- ABBA - Fernando
- ABBA - One of us
- ABBA - Our last summer
- ABBA - S.O.S.
- ABBA - The day before you came
- Al Stewart - Lord Grenville
- Al Stewart - Midas shadow
- Alan Parsons Project - Don't answer me
- Alan Parsons Project - Silence and I
- Alan Parsons Project - The turn of a friendly card
- Alan Parsons Project - Time
- Alanis Morissette - Flinch
- Alex Harvey - Make my life beautiful
- Alice Cooper - Halo of flies
- Alice Cooper - No more mister nice guy
- Alison Moyet - The windmills of your mind
- Alquin - You always can change
- Andrea Bocelli - Con te partiro
- Animals - House of the rising sun
- Anna Ternheim - Such a lonely soul (naked version)
- Anne-Sofie von Otter - Baby plays around
- Anne-Sofie von Otter - Rope
- Annie Lennox - Angel
- Annie Lennox - Into the west
- Arena - Ghost In The Firewall
- Arena - Moviedrome
- Arena - Solomon
- Arena - The Butterfly Man
- Arena - Waiting for the flood
- Bacamarte - Depois do fim
- Bacamarte - Passaro de luz
- Bacamarte - Ultimo entandarcer
- Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - L'Evoluzione
- Bangles - Eternal flame
- Beach Boys - Tears in the morning
- Beatles - A day in the life
- Beatles - Blackbird
- Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
- Beatles - For no one
- Beatles - Lucy in the sky with diamonds
- Beatles - Penny Lane
- Beatles - Strawberry fields
- Beatles - The ballad of John and Yoko
- Beatles - Yesterday
- Bette Midler - Old Cape Cod
- Billy Joel - James
- Billy Joel - She's always a woman to me
- Black Bonzo - Lady of the light
- Blackfield - 1000 People
- Blackfield - Christenings
- Blackfield - End of the world
- Blackfield - Epidemic
- Blackfield - My gift of silence
- Blackfield - Some day
- Blue Oyster Cult - Don't fear the reaper
- Bobby Goldsboro - Summer, the first time
- Bonnie Tyler - Total eclipse of the heart
- Boomtown Rats - I don't like Mondays
- Boudewijn de Groot - Beneden alle peil
- Boudewijn de Groot - Verdronken vlinder
- Boudewijn de Groot - Welterusten mijnheer de president
- Bread - Aubrey
- Bread - Guitarman
- Bread - If
- Bread - Lost without your love
- Brian Eno - Spider and I
- Brian Protheroe - I/You
- Brian Protheroe - Pinball
- Bronski Beat - Smalltown boy
- Bryan Ferry - Miss Otis regrets
- Bryan Ferry - San Simeon
- Bryan Ferry - September song
- Buffalo Springfield - Expecting to fly
- Buffoons - Arizona
- Camel - Eye of the storm/Who we are
- Camel - Ice
- Camel - Lady fantasy
- Camel - Rajaz
- Carpenters - Happy
- Carpenters - Heather
- Carpenters - I won't last a day without you
- Carpenters - Mr. Guder
- Carpenters - Only yesterday
- Carpenters - Top of the world
- Carpenters - Yesterday once more
- Cat Stevens - Lady d'Arbanville
- Cat Stevens - Matthew and Son
- Cat Stevens - Morning has broken
- Cat Stevens - Oh very young
- Cats - One way wind
- Cats - Rock 'n' Roll
- China Crisis - The gates of door to door
- China Crisis - Wishful thinking
- Cock Robin - The promise that you made
- Coldplay - God put a smile upon your face
- Coldplay - In my place
- Coldplay - Speed of sound
- Coldplay - Trouble
- Coldplay - Yellow
- Commodores - Three times a lady
- Conny Vandenbos - De noorderzon scheen
- Cranberries - Never grow old
- Cranberries - Ode to my family
- Cranberries - Shattered
- Cyndi Lauper- Time after time
- Dalida et Alain Delon - Paroles, paroles
- Dan Fogelberg - Longer
- Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich - The legend of Xanadu
- David Bowie - China girl
- David Bowie - Loving the alien
- David Bowie - Rock 'n' roll suicide
- David Bowie - Suffragette city
- David Sylvian - Before the bullfight
- David Sylvian - Brilliant trees
- David Sylvian - Darkest dreaming
- David Sylvian - Nostalgia
- David Sylvian - Praise
- David Sylvian - Silver moon
- David Sylvian - The shining of things
- Depeche Mode - Master and servant
- Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come on Eileen
- Dire Straits - Down to the waterline
- Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet
- Dire Straits - Why worry
- Dire Straits - Your latest trick
- Don McLean - Castles in the air
- Don McLean - Empty chairs
- Doobie Brothers - China grove
- Doors - Light my fire
- Doors - Riders on a storm
- Doug Ashdown - Winter in America
- Dream Theater - Beyond this life/Through her eyes
- Dream Theater - Repentance
- Dream Theater - Space-dye vest
- Duncan Browne - Wild places
- Duran Duran - A view to a kill
- Duran Duran - Ordinary world
- Duran Duran - Wild boys
- Eagles - New kid in town
- Eagles - One of these nights
- Eagles - Peaceful easy feeling
- Earth and Fire - Love of life
- Earth and Fire - Maybe tomorrow maybe tonight
- Earth and Fire - Memories
- Eddie Howell - Man from Manhattan
- Electric Light Orchestra - Mister blue sky
- Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton-John - Xanadu
- Elton John - Can you feel the love tonight
- Elton John - Candle in the wind
- Elton John - Daniel
- Elton John - Don't let the sun go down on me
- Elton John - Funeral for a friend/Love lies bleeding
- Elton John - Goodbye yellow brick road
- Elton John - Sacrifice
- Elton John - Sorry seems to be the hardest word
- Emerson Lake and Palmer - Lucky man
- Emiliana Torrini - Birds
- Emiliana Torrini - Bleeder
- Eurythmics - Here comes the rain again
- Eurythmics - Sweet dreams are made of this
- Evanescence - Going under
- Faye Wong - Ma zui
- Fischer Z - Remember Russia
- Fischer Z - The French let her
- Fischer Z - The worker
- Fish - Blind to the beautiful
- Fish - The high wood
- Fleetwood Mac - Albatross
- Fleetwood Mac - Need your love so bad
- Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon
- Fleetwood Mac - Sara
- Focus - Focus 3
- Focus - Hamburger concerto
- Frank and Nancy Sinatra - Something stupid
- Garbage - Drive you home
- Garbage - Milk
- Gary Moore - Still got the blues
- Genesis - A trick of the tail
- Genesis - Follow you follow me
- Genesis - Land of confusion
- Genesis - One for the vine
- Genesis - Squonk
- Genesis - Stagnation
- Genesis - The musical box
- George Michael - A different corner
- George Michael - Careless whisper
- Gerry and the Pacemakers - Ferry, cross the Mersey
- Gigi Leung - Ai de dai jia
- Gerard Lenorman - Sur le chemin de la vie
- Glen Campbell - By the time I get to Phoenix
- Gloria Estefan - Can't stay away from you
- Gloria Estefan - Don't wanna lose you
- Godley and Creme - An Englishman in New York
- Godley and Creme - Five o'clock in the morning
- Golden Earring - Radar love
- Golden Earring - She flies on strange wings
- Golden Earring - Twilight zone
- Gordon Lightfoot - If you could read my mind
- Grace Jones - I've seen that face before
- Grobschnitt - Rockpommel's land
- Grobschnitt - Tontillon
- Harmonium - Histoire sans paroles
- Harry Chapin - Cat's in the cradle
- Harry Chapin - Morning DJ of WOLD
- Heart - Magic man
- Herbert Grönemeyer - Halt mich
- Herman van Veen - Cirkels
- Herman van Veen - Liefde van later
- Hollies - The air that I breathe
- Human League - Don't you want me
- Human League - Open your heart
- Icehouse - Trojan blue
- IQ - Further away
- IQ - Harvest of souls
- IQ - The province
- IQ - The sense of sanity
- Janis Ian - Aftertones
- Janis Ian - In the winter
- Japan - Gentlemen take polaroids
- Japan - Methods of dance
- Japan - Other side of life
- Japan - Quiet life
- Jean Michel Jarre - Equinoxe II
- Jim Croce - A long time ago
- Jim Croce - Alabama rain
- Jim Croce - I got a name
- Jim Croce - I'll have to say I love you in a song
- Jim Croce - Operator
- Jim Croce - Photographs and memories
- Jim Croce - Salon and saloon
- Joe Dassin - Dans les yeux d'Emilie
- Joe Dassin - L'Été Indien
- Joe Jackson - Be my number two
- Joey Dyser - 100 Years
- John Denver - Annie's song
- John Denver - Calypso
- John Lennon - #9 Dream
- Jon and Vangelis - I'll find my way home
- Judy Collins - Send in the clowns
- Julie Covington - Don't cry for me Argentina
- Justin Hayward - Forever autumn
- k.d. lang - Hain't It Funny?
- k.d. lang - The Air That I Breathe
- Kansas - Dust in the wind
- Kast - Eltse grins foarby
- Kast - In nije dei
- Kate Bush - Army dreamers
- Kate Bush - Hounds of love
- Kate Bush - The big sky [meteorological mix]
- Kate Bush - This woman's work
- Kate Bush - Wuthering heights 1985
- Kayak - Friendship and love
- Kayak - Frozen flame
- Kayak - Icarus
- Kayak - If this is your welcome
- Kayak - Irene
- Kayak - Lovely Luna
- Kayak - See see the sun
- Kayak - The king's enchanter
- Kayak - The otherworld
- Kayak - The sword in the stone
- Kayak - Turn the tide
- Kayak - When the seer looks away
- Keane - Atlantic
- Keane - Bend and break
- Keane - Crystal ball
- Keane - Dinner at eight
- Keane - Everybody's changing
- Keane - Somewhere only we know
- Keane - This is the last time
- Keane - Try again
- Kenny Rodgers and the First Edition - Ruby
- Kiki Dee - Amoureuse
- Kim Carnes - Bette Davis eyes
- Kim Wilde - Cambodia
- Kim Wilde - View from a bridge
- Kitty Hoff - Wintermeer
- Klein Orkest - Over de muur
- Kraftwerk - Autobahn
- Laura Pausini - La solitudine
- Led Zeppelin - Stairway to heaven
- Leonard Cohen - Famous blue raincoat
- Leonard Cohen - Sisters of mercy
- Leonard Cohen - Suzanne
- Liesbeth List en Ramses Shaffy - Pastorale
- Linda Ronstadt - Blue Bayou
- Logos - In principio
- Logos - Pioggia In Campagna
- Logos - Sadako E Le Mille Gru Di Carta
- Los Jaivas - La poderosa muerte
- Lovin' Spoonful - Summer in the city
- Lucifer - House for sale
- Lucifer - Sandra
- Maddog - My morningsun
- Madness - Grey day
- Mama's and Papa's - Dream a little dream of me
- Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Spirit in the night
- Marianne Rosenberg - Marleen
- Marillion - Chelsea Monday
- Marillion - Grendel
- Marillion - Script for a jesters tear
- Marillion - Sugar mice
- Marillion - White Russian
- Martha and the Muffins - Boy without filters
- Martha and the Muffins - Echo Beach
- Marvin, Welch and Farrar - Faithful
- MASH - Suicide is painless
- Matthews Southern Comfort - Woodstock
- Meat Loaf - Paradise by the dashboardlight
- Meat Loaf - Two out of three ain't bad
- Meat Loaf - You took the words right out of my mouth
- Mecano - Hijo de la luna
- Mika - Grace Kelly
- Mike Oldfield - Moonlight shadow
- Moody Blues - Nights in white satin
- Morrissey - November spawned a monster
- Muse - Butterflies and hurricanes
- Muse - Screenager
- Natasha St.Pier - Tu trouveras
- Nena - Irgendwie Irgendwo Irgendwann
- Nena - Nur geträumt
- Neuschwanstein - Battlement
- Nexus - En ese viento
- Nicolas Peyrac - So far away from LA
- Nightwish - Creek Mary's blood
- Nirvana - Smells like teen spirit
- Oasis - Wonderwall
- Patti Smith Group - Because the night
- Patti Smith Group - Dancing barefoot
- Paul Simon - Under African skies
- Pendragon - Breaking the spell
- Pendragon - Masters of illusion*
- Pendragon - Paintbox*
- Pendragon - Queen of hearts
- Pendragon - The last man in Earth
- Pendragon - The shadow*
- Peter Gabriel - Darkness
- Peter Gabriel - Family snapshot - live
- Peter Gabriel - Father, Son
- Peter Gabriel - Growing up
- Peter Gabriel - I grieve
- Peter Gabriel - In your eyes
- Peter Gabriel - No way out
- Peter Gabriel - Red rain
- Peter Gabriel - Signal to noise
- Peter Gabriel - Sky blue
- Peter Gabriel - The book of love
- Peter Koelewijn - KL204
- Ph.D. - I won't let you down
- Phil Collins - In the air tonight
- Pink Floyd - A pillow of winds
- Pink Floyd - Atom heart mother
- Pink Floyd - Brain damage/Eclipse
- Pink Floyd - Cirrus minor
- Pink Floyd - Dogs
- Pink Floyd - Echoes
- Pink Floyd - High hopes
- Pink Floyd - Mother
- Pink Floyd - See Emily play
- Pink Floyd - Sheep
- Pink Floyd - Us and them
- Pink Floyd - Wish you were here
- Placebo - My sweet prince
- Pogues - Fairytale of New York
- Pollen - La femme ailée
- Porcupine Tree - Arriving somewhere but not here
- Porcupine Tree - Blackest eyes
- Porcupine Tree - Buying new soul
- Porcupine Tree - Dark matter
- Porcupine Tree - Don't hate me
- Porcupine Tree - Even less
- Porcupine Tree - Fear of a blank planet
- Porcupine Tree - Gravity eyelids
- Porcupine Tree - How is your life today
- Porcupine Tree - Lazarus
- Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb sun
- Porcupine Tree - Lips of ashes
- Porcupine Tree - Piano lessons
- Porcupine Tree - Prodigal
- Porcupine Tree - Pure narcotic
- Porcupine Tree - Russia on ice
- Porcupine Tree - Sentimental
- Porcupine Tree - Shesmovedon (Tim Palmer Mix)
- Porcupine Tree - Sleep together
- Porcupine Tree - Trains
- Porcupine Tree - Waiting
- Porcupine Tree - Way out of here
- Procol Harum - A whiter shade of pale
- Pulsar - Goerlitz
- Queen - '39
- Queen - Another one bites the dust
- Queen - Bohemian rhapsody
- Queen - Crazy little thing called love
- Queen - Save me
- Queen - White queen [as it began]
- Queen - Who wants to live forever
- Queen - You take my breath away
- R.E.M. - Everybody hurts
- R.E.M. - I'll take the rain
- R.E.M. - Losing my religion
- Radiohead - Creep
- Radiohead - Exit music for a film
- Radiohead - The tourist
- Ralph McTell - Streets of London
- Randy Newman - In Germany before the war
- Ray Conniff and the Singers - The way we were
- Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the bridge
- Renaissance - Ashes are burning
- Renaissance - Ocean gipsy
- Renaissance - Song of Scheherazade
- Renaissance - The day of the dreamer
- Rita Coolidge - We're all alone
- Riverside - Embryonic
- Riverside - The same river
- Riverside - Ultimate trip
- Robbie Williams - Angels
- Robert Long - Flink zijn
- Robert Long - Levenslang
- Robert Long - Liefste m'n liefste
- Robert Long - Thorbeckeplein
- Rod Stewart - I don't want to talk about it
- Rod Stewart - The killing of Georgie
- Roger Daltrey - Without your love
- Roxy Music - Avalon
- Roxy Music - Dance away
- Roxy Music - Do the strand
- Roxy Music - In every dream home a heartache
- Roxy Music - Jealous guy
- Roxy Music - More than this
- Roxy Music - Streetlife
- S.B.B. - Memento z banalnym tryptykiem
- S.B.B. - Z ktorych krwi krew moja
- Sade - Smooth operator
- Sailor - Sailor
- Santana - Europa: Earth's cry, Heaven's smile
- Santana - Smooth
- Sarah McLachlan - Angel
- Sarah McLachlan - Blackbird
- Shingetsu - Kagaku No Yoru
- Shingetsu - Oni
- Shingetsu - Semete koyoi wa
- Shirts - Laugh and walk away
- Shirts - Tell me your plans
- Simon and Garfunkel - I am a rock
- Simon and Garfunkel - So long Frank Lloyd Wright
- Simon and Garfunkel - The boxer
- Simon and Garfunkel - The only living boy in New York
- Simple Minds - Hunter and the hunted
- Smiths - There's a light that never goes out
- Sniff 'n' the Tears - Drivers seat
- Snowy White - Bird of paradise
- Soft Cell - Tainted love
- Stephan Sulke - Du machst mir noch mein Herz kaputt
- Stephan Sulke - Lotte
- Steppenwolf - Born to be wild
- Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel - Make me smile
- Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel - Mister Raffles
- Steven Wilson - Ancestral
- Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.
- Steven Wilson - Home invasion
- Steven Wilson - Perfect life
- Steven Wilson - The day before you came
- Steven Wilson - The guitar lesson
- Steven Wilson - Transience
- Sting - Englishman in New York
- Sting - Fortress around your heart
- Sting - Moon over Bourbon Street
- Sting - Russians
- Sting - Sister Moon
- Stranglers - No more heros
- Styx - Babe
- Styx - Sing for the day
- Suede - Heroine
- Supersister - Dona Nobis Pacem
- Supersister - Radio
- Supersister - She was naked
- Supertramp - Crime of the century
- Supertramp - Dreamer
- Supertramp - Even in the quietest moments
- Supertramp - Fool's overture
- Supertramp - School
- Sutherland Brothers and Quiver - Arms of Mary
- Suzanne Vega - Marlene on the wall
- Talk Talk - It's my life
- Talk Talk - Life's what you make it
- Talk Talk - Tomorrow started
- Talking Heads - Road to nowhere
- Tears for Fears - Memories fade
- Tears for Fears - Pale shelter
- The The - This is the day
- Tom Waits - Tom Trauberts blues
- Toontje Lager - Stiekem gedanst
- Toontje Lager - Zoveel te doen
- Tori Amos - 16 Shades of blue
- Tori Amos - '97 Bonnie and Clyde
- Tori Amos - Bells for her
- Tori Amos - Invisible boy
- Tori Amos - Maids of Elfen-mere
- Tori Amos - Maybe California
- Tori Amos - Oysters
- Tori Amos - Selkie
- Tori Amos - Weatherman
- Tori Amos - Wedding day
- Tori Amos - Wild way
- Tori Amos - Your cloud
- Toto - Africa
- U2 - Bad
- U2 - I still haven't found what I'm looking for
- U2 - One
- U2 - Sunday bloody Sunday
- U2 - The unforgettable fire
- U2 - Who's gonna ride your wild horses
- U2 and Green Day - The saints are coming
- UK - Rendezvous 6.02
- Uriah Heep - Return to fantasy
- Uriah Heep - Salisbury
- Uriah Heep - Sweet Lorraine
- Van Dik Hout - Stil in mij
- Visage - Fade to grey
- Volumia! - Afscheid
- Yes - And you and I
- Yes - Awaken
- Yes - Close to the edge
- Yes - Owner of a lonely heart
- Yes - The gates of delirium
- Yes - The revealing science of God - Dance of the dawn
