Thread by @bryanbehar

Welcome to Day 2 of our Firecracker 500 #OldiesCountdown. Yesterday's songs can be found on another thread on my timeline. And today we'll countdown the final 51 on this thread. Thanks for playing along. And.... on with the countdown.

Here goes. These are songs that received TWELVE votes.

51. CCR- Fortunate Son

50. Simon & Garfunkel- The Boxer

49. The Doors- Light My Fire

48. Steve Wonder- Superstition

47. Turtles- Happy Together

46. Foundations- Build Me Up Buttercup

45. Neil Diamond- Sweet Caroline

44. Tom Petty- American Girl

43. Louis Armstrong- Wonderful World

42. Beatles- Yestersay

41. Buffalo Springfield- For What It's Worth

Before we jump into songs with 13 votes, let's take our first commercial break.

Fyi, because of a tabulation error ("Damn you, Bryan!") the countdown will soon jump ahead to number 38. This likely won't stop people from commenting "you missed 40 and 39" but you've been given proper warning.

And now.... songs that received THIRTEEN of your votes.

38. Queen/ David Bowie- Under Pressure

37. Moody Blues- Nights in White Satin

36. Elton John- Your Song

We are entering some lofty atmosphere. The top 35. And songs that received 15 votes. Here we go

35. Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here

34. Fleetwood Mac- Landslide

33. Ben E. King- Stand By Me

And the hits just keep on coming....

Songs with SIXTEEN votes

32. Beatles- Let it Be

31. Band- The Weight

30. Marvin Gaye- Heard it Through the Grapevine

29. Janis Joplin- Piece of My Heart

28. Marvin Gaye- What's Going On?

How about a song while I go enjoy a bagel.

With SEVENTEEN votes

27. Van Morrison- Into the Mystic

26. Fleetwood Mac- Go Your Own Way

25. Simon & Garfunkel- The Sound of Silence.

24. Rolling Stones- Sympathy for the Devil (18)

23. Beach Boys- God Only Knows (18)

22. Animals- House of the Rising Sun (18)

21. Janis Joplin- Me & Bobby McGee (18)

Editor’s note: When we did our perfect pop song countdown, God Only Knows was the runaway winner. And Billie Jean & Thriller we’re both in the top 5. Fascinating how different these results are. That’s it. Carry on (my wayward son).

Hold on to your hats. Here we go, the top 20!

20. Beatles- In My Life (19)

19. Simon & Garfunkel- Bridge Over Troubled Waters (19)

18. Marvin Gaye/ Tammi Terrell- Ain’t No Mountain High Enoughi

Bonus: because the Diana Ross version accounted for a decent amount of its votes

Our highest ranking post 1980 song and thus, arguably, our most popular song of the past 40 years.

17. Prince- Purple Rain (19 votes)

We are up to the Sweet Sixteen. And at 16, not number one as almost everyone predicted is...

16. Led Zeppelin- Stairway to Heaven (20 votes)

Before we head into the Top 15, how are your favorites doing? Do you still have ones you think are in contention? (These can be real questions or rhetorical). I’m just slowing things down with deejay chatter....

15. Don McLean- American Pie (20 votes)

Maybe our last big surprise. It was to me.

14. CSNY- Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (20 votes)

I stand corrected. The previous song is by CSN. Not CSNY. And on with the show. With 21 votes:

13. Van Morrison- Brown Eyed Girl

You voted for them. We count them down.

With 22 votes:

12. The Temptations- My Girl

Also with 22 votes:

11. The Mamas and the Papas- California Dreamin'

Before we descend into the top 10, i'd first like to thank our sponsors. 1974 Burger King.

And 1972 McDonald's

Here we are, the highest echelon of pop music. The Top Ten.

With 23 votes:

10. Otis Redding (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay

On with the countdown. Here is a song you’ve likely heard in your lifetime.

With 24 votes

9. John Lennon- Imagine

Seems as though interest is waning as it should be growing. Let’s take another little break. 🍺🍰🍟

But first, a word from our sponsors:

This countdown is also brought to you by Wendy's 1984

And on and on we go. This one's both an ode to California summers and Brian Wilson's studio perfectionism. In '66, they even briefly surpassed the Beatles as the most popular band in the UK.

With 24 votes,

8. The Beach Boys- Good Vibrations

Is anybody alive out there? As much a studio creation as Good Vibrations, this is the Boss' purest nod to Phil Spector and the Ronettes and Crystals songs he grew up loving.

Also with 24 votes, it's...

7. Bruce Springsteen- Born to Run

Growing there were 5 or 6 Stones tunes bigger than this one. Yet this is the anthem that has endured as their most emblematic song. And as a symbol of the era's dystopian dark side.

With 25 votes,

6. The Rolling Stones- Gimme Shelter

The alchemy between Clapton and Duane couldn't be repeated for tragic reasons. But their one album together is one for the ages and all ages.

With 26 votes and a piano ending from the heavens,

5. Derek & the Dominoes- Layla

A song that's just so crazy that it works. A top 10 single in America in two separate decades. And the number 3 best selling single in UK history behind 2 charity smashes.

Also with 26 votes and 3 distinct parts, it's...

4. Queen- Bohemian Rhapsody

Final commercial break before the Big 3.

Lebowski doesn't care for The Eagles. But America sure loves them. Their Greatest Hits Vol. 1 is the 2nd best selling albumin US history. And it doesn't even include their most beloved anthem.

With 27 votes...

3. The Eagles- Hotel California

Two songs remain. Do you know what they are? I probably wouldn't have guessed right. But I did the tally.

And in the end, the #2 song is a perennial of oldies countdowns and stadium singalongs. Written for his mate's song after the dad's divorce, it's an all time song from the all time band.

With 28 votes

2. The Beatles- Hey Jude

And finally, the top spot. A runaway leader from start to finish. And a song for the moment, 53 years after topping the US chart. I didn't see it coming, but should have.

With a whopping 35 votes, it's the Queen of Soul

1. Aretha Franklin- Respect

So that's it, gang. I'll make a Spotify playlist someday. But for now thank you for voting. And for listening. It's been a bucket list dream of mine to host a holiday weekend countdown! And I've learned, it's nice to take an occasional break from ranting against the government.

#OldiesCountdown Top 20

My only regret about the voting: I’d hoped to learn which 80-90-00-10s songs had entered the pantheon of greats. We’ve had a lifetime of Stairway & Layla leading countdowns. I was hoping to learn what the new classics are. Maybe we’ll need some adjustments in terms? Still happy.