Songs on Repeat

Stephen Lee
Nov 8 · 5 min read

I wanted to list out my favorite songs ever but that got a bit difficult, so decided to list songs that I will probably never get tired of listening to. Heavy recency bias, but such is with all things. Older songs will likely stay here. Newer songs might not be so lucky.

In no particular order…


  1. Five for Fighting — 100 Years

This used to play on my Xanga.

15 years later, Xanga is dead, but this song lives on. Mostly in my head…not sure when was the last time I actually listened to it. It made me think yolo before yolo was a thing.


2) Andrew McMahon — Cecilia and the Satellite

Are Jack’s Mannequin and Andrew McMahon the same? ’Cause I have a lot of songs from Everything in Transit I could put here. Dark Blue. Holiday from Real. The Mixed Tape.

I think part the appeal of this song is knowing he was Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin and now…wild? Konstantine to Cecilia. That’s wild.

Everything comes full circle as he describes all of the things he’s done and how nothing actually compares to his daughter.


3) Drake & Rihanna — Take Care

Drake & Rihanna have amazing chemistry. You have Work, Too Good, What’s My Name (also catchy af, but lost me at square root of 69 is 8 something). But this one is the best.

There are a lot of love songs on this list, but this is the rawest and realest. You’ve got a past? Me too. You’ve been hurt? Me too. We’ll do the best together.

If Rihanna never makes music again, at least we have this. Individually it would be Marvin’s Room and Love on the Brain.


4) Illenium — Crashing

So very disappointed that his most popular song on Spotify right now is Takeaway. Two words (one word?) I only want to hear at a restaurant in a foreign country.

This was the hardest one to choose. And it will probably change as time goes on.

Afterlife checks a lot of my boxes: a slow, evolving sound, otherworldly vocals, existentialism, optimism, an imperfect drop.

Beautiful Creatures is addicting and dance-able.

Really you could do worse than closing your eyes selecting something from the Awake album.

But I was so disappointed that there was only ~15 seconds of this during his EDC set that we’ll choose this on that basis alone.

Not very sad boy at all, but it still has guitar riffs and a decent drop, all combined with the euphoria of falling for someone.


5) John Legend — All of Me

This was easy. Honestly this is the only John Legend song I really like. All his songs kind of sound the same. This probably also sounds the same, but when you only listen to one John Legend song (this one) it’s okay.

The first verse draws you in and it feels like he’s captured that je ne sais quoi of loving someone.

What would I do without your smart mouth
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out
Got my head spinning, no kidding, I can’t pin you down
What’s going on in that beautiful mind
I’m on your magical mystery ride
And I’m so dizzy, don’t know what hit me, but I’ll be alright

Still can’t listen to this on repeat, but once in a while. On a separate note, watched Chrissy’s Breakfast Lunch & Dinner episode and she’s pretty chill.


6) The Postal Service — Brand New Colony

If you listen on decent speakers / headphones you can sort of see little ping pong balls being hit back and forth. At least I can.

This is probably my all-time favorite album. And their reunion tour is probably all-time favorite show.

Why this song? Love the metaphors that are ubiquitous throughout the song. Close your eyes and imagine exploring a neighborhood you’ve never been before and discovering something new at every turn.


7) Galantis – Runaway

Dumb song.

U & I, I, I, I, I


8) Feed Me — Feel Love

Couldn’t even make out the words to this song the first time I heard this, but the beat was super catchy. Learned the words. Still love it.

It’s a pretty joyless description of a lost love, but at the same time I can’t help but imagine it as a hopeful reminder to be open.


9) Gryffin & Slander — All You Need to Know

Also a couple of Gryffin choices here. But again, simplicity wins. No grandiose statements, no fawning, just a request.

If Take Care is the rawest, realest expression of love, this is the simplest expression of all it needs to be.

Anything you feel, put it all on me
All of your thoughts, I want everything
And when you get sad, like you do sometimes
Put it all on me
Put it all on me


10) Kygo — Firestone

Lots of choices, blah, blah, blah. But this is the Kygo song. Can still imagine listening to this at Coachella 2018.


11) Jai Wolf — Lost

Honestly nothing special about the individual pieces of this song. But they fit together beautifully. A gentle reminder that 1) you’re not lost and 2) everyone’s lost, all at the same time. Perfect for driving around at night, lost or not so lost.


12) Common — The Light

Have to choose his love song to a woman over his love song to hip-hop. Not something you’d ever be caught on the dance floor with or reminiscing over a performance of, but every line gently treads a healthy amount of fawning (and not just over beauty), mistakes from the past, and expectations for the future.


13) Kanye West — Only One

Does this count as old Kanye or new Kanye? In-between Kanye? So many other options for this spot — namely Runaway’s 9 minutes of a single piano note intro, Kanye internalizing criticism, expressing regret, and lamenting his inability to communicate, Pusha’s bravado, and distorted outtro. All coupled with a perfectly chosen beat.

Where were we? Oh. Only One. If Runaway is the masterpiece, Only One is the draft that never made it to print. Paul McCartney’s simple melody swaddles these gems sung by an optimistic, auto-tuned, Kanye:

You’re not perfect but you’re but your mistakes

I know you’re happy ’cause I can see it so tell the voice inside your head to believe it

Every road that leads to heaven’s right inside you

You’ll keep on rising ’til the sky knows your name

The good outweighs the bad even on your worst day

A go-to song for a challenging day.


14) The xx – Intro

This vs Angels. But we’ll keep the one with zero words.

I remember listening to the 10 hour YouTube loops of this in college when trying to study. This and Four Tet. Only two minutes long, it’s so simple and enjoyable as it gets continuously more complicated as different sounds emerge and then fade away.

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