Top 10 Counting Crows

I remember Counting Crows being fairly popular in the 90s with their hits "Mr. Jones" and "Hangin' Around", but I don't know how many people still listen to them (other than when watching Shrek)- I don't hear them mentioned much, but that may just be in the circles I socialize with. I don't listen to Counting Crows all the time - in fact, before writing this list, the last time I seriously listened to their music was back in April. Nevertheless, when the mood is right, few things satisfy as much as a listen to "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby" or these other tunes:

1. Mrs. Potter's Lullaby - This Desert Life - "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby" is not just a song, it's a journey, an adventure, a story, the perfect road trip song (the best road trip songs are long, like road trips) - I imagine listening to this song while driving down the highway with the windows rolled down and the sun just beginning to set. It's the kind of song where a single verse can make my mind wander for minutes afterward. It's about the actress Monica Potter (Con Air, Patch Adams, Head Over Heels), but it's also about dreams, journeys and memories. It's epic, rambling, folksy and a must-hear for all Counting Crows fans.
2. Rain King - August & Everything After - This is the type of 90s music you can come back to after a decade and still enjoy (a la Third Eye Blind) instead of hanging your head wondering what you were thinking (a la Ace of Base).
3. Hard Candy - Hard Candy - Great upbeat song to start off a solid, underrated album.
4. Angels of the Silences - Recovering the Satellites - One of their "rock"-ier songs, but still uniquely Counting Crows.
5. I'm Not Sleeping - Recovering the Satellites - I'm probably not the only one who thinks the build up to the chorus rocks. And the string arrangements are awesome.
6. Carriage - Hard Candy - It took me a while to come up with this one. It was between this, "Why Should You Come When I Call" and "Butterfly in Reverse", all from the same album. I ended with this one because I think it is the most original in terms of Counting Crows' repertoire. I love the slower, relaxed pace and the trumpet solo is perfect (is the musician using a straight mute?), I like how Adam rhymes the line "I wish that I was anesthetized and sterilized". Lastly, the guitar solo at the end is sublime.
7. Sundays - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings - There's actually quite a few songs I like from the band's most recent album, including "Los Angeles", "Hanging Tree" and "Cowboys", but this song seems to be a real throwback to their earlier stuff and it works splendidly.
8. Holiday In Spain - Hard Candy - What a beautiful, sad song. I really like Adam Duritz's performance on this one. "they left the television screaming that the radio's on..."
9. Four Days - This Desert Life - This tune sort of reminds me of some Barenaked Ladies songs, which together, send me back to the euphoric 90s.
10. Amy Hit the Atmosphere - This Desert Life - This was one of my favorite Counting Crows songs in high school and I still think it has a lot of merit. It has an easygoing feel, ambient electric guitars and an interesting chain of melodies. "All I really know is I wanna know, and all I really know is I don't wanna know..."

Rain King - Counting Crows