THE GREATEST OF ALL TUNES (G.O.A.T.) is a series of posts, producing my 100 favorite songs of all time. The master list is here, and I update it about every two weeks or when I have another 10 songs or so.
Sampling Lou Reed’s, “Take a Walk on the Wild Side,” Can I Kick It? introduced the world to a new sound. It mixed Native Tongue with jazz, and it set the hip hop world on fire. Actually, Can I Kick It was the third single from their debut album, but it became their signature tune. It’s also the only song I know of to give a shout out to NYC mayor David Dinkins.
As one of the Greatest of All Tunes, this is the first new entry to crack the top 10 in a long, long time. It comes in at #8, knocking Elvis and Mellencamp down, but still under Biggie and one of the greatest soul songs of all time…
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6. Be Thankful for What You’ve Got by William DeVaughn (1974)(link)
7. Juicy by Notorious B.I.G. (1994) (link)
8. Can I Kick It? by Tribe Called Quest (1989) <——
9. Watching the Detectives by Elvis Costello (1977) (link)
10. Rain on the Scarecrow by John Mellencamp (1985) (link also has top 10 JCM songs)
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Further listening: I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, Scenario.
Cover versions: Jay Z blended the song into his incredible “Twenty-two Twos,” off Reasonable Doubt, but I think I’m going to stick with Sage Francis and Lykke Li, as two of the more interesting renditions, then the jazzy take by Popguns. And then, for a real treat, the live unplugged version!
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