Top 15 Guns N' Roses Songs

It's the April Fools' joke that never was. Axl Rose, the new lead singer of AC/DC. In light of the news – or furore if you’re a Brian Johnson fan – it’s as opportune a time as any to revisit the catalogue of the controversial, world-conquering band he fronted when we were all kids (or younger adults).
Given Guns N' Roses' legacy it might seem surprising that they only released three 'proper' albums (G N' R Lies is a half-hour hodgepodge of live and acoustic tracks, The Spaghetti Incident a cash-grab, and the less said about Chinese Democracy the better), but in each they packaged in such menace and melody that it was near impossible to look away. Balladry or hard-rocking belters, it didn't matter: they were a band in complete control, and very much of their time. Appetite for Destruction was surely one of the all-time great debuts.
Axl was the consummate frontman; even devout AC/DC fans can’t dispute that. But should he be on board at AC/DC? Well, sometimes things should just be left alone.

 1. Estranged Use Your Illusion II
 2. Welcome to the Jungle Appetite for Destruction
 3. Sweet Child of Mine Appetite for Destruction

 4. Patience G N' R Lies
 5. November Rain Use Your Illusion I
 6.  Coma Use Your Illusion I
 7.  It’s So Easy Appetite for Destruction
 8.  Civil War Use Your Illusion II
 9.  Mr Brownstone Appetite for Destruction
10. Locomotive Use Your Illusion II
11. Paradise City Appetite for Destruction
12. Nightrain Appetite for Destruction
13. Knockin' on Heaven's Door Use Your Illusion II
14. My Michelle Appetite for Destruction
15. 14 Years Use Your Illusion II

Top 15 'Monday to Sunday' Songs

As a parent of three young children, the distinction between weekdays and weekends that once punctuated my life isn't so relevant any more. Sure, I generally don’t go into work on weekends, but instead I'm swamped by the demands of a trio of little princesses, and putting out spot fires such as who has control over over the iPad, which Shopkins belong to whom, and encountering meltdowns over the most trivial of things, like the Freddo Frogs I bought home as a treat.
"Mine is too big!" Avie, the four-year-old middle child, wails.
Beautiful stuff.
In TDBK – The Days Before Kids – each day of the week had a specific feel; the wincing and wallowing of Monday and Tuesday; the speed bumps and pub trivia of Wednesday; the getting-there anticipation of Thursday; before Friday and Saturday bestowed the fallacy of freedom.
Sunday has always been a different beast. It's a day of merriment for settled souls; for those with only themselves to look after, it's often a default of headaches and grey skies. Reality invariably bites on a the last day of the week; no wonder there have been so many memorable songs written about Sunday.
Here are the top 15 'Monday to Sunday' songs:

 1.  One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend) Wilco (2011)
 2.  Friday On My Mind The Easybeats (1966)
 3.  Sunday Bloody Sunday U2 (1983)
 4.  Friday I'm In Love The Cure (1992)
 5.  Wednesday Morning 3AM Simon & Garfunkel (1964)
 6.  Sunday Morning The Velvet Underground (1967)
 7.  Monday Matt Corby (2015)
 8.  Drive-In Saturday David Bowie (1973)
9. Lazy Sunday Small Faces (1968)
10. Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down Johnny Cash (1970)
11. Joe Harper Saturday Morning Van Morrison (1991)
12. Blue Monday New Order (1983)
13. Sunday Bloc Party (2007)
14. I Don't Like Mondays The Boomtown Rats (1979)
15. Ruby Tuesday The Rolling Stones (1967)

Top 15 Sigur Rós Songs

It began not with this unsettling, elongated murmur but a thrillful pop number whose title translated in English to "Within Me a Lunatic Sings". It was 2007 and I was a decade late, but at least I found them. Or they found me.
The frenetic "Gobbledigook" hit me next - it was getting some airplay on Triple j, my major source for new music at the time - and then I had the the album from which these two songs came, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, in my possession. The glorious meshing of euphoria and melancholy had me hooked.
Research decreed Sigur Rós' second long-player, Ágætis byrjun, a classic, so that moody, textural beast was added next, closely followed by Takk…, (), Hvarf/Heim, Von and even the Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do EP. By the time Valtari and then Kveikur dropped, I was an established fan.
It was, in hindsight, a little strange to be so eagerly taking in music so mournful, for I was basking in the glow of a new love at the time. Although, it made perfect sense; within their vast scope sits love's roller coaster. I was thankful that I hadn’t discovered Sigur Rós a year earlier, whilst in the choker-hold of a major break up.
The Icelandic collective's knack of dredging up new levels of emotion is without peer; their sound is one of human vulnerability in the headlights, amplified through a sea of strings and Jónsi's voice, an achingly beautiful instrument in itself. We understand not a word - their lyrics are, of course, a mix of Icelandic and 'Hopelandic', a self-invented language - but this only adds to the allure. Choose your own adventure; or, better still, let them choose it for you.
They’ve been a constant companion for almost a decade now. The poppier numbers from Takk… and Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust powering my runs; the dark, graceful and ever-unhurried epics of Ágætis byrjun and () soundtracking quieter days at work, or wintry, red-wine-mellowed Sunday afternoons preparing slow-cooked dinners.
I dream of one day seeing them live in Reykjavík.
Here are Sigur Rós' best 15 songs:

 1.  Hoppípolla Takk…

 2.  Untitled #8 (Popplagið) ()
 3.  Inní mér syngur vitleysingur Með suð í eyrum...
 4.  Glósóli Takk…
 5.  Starálfur Ágætis byrjun
 6.  Svo hljótt Takk…
 7.  Olsen Olsen Ágætis byrjun
 8.  Við spilum endalaust Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
 9.  Svefn-g-englar Ágætis byrjun
10. Untitled #4 (Njósnavélin) ()
11. Gong Takk…
12. Hljómalind Hvarf/Heim
13. Gobbledigook Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
14. Hafsól [Hvarf version] Hvarf/Heim
15. Ísjaki Kveikur

16. Se Lest Takk...
17. Ekki múkk" Valtari
18.