Namseyars

Well if we're going with 80s stuff, one of my favorites:

Definitely keeping my eye on this.

I grew up with country music (it's all my parents ever listened to) until high school when I discovered rock, jazz, and other forms. Still a fan of the "classic" country: Merle, Wille, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Roger Miller, Loretta Lynn (my dad had coffee with her when he was younger - not a date, just met her when she performed at a military base he was stationed at), Barbara Mandrell, Crystal Gayle, Dolly Parton (she did a cover of Collective Soul's Shine in a bluegrass style that kicks ass as far as I'm concerned), Charlie Pride, Statler Bros, etc. I don't listen to country much anymore, but I do like some "current" artists like Alan Jackson & Toby Keith (really love the duet with Willie on Beer for My Horses, and the Willie tribute where Toby sings "I Won't Smoke Weed with Willie Again" - hilarious). And speaking of bluegrass (yes I did, look at the Dolly entry), one of the bluegrass classics:

And with the passing of one of my favorite country artists - Merle Haggard's Okie From Muskokee: Rainbow Stew: Pancho & Lefty (with another great - Willie Nelson): And one of his earliest hits - Mama Tried:

Change gears slightly, I want to list a favorite songwriter rather than song or artist: Jim Steinman. While his somewhat overblown, rock-opera style isn't for everyone, I love it. Hell, you gotta love a guy who plays rock piano while wearing full motorcycle leather gloves (with the fringe). Most people know him as the writer of (most of) the songs Meatloaf's "Bat Out Of Hell" series: But he also wrote some of the major hits for Bonnie Tyler - Faster Than the Speed of Night, Holding Out for a Hero, and probably his best known BT tune: He also wrote Air Supply's well known song, Making Love out of nothing at all: (not a big fan of Air Supply, but I do like this one...) Then there's the only Celine Dion song I like: He released a solo album of stuff that would have been the original Bat Out Of Hell II. The original fell-through because Meatloaf started having vocal problems, so Steinman released it as a solo project. This is one of the tracks: (OK, so there not all gems, but it was still a fun tune...)

Yeah, they even let ME in...

Don't tell me what to do, or I'll post this one over, and over, and over, and over .... OK, OK... I apologize for that (not really). The third of my second tier favorites is Rush. First rock album I ever owned was 2112:

While I did like that one, I always preferred Africa:

Ok, gotta give examples from the second of my (second tier) top three - Jethro Tull: And still going:

While not my favorite band (although up there in the top 3), this happens to be my favorite all-time song (and was waaayy before Wayne's World even existed):