This is impossible to narrow down so I'll do segments and detailed descriptions as to why none of these can be bumped off in favor of just naming one.
The Smashing Pumpkins-Mayonaise
If I had to choose one this would always be my default. This was my life and musical spiritual awakening. How could anything replace that. A song that in tone and in meaning doesn't promise eternal light but also leave the door open to find that in your journey. When I hear that intro I feel a sense of birth and redemption. When I feel the climax where he says "I just want to beeeee me!" I feel life in my hands vibrant as ever. When I hear the fading outro I picture my funeral, having faded out at peace that I've learned to embrace and love everything I've had from family, friends, art and life experiences. I want this played at my funeral literally as a dying wish. Nothing describes me more than this verse.
"No more promise no more sorrow
No longer will I follow
Can anybody hear me
I just want to be me
When I can, I will
Try to understand
That when I can, I will"
It's my mantra. All through my life I've had a heightened sense of emotion. It used to be depression but through the journey I've made with connecting with the arts since this awakening and song I've learned to channel those into something higher. I've learned contentment with the simple things and that I can be happy despite always knowing that would involve an acceptance of the phases of sadness. "When I can" I will get there each time and bounce back.
"I'm rumored to the straight and narrow
While the harlots of my perils
Scream"
I really felt understood after this line as well as others. I was a very quiet, mild mannered youth and had an awakening during the years of youth when this mild mannered nature makes you vulnerable. I handled things like a weak pacifist but honestly after hearing this song I developed my identity stronger and accepted myself and channeled what was best about me. I focused on my art straight through college with music as my muse. I developed my strongest friendships, reclaimed old ones and went through my final years of High School through an art degree in college as an individual. Though I've settled into something different during college I've learned to repair myself and be comfortable with life and myself because of the mantra I have acquired because of this song.
It's not just the lyrics though. This is not the first song to use a build but it's the best ever made in my opinion. It is the tightest blend of melodically built chaos I've ever heard. The peaceful, sunny lull of that intro that blasts into a fuzz-filled guitar explosion is the most powerful moment ever. The guitars in general are full of epic rawkness without getting lost to epic rawkness and losing it's heart. Most of the icons wouldn't be able to tap into this. The whistling of the cheap guitar adds a quirkiness and character to the song that can't be matched. It adds a further humanity to the song and punctuates so many points. Not to mention that the amazing drumming of Jimmy Chamberlain does not only manage to not get lost but become a prominent part of the machine, literally a heartbeat to the song. For those who hate Billy's vocals it is a fact that all sincerity would be lost without the perfect angel delicate vocal that only Billy possesses.
This song is not just the most emotional ever. It's life wrapped up in a little under six minutes.
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