Over my dead body -- John Wells

John Wells

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These are the 10 songs John Wells of Elk Grove, Calif., and formerly of Fruitland, Mo., wouldn't want to live without:

1. "Folsom Prison Blues" -- Johnny Cash

This music legend has so many cool tunes it is hard to pick one, but who can deny one of the greatest lines in music history: "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die." Talk about gangsta rap. This is cold blooded.

2. "Anything For My Baby" -- Kiss

My favorite rock group from my childhood and still to this day. This song is so simple but captures the free spirit of the band. They were never out to be Lennon and McCartney, just entertainers.

3. "Aja" -- Steely Dan

I like Steely Dan and I like this song a lot.

4. "Fire On The Mountain" -- Marshall Tucker Band

My childhood was saturated with Southern rock and Elvis. This song in particular is a fave and is fun to play on guitar.

5. "Abbey Road", side 2 -- The Beatles

C'mon you really expect me to pick one Beatles song? The way I see it, you either like the early Beatles or the late Beatles. I prefer the late '60s stuff.

6. "Freddie Freeloader" -- Miles Davis

One of the first jazz tunes I actually remember and still a favorite to this day. Pre-'65 Miles Davis is the best jazz around.

7. "Barber of Seville Overture" -- Rossini

My exposure to this music came very early, in the form of a Bugs Bunny cartoon. With the recent death of Chuck Jones, I had to get out my Rossini and remember why I liked this so much. This music has already stood the test of time. It is 130 years old! Now that is a classic.

8. "Walk A Mile in My Shoes" -- Elvis Presley

Another artist people either like the early or the later stuff of. Again, I choose the latter. The Vegas years saw Elvis in the prime of his singing career, and he was not afraid to pump out an album or two a year. Granted some of the music is overproduced and sometimes a bit cheesy, but I love it. This song has a great message as well as some way cool Elvis stylings.

9. "A Fine Romance" -- Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong

I kind of cheated on this one. It is really hard to get just one song from these legends as well. Ella is the queen bee when it comes to jazz vocals, and Louis is just great, an accomplished solo player and vocalist. This song shows how much they could do with a Jerome Kern classic.

10. "Rock Lobster" -- B-52s

OK, maybe this one won't be around 100 years from now, but I want it played at my funeral, and I want everyone up and dancing. How could you not dance to this song?