Vinyl Word: top three songs

Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon sing one of Brian Kelly's top three favourite songs of all time

For a music lover, being asked to list your favourite three songs of all time is like asking a parent who their favourite child is. For me anyway, it's almost impossible.

On Coast at the moment we are running a promotion listing the top 100 songs of all time as voted by you, the listeners.

We are asking you to list your favourite three songs and from that we will compile the 100 and play all 100 on Friday, August 2.

The on-air team have also been asked to list their three favourites and this is where I am absolutely struggling!

I love The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin, Jackson Browne, Rolling Stones, The Hollies, Bruce Springsteen, the list goes on.

So here goes with my three favourites.

At number three, Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel. The song that won five Grammy Awards in 1971, including song of the year, and became one of the few songs to top the US and UK charts at the same time.

It was No 1 in the US for six weeks and No 1 in the UK for three. Those stats say a lot.

My number two choice: Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin, from their 1971 album Led Zeppelin 4.

Voted by many as the most famous rock song of all time. Funny thing about the song — it was not a chart hit because it was never released as a single to the general public. Radio stations at the time received promotional singles which the DJs played, and those singles went on to become collectors' items.

So many people have covered the song, from Dolly Parton to U2, The Foo Fighters and Tiny Tim.

One of my favourite YouTube clips is a tribute version of the song by Anne and Nancy Wilson from Heart. They perform the version in front of the remaining members of Zeppelin. It's well worth a look.

And so, to number one. It has to be The Beatles. The song I have chosen is Hey Jude.

Released in 1968, the song was written by Paul McCartney to comfort John Lennon's 5-year-old son Julian as his parents were going through a divorce. This was The Beatles' longest single release, running at 7'11, and at the time was the longest song ever released as a single.

It was also the first song released on The Beatles' own record label, Apple, and by the end of 1968 had sold more than five million copies.

So, what are your top three songs of all time? If you would like to nominate them, go to coastonline.co.nz.

All nominations received go in the draw to win $100,000, plus if we happen to play your three selections on air over the next few weeks you could win and instant $100. Good luck.