50 Years of Favorites

Fifty years ago today I sprang into the world as a crying, wet mess. And I fully expected to be a crying, wet mess again today on my 50^th birthday. Indeed, for months, neigh years, I have been dreading this day. For a long time I had been contemplating writing a weighty, introspective blog about hitting the half-century mark, but the more I contemplated it, the more I realized how utterly depressing that would be. And the last thing I want to do is depress my loyal audience. (Yeah, I’m talking to all six of you.) Besides, last month I wrote a blog along those lines anyway, so why should I be redundant?

So a couple of weeks ago I shifted gears and started contemplating fun things I might write about to honor my 50^th and lo and behold, I had an epiphany. I get strange pleasure from creating lists of my favorite things. In fact, I’ve done several blogs along those lines in the past. So in honor of my 50^th, why not create Top 50 lists of my favorite albums, movies, television shows, and books? Yep, why should I depress my readers when I could bore them instead?

In the interest of time, and considering there will be 200 entries across the four lists, I decided to write only one line on each entry. Even so, this will be a long read, so feel free to skim and/or read it in multiple sittings. (I apologize in advance that I didn’t have time to create an audio version.) Without further ado…

MY TOP 50 ALBUMS

(Note: I once blogged about my Top 25 Albums, which has lengthier critiques for each album. Feel free to read that here if you are so inclined. Over the past two years those 25 have changed slightly as astute readers will note by comparing the old list with the one below.)

50. Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd, 1973) – Not my favorite Pink Floyd album as you will soon see, but no arguing with the amazingness of this album that spent more than 900 weeks on the Billboard charts!

49. Toxicity (System of a Down, 2001) – Insanely aggressive, yet at times incredibly melodic, this is the only album on my list that came out in this century.

48. Relish (Joan Osborne, 1995) – I got this album because I wrote a MAD article poking fun at her huge radio hit “One of Us,” but when I listened to it, I realized the rest of the songs were great, particularly, her bluesy, brooding cover of Bob Dylan’s “Man in the Long Black Coat.”

47. Glass Houses (Billy Joel, 1980) – I listened to the song “All for Leyna” constantly to fuel my anguish due to an unrequited crush I had in 5^th grade.

46. Ophelia (Natalie Merchant, 1998) – Natalie Merchant’s voice on the opening title track is as smooth and delicious as melted dark chocolate.

45. Natty Dread (Bob Marley and the Wailers, 1974) – My friend Alex got me into reggae in the late 1980s and this album was my favorite of the genre.

44. Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath, 1970) – Listening to this album is like watching the scariest of horror films, and as a big fan of the horror genre, I mean this to be high praise.

43. Zebra (Zebra, 1983) – This album features lots of catchy hard rock/prog rock tunes from a band that I always thought should have achieved a greater level of commercial success.

42. The Distance to Here (Live, 1999) – Released about a month before my wife and I got engaged, we ended up using the song “Dance with You” as our first dance at our wedding.

41. Grace Under Pressure (Rush, 1984) – This is a delightfully brooding, electric keyboard-driven album by my all-time favorite band.

40. Our Time in Eden (10,000 Maniacs, 1992) – Before she went solo, Natalie Merchant was the lead singer of alternative folk group 10,000 Maniacs, which had several good albums, but this, the last one with Natalie, is my favorite.

39. 52nd Street (Billy Joel, 1978) – “Big Shot,” “Honesty,” and “My Life” were the hits off this album, but most of the other songs are every bit as good, if not better.

38. John Henry (They Might Be Giants, 1994) – Such a fun album, by such a fun band, I implore you to seek out and listen to the song “O, Do Not Forsake Me,” in honor of my milestone birthday.

37. Abbey Road (The Beatles, 1969) – Released just 10 days after I was born, this incredible album was the last one recorded by the Fab Four.

36. Ride the Lightning (Metallica, 1984) – The greatest heavy metal band of all time delivers the goods on their second album and introduces what my friend, Scott, calls the “Metalli-ballad” with the song “Fade to Black.”

35. Close to the Edge (Yes, 1972) – Only the prog-rock wizards of Yes can successfully pull off a 37-minute long album that contains only three songs.

34. The Stranger (Billy Joel, 1977) – The final Billy Joel album on my list features a bunch of hits, but my favorite is the title track.

33. To the Faithful Departed (The Cranberries, 1996) – Lead vocalist Dolores O’Riordan’s punk rock lullabies and distinctive Irish accent are mesmerizing on this album.

32. The Doors (The Doors, 1967) – Their debut album had a bunch of hits, but my favorite is the psychedelic epic “The End,” which ends the album.

31. The Beatles/White Album (The Beatles, 1968) – As a carefree, fun-loving kid my favorite song on this album was “Rocky Raccoon,” but now, as a serious, somber adult my favorite song on this album is “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

30. Signals (Rush, 1982) – This is the first album I ever purchased of my favorite band so, in a way, you can say this record changed my life.

29. Tigerlily (Natalie Merchant, 1995) – I liked her when she was in 10,000 Maniacs, but her solo work touches my soul, particularly on this album, which was her solo debut.

28. Revolver (The Beatles, 1966) – The most famous song on this album is “Eleanor Rigby,” but there are a bunch of lesser known gems like “I’m Only Sleeping,” “For No One,” and “Tomorrow Never Knows.”

27. Violator (Depeche Mode, 1990) – My wife’s favorite band, this album is hypnotic, mesmerizing and strangely danceable.

26. Moving Pictures (Rush, 1981) – Best known for containing Rush’s most famous song, “Tom Sawyer,” Side 1 of this album is essentially flawless and Side 2 ain’t too shabby either.

25. Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. (Bruce Springsteen, 1973) – Springsteen’s debut album is a raw grab-bag of catchy tunes and gritty lyrics.

24. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John, 1973) – Everyone knows the hits like the title track and “Bennie and the Jets,” but some of the lesser known songs like “This Song Has No Title” and “The Ballad of Danny Bailey” are equally as good.

23. Strange Days (The Doors, 1967) – This album starts with the wonderfully eerie title track and ends with the amazingly epic “When the Music’s Over,” and everything in between (with the exception of the bizarre spoken word “Horse Latitudes”) is great.

22. A Picture of Nectar (Phish, 1992) – People seem to love ‘em or hate ‘em and I’m in the love camp, because of the masterful musicianship combined with their compelling stream-of-consciousness lyrics.

21. Flood (They Might Be Giants, 1990) – No album can put a smile on my face like this one from the masters of geek humor rock.

20. Darkness on the Edge of Town (Bruce Springsteen, 1978) – Brooding and tuneful, The Boss knocked it out of the park with this follow up to an album that you will see further on down this list.

19. 2112 (Rush, 1976) – Side 1 is an epic prog-rock tour de force and Side 2 has a bunch of really, really good songs.

18. Disraeli Gears (Cream, 1967) – Psychedelic hard rock at its very best brought to you by Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker, a super trio that could not possibly be matched…except by the band that’s next on my list.

17. Are You Experienced? (The Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1967) – While everyone knows that Hendrix was a guitar god, listen closely and it becomes clear that bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell are pretty dang amazing too.

16. Mental Jewlery (Live, 1991) – I somehow caught wind of Live’s debut album soon after its release and was entranced by its raw energy.

15. Led Zeppelin IV (Led Zeppelin, 1971) – “Stairway to Heaven” is arguably the most well-known song in the history of classic rock, and rightfully so, but the other seven songs on this album are varying levels of very good to very great.

14. Master of Puppets (Metallica, 1986) – Don’t let the pretty sounding classical guitar that opens this album fool you; you are about to run into a buzz saw of thrash awesomeness.

13. Rubber Soul (The Beatles, 1965) – There are so many great songs on this album, that if this was the only album The Beatles ever released, they might still be considered one of the best rock bands of all time.

12. Permanent Waves (Rush, 1980) – If you want to “Begin the day with a friendly voice, a companion unobtrusive,” then this incredible album is for you.

11. Californication (Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1999) – This album seamlessly toggles back and forth between melodic and dreamy, and aggressive and in-your-face, in such a way that it takes on a life of its own.

10. Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin, 1969) – The debut album from the Zepsters features my favorite song of theirs—“Dazed and Confused”—as well as a bunch of other hard, bluesy and/or trippy tunes.

9. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles, 1967) – While I’ve always considered it a great album, I had never considered it my favorite Beatles album until the last year or so when repeated listenings finally made me fully recognize it for the masterpiece that it is.

8.  The Wall (Pink Floyd, 1979) – The most effective concept album of all time, I listened to the cassette version of this almost non-stop for about a six-month span during junior high school, which probably explains my academic struggles at the time.

7. Paranoid (Black Sabbath, 1970) – The missing link between hard rock and heavy metal, from beginning to end this album is a mind-blowing experience.

6. Fragile (Yes, 1971) – The album that contains my favorite song of all time (“Roundabout”) showcases the most virtuosic musicianship on any rock album ever made.

5. A Farewell to Kings (Rush, 1977) – My favorite Rush song, “Cygnus X-1” (which believe me, is not for everyone) is contained within the confines of this prog-rock extravaganza.

4. Aqualung (Jethro Tull, 1971) – From the iconic heavy opening chords of the title track to the beautiful melody of “Wond’ring Aloud” this album is nothing short of perfect as it takes your ears on an epic auditory journey.

3. Who’s Next (The Who, 1971) – While the cover photo of the band members having apparently urinated on a concrete slab in the middle of an empty field may not scream “musical genius,” the nine amazing songs on the album say otherwise.

2. Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd, 1975) – The title track is a perfect song, as are the other four tracks, which includes my favorite Pink Floyd song, “Welcome to the Machine.”

1. Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen, 1975) – Tough to write about my favorite album of all time in just one sentence, but I will say that “Born to Run,” “Jungleland,” and “Thunder Road” are three of the greatest rock songs ever produced.

MY TOP 50 MOVIES

(Note: While I have never blogged about my overall favorite movies I did once do a blog about the funniest movie of each decade, which you can view here; and the scariest movie of each decade, which you can view here. Also note that this was the hardest of my four lists to narrow down with changes being made right up until press time. Also, also note that it’s the director’s name I have listed after each movie, not the gaffer.)

50. Sideways (Alexander Payne, 2004) – This movie not only made me realize what an incredible actor Paul Giamatti is, but also that I’m supposed to hate merlot.

49. Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975) – Incredibly tense and masterfully acted, I wonder if this movie would have been anywhere near as popular if it were called “Three Guys and a Shark.”

48. The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer, 1995) – Great ensemble cast with one of the best surprise endings of all time.

47. Ed Wood (Tim Burton, 1994) – It is perhaps ironic that a movie about the worst director of all time won two Academy Awards, but it was, indeed, a great movie.

46. Shakespeare in Love (John Madden, 1998) – As a big fan of the Bard of Avon, I loved “Shakespeare in Love” and am one of the few people who was pleased it beat out “Saving Private Ryan” for Best Picture (although I acknowledge that’s a great movie, too).

45. The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004) – Endlessly entertaining, this is my favorite animated movie.

44. The Green Mile (Frank Darabont, 1999) – As far as Stephen King prison movies go, I know that “Shawshank Redemption” is probably the better film, but John Coffey may be the most likeable character in the history of cinema, so I give the nod to “The Green Mile.”

43. The Invisible Man (James Whale, 1933) – Of the 1930s classic monster movies, this is by far my favorite, probably because of the amazing performance Claude Rains gives as the title character.

42. The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming, 1939) – One of the most iconic movies of all time, I was mesmerized by it as a kid and still have a nostalgic appreciation for it today, though I recognize it might be a bit dated.

41. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Larry Charles, 2006) – The funniest movie of this century, there were some scenes that made me laugh so hard I ended up missing the two to three minutes that followed, because I couldn’t catch my breath.

40. Some Like it Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959) – It’s the best performance of Tony Curtis’s career, yet it’s Jack Lemmon who steals the movie, especially with his reactions in the side-splitingly funny final moments.

39. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976) – Looking back on the overall mediocrity of Sylvester Stallone’s career, you’ve really got to hand it to the guy for writing an incredible screenplay with a lead role perfectly suited for him.

38. The Great Santini (Lewis John Carlino, 1979) – A great movie that flew under the radar, to this day it’s my favorite Robert Duvall performance.

37. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968) – Although I’ve always liked this movie a lot, it wasn’t until I finally got to see it on the big screen last year that I realized how amazing it really is.

36. Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977) – While I don’t eat lobster, this movie gave me some great pointers on how to catch one if it’s hiding behind the refrigerator.

35. Kill Bill, Vol. 1 (Quentin Tarrantino, 2003) – Containing what I consider to be the most enjoyable fight sequence I’ve ever seen on screen, this movie is like an animated film done in live action.

34. The Fisher King (Terry Gilliam, 1991) – An amazing performance by Robin Williams with an amazingly inventive screenplay written by a guy who went to the same high school as me…albeit ten years earlier.

33. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Steven Spielberg, 1977) – You know a movie is great when you think of it fondly every single time you eat mashed potatoes.

32. Raising Arizona (The Coen Brothers, 1987) – A fun, quirky, frenetic action-comedy flick that takes place right near me in “rural Tempe.”

31. The Princess Bride (Rob Reiner, 1987) – I’ve probably seen this movie at least 20 times by now and somehow it manages to get more likeable with every viewing.

30. Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese, 1990) – In a film filled with great scenes, the Joe Pesci “How am I funny?” scene is one of the greatest in movie history.

29. Take the Money and Run (Woody Allen, 1969) – It’s difficult to rob a bank when you misspell the holdup note, or to play cello in a marching band, or to threaten someone with a gun whittled out of soap while it’s raining…

28. North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock, 1959) – In my mind Hitchcock’s greatest movie with Cary Grant, having seen it in my youth made me enjoy my visit to Mount Rushmore as an adult that much more.

27. Fargo (The Coen Brothers, 1996) – Frances McDormand won the Best Actress Oscar for her role as a very pregnant small town police chief, but her performance was so good I feel like they should have given her two statues.

26. Inglorious Basterds (Quentin Tarrantino, 2009) – This alternative history of events during World War II features an amazingly chilling performance by Christoph Waltz.

25. Schindler’s List (Steven Spielberg, 1993) – This actual history of events during World War II features an even more amazingly chilling performance by Ralph Fiennes.

24. Duck Soup (Leo McCarey, 1933) – The Marx Brothers at their finest, this movie contains what I consider to be the funniest scene in movie history as Groucho and Harpo face off against each other through a “mirror.”

23. Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg, 1981) – Arguably the greatest action adventure film ever made, Harrison Ford managed to find the perfect blend of charismatic and hammy for Indiana Jones.

22. Amelie (Jean Pierre-Jeunet, 2001) – My favorite French language film, it’s hard not to fall in love with Audrey Tautou as the magically playful title character.

21. Ragtime (Milos Forman, 1981) – Great ensemble cast with several different story threads that all converge by the end, Milos Forman is the only director with three films in my Top 25.

20. West Side Story (Jerome Robbins & Robert Wise, 1961) – It’s tough to get more entertaining than a movie that shows street gangs singing and dancing their way through their rundown neighborhood.

19. Ordinary People (Robert Redford, 1980) – While a young Timothy Hutton won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this film, and deservedly so, Donald Sutherland’s performance as his dad was every bit as good, if not more so, yet somehow, he wasn’t even nominated!

18. Airplane! (Abrahams, Zucker & Zucker, 1980) – Never before has a movie managed to pack more laugh lines into an 88 minute span.

17. The Sting (George Roy Hill, 1973) – It’s impossible not to love this Newman-Redford flick about two con men in the 1930s.

16. Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze, 1999) – One of the most bizarre movie plots of all time and certainly the best instance of an actor playing himself.

15. Once Were Warriors (Lee Tamahori, 1994) – This indie film from New Zealand is at times startlingly violent and other times surprisingly tender, but at all times incredibly compelling.

14. Planet of the Apes (Franklin J. Schaffner, 1968) – I will admit that the acting and dialogue may not be the greatest, but I have some sort of primordial connection to this film that propels it to this lofty position on my list.

13. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Milos Forman, 1975) – Nicholson’s performance in this film is one for the ages, but the supporting cast is pretty darn great too.

12. The Producers (Mel Brooks, 1968) – Mel Brooks has made several of the funniest movies of all time, including this one, which, in addition to just having a lot of laughs, also has a great plot and a bunch of incredible performances.

11. The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980) – Another great Nicholson performance, this time in one of the greatest horror films ever made.

10. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones, 1975) – The Pythons at their very best, while the Black Knight scene, the killer rabbit scene and the Knights Who Say Ni scene are all great, my favorite is the not as much talked about scene with John Cleese as Tim the Enchanter.

9. Play It Again, Sam (Herbert Ross, 1972) – Yes, it’s incredibly funny, but the thing that puts this movie over the top is how it both reveres and pokes fun at one of the greatest movies of all time.

8. Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991) – Perhaps the most edge-of-your-seat, hair-raising thriller of all time, it forever changed the menu for people who drink chianti.

7. The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973) – The scariest movie ever made, period.

6. A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971) – Equal parts inventive, entertaining, and disturbing, once you’ve watched it you will never think about the song “Singing in the Rain” the same way again.

5. Amadeus (Milos Forman, 1974) – The story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told through the crazed eyes of his jealous rival, Antonio Salieri, is absolutely riveting.

4. Chariots of Fire (Hugh Hudson, 1981) – I adore this understated true story about two British track stars competing in the 1924 Olympics, and for a long time I considered this to be my favorite film.

3. Life is Beautiful (Roberto Benigni, 1998) – If you are going to do a comedy set in a concentration camp, you better hope that you do it perfectly, and Roberto Benigni managed to do just that.

2. Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942) – The single most quotable film of all time, with the coolest leading man of all time, it’s impossible not to love this film.

1. The Graduate (Mike Nichols, 1967) – Not sure how to quantify what makes this film my favorite, other than to say that somehow the combination of the amazing Simon & Garfunkle score and the spot-on performance of Dustin Hoffman as the original film slacker, just connects with me on a level that no other movie can.

MY TOP 50 TV SHOWS

(Note: TV shows are pretty unique, because there is usually not one primary creative source behind them—like a musical artist for albums, or a director for film. There are often multiple creators of a TV show and obviously different directors for different episodes. So, since I love putting things in parentheses so much, instead of a name and a year, I’m putting in the year range and number of episodes. And with that, I will close my beloved parenthetical note.)

50. The Punisher (2017 – 2019, 26 episodes) – Watching Jon Bernthal play the title character beat the crap out of anyone who gets in his way in this Netflix series is cathartic.

49. Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (1995 – 2002, 81 episodes) – Comedian Jonathan Katz plods his way through each episode with a deliciously dry humor as he provides therapy to a vast array of stand-up comics in this Comedy Central animated series.

48. Scrubs (2001 – 2010, 182 episodes) – It’s load of fun to watch the trials and tribulations of Zach Braff as a young put-upon doctor at Sacred Heart Hospital, but it’s equally as fun to watch the antics of the many silly supporting characters.

47. Chuck (2007 – 2012, 91 episodes) – Just got into this series relatively recently, so while I still have a season-and-a-half to go, I am really enjoying the combo of comedy, action, and tension that this series starring Zachary Levi provides.

46. Better Off Ted (2009 – 2010, 26 episodes) – Sadly, this show was cancelled after just two seasons, but watching the ridiculous goings on at the soulless sci-tech company, Veridian Dynamics, is laugh-out-loud funny, particularly in the scenes with Portia de Rossi as the ruthless, unfeeling, boss who sticks to the company line no matter how unethical it might be.

45. Freaks and Geeks (1999 – 2000, 18 episodes) – This show, depicting the always funny and often heartwarming tales of teens at a suburban Detroit high school, launched the careers of Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Jason Segal, and was inexplicably cancelled after just one season. 

44. Police Squad! (1982, 6 episodes) – After the success of the movie Airplane! the same gang made this hysterical mini-series, which then spawned the equally hysterical Naked Gun movies.

43. Parks and Recreation (2009 – 2015, 125 episodes) – This Amy Poehler vehicle is much funnier than you might expect a show about a government office to be, largely because of the all-star supporting cast like Nick Offerman as the enigmatic, stone-faced man’s man Ron Swanson, and Chris Pratt as the immature, clueless puppy dog, Andy Dwyer.

42. Sex and the City (1998 – 2004, 94 episodes) – This show about the exploits of Carrie Bradshaw and her three friends was very funny, but what elevates it is the fact that it was like a love letter to New York City.

41. Daredevil (2015 – 2018, 39 episodes) – I’m not a big comic book guy, but every episode of this Netflix series is action-packed and has me on the edge of my seat.

40. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 – 1994, 176 episodes) – Sure, I like the original series in all its campiness, but this series took Star Trek in a more dramatic direction with great sci-fi storylines and a tour de force acting turn by Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean Luc Picard.

39. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013 – present, 131 episodes) – Once I got past the fact that this is a show about Brooklyn cops, but somehow not one of them has a Brooklyn accent, I realized it’s actually very funny and Andy Samberg as the extremely productive, yet completely buffoonish super cop, Jake Peralta, is incredibly fun to watch.

38. Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969 – 1974, 46 episodes) – Before the movies, of course, was this outrageously funny TV series, which contained everything I ever needed to know about spam and cheese.

37. House (2004 – 2012, 176 episodes) – Hugh Laurie gives one of the all-time great drama series performances as incredibly brilliant, incredibly arrogant, incredibly drug-addicted Dr. Gregory House.

36. The IT Crowd (2006 – 2013, 25 episodes) – This British sitcom about the misadventures of three IT guys working in the basement of a generic mega-company is laugh-out-loud funny in pretty much every episode.

35. 30 Rock (2006 – 2013, 138 episodes) – This very funny behind the scenes look at an NBC comedy sketch show included an endless array of guest spots by celebrities playing themselves, like Jerry Seinfeld, Tom Hanks, Condoleezza Rice, Larry King, Don Cheadle, Adam West, Martin Scorsese, and Oprah Winfrey, to name but a few.

34. Firefly (2002 – 2003, 14 episodes) – The most egregious instance of a series being terminated after just one season, this incredibly fun action, sci-fi, western launched the career of Nathan Fillion.

33. Boston Legal (2004 – 2008, 101 episodes) – The fascinating going-ons at a Boston law firm featured excellent performances by James Spader, Candice Bergen, and…wait a second… William Shatner!?!

32. All in the Family (1971 – 1979, 208 episodes) – Carol O’Connor gave us one of the most iconic characters in television history as the somehow simultaneously infuriating and loveable racist, Archie Bunker.

31. Castle (2009 – 2016, 173 episodes) – A sometimes fun, sometimes tense murder mystery comedy-drama, this series was so good due to the amazing chemistry between Nathan Fillion as Rick Castle and Stana Katic as Kate Beckett, which is kind of incredible because I’ve read they despised each other off screen.

30. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017 – present, 26 episodes) – This show, about a wonderfully charismatic young woman from a traditional Jewish family in 1950s New York who leaves her husband and becomes a stand-up comic, is marvelously fun, marvelously funny, and marvelously unique.

29. The Walking Dead (2010 – present, 136 episodes) – Had this show maintained the level of quality from the first three seasons it would have easily made my Top 10, but though it jumped the shark several years ago, I still find myself watching this tense zombie drama.

28. Sneaky Pete (2015 – 2019, 30 episodes) – This Amazon series starring Giovanni Ribisi as an endearing con man, has you constantly holding your breath to see when and if the particular con he has going might go awry.

27. M*A*S*H (1972 – 1983, 251 episodes) – This iconic show about a medical army camp during the Korean War (which lasted much longer than the actual Korean War) will make you laugh and cry…sometimes at the same time.

26. Friends (1994 – 2004, 236 episodes) – There was nothing particularly revolutionary about this series, but the show was consistently funny and the chemistry of the six lead characters (who were basically the same age as me at the time of the series) was unmatched.

25. Better Call Saul (2015 – present, 40 episodes) – This excellent spin-off of “Breaking Bad,” which shows Saul Goodman’s life prior to meeting Walter White, gets nominated for Emmys in the Drama category, but often it is funnier than any comedy series out there.

24. The League (2009 – 2015, 84 episodes) – The antics of five best friends who have a hyper-competitive fantasy football league is often completely inappropriate, but always hysterically funny.

23. Santa Clarita Diet (2017 – present, 30 episodes) – Not for the faint of heart, this outrageously funny zombie sitcom shows a fair amount of gore, and features Drew Barrymore in the role of her life as an undead suburban housewife who needs to feast on human flesh to survive.

22. Modern Family (2009 – present, 236 episodes) – While this show has a great ensemble cast, it’s Ty Burrell as the ever-positive, magic-loving Phil Dunphy that makes this one of the great family-focused sitcoms of all time.

21. Stranger Things (2016 – present, 25 episodes) – Take one part X-Files, one part Spielberg, one part John Hughes, and mix it up in a secret underground science lab and voila, you’ve got this incredibly enjoyable, incredibly freaky Netflix show.

20. Sherlock (2010 – 2017, 15 episodes) – Benedict Cumberbatch is amazing as the arrogant genius, Sherlock Holmes, but it’s Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson whose impeccably nuanced performances will break your heart.

19. Family Guy (1999 – present, 331 episodes) – This show borrowed (maybe stole) the concept of “The Simpsons” and took it in a deliciously outrageous direction as we watch the exploits of the Griffin family, whose moral arbiter is a pragmatic talking dog.

18. The Office (2005 – 2013, 188 episodes) – While I like the British version too, the American series, featuring some of the funniest characters of all time—like Dwight Schrute, Jim Halpert, and of course, Michael Scott—is the one I latched onto.

17. Californication (2007 – 2014, 84 episodes) – David Duchovny gives an incredible performance as the out-of-control writer addicted to every vice known to man, but his supporting cast is equally as fun to watch.

16. St. Elsewhere (1982 – 1988, 137 episodes) – This extremely moving, always compelling show about the staff of a Boston hospital launched the careers of a couple of people you may have heard of, like Howie Mandel and Denzel Washington.

15. The Big Bang Theory (2007 – 2019, 280 episodes) – This joyful celebration of geek culture, which is essentially “Friends” for scientists, is hysterically funny and gave us one of the most iconic characters of all time in Sheldon Cooper.

14. 3rd Rock From the Sun (1996 – 2001, 139 episodes) – This show, featuring John Lithgow as the high commander of a four-person crew that comes to Earth and poses as humans to learn about their ways, is so, so, so funny and includes my favorite Thanksgiving episode from any TV show.

13. The Honeymooners (1955 – 1956, 39 episodes) – A short-lived sitcom from the early days of television, the interactions between Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden and Art Carney as Ed Norton are absolutely priceless.

12. Cheers (1982 – 1993, 271 episodes) – Ted Danson was great as Sam Malone, the womanizing retired ballplayer, but the supporting characters—Carla, Norm, Cliff, Woody, Fraiser—stole the show with their hysterical side comments.

11. The Simpsons (1989 – present, 663 episodes) – While I have to admit that I haven’t really watched the series in more than a few years, this show is hysterical and groundbreaking and forever changed the landscape for TV animation.

10. Everybody Loves Raymond (1996 – 2005, 210 episodes) – Comedian Ray Romano as sportswriter Ray Barone was great, but what really makes this show amazing is his relationship to the rest of his family, particularly his mother, whose guilt trips sometimes hit a bit too close to home.

9. Arrested Development (2003 – 2019, 84 episodes) – This series, that follows the antics of the Bluth’s, the most whack-job family in the history of television, contains some of the funniest scenes I have ever seen on the small screen.

8. Monk (2002 – 2009, 125 episodes) – Tony Shalhoub’s funny and endearing portrayal of the obsessive compulsive San Francisco detective Adrian Monk earned him three Emmy awards, and rightfully so.

7. The Twilight Zone (1959 – 1964, 156 episodes) – This iconic series forever changed the path of television sci-fi and horror and has dozens of episodes that are cultural touchstones.

6. The Odd Couple (1970 – 1975, 114 episodes) – The best buddy comedy television has ever seen, the interplay between Jack Klugman as Oscar and Tony Randall as Felix is perfection.

5. The X-Files (1993 – 2018, 217 episodes) – David Duchovny as the paranormal believing FBI agent Fox Mulder, and Gillian Anderson as his non-believing partner, had amazing chemistry in this always fascinating, often freaky series that really ended in 2002 before an ill-advised comeback in 2016.

4. Seinfeld (1989 – 1998, 173 episodes) – The writing on this show was so good it has actually entered our vernacular with phrases like “No soup for you,” and “Hello, Newman.”

3. Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013, 62 episodes) – Arguably the greatest drama series of all time, the way Bryan Cranston slowly, but surely, transformed the character of Walter White from an unassuming, nerdy chemistry teacher, to a sinister, sociopathic crime lord, is the pinnacle of television acting.

2. The Wonder Years (1988 – 1993, 115 episodes) – No show ever portrayed the pain and wonder of coming of age better than this one that followed the trials and tribulations of Kevin Arnold as he tried to make sense of his life in suburbia during the Vietnam era.

1. Taxi (1978 – 1983, 114 episodes) – Following the lives of the drivers of the Sunshine Cab Company is a simple premise, but no show in the history of television has more heart or funnier supporting characters in Louie De Palma, Jim Ignatowski, and Latka Gravas.

MY TOP 50 BOOKS

(Note: I had every intention of doing a one-line write up on each of these books, just like I did for my other three lists. Unfortunately, I ran out of time and it was more important to me to get this blog published on my birthday. Besides—my blog, my rules. All I’ll say is that these are 50 books that I love and I highly recommend them all.)

50. The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (Michael Chabon, 2007)

49. Time Out of Joint (Philip K. Dick, 1959)

48. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (Stephen King, 1999)

47. The Sirens of Titan (Kurt Vonnegut, 1959)

46. Me Talk Pretty One Day (David Sedaris, 2000)

45. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Stephen King, 2000)

44. Freak the Mighty (Rodman Philbrick, 1993)

43. The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror (Christopher Moore, 2004)

42. What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (Randall Munroe, 2014)

41. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown, 2003)

40. The Princess Bride (William Goldman, 1973)

39. If Beale Street Could Talk (James Baldwin, 1974)

38. The Hundred-Foot Journey (Richard C. Morais, 2010)

37. Tourist Season (Carl Hiaasen, 1986)

36. Bears Discover Fire and Other Stories (Terry Bisson, 1993)

35. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (John Boyne, 2006)

34. Bloodsucking Fiends- A Love Story (Christopher Moore, 1995)

33. Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen, 2016)

32. The Sun Also Rises (Ernest Hemingway, 1926)

31. Stranger in a Strange Land (Robert A. Heinlein, 1961)

30. Motherless Brooklyn (Jonathan Lethem, 1999)

29. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (J.K. Rowling, 1998)

28. Into the Wild (Jon Krakauer, 1996)

27. Mother Night (Kurt Vonnegut, 1962)

26. Everything is Illuminated (Jonathan Safran Foer, 2002)

25. The Wisdom of Insecurity (Alan Watts, 1951)

24. Life of Pi (Yann Martel, 2001)

23. The Sneetches and Other Stories (Dr. Seuss, 1961)

22. The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog (Dave Barry, 2006)

21. The Lock Artist (Steve Hamilton, 2010)

20. Survivor (Chuck Palahniuk, 1999)

19. The Time Traveler’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger, 2003)

18. Player Piano (Kurt Vonnegut, 1952)

17. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (Erik Larson, 2003)

16. The One and Only Ivan (Katherine Applegate, 2010)

15. The Fortress of Solitude (Jonathan Lethem, 2003)

14. Practical Demonkeeping (Christopher Moore, 1992)

13. In Cold Blood (Truman Capote, 1966)

12. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (J.K. Rowling, 1999)

11. On the Road (Jack Kerouac, 1957)

10. Cat’s Cradle (Kurt Vonnegut, 1963)

9. The Book Thief (Markus Zusak, 2005)

8. The Chosen (Chaim Potok, 1967)

7. Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov, 1955)

6. Interview With the Vampire (Anne Rice, 1976)

5. The Plot Against America (Philip Roth, 2004)

4. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford, 2009)

3. The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925)

2. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (Michael Chabon, 2000)

1. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams, 1979)

For those of you who stuck it out to the end of this tome, thanks for indulging me on my 50^th birthday. Let’s do this again in 50 years when I’ll provide my Top 100 lists for each of these categories. Until then, happy viewing and reading!