First of all, many thanks for all the interesting responses (31) given. As expected, what the audience expects doesn’t necessarily match up to the songs which may provide more personal musical satisfaction to us as musicians. I’ve noticed that song favorites generally given by the non musician general public most often are the songs they enjoyed most during their coming of age (14-24) years. I suppose I'm a bit different because, though I fondly recall the hits from my adolescent years, my song 'favorites' were written before my time. For me, a lastingly memorable song must: 1) deliver a convincingly believeable story/message, 2) have an interesting melody or beat (groove) and/or have interesting (chord) changes.



Ok, here are my personal favorite songs along with recording artists:

Standards:
Cheek To Cheek – Irving Berlin, performed by Buddy Greco
Come Fly With Me - performed by Frank Sinatra
Don't Fence Me In - Cole Porter, peformed by Rosemary Clooney
Embraceable You - George Gershwin, performed by Sarah Vaughan
I'm An Old Cowhand - Johnny Mercer, performed by Harry Connick Jr.
Lady Is A Tramp – Rogers & Hart, performed by Buddy Greco
Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Harold Arlen, performed by Judy Garland
This Could Be The Start Of Something Big – Steve Allen, performed by Buddy Greco
Too Marvelous For Words - Johnny Mercer, performed by Ella Fitzgerald
Top Hat White Tie and Tails - Irving Berlin, performed by Fred Astaire

Latin:
Boulevard of Broken Dreams - performed by Diana Krall
Sway - performed by Peter Cincotti
This Masquerade – Leon Russell, performed by Karen Carpenter & Ella Fitzgerald
Wave - Antonio Carlos Jobim

Country/R&B Blues
Big City - Merle Haggard
Cold Cold Heart - Hank Williams Sr, performed by Norah Jones
For The Goodtimes - Ray Price
He Walked On Water - Randy Travis
I Won't Mention It Again - Ray Price
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams Sr, performed by BJ Thomas
Long Gone Lonesome Blues - Hank Williams Sr
Night Life, the, performed by Ray Price
Ring Of Fire - Johnny Cash
Satisfied Mind - Porter Wagoner
Sweet Dreams - Patsy Cline
When Something Is Wrong With My Baby – Patti LaBelle & Travis Tritt

Ballads:
Anyone Who Had A Heart - Burt Bacharach, performed by Wynonna Judd
But For Now - Bob Dorough, performed by Jamie Cullum
If I Fell – Beatles
Midnight Sun – Johnny Mercer, performed by Sarah Vaughan
Poor Side Of Town - Johnny Rivers
Rainbow Connection - Kermit (Jim Henson)
Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael
Yesterday - Beatles (especially after 9/11 with revised lyrics

Scott