Now for the hard part, the sequencing. One omission is Mary Mac by Great Big Sea.
Funny I had the same task on my hands a few weeks back to create a "Keep the Beat" set list for my War Child fundraiser, it also comprised 100 songs.

How fun is that? Great choices!! I read your post this afternoon and it generated alot of conversation between hubby and me. We had thought of alot of your selections. Here are a few variences:
COLLECTIVE SOUL / GEL
HARRY CONNICK JR. /IT HAD TO BE YOU
JACK JOHNSON / DO YOU REMEMBER?
DURAN DURAN / PERFECT DAY (This was our last song )
VAN MORRISON /SOMEONE LIKE YOU
JOHN LENNON / GROW OLD ALONG WITH ME
JOHN LENNON / STAND BY ME
BLINK 182 / ALL THE SMALL THINGS
CAKE / LOVE YOU MADLY
CREED / HIGHER
CURE /JUST LIKE HEAVEN
DAVID GRAY / SAIL AWAY
DAVID GRAY / THIS YEARS LOVE
SUPERTRAMP /DOWNSTREAM (OUR FIRST DANCE)
EWAN MCGREGOR & NICOLE KIDMAN / COME WHAT MAY
JAMES TAYLOR / HOW SWEET IT IS
JEWEL / WHAT'S SIMPLE IS TRUE
MARVIN GAYE / LET'S GET IT ON
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS / LOVE ROLLERCOASTER
WILSON PICKETT / IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR

It's funny, but a lot of the songs on your list were seriously considered. Keep in mind, I assembled my entire list from songs already in my collection.

David Gray's "This Year's Love" should be there though... I'm going to add it. It's sweet as sugar and liked by everyone.

I've already got Ben E. King's "Stand By Me", so Lennon's version is disqualified.

Cake is out due to my personal bias.

Otherwise, good stuff! Keep it coming... I'm going to edit this entry to add the Gray.

I would have added "What A Good Boy" by the Barenaked Ladies. The live version that is available in their Greatest Hits album is absolutely great, it is one of my top 10 songs of all time. I sang that song through my cell phone to this girl I am trying to woo and she loved it. Or was it just me? LOL

Hi Mike:
Thanks for doing this for Steve and Vanessa.
You thought YOU were showing your age with "Cory Hart" - I surely could give mine away by admitting to not recognizing some of the songs on your list. But you are covering a large age span and I am sure we will all enjoy the tunes! Thanks again.

Hey, Mike...

New reader of your blog here. Foremost, I must say, excellent choice of songs. Overall, really cool.

I work in radio and one of the things that always cracks me up is a listener calling a radio station and dedicating a BAD song to his/her love. For example, I've heard people ask to send out "Heartbreaker" by The Stones to a girl who jilted them. Of course, this song about social injustice is quite lyrically inapropriate for this circumstance. I guess the title threw 'em.

Because I can tell from your list that you're obviously pretty astute at these sorts of things (TFF "Seeds Of Love", Smashing Pumpkins "Today" and several other clever choices), I was surprised to see a few tracks here.

The first one that comes to mind is Alice In Chains' "Heaven Beside You". Lyrically speaking, this might not be the best wedding song. If I recall correctly, this is a song about heroin addiction and the chorus reads "Like The Coldest Winter Chill. Heaven Beside You...Hell Within". Probably not the best love song on the list! ha!

There's aboslutely no reason why the reception shouldn't RAWK but I would recommend avoiding the lyrical obstacle of this one ending up on the video and viewed by the grandchildren many years later.

Also, I must take exception with Kenny Rogers "She Believes In Me". What the...?! An otherwise smart list of songs is marred by this choice, my friend. It is pure country-politan crap. Sure, a wedding should a bit sappy but...don't do that to your friends.

Great blog, man! Enjoy the wedding!

Your friendly music-snob,

Rickman

Rickman, I'm glad someone called me on the Kenny Rogers. That one is for our mom. You've got to read this to understand.

As for the Alice in Chains, you're bloody well right. I just love the band so much I was trying to find an appropriate AiC track. I think I'll switch up "Heaven Beside You" for "No Excuses". :-)

Faunie, I maxed out on Van Morrison and U2 for the "older" crowd - everything here is pretty sweet and subtle - I left "Closer" off the list.

It looks like I am a little late, but if there is room for one more song you should consider a song by Esthero called Thank Heaven For You. It's very sweet.

I don't have any Esthero, but if you throw the MP3 at me I'm happy to listen. Email addy is on this page.

I saw the song "Today" by The Smashing Pumpkins. It's a great song, but not so great for a wedding! It's about suicide. I know, I know...doesn't seem like it, but that's what it's really about!

Mike--

Where do I find Ray Charles "You are my Sunshine"???? My fiance used to sing that song to me all the time and I would love that for our wedding mix next week!

Sent...

Enjoy... and congratulations!

Your list is awesome! I'm getting married Sept 08... and while I have a bit to compose a final list of my own for my fiancee, you have seemed to pick all songs and many more that I wouldn't have even thought of! This is a long shot, but do you have all the mp3's/cd of these? If there is anyway you could send me them 1059 whetherfield st unit 36 london on n6h0b6 I wouldn't be able to thank you enough...

wow. the Bif Naked-Lucky is a rare pic! I thought I was the only one who knew who Bif was before she was Battle of the Bands.

Bif always got a lot of airplay here in the Great White North.

Hi Mike!!

Thank god I found your post! Your list is exceptional!!!!!!!

I am trying to compile a list of songs for my step daughter, she is getting married in March, and she wants me to pick the music!! It's a hard one, they aren't really into much, just R&B, so I was wondering if you have any ideas for that.

She initally asked me to pick songs that have the word LOVE in them OMG!!!!! It can be any era, or genre except for Country LOL!..

So....you can imagine...I have been on the computer for 2 days trying to find things...oh well it will be an awesome day, and I am privileged to get to pick the music I guess? :P

Ok enough rambling from me, but if anyone has any ideas please let me know! My email addy is bella_rose32@hotmail.com

Cheers from Australia
Bella Rose

Hey Bella, here's a list of my ten favourite songs with "love" in the title.

http://www.torontomike.com/2004/02/love_songs.html

I'll put together a longer list later this morning...

One somewhat sappy choice that I would add to your list is "You're the Best Thing" by The Style Council. Paul Weller may not rock out like he did in The Jam, but it's a fine tune nonetheless.

Hey! Great list...I'm in the process of compliling ours for next summer. One song I love that I never hear but always goes over well is "Little L" by Jamiroquai. Just a thought. It'll be on ours!

Perhaps
- Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits.
- If you're not the one by Daniel Beddingfield.
- I DonT Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith.
- Where the party at by Jagged Edge

I spose you can't have all the good songs in a 100 song playlist... just my 2 cents.

Hey! I just googled wedding playlists and I came upon your site. Great list! I borrowed a few to add to mine in June '08. My biggest problem is keeping the older crowd from leaving in disgust. Any suggestions that'll make everyone happy?

The generation gappers are U2 and Coldplay.

"Perfect Day" by Lou Reed is also about heroin addiction.

Marriage is a lot like heroin addiction.