1. Rain King - Counting Crows.
This is an up-tempo song that could be used to highlight the range of the singer. They could arrange the song to include a verse, a chorus, and the ending of the song when Adam Duritz really blows it out. For some reason, I’m picturing a woman singing it. Maybe Gina from this season. I think she could knock it out of the park with her big voice. Plus, the androgyny of a woman singing Rain King is just edgy enough for her to keep her edginess, but not edgy enough to be really edgy. It would be American Idol edgy.

2. Wild Horses - Rolling Stones.
For me this song could do two things. It could show that a country singer is in touch with rock music. Or it could show a softer side of a rocker. I know he’s gone now, but I’m thinking if Sundance had picked this song instead of Knights in White Satin a couple of weeks ago, he might still be around. Of the remaining contestants, I think Chris Sligh would be the obvious choice to give this one a try. Let America see his softer side without giving up his rocker roots.

3. Holding on to You - Terence Trent D’Arby
Maybe I’m getting a little too far from the mainstream with this pick, but I’ll explain why. Randy has made it clear that he won’t like any performance of songs originally by Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Otis Redding, and pretty much any of the best male r&b singers of the last 40 years. So, if you are an r&b or soul singer in the competition, how can you possibly please him? Sing a song he’s not familiar with and tear it up. Holding on to You is a traditional r&b ballad with a ton of chances for runs and big moments. Plus it has a beautiful melody. Maybe Brandon or Phil could pull this one off.

4. It’s the End of the World As We Know It (and I feel fine) - R.E.M.
How about another up-tempo number that would really get some energy going? This song would bring the house down if someone was gutsy enough to try it. There’s a pretty good opportunity to show off your range during the chorus, but this song would be mostly about performance. Chris Richardson has already proved that he can handle the machine-gun lyrics when he did Geek in the Pink, so I think he’s a good choice to try this one. But if Sanjaya could pull this one off, he would prove to everyone that he belongs in the competition (I don’t think he belongs in the competition).

5. A Long Walk - Jill Scott.
Remember what I said about Randy and his dislike for any male singer who tries to sing Stevie Wonder, etc.? Well, same goes for women. That means that Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, and all the other great female r&b singers of the past 40 years are off limits, too. I give you Jill Scott and this wonderfully smooth song. In the right hands — maybe Melinda Doolittle’s — this song would blow the doors off the competition.

1. Living in a World Without Her - The Pogues.
Here is your warm up. The song starts with a lilting Irish melody for a few bars before the driving beat kicks in. I got turned on to The Pogues after “Summer in Siam” was featured prominently in my all-time favorite movie, Basquiat. That’s a beautiful song, but “Living in a World Without Her” is an awesome song. And it’s definitely a great way to start your workout.

2. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - K.T. Tunstall.
I’m the first to admit it: the older I get, the cheesier I get. I think it’s just the way of the world. How do I know this is happening? American Idol, that’s how. Five or six years ago, I wouldn’t have been caught dead watching that show. But last season I got hooked, and I’ve watched every episode since. And I can’t explain why. Nonetheless, I first heard “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” when Katherine McPhee sang it on AI last season. It’s a great song, with a steady beat. Great for keeping your energy up.

3. Dancing with Myself - Billy Idol.
When I was a kid, I liked Billy Idol because of his music videos. Yeah, those videos featuring scantily-clad women writhing around on giant beds that premiered when I was just entering puberty. But when I got older, I started to like him for his music. And it’s some pretty catchy stuff. I think we all know what “Dancing with Myself” is really about, but I choose to believe that it’s about dancing.

4. I’m Not Okay (I Promise) - My Chemical Romance.
Perhaps a screamo-flavored, pop-metal song about being an outcast isn’t the most appropriate song choice for a workout. But it’s so darn catchy. And the melody and beat are so infectious that you can’t help wanting to move around. And if you’re feeling isolated, might as well isolate some muscle groups while you’re at it.

5. Blacking Out the Friction - Death Cab for Cutie.
And now for a cool-down song. Your energy level has been high for 15 minutes, and now it’s time to shake it out. Something about this song makes me mellow without feeling sad, and that’s a great way to wind down. The lyrics might be appropriate, too, as you try to forget about the burn you feel in your muscles from that intense workout!

1. Simon and Garfunkel - Mrs. Robinson (featured in The Graduate).
Imagine a world without pop songs on soundtracks. Now throw into that world an entire movie full of pop songs, and you’ll have The Graduate. The inclusion of previously-released Simon & Garfunkel songs on the soundtrack to that film was groundbreaking, and that decision has influenced music in film to this day, in which soundtrack consultants basically make a mixed tape of theme-appropriate songs and call it a score.

But besides all that, Mrs. Robinson is a great song that captures the mood of the ’60s generation living through a period of intense upheaval and staring at a decidedly uncertain future. Plus, it’s a damn catchy pop tune.

2. The Shins - New Slang (featured in Garden State).
Remember what I just said someone putting together a mixed tape and calling it a soundtrack? Well, Zach Braff did just that in Garden State. He picked out all the songs before they started filming. In fact, he would sent the soundtrack along with the script to actors he was interested in casting.

New Slang is a beautiful song, and it’s an integral part of the meeting of the two main characters. The melody and lyrics create a thoughtful tone and let the viewer know that Natalie Portman’s character has some interesting stuff going on below the surface. When Braff’s character puts on the headphones, he’s interested, but when he hears the song, he’s downright intrigued.

3. Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode (featured in Back to the Future).
I bet you didn’t know that Michael J. Fox is the real king of rock & roll. Turns out, this one time, he went back to 1955 and played Johnny B. Goode at his parents’ high school dance. Really ripped it up, too. Just think, if it wasn’t for him, we’d still be listening to Lawrence Welk.

4. John Hiatt - Have a Little Faith in Me (featured in Benny & Joon).
An underrated gem in Johnny Depp’s filmography, Benny & Joon is such an unorthodox love story. Depp plays Sam, an illiterate wanderer who dresses and acts like Buster Keaton. Mary Stuart Masterson plays Joon, a mentally ill woman who acts out in town and doesn’t trust anyone but her brother Benny. The movie tells the story of Sam and Joon falling in love, and the centerpiece of their love story is Have a Little Faith in Me by John Hiatt. It’s a beautiful song, and it perfectly captures this romance between two broken people.

5. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (featured in Wayne’s World).
There’s not really anything insightful I can say about Wayne’s World. But I looked up some trivia on IMDB about it, though. So far, Wayne’s World is the only Saturday Night Live spin off movie to gross over $100 million. When the actors were filming the Bohemian Rhapsody scene, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey both injured their necks from head banging. Carvey didn’t know the words to the song while they were filming, and you can see him mouthing the wrong words a couple of times. Excellent!

1. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right - Bob Dylan. Sometimes we hold on to relationships for the wrong reasons. Maybe a person becomes a habit or god forbid, an addiction. Maybe they have something you feel like you can’t live without or you’ll never get again. Well, that’s how the woman in this song feels about the man singing. But he’s strong enough to keep moving in the face of her misguided advances. I’ve been on both sides of that relationship equation, and it’s comforting to know that at least Bob Dylan has, too.

2. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes - Paul Simon. On the heels of the dysfunction in #1, here’s Mr. Simon saying that love can overcome the greatest of differences (”She makes the sign of a teaspoon, he makes the sign of a wave.” What could be more different than that?). The a capella intro sets a melancholy tone that the punchy bass and guitar lines flip upside down when they kick in. It’s a delightful song that makes me think about the woman I love, and how our differences make us stronger.

3. Slow Down Old World - Willie Nelson. As you get older, time has a way of nipping at your heels. You look back at your life, and it feels like a tick on the clock. So when you get to the middle of your life, you realize you’ve just got one tick left. I think that’s what this song is saying. Or it could just be a guy in a jail cell thinking about the world passing him by while he’s incarcerated. I prefer the former interpretation.

4. I Am Aglow - Sarah Harmer. Man, i love Sarah Harmer. And this song is just spectacular. Ahe’s got a crush, but she doesn’t really know the person. And doesn’t that make crushes so much more powerful? When you start digging into the person you’re digging, chances are you won’t like everything you find. But if all you have are second-hand stories and your “imagination painting scenes more pretty,” then full speed ahead: crush ahoy! Footnote: I love songs with mandolins. I smell another Top Five Friday…

5. Blue Bayou - Roy Orbison. The grass is always greener on blue bayou. It’s your typical, 72 virgins, heaven, nirvana promise of paradise. And the voice of paradise? That’s Roy Orbison, folks. What more can i say?