Okay, it's time to try a brand new, uber-engaging feature called "Monday Funday." I'll post a question or a list (hopefully) each week and take comments and submissions until Friday, at which point I'll post a "Friday Funday" follow-up with links to download everything. Complicated? Let's do a live one:

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, and most of my memories of childhood revolve around this time of year. Whether I was dancing to "The Monster Mash" or watching The Halloween That Almost Wasn't (see below), this time of year was it for me. This week's entry will be the beginning of a Halloween hit list, starting with Bing Crosby's "The Headless Horseman" and Otis Redding's "Trick or Treat."

Otis Redding - "Trick or Treat"

Please leave comments with your suggestions, and make sure to check back Friday for the potentially embarrassing lack of results. Huzzah!

I'm always a little skeptical of XPN's annual countdown extravaganza, probably because the "Greatest Artists" and "Greatest Albums" of previous years were way too heavy on classic rock. On top of that, last year's "Most Memorable Musical Moments" was a very outside-the-box concept that had some great community-building, blog-ready moments, but it was a little too intangible to be really significant.

This year's "885 Essential XPN Songs" countdown (obnoxiously interrupted and overshadowed by the Fall Fund Drive) got a lot of things right. Take a look at the top 5 tunes:

5. Wilco - "Impossible Germany"
4. Kirsty Maccol - "In These Shoes"
3. Jeff Buckley - "Hallelujah" (3rd version of the song included in the countdown)
2. David Grey - "Babylon"
1. Richard Thompson - "1952 Vincent Black Lightning"

I can't even tell you how proud I am to live in a city where a Richard Thompson tune is the most essential anything. I was seriously moved -- much more so than I am watching the Phillies get shut out in Game 2 -- so kudos to XPN and all my fellow listeners. Even the top 20 looks good, with Amos Lee and the long forgotten Alexi Murdoch both making appearances.

Still, Barnes and Barnes "Fish Heads" is my top XPN song. A Kid's Corner childhood is a hard thing to overcome....

And what about you folks? Any favorite XPN-centric tunes, or a similar disgust with Helen Leight's playlists?