After a quick look at my top 500 not taking into account the obvious picks (Blue Monday, Behind Blue Eyes...):
colors :
3) Incubus - A Certain Shade of Green
I doubt you would like this one but I really like the energy and the intelligent use of a DJ at the time when Incubus were still innovative and sounded like nothing else. Plus I kinda like the lyrics.
2) Ben Harper - Suzie Blue
Back 7 years ago, when I did not know much about music, Ben Harper was my favourite singer. Even if I dislike what he has release after the Live From Mars and does not consider his previous albums as highly as I used too (with the possible exception of his first one); I still have a lot of affection for 4 of his songs, including that one on which I like the "out-of-time" feel, like it could have been written anywhen and still sound right. Great voice and instrumentations too.
1) Animal Collective - Purple Bottle
My 2nd favourite love song ever I guess, I find the lyrics brilliant. I like those few songs that talks about love in a very childish way (like Thirteen, my favourite one) with cute metaphors and no pathos at all. Plus the rythmics and the harmonies are fabulous.
white, grey, black
5) Rancid - Black Derby Jacket
I doubt you would like this one, but I do anyway. Very threatening in a way. Great bass line as often in that album.
4) Metallica - Fade to Black
Yes, Met can be subtle. Their 2nd best solo in my opinion.
3) Saul Williams - Black Stacey
One of the best songs about racism I think, with a superb sample too.
2) Camille - La Jeune Fille Aux Cheveux Blancs
One of the several pearls on "Le Fil", this one might be my favourite with the superb voice of Camille and her constant play with sounds. One of the darkest song of the album.
1) Elliott Smith - The White Lady Loves You More
Even though it would not be in my top 5 Elliott's songs, this one always seemed to me as a very special song of his discography. First it sounds like none of Elliott's first period (while it is included in its 2nd album) with its quite rich arrangement. And while I have always found that all of his songs kept a small hint of hope this one is only sadness and give-up. The scene with this song of Gus Van Sant's Paranoid Park is just from outter space, seems unreal, ethereal... but much less beautiful than the scene with Angeles anyway.
Nick Drake, "Pink Moon", "Way to Blue" - Of course.
Husker Du, "Pink Turns to Blue" - Driving, melodic Grant Hart song from ZEN ARCADE, on a familiar theme: mourning for The Girl Who Could/Would Not Be Saved. Great Bob Mould guitar solo that matches the emotional tenor of the song.
The Who, "Blue Red and Grey" (could also fit the second category) - A low-key Townshend vocal from THE WHO BY NUMBERS, with Pete rhapsodizing about how "I love every minute of the day" backed only by Entwistle's one-man silver band and his own ukulele (I think; it's been a while since I listened to it).
Graham Parker and The Rumour, "White Honey", "Black Honey" - Parker put these songs with diametrically opposed titles on each of his first two albums. "White Honey" is the exuberant, soul-tinged lead track on HOWLIN' WIND ("White honey, get it from the candy man/White honey-EE, any time I think I can"); "Black Honey" is a downbeat, mostly acoustic, gypsy-flavored ballad from HEAT TREATMENT ("Oh, black honey's in my soul").
My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) and Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)- Neil Young
I love the first (and acoustic) one the most, it can heart wrenching at times and also contains the line "It's better to burn out than to fade away" which was (i believe) the final line in Kurt Cobain's suicide note.
Blue Jay Way and Old Brown Shoe- The Beatles
Not my favorite of Harrison compositions, certainly, but they fit the context.
Tangled Up in Blue- Bob Dyaln
Of course! Beautiful song.
Crimson and Clover- Tommy James and the Shondells
Great little pop song, right there
Black Star- Radiohead
Cause why should we leave out Radiohead in this!?!?
"Blue Train" by John Coltrane
"Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" by Duke Ellington
"Magenta" by Hooverphonic
"The Ecstasy of Gold" by Ennio Morricone ("The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" soundtrack)
EDIT: I realize that the last one is questionable, as the word "gold" in the context of the movie is less about the color gold and more about the precious metal.
Roseanne Cash - Black Cadillac
Toby Keith - Courtesy Of Red, White, and Blue (Worst song of all time!)
Prince - Purple Rain (Really? Nobody has thought of this yet?)
Cream - White Room
REM - Pretty In Pink
Moist - Silver (Random post-grunge band I saw on Muchmusic twelve years ago!)
Okkervil River - Black
Sevendust - Black
Loretta Lynn - Little Red Shoes
The Blue Sky A ha
Back In Black AC/DC
Long Black Veil The Band
Blackbird The Beatles
For You Blue The Beatles
Blue Jay Way The Beatles
Old Brown Shoe The Beatles
Yellow Submarine The Beatles
Big Black Car Big Star
Blue Moon Big Star
Red Eyes And Tears Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Crow Blues Bob Dylan
Tangled Up In Blue Bob Dylan
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
The Red Plains Bruce Hornsby
Yellow Coldplay
Green Eyes Coldplay
Violet Hill Coldplay
White Shadows Coldplay
Perfect Blue Buildings Counting Crows
White Room Cream
Miss Black America Curtis Mayfield
Black Shuck The Darkness
Blue Rondo A La Turk Dave Brubeck
Blues for Billy Whitecloud David Ackles
Counting Blue Cars Dishwalla
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Elton John
Red, Red, Red Fiona Apple
Red Clay Halo Gillian Welch
Thin Red Line Glass Tiger
Black Balloon Goo Goo Dolls
Mr. Brownstone Guns N' Roses
Green Street Green Herman's Hermits
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown Jim Croce
Orange Blossom Special Johnny Cash
Green, Green Grass Of Home Mum
Thin Blue Flame Josh Ritter
Where The White Boys Dance The Killers
The Village Green Preservation Society The Kinks
Backwater Blues Leadbelly
Black Dog Led Zeppelin
White, Discussion Live
Midnight Blue Lou Gramm
The Red Telephone Love
Greenville Lucinda Williams
White Heat Madonna
True Blue Madonna
Blue Lines Massive Attack
Black Milk Massive Attack
Blue Sky Mine Midnight Oil
Blue In Green Miles Davis
The Night: Nights In White Satin Moody Blues
Green Grass Of Tunnel Múm
Killian's Red Nada Surf
Deep Red Bells Neko Case
Pink Moon Nick Drake
Brown Eyed Handsome Man Nina Simone
Black Is The Color of My True Love's Hair Nina Simone
Red Mosquito Pearl Jam
Black Pearl Jam
Yellow Ledbetter Pearl Jam
Spin The Black Circle Pearl Jam
Black, Red, Yellow Pearl Jam
Black Pete Yorn Pete Yorn
White Sugar Peter Frampton
White Shadow Peter Gabriel
Red Rain Peter Gabriel
Little Red Corvette Prince
Electron Blue R.E.M.
Orange Crush R.E.M.
Blue Veins The Raconteurs
Black Star Radiohead
White Hot Red Rider
Sweet Black Angel The Rolling Stones
When The Stars Go Blue Ryan Adams
Little Red Rooster Sam Cooke
Black Hole Sun Soundgarden
Little Red Lights Todd Rundgren
Big Black Mariah Tom Waits
Eon Blue Apocalypse Tool
Ultraviolet (Light My Way) U2
Bullet The Blue Sky U2
Red Hill Mining Town U2
Red Light U2
Pink Triangle Weezer
Black Math The White Stripes
White Moon The White Stripes
Pot Kettle Black Wilco
U2- "Lemon"
Prince- "Raspberry Beret"
Siouxsie and the Banshees- "Red Light"
Mtume- "Green Light"
New Order- "Everything's Gone Green"
New Order- "Blue Monday"
Prince- "Blue Light"
Prince- "Computer Blue"
Roxette- "Silver Blue" (now that's 2 colors!)
Siouxsie and the Banshees- "Red Over White" (another 2!)
Blondie- "Union City Blue"
David Bowie- "Blue Jean"
Eurythmics- "Cool Blue"
Lou Reed- "The Blue Mask"
Janelle Monae- "Violet Stars Happy Hunting!"
Eurythmics- "Aqua"
Prince- "Tangerine"
Joan Jett- "Crimson and Clover"
Echo and the Bunnymen- "Silver"
Prince- "3 Chains o' Gold"
Prince- "Gold"
Monochrome:
The Velvet Underground- "The Black Angel's Death Song"
Depeche Mode- "Black Celebration"
Janet Jackson- "Black Cat"
Lenny Kravitz- "Black Velveteen"
My Chemical Romance- "Welcome to the Black Parade"
The Cure- "All Cats Are Grey"
Visage- "Fade to Grey"
Billy Idol- "White Wedding"
The Velvet Underground- "White Light/White Heat"
Madonna- "White Heat"
BillAdama : I guess I'll post "Little Red Shoes" by Loretta Lynn /Jack White
Moonbeam : I LOVE Fade To Grey. Memory lane : i'm 11 and I listen to the radio, I got my first radio set.
And Hartold : the white/black honey sounds like a great idea !! (I didn't know these songs and they are , indeed, awesome, somewhere between Springsteen and Costello )
I second Harold suggestion about that excellent song by The Who. It’s a long-time favourite of mine, it’s in my Top 10 for 1975 (that I’m finishing right now) and it features a playful ukulele and a beautiful lead vocal from Pete Townshend and a terrific brass arrangement from John Entwistle.