#1 – "Piano Man" by Billy Joel: After seven years in the #1 spot, "Piano Man" slipped to #2 last year. This year it's right back to the top. Congratulations Billy, I hope you have fully recovered from your car accident of a few weeks ago. "Piano Man" has been in all 12 countdowns. It has been in the Top 5 in 11 of those 12 years. I dedicate this song to my wife Cindy who insisted that she receive a Top 5 dedication. I give a secondary dedication to Ed McDonald. There is no bigger Billy Joel fan than Ed. At parties we would be sure this song was played after everyone was well enebriated. As it was played, we would circle up, arm in arm, and sway. What fun! I'm sure Ed will never forget the time I yelled out "everyone" just as the song moved to the instrumental section. He never let me forget that one. Thanks to all for making this another great countdown. The Jeff's Countdown now goes on a 332-day break. See you January 18, 2004…

#2 – "Inside Out" by Eve 6: Moving up one spot from last year, Eve 6 reaches its highest ever countdown position. This is year number five for this song in the countdown, the third consecutive year in the Top 5. I dedicate this song to my dog Zeke.

#3 – "Rhythm Divine" by Enrique Iglesis: This song continues its quick ascent up the countdown as it moves up five spots from last year’s #8 position. It debuted in Jeff’s 30 at #19. I dedicate this one to former co-worker Raul Valenzuela. Raul is of Mexican descent, as is Enrique. Bien Venidas Raul!

#4 – "Best of Times" by Styx: The "Best of Times" was last year’s #1 song. Its slide to #4 this year means we will have a new #1 song. This Styx classic reined the Jeff’s Countdown for just one year. In all, it has now spent six years in the countdown. I dedicate this song to Larry Clifton. Year 2002 was a good year for Larry as he was named "Sil-Kore Associate of the Year." Of course he was the only one in the running and the only one voting, but nonetheless, it was much deserved. Larry has also recently relinquished the notorious title of "Valentine’s Day Nappy." Congratulations Larry.

#5 – "Original Prankster" by Offspring: The Offspring move up four spots to their highest ever position in the countdown. After a year at #10 and a year at #9, this song breaks the top five for the first time in its three-year run. I dedicate this song to original prankster Jim Sullivan. Not only is Jim great a pulling pranks on others, he also has the ability to coerce others into pulling pranks on themselves. He started an all-out feud between two guys (Dean and John) just by asking a simple question. And who cannot love it when he asks Norman, "Is that your coat you've left behind? Your red coat." Great stuff. (This entry was brought to you by Rogaine hair care products for men)

#6 – "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback: This song is the biggest mover in this year's countdown. After debuting at #22 last year, it moves up 16 spots to #6 this year. I dedicate this one to my daughter Allison because of how she reminds me of me. Especially when she talks back to her Mom and Dad!

#7 – "From This Moment" by Shania Twain: In its fifth year in the countdown, "From This Moment" slips one spot from last year's #6 peak position. This song was the second dance at my wedding reception and for that reason I dedicate it to my loving wife Cindy. Thanks for all you do for me and Happy Valentine's Day!

#8 – "Blurry" by Puddle of Mudd: POM makes Jeff's Countdown history as they become the first artist to debut three songs in the same year. "Blurry" joins "Drift & Die" and "Control" as debut songs in this year's coutdown from the "Come Clean" CD. Here is another dedication to my good friend Ted Sidoriak. I dedicate this song to Ted because in the past he has exhibited blurry vision. Like the time he mistook a parking lot for a urinal. Or the time his mistook his stereo for his bed. Must have been blurry vision. Or perhaps too much beer?

#9 – "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne: Britney Spears? Forget About it… Christina Aguilara? Not a chance… Jessica Simpson? NOT! Avril Lavigne is my favorite young female artist by a longshot. "Complicated" debuts in the Jeff's Countdown with a bang all the way to #9. I dedicate this song to one Janusz Lysko, my Calculus III professor at Widener University for making mathematics so damn complicated. The man famous for wearing the t-shirt with the phrase "Minnesota: land of 10,000 lakes and 3 fish" on it, once told us that the final would not contain anything we were taught during the semester. That was fine by me since I never really learned anything all semester anyway. I vividly remember drinking Jolt Cola as my classmates and I pulled an all-nighter the night before the final. I also vividly remember Ed McDonald puking his guts out on the way to class the next day. Sorry Ed, I'll make it up to you by dedicating a song to you later in the countdown. Anyway I got my D+ (D as in Diploma) in that class and moved on. Hey Avril, take a few college calculus classes and I'm sure you'll change the lyrics to your song.

#10 – "Plush" by Stone Temple Pilots: By the skin of their teeth, STP remains in the Top 10 for the 9^th consecutive year. They fall 6 spots from #4 last year. This also marks the 10^th anniversary of this song in the countdown. I dedicate this one to all the patrons of Machelle’s Backstreet Tavern in LaSalle, IL. It was there that singing this song won me the award for Karaoke Performance of the Year 1996. Okay, so I made up the part about winning an award for karaoke. But, Machelle’s was a great place for karaoke on Thursday nights, and this was my second favorite song to sing there. "Love Shack" was my favorite, but you needed a willing female partner to sing that one, and that sometimes was hard to find.

#11 – "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats: The Men Without Hats move up one space from last year. They have been included in every countdown, peaking at #2 in Jeff’s 28. I dedicate this song to my good friend Lisa Rizzo. Every time I talked to Lisa about a party I went to, she was always quick to ask if we played "The Safety Dance." I guess I got kind of famous playing it at parties in college. If I made a list of top videos of all time, this would definitely have to be included. I love the part with the midget (oops, I mean little person).

#12 – "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind: This marks the 6^th consecutive year for this song in the countdown. Last year in Jeff's 31 it peaked at #5. I dedicate this song to Eagles quarterback AJ Feeley (not to be confused with the guy from KISS). If AJ were the first-string starting quarterback, you could say he was living a "charmed" life. And certainly things could be worse had he gone the route of other famous Oregon Ducks quarterbacks such as Akili Smith in Cincinnati or Joey Harrington in Detroit. So I guess AJ will settle for a "semi-charmed" kinda life. As an Eagles fan, its just good knowing that the Birds have a third-string quarterback who is better than the Dolphins starting quarterback…

#13 – "Who are You" by The Who: For the second consecutive year this song occupies the lucky #13 spot in the countdown. I dedicate this one to the lovely Jorga Fox, star of my favorite TV show "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

#14 – "Closing Time" by Semisonic: This is year #5 for this song in the countdown. It debuted at #28 in Jeff's 28 and rose steadily until it peaked at #10 last year. I dedicate this song to Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. This is the first time I can recall dedicating a song to an edifice. The "Toilet Bowl" will close and be demolished after one more season of baseball this year. It's about time.

#15 – "Don't Tell Me" by Madonna: In its second year in the countdown, this song moves up four spaces. I dedicate this song to Tim Pope. Tim, don't tell me the central vac leaked, don't tell me the IK tank overflowed, don't tell me there was a fire, don't tell me 226 is down…

#16 – "Jump" by Van Halen: Here's the song that started it all. "Jump" was number 21, in Jeff's 21, the first ever Jeff's Countdown. So you could say that this song was the one that started the tradition. It reached the #2 spot in three separate countdowns and was a fixture in the top 5 in six straight countdowns, Jeff's 24 through 29. Of late it has slipped a bit, as I protest Van Halen not putting out a decent album since their Greatest Hits package several years ago. Come on Alex and Eddie. Get on your knees and beg Sammy or Dave to get back in the band and start making good music again! I dedicate this song to Ted Sidoriak for his "ups" at the dunk courts. He could really jump when the baskets were eight feet high. And he could almost get rim at the bungalow…

#17 – "Drift & Die" by Puddle of Mudd: This is the second song in the countdown from Puddle of Mudd. It is also a debut. This song is dedicated to the astronauts of the space shuttle Columbia that crashed on February 1, 2003. They drifted for a while and then they died.

#18 – "Loser" by Beck: Tradition dictates that this song be dedicated to the Super Bowl losing quarterback. So Rich Gannon, this one’s for you! You turned in the worst performance by a quarterback in a Super Bowl since Neil O’Donnell. You are a loser!!! The song "Loser" makes its 9^th straight appearance in the Jeff’s Countdown this year. It peaked at #4 in Jeff’s 26 and had a four-year run in the top 10 in countdown’s 25 through 28. In a time of chimpanzee’s I was a monkey…

#19 – "Sour Girl" by Stone Temple Pilots: This tune slips five spaces from last year's peak position of #14. It debuted at #15 in Jeff's 30. This song is dedicated to Cheryl Keithline Austin Beryl. Pardon me if I didn't get the last names correct. Perhaps she divorced and married again. Cheryl is an ex-girlfriend who was definitely a "sour girl" when she left me. One area where the lyrics do not apply in this song is, "she was a teenage girl when she met me." That certainly isn't true.

#20 – "Bored" by Love Seed Mama Jump: I dedicate this song to my good friend Jeff Gonet. Jeff and I have known each other since grade school. We went to school together, worked together, and were introduced to the band Love Seed Mama Jump together. When we were 21, we spent a week at Jeff's parents' vacation home in Dewey Beach, DE. Looking to get out for a night on the town, we stopped in at the "Bottle & Cork" to hear the band Broken English. We thought we would hear the song "I Melt With You" (actually Modern English) or perhaps the song "Possession" (actually Bad English), but what we heard was pretty lame so we left the Bottle & Cork and headed to the "Rusty Rudder." There we found Love Seed playing to a throng on the Rudder Deck. It was "Thursday Night Illfish" at the Rudder (aptly named because you drank a lot and then leaned over the Rudder Deck and got ill on the fish). We instantly became fans of Love Seed and have followed them ever since. Later, I would develop ties to two of the band members. In the mid 90's, I lived in the same apartment complex in King of Prussia, PA, as did the drummer Paul Voshell. Paul and I worked out in the complex's fitness center together. I would arrive around 5 PM after a long day of work and Paul would arrive at the same time after just having gotten out of bed. In year 2000, I began working for a company that was founded by guitarist Brian Gore's grandfather. His father Bob was company president for many years and the inventor of GORE-TEX® fabric. Love Seed Mama Jump recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the live recording "Drunk at the Stone Balloon" in Newark, DE. "Bored" first appeared on their second album "Baked Fresh Daily" and was included in their most recent self-titled release. After peaking at #15 last year, "Bored" slips five spots in its third countdown appearance.

#21 – "It's the End of the World as we Know it and I Feel Fine" by R.E.M.: This is another song that has been included in all 12 Jeff's Countdowns. It peaked at #12 in Jeff's 23, and bottomed out last year at #25. On behalf of the families of the victims of those pardoned, I dedicate this song to former Illinois governor George Ryan. In an unprecedented abuse of power, Ryan exonerated 156 inmates from death row on his last day in office. If there is something wrong with the Illinois judicial system, then fix it. As a former Illinois tax-payer, I'm disgusted to see my tax dollars that were spent on trials to convict these cold-blooded killers now wasted by the frivolous decision of the worst governor in the history of the United States. This travesty was only one example of what an idiot he was. His first act as governor was to raise the cost of car registrations to nearly $200. Fortunately for the people of Illinois, his term is finally over. Hopefully they will be able to pick up the pieces and move on…

#22 – "5150" by Van Halen: Here is a song that has been all over the map in terms of countdown position. It has made all 12 Jeff's Countdowns and has been as high as #9 (Jeff's 22) and as low as #25 (Jeff's 29). I dedicate this song to former Pennridge High School basketball player Jerome Von Mechow. Jerome was a senior at Pennridge when I was a junior. There was an award given each year for the best front court player, and the award took on the name of the previous year's winner. Therefore when I was a senior, the award was known as the "Von Mechow Award." Of course I wanted to win this award and therefore I wore the numbers Jerome had worn the year before. At Pennridge we wore even numerals at home and odd numerals for road games. What numbers did Jerome and I choose? Of course 51 & 50. Needless to say I went on to win the Von Mechow Award that year and see it be re-named the "Rogers Award" although I unsuccessfully politicked to have it named the "5150 Award". Of course that award could never be as prestigious as the Johnson Cup, but then not much else could be.

#23 – "Black Balloon" by Goo Goo Dolls: In its fourth year in the countdown, "Black Balloon" slips five spots to #23. It peaked at #8 in Jeff's 30. This song is dedicated to Bob Stearrett in honor of his 40^th birthday last year. If you don't know Bob, he's the guy sitting in the Timeout Chair with the vein popping out the side of his neck. So fly 40 black balloons in honor of Bob. Just make sure the balloon are the right size and properly inflated or Bob will go into a rampage, throw them off the court, and begin searching for his balloon while insulting everyone in sight.

#24 – "When It’s Over" by Sugar Ray: Mark McGrath and Co. move up seven spots from last year when they occupied the #31 spot. I dedicate this song to Blair Rogers. Blair passed on a little over a year ago. Even though this is someone I never got to know, I miss them very much. There will be a place in my heart for Blair forever. I remember hearing this song on the radio around the time of Blair’s passing. It makes me think of that time every time I hear it.

#25 – "Where Are You Going?" by The Dave Matthews Band: This is the second song from The Dave Matthews Band to enter the Jeff’s Countdown. Ironically, the other song also occupied the #25 position and the title was also in the form of a question. "What Would You Say?" seized the #25 spot in Jeff’s 25. I dedicate "Where Are You Going?" to my daughter Courtney. The seven-month old cannot yet crawl or walk, but somehow when you put her on the floor, she ends up halfway across the room in a few minutes. Inevitably, she ends up stuck and screaming on her belly because she can’t get back over onto her back. Courtney, where are you going? It’s funny, because with my first daughter Allison, I couldn’t wait until she could crawl. Then I couldn’t wait until she could walk. This one can go ahead and take her time. I’m not quite ready to start chasing two of them around the house.

#26 – "Peace Frog" by The Doors: This song has been a part of the Jeff's Countdown in five of the last six years. It peaked at #22 in Jeff's 28. This year it moves up three spots from #29 last year. I dedicate this song to the late Jim Earlis. Jim passed away about six years ago in a tragic car accident. He was a friend and roommate of mine in college. We used to play this song at parties a lot and when it came on, Jim and our other roommate Drew would rub their bellies in a circular motion, wave their other hand in the air, and high step in circles to the rhythm of the song. I never understood the meaning of that dance or its ties to this song. Perhaps someday I'll meet up with Jim again and find out. Jim may you rest in Peace Frog. Peace Out.

#27 – "Don't Turn Off the Lights" by Enrique Iglesis: I dedicate this song to Enrique's on-again, off-again girlfriend, Anna Kournikova. If Anna were my girlfriend, I wouldn't turn off the lights either. It is interesting to note that when Anna agreed to be in Enrique's "Escape" video, it was under the condition that there would be no kissing. Well, those of us who have seen the video know how that turned out. All I can say is Enrique is the man.

#28 – "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something: Jeff's 32 marks the seventh consecutive year this song has been a part of the countdown. After peaking at #6 in Jeff's 27, this entry has slowly slid down the countdown. I dedicate this song to Jason Alexander who played the character George Kostanza in the hit TV show "Seinfeld." In one episode George tried to impress a girl by joining her discussion group on books. The book he had to read was "Breakfast at Tiffany's." To avoid the chore of actually reading the book, George decided to rent the movie. After finding the movie was already rented out at the video store, George tracked down the African American family who had rented it, and joined them in watching it. Of course he offended everyone in the family and spilled juice on their sofa before being kicked out of the house. I really relate to that episode because I too was once involved in similar set of circumstances. In college, I once took a course entitled 'War and Society.' From upperclassmen we learned that the final would be a one-question test. The question being, 'discuss how one of the books we read during the semester affected war and society.' Since I never read any of the books during the semester, a couple of fellow students and I rented the movie version of one of them. So we stayed up late the night before the final watching "Das Boat." I aced the final, and if I remember correctly, I think we even spilled juice on the sofa. No, I guess it was probably beer.

#29 – "Push" by Matchbox 20: This is year number six for this song in the countdown. It peaked at #11 in Jeff's 28, but has slowly moved down the charts in proceeding years. I dedicate this song to Tawny Kitaen. You might remember her as the hot chick from the Tom Hanks movie "Bachelor Party." Or perhaps from the Whitesnake videos she starred in with her former husband David Coverdale. But the reason I dedicate this song to her is because she allegedly 'pushed' her most recent husband, baseball player Chuck Finley, around pretty good last year, ending up with assault and domestic battery charges. Nice job Tawny. This song has a long history of being dedicated to men who push around their women. Mike Tyson, Ray Lewis, etc. Finally it's being dedicated to a woman. Obviously this is an equal opportunity countdown.

#30 – "Crazy" by Seal: For the second consecutive year, Seal holds down the #30 spot with "Crazy". This is the fourth year for this song in the countdown. It peaked in its debut in Jeff's 29 at #23. The following year it slid a couple of spots to #25 before settling in at its current spot last year. I dedicate this song to my wife Cindy. Every once in a while Cindy needs to be reminded that, "no we're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy…"

#31 – "Control" by Puddle of Mudd: Another countdown debut. Puddle of Mudd is a great hard-rocking new band that released a stellar CD in 2002 "Come Clean". I dedicate this entry to Willie Dunn who lent me the CD last summer. It went into my CD player and didn't leave the rotation for several months. Of course any song with the lyric, "I love the way you smack my ass," has a pretty good shot at making the Jeff's Countdown.

#32 – "Without Me" by Eminem: Okay those of you who don’t like rap. This is the only rap song in this year’s countdown, so don’t worry. Actually I’d say it’s more hip-hop than rap anyway. This is Eminem’s first foray into the Jeff’s Countdown. It is dedicated to Jeff Rogers because… ‘Without Me’ there would be no countdown.