Hi Guys:
The other day I was listening to the radio and heard "Stay a Little Longer" by the Brothers Osborne.  I couldn't help but think that song had it all: great tune, great story, great playing, great arranging, great recording and mixing.  It seemed to be almost a class in how to create good recordings.  So are there any other songs that you think serve as good examples of "how it should be done"?

I've said it before but as far as "production values" the job Butch Vig did on Nirvana's Nevermind is one of my absolute favorites.
 
I seriously don't think they would have become the phenomena they were without his hands on the board.
 
Most of the doods around here are big into Steely Dan though. Never really paid them much mind before but the constant praise of their mixes around here is getting it in my thick noodle to go through their catalog at some point to see if I can learn something.
 
Haven't gotten around to it yet. Not even sure which album to start with.

I felt that Diary Of A Madman was well written, well recorded, and well mixed by Max Norman.
Edit- I meant the album, not just the song.

The first couple Boston albums are also standouts for me.

1st Boston Album
Lila McAnn's first effort especially the opening track - drums are GREAT and the guitar , Out of this world.
 
Mostly everything out of Nashville in the 90s was great.
 
I could Babylon - so I won't.

A single tune that comes to mind for me is "Lost For Words" from Floyd's Division Bell album.  It's full range, dynamic, includes SFX ... another Floyd example being "Yet Another Movie" from A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
 
For a live recording it's hard to beat Harry Chapin's "30,000 Pounds of Bananas"
 
From further back, I think "Take A Pebble" and especially "Lucky Man" from ELP's first album are pretty outstanding examples.  I've used "Lucky Man" to test speaker systems for ages.
 
There are tons really.  I could build quite a list from my full listening history. 
 

1st Boston album
Level 42 "World Machine"
Anything by Susan Ashton (singer) with Wayne Kirkpatrick (mixer) try 
https://soundcloud.com/susanashtonmusic/01-summer-solstice?in=susanashtonmusic/sets/susan-ashton-1
 
Thomas Dolby's live DVD "The Sole Inhabitant" or even the "Astronauts and Heretics" CD
Gotta mention Rush - maybe "Counterparts" but there's a bunch!
Stereo MC's "Connected"
the MArk Knopfler solo stuff, like "Get Lucky"
 
could go on but must . . . stop . . . now.
 
cheers,
-Tom
 

oh, I forgot Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" holy cow that must be on the list!

for production and ear candy, the Thomas Dolby's Aliens ate my buick album.
for mix/engineering, Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty

Gee Daryl...great minds think alike...Thomas Dolby's Aliens Ate My Buick mixed by Bill Botrell is my number one mix standard followed closely by Donald Fagen's "The Nightfly" mixed by Roger Nichols.