First off, I think this is a ridiculous question. Who has a (just one) favorite song? It's like asking, "Hey, of all the things in the world, what's your favorite thing?" Do I say "love" or "Laffy Taffy," both being equally true? But instead of giving up on my project on the first day, I will instead give as detailed an answer as I've deemed necessary for this vague question.
Below follows a very comprehensive musical journey through Annie's life featuring not just songs, but entire favorite albums:
Birth - 6th Grade
Ace of Base The Sign - Duh
The entire Celine Dion repertoire up until about 2000. As a result, I know every lyric to almost every song. You can test me. You say, "There were nights when the wind was so cold..." and I'll reply, "That my body froze in bed if I just listened to it right outside the window. (chord, chord, chord)"
Led Zeppelin IV - Though I didn't come to like the whole album for many more years, I first heard Stairway to Heaven and Going to California when I was in 4th grade and I thought they were way awesome--great music for roller blading in the driveway.
Junior High
They Might Be Giants Flood - I may or may not have participated in making up dances on the trampoline to the silly songs on this album.
Travis The Man Who - remains one of my sentimental favorites to this day. Good for winter days.
Nine Days Far From the Madding Crowd - totally a one-hit wonder album and I listened to it constantly. And I was probably one of only four people in the world who did.
Oasis What's the Story Morning Glory - Instigated my near decade-long craze for British bands.
Coldplay Parachutes - a British band I liked as a result of Oasis. They became my then (and current) favorite band. Others come and go, but Coldplay will always be my true love.
High SchoolThe Beatles Help - Another love that will never die. I always liked the songs I heard, then in high school Roo burned me every single Beatles album and left them in a stack on my pillow as a surprise. Both he and the albums won me over. Help was a particular favorite.
Weezer Weezer (the Blue one) - An undisputed generational classic.
Carole King Tapestry - I went through a 70's singer-songwriter phase. She was my favorite. I'd steal my dad's copy of the CD and listen to it while doing homework.
David Grey White Ladder - Again with the British thing...
Nirvana Unplugged in New York - I really only like them when they are unplugged. And then they are awesome. The first time Roo rode in my car, this was in the CD player. We bonded over our common liking of it.
Coldplay Rush of Blood to the Head - One of those albums you get to know the way you get to know a person, a friend.
College
Coldplay X&Y - the album that got my family to like Coldplay
Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon - Like a whole new world of musical possibilities. I've never heard anything else like it. Everyone says it's brilliant and I'll just agree. I have to say I think Wish You Were Here is just as good and too often overlooked. Also a favorite.
Death Cab for Cutie Transatlanticism - I discovered them from a hand-me-down CD someone was giving away. The lyrics to me are the best written and very special. I wish I'd written most of their songs.
REM Automatic for the People - I could just listen to it over and over. Nightswimming is my favorite song.
Tom Petty & Heartbreakers Greatest Hits - What I listen to when it seems like everything else sucks. It is the most comforting, pure, road trip rock n' roll.
Travis The Boy with No Name - my favorite Travis album.
Current
The Shins Wincing the Night Away - new, different, refreshing. Plus I just love the album art!
Band of Horses Everything All the Time - The singer looks and sounds like a lumberjack. Enough said.
Brandi Carlile The Story - good purely American songwriting. She has the best voice!
Arcade Fire The Funeral - particularly the song Wake Up
The weirdest thing happened when I got pregnant: I didn't get morning sickness, but I got music sickness. I couldn't listen to music, especially my current favorites, without feeling queasy. It was the darnedest thing! In the months after my first trimester, I've been slowly rehabilitating myself to music by listening to my all-time favorite songs which, despite pregnancy, I will never, ever get sick of. Some of these songs:
Trouble - Coldplay
Learning to Fly - Tom Petty
1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
Vienna - Billy Joel
Tiny Dancer - Elton John
Anything by Chopin
Only in Dreams - Weezer
Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles
And I'll probably dig up My Heart Will Go On by Celine just for good measure. Stop denying it, you know it was your favorite song at one point, too.
7 comments:
I was hoping you would say Coldplay, "The scientist" because you loved driving your cousin Sarah to High School and listening to it over and over with her. I'm at least glad that I was part of some of the best songs/albums you listed to. I know you didn't ask for a vote but I vote that the shins are the best best best of your list (Mike would say band of horses.
P.S. "What's that blue thing..... doin here?
Whoa, Vienna! That song has been in my top 3 for at least a decade. Nice.
That was fun to learn your musical history.
Bless you for your impeccable taste. Arcade Fire is amazing... I love their neighborhood songs, especially #1 and I love Rebellion too. Have you heard The Decemberists or Andrew Bird? Or Beirut or Feist They are included in my Arcade Fire and Radiohead playlist. Deathcab and the Shins are with Jimmy Eat World in their playlist. Coldplay has a playlist all of their own. So does Guster.
Let's be music friends :)
P.S. Funny story about the Scientist. Back in our early college days, my cousin and I used to listen to Coldplay non-stop (oh wait... we still do) but one day this song came on while we were up late late (early) studying and I jumped up and started working the air guitar, totally in my zone. My cousin popped my Chris Martin bubble and said "Lizzie... that's a piano..." Waaa waaaaa.
Sadly I have only gotten really into Coldplay just recently, thanks to pandora.com. and I can't get enough! I don't know why they never caught my attention before. I totally feel like I missed out on something.
Death Cab for Cutie is my current favorite, and the shins are amazing, and don't even get me started on how cool the Beatles are... There is a show in Vegas that is called LOVE and its all these really flex-able people that do these crazy stunts to Beatles music, you have to see it! and maybe if you smoke some weed before, it might make your experince that more, MORE. (not speaking from experince)
Wow. I'm amazed at how many songs we both like. I should check out some of those I've never heard of. I'm sending a bunch of stuff back with my parents for you.
Other than Ace of Base and Celine Dione, I really like your music. But it makes me sad and old feeling that your junior high music was my college music. I can't believe I'm not 19 still. Dang it.
You have some wonderful selections here Annie. I mean seriously, if I were to define my canon of foundational/good/amazing albums Led Zeppelin IV, "Tapestry," and "Dark Side of the Moon" would top my list. I also really love "Wish You Were Here," especially the title track. You've also hit upon awesomeness from the nineties, shared an adorable Roo/Beatles story, and recognized the greatness that is Arcade Fire. I knew you were cool and had good music taste, but it was a lot of fun to see the details of these two facts. Thanks for sharing and good luck with your goal--daily posting is, in a word, ambitious.
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