Shaun Cassidy, Kenny Rogers, and my worn-out speakers
This question was posed by my daughter on Twitter yesterday
and I decided to take the challenge:
What song must you listen to every day without fail?
I have long and varied playlists that run the gamut of many
different genres: techno, house, old country, pop from the 70’s and 80’s, and
metal. There’s a tab on Spotify, my platform of choice, that lets you see how
often and who you play the most. I was sure what the top ones would be, but was
semi-surprised as it went along. Call me eclectic, or just weird, because I
won’t be offended:
1) Shaun Cassidy: I make no apologies because he
has been my favorite ever since he belted out “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Hey
Deanie.” He was also Joe Hardy on The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries in the
late 70’s and that sealed the deal. I was an obsessed reader of the Hardy Boys
books, and he came to life for me on that show. I had every one of his albums
and now realize I listen to him every day.
2) Barry Manilow: Oh, Barry. “Sweet Melissa, angel
of my lifetime” did me in when I heard it for the first time. There was
something about his smooth vocals and that small dip into disco he did in the
seventies that still holds me in its thrall. I have a long list of his songs
that I put on when I need to chill. George says he gets depressed when he hears
them, and I reply that I wasn’t really asking him to like Barry anyway. BARRY
FOR LIFE.
3) Olivia Newton-John: Long before she donned her
aerobic-wear and got physical, she was the Olivia who sang, “Have you never
been mellow?” We had the 8-Track and I played that until it was nearly worn
out. My sisters and I will still do an acapella version of “Let me be there” at
random times, belting out those half-country half-pop notes like no other. In
the 80’s I was a big Xanadu fan, and the songs “Make a move on me” and “Magic”
are some of my all-time favorites.
4) Metallica: I’m a product of the time I grew up
in, and the first time I heard this band growl out their lyrics with those
angry guitars, I felt like I was hearing something clandestine. I could find
them on an alternative radio station that I could only tune in at night, and
I’d lay awake in wonder. The wild beats and drums drew me in and I’ve been a
fan since the early 80’s. You couldn’t be a high school kid during that time
without loving some form of metal. Metallica forever as well.
5) Steve Wariner or Kenny Rogers or early George
Strait: I’m a sucker for this style of country, not the country of today. No
haters please. I have long lists of this style of music that I evidently play
every single day. My brother got me a Kenny Rogers album in 1979 for Christmas
and I never looked back. Marina Del Rey? Kansas City Lights? You Decorated my
Life? Nothing more to say here.
So, this is the music I surround myself with nearly every
single day. Music is a feeling, an emotion. It can wildly swing you from memory
to memory in the span of seconds. I don’t believe I need to stick to a certain
genre to be the person I am or profess to be. I challenge all of you to look at
the music you listen to, and instead of beating yourself up for it – or being
embarrassed - embrace what you love. Life is too short to listen to music that
bores you. The next time you hear the words “Hey Deanie, won’t you come out
tonight! The stars are dancing like diamonds in the moonlight” whisper across
your neck, you won’t be dreaming. That’ll be me blasting Shaun Cassidy at top
volume with the windows down, as I cruise through Berlin.
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