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| One of many albums in my collection |
I’ve often written in this blog about the impact music has played in my life, how it fed my imagination and dreams, and its relevance in how I’m able to create. It sets the tone and inspires. My musical discovery began in the same manner as most pre-teens: the extreme dislike of what the older generation of the time favored, and listening to radio stations that reflected my own likes (often when my parents weren’t listening, but much easier to do so when I got my first transistor radio).
I know most women of my generation rushed to the magazine stands at the local grocery stores looking for the latest issue of Tiger Beat Magazine, which had monthly sensationalistic coverage of the current heartthrobs, with color photo spread accompaniment. So many of those photographs were torn out and taped on my bedroom walls. Tony DeFranco and the DeFranco Family. The Bay City Rollers (which I think is the first time I’d ever seen a kilt, and it was cool. Of course.). Young teens. I was one of them, and it was how I also got to know the music of the time.
When I was about seventeen, I attended my first concert. Peter Frampton. I’m sure he was featured in those Tiger Beat issues but, by that time, I’d grown out of them. My tastes were maturing. Over the years, I would see dozens of artists in concert, some I was fortunate enough to see before they were famous: Cheap Trick, The B52s, R.E.M.... What’s interesting (and wonderful) about my generation is that the great music of that era includes three decades of differing sounds and genres. It endures.
Then MTV launched. I was a communications major (broadcast journalism) when it first aired, and remember sending in an audition tape in hopes of being added as a future VJ (many did). That didn’t happen, of course, but I thought MTV the greatest thing of that time period and watched probably too many music videos at the time. Many artists of the 1980s owe MTV much in spearheading, if not reinventing, their careers.
My daughter has some of my albums of that time, or vinyl as it’s called today. She and I were talking about some of her favorites and I told her I’d make a playlist of my own for her. Then I turned to Spotify because you’re able to share a playlist you create with others, but as in most things that involve a password, I couldn’t figure it out because I’m technology-challenged. Oh, well. It takes me a while, and it’s much faster if I just share it here.
So, I’ve included what I call a playlist of my youth in no particular order. These songs are so relevant to me that every time I listen to them, I’m taken somewhere else…nostalgia does this. This is not a soundtrack of my life (only part of it) because there is so much music that I currently listen to that was created much later, and none of it is listed here. I’ve also not included any tracks by my favorite artists and bands, such as Fleetwood Mac, Eagles (including Glenn Frey and Don Henley solo), U2, Heart, Journey, Elton John, etc. because I like most of the music from these artists. All of this is music of my life. Below are simply individual songs that influenced me in my early years (pre-teen, teen, and early twenties), and I’ve certainly overlooked/forgotten some. Also, I’m only mentioning the songs and the artists who performed them. If you can figure out Spotify, maybe create your own playlist. I guess I’ll continue using my iPod until it dies. Thanks for reading.
For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield
My Back Pages – The Byrds
Get Together – The Youngbloods
In My Life – The Beatles
Drift Away – Dobie Gray
Dance with Me – Orleans
Coming Around Again – Carly Simon
Will You Love Me Tomorrow? – Carole King
If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot
Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’Sullivan
Wedding Song – Noel Paul Stookey
Sentimental Lady – Bob Welch
Sister Golden Hair – America
Ventura Highway – America
Holiday – Madonna
Borderline – Madonna
Freedom – George Michael
Father Figure – George Michael
You’re Only Lonely – J.D. Souther
Reminiscing – Little River Band
Just Between You and Me – April Wine
More than a Feeling – Boston
Good Times Roll – The Cars
Since You’re Gone – The Cars
How ‘Bout Us – Champaign
If You Leave Me Now – Chicago
Just Remember I Love You – Firefall
You Are the Woman – Firefall
Right Down the Line – Gerry Rafferty
Our Lips Are Sealed – The Go-Gos
Rocky Mountain High – John Denver
Imagine – John Lennon
Lola – The Kinks
I Melt for You – Modern English
Always Something There to Remind Me – Naked Eyes
Lotta Love – Nicolette Larson
Magic – Olivia Newton-John
Baby, I Love Your Way – Peter Frampton
Show Me the Way – Peter Frampton
You’re My Best Friend – Queen
Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds
Into the Mystic – Van Morrison
