This week’s Music Makes Me topic came full circle from a similar topic for my very first article from this series last year at this time. My oldest daughter was asking me about my favorite songs. How do I answer a question like that? It’s like someone asking a parent who is his or her favorite child.
When she first asked, she told me to tell her my top song for each year from 1970 to 2020. That seemed sort of doable. So I started by looking at songs that came out in 1970. The first two songs that caught my eye and fueled some memories were “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night and “The Long and Winding Road” by the Beatles. I know there were other great songs that same year, so before you say anything, these were just the first two that caught my eye. Even between just these two how could I select just one. One song was my first ever 8 track and the other, a song from a teen romance (years later). I love so much music from the 70’s I could see it was going to be a struggle. So I thought I’d jump ahead a decade to the first year of the 80s.
My look at 1980 was not much better. Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust” and Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” both came out that year. What person in their right mind could choose between one of Queen’s classics and one of the songs that launched a queen of rock and roll’s career? This would almost certainly have to come down to a coin toss for me. Apparently the 80’s were not going to be simpler. So I thought I’d jump to the year 2020, which had to be simpler. After all, I don’t listen to the radio so I may not know many from that year.
I looked at the top 100 songs from 2020 and yet again no clear cut winners. Surprisingly (if you know me) one of my favorite songs of 2020 is a country song. I am sure a couple you had to read that sentence again. “More Hearts Than Mine” by Ingrid Andress and Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” were ironically both songs about break ups and both were two of my favorites. By this time I knew this was not going to be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.
Around this time I got another text from my daughter. She didn’t want to know my favorite 50 songs, one from each year. What she really wanted to know were my top six songs from all time. I teased her and said she meant 60 right. But no, my daughters had an idea for a Christmas present and it had to be six. I know I could have spouted off the first six, or 60 for that matter, songs that came first into my mind. But since this was something that they had in mind for a Christmas present, I wanted to give it my best attempt.
I thought about this for several days and I realized that the songs I love vary by my mood or what’s going on in my life. So I based this list not only on songs I love, but also on the special memories these songs will always invoke. Ok all but one invokes a special memory. Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” is truly one of my top favorite songs ever. For those of you wondering about the top six I told them they are listed below in no special order.
Hallelujah – Pentatonix
Love Song – Third Day
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
You Say – Lauren Daigle
Sweater Weather – The Neighbourhood
I would love to hear what six favorite songs you would choose if you were asked the same question. I’d also be curious to know the method you used to come down to that final selection. Until next week, if you’re a music lover, you can hear, see or learn about something new every day on my Facebook group, Spotify playlist or YouTube playlist. And as always, feel free to reach out and let me know about your favorite new musical discovery.