Year 50: 2022

 

As It Was by Harry Styles

So, I feel like this is a bit of an underwhelming end to the count-up; I can't say this is a song I feel great resonance or affection for, but when I was back home this summer and the rental car's stereo options were toggling between Top 40 stations and classic rock, I ended up hearing this song approximately 578 times, give or take. And then I realized something-as I turn 50 today, the boys turn five years old in five days.  Fast forward 10 years, when I'm 60 and they're 15 and I will likely have been subjected to a stream of the likes of Styles and his type as the boys figure out what styles and genres are most palatable to their ears. I can put up the good fight and influence as I may, but if I were to do this exercise in another 10 years, I'm guessing there would be some interesting selections chosen for a man advancing towards his golden years :-).  

Rather than doing a year by year recount, I've put these all together in a YouTube playlist, if you're so inclined.  Whether you've followed this on a daily basis or a bit more irregularly, I hope you've enjoyed the count-up.  Stick around to see what I've got cooked up when I turn 60!

Year 49: 2021

 

The Stroke by Billy Squier

Apologies to the music of 2021, but at this point in time, there hasn't been a song from that year that I've come across that speaks to me and I feel deserves a spot next to the other songs on this count up.  So, I broke one of my rules and backtracked to 1981 for this year's choice. 

During this summer in Minnesota, we were driving down I-90 when this song popped up on the classic rock station out of Rochester.  I was dumbfounded-how had I totally overlooked it in consideration for the count-up?  Perhaps it wouldn't have knocked out that year's choice (Watching the Wheels), but it was a shocking oversight given this song's role in my college experience.  

I had the good fortune while attending WSU to ally myself with friends who were known to host a small mixer or two on occasion.  Being aligned with these chums had several benefits-often times a free cup, VIP access to slip behind the bar to run the tap, and in my case, the cuing up of this song during the parties-as the song built towards the end and crescendoed with chants of "Stokes! Stokes!" in substitute of the song title's chorus, in those moments, I felt like this. *sigh* College.  

Year 48: 2020

 

Good News by Mac Miller; Starting Over by Chris Stapleton

If you followed this blog from the very beginning, you may recall that I mentioned there was one year where I couldn't narrow it down to just one song and it may surprise you that it was the year 2020 (it surprised me, actually).  It's even more astonishing for me when you consider the genres where these songs come from-one song from a genre I despised much of my life (country) and the other from a genre that didn't exist in my world when I began falling in love with music in my late elementary school years (hip hop).

So, why these two songs?  Well, they come from two extraordinary talents, one of whom (Miller) is sadly no longer with us, having died in 2018 due to a drug overdose. I'll start with him and his song.  That it was released posthumously in 2020 fit perfectly-the year of COVID lockdown, when the days became indistinguishable from each other and our collective mental health was stretched to its limit.  I listened to this song often that year and was simultaneously struck by the naked honesty of Miller's lyrics and internal struggles, while mourning his loss. Another talent lost too soon in the musical world.

Regarding Stapleton and his song, well, I can't imagine it was his intent, but it spoke to me, right down to the vein, about the now several occasions that Marianella and I have experienced in stepping into the unfamiliar, from our wedding to Peru to Bangladesh to China to parenthood to back to Peru.  She is my lucky penny and I do believe I'm her four leaf clover (I have the tattoo, after all ;-)).  

Year 47: 2019

 The Daughters by Little Big Town

Maybe it's that I'm a proud Momma's boy or that I have four strong older sisters and a host of nieces equally steadfast.  Perhaps it's the female bosses, co-workers, and friends who I've had the good fortune to work beside or befriend over the years.  Certainly Marianella needs acknowledgement here.  Also the long line of impressive young women who I've worked with as their high school counselor through the years.

I guess credit goes to so many women who have helped shape who I am through their strengths. This is another of those songs that upon first listen made me straighten up and absorb with clear precision what was being sung and its power increases with each subsequent play.  As I've aged, I have become increasingly less tolerant of the b.s. foisted upon girls and women, and this fine song takes a surgeon's scalpel to all of that so well in three and a half minutes. 

Year 46: 2018

 

I Like It by Cardi B, Bad Bunny, & J Balvin

Because sometimes you just need to shake your ass. 

Year 45: 2017

 

If We Were Vampires by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit

Over the years, there have been two primary sources that I have relied upon to keep you up to date with what is current in music-Rolling Stone magazine and the public radio station out of Minnesota, The Current. One of my favorite activities when I have some spare time is perusing The Current's "End Of the Year" top songs list or random listener favorite lists for a particular period which leads to the discovery of a wealth of great new music for my ears.  From one particular scavenger hunt while living in Beijing, I found this song, charting rather high on the listeners' list.  

I had never listened to Isbell's music before, but I was aware of some acclaim attached to his name.  The title of the song jumped out at me too and before cuing it up, I was perplexed as to why this song was so high on the list, as I assumed it was a novelty song drifting along the re-boom of vampire pop culture.  So, I listened to the song with curiosity and middling expectations. 

There's not many songs that have produced tears on the first listen for me-upon further consideration, it may only be this one.  The great bluesman Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil in exchange for becoming a master practitioner; I'm not accusing Isbell of dabbling in the dark arts, but wow, to write something this extraordinary seems like mystic forces have to be at work.  

I adore this song so much, I'm including two versions--the one you see up top, performed in harmony with his wife Amanda Shires who Isbell has credited to saving himself from alcoholism.  The second version, attached here, provides the lyrical accompaniment.

One final note--if you've been following along, you'll recall John Prine was the artist from the year 1999 and I threw flowers at his feet for his stunning songwriting.  It turns out Prine was a mentor for Isbell, who wrote a fine obituary upon Prine's passing.  I love it when sublime talents connect. 

Year 44: 2016

 Love & Hate by Michael Kiwanuka

Clocking in at just over 8 minutes, this is the longest song on the count-up and its well worth the listen. 

Year 43: 2015

 River by Leon Bridges

Back in 2017, HBO released the initial season of the short series, Big Little Lies.  There's a lot going for the show-A list actors (Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, to mention a few), a compelling storyline, and beautiful cinematography.  My favorite part of the series was Witherspoon's character's precocious daughter who DJ'ed for her family with an eclectic and solid mix of modern songs.  This song was among those featured on the show and my introduction to Leon Bridges. 

If you've never listened to Bridges before, enjoy.  There was strong competition in '15, but the song I keep coming back to is this slow burning, meandering soul track that is languid and urgent simultaneously.  

Year 42: 2014

 

Chandelier by Sia

To this point, most of the songs chosen for particular years had some type of emotional connection for me.  Over the next few years, the run of songs aren't connected to any particular memories or nostalgia-they are just excellent and timeless songs in my estimation.

It starts with this powerhouse song from the native Australian, a deeply personal and autobiographical track drawn from her experiences with addiction and celebrity. Her vocals soar amidst the frantic lyrics that make me pull for Sia to hold it together.  

Year 41: 2013

 

Happy by Pharrell Williams

The count-up has had its fair share of songs that boost the spirit, but none wear it on their sleeve quite like this song, that states pretty clearly what its purpose is. Any song that achieves the status of #1 for its particular year translates to a song that has been overplayed--I hope the distance of nine years from when it was a hit prevents any PTSD with this song.  

Whenever I hear this song, a part of me returns to Bangladesh and specifically the school we worked at, AISD.  If I've ever engaged in conversation with you about our time in Dhaka, you will know the fondness I hold for that community.  In my wizened years, I've come to discover that no place is utopia, but AISD was a special place for us.  A tradition at the school towards the end of each year was to produce a staff video set to a popular song and in 2014, Happy was the chosen song. It's still floating out there on YouTube--I watched it last night, with a mix of sadness and joy.  We've lost some of those featured in the video but you can't help but absorb the happiness of that community when you watch it. 

Year 40: 2012

 

Emmylou by First Aid Kit

A shimmering, beautiful song from these two Swedish sisters singing about their musical heroes made all the better when viewing this clip, with Emmylou Harris in the audience. It might be my favorite musical piece on YouTube and that is saying a lot. 

Year 39: 2011

 

Springsteen by Eric Church

On my 39th birthday, the last in Peru before we made our move to Bangladesh, Marianella treated me to a weekend in Mancora, one of the most popular beach destinations in Peru.  But to get there, you have to fly into another city and then catch transportation to Mancora via taxi or bus, which is roughly 2-3 hours away. The trip to Mancora was no problem, but on the return, we found out that the bus we had scheduled was canceled and we were left scrambling for a ride back to catch our flight back to Lima and make it to work on time. Through deft negotiation, Marianella procured us two seats in the backseat of a car already occupied with two passengers.  

As the car barreled through the dark night of the Peru countryside, the music accompanying us was a mix of '80s classics-U2, Journey, The Outfield, and of course, Bruce Springsteen.  While racing through the night, I was realizing the dream I had as a 16 year old-my arm around the woman I loved, listening to the soundtrack of my time, heading into the night.  It wasn't meant to be for me during my teen years, but I'll choose what I experienced at 39 each and every time.

I recall hearing during this particular year how Church's song was blowing up the airwaves and charts, but I wasn't really listening to country at that time (more on that later), so I never heard this song until just a couple years ago.  When I finally heard it, my mind immediately flashed to that night driving back from Mancora. In a roundabout and indirect way, it was if this song was written for that night. 

Year 38: 2010

 

Super Bass by Nicki Minaj

Guilty pleasures, we all have them. One of mine is Ms. Minaj's music.  I can't explain it, but her combination of rapping and singing over irrepressible beats is ear candy for me.  The more outrageous and ridiculous, the better and it all started with this song.  

Year 37: 2009

 

Party in the U.S.A. by Miley Cyrus

For much of my 20's and 30's, I became a bit of a music snob--focusing my attention on non-mainstream bands, going to concerts in small clubs versus arenas, and certainly not listening to Top 40 stations.  I became a SERIOUS music connoisseur.  And then. . .I came around again to the cotton candy sugar rush of certain pop songs and allowed myself the joy of cranking up the radio, nodding my head like yeah, and moving my hips like yeah. 

(And just to be clear, I am not pigeonholing Miley C. as a ditzy pop queen--she has serious musical chops--Google Miley Cyrus + Backyard sessions and you'll be treated to a bevy of wonderful cover songs through her powerhouse voice) 

Year 36: 2008

 

Say Hey (I Love You) by Michael Franti & Spearhead

It's the summer of 2009 and shortly after one year of marriage I returned to Minnesota from Peru to take care of business back home.  Being separated from Marianella was no fun, particularly as I stayed at our house in St. Paul with basic cable and the stress of taking care of various tasks in a short period of time.  

What buoyed me through those weeks was the omnipresence of this joyous, heart on the sleeve song--like a silly teenager in love, I recall playing it through a phone call with Marianella one afternoon as a connecting point in our time apart. I'm not saying that I sang these lyrics--"Hey, I'll be goin' today, but I'll be back home around the way"-but I'm not saying I didn't. 

Year 35: 2007

 

The Story by Brandi Carlile

This likely would have been the "no doubt about it" choice for this year without any context, as it is one of those breathtaking songs that knocks you out on the first listen and becomes even better with each subsequent play.  

But the context. . .I was introduced to this song by my friend Dave and he championed her music far and wide.  For those of you who have followed my various blogs for awhile, you may recall that we lost Dave in 2015 to cancer at the stupidly young age of 42 (here's my version of an obituary to him). Chosen by his wife Anna as the recessional song as his funeral service, I often have to skip over it when it comes up on shuffle-it's still too tender at times.  But I just listened to it again, while reading what I wrote seven years ago and through the tears, it was if my friend was beside me again.  

Year 34: 2006

 

Rehab by Amy Winehouse

My heart breaks a little every time I hear an Amy Winehouse song, particularly this one, her tongue in cheek response to those who told her she needed to slow down her wild ways.  Five years later, she died from an overdose and this singular, tragic talent was lost.  A few years ago I watched the documentary Amy on a flight and was alternately consumed with sadness and anger, particularly towards her father, who prioritized squeezing every last nickel over her health.  Another unfortunate member of the 27 Club, lost shortly after she got started. 

Year 33: 2005

 

Slow Night, So Long by Kings of Leon

For music nerds, there's nothing more satisfying than discovering a band before they break big-due to Rolling Stone magazine, I was in on Kings of Leon from their debut album, which was solid and then became a full-fledged fan upon the release of their second album, Aha Shake Heartbreak.  It is one of my favorite albums and it kicks off with this scorcher as its opening track.  If you're looking for 35 minutes of good old-fashioned rollicking rock and roll, this will fill the bill.  

Three years and two albums later, you couldn't escape the band when their song "Use Somebody" was inescapable, reaching #4 on the charts.  A good song from a solid album, but not comparable to this song/album.  A bonus--my last summer prior to meeting Marianella, I took an extensive solo road trip through the rust belt and on my return caught Kings of Leon in Milwaukee at a small club show, touring off of this album.  They put on a great show and I watched from about 15 rows again (I decided to eschew the moshing in the front rows, no doubt a wise decision on my part).  

Year 32: 2004

 

Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show

For those looking for their bluegrass fix, here you go. If this song had been released ten years earlier, I would have scores of college and early professional friends who would have had to endure my off-key, drunken caterwauling to this song that's so irresistible to sing along to.  Alas, it's limited to Marianella and the boys who get to listen to my rendition, minus the drunkeness (which honestly, may be easier on the ears).  

Year 31: 2003

 

45,000$ (Guapapasea) by Gecko Turner

Welcome to the most obscure song on this count-up; it wasn't easy for me to find it sifting through YouTube.  I first heard this song on the radio, a few years later in 2006 and it was the only time I've ever heard it in the wilderness.  I was living in St. Paul and had just begun dating Marianella, who was living in a suburban townhome a twenty minute drive from my residence. It was a beautiful spring day and I was headed to pick her up for our third or fourth date on a Sunday afternoon.  I had the radio tuned to The Current when this song accompanied me as I drove over the Lafayette Bridge, giddy as could be to meet up with the woman who I already knew was different from any other that I had dated before.  I committed this song's title and singer to memory and bought it on ITunes as soon as I got home that evening.  Anytime I hear this song, I'm on that bridge, wind blowing through my sparse hair, stepping into the best adventure I've ever embarked upon.  

Year 30: 2002

 

Light & Day/Reach for the Sun by The Polyphonic Spree

There have been countless happy, joyful songs recorded and released through the years. I challenge you to find a song more exuberantly happy than this one.  I first heard it on Scrubs, bringing together the story arc at the end of the episode and if there would have been a subliminal message to join a cult hidden within that show, well, its likely my life would have taken an unforeseen turn.  To this day, when I need a jolt of sunshine, this is one of the first songs I would choose to cue up.  

Year 29: 2001

 

Get Ur Freak On-Missy Elliott

As my twenties were nearing their end, I was (mostly) saying goodbye to my wild-eyed years; I moved back to Minnesota, transitioned from elementary school counseling to high school counseling and began hanging out more in coffeehouses rather than bars. 

But as was the case with Cinderella and her magical night, Missy Elliott (with Timbaland's production) escorted me out of the decade (my Toyota Corolla serving as the carriage/pumpkin) with this banger that bounced off the walls, demanding the volume to be cranked up, joining the ranks of songs that will have contributed to the inevitable hearing aids in my future. The twenties would soon be a memory, but Missy sent it out with a ding-ding-ding-ding, ding-ding-ding-ding. 

Year 28: 2000

 

Bombs Over Baghdad by Outkast

You know the warning that comes with certain medications, about not operating heavy machinery while taking the prescription? This song should also carry that warning.  There are songs that are pure adrenaline and then a few levels beyond those songs, on the summit, only able to breathe its air for 4 minutes, 24 seconds is B.O.B.   Watching the accompanying video while listening to the song sends me to my fainting couch for a spell.

Year 27: 1999

 

In Spite of Ourselves by John Prine & Iris DeMent

I can reflect back on many moments of foolishness and ineptitude in my quickly approaching 50 years. Definitely on that list was my lack of appreciation for John Prine when first introduced by a friend when we were attending grad school together.  It wasn't until 2020, when Prine was one of the first celebrities who died from COVID related causes and the retrospectives on his career and legacy came pouring in that I again listened to his music and realized what a unique treasure he is/was as a songwriter, maybe the best this side of Bob Dylan. 

This song encapsulates his talents well-quirky and tender, revealing the imperfections of individuals that complement enduring love through its humorous lyrics. True love and compatibility far removed from what has been unceasingly portrayed on screens since the days of black and white. 

Year 26: 1998

 

California Stars by Billy Bragg & Wilco

I believe we're getting into territory where some of the songs may be unfamiliar tunes, as I'm certainly straying away from the radio/MTV friendly artists in the next several years.  My affection for Wilco started shortly after graduating from college, when I scraped together enough money for a subscription to Rolling Stone magazine and would pore through the album reviews in the back section to guide me in expanding my musical palette. I know I bought several CDs from those reviews, but none of the bands had the lasting power of Wilco, who I "discovered" with the release of their debut album and have stayed steady in absorbing their music through the years, finding myself fortunate enough to catch them in concert on a couple of my trips back home to Minnesota (shout out to fellow Wilco aficionados Brenda & Bill!)

They are a great band with a deep and interesting collection of songs that taps into just about any musical taste. This song has been a consistent top five favorite of the band ever since I first listened to it, on a great album of songs written by troubadour Woody Guthrie but never recorded by him.  There's an endless supply of "summer songs" available for your listening pleasure, but no others make me feel the season quite like this song, even if that wasn't Guthrie's intentions when he wrote it.   

Year 25: 1997

 

Not Dark Yet by Bob Dylan

I'm so happy to have found a spot for Dylan in this countdown.  Much of his greatest work and my favorites were released before I was born.  I really began digging into his catalog in my grad school days which was right before his renaissance, brought about with the album Time Out of Mind from which this song springs. At the time, I thought Dylan was portending his imminent departure from the living--but since '97, he's released nine more albums, written his two volume autobiography, and won the Nobel Prize while touring on an endless loop.  Not bad production from age 56 to 81 for the Hibbing, Minnesota native and an excellent statement that life doesn't need to fritter away on the other side of the half-century mark. 

Year 24: 1996

 

Killing Me Softly With His Song-The Fugees

When's the best time to listen to the radio?  I will give you a very specific, irrefutable answer--it is when the party has ended, but the energy is still electric and you are packed into a car with a bunch of similar good timing Charlies.  Whenever I hear Hey Jude by The Beatles, a part of me is sitting in the back of my sister Jackie's van, riding back to her home from a cousin's wedding, with the seats filled with siblings, in-laws and nieces/nephews with the "na na na na na na's" shouted by all in unison.  

Another such memory is recalled with this song, and I'm in a car with my buddies from Lake City, Paul and Erik and the former Kristin Zimmerman and I believe one or two others (I wasn't driving--beers were consumed that night--that I remember this much 26 years later is a small triumph), headed back to Lake City from a summer street dance about twenty miles down the highway.  It's from that period when we had all graduated from college, started dipping our toes into the adult world yet still single (Kristin was soon to be betrothed).  A bit of change in our pockets and no toddlers awaking us at the crack of dawn, in other words.  To be in that moment on a Friday or Saturday night, when the right song hits the airwaves, it's magical.  

One time, one time.  Two times, two times.  

Year 23: 1995

 California Love by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre

I too have been in the game as long as honeys have been wearing Sassoons. 

A handful of years ago, I was chaperoning a school dance in Bangladesh when the high school DJs dropped this song, twenty years after it was released and the reaction was similar to those early years after I finished college-elation from the crowd and a packed dance floor.  Try listening now without bouncing your feet, I challenge you.  

And remember, when visiting southern California--Inglewood is always up to no good.  

Year 22: 1994

 

Fade Into You by Mazzy Star

When the boys no longer needed to be rocked to sleep, but still needed our presence in the bedroom to doze off, I created a playlist of mellow songs to ease them into sleep.  While these were all self selected songs, no matter how much you may like a tune, listening night after night can really test your tolerance.  This was one of the songs on that playlist and if anything, this song grew on me with repeated listening and I would find myself disappointed if it didn't pop up onto shuffle before the boys succumbed to sleep.  

I'm sure there are lovelier songs than this that have been recorded, but I'm hard pressed to think of any.  Damn near a perfect song in my estimation.

Year 21: 1993

 

Mr. Jones by Counting Crows

Mr. Wendal, Mr. Brightside, Mr. Big Stuff, Mr. Tambourine Man, Mr. Sandman, Mr. Bojangles, Mr. Soul. Mister Mister.  All worthy in their own Misterly ways, but none dominated that sweet spot between grunge, gangster rap, and line dancing country that dreadlocked Adam Duritz and his bandmates did in the spring of '94 (the song was released in December '93).  

While Counting Crows had several albums and other hit songs and Duritz became something of a Don Juan on the dating circuit (including two of the three Friends actresses), it feels like they jumped to the summit immediately and nothing afterward could measure up to this catchy firecracker of a song.  

Year 20: 1992

 

It Was A Good Day by Ice Cube

For the first 200-300 times I heard this song, I would be caught up in the clever lyrical play provided by Ice Cube (messed around and got a triple double automatically flashes to mind whenever I see a basketball player hitting that mark). Over the years, the deeper message of the song--that a typical, run of the mill day would be noteworthy because no violence or confrontations with police occurred resonates loud, particularly when the next tragic incident commands the news cycle. Something I've always loved about reading a good novel or piece of non-fiction is when the author transports me to a place that I've never visited and opens my eyes to a different reality than mine.  Ice Cube hit that bullseye with this song.