20 Important Songs

Another bit of a post from the past. I was participating in November Journaling Month on another site I blog on. It asked List 20 songs that are extremely important to you (or nostalgic) and explain why. This is the list I came up with. Music is such a huge part of my life and I'm really not sure how I managed to do this and pick 20 songs off of my ipod of 1500+, but I did. And here we go.

1. Don't Stop Believing - Journey
I've been listening to this song for a long time and it basically reminds me to keep believing in myself and never give up. There's a lot of things out there and I never know what the future will bring for me. As long as I keep believing in myself and what I want to accomplish, it will get done
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2. Piano Man - Billy Joel
This song was one that at the end of choir practice in high school, we would always sing if there was time. I don't remember if we ever sang it in a concert or not, but it was always something fun to do to wind down practice. I took my mom to see Billy Joel when he came to Boston in February 2006 and of course that was the closing song. The crowd sang along and the last chorus the band just stopped, and the audience kept going. And everyone knew ever single word. That was such a special and a very cool moment to hear an arena full of people sing the words back to him.

3. The Scientist - Coldplay
The angst in this song just kills me. It really does. But its got a hopeful message - that things will be ok in the end. This song played a huge role in a story that I read awhile ago that Laura wrote, and now I can't listen to it anymore without thinking about the scene where Josh and Lexi are eating dinner on the floor of her living room, in front of the fire and Brett plays this song. Its been years since Ive read that story and I can still see it so clearly in my mind. Ever since then, its had such a profound effect on me.

4. The World I Know - Collective Soul
This song took on a whole new meaning for me when David Cook sang it on the American Idol finale in 2008. His version gave me chills. This song is so sad, looking at the world that is just crumbling down. I think its about suicide, actually. Collective Soul got me through a lot of high school and this song in particular did. It will always be on my list of top songs, just because. I had the pleasure of seeing Collective Soul for the first time this past summer, and when Ed sang this song, it was just, so beautiful. A moment not soon to be forgotten.

5. Mr. Jones - Counting Crows
Another throw back to high school. Actually, freshman year of high school. It's just a fun, upbeat song that you can't help but toblast in the car and drive along to. Also, to rock out to. My high school does this thing for Freshman every year called "Jump Start" for 4 days before school starts and at the end they put together a video of the week to show at the parents dinner. Mr. Jones was included on ours that I was so sure was going to be full of rap and hip hop. So it makes me look back and smile at the good times.

6. Permanent - David Cook
This song - when it first came out, I cried. David wrote it about his brother who was battling brain cancer and passed away earlier this year. He was a trooper to sing it on this year's finale, about 2 weeks after. The strength he shows in that song, whenever he performs it - is just unbelievable. Its so simple and pretty - just piano and strings on the recording, and when he performs it live, its just piano and then the band kicks in at the end. Its so emotionally charged and the angst and hurt and fear that comes through in his voice is just, gah. Sheer emotion.

7. Worst Things Beautiful - Ours
This song is so so important to me, I can't even begin to tell you how much. It is actually a letter that Jimmy wrote to his son telling him that hey, when life gets tough, don't give up, the best things come out of the ugliest.I immediately connected with the song when I heard it, and then when I heard the story behind it, I was fully prepared for tears when I heard it live. Instead, the opposite happened. I absolutely rock out to this song. Its just, full of hope. And it has a great beat and its the one song that I run to first when I'm scared or nervous about anything. It instantly calms me down.

8. Mystery - Jimmy Gnecco
This song had to be included for the sheer fact that it is one of the most emotionally honest, raw, and beautifully haunting songs I've heard, ever. The first time I heard it I got chills, and I get chills every single time I hear it. Its another one that I was fully prepared for tears when I heard it live (as I did about 3 weeks ago) and I didn't cry. I just stood there and took it in. I almost want to ask Jimmy who hurt him so deeply that he wrote a song like this, but its insanely personal and I know I'll never ask that. I do feel like my heart is getting ripped out of my chest when I hear it though. Its just that kind of song.

9. Last Train Home - Ryan Star
There are so many Ryan Star songs I could have picked, especially with his new album coming out the top of the year and everything is about living in the moment. But Last Train Home, is just a beautiful love song. I believe he wrote it about his wife, as there is quite the distance age-wise between them and her father didn't approve of him, but finally he came around and they got married. It gives me hope that there will be someone out there for me who will love me unconditionally no matter what and who approves or disapproves.I can listen to this song for hours.

10. Time of Your Life - Green Day
Another throw back to high school! This song is kind of an anthem - no matter what you do or have done, I hope you have the time of your life. It reminds me to live life to the fullest all the time, and just enjoy it and have fun. I also used this song as the last song on the video I did for our graduating class, so it holds a special place in my heart.

11. Alla Luce Del Sole - Josh Groban
This is the first song on Josh's first album and I love it. Loosely translated, it means "The light of the sun" but things get lost in translation, so I prefer to just enjoy the Italian version and not try to wonder what it means. I love the sheer power behind this song in his voice. Seeing it in concert is just amazing as well, when he hits the chorus and then the sun rises on the screens behind him. It's definitely one of my favorites and one that I can listen to forever.

12. Awake - Josh Groban
This was a bonus track on his last album, but also conicidentally the title track of it. It's really just about making the most of special moments that are over too soon, and savoring what is there. It's one of my favorite moments of concerts because it's just him and the piano, no band. Its so simple and its a pretty song, with a strong message.

13. Lightning Crashes - Live
Live is one band that I pretty much listened to all through high school and it got me through a lot of high school. This song in particular is so important to me because it starts out with death, but then transitions into a new birth and a new moment. Its the cycle of life to me, I suppose. Yes, we die but babies are born, and new lives and moments are celebrated. I also love how this song starts out quietly and suddenly turns into something anthemic at the end.

14. Anodyne - Midwest Kings
MWK is a relatively new artist on my ipod (Ok, not that new, I've probably had this stuff for about 9 or 10 months, but still), and when you combine the writing talent of Andy Skib, David Cook and Neal Tiemann, you get epicness. And this song is epicness. This is a love song in disguise. It basically is saying to me, "You're everything I've ever been looking for". Andy's voice is just rough and gravelly and combine it with Neal's lyrics and it just kills me. I really hope these three write together again for David's new album because if this one amazing gorgeous song comes out of it, I can only imagine what we'll get on a full album.

15. Make Me - Midwest Kings
Another MWK song. This song to me is about someone you meet who you might like, and it's almost a challenge to get them to "make me fall for you, as if I had nothing else to do". As one of my friends stated, when Andy sings it, it is a challenge. You can hear it in his voice. I was lucky enough to hear Andy sing lead on this in Providence on David's tour, and it was such an amazing moment. The sheer joy on Andy's voice while he was singing and themoment the audience realized what was happening and lost their collective shit. It was pretty cool. I would link to the video from Providence but the audio on it is not good.

16. Bad - U2
I could have picked any number of U2 songs here, because U2's music has always been a part of my life just because its so timeless and classic and GOOD. But I picked Bad because its one song that I could have on repeat, and not get tired of it. I also love Bono's voice on the Rotterdamn recording (from 1990) and the way the Edge plays, the crowd clapping along - I just cannot get enough of it. Also, thanks to another friend and a certain story, I hear David singing it in my head on occasion.

17. What I Got - Sublime
This song reminds me of what I have and what to not take for granted. Its about friendship and family and you never know what you have until it's gone. Its totally what I loved about 90's music - a bit of a swagger, a good beat and a good message. With the occasional swear word thrown in. I like to listen to this song when I'm getting ready to go out somewhere because its upbeat and fits nicely into that playlist. I also have a tendency to blast it in the car when it comes on the radio.

18. Somewhere Out There - Our Lady Peace
I listened to Our Lady Peace a lot through high school and then when I went away to college, my tastes changed and they got dropped from my playlist. They've quickly gotten back on after David sang Innocent on Idol (See, things relate back to David, a lot) , and Somewhere Out There to me is the song that makes me think that there is someone out there for me. That no matter where I go, that person will always be with me, even if I don't know who it is quite yet. It gives me faith and hope that I will one day find that person.

19. You and I - Michael Buble
This is just a pretty love song. One that I would dance to at my wedding. It brings together two people who are meant for each other forever and will never be apart, no matter what happens. Together these two people, no matter who they are or what they are doing, can conquer the world and no one can stop them. I want this kind of unconditional love and one day I will have it, I hope. Not to mention that this song is just piano and strings, and Buble's voice. Simple and pretty. Ok, I can't find the video for this so I uploaded it.

20. Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
I know, its quite a leap from Michael Buble to Metallica, but such is the way it is. This is one song that has never wavered off my list from high school. I'm not a huge Metallica fan, but since this song is a tad tamer then their harder stuff, I love it. It reminds me to live my life my way - nothing else matters. If I'm not happy in what I'm doing, I have to make myself be happy because life is too short.It also reminds me to trust myself and my instincts - and that as long as I know in my heart what I'm doing is ok and what I want - then screw what other people think.