More Musical Lists

As I've mentioned before one of the things I really enjoy about my job (aside from having the frequent excuse to go down and visit my friends in the library and pretend I still work there) is having the radio on in the office. We tend to stick to Radio 2 as it's one we all agree on (if it were just me in there it would be dividing it's time between Radio 2, Kerrang Radio, Planet Rock and XFM), this means that I get to do the Popmaster quiz each day. I should take this opportunity to boast that today I got 24 in BOTH ROUNDS! And yes I am going to be insufferable for the rest of the week about this!

 One of the other program mes I enjoy is the half hour "Non-stop oldies" where a listener writes in with their favourite songs or songs that have featured at prominent times in their lives. Today's picks must have been by someone the exact same age as me as they chose Greenday - Wake Me Up When September Ends, The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army, James Blunt - You're Beautiful and Coldplay - Fix You (not so good as it always reminds me of Nat) which were all massive when I was at college.  I keep threatening to write in with my selection, I'd find it so hard to pick just half an hours' worth though as I have different songs from different eras of my life that all remind me of different people/situations/places i've been.

So naturally I've made 'long-lists' of different eras to be whittled down to short lists!

Primary school 1994-1998

Music wasn't a major factor in my life when I was really young. Luckily I wasn't affected by Robbie or Take That-gate, although I do remember loads of girls in tears in the playground when they split. 

The songs that stick out for me are ones that were on the radio a lot or from films I enjoyed. So we have -

Circle Of Life - The Lion King - Still my joint favourite film with Top Gun, this was the first song I fell in love with and I still love it today. There is a rather embarrassing video of me and Chris singing it on a campsite in Dorset.

Spice Girls - Wannabe - I loved the Spice Girls, Dad in fact bribed me with their first album to learn to ride my bike (and yes I can still be bribed with music related prizes). I listened to it over and over and aside from the Lion King soundtrack was the first album I knew off by heart.

Backstreet Boys - Quit Playing Games - I don't really know why this one stuck in my head as I was never a great BSB fan. From what I remember this was playing constantly through the summer of 96 whilst we were on holiday in France.

A similar song is Sheryl Crow - Change, I think this too must have been a big radio hit as it stuck in my mind.

I have to embarrass myself here and include my favorite band from this period and into secondary school, 911, I could have omitted them to look much cooler but since I am nothing if not honest with you people here is my bad music confession! I did the typical teen thing & had my walls plastered with posters of them and listened to their music incessantly (my parents are saints for putting up with that!). Mum even took me to see them for my 13th birthday (interesting to note that the day after was my first very bad post-event depression, guess I was kooky even back then, well I can't have been all there to like 911 but I digress!). I think my favorite of their songs was probably Bodyshakin' although I can't actually remember any of their other songs, probably a blessing!

Secondary School 1998-2003

My musical interest really developed from starting secondary school. For the first year and a half music was my only companion since no-one else would speak to me expect to deliver a barrage of abuse. Even after making friends, who I'm proud to say are still my friends today, I was still bullied every day until I left. Music was my solace, it shielded me from the reality of the situation, consoled me, cheered me up and so much more. It's funny as since the start of secondary school right up until the present day every memory I have is soundtrack by one song or another, as if my life genuinely does have its own film score! 

So these are my picks for secondary school, not necessarily songs I liked but ones that remind me of the time.

Madonna - Frozen - Madonna's Ray Of Light album came out as I started at Willingdon. And I remember hearing this playing from a radio next to an open window that I was sitting under having my lunch and hiding from my year group (it's called a lunch BREAK for a reason, I felt I shouldn't have to deal with their crap for those 45 minutes).

Craig David - Fill Me In. I HATE THIS SONG! With a PASSION! Unfortunately the radio and people at school didn't so I was hounded by it day and bloomin night. I hated it on the first play and the radio stations kindly put it on rotation Every. Single. Hour. It's still my most hated song of all time.

Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle - I always preferred Christina over Britney, I never thought Britney could actually sing (I still don't!) Christina has a genuine voice. I remember this playing a lot as I was starting the second year of secondary school. 

Atomic Kitten - The Tide Is High - I'm not actually sure why this cover of Blonde's classic sticks out so much. It was a big hit the summer of 2001 and I liked it because of its summery sound - I like anything that reminds me of summer!

The Offspring - Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) - the song that opened my ears to rock! For that I will be eternally grateful (I could still be listening to 911 otherwise....) despite them sucking at Reading 2011 I still love this song and am greatly indebted to them for showing me the alternative to the pop music I was starting to get sick of. 

Eminem - The Way I Am - Eminem's classic Marshall Mathers album came out just when I needed it. It was the darkest music I'd listened to at that pointed and it fitted perfectly with how I felt. Although looking back on it some of the lyrics are shockingly homophobic and misogynistic I still count it as a classic album. Knowing that he had been through hell at high school and was saying a 'fuck you' to the bullies gave me hope and gave me something to pour my anger and frustration into.

Limp Bizkit - Rollin' - for all those times spent with Lydia & Hilary watching the video or listening to the album in my room. Fred Durst I salute you!

Linkin Park - One Step Closer - I got into Linkin Park around the same time as Blink 182 & Limp Bizkit and I preferred them over Limp Bizkit because of their heavier sound and more relatable lyrics. I still listen to Hybrid Theory today - it's an awesome album!

Special mentions also go to -

Bowling For Soup - Girl All The Bad Guys Want

Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Californication 

Westlife - My Love

Will Young - Evergreen

Good Charlotte - Lifestyles Of The Rich And The Famous

Darude - Sandstorm 

Justin Timberlake - Rock Your Body

Sum 41 - Fat Lip

Blink 182 - First Date

Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag

Vanessa Carlton - 1000 Miles

Michelle Branch - Everywhere

College 2003-2005

I don't need to tell you all how much I loved college! Music played a massive part of those 2 years - it helped me bond with new friends, gained me a fiance, assisted in great nights out and gigs. There are so so many songs I love from this time, these are just a few -

Green Day - Holiday - I was aware of Green Day previously but hadn't listened to them a huge amount but the American Idiot album just blew me away. The energy, the fury I just loved it. It catapulted them into my favorite bands list where they still reside comfortably today.

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit - an obvious choice for any college rock chick but my god did I love Nirvana and still do. Kurt Cobain encapsulated everything I still felt after my experiences at school into some of the greatest songs, in my humble opinion, ever written.

Oasis - Live Forever - of course another good thing about college was discovering 'classics' of the indie and rock genres. I listened to Oasis' first two albums Definitely Maybe & What's The Story (Morning Glory)? constantly. This particular song steals it as it's about being young and feeling like you have all the possibilities in the world open to you.

Black Sabbath - Paranoid - as mentioned above, I did a great deal of music mind expansion and started listening to what many people refer to as 'Dad Rock' but I prefer to call good music! And what's cooler than walking around in a Black Sabbath shirt?

The Killers - Mr Brightside - the entire Hot Fuss album IS college - enough said.

Special mentions go to -

Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot 

Razorlight - Golden Touch

Muse - Hysteria

The Coral - Dreaming Of You

The White Stripes - 7 Nation Army

The Streets - Fit But You Know It

My Chemical Romance - I'm Not Ok (I Promise)

The Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now

Keane - Can't Stop Now

James Blunt - You're Beautiful

Stereophonics - Dakota

The Bravery - Honest Mistake

Post college Autumn 2005 - Spring 2010

This is what I refer to as my first 'black spot'. As soon as I left college I was depressed, felt disconnected from my friends, self-harming and struggling to see the point to anything much, add in Nat's suicide and you get the point. There were still some stand out musical moments in that time though, including some blokes called 30 Seconds To Mars or something????

Muse -Supermassive Black Hole - I was already a fan and I just loved the craziness of this song.

Lily Allen - LDN - I love the summer vibe juxtaposed with the sarcastic lyrics of the song.

My Chemical Romance - Welcome To The Black Parade - I was already a massive MCR fan and I loved this on the first listen. The whole imagery of the album is fantastic and I don't believe it's over the top to call it a modern classic.

Razorlight - America - This was a more melancholy sound than Golden Touch & Rip It Up and absolutely reflected how I was feeling.

30 Seconds To Mars - Kings & Queens - I used to feel cynical when people gushed that a song saved their life until it, in part, happened to me. You all know the story of the KoKo gig and how I met them blah blah. But what most people don't know is that prior to the show I'd gotten the tickets but was in such a low place I wasn't sure if I wanted to go and see my favourite band. That was until I heard this song, it was so beautiful and uplifting and I knew I had to hold on even if it was just to hear it live. From then my life changed thanks to that song.

Special mentions -

30 Seconds To Mars - The Kill (Bury Me)

Rihanna - Umbrella 

Nine Inch Nails - Closer

AFI - Love Like Winter

Beyonce - Sweet Dreams

Justin Timberlake - Sexyback

The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger

Kasabian - Fire

The Prodigy - Omen

Fallout Boy - I'm Like A Lawyer 

Panic At The Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies

Taking Back Sunday -MakeDamnSure

The Flaming Lips - Yeah Yeah Yeah Song

The Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control

Spring 2010 - Winter 2011 -

This was my period of respite! I started to feel really well and came off my medication, there were foreign trips and I met Helen, the rest as they say is history ........

Rihanna - Bad Boy - I spent most Saturday nights clubbing with Luke, Hilary and Lydia and this got played loads. It reminds me of having fun and feeling normal!

Kesha - Tik Tok - See above

30 Seconds To Mars - Closer To The Edge - Helen and I bonded over our love of the band and this song always reminds me of her. "I will never forget, I will never regret, I will live my life"

Lady GaGa - Dance In The Dark - Me and Luke went to see Lady G at the start of 2010 and I've worshipped her ever since. 

Maroon 5 ft Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger - this song caused a moment of hilarity when it came on the radio in the library and as I grumbled "I can't stand this song" Kat shouted "I love this song", it became 'our' song after that!

Special mentions -

30 Seconds To Mars - Hurricane

Jessie J - Price Tag

Marina & The Diamonds - America

Glee Cast - Don't Stop Believing

Journey - Don't Stop Believing

Cristina Perry - Jar Of Hearts

Bruno Mars - Grenade

Biffy Clyro - Many Of Horror

Pink - Fucking Perfect

The Pretty Reckless - Miss Nothing

Brandon Flower - Crossfire

My Chemical Romance - Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na

Winter 2011 - Now

As any reader of this blog will know the last couple of years have been a little up and down to say the least! That doesn't mean it hasn't had a pretty damn good soundtrack!

Indina Menzel - Let It Go - Mum & Helen's least favourite Disney song. I personally enjoy warbling this at the top of my voice!

Pharrell Williams & Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines - Awful lyrics once you actually listen to the song but good luck getting it out of your head!

Sigma ft Paloma Faith - Changing - the soundtrack to last Autumn

30 Seconds To Mars - Do Or Die - "Dream out loud" nuff said

The Who - Baba O'Riley - Obsessive listening to their back catalogue pre-concert!

Lana Del Ray - Born To Die - I love her voice and dark melodies

Taylor Swift - Trouble - I love Taylor and I love this song, a great one for singing along to in a dramatic fashion!

The Runaways - Cherry Bomb - I looked them up after watching the film based on them and this is my favourite of their songs.

Deap Valley - End Of The World - I'm so glad I discovered this band, the lead singer has a fantastic voice. 

The Pretty Reckless - House On A Hill - I went to see them last year and this was my favourite song of the show.

Caro Emerald - Just One Dance - Caro writes beautiful vintage style songs and this one makes me want to run to my nearest dance hall in my best tea dress!

Other standouts are -

Skrillex - Bangarang

Bad Blood - Taylor Swift

Royal Blood - Little Monster

Brody Dalle - Rat Race

My Chemical Romance - Fake Your Death

30 Seconds To Mars - Conquistador

The Ghost Inside - Engine 45

Fallout Boy - The Phoenix

Adele - Skyfall

Pink & Nate Ruess - Just Give Me A Reason

Lorde - Royals

So after much thought I have whittled down my top 10 songs to the following (I have also limited it to one song per band for reasons of fairness), here are my non-stop oldies - 

1. 30 Seconds To Mars - Kings & Queens

2. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

3. Lady GaGa - Bad Romance

4. Green Day - Jesus Of Suburbia

5. Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze

6. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb

7. The Who - Baba O'Riley

8. The Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK

9. The Killers - Mr Brightside

10. My Chemical Romance - I'm Not Ok (I Promise)

I also felt it prudent to include my 5 'Desert Island Discs', the 5 albums that I would want to be stranded on a desert island with. Again I have limited myself to 1 per band.

30 Seconds To Mars - This Is War - Naturally I love all their records but this is the one that changed my life

Nirvana - Nevermind - I would have loved to have taken In Utero or Unplugged In New York too, but Nevermind with Smells Like Teen Spirit & Something In The Way just pips them to the list

Greenday - American Idiot - this album is a masterpiece from start to finish

Lady GaGa - The Fame Monster - I love all the songs on this album and it brings back great memories

Top Gun OST - So I can still mentally geek on the off chance the island doesn't come equipped with planes for me to watch!

Love Jen

XxxX