The following tracks are here because they have the most plays in my iTunes library and/or they are songs I find so amazing and important to hear. Check 'em out!
I love this song for its fanfare-like entrance, its strong beat, the key it's in (my favorite), and most of all the message of the song--finding joy and acceptance in a partner despite any differences they have or any difficulties that may come. It's a song of love, not only passionate romantic love, but companionate love as well.
This song brings out my inner dancer--I love the Latin flares, the beat, and the overall music style. It reminds me of fun times in Zumba class or just riding down the road and feeling like I have a dance club in the car. LOL! (The lyrics aren't as important to me on this one, but they are flirtatious and fun too.)
I have loved this track since I was a kid--especially all the instruments coming together one at a time to build the uplifting, rockin' repeating chorus at the end. (Weirdly enough, I've also paired this song with lots of fandoms I have been in over the years, assigning characters to each instrument and voice, LOL) The lyrics read as a slightly angsty love song, but the instrumentation and unusual chord progression in the chorus (C, E-flat, B-flat, C) are what make this for me.
This is the one I jokingly call my "stripper song" (ROFL). The Indian music influences are very strong here (calling up images of belly dance especially), but it's intertwined with Latin influences as well to create this beautifully exotic, powerful sound. Plus, the lyrics throb with longing for a man with captivating eyes, which is a message I can totally get behind, too!
The lyrics of this song are a simple "call to jam"--just to have fun and put aside others' nonsensical judgments. The instrumentation of guitars and drums, plus the rhythmic, declarative melody, makes it one of those fist-pumping, jumpin' songs that just make you want to headbang and let your inner child go wild.
From the first time I heard this song (in this scene) as a 7-year-old, I was enchanted. The thought of the future being so peaceful and accepting, combined with the transcendent chords and brightly hopeful message of the song...I listen to it whenever I need to be transported to a better time and place. Who would have thought a rock guitar could sound so heavenly?
This song has no words, but it needs none; it is gorgeous and poignant, ringing with a loneliness and sorrow that is somehow cathartic as well. And yet, amid the stillness and unbearable sadness, there is at the end of the song a hint of hope to come, a dawn yet to be seen. This is one of those songs that paints a scene with its tune.
I didn't start out liking this piece--I had to wait until I got a little older and my taste in music developed beyond music that was loud enough to distract me from pain. But as I grew up, I began to appreciate the lyrics and their tearfully courageous message. The gentle vocals and instrumentations create a beautiful soft backdrop to the words, and though I start out listening, I always end up singing along and making harmony.
I grew up liking a few of Billy Idol's songs, but this is one that stands out for me. It's a song of subtle tension; its eighth-note bass rhythm, plus Idol's vocals, held quiet with a lot of restraint, increase the suspense in the listener until the last few lines ring out more strongly. (I've only just recently started paying attention to the lyrics, because the song is already so evocative of the speaker's emotional state--seething anger held back behind a pleasant expression.)
The first time I heard this, it was without the vocal track, and I fell in love with the pensive, deeply-felt melody. To me, it felt like a song of introspection, a clear, meditative tune bearing both hope and regret. Now that I have heard the vocals and know the translation of the lyrics, I can fully appreciate how both melody and lyrics carry the meaning of this beautiful piece.