1. "Daniel" by Elton John. I wouldn't have my name without it.
2. "Angie" by The Rolling Stones. Growing up, my mother used to tell me how well my father, who she believed was dead -- I did not (more on that later) -- played this song. I would listen to it over and over again with a huge lump in my throat.
3. "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. When my uncle joined the U.S. Army when I was 5, he left me his record collection, and this was the first one I played.
4. "Shout at the Devil" by Mötley Crüe. While my uncle joined the U.S. Army, I joined the S.I.N. Club. In this case, I had an adult T-shirt with Allister Fiend on it that I'd fashioned into a cape and annoyed every grown-up on my block by telling them I was Crüeman. (Again, I'm not proud of it.)
5. "American Pie" by Don McLean. You know that Seinfeld episode in which Elaine has that weird boyfriend who asks her not to talk during "Desperado" by the Eagles? Well, I pretty much get the same way with "American Pie." It's fine if you sing along, but don't you dare try to speak to me.
6. "Welcome to the Terrordome" by Public Enemy. Terminator X is a fucking beast on this one, and Chuck D's flow is relentless: Rhetoric said/Read just a bit ago/Not quittin' though/Signed the hard rhymer or Check the record/An reckon an intentional wreck/Played off as some intellect or When I get mad/I put it down on a pad/Give ya somethin' that cha never had. Mind. Blown.
7. "Alive" by Pearl Jam. It's a long story, but luckily, I've already told it here. Forgive the length and the copy and paste.
The first time I heard "Alive" in 1991, I felt like I was hearing a painful chapter of my life story set to the awesome music for which I had been waiting. (I mean, acts such as Wilson Phillips, Amy Grant, Nelson, New Kids on the Block, Extreme, Color Me Badd, and so on were dominating the airwaves; it was truly a dark time for rock and roll.)
I'll explain. I was told at a very young age that my biological father had died while I was still a newborn. (He and my mother had already split up.) As the years went by, I learned that my mother received this news from a less-than-reliable source -- namely, a rival for her affection -- so I became more skeptical of the story and more hopeful that he was still alive. The story was still somewhat believable because he had a severe form of type 1 diabetes as a juvenile and wasn't supposed to live past age 18, but I had this shred of circumstance on which to hang my faith. So, when I first heard Eddie Vedder sing the chorus, the 16-year-old me always imagined it as my dead/missing father singing/pleading to me that he was still alive. (A misinterpretation, I know, but that's how I heard it.)
We tried searching for him and his family members a few times in the early 1990s but always hit a wall. Then, in 1998, I got a call from my mother -- she and my grandmother had found him. Not only had they found him but he was living 45 minutes away from where I was living at the time (Sarasota, Florida) -- in the town of my birth/conception (St. Petersburg, Florida), no less!
He was still alive!
It was pure coincidence. He and his wife had been living in Grenada, and she needed surgery, so they moved back to the U.S. They were only staying in St. Pete for a while, until she had healed from her surgery, at which time they were planning on moving to the town of his birth in western Pennsylvania.
During that brief window, I met my father for the first time as a 23-year-old man, and we were exactly alike. We looked the same, our mannerisms were the same, we spoke with the same voice, and we liked the same kind of music, with one exception -- he didn't know much about Pearl Jam.
Choking back tears at our first meeting, I told him about the song "Alive" and how I had always imagined it as him speaking to me. He said that he was very interested in hearing the song. I played it for him, and he loved it.
In 1999, he moved up to Pennsylvania, and I moved to Boston. We were farther apart in distance, but we became closer as father and son. We continued to share music, buying/burning each other CDs and exchanging them in the mail or in person -- every time one of us made a trip to visit the other, we always had a few discs to exchange. He really dug [i]Binaural[/i] and got what Pearl Jam was up to on that record before I, the longtime fan, did. (I found it off-putting at first.)
I caught the band for the first time in a long time (six years!) on that tour (with Sonic Youth!) and told my dad that even though I was stuck on the lawn at Great Woods -- my 10 Club membership had long expired by then, as I had lived too many years on a student's budget -- Pearl Jam still had the uncanny ability to make it feel like you were close and part of the show. Also, they flat-out rocked my fucking face off!
His health was getting worse -- in addition to the type 1 diabetes that was supposed to kill him before he reached manhood, he was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis -- but he said that he'd like to see them live before he died.
He never got to see that show. I went to see him in a nursing home for the holidays in 2002, knowing that it would likely be the last time; it was.
The next time I saw Pearl Jam was the middle stanza of the Mansfield experiment on July 3, 2003. They opened with "Release." You can imagine how it felt to hearing that song. It was like hearing it for the first time. And when they closed the first encore with "Alive," I felt like things had come full circle. It was an intense night for me, and as hokey as it sounds, I felt my father there with me.
8. "Don't Forget Me" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I grew up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers -- Freaky Styley was my go-to record in fifth grade -- but after growing up a bit, I've always been ambivalent toward Anthony Kiedis. When he's on, he can write some of the most deeply soulful and heartbreaking song lyrics that resonate with anyone who's ever combed their psyche for some semblance of truth. When he's off, he writes song lyrics about some kind of flower child fantasy or going balls deep in a teenager. See where my ambivalence comes from? Well, to me, "Don't Forget Me," belongs in the former category for Kiedis. It's a soul laid bare -- ugly and inviting, beautiful and revolting. And musically, this song is so layered and nuanced, every note and every beat, short or sustained, just creepy crawls its way into my brain and then crumbles away during the chorus crescendo.
9. "This Is the Sea" by the Waterboys. I've always loved this song, but I can't even begin to describe how much meaning it took on when my wife was pregnant with our first child. I didn't have a father growing up, and I felt like I was going to fail miserably at being a father myself -- so much so that I told my closest friends that I gave my marriage about six months after the birth of our child. I was almost positive that I would fuck up so terribly that my wife would leave me. And this song helped me to get over my fears. It put things into perspective. All of my life up to that was "the river"; all of my life from the day I was to become a father was "the sea." And when the nurse said "it's a girl" and handed my daughter over to me, the first words I said out loud were "behold the sea."
10. "After the Gold Rush" by Neil Young. This man is a hero of mine, so it was very hard to pick one. At this point, I went with the one that I have used as a lullaby to get my kids to sleep.
***It was hard not adding "Long Haired Country Boy" by The Charlie Daniels Band, "In Liverpool" by Suzanne Vega, "Silent All These Years" by Tori Amos, "Thick as a Brick" by Jethro Tull, "A Passion Play" by Jethro Tull, "Something I Can Never Have" by NIN, "Running to Stand Still" by U2, "Bodies" by The Sex Pistols, "Untitled" by The Cure, "Waiting Room" by Fugazi, "Boulder to Birmingham" by Emmylou Harris, "Tiny Town" by The Dead Milkmen, "We're Going to Be Friends" by The White Stripes, "Machine Gun" by Jimi Hendrix/Band of Gypsys, "Interstellar Overdrive" by Pink Floyd, "Southern Accents" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "Raining Blood" by Slayer, "Caffeine" by Faith No More, "Angel From Montgomery" by John Prine (also love the Bonnie Raitt version with him), "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan, and so many more. All of these are just as, if not more, important songs to what made me who I am today, but it's a little harder to articulate why.
Very much enjoyed your thorough list! Also loved your hidden tracks anthology. Very well done!!! You put a lot of heart into that and it came across beautifully.
The Clash - London Calling Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing Radiohead - Reckoner U2 - Bad Pearl Jam - Rockin in The Free World (yeah, I know) Psychedelic Furs - Dumb Waiters Led Zeppelin - No Quarter The Specials - Too Much Too Young Tragically Hip - Blow at High Dough
1. "Daniel" by Elton John. I wouldn't have my name without it.
2. "Angie" by The Rolling Stones. Growing up, my mother used to tell me how well my father, who she believed was dead -- I did not (more on that later) -- played this song. I would listen to it over and over again with a huge lump in my throat.
7. "Alive" by Pearl Jam. It's a long story, but luckily, I've already told it here. Forgive the length and the copy and paste.
The first time I heard "Alive" in 1991, I felt like I was hearing a painful chapter of my life story set to the awesome music for which I had been waiting. (I mean, acts such as Wilson Phillips, Amy Grant, Nelson, New Kids on the Block, Extreme, Color Me Badd, and so on were dominating the airwaves; it was truly a dark time for rock and roll.)
I'll explain. I was told at a very young age that my biological father had died while I was still a newborn. (He and my mother had already split up.) As the years went by, I learned that my mother received this news from a less-than-reliable source -- namely, a rival for her affection -- so I became more skeptical of the story and more hopeful that he was still alive. The story was still somewhat believable because he had a severe form of type 1 diabetes as a juvenile and wasn't supposed to live past age 18, but I had this shred of circumstance on which to hang my faith. So, when I first heard Eddie Vedder sing the chorus, the 16-year-old me always imagined it as my dead/missing father singing/pleading to me that he was still alive. (A misinterpretation, I know, but that's how I heard it.)
We tried searching for him and his family members a few times in the early 1990s but always hit a wall. Then, in 1998, I got a call from my mother -- she and my grandmother had found him. Not only had they found him but he was living 45 minutes away from where I was living at the time (Sarasota, Florida) -- in the town of my birth/conception (St. Petersburg, Florida), no less!
He was still alive!
It was pure coincidence. He and his wife had been living in Grenada, and she needed surgery, so they moved back to the U.S. They were only staying in St. Pete for a while, until she had healed from her surgery, at which time they were planning on moving to the town of his birth in western Pennsylvania.
During that brief window, I met my father for the first time as a 23-year-old man, and we were exactly alike. We looked the same, our mannerisms were the same, we spoke with the same voice, and we liked the same kind of music, with one exception -- he didn't know much about Pearl Jam.
Choking back tears at our first meeting, I told him about the song "Alive" and how I had always imagined it as him speaking to me. He said that he was very interested in hearing the song. I played it for him, and he loved it.
In 1999, he moved up to Pennsylvania, and I moved to Boston. We were farther apart in distance, but we became closer as father and son. We continued to share music, buying/burning each other CDs and exchanging them in the mail or in person -- every time one of us made a trip to visit the other, we always had a few discs to exchange. He really dug [i]Binaural[/i] and got what Pearl Jam was up to on that record before I, the longtime fan, did. (I found it off-putting at first.)
I caught the band for the first time in a long time (six years!) on that tour (with Sonic Youth!) and told my dad that even though I was stuck on the lawn at Great Woods -- my 10 Club membership had long expired by then, as I had lived too many years on a student's budget -- Pearl Jam still had the uncanny ability to make it feel like you were close and part of the show. Also, they flat-out rocked my fucking face off!
His health was getting worse -- in addition to the type 1 diabetes that was supposed to kill him before he reached manhood, he was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis -- but he said that he'd like to see them live before he died.
He never got to see that show. I went to see him in a nursing home for the holidays in 2002, knowing that it would likely be the last time; it was.
The next time I saw Pearl Jam was the middle stanza of the Mansfield experiment on July 3, 2003. They opened with "Release." You can imagine how it felt to hearing that song. It was like hearing it for the first time. And when they closed the first encore with "Alive," I felt like things had come full circle. It was an intense night for me, and as hokey as it sounds, I felt my father there with me.
Awesome thread. Thanks for posing the question OP. Came across this thread and have been thinking about this more than I probably should though. But if nothing else, I now have a new playlist. Sorry if it's long but this somehow seemed important as I started on it. I did end up choosing the 10 songs but probably got there in a roundabout way and maybe cheated the rules a bit...my bad. Could have added so much more. Please note all of the below are chronological relative to me, not release dates.
The 80's: The Prequel Thriller - Michael Jackson: first album I bought and I listened to it, and this song, over and over. My father got a Billy Joel album, Innocent Man, I think; and thankfully they were sold out of the Culture Club cassette my mom wanted.
Piano Man - Billy Joel: When I was a child, if I was given a choice of what to listen to with my parents (from their music library), it was primarily 3 artists -- Billy Joel, The Beatles, and the Beach Boys. I grew up on Long Island so…
It's Tricky - Run DMC: I didn't think my parents would let me get this if it was for me (didn't want me listening to that "rap crap") so I bought the Raising Hell cassette as a birthday gift for a friend but I opened it and made a copy before I gave it to him. First "high-speed dubbing" copy I made. Thought that was the coolest at the time.
Fight for Your Right - Beastie Boys: Might have listened to this complete album more than any other until PJ many years later. Everyone in elementary school loved this and I prided myself in knowing all the words. Now I don't even know all the words to most of my favorite songs somehow. Oh to be a kid again.
Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue: Hey, I grew up in the 80s and Motley Crue was my favorite band for a few years there. Not proud of it, but true. This was on just about every mix tape I made back then. And I made a lot of em. Glad none of them survived. Likely quite embarassing.
The Beginning 1) Black - Pearl Jam: There is music before Black and then there's music after Black as far as I'm concerned. I liked their first songs I had heard on the radio and MTV but when I heard this on the radio, I was hooked for life. I remember being mad that I missed recording it (I always had recording on pause) because it was one of the only times I had heard it and they didn't talk over any of it and they played the entire song (rare on the radio). Still my favorite song.
Mid 90's: The Formative Years 2) Interstate Love Song - STP: This reminds me of a simpler time and going to the beach during summer break in high school, which we did almost every day. I always drove and Purple was my go-to CD since my different groups of friends somehow all agreed to listen to this and not much else. STP was also my first concert -- saw them at Jones Beach during the Purple tour. Good show, even though they didn't play Wicked Garden. I was pissed off about that at the time.
3) How High - Method Man / Redman: My freshman year college roommate had different musical tastes than me but I was thankful he introduced me to this song. Reminds me of freshman year every time it pops up on my iPod. A good reminder of a year of change for me as a person.
4) Breathe/On the Run/Time - Pink Floyd: This might be cheating with multiple songs but the first time I (really) heard this I thought/felt it was one song. Blew my mind. Had listened to them before and thought they were ok, but then I went to college and understood. Saw things differently after that night.
5) Indifference - Pearl Jam: The closer to my first PJ show, in the rain at Randall's Island. Knew that this was the end of my first show and just closed my eyes and let myself get bounced around in the pit and just soaked in the final moments of this fantastic show. Still get chills any time I hear any version of this during the "scream my lungs out" part.
Alternate) In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel: My first love's favorite song. Needless to say I had to listen to it a lot. Would have been before (2) above chronologically.
Late 90's/2000s: Figuring it Out 6) Three Days - Jane's Addiction: I liked them before but it completely changed after I saw them during the relapse tour in 1997. Amazing show and seeing them live (and this song in particular) cemented them as one of my favorite bands. This reminds me of the crazy times in college and my roommate for my last two years, one of my best friends.
7) At My Most Beautiful - REM: My wife and I had just started dating and REM was her favorite band and this album just came out and was heavy in the rotation. Can't hear this song without being taken back to her crappy college apartment where we got to know each other -- great memories.
8) Where is My Mind - Pixies: I somehow missed out on them when they were actually a band (the first time) but when I heard this at the end of Fight Club I absolutely had to hear more from them. Now one of our favorite bands. Glad we got to see them (twice) live before Kim left.
9) Mariner's Revenge Song - Decemberists: I joined eMusic back in the mid 00s and it really opened me up to bands I didn't really know. If I hadn't clicked on The Decemberists album Picaresque I would have missed out on a lot of great music as I was about to cancel after one month because it was more obscure bands and you had to spend a lot of time to find stuff. It was worth it-- Frightened Rabbit, Arcade Fire, Okkervil River, Cold War Kids, The Hold Steady, Bright Eyes, Tapes 'n Tapes, Neutral Milk Hotel, etc. With satellite radio so popular now a lot of these bands are now known but they weren't on my radar in the mid-late 2000s.
Alternate) Blue Orchid - White Stripes: Didn't really listen to them beyond what was on the radio then went to a festival in '05 and was blown away. It was kind of unbelievable that it was only the two of them onstage with the sound that was produced. Went out and immediately bought all their albums and have been a big fan of Jack White stuff since. Would be (8.5) above listing chronologically.
The Pinnacle: 10) Release (at Wrigley) - Pearl Jam: Made the trip from Charlotte, NC with my wife, was our 8th show and we hadn't seen this yet. Perfect start to a memorable night. I had an ear-to-ear grin and chills throughout the song while my wife had tears flowing. Now after 10 shows probably my favorite concert moment...just Awesome!
This was fun. Hope more people start posting on this thread.
1st - Randalls Island 1 '96 27 shows in-between Most recent - Ohana '24
1. The Beatles- Get Back (The first band I ever fell in love with in 7th grade, they taught me what it meant to be to listen to music) 2. Pink Floyd- Fearless (This freaking band dominated my life in 8th grade and I always listened to Meddle) 3. Led Zeppelin- Going to California (This song made me appreciate acoustic music) 4. Foo Fighters- These Days (I heard this song at work when I was 16 and was my gateway drug into 1990's and alternative music) 5. Pearl Jam- Daughter/ Even Flow (Also heard both of these songs at work and I was like "wow this music is incredible" and now its a addiction 4/5 years later) 6. Nirvana- All Apologies/ Breed (I feel like everyone has that Nirvana phase, mine was junior year in high school) 7. Soundgarden- Zero Chance/ Dusty/ Jesus Christ Pose (took me wayyy too long to get into Soundgarden but when I did, it was a burst of awesomeness) 8. Kings of Leon- Knocked Up/ Radioactive (This band made me appreciate modern music) 9. Pearl Jam- In My Tree/ Given to Fly/ Who You Are (These songs are what made me see that I'm going to follow this band to the end of the line) 10.Jack Johnson- Good People (my current obsession)
Philadelphia 2013 (Night 1) Philadelphia 2016 (Night 2) Upper Darby 2016 (Night 2) (Temple of the Dog)
Hard Luck Woman (Kiss) More Than A Feeling (Boston) Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin) Walk This Way (Aerosmith) You Got Another Thing Coming (Judas Priest) Young Lust (Pink Floyd) Waiting on a Friend (Rolling Stones) All Over Town (April Wine) New Years Day (U2) Jeremy (Pearl Jam) Rooster (Alice in Chains)
* Big apologies to many old friends that at various point- like randomly hearing them at a bar or from car window- will become a flood of warm memories that make a guy feel really swell.
** Further apologies to all those great songs that have kept my love of music alive after my roots grew solid (early 90s onwards).
Great thread. I love the cricket reference a while back. Very cool.
1-Wouldn't it be nice by the Beach Boys. My father sung this all the time. What a great song.
2-Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Growing up all I knew was We will rock you. When I heard this my eyes opened and my ears were on fire!!! Man could Mercury sing.
3-Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson. The first time I heard this I wasn't aware that someone could play that FAST!!!
4-Stand Up by minor threat. The energy in this song, the first one I heard by them, sculpted my music tastes from here on out.
5-Anesthesia/pulling teeth by Cliff Burton. When I heard those famous words "bass solo take one" I was hooked! I wanted to play after hearing this!
6-Run to the hills by Iron maiden. The drum intro man, the drum intro! I later enjoyed a live version of Iron Maiden over this...
7-All Hell Breaks Loose by The Misfits. This song has everything, from the drum beat into the haunting guitar chords into the lyrics "I'll shake you by your collarbone". Who writes like this?!? AWESOME!!!
8-One Down Three To Go by The Meatmen. This song was about the Beatles at the time. This song and band made me not ever listen to the Beatles. This band also taught me that conformity was not for me...
9-Soul 2 Squeeze by The RedHot Chilli Peppers. You can put this song on anywhere at anytime and everyone is going to enjoy it. If they never heard it they are going to enjoy it...
10-Indifference by Pearl Jam Live in Atlanta closer. This version and this song is tattooed in my brain forever. Every note, the slight vocal changes, the bass. What a beautiful song...
Honorable mention: Breadfan-Metallica, Mount the Pavement-Rhorshach, Sliver-Nirvana, DJ's-Sublime, Rhymin n Stealin-Beastie Boys, Bombtrack-RATM and Bottom-Tool.
Amazed by small percentage of tracks post 2000. People haven't had tunes impact them deeply made in the past 15.5 years?
It might be explained because many forum members, myself included, have been around since a few (ha!) years before Y2K and, while newer songs may be liked better, the foundational tracks occur at a younger age. While songs and artists may later make bigger marks on you, the keys that unlock the musical doors seem to happen earlier on. Music is like a family tree...you may have to trace forward or backwards, but as long as you're on a branch and wanting to climb you're doing alright . That said, here goes in no particular order....
1. U2 -- Running To Stand Still. One of the first albums that I felt like was "mine." It was released when I was thirteen and in the 7th grade. The world was changing at Mach 3 and this helped make a little sense of it all.
2. Michael Jackson -- Billie Jean. What a base line. Michael was king and the world was along for the ride.
3. Grateful Dead -- Dark Star. The version off One From the Vault in particular. It was my gateway drug into the world of the Dead. I came on board a little late, Jerry was dead by then, and am still enjoying catching up on what I missed.
4. Stevie Ray Vaughn -- Pride & Joy. With this song SRV had me hooked and led me into not only his catalog but, more importantly, the magnificent world of the blues.
5. Fat Boys -- The Fat Boys Are Back. The best looking girl in school had recently moved to another city and we went to visit her family. Since moving she'd discovered the Fat Boys and played it for us on her jam box. It was the first rap song I'd ever heard and it blew my mind. Still love this song.
6. Pearl Jam -- Alive. As a freshman in college MTV's Buzz Bin (I think that's what it was called) was a great way to discover new music in those days. They aired a new video of a long-haired monkey man wearing a Jordan jersey swinging from the rafters of a small club. Shortly thereafter my body Steve gathers a few of us and played Ten in its entirety. Things have never been the same since:)
7. The Black Crowes -- My Morning Song. "If music got to free your mind...just let it go, baby, let it go." Nuff said. This whole album blew my mind. Man, I miss these guys and hope one day they'll make music together again.
8. Doobie Brothers -- Black Water. This song will forever remind me of my dad. On trips to the beach he'd play mix tapes and this was on one of them. The part of the song where the music fades and they harmonize "I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland"....ahh, what a great piece of music. Was stoked and surprised to see Pearl Jam cover the Doobies this tour. Although it was just aiight, the overlap of these two worlds made me smile.
9. Miles Davis -- So What. Is there a more memorable intro to an album ever? Miles cut the seam that for me opened the world of jazz. Still have much exploring to do.
10. Journey -- Separate Ways (Worlds Apart). Yeah..I know, I know. This was one that hit me during those seminal years where music was sowing an early landscape. It had the right amount of guitar plus Steve Perry's vocals and stayed at the top of my chart for at least a couple of years. A lot of songs have passed it since then but for a while there in my young world it hung the stars.
Great thread, OP. Thanks for the walk down memory lane
Amazed by small percentage of tracks post 2000. People haven't had tunes impact them deeply made in the past 15.5 years?
It might be explained because many forum members, myself included, have been around since a few (ha!) years before Y2K and, while newer songs may be liked better, the foundational tracks occur at a younger age. While songs and artists may later make bigger marks on you, the keys that unlock the musical doors seem to happen earlier on. Music is like a family tree...you may have to trace forward or backwards, but as long as you're on a branch and wanting to climb you're doing alright . That said, here goes in no particular order....
1. U2 -- Running To Stand Still. One of the first albums that I felt like was "mine." It was released when I was thirteen and in the 7th grade. The world was changing at Mach 3 and this helped make a little sense of it all.
2. Michael Jackson -- Billie Jean. What a base line. Michael was king and the world was along for the ride.
3. Grateful Dead -- Dark Star. The version off One From the Vault in particular. It was my gateway drug into the world of the Dead. I came on board a little late, Jerry was dead by then, and am still enjoying catching up on what I missed.
4. Stevie Ray Vaughn -- Pride & Joy. With this song SRV had me hooked and led me into not only his catalog but, more importantly, the magnificent world of the blues.
5. Fat Boys -- The Fat Boys Are Back. The best looking girl in school had recently moved to another city and we went to visit her family. Since moving she'd discovered the Fat Boys and played it for us on her jam box. It was the first rap song I'd ever heard and it blew my mind. Still love this song.
6. Pearl Jam -- Alive. As a freshman in college MTV's Buzz Bin (I think that's what it was called) was a great way to discover new music in those days. They aired a new video of a long-haired monkey man wearing a Jordan jersey swinging from the rafters of a small club. Shortly thereafter my body Steve gathers a few of us and played Ten in its entirety. Things have never been the same since:)
7. The Black Crowes -- My Morning Song. "If music got to free your mind...just let it go, baby, let it go." Nuff said. This whole album blew my mind. Man, I miss these guys and hope one day they'll make music together again.
8. Doobie Brothers -- Black Water. This song will forever remind me of my dad. On trips to the beach he'd play mix tapes and this was on one of them. The part of the song where the music fades and they harmonize "I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland"....ahh, what a great piece of music. Was stoked and surprised to see Pearl Jam cover the Doobies this tour. Although it was just aiight, the overlap of these two worlds made me smile.
9. Miles Davis -- So What. Is there a more memorable intro to an album ever? Miles cut the seam that for me opened the world of jazz. Still have much exploring to do.
10. Journey -- Separate Ways (Worlds Apart). Yeah..I know, I know. This was one that hit me during those seminal years where music was sowing an early landscape. It had the right amount of guitar plus Steve Perry's vocals and stayed at the top of my chart for at least a couple of years. A lot of songs have passed it since then but for a while there in my young world it hung the stars.
Great thread, OP. Thanks for the walk down memory lane
10. "Coming Back to Me" Jefferson Airplane 9. "When the Music's Over" The Doors 8. "Tangled up in Blue" Bob Dylan 7. "Love ,reign o'er me" The Who 8. " I'm Your Captain" Grand Funk Railroad 7. " As" Stevie Wonder 6. "Bad" U2 5. " Why Should I Cry for You" Sting 4. " Penny Royal Tea" Nirvana 3. " Guaranteed " Eddie Vedder 2. " Heroes" David Bowie 1. " Alive" Pearl Jam
I could list hundreds... All have special places in my life ... These are just a few
Amazed by small percentage of tracks post 2000. People haven't had tunes impact them deeply made in the past 15.5 years?
They have a much more different impact as you get older I guess?
So I'll throw out 5 that have really moved me.
1-Off He Goes by PJ NOLA 2000. Best live version of this ever!
2-Lazy Eye by Silversun Pickups. This song is GREAT to listen to loud. Love this and it always puts me in a good mood.
3-Buttons by The Weeks. First song that I heard from them. I've been hooked ever since. Another song that reminds me of where I was when I first heard it.
4-Block After Block by Matt&Kim. Listening to them makes me happy. Fun music that's energetic. This song puts me in a happy place every time.
5-Toe Cutter Thumb Buster by Thee Oh Sees. This song opened up a highway to new music I was searching for. This band and this song delivers a whallup upside my head. I love cranking this song...
Mother’s Little Helper – The Rolling Stones One of the first songs I remember really paying attention to. Being swedish I didn’t know much english as a kid, but my mom listened to the Stones, and when I heard this song, with the word “Mother” in it, I immediately took it to my heart.
Hey Jude – The Beatles I was a kid, and this was probably the first time I got really sad listening to music…but it felt like a “good” sadness. Somehow I enjoyed it, and then when the song turned into the beautiful singalong at the end I got really happy instead and started dancing and singing along.
The End – The Doors As long as I can remember this has been my number one song through all times. Hands down; it doesn’t get any better and more emotional than this.
Thank You – Led Zeppelin The beautiful song me and my wife first danced to at our wedding. This will always have a special place in my heart.
The Clash – Police & Thieves My best friend’s older brother played this a lot when I was a kid. I didn’t understand more than the title and we made up the rest of the words as we sang along. It felt exciting singing about thieves and we never got tired listening to it…I still haven’t.
Blind Melon – No Rain My own song of summer. Every year when spring/summer arrives I change my phone signal to this and it marks the beginning new good times for me.
Pearl Jam – Alive The first Pearl Jam song I heard and it totally floored me. I had never heard anything like it before and I instantly fell in love. I can still get that same feeling when I listen to it nowadays. I sort of travel back in time.
Lovage (Mike Patton) – Anger Management This is just a beatiful and sensitive song that always gives me the chills. Need to get this on vinyl.
Soulsavers (w/ Mark Lanegan) – Some Misunderstanding Actually a cover (and the original by Gene Clark is almost as good) that I can never ever get tired of. It’s like listening to the song for the first time every time. That guitar solo never ends… it’s just too much and makes me have to catch my breath afterwards. The closest to Mike McCready’s Maggot Brain solo I’ve heard.
Faith No More – Stripsearch Summer festival in the 90’s. We arrived a few days early and just sat in the sun, drinking beer and enjoying life to the fullest. Everything is quiet except for some tape recorder playing, people talking and laughing, beers opening. Suddenly we hear the opening seconds of this song flowing through the air above our heads…really, really loud! They are testing the speakers of the main stage with the perfect song. Every time I hear it it reminds me of really good times in life…
Post edited by jlj_swe on
Stockholm 1992-02-07
Stockholm 1992-06-25
Stockholm 1995-08-12
Stockholm 2000-06-28
Lisbon 2010-07-10
Stockholm 2012-07-07
Stockholm 2014-06-28
Mother’s Little Helper – The Rolling Stones One of the first songs I remember really paying attention to. Being swedish I didn’t know much english as a kid, but my mom listened to the Stones, and when I heard this song, with the word “Mother” in it, I immediately took it to my heart.
Hey Jude – The Beatles I was a kid, and this was probably the first time I got really sad listening to music…but it felt like a “good” sadness. Somehow I enjoyed it, and then when the song turned into the beautiful singalong at the end I got really happy instead and started dancing and singing along.
The End – The Doors As long as I can remember this has been my number one song through all times. Hands down; it doesn’t get any better and more emotional than this.
Thank You – Led Zeppelin The beautiful song me and my wife first danced to at our wedding. This will always have a special place in my heart.
The Clash – Police & Thieves My best friend’s older brother played this a lot when I was a kid. I didn’t understand more than the title and we made up the rest of the words as we sang along. It felt exciting singing about thieves and we never got tired listening to it…I still haven’t.
Blind Melon – No Rain My own song of summer. Every year when spring/summer arrives I change my phone signal to this and it marks the beginning new good times for me.
Pearl Jam – Alive The first Pearl Jam song I heard and it totally floored me. I had never heard anything like it before and I instantly fell in love. I can still get that same feeling when I listen to it nowadays. I sort of travel back in time.
Lovage (Mike Patton) – Anger Management This is just a beatiful and sensitive song that always gives me the chills. Need to get this on vinyl.
Soulsavers (w/ Mark Lanegan) – Some Misunderstanding Actually a cover (and the original by Gene Clark is almost as good) that I can never ever get tired of. It’s like listening to the song for the first time every time. That guitar solo never ends… it’s just too much and makes me have to catch my breath afterwards. The closest to Mike McCready’s Maggot Brain solo I’ve heard.
Faith No More – Stripsearch Summer festival in the 90’s. We arrived a few days early and just sat in the sun, drinking beer and enjoying life to the fullest. Everything is quiet except for some tape recorder playing, people talking and laughing, beers opening. Suddenly we hear the opening seconds of this song flowing through the air above our heads…really, really loud! They are testing the speakers of the main stage with the perfect song. Every time I hear it it reminds me of really good times in life…
1. Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock 2. Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode 3. The Who - My Generation 4. Led Zeppelin - Black Dog 5. Pearl Jam - Alive 6. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit 7. Green Day - When I Come Around 8. Presidents of the USA - Lump 9. Soundgarden - Outshined 10. Ben Folds Five - Battle of Who Could Care Less
First 4 are definitely the influence of my father. Growing up, I pretty much listened to what he liked. He listened to the oldies station in the car (a lot Elvis and Chuck) and had a lot of great albums on vinyl (Who, Led Zep). I still regret my mom not letting me get the albums I liked after he passed away. The last 6 are what I discovered in middle/high school. I was a couple years late to the grunge/Seattle sound, but once I found it I was hooked. Ben Folds Five is kind of an outlier in this list, but I heard them in 97 or 98 in high school and just loved the sound. Been a fan of the group and his solo since then. Seems weird not having Alice in Chains, Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, or Mudhoney (especially Mudhoney) in the list, but really got into those bands after I got to college.
I like this thread... These aren't my favorite songs, or the best songs, but they bring me back to certain places and times in my life, good memories of my Dad who has passed, and have been important songs throughout the 41 years of my life... I suppose this is in the order of my age when I heard these songs... Pink Floyd - Time (my Dad used to put headphones on me when I was 7(?) to make me listen to those alarm clocks going off) ELO - Turn To Stone (just reminds me of my Dad's record collection.. I used to study his record collection like books, and ELO Out of the Blue was a gatefold that opened up to the inside of a spaceship.. it was the coolest thing ever. I used to study that album cover, and this was my fav song) Michael Jackson - Thriller (man, this song was a television event when the video first aired on MTV.. I remember the whole family being in front of the tv for it when it aired, incredible) Cheap Trick - Surrender (soundtrack song from the movie 'Over The Edge'... first real teenage angst song I had heard... I must have seen that movie a million times as a kid, this song just always stuck with me from that movie) Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA (first concert I ever saw, parents took me at age 10, 1985 Giants Stadium... hometown NJ show... he opened with this, 60,000 people jumped to their feet, and I've lived for concerts and live music every day since) U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name (U2 was the first band I got into on my own, without my parents persuasion... I was in 8th grade when Joshua Tree came out, and the entire school was into this album) Faith No More - Epic (The Real Thing was the first cd I ever bought on my own.. FNM is still my second fav band, and they have tons of songs waaaay better than this... but this one got me hooked back then) Pearl Jam - Evenflow (first heard Alive on Seton Hall college radio in 91... then saw a video for Evenflow on MTV 120 Minutes/Headbangers Ball, and would wait up every Saturday night at 1 a.m. to see it... never saw or heard anything like it.. this one started it all with PJ for me. bought Ten, joined the 10C after the seeing the address in the liner notes (non lapsing member - thank you for the fan club seating!) Remember calling my Dad to the tv to show him this new band that I was into... took my parents to see them a few times as our concert going experiences came full circle with me taking them to shows. Incubus - Redefine (started to going to club shows in NYC 96/97, saw a band Shootyz Groove in a small NYC club, and some band Incubus was the first of 4 bands on the bill.. I have no idea why I was in the building so early.. it was 2/3 empty... but these guys came out and opened with this song, had a dj, a didjerdoo, and were un-be-lievable... ran over to the merch booth the second they finished and bought their newly released cd SCIENCE, stickers, shirt... i'm not much into their newer stuff, but after this show I got to see these guys at least ten times in tiny venues before they hit it big) Billy Joel - Piano Man (I took my (then) 7 year old son 2 years ago to see Billy Joel at his MSG run (he's a big fan since he takes piano lessons ), and to sing along word for word with my 7 year old son during Piano Man was pretty damn cool, just like my father had gotten me into music listening to Pink Floyd when I was 7.. just a special moment for us) and lastly The Who - Baba O'Riley, just because its my favorite song ever.
The Banana Split Theme Song Afternoon delight Bring Back that Loving Feeling--Hall & Oates Earache my eye--cheech & chong After the Gold Rush- -- Neil Young Thank you -- Led Zeppelin Rainy Woman # 14 & #35--Dylan Scarlet Begonias--Grateful Dead Unthought Known--Pearl Jam Hypocritical Kiss--Jack White
Great read the depth and insight to the OP with so many responses It's amazing how music connects or more reconnect's in so many ways such as some posts here explaining a particular song is a treasured memory to the loss of a loved one or step back to those youthful days Enjoyed reading your stories Peace to all✌️
Mother’s Little Helper – The Rolling Stones One of the first songs I remember really paying attention to. Being swedish I didn’t know much english as a kid, but my mom listened to the Stones, and when I heard this song, with the word “Mother” in it, I immediately took it to my heart.
Hey Jude – The Beatles I was a kid, and this was probably the first time I got really sad listening to music…but it felt like a “good” sadness. Somehow I enjoyed it, and then when the song turned into the beautiful singalong at the end I got really happy instead and started dancing and singing along.
The End – The Doors As long as I can remember this has been my number one song through all times. Hands down; it doesn’t get any better and more emotional than this.
Thank You – Led Zeppelin The beautiful song me and my wife first danced to at our wedding. This will always have a special place in my heart.
The Clash – Police & Thieves My best friend’s older brother played this a lot when I was a kid. I didn’t understand more than the title and we made up the rest of the words as we sang along. It felt exciting singing about thieves and we never got tired listening to it…I still haven’t.
Blind Melon – No Rain My own song of summer. Every year when spring/summer arrives I change my phone signal to this and it marks the beginning new good times for me.
Pearl Jam – Alive The first Pearl Jam song I heard and it totally floored me. I had never heard anything like it before and I instantly fell in love. I can still get that same feeling when I listen to it nowadays. I sort of travel back in time.
Lovage (Mike Patton) – Anger Management This is just a beatiful and sensitive song that always gives me the chills. Need to get this on vinyl.
Soulsavers (w/ Mark Lanegan) – Some Misunderstanding Actually a cover (and the original by Gene Clark is almost as good) that I can never ever get tired of. It’s like listening to the song for the first time every time. That guitar solo never ends… it’s just too much and makes me have to catch my breath afterwards. The closest to Mike McCready’s Maggot Brain solo I’ve heard.
Faith No More – Stripsearch Summer festival in the 90’s. We arrived a few days early and just sat in the sun, drinking beer and enjoying life to the fullest. Everything is quiet except for some tape recorder playing, people talking and laughing, beers opening. Suddenly we hear the opening seconds of this song flowing through the air above our heads…really, really loud! They are testing the speakers of the main stage with the perfect song. Every time I hear it it reminds me of really good times in life…
Yesterday I listened to the HAIR soundtrack and it struck me that I had left out one of the most important songs ever!
HAIR Soundtrack - The Flesh Failures/Let The Sunshine In This is the song that defines my vision of how I want the world to be. The song of peace, happiness, freedom and love. Summer, harmony, music, people together...more love!
Stockholm 1992-02-07
Stockholm 1992-06-25
Stockholm 1995-08-12
Stockholm 2000-06-28
Lisbon 2010-07-10
Stockholm 2012-07-07
Stockholm 2014-06-28
I like this thread... These aren't my favorite songs, or the best songs, but they bring me back to certain places and times in my life, good memories of my Dad who has passed, and have been important songs throughout the 41 years of my life... I suppose this is in the order of my age when I heard these songs... Pink Floyd - Time (my Dad used to put headphones on me when I was 7(?) to make me listen to those alarm clocks going off) ELO - Turn To Stone (just reminds me of my Dad's record collection.. I used to study his record collection like books, and ELO Out of the Blue was a gatefold that opened up to the inside of a spaceship.. it was the coolest thing ever. I used to study that album cover, and this was my fav song) Michael Jackson - Thriller (man, this song was a television event when the video first aired on MTV.. I remember the whole family being in front of the tv for it when it aired, incredible) Cheap Trick - Surrender (soundtrack song from the movie 'Over The Edge'... first real teenage angst song I had heard... I must have seen that movie a million times as a kid, this song just always stuck with me from that movie) Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA (first concert I ever saw, parents took me at age 10, 1985 Giants Stadium... hometown NJ show... he opened with this, 60,000 people jumped to their feet, and I've lived for concerts and live music every day since) U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name (U2 was the first band I got into on my own, without my parents persuasion... I was in 8th grade when Joshua Tree came out, and the entire school was into this album) Faith No More - Epic (The Real Thing was the first cd I ever bought on my own.. FNM is still my second fav band, and they have tons of songs waaaay better than this... but this one got me hooked back then) Pearl Jam - Evenflow (first heard Alive on Seton Hall college radio in 91... then saw a video for Evenflow on MTV 120 Minutes/Headbangers Ball, and would wait up every Saturday night at 1 a.m. to see it... never saw or heard anything like it.. this one started it all with PJ for me. bought Ten, joined the 10C after the seeing the address in the liner notes (non lapsing member - thank you for the fan club seating!) Remember calling my Dad to the tv to show him this new band that I was into... took my parents to see them a few times as our concert going experiences came full circle with me taking them to shows. Incubus - Redefine (started to going to club shows in NYC 96/97, saw a band Shootyz Groove in a small NYC club, and some band Incubus was the first of 4 bands on the bill.. I have no idea why I was in the building so early.. it was 2/3 empty... but these guys came out and opened with this song, had a dj, a didjerdoo, and were un-be-lievable... ran over to the merch booth the second they finished and bought their newly released cd SCIENCE, stickers, shirt... i'm not much into their newer stuff, but after this show I got to see these guys at least ten times in tiny venues before they hit it big) Billy Joel - Piano Man (I took my (then) 7 year old son 2 years ago to see Billy Joel at his MSG run (he's a big fan since he takes piano lessons ), and to sing along word for word with my 7 year old son during Piano Man was pretty damn cool, just like my father had gotten me into music listening to Pink Floyd when I was 7.. just a special moment for us) and lastly The Who - Baba O'Riley, just because its my favorite song ever.
I like your Springsteen description. Would have been an awesome experience.
Comments
2. "Angie" by The Rolling Stones. Growing up, my mother used to tell me how well my father, who she believed was dead -- I did not (more on that later) -- played this song. I would listen to it over and over again with a huge lump in my throat.
3. "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. When my uncle joined the U.S. Army when I was 5, he left me his record collection, and this was the first one I played.
4. "Shout at the Devil" by Mötley Crüe. While my uncle joined the U.S. Army, I joined the S.I.N. Club. In this case, I had an adult T-shirt with Allister Fiend on it that I'd fashioned into a cape and annoyed every grown-up on my block by telling them I was Crüeman. (Again, I'm not proud of it.)
5. "American Pie" by Don McLean. You know that Seinfeld episode in which Elaine has that weird boyfriend who asks her not to talk during "Desperado" by the Eagles? Well, I pretty much get the same way with "American Pie." It's fine if you sing along, but don't you dare try to speak to me.
6. "Welcome to the Terrordome" by Public Enemy. Terminator X is a fucking beast on this one, and Chuck D's flow is relentless: Rhetoric said/Read just a bit ago/Not quittin' though/Signed the hard rhymer or Check the record/An reckon an intentional wreck/Played off as some intellect or When I get mad/I put it down on a pad/Give ya somethin' that cha never had. Mind. Blown.
7. "Alive" by Pearl Jam. It's a long story, but luckily, I've already told it here. Forgive the length and the copy and paste.
The first time I heard "Alive" in 1991, I felt like I was hearing a painful chapter of my life story set to the awesome music for which I had been waiting. (I mean, acts such as Wilson Phillips, Amy Grant, Nelson, New Kids on the Block, Extreme, Color Me Badd, and so on were dominating the airwaves; it was truly a dark time for rock and roll.)
I'll explain. I was told at a very young age that my biological father had died while I was still a newborn. (He and my mother had already split up.) As the years went by, I learned that my mother received this news from a less-than-reliable source -- namely, a rival for her affection -- so I became more skeptical of the story and more hopeful that he was still alive. The story was still somewhat believable because he had a severe form of type 1 diabetes as a juvenile and wasn't supposed to live past age 18, but I had this shred of circumstance on which to hang my faith. So, when I first heard Eddie Vedder sing the chorus, the 16-year-old me always imagined it as my dead/missing father singing/pleading to me that he was still alive. (A misinterpretation, I know, but that's how I heard it.)
We tried searching for him and his family members a few times in the early 1990s but always hit a wall. Then, in 1998, I got a call from my mother -- she and my grandmother had found him. Not only had they found him but he was living 45 minutes away from where I was living at the time (Sarasota, Florida) -- in the town of my birth/conception (St. Petersburg, Florida), no less!
He was still alive!
It was pure coincidence. He and his wife had been living in Grenada, and she needed surgery, so they moved back to the U.S. They were only staying in St. Pete for a while, until she had healed from her surgery, at which time they were planning on moving to the town of his birth in western Pennsylvania.
During that brief window, I met my father for the first time as a 23-year-old man, and we were exactly alike. We looked the same, our mannerisms were the same, we spoke with the same voice, and we liked the same kind of music, with one exception -- he didn't know much about Pearl Jam.
Choking back tears at our first meeting, I told him about the song "Alive" and how I had always imagined it as him speaking to me. He said that he was very interested in hearing the song. I played it for him, and he loved it.
In 1999, he moved up to Pennsylvania, and I moved to Boston. We were farther apart in distance, but we became closer as father and son. We continued to share music, buying/burning each other CDs and exchanging them in the mail or in person -- every time one of us made a trip to visit the other, we always had a few discs to exchange. He really dug [i]Binaural[/i] and got what Pearl Jam was up to on that record before I, the longtime fan, did. (I found it off-putting at first.)
I caught the band for the first time in a long time (six years!) on that tour (with Sonic Youth!) and told my dad that even though I was stuck on the lawn at Great Woods -- my 10 Club membership had long expired by then, as I had lived too many years on a student's budget -- Pearl Jam still had the uncanny ability to make it feel like you were close and part of the show. Also, they flat-out rocked my fucking face off!
His health was getting worse -- in addition to the type 1 diabetes that was supposed to kill him before he reached manhood, he was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis -- but he said that he'd like to see them live before he died.
He never got to see that show. I went to see him in a nursing home for the holidays in 2002, knowing that it would likely be the last time; it was.
The next time I saw Pearl Jam was the middle stanza of the Mansfield experiment on July 3, 2003. They opened with "Release." You can imagine how it felt to hearing that song. It was like hearing it for the first time. And when they closed the first encore with "Alive," I felt like things had come full circle. It was an intense night for me, and as hokey as it sounds, I felt my father there with me.
8. "Don't Forget Me" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I grew up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers -- Freaky Styley was my go-to record in fifth grade -- but after growing up a bit, I've always been ambivalent toward Anthony Kiedis. When he's on, he can write some of the most deeply soulful and heartbreaking song lyrics that resonate with anyone who's ever combed their psyche for some semblance of truth. When he's off, he writes song lyrics about some kind of flower child fantasy or going balls deep in a teenager. See where my ambivalence comes from? Well, to me, "Don't Forget Me," belongs in the former category for Kiedis. It's a soul laid bare -- ugly and inviting, beautiful and revolting. And musically, this song is so layered and nuanced, every note and every beat, short or sustained, just creepy crawls its way into my brain and then crumbles away during the chorus crescendo.
9. "This Is the Sea" by the Waterboys. I've always loved this song, but I can't even begin to describe how much meaning it took on when my wife was pregnant with our first child. I didn't have a father growing up, and I felt like I was going to fail miserably at being a father myself -- so much so that I told my closest friends that I gave my marriage about six months after the birth of our child. I was almost positive that I would fuck up so terribly that my wife would leave me. And this song helped me to get over my fears. It put things into perspective. All of my life up to that was "the river"; all of my life from the day I was to become a father was "the sea." And when the nurse said "it's a girl" and handed my daughter over to me, the first words I said out loud were "behold the sea."
10. "After the Gold Rush" by Neil Young. This man is a hero of mine, so it was very hard to pick one. At this point, I went with the one that I have used as a lullaby to get my kids to sleep.
***
Thanks for sharing
Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
Radiohead - Reckoner
U2 - Bad
Pearl Jam - Rockin in The Free World (yeah, I know)
Psychedelic Furs - Dumb Waiters
Led Zeppelin - No Quarter
The Specials - Too Much Too Young
Tragically Hip - Blow at High Dough
thanks for sharing
I am grateful my son turned me on to Hozier.
his voice and song-writing talents are something else
(the band is awesome too, the backup singer and violin in this song....wow)
Came across this thread and have been thinking about this more than I probably should though. But if nothing else, I now have a new playlist. Sorry if it's long but this somehow seemed important as I started on it. I did end up choosing the 10 songs but probably got there in a roundabout way and maybe cheated the rules a bit...my bad. Could have added so much more. Please note all of the below are chronological relative to me, not release dates.
The 80's: The Prequel
Thriller - Michael Jackson: first album I bought and I listened to it, and this song, over and over. My father got a Billy Joel album, Innocent Man, I think; and thankfully they were sold out of the Culture Club cassette my mom wanted.
Piano Man - Billy Joel: When I was a child, if I was given a choice of what to listen to with my parents (from their music library), it was primarily 3 artists -- Billy Joel, The Beatles, and the Beach Boys. I grew up on Long Island so…
It's Tricky - Run DMC: I didn't think my parents would let me get this if it was for me (didn't want me listening to that "rap crap") so I bought the Raising Hell cassette as a birthday gift for a friend but I opened it and made a copy before I gave it to him. First "high-speed dubbing" copy I made. Thought that was the coolest at the time.
Fight for Your Right - Beastie Boys: Might have listened to this complete album more than any other until PJ many years later. Everyone in elementary school loved this and I prided myself in knowing all the words. Now I don't even know all the words to most of my favorite songs somehow. Oh to be a kid again.
Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue: Hey, I grew up in the 80s and Motley Crue was my favorite band for a few years there. Not proud of it, but true. This was on just about every mix tape I made back then. And I made a lot of em. Glad none of them survived. Likely quite embarassing.
The Beginning
1) Black - Pearl Jam: There is music before Black and then there's music after Black as far as I'm concerned. I liked their first songs I had heard on the radio and MTV but when I heard this on the radio, I was hooked for life. I remember being mad that I missed recording it (I always had recording on pause) because it was one of the only times I had heard it and they didn't talk over any of it and they played the entire song (rare on the radio). Still my favorite song.
Mid 90's: The Formative Years
2) Interstate Love Song - STP: This reminds me of a simpler time and going to the beach during summer break in high school, which we did almost every day. I always drove and Purple was my go-to CD since my different groups of friends somehow all agreed to listen to this and not much else. STP was also my first concert -- saw them at Jones Beach during the Purple tour. Good show, even though they didn't play Wicked Garden. I was pissed off about that at the time.
3) How High - Method Man / Redman: My freshman year college roommate had different musical tastes than me but I was thankful he introduced me to this song. Reminds me of freshman year every time it pops up on my iPod. A good reminder of a year of change for me as a person.
4) Breathe/On the Run/Time - Pink Floyd: This might be cheating with multiple songs but the first time I (really) heard this I thought/felt it was one song. Blew my mind. Had listened to them before and thought they were ok, but then I went to college and understood. Saw things differently after that night.
5) Indifference - Pearl Jam: The closer to my first PJ show, in the rain at Randall's Island. Knew that this was the end of my first show and just closed my eyes and let myself get bounced around in the pit and just soaked in the final moments of this fantastic show. Still get chills any time I hear any version of this during the "scream my lungs out" part.
Alternate) In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel: My first love's favorite song. Needless to say I had to listen to it a lot. Would have been before (2) above chronologically.
Late 90's/2000s: Figuring it Out
6) Three Days - Jane's Addiction: I liked them before but it completely changed after I saw them during the relapse tour in 1997. Amazing show and seeing them live (and this song in particular) cemented them as one of my favorite bands. This reminds me of the crazy times in college and my roommate for my last two years, one of my best friends.
7) At My Most Beautiful - REM: My wife and I had just started dating and REM was her favorite band and this album just came out and was heavy in the rotation. Can't hear this song without being taken back to her crappy college apartment where we got to know each other -- great memories.
8) Where is My Mind - Pixies: I somehow missed out on them when they were actually a band (the first time) but when I heard this at the end of Fight Club I absolutely had to hear more from them. Now one of our favorite bands. Glad we got to see them (twice) live before Kim left.
9) Mariner's Revenge Song - Decemberists: I joined eMusic back in the mid 00s and it really opened me up to bands I didn't really know. If I hadn't clicked on The Decemberists album Picaresque I would have missed out on a lot of great music as I was about to cancel after one month because it was more obscure bands and you had to spend a lot of time to find stuff. It was worth it-- Frightened Rabbit, Arcade Fire, Okkervil River, Cold War Kids, The Hold Steady, Bright Eyes, Tapes 'n Tapes, Neutral Milk Hotel, etc. With satellite radio so popular now a lot of these bands are now known but they weren't on my radar in the mid-late 2000s.
Alternate) Blue Orchid - White Stripes: Didn't really listen to them beyond what was on the radio then went to a festival in '05 and was blown away. It was kind of unbelievable that it was only the two of them onstage with the sound that was produced. Went out and immediately bought all their albums and have been a big fan of Jack White stuff since. Would be (8.5) above listing chronologically.
The Pinnacle:
10) Release (at Wrigley) - Pearl Jam: Made the trip from Charlotte, NC with my wife, was our 8th show and we hadn't seen this yet. Perfect start to a memorable night. I had an ear-to-ear grin and chills throughout the song while my wife had tears flowing. Now after 10 shows probably my favorite concert moment...just Awesome!
This was fun. Hope more people start posting on this thread.
27 shows in-between
Most recent - Ohana '24
2. Pink Floyd- Fearless (This freaking band dominated my life in 8th grade and I always listened to Meddle)
3. Led Zeppelin- Going to California (This song made me appreciate acoustic music)
4. Foo Fighters- These Days (I heard this song at work when I was 16 and was my gateway drug into 1990's and alternative music)
5. Pearl Jam- Daughter/ Even Flow (Also heard both of these songs at work and I was like "wow this music is incredible" and now its a addiction 4/5 years later)
6. Nirvana- All Apologies/ Breed (I feel like everyone has that Nirvana phase, mine was junior year in high school)
7. Soundgarden- Zero Chance/ Dusty/ Jesus Christ Pose (took me wayyy too long to get into Soundgarden but when I did, it was a burst of awesomeness)
8. Kings of Leon- Knocked Up/ Radioactive (This band made me appreciate modern music)
9. Pearl Jam- In My Tree/ Given to Fly/ Who You Are (These songs are what made me see that I'm going to follow this band to the end of the line)
10.Jack Johnson- Good People (my current obsession)
Philadelphia 2016 (Night 2)
Upper Darby 2016 (Night 2) (Temple of the Dog)
Hard Luck Woman (Kiss)
More Than A Feeling (Boston)
Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin)
Walk This Way (Aerosmith)
You Got Another Thing Coming (Judas Priest)
Young Lust (Pink Floyd)
Waiting on a Friend (Rolling Stones)
All Over Town (April Wine)
New Years Day (U2)
Jeremy (Pearl Jam)
Rooster (Alice in Chains)
* Big apologies to many old friends that at various point- like randomly hearing them at a bar or from car window- will become a flood of warm memories that make a guy feel really swell.
** Further apologies to all those great songs that have kept my love of music alive after my roots grew solid (early 90s onwards).
1-Wouldn't it be nice by the Beach Boys. My father sung this all the time. What a great song.
2-Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Growing up all I knew was We will rock you. When I heard this my eyes opened and my ears were on fire!!! Man could Mercury sing.
3-Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson. The first time I heard this I wasn't aware that someone could play that FAST!!!
4-Stand Up by minor threat. The energy in this song, the first one I heard by them, sculpted my music tastes from here on out.
5-Anesthesia/pulling teeth by Cliff Burton. When I heard those famous words "bass solo take one" I was hooked! I wanted to play after hearing this!
6-Run to the hills by Iron maiden. The drum intro man, the drum intro! I later enjoyed a live version of Iron Maiden over this...
7-All Hell Breaks Loose by The Misfits. This song has everything, from the drum beat into the haunting guitar chords into the lyrics "I'll shake you by your collarbone". Who writes like this?!? AWESOME!!!
8-One Down Three To Go by The Meatmen. This song was about the Beatles at the time. This song and band made me not ever listen to the Beatles. This band also taught me that conformity was not for me...
9-Soul 2 Squeeze by The RedHot Chilli Peppers. You can put this song on anywhere at anytime and everyone is going to enjoy it. If they never heard it they are going to enjoy it...
10-Indifference by Pearl Jam Live in Atlanta closer. This version and this song is tattooed in my brain forever. Every note, the slight vocal changes, the bass. What a beautiful song...
Honorable mention: Breadfan-Metallica, Mount the Pavement-Rhorshach, Sliver-Nirvana, DJ's-Sublime, Rhymin n Stealin-Beastie Boys, Bombtrack-RATM and Bottom-Tool.
1. U2 -- Running To Stand Still. One of the first albums that I felt like was "mine." It was released when I was thirteen and in the 7th grade. The world was changing at Mach 3 and this helped make a little sense of it all.
2. Michael Jackson -- Billie Jean. What a base line. Michael was king and the world was along for the ride.
3. Grateful Dead -- Dark Star. The version off One From the Vault in particular. It was my gateway drug into the world of the Dead. I came on board a little late, Jerry was dead by then, and am still enjoying catching up on what I missed.
4. Stevie Ray Vaughn -- Pride & Joy. With this song SRV had me hooked and led me into not only his catalog but, more importantly, the magnificent world of the blues.
5. Fat Boys -- The Fat Boys Are Back. The best looking girl in school had recently moved to another city and we went to visit her family. Since moving she'd discovered the Fat Boys and played it for us on her jam box. It was the first rap song I'd ever heard and it blew my mind. Still love this song.
6. Pearl Jam -- Alive. As a freshman in college MTV's Buzz Bin (I think that's what it was called) was a great way to discover new music in those days. They aired a new video of a long-haired monkey man wearing a Jordan jersey swinging from the rafters of a small club. Shortly thereafter my body Steve gathers a few of us and played Ten in its entirety. Things have never been the same since:)
7. The Black Crowes -- My Morning Song. "If music got to free your mind...just let it go, baby, let it go." Nuff said. This whole album blew my mind. Man, I miss these guys and hope one day they'll make music together again.
8. Doobie Brothers -- Black Water. This song will forever remind me of my dad. On trips to the beach he'd play mix tapes and this was on one of them. The part of the song where the music fades and they harmonize "I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland"....ahh, what a great piece of music. Was stoked and surprised to see Pearl Jam cover the Doobies this tour. Although it was just aiight, the overlap of these two worlds made me smile.
9. Miles Davis -- So What. Is there a more memorable intro to an album ever? Miles cut the seam that for me opened the world of jazz. Still have much exploring to do.
10. Journey -- Separate Ways (Worlds Apart). Yeah..I know, I know. This was one that hit me during those seminal years where music was sowing an early landscape. It had the right amount of guitar plus Steve Perry's vocals and stayed at the top of my chart for at least a couple of years. A lot of songs have passed it since then but for a while there in my young world it hung the stars.
Great thread, OP. Thanks for the walk down memory lane
1. U2 -- Running To Stand Still. One of the first albums that I felt like was "mine." It was released when I was thirteen and in the 7th grade. The world was changing at Mach 3 and this helped make a little sense of it all.
2. Michael Jackson -- Billie Jean. What a base line. Michael was king and the world was along for the ride.
3. Grateful Dead -- Dark Star. The version off One From the Vault in particular. It was my gateway drug into the world of the Dead. I came on board a little late, Jerry was dead by then, and am still enjoying catching up on what I missed.
4. Stevie Ray Vaughn -- Pride & Joy. With this song SRV had me hooked and led me into not only his catalog but, more importantly, the magnificent world of the blues.
5. Fat Boys -- The Fat Boys Are Back. The best looking girl in school had recently moved to another city and we went to visit her family. Since moving she'd discovered the Fat Boys and played it for us on her jam box. It was the first rap song I'd ever heard and it blew my mind. Still love this song.
6. Pearl Jam -- Alive. As a freshman in college MTV's Buzz Bin (I think that's what it was called) was a great way to discover new music in those days. They aired a new video of a long-haired monkey man wearing a Jordan jersey swinging from the rafters of a small club. Shortly thereafter my body Steve gathers a few of us and played Ten in its entirety. Things have never been the same since:)
7. The Black Crowes -- My Morning Song. "If music got to free your mind...just let it go, baby, let it go." Nuff said. This whole album blew my mind. Man, I miss these guys and hope one day they'll make music together again.
8. Doobie Brothers -- Black Water. This song will forever remind me of my dad. On trips to the beach he'd play mix tapes and this was on one of them. The part of the song where the music fades and they harmonize "I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland"....ahh, what a great piece of music. Was stoked and surprised to see Pearl Jam cover the Doobies this tour. Although it was just aiight, the overlap of these two worlds made me smile.
9. Miles Davis -- So What. Is there a more memorable intro to an album ever? Miles cut the seam that for me opened the world of jazz. Still have much exploring to do.
10. Journey -- Separate Ways (Worlds Apart). Yeah..I know, I know. This was one that hit me during those seminal years where music was sowing an early landscape. It had the right amount of guitar plus Steve Perry's vocals and stayed at the top of my chart for at least a couple of years. A lot of songs have passed it since then but for a while there in my young world it hung the stars.
Great thread, OP. Thanks for the walk down memory lane
9. "When the Music's Over" The Doors
8. "Tangled up in Blue" Bob Dylan
7. "Love ,reign o'er me" The Who
8. " I'm Your Captain" Grand Funk Railroad
7. " As" Stevie Wonder
6. "Bad" U2
5. " Why Should I Cry for You" Sting
4. " Penny Royal Tea" Nirvana
3. " Guaranteed " Eddie Vedder
2. " Heroes" David Bowie
1. " Alive" Pearl Jam
I could list hundreds... All have special places in my life ... These are just a few
So I'll throw out 5 that have really moved me.
1-Off He Goes by PJ NOLA 2000. Best live version of this ever!
2-Lazy Eye by Silversun Pickups. This song is GREAT to listen to loud. Love this and it always puts me in a good mood.
3-Buttons by The Weeks. First song that I heard from them. I've been hooked ever since. Another song that reminds me of where I was when I first heard it.
4-Block After Block by Matt&Kim. Listening to them makes me happy. Fun music that's energetic. This song puts me in a happy place every time.
5-Toe Cutter Thumb Buster by Thee Oh Sees. This song opened up a highway to new music I was searching for. This band and this song delivers a whallup upside my head. I love cranking this song...
One of the first songs I remember really paying attention to. Being swedish I didn’t know much english as a kid, but my mom listened to the Stones, and when I heard this song, with the word “Mother” in it, I immediately took it to my heart.
Hey Jude – The Beatles
I was a kid, and this was probably the first time I got really sad listening to music…but it felt like a “good” sadness. Somehow I enjoyed it, and then when the song turned into the beautiful singalong at the end I got really happy instead and started dancing and singing along.
The End – The Doors
As long as I can remember this has been my number one song through all times. Hands down; it doesn’t get any better and more emotional than this.
Thank You – Led Zeppelin
The beautiful song me and my wife first danced to at our wedding. This will always have a special place in my heart.
The Clash – Police & Thieves
My best friend’s older brother played this a lot when I was a kid. I didn’t understand more than the title and we made up the rest of the words as we sang along. It felt exciting singing about thieves and we never got tired listening to it…I still haven’t.
Blind Melon – No Rain
My own song of summer. Every year when spring/summer arrives I change my phone signal to this and it marks the beginning new good times for me.
Pearl Jam – Alive
The first Pearl Jam song I heard and it totally floored me. I had never heard anything like it before and I instantly fell in love. I can still get that same feeling when I listen to it nowadays. I sort of travel back in time.
Lovage (Mike Patton) – Anger Management
This is just a beatiful and sensitive song that always gives me the chills. Need to get this on vinyl.
Soulsavers (w/ Mark Lanegan) – Some Misunderstanding
Actually a cover (and the original by Gene Clark is almost as good) that I can never ever get tired of. It’s like listening to the song for the first time every time. That guitar solo never ends… it’s just too much and makes me have to catch my breath afterwards. The closest to Mike McCready’s Maggot Brain solo I’ve heard.
Faith No More – Stripsearch
Summer festival in the 90’s. We arrived a few days early and just sat in the sun, drinking beer and enjoying life to the fullest. Everything is quiet except for some tape recorder playing, people talking and laughing, beers opening. Suddenly we hear the opening seconds of this song flowing through the air above our heads…really, really loud! They are testing the speakers of the main stage with the perfect song. Every time I hear it it reminds me of really good times in life…
Stockholm 1992-06-25
Stockholm 1995-08-12
Stockholm 2000-06-28
Lisbon 2010-07-10
Stockholm 2012-07-07
Stockholm 2014-06-28
https://artbyjoachim.wordpress.com/
2. Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode
3. The Who - My Generation
4. Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
5. Pearl Jam - Alive
6. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
7. Green Day - When I Come Around
8. Presidents of the USA - Lump
9. Soundgarden - Outshined
10. Ben Folds Five - Battle of Who Could Care Less
First 4 are definitely the influence of my father. Growing up, I pretty much listened to what he liked. He listened to the oldies station in the car (a lot Elvis and Chuck) and had a lot of great albums on vinyl (Who, Led Zep). I still regret my mom not letting me get the albums I liked after he passed away. The last 6 are what I discovered in middle/high school. I was a couple years late to the grunge/Seattle sound, but once I found it I was hooked. Ben Folds Five is kind of an outlier in this list, but I heard them in 97 or 98 in high school and just loved the sound. Been a fan of the group and his solo since then. Seems weird not having Alice in Chains, Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, or Mudhoney (especially Mudhoney) in the list, but really got into those bands after I got to college.
Pink Floyd - Time (my Dad used to put headphones on me when I was 7(?) to make me listen to those alarm clocks going off)
ELO - Turn To Stone (just reminds me of my Dad's record collection.. I used to study his record collection like books, and ELO Out of the Blue was a gatefold that opened up to the inside of a spaceship.. it was the coolest thing ever. I used to study that album cover, and this was my fav song)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (man, this song was a television event when the video first aired on MTV.. I remember the whole family being in front of the tv for it when it aired, incredible)
Cheap Trick - Surrender (soundtrack song from the movie 'Over The Edge'... first real teenage angst song I had heard... I must have seen that movie a million times as a kid, this song just always stuck with me from that movie)
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA (first concert I ever saw, parents took me at age 10, 1985 Giants Stadium... hometown NJ show... he opened with this, 60,000 people jumped to their feet, and I've lived for concerts and live music every day since)
U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name (U2 was the first band I got into on my own, without my parents persuasion... I was in 8th grade when Joshua Tree came out, and the entire school was into this album)
Faith No More - Epic (The Real Thing was the first cd I ever bought on my own.. FNM is still my second fav band, and they have tons of songs waaaay better than this... but this one got me hooked back then)
Pearl Jam - Evenflow (first heard Alive on Seton Hall college radio in 91... then saw a video for Evenflow on MTV 120 Minutes/Headbangers Ball, and would wait up every Saturday night at 1 a.m. to see it... never saw or heard anything like it.. this one started it all with PJ for me. bought Ten, joined the 10C after the seeing the address in the liner notes (non lapsing member - thank you for the fan club seating!) Remember calling my Dad to the tv to show him this new band that I was into... took my parents to see them a few times as our concert going experiences came full circle with me taking them to shows.
Incubus - Redefine (started to going to club shows in NYC 96/97, saw a band Shootyz Groove in a small NYC club, and some band Incubus was the first of 4 bands on the bill.. I have no idea why I was in the building so early.. it was 2/3 empty... but these guys came out and opened with this song, had a dj, a didjerdoo, and were un-be-lievable... ran over to the merch booth the second they finished and bought their newly released cd SCIENCE, stickers, shirt... i'm not much into their newer stuff, but after this show I got to see these guys at least ten times in tiny venues before they hit it big)
Billy Joel - Piano Man (I took my (then) 7 year old son 2 years ago to see Billy Joel at his MSG run (he's a big fan since he takes piano lessons ), and to sing along word for word with my 7 year old son during Piano Man was pretty damn cool, just like my father had gotten me into music listening to Pink Floyd when I was 7.. just a special moment for us)
and lastly The Who - Baba O'Riley, just because its my favorite song ever.
Afternoon delight
Bring Back that Loving Feeling--Hall & Oates
Earache my eye--cheech & chong
After the Gold Rush- -- Neil Young
Thank you -- Led Zeppelin
Rainy Woman # 14 & #35--Dylan
Scarlet Begonias--Grateful Dead
Unthought Known--Pearl Jam
Hypocritical Kiss--Jack White
It's amazing how music connects or more reconnect's in so many ways such as some posts here explaining a particular song is a treasured memory to the loss of a loved one or step back to those youthful days
Enjoyed reading your stories
Peace to all✌️
HAIR Soundtrack - The Flesh Failures/Let The Sunshine In
This is the song that defines my vision of how I want the world to be. The song of peace, happiness, freedom and love.
Summer, harmony, music, people together...more love!
Stockholm 1992-06-25
Stockholm 1995-08-12
Stockholm 2000-06-28
Lisbon 2010-07-10
Stockholm 2012-07-07
Stockholm 2014-06-28
https://artbyjoachim.wordpress.com/