[SPOILER ALERT: as a direct result of the list at the end, (no, don't scroll down yet. it's not the time and you'll be seeing it too soon) this is an awfully long post. If you’re not in it to win it, go ahead and venture somewhere else. This is for true fans of the blog, and therefore, the people that I will endlessly love]
…decided to stay? well, it's official: I really like you.
When I say that I can’t get over these songs, I mean that I can’t wrap my head around their awesomeness. You know, they're the ones that you hear and you find yourself talking in all capitals about them and if people tell you to "calm down" or "be quiet" you just move onto the next person, anyone, who's willing to listen. And you get them to sit down in front of the nearest computer and you frantically pull up a video and wait for their expression to change because you've brought them to something so incredible.
With these certain songs, I can come close to fully understanding all that they are, but then, I just never get there; and that’s the best part.
The best things (or in this case, songs) in our lives are those that we can’t completely understand. Lyrically speaking, you can hear a song and feel like you’ve understood the meaning, but you can turn around five years later, hear the same thing and have a totally different understanding. Music’s pretty incredible that way.
That’s a great feeling. You know when you hear a song and it finally hits you; you never really got it until this very moment? Well, I love that. And I sure do hope that you do, too.
I also love sitting down and thinking about how music can come full circle. One of the best things is to see what I first started listening to and then seeing what I listen to now, or rather, hear. No matter how many people I hear that I think I could love more than I love John Mayer, I still give him credit.
I give lots of credit to JM’s songs because they were my first musical loves. I know that sounds sort of ridiculous, but I really mean it. When I was about twelve or thirteen, I woke up and turned on my TV. The channel locked in was VH1 and it was once again time for some sort of countdown. Anyway, I saw the video for “No Such Thing,” and that was pretty much it.
At that point in my life I could have easily been swallowed into the succubus of giggly pop, but instead, I heard my main man JM and thought he was pretty alright.
Now, I listen to new people. And I feel like, in some sort of way, that I owe John Clayton Mayer a whole-hell-of-a-lot of credit. I wouldn’t appreciate the people that I just can’t enough of now if I hadn’t first heard him.
I posted a video of the best thing he’s ever done. Keep with it, even through the whistling. It’s not that I don’t like the sound of the whistle, I just get jealous cause I can’t do it. Anyhow, I hope it changes your life. It sure did for me. And I really like it because it was back when JM wasn’t all that well-known. He was still just keeping it real.
Anyhow, I know that got a little tough to follow, but I sure hope you got it. I’ve listed some of the songs by people that I want - nay - need you to check out and if you've already heard them, go back and bump them again because they certainly deserve it.
Also, here’s to never forgetting our first musical loves. May we be proudly belting out their lyrics years from now during their farewell tours.
Yours,
katie beth
In no particular order: these are the songs that, upon first hearing, really did something for me. I hope they continue to do something for you:
1. “No Such Thing” John Clayton Mayer
2. “I Will" Alison Krauss + Union Station
3. “It Never Entered My Mind” Miles Davis
4. “Smoothie Song” Nickel Creek
5. “Broadway" Alison Krauss + Union Station
6. “Skinny Love” Bon Iver
7. “Moth’s Wings” Passion Pit
8. “The Guy that Says Goodbye” Griffin House
9. “Closing Time” Semisonic
10. “Bittersweet Symphony" The Verve
11. “Little Secrets” Passion Pit
12. “Things an Old Man Keeps” Ghosts in the Woods
13. “Island, IS” Volcano Choir
14. “Help I’m Alive” Metric
15. “Man on the Side” John Clayton Mayer
16. “Out of the Woods” Nickel Creek
17. “Forty Mile Town” Eric Johnson
18. “Fix It” Ryan Adams
19. “Little Lion Man” Mumford & Sons
20. “Blackie’s Dead” Pete Yorn + Scarlett Johansson
21. “Lump Sum" Bon Iver
22. “She Is” The Fray
23. “The Cape” Eric Bibb
24. “First Day of My Life” Bright Eyes
25. “Vultures” John Mayer Trio
26. “Crazy Faith” Alison Krauss + Union Station
27. “Cannonball” Ghosts in the Woods
28. “Stick With Me Baby” Robert Plant + Alison Krauss
29. “Fake Empire” The National
30. “The Cave” Mumford & Sons
31.“Fast Car” Tracy Chapman
32. “Angels” Flight of the Conchords
33. “I’ve Seen All Good People” Yes
34. “Sex On Fire” Kings of Leon
35. “Still” Volcano Choir
36. “Re: Stacks” Bon Iver
37. “Over My Head” Martin Sexton
38. “Get Me Through December” Alison Krauss
39. “Let Your Love Grow Tall” Passion Pit
40. “Born” Over the Rhine
41. “Hometown Glory” Adele
42. “Happy” Brandi Carlile
43. “Drunkard’s Prayer” Over the Rhine
44. “Red Light” Jonny Lang
45. “In Your Atmosphere” John Clayton Mayer
46. “Hummingbird” John Clayton Mayer
47. “This I Know” Sam + Ruby
48. “Keep it Loose, Keep It Tight" Amos Lee
49. “Let My Love Open The Door" Pete Townshend + Raphael Rudd
50. “Life in Technicolor” Coldplay
Well, friends, sorry it got to be so long, but I just couldn’t stop myself. And I posted a few videos by some of the very-very favorites that found their way onto this ground-breaking list. I probably could have kept going, but it’s getting to be a little much. And I feel like I’m going to go the rest of the day and night just thinking of songs that should have been on this list, but I digress.
Consider it a top 50, but also consider that I have a new favorite song every day. Make yourself a date with this list and look these songs up and look hard. And really do it, people. These are epic songs that will, no doubt, change your life. yes, even the one by Flight of the Conchords.
to whoever is still reading this: “thanks for sticking around.”
to John Clayton
Mayer: “thanks for being the first.”
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