One thing most of us have in common — white, black, Republican, Democrat, tall, short, rich or poor — is a love of music. It’s no secret, I love music. I love to listen to music. I love to sing, hum and whistle. It’s a part of me.
I grew up with music. My mother taught piano lessons. I played the trumpet as a teenager and sang in the school choir.
Connie and I have passed that love to two of our three kids Ethan and Abigail. They both took piano lessons, and Ethan has his masters in music performance for the trombone.
I love music because of how it makes me feel. Music can make me feel energetic and upbeat — I’m So Excited by The Pointer Sisters. It can put people in the mood for romance — Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers. It can even make me laugh — Beer for my Horses by Toby Keith.
Songs can bring back memories of a special moment in your life. The theme song for our wedding reception was Once in a Lifetime by Chicago.
Music sets the mood for movies and TV shows. I don’t believe I can think of any major blockbuster movie that didn’t have a theme song. Background music in a show lets you know when something bad is about to happen.
An opera is theater where the story is relayed specifically through song.
Recorded music first became available for everyone in 1930 courtesy of RCA Victor with the invention of the vinyl record. In the ’70s the serious music aficionados had a reel to reel deck (not me). Next came 8-track tape players, then cassettes, then the Sony Walkman, then the iPod.
Now many people create their own musical playlists on Spotify or stream music on Pandora.
It only makes sense that now, during the coronavirus pandemic, music lovers are creating playlists that help them make light of a serious subject.
Number one for playlists with the word ‘lockdown’, ‘quarantine’, ‘coronavirus’ and/or ‘COVID-19’ in their title was a song I am not familiar with — Toxic by Britney Spears from 2003. The name fits. I’m just not a big fan of her music.
I can relate better to the second most popular song on the list — Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees. That song came out in December 1977 when I was a senior in high school. I never bought their records. But, you couldn’t escape that particular song. On the charts for 33 weeks, it was everywhere, and it was the theme song for the movie Saturday Night Fever.
There are those who should keep the next two songs on the list at the ready on their phone. Playing one of them would be preferable to yelling “back off you idiot.”
Number three and number four are U Can’t Touch This by MC Hammer and Don’t Stand So Close To Me by The Police. The English rock band The Police have two songs on the list. At number 17 is Every Breath You Take.
Another song about breathing on the list is Take My Breath Away released in 1986 by Berlin, made famous from the movie Top Gun.
A good positive song to play from the late ’70s is the fifth most popular song on the coronavirus list — I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.
For those who love older jazz there is a great song on this list by Peggy Lee, released six months before I was born in June 1958 — Fever.
Number 19 on the list is considered by many to be the greatest song from the rock group Queen — Bohemian Rhapsody.
Other songs that made the list — that I have never heard of — are:
Sicko Mode by Travis Scott;
Mask Off by Future;
Work from Home by Fifth Harmony, Ty Dolla $ign;
Survivor by Destiny’s Child
It’s The End Of The World As We Know It by
R.E.M.
Harder To Breathe by Maroon 5
Closer by The Chainsmokers with Halsey
Can’t Feel My Face by The Weeknd
Down with the Sickness by Disturbed
I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd with Daft Punk
Toxicity by System Of A Down
One song I think should be on the list is Twilight Zone, by Manhattan Transfer. In some ways it seems like we are all in one.
Maybe you have a song you would like to add to this list.
I look forward to when we can follow the words from The Beatles song, Come Together.
