I know, I know. I missed last week completely. Bad blogger.
Between sickness, house hunting, sprained ankles and dance recitals, last week
was quite simply madness This week, I wanted to introduce you to some of my
absolute favorite albums. Among these are a lot of country and pop but that’s
kind of my thing. Each one of these albums is very important to me, and one in which
every song (or nearly every song) on the album is one that I love. I didn’t
include any compilation or greatest hits albums, but a couple of artists do
have more than one spot. These are the albums that speak to different times and
moods of my life. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into some of my favorite music!
1.
Middle of Nowhere—Hanson. Ah yes, you know I had to start with Hanson.
I’ll never forget when I discovered them. One of my best friends and I had a
sleepover, and she brought this cd to my house. She said, “You have to hear
this song “MmmBop”. It’s amazing. And they are so CUTE.” I had no idea what an
mmmbop was, and I remember asking if it was a rap song. She told me no, and
once at my house, she introduced me to Hanson, the band that would become my
favorite all around artists. From the very first notes of the first song, this
album still takes me back to the days of being 13. It amazed me then, and
frankly, still amazes me now, that three teenage boys had written each song on
the album, and they were great. I’m still not the biggest fan of “MMMBop”, but
I smile every time I hear it. I’d say that track, though it’s the one they are
most known for, is my least favorite on this album. “Weird” was always one of
my favorite tracks on the album, and it resonated strongly with me then, as a
young teenage girl that felt as though I didn’t really fit in anywhere. Most
people feel that in their lifetime, and to have three kids under the age of 16
write so passionately about not really knowing your place in the world is
amazing. There are many songs on this CD that capture a moment of time in my
youth, yet still manage to be relevant today. It’s not just the nostalgia
factor: these tunes are just great pop songs, especially when you consider how
young the guys were when they wrote them.
2.
Me and My Gang—Rascal Flatts. This is my
favorite RF album. I just love it. There are songs that make me dance, songs
that make me smile, songs that make me cry. I feel like this album in
particular is like a snapshot of my first marriage. It’s an entire journey from
the happy songs to songs of heartbreak. There’s one track in particular, that
always makes me think of what was going on in my mind at the time. It’s called “I
Feel Bad” and the chorus goes something like this: I can stand here strong/cold
as stone/seems so wrong/I can’t explain it/ maybe it’s just I’ve cried so much/I’m
tired and numb/ baby I hate it/I feel bad that I don’t feel bad. The premise is quite simply that you have
hurt so much for so long that when the end finally comes, there’s nothing left.
You don’t feel as crushed as you feel you should because you’re just
empty. It’s a powerful song about loss.
Each and every song on this album speaks to me on different levels. Of course
the song that everyone knows by RF is on that album, What Hurts The Most, and I
too love that song. It’s hard not to sing along when you hear it on the radio.
There are hidden gems on this album too, like Backwards, a fun bop of a song,
and Pieces, another heartbreaker.
3.
Breakaway—Kelly Clarkson. If you know me, you
know Kelly Clarkson is pretty much my queen. She’s gorgeous, funny, likeable,
and she can sing like a freakin’ angel. Breakaway is just a great album from
start to finish. It’s another one of those albums that takes you on a journey,
and I love that. Another thing I love about this album is that it’s a great album
if you need to angry sing. I can’t count how many days this album’s gotten me
through just because of songs like “Addicted”, “Behind Those Hazel Eyes” and” Hear
Me”. There’s also softness, with tracks like “Because of You “(one of her
biggest hits) and “Beautiful Disaster”, one of my personal favorites. I would list
that song among my very favorite songs ever, not only by Kelly, but in general.
The lyrics are so poignant, and they tug at the heartstrings as she sings about
loving someone that is broken. One of my favorite lines is: he’s magic and
myth/As strong as what I believe/a tragedy with/more damage than a soul should
see.” The song is just absolutely beautiful. Even over ten years later, this
album stays in rotation in my collection, just because of how damn good it is.
4.
The Block—NKOTB. Y’all knew this one was coming
right? I would NOT have made it through 2008/2009 without this album. I wouldn’t
have. The songs on this album brought me so much joy at a time in my life that
was incredibly difficult. I’ve spoken several times about how much I love
NKOTB, and out of all their albums, I think this one has to be my favorite. The
songs are just fun. They make me want to dance. They’re truly my happy place. I
cannot listen to this album without thinking about trips to Southport with Melissa,
my best friend, singing at the top of our lungs in line for the ferry. Everyone
needs that album that just makes them happy whenever they hear it, and this is
definitely it for me. Songs like “Single”, “Summertime”, “Dirty Dancing”, and “One
Song” just make you want to dance. My favorites, personally, are “Single” and “Twisted”. I like how gritty “Twisted” is, with a
darkness that isn’t all bubblegum and light. If I could only listen to one
NKOTB album for the rest of my life it’d have to be this one, just for that
song alone.
5.
This Time Around—Hanson. This album isn’t just
an album from my youth. To this day, it remains one of the most influential,
resonant albums I’ve ever heard. The songs on this album speak so deeply to me,
it’s almost as if they could have been written from my own soul. Songs like “Runaway
Run”, “Save Me”, and “Wish that I was There” are wistful love songs with
gripping lyrics. “If Only”, “This Time Around” and “In the City” are head bangers
that up the tempo. There’s a song for every mood. My all time favorite Hanson
song is on this album, the song that speaks to me above all others. “Song to
Sing”, the last song on the album is a raw, pleading expression about needing
something, anything to get you through rough times. For me, it’s always been
about trying to get through periods of depression or feeling lost. The chorus
is “I’m looking for a song to sing/I’m looking for a friend to borrow/I’m
looking for my radio/so I might find a heart to follow/I’ve never been just longing
for your loving/I’ve never been so waring down to nothing/I’ve never been just
looking for a reason/so that maybe you’ll be thinking of me.” As a teenager, it
spoke to me on an almost cellular level, and still, as I am firmly entrenched
in adulthood, the sadness and need in the song aches through my veins when I listen
to it. It’s an album full of youth and fire, but there’s a maturity that makes
this still a fully relevant album.
6.
For My Broken Heart—Reba. This album is a
tribute to Reba’s band that she lost in a plane crash in the early 90s. As such,
it is an exercise in sorrow. Reba is a fantastic storyteller, and as far as
female country singers go, in my opinion, she is unbeatable. Almost every song
on the album is sorrowful, but it’s not overbearingly sad. No album I can think
of can illustrate the beauty, heaviness, and individuality of grief as this one
does. My two favorite songs on the album are “The Greatest Man I Never Knew”
and “If I Had Only Known.” These two songs especially personify what it’s like
to lose someone you love, and the longing and sorrow that comes from that. As a
child, I could understand the meaning of the songs, but as an adult, I can
truly feel the heartbreak.
7.
Fresh Horses—Garth Brooks. Garth is a legend. All of his albums are
wonderful, and unique, and I enjoy each and every one of them, but there’s
something about Fresh Horses that has stayed with me since I was a child. Whether
it’s the in your face, rock edged “The Old Stuff”, or the fast paced Fever,
there are songs that get your blood pumping and get you hyped. There are also
great love songs, such as “She’s Every Woman” and “To Make You Feel My Love”. I
love the flow of the album, and the thoughtful, careful way the songs are
arranged. Garth is a phenomenal storyteller, as songs like “That Ol Wind” showcase.
However, for me, the very best song on the album is the last one. “Ireland” is
a haunting, historical ballad. The track is unique, using the best of Garth’s
storytelling abilities to transport the listener into Ireland at a time of war.
You can not only visualize the majesty and stunning scenery of the country, but
feel the inevitability of death and darkness through the battle as the tempo picks
up. I can’t think of another song like it, and for that alone, this album is
tops for me.
8.
Millennium---BSB. Ahh, one of the biggest albums of my teenage
years. I’m sure almost every girl in their teen years had this album. I remember
going to get it the day it came out, because of course, that is just what you
do as a teenage girl that loves boybands. I do still love this album and I feel
there are some wonderful songs on it. I am a sucker for a good ballad, and
Millennium is chock full of them. One of my all time favorites is “Back to Your
Heart.’ It’s one of those great songs that you relate to more and more as you
gain life experience. Another fantastic track from this album that I think is
just a great song is “Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely.” It’s got this aching, haunting quality that
sets it apart from the rest of the songs on the album.
9.
Departure—Jesse McCartney. This is another one
of those feel good CDs. It’s basically an hour long dance party, and I love
that. Melissa and I played this one on a loop when we weren’t listening to The
Block. There is a whole array of inside we jokes we have simply because of this
CD. It’s another one of those that never fails to put me in the best mood, and I
just want to belt out every song, from “Leavin” to “Body Language” and even “Told
You So.” It’s not heavy on ballads, focusing more on high energy bops that make
you smile.
10.
Hangin Tough—NKOTB. Yes, the album that started my love affair with
NKOTB at the tender age of 6 or so. I had this on cassette, and believe me when
I tell you I wore it out in my troll Walkman (it had HAIR, y’all!). This is one
of the first albums that I remember playing over and over, and believe me when I
tell you that my mama was happy I had that Walkman! Even long after they had
disbanded, and I’d not heard the songs in years, they were so emblazoned in my
memory that when I found the CD in a second hand shop while I was in college, I
still remembered every word to every song. There’s such a sweet feeling of
nostalgia that comes with these songs, and it’s a feeling that has stayed with
me my whole life. With such tracks as “The Right Stuff”, “Please Don’t Go Girl”,
and “I’ll Be Lovin You Forever” the album is basically a pop lover’s dream come
true. These songs are still favorites of mine, especially “Please Don’t Go Girl”,
and I love that I am now able to share these songs that I loved as a child with
my daughter.
11.
Here We Go Again—Joey McIntyre. My love affair
with Joe Mac has gone on since I was 6. As an adult, I still adore him, and
this album is my favorite of his. It’s another album that makes you want to
dance, but there are some hard edged, gritty tracks as well. It’s an EP,
meaning there are less than ten tracks, but he makes the most of those 7
tracks. The first two songs, the title track and “Something Else” are very in
your face and energetic, but my favorite is by far track three, “I’m Waiting.”
Lord have mercy, this is the SEXIEST song I have ever heard in my life. From
the very first second you are lured in, and Joe Mac’s gritty, longing vocals
just set the tone. This album may be
short and sweet, but it packs quite a powerful punch!
12.
Piece by Piece—Kelly Clarkson. Again, my queen.
Of all of Clarkson’s albums, this one makes me the most emotional, probably
because of the title track. It took me a good year before I could listen to the
song without getting choked up. I relate to the song, and the waterworks just
come on automatically when she hits the bridge (Piece by piece I fell far from
the tree/I will never leave her like you left me/And she will never have to
wonder her worth/Because unlike you I’m goin to put her first). There are loads
of great tracks on this album. There are empowering, uplifting songs like “Invincible”,
upbeat bops like “Heartbeat Song” and then power ballads sang like only Kelly can.
I love the duet she does with John Legend, called “Run Run Run”. It’s smooth as
silk, their voices perfectly paired. My other favorite would have to be “Someone”.
The song is an apology to a former lover, after what seems to be a bad breakup
(This is my apology/for saying all those shitty things/I wish I didn’t really
mean/Sorry, I’m not sorry). At the heart of it, it’s about people wanting different
things, with the singer saying that she does hope her former flame finds
someone that will ultimately make him happy. There’s just enough lingering
anger and sadness to keep it from being sappy or longing, and I love that.
There you have it, guys. Twelve of my absolute favorite
albums. I hope you’ll take the time to click the links above, and maybe even
check these albums out for yourself. Music is such a joy in life, and I am
happy to share a bit of what makes me happy with you guys! Until next time, my
friends!
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