If someone were to venture through my Spotify, they would find over 3,000 liked songs and nearly 300 playlists, most of which are over 15 hours in length. I constantly have something playing through my earbuds, and when I’m driving, the car doesn’t leave the parking space until the right song is chosen.
To put it lightly, I am just like my dad, in the sense that I have had a passion for music ever since I can remember. Not in the sense that I get a sense of meaning from playing songs on a guitar or piano, but in the sense that music is one of the most beautiful and extraordinary gifts this world has been given.
I am such a firm believer in the fact that music is a window into one’s soul and can tell you so much about someone. I love listening to music with people, and I love learning what people’s favorite songs are and why that is. Music is something I think can be talked about for hours and hours and something that is such an intimate, personal experience as well as a beautiful, connecting, communal one. That being said, here is my top five, personal, no-skip desert island mixtape of albums I could listen to on repeat forever and ever.
5. Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
Already this album is TIMELESS, and there’s a reason why it’s one of the most influential albums of its time. The context of the drama and tensions that were going on behind the scenes make it so incredibly complex with such an enriched history that still leaves people speechless and in awe. There are so many incredible songs on here, but some of my favorites are “Silver Springs”, “Dreams”, “Gold Dust Woman”, and “The Chain”.
4. I Love You – The Neighbourhood
This album is probably one of the most nostalgic pieces of music that’s been created, as The Neighbourhood was my all-time favorite band throughout late middle school and high school. This is still one of my favorite “Tumblr-esque” 2010 “pop alternative” albums and catapulted me to seek a lot of other better and older grunge bands. Ultimately though, this album still holds some pretty solid bangers for me, with some favorites being “How”, “Alleyways”, “Afraid”, and “Let it Go”.
3. Punisher – Phoebe Bridgers
Nothing radiates comfort for me as this album does. Phoebe ruled my Spotify for pretty much all of my sophomore year of high school, and I know this album forward and backward. The simplicity and poetry of her lyrics and sounds make this one of the most beautiful yet relatable and just overall incredible albums I’ve heard. While I also adore all of Phoebe Bridger’s other works and projects, there’s just something about Punisher that brings me an immense amount of comfort. Some of my favorites here are “Moon Song”, “Halloween”, “I Know the End”, and “Graceland Too”.
2. Speak For Yourself – Imogen Heap
This is an album that I discovered recently but have always known. I first discovered Imogen Heap’s music through her band Frou Frou when I was really little because my mom liked her band. This year, as I was rediscovering a lot of old artists, I stumbled upon her and went down a full headfirst deep dive into her work, and this piece is incredible. She managed to create the most beautiful uses of old 2000s techno with powerful poetry and beyond-interesting sounds. My favorites of the album are “Headlock”, “Hide and Seek”, “Daylight Robbery”, and “Loose Ends”.
1. Grace – Jeff Buckley
Nothing, I repeat nothing compares to the beauty and power this album has. I first listened to Grace on my floor, probably at like 11:00 p.m. with my dad’s old CD player and Grace on CD. At first, I didn’t get it, but Jeff Buckley’s version completely brought 14-year-old me to tears every time I heard it. I then rediscovered it in high school and realized what a gem this album is. The sound, the poetry, the yearning, it’s unbelievable how incredible it is. Some of my favorite songs off the album are “Last Goodbye”, “Dream Brother”, “Lover You Should’ve Come Over”, and “So Real”.
There’s so much music out in the world and so much beauty in all of it and in how it makes us humans react. I absolutely cannot imagine a world where music wasn’t a part of it.