Ever since I can remember, music has always been a huge part of my life. I love listening to music, no matter what the occasion. A car ride without the radio blasting sounds like a nightmare, a shower without some tunes is boring, and walks would be pointless without a soundtrack. I also grew up playing instruments and singing, from middle school choir to classical compositions on piano and learning my favorite songs on guitar. Don’t even get me started on live music — before the pandemic, concerts were my one true happy place. You could pretty much guarantee that I’d be at any show within a 3-hour driving radius. Music isn’t just a personal experience for me, though. Music is also how I best connect with people. Whether it’s exchanging playlists with friends or making new friends at shows, I love seeing the world through someone else’s music taste. So this week, I’ve compiled a few of the best music recommendations I’ve received from others. I hope that you enjoy these recommendations as much as I have!
“Coming Soon,” Annie DiRusso
This song was recommended to me by a close friend of mine with whom I frequently discuss music and go to concerts. Most of the time we’ll send each other a one-off song recommendation or ask if the other has heard new music by our favorite artists, but we also exchange playlists from time to time. During school breaks and time away from campus due to the pandemic we would sometimes exchange letters, and every so often we would include song recommendations or playlists in those letters. Every time she suggests music, I make a playlist of the songs on Spotify so I can always listen to them and remember that I found them through her. I love talking about music with her and although we have far too many great memories together to count, a few of our best memories center around our shared love of music. This song was part of a recent collection of songs she recommended I check out, and it has quickly become one of my all-time favorite songs. With college graduation rapidly approaching and me being a long-time sufferer of gifted-child syndrome, this song really hits hard. If you’re going through tough times and feel like things couldn’t possibly get any worse as barely an adult, you’re not alone and this song is just what you need.
Is This It, The Strokes
Way back in freshman year of high school, I started working at a small hardware store in my hometown. I found out about the job because my dad knew the owner and was a regular at the store, and when my mom dropped me off for my first shift at 14 years old I had no idea what was to come. It’s been just over seven years, and I still go back to work there on school breaks. That’s not because I love the work I do there (while it’s a great job, working retail is never the dream), but because of all the people I met working there. My favorite part of the job has always been my coworkers, and it’s what keeps me coming back to work and visit whenever I’m home. I’ve grown closer with most of my coworkers over the years, but one of the first friends I made at work was someone who was also really into music. We would exchange CDs and recommend songs to each other on scraps of receipt paper. Our music tastes didn’t always align, but it was still super fun and I used to look forward to swapping music and discussing what we thought about the last round of recommendations. It’s one of my favorite memories from all my years at the job. One of the albums that he suggested I listen to was Is This It, and I immediately fell in love. There is not a single bad track on the whole album. All these years later and it’s one of my go-to albums when I don’t know what to listen to and just want some feel-good songs; it’s impossible to not dance around when this album comes on. I love the rock sound, determined beat, and vintage-microphone vocals. Not only is the album a masterpiece on its own, but it has really positive associations for me, so it always lifts my mood when I listen to it.
“Honky Cat,” Elton John
If you know me, you know that I love Elton John. I own countless records, have watched the musical biopic more times than I can count, and read his autobiography. It all started with one song, “Honky Cat,” which I had to learn to play on piano for a music group I was a part of in high school. Although the song was extremely challenging for me and even more terrifying to perform (have you heard the piano solo?), it was also some of the most fun I’ve ever had playing an instrument. From the moment I sat down to sight-read the piece, I knew it would be one of my favorites. In a way, it reminded me why I loved playing piano so much. The energy that resonates from the song is inexplicable: I cannot make it through this song without smiling and being filled with a warm, happy feeling. I have incredibly fond memories of my time in the high school rock ensemble, and this song brings me right back to the fun we had and the people I was able to have it with. Before playing this song with the group, I knew the popular Elton John tunes that played on the radio, but that was about it. I’m so glad this song came into my life, allowing me a beautiful experience I’ll always remember and sparking a long-lasting love of the artist.
“Polaroid,” Imagine Dragons
I will be the first to let you know that I have never been a really big fan of Imagine Dragons. There’s no particular reason why, their music is just usually not my vibe. However, there is a reason why this particular Imagine Dragons song is one of my best song recommendations. When I was 16, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Europe for a few weeks in the summer as part of a music performance program, and during it, I met one of my best friends. The program was made up of students from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Nevada. By some stroke of luck, I ended up becoming close with a group of kids from Nevada. I’m still good friends with one of them, and he is the one who first played this song for me. As the trip drew to a close, our little group kind of adopted this song as our anthem and way of saying goodbye to each other and to all of the amazing experiences we had had during our short time together. The song has a great flow and rhythm, and the lyrics are filled with emotion. Even if you are also not a listener of the band, this is your sign to give a song out of your comfort zone a chance. You never know, it could end up being a favorite of yours!
“A Little Opera Goes A Long Way,” Sky Sailing
This song is bittersweet for me; a former best friend showed me this song, and it was one of my favorites for a while in my first few years of highschool. Before thinking up songs for this article, it had been a long time (we’re talking years) since I had listened to “A Little Opera Goes A Long Way,” and I’m so glad that this article brought this song back to me. Overall, the sound is extremely peaceful and comforting, with sweet, supportive lyrics that have just a hint of romance. It’s pretty simple instrumentally, with just an acoustic guitar accompaniment for most of the song, which adds to the quiet, intimate feel. This song simultaneously makes me want to smile and cry, in the best way: it’s so soft and emotional while also being a little bit silly and nonsensical. All in all, I’d say that “A Little Opera Goes A Long Way” is a laid-back tune that weaves together charm and subtle sadness with minimalistic acoustics to create a masterpiece that feels like home.
Obviously, these songs all have a lot of emotion and meaning attached to them for me personally, but I am also passing along these recommendations because the music itself is great. Even if you can’t relate to my memories and experiences, I hope you find a new song, album, or artist to listen to!
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