SONG #9: Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

Inducted on December 5, 2012

We're now getting to the songs that are indubitably, undeniably, understandably MY songs. No, I didn't write them, but I definitely claim them as my own. If done over, five of the first nine songs in my Hall of Fame probably wouldn't have been inducted so early. BUT - according to my rules - once a song is  inducted, it CANNOT be removed. So "

Crazy is one of three songs in my Hall of Fame that are less than 10 years old. These newer songs have to be incredible to overcome the sentiment that I have for songs that have been with me a lot longer. Obviously I'm not alone in appreciating the song, as it made it all the way to #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 list. The beat, the instrumentation, Cee-los voice, and the lyrics are all key elements that make this song special.

I can't say I can link any particular memories to this song. However, Crazy was released in 2006, as I was about to get married and transition to a new ministry job. So I know it was on the radio a lot as I traveled back in forth to various places in preparation for my life's transitions. It's one of those songs that I'd sit in my car to listen to until it was completely finished. The "inkblot" music video is also one of my favorites.

SONG #8: Robert Miles - Children

May 1, 2012

While most people growing up in the 90s have filed this song away a long time ago, it was a powerful song in my life. The Dreamland album was one of my favorite albums in high school, and was in constant rotation whenever I did my homework. I was 16 at the time of it's release, and I was fascinated by the blend of piano and "dance music". While I was disappointed with Miles' succeeding work, "Children" will always be one of my favorite songs of all time.

SONG #7: Hall & Oates - Maneater

Inducted on May 1, 2012

Inducted May 1, 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRYFKcMa_Ek

This is my most interesting entry. The song wasn't a huge part of my life, but it has certainly  

been in the background over the years. While I find the song to be incredibly catchy, it's in my Hall of Fame because it represents all of Hall & Oates music. Private Eyes, Sara Smile, Kiss on My List, Everytime You Go Away, So Close (Yet So far Away) are all songs that I've enjoyed over the years. 

"Maneater" is still a worthy entry, but again, it doesn't have any connection to specific memories in my life. That's why it feels like an anomaly to me. Ultimately, I'm glad that there has been a lot of Hall & Oates nostalgia lately.

SONG #6: Kelly Clarkson - Stonger (What Doesn't Kill You)

Inducted on April 23, 2012

Wow. What a doozy of a song to induct nearly five months after "Tha Crossroads". Yeah. There are a couple of these sprinkled throughout my list. But listen.. the song was ALL over the place in 2012 when it was released. What? It was released in 2012? What about your "one year" rule, Josh? Well, it wasn't quite established back then. Fortunately, I wouldn't take the song back even if I could. It's a catchy song, and Clarkson's voice is so powerful. I love how they took a common phrase for inspiration and effortlessly worked it into a song. I have a little bias against songs that aren't sung by their writer, but the song is just too good to ignore.

As of November 2014, this is the most recently released song to make my Hall of Fame. As such, I don't think I have as much of an emotional attachment to it as all the others. I just appreciate it as a really good song.

SONG #5: Bone Thugs & Harmony - Tha Crossroads

Is this secretly a parody blog? Are you kidding me? Tha Crossroads, really?
This song was a juggernaut when it came out in 1996. It was on 104.5 ("Sunny FM") almost every 30 minutes. I think the video is what sealed the deal for me as a kid. Many of us, as children - even teenagers, get sheltered from the idea of death and dying, and so the video was strangely interesting to me. I remember feeling incredibly sad every time I watched it. As far as the song goes, the rapping style was really unique (to me), and the refrain was catchy. The tune, lyrics, and the feeling with which they sang/rapped really seemed to match up with what they were talking about. "Can somebody anybody tell me why.. we die we die.. I don't want to die."

SONG #4: Coldplay - Fix You

Inducted on October 13, 2011

This song came out in 2005. I was into my third year of ministry in Adrian, MI, and fell in love with the song at first listen. I didn't think anything could top the "Rush of Blood to the Head" album, and yet Coldplay blew it away with X & Y - particularly with this single and the music video that went along with it. The organ at the beginning, the full force of the bridge ("Tears stream..."), and with the stripped down ending chorus are elements that I appreciate about the song every time I listen.

The Young@Heart cover in 2007 sealed my love for this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-e8LGMPTtE

SONG #3: Puddle of Mudd - Blurry

Inducted on October 12, 2011

This song was released in 2001, and came around during my final year or so of college. You'll find MANY Hall of Fame songs came from my college years. College was such an amazing transition for me, and thus brought about many feelings I'd never experienced before. "Blurry" was one of those songs that just really hit me. I liked the guitar hook to the song, and Wes Scantlin's lazy but angry delivery (is that possible?)  just really got my attention. I believe this song came out during a particular challenging of time of heartbreak for me, and it was on "repeat" many times on my "Winamp" player (blast from the past).

SONG #2: Dire Straits - Walk of Life

Inducted on October 12, 2011

Inducted October 12, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZxVC0GB838

Again, this song hasn't had as strong of a presence in my life as others have, but I have always loved Dire Strait's sound. Walk of Life has been featured in several commercials, and I'll never forget the music video with all the sports bloopers. It evokes a lot of nostalgic feelings inside of me. In hindsight, it's probably not a hall of fame song, but it's still a very good one.

SONG #1: Genesis - Follow You, Follow Me

Inducted October 12, 2011

Surprisingly enough, you'll find that some of the first 10 songs in the Hall of Fame don't have as much meaning in my life as the others. This happened because I was still figuring out my self-imposed rules for the Hall of Fame. I was still wrestling with what truly was a meaningful song in my life.

"Follow You, Follow Me" is one of these songs. Even though it was released in 1978, I did not hear it until the early 2000s. The song was featured on the tv show "Cold Case".  I loved the episode, and I loved how they worked the song into the show. After that, I listened to the song quite frequently. I can't attach any particular memory to the song, but I do find it to be one of the catchiest songs from that era. Phil Collins (and by default, Genesis) will always be one of my favorites. There is no meaning to the fact that this is the first song inducted into the Hall of Fame. It's just a really good song.

My Song Hall Of Fame - The Beginning

I am a music geek through and through... always have been and always will be. Like many people, music moves me, motivates me, inspires me, and forever frames the moments of my life in time.
In the early 90s, I spent a large portion of time in front of my tape player, recording songs off the radio and pretending I was the DJ. In the late 90s and early 00s, napster was my dearest friend. Now?
Well, Spotify dominates my free time. I spend many hours putting songs into lists and scouring Spotify for that next great single.

One of my favorite things to do is to induct songs into my Spotify "Hall of Fame". Chances are... if you take a look at my list, you may not be moved. But (virtually) every song on this list has great meaning to me. So, here are my Hall of Fame rules:
1. The song must be not be newer than a year.
2. Once the song is placed on the list, it may NEVER be removed.
3. No more than one song a month may be inducted. Up to 5 additional songs may be inducted at the end of December.

That's it. In this blog, I'll be sharing what songs are on my list.. and WHY they're on the list.