#62 - "Another Night" by Real McCoy

 "Another Night" — Real McCoy

I find myself getting pretty meta the further along I go in this project. At this point, I end up speaking on at least three levels. First, there's the song itself.. when I listened to it, and how it was an important part of my life. Second, I'm also speaking from the time in which I inducted the song into the hall of fame, because sometimes that's important too. There's a third level, but I can't remember what it is.. even though that was the whole reason I brought this up to begin with. Maybe I'll remember as I go. Anyway, this does get a bit complicated, writing this journal on so many different levels.

This song, "Another Night" by Real McCoy, is from my junior high/high school era.. I'll have to look up exactly when that was. It was really when I discovered a great love for dance music with a fast beat and a lot of synthesizers. I listened to La Bouche's "Be My Lover" around the same time, I'm pretty sure. There's something special about that particular type of music.. I just love 90s dance music.

Now, again, I didn't have a very exciting life in those years, and I do think it's a hole in my heart that I'll carry with me when I die (though I won't have to worry about it anymore once I'm with Jesus). But I still carry the wounds of not finding my place, and not feeling like I had a spot to fit into. To be honest, all I really remember specifically about this song is lying in my bed, listening to it... and to La Bouche... and dreaming. Just dreaming about having a better life, dreaming about fitting in, dreaming about having a girlfriend. So listening to that song certainly takes me back to those emotions and feelings, although they've dulled a little bit over time.

Let's talk a little about the song itself. The repetitious nature of a dance song is something I love. I'm in a faith community with a lot of traditional people who listen to older hymns and songs, and I'm surrounded by people who don't always love repetitious songs and choruses, and I just can't relate. I don't know what it is about repetition that I appreciate.. maybe it's just that it's comforting to me. I don't know. But that's a key aspect of this song. The refrain is beautifully sung, and it just gives me this feeling of whimsy and possibility and hope and love.. all the things I wished I had, as a young man who just laid in his room a lot.

Well, let me get back to that meta stuff again, because as I'm writing these entries, I'm getting incredibly nostalgic. And I think there's some healing taking place even as I write this. I've thought about all these feelings over the years as I've processed it, but writing this is helping me maybe come to some peace about it.

About my childhood... I'll say it again... I had wonderful, loving parents, a normal relationship with a sibling, and some great teachers. But I was just a freaking awkward kid.

#61 - "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind

"Jumper" — Third Eye Blind

Concordia Era

Okay, so now we're moving into my college era — and specifically, my freshman year. That could honestly be its own era all on its own. That first year of college was an incredible, eye-opening experience. It was a whirlwind of emotions for me. I don't remember if this song came out in the fall or the spring of that year — I'll have to do some extra homework on that one — but regardless, it was absolutely part of the soundtrack of that year for me.

The song is "Jumper." I don't always fully dig into or analyze lyrics the way some people do, but even I could tell what this one was about. And as someone who genuinely thought about taking his life more than a few times — especially in those high school years — I could truly resonate with it. Now, don't get me wrong: I never had a plan, and there's no way in hell I actually would have done it, in high school or college. But it was still a constant, quiet thread running through my brain. If you've read the first fifty-some entries in this project, you already know — I'm someone who has struggled to find his place starting from a very young age.

This song means a lot to me specifically because of one line: "I wish you would step off of that ledge, my friend." It's the most prominent line in the song, and it drives the rest of the song, undoubtedly. The music itself is great, too — it starts with just the singer and a guitar, and it builds and builds. Verse, refrain, verse, refrain — all of it catchy. But what I really love is the interlude. It's dialed way down at the start and ramps back up as it moves forward. By the end, it's stripped down to just a snare drum, fading out. I really appreciate how the song is constructed — it fits the theme perfectly.

Maybe this is a good chance to share a little bit about that freshman year. I can still put myself back in the car, heading to Concordia — sitting in the back seat while my parents rode up front, my stuff packed around me. It was quiet, honestly. This was a new start to my life. I was nervous about my roommate — I had no idea what they'd be like, or if we'd get along. Turns out it's been a lifelong friendship I'm still eternally grateful for.

You'll hear more of these stories, especially with another song coming up where I'll get into those first two years in more detail. But I remember, in that moment, being scared, excited, thrilled, and shy — all of it at once. I clung close to my comfort zone, like I always have. But I also learned a bit more about how to socialize and connect with other people, and it was a kind of belonging I hadn't experienced before — even though I still felt very much on the outside.

I remember leaning a lot on a friend from high school - especially during that first week or two of getting oriented at Concordia. I followed his lead when it came to energy and excitement. I gave a lot of high-fives to people, if I'm honest. I don't know if that was genuinely me, or if I was being a bit of a chameleon, copying everything he did. But I'll tell you.. that's still part of who I am to this day.

Anyway, I remember feeling a sense of new opportunity - like maybe I wasn't stuck feeling lonely and ignored the way I had in high school. Maybe I wasn't stuck feeling like someone with nothing to offer, no talents, no skills, the way I sometimes felt back then. And when a song like this would play in my dorm room, I had this sense of hope — that I could step back from the ledge. I'm not quite sure I was fully off that ledge yet. There's more to explore there, and I have no doubt we'll get to it down the road.

I'm hoping to bring more narrative into these entries as I go, and the next group of songs will definitely be full of story. But this one — this song brings me right back to that initial time at college.

Top 200 - August 2026

 Antti Paalanen - Takatukka

Twenty One Pilots - Drag Path

Hulvey,Connor Price - AUTOMATIC

Downstait - Follow Me

J Payne,Crazy J,Man Of War,Braille - Purge 'til Pure

UNSECRET,Sam Tinnesz - Supernova

Dark Intensity,Melissa Bonilla - Ecuador (Feel Good)

Unspoken - Walk With Me

Crooked Fingers,Matt Berninger - From All Ways

Ava Max - KiLL iT QUEEN

Sudden Lights,NOËP - it drives me (out of my mind)

Vanessa Carlton - Great House

Colony House - Burn in the Rain

Johnny Rich,TwoYearOldBear - Drivers Seat

Charlie Puth,Hikaru Utada - Home (feat. Hikaru Utada)

Alan Walker,Emyrson Flora - Monster

Tommee Profitt,Crowder - There Is Power

Arkells,GROUPLOVE - Ride

Scrawny - Nobody But You

Thunderstorm Artis,Iam Tongi - Island Style

Monocule,WHAT EVA,Nicky Romero - The Other Side

Martin Garrix - Catharina

Adelitas Way,Sam Tinnesz - On The Line

Glenn Morrison,Night Waves - been there before - Radio Mix

Calvin Harris,Kasabian - Release The Pressure - Brutal Edit

Brothers Page - Ü

MAAPS,Zak Abel - Ghosts

Reckless Anxiety,M-Cray - Riot

Kacey Musgraves - Dry Spell

Freya Ridings - I Have Always Loved You

Gravagerz,GRAHAM - Not My Problem

Rend Collective - Salt And Light

Noam Bettan,כאן - תאגיד השידור הישראלי - Michelle

Bebe Rexha,Faithless - New Religion

Valerie Broussard - The Good Guy

Tyson James - Never Sell My Soul

Jervis Campbell - belief

Cochren & Co. - Stand My Ground

Voices of Fire,Pharrell Williams,Teddy Swims - WON'T HE DO IT? (FEAT. TEDDY SWIMS)

Shaya Zamora - Evil Against Me

The Neighbourhood - Start

Michael W. Smith - Hymn For Communion

Tommy Cash - Figaro

The Strike - Famous

Jelly Roll,Carín León,FIFA Sound - Lighter

Attaboy - Carefree in the Chaos

Sawyer Hill - Look At The Time

Faouzia - UNETHICAL

ILLENIUM,David Guetta,Dustin Lynch - Die Living

Nickelback - Bones For The Crows

Armin van Buuren,Alle Farben,ROSY - Lost In Time

Haddaway - I Wanna Be For You

Alok,Khalid - Dive Into Me

Slow Magic,Elohim - Lost

David Gray - Alive

Timmy Trumpet,Oaks - Not A Place (feat. Oaks)

Zusha - Pull Me Through

The Echoing Green - I Know Right

Ryan Stevenson - This I Know

Mike Posner,David Guetta - I Went Back To Ibiza

Forrest Frank,PARTY WAVE - SOS

The Milk Carton Kids - I'll Go Home From Here

MOTi,TEN TIMES,Amero,Pawl - Waitlist

OneRepublic - Need Your Love

MvkeyyJ,Jung Youth - Warning Signs

Tyson James - Pressure Makes Diamonds

Teddy Swims - Mr. Know It All

Strings & Heart - eyes on Him

Eden Joel - Dogpile

Mat Kearney - Catch A Fire

Arkells - Imagine Barcelona

Yoshi 2.0 - One Day or Day One

2 CLEVER,M-Cray - Vamoose

Fastball - Let Me Love You

KALUSH - Пів серця на винос

Kodaline - We Were Only Young

The Elovaters,Bryce Vine - Pockets Full Of Sand (with Bryce Vine)

Reach NYC,P.O.D. - I Should Have Known

Jack Johnson - Rodeo Clowns - 4-track

Dylan Dunlap - We've Arrived

Sir Ivan,Alex M.O.R.P.H. - Love Is The Piece - Alex M.O.R.P.H. Extended Remix

KOZAK SIROMAHA - Добра

Angelique Kidjo,Pharrell Williams,Quavo - Bando (feat. Pharrell Williams & Quavo)

Old Crow Medicine Show,Del McCoury,Ronnie McCoury,Molly Tuttle - My Side of the Mountain

Marty,Fern,Social Club Misfits - CUT THE CHECK!

Duran Duran,Nile Rodgers - Free to Love

alyona alyona - Ми залишимось людьми

William Prince - Lighthearted

Kareyce Fotso,Blick Bassy,Romain Jovion - Power

Dylan Scott - Slow Down Ol' Son

Käärijä,Basshunter - Ja Eller Nej

Ryan Oakes,MISSIO - SUPERNATURAL

Beach Vacation - Time Alone

Lukas Graham - To Know A Girl

Citycreed - I Burn Everything I Touch

MOTi - Last Train

R3HAB,Orem - Watch my heart go...

The Afters - New Day, New Life

VOILÀ - Tightrope Walker

Armin van Buuren,Argy,Marlo Rex - Like A Child

The Aces,Audiotree - You Got Me - Audiotree Live Version

Connor Price,Nic D - Old Ways

Foo Fighters - Window

M-Cray - Handle Business

Muse - Cryogen

Sheppard - Sayonara

The Chainsmokers,Oaks - Already Know

Kygo,Khalid,Gryffin,MEDUZA - Save My Love - MEDUZA Remix

The Tragically Hip,City and Colour,Ruby Waters,Canada Soccer,Boi-1da - AHEAD BY A CENTURY

Fozzy - I Know Evil

John Newman - Merry Go

Kacey Musgraves,Gregory Alan Isakov - Coyote (feat. Gregory Alan Isakov)

Giant Rooks - Want It Back - Homecoming Version

M.I.A.,Sunday Service Choir - CALLING

Daði Freyr - I'm Out and I Wanna Go Home

UNSECRET,Wil Merrell - All Around The World

TALK - Time Machine

Lewis Capaldi - Stay Love

Juliana,Chromeo - La Primera Vez - Remix

KB,Aklesso,Terrian - LEFT HAND (feat. Terrian)

Blasterjaxx,Timmy Trumpet - Narco

AMH - End of Beginning

RND - WILDIN'

Andrew Ripp,Jervis Campbell - Hold Me Up

Michigander - I'll Be OK

Oliver Anthony Music - Scornful Woman

Fabrizio - Lady of the Moon

Eva Marija - Mother Nature

Alis - Nân

Atvara - Ēnā

Sal Da Vinci - Per sempre sì

Two Friends,Tyler Braden,Lindsey Stirling - Don't You Blink

Michigander - Freaking Out

The Chainsmokers,Oaks - Love Is Kind

K-391 - SUNSHINE

Myles Smith - Hold Me In The Dark

Kaskade,Layton Giordani,Natalie Jane - Meet Again

Connor Price,Nic D - 100 Problems

R3HAB - More than enough...

Ziferblat - Практика

Red Sebastian - CHAMPION

GRAHAM - Missing Me

Crobot - Girl from Another World

Lady Gaga - Shape of a Woman

Johnny Cutt,Futuristic - Olé

KAJ - Economy PLUS

AJ Smith - Rest of Your Life

Switchfoot - Absolution

The Strokes - Falling out of Love

Vice,Aloe Blacc - Follow Me - Radio Edit

Peyton Parrish - Catch up to You

Oliver Hazard - Sentimental

LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER - Night or Day

The Score - Visions

House of Purpose - Rebuke Satan

Manchester Orchestra - The Grocery - Union Chapel, London, England

Saliva,Trevor McNevan,Thousand Foot Krutch,Judge & Jury - Cope

Dennis Lloyd - A Place I'm Calling Home

Morgan Page - Overdrive

Royal Deluxe - I Want It Now

Tommy Royale,KB - Glory Down

Kaleena Zanders - ANYTHING GOES

Metric - Antigravity

Hallmore - Moved On

Elisa - Amore è

Julia Westlin - Muddy Waters

JJ - Unknown

Zoë Më - Jamais Été (Cool)

DARA - Bangaranga

N-Tone,EMMY - Battle

Medina - Viva L’Amor

Lilla Al-Fadji - Delulu

Greczula - Half Of Me

Paradox,Dj Sean P,Liz Vice - Father

Shakira,Burna Boy - Dai Dai

Cade Thompson - One Day At A Time

Alan Walker,Sorana - Eroina

Cochren & Co. - Runs In The Blood

William Toll,Jimmy Clifton,Haddon - Here I Am

Young the Giant - The Garden

Cheat Codes,Good Humans - End of Time

The North Country - Once The War Has Ended

Muse - Hexagons

Kygo,Dan Tyminski - Heaven On Your Mind

The Script - Man in the Arena

Goober Beatz - House Of The Rising Sun - Banjo Bard Metal

Bebe Rexha,David Guetta - Sad Girls

Scripture Says,DC3 - Warrior

Faouzia - BIRTHDAY

Jason Mraz - Turn Your Radio On

Andy Mineo,Wordsplayed,Magic & Bird - ABOVE IT

Against The Current - Dead Man Walking

Andrea Bocelli,David Guetta,EJAE,Megan Thee Stallion - DNA (More Than A Game)

Fabrizio - Before The Soul Goes To Waste

Faouzia - we'll have a family someday

Tom Odell,The Lumineers - Old Lovers (feat. The Lumineers)

TobyMac,Third Day - Campfire (That Very Love) (with Third Day)

The Revivalists - Get It Honest

Alesso,OneRepublic - In Your Eyes

Evanescence - Tell Me When You've Had Enough

Semisonic - Don't Give Up Yet

Thomas James Winterstein - Amazing Grace

Desmond Child,The Rasmus - Livin' In A World Without You (feat. The Rasmus)

Collective Soul - Again

Swedish House Mafia,Lykke Li - Happiness Is So Sad

Ellie Goulding - Ravers

Marshmello,Viperactive - How I Feel

Mat Kearney - Weakness

Dax - Happy Wife, Happy Life

Alan Walker,刘宇,Chuanzi - Golden Bird

Armin van Buuren,Dan Harrison - I Live For That Energy (ASOT 800 Anthem) - Dan Harrison Remix

Brandon Flowers - Tiger's Blood

KAROL G,Bruno Mars - Still

Timmy Trumpet,Moa Lisa - Wanna Be Loved (feat. Moa Lisa)

Rev Theory - I Don't Want To Be

Home Free,The Wellermen - Parked out by the Lake

Kakkmaddafakka - Purple Rain

Empire Of The Sun,Myd - Walking On A Dream - Myd Remix

The Head And The Heart - The Swimming Song

Tyson James,Xerogangg - Dangerous

Kasabian - NOTHING BETTER THAN THIS

for KING & COUNTRY - alle

Phillip Phillips - Remember Me

James Blunt - Tastes Like Summer

Tommee Profitt - bloom.

Ollie G,Nova Rockafeller,Zolo,Granny - HeartBeat

Armin van Buuren,Diøn,Scrufizzer - Burn It Up

The Script - Grow Old with Grace

Moby,Jacob Lusk,BLOND:ISH,Kiko Franco - Natural Blues (TECIE)

Nina Simone,Antdot - Work Song - Antdot Remix

Skillet - Lift Me Up

Passenger - It Was Gonna Be You

The Mills Brothers - Tiger Rag

Nini Music,KUULAR - Victorious

Martin Garrix,U2 - Fireflies

Florrie,St. Lucia - Malibu (Falling Over The Edge) - St. Lucia Remix

Micky Dolenz - Waiting For Day

Mumford & Sons,Chris Stapleton - Here (with Chris Stapleton)

Ellie Holcomb - What Would I Do Without You