#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

Top 200 - Current - July 2025

HERE'S THE MOST CURRENT VERSION OF MY TOP 200: 

Lady Gaga - Vanish Into You

Mumford & Sons - Rushmere

Revenge Wife - Waste of Tears (Cry All Summer)

Little Dume - Human

Anne-Marie - Don't Panic

Denison Witmer,Sufjan Stevens - Shade I'll Never See

SYML - Carry No Thing

Old Sea Brigade - Distant Skies

Joshua Leventhal - Nosferatu

Nathan Evans,SAINT PHNX - Home

Blessing Offor - Lift Me Up

OK Go - Take Me with You

WildTribe,KPR,Beacon Light - I'm The Only One

PVRIS,Courtney LaPlante - My House - feat. Courtney LaPlante

Anyma,Ellie Goulding - Hypnotized (feat. Ellie Goulding)

Calvin Harris,Ellie Goulding - Free (with Ellie Goulding)

Killian Scott - Eurydice - Killian's Version

Kakkmaddafakka - Head In My Hands

Vian Izak - My Dear Friend

Tiësto,Dyzen - All Right

Chappell Roan - California

Wilder Woods - Hide Anymore

The Black Keys - The Night Before

Anna Yvette,Laura Brehm - The Looking Glass

VOILÀ - Something Blue

Katanak - Holding out for Gold

Benjamin Carter - Sticks n' Stones

Jon Foreman - Where The Sidewalk Ends

Cold War Kids - Meditations

Scrawny - Carnival Crew

Kevin Olusola - Dark Winter

Sutej Singh - Oceans Apart

Kalush Orchestra - Сліди

To Kill A King,Bastille - Spiralling (Feat. Bastille)

The Rasmus - Creatures of Chaos

Vieux Farka Touré,Khruangbin - Diarabi

Blick Bassy - Mama

Mical Teja - D N A

Mounim Slimani - Riwayti

The Gray Havens - Ordinary Miracle

Retrofile - Feeling Blue

Rise Against - Prizefighter

Lights - WHITE PAPER PALM TREES

Liz Fulmer - I Prayed

Harsh Language - Radio.Silence

Declan J Donovan - Hungry Heart

Ed Sheeran - Azizam

Miley Cyrus - End of the World

Stromae,Pomme,Coldplay,Elyanna,Arcane,League of Legends - Ma Meilleure Ennemie ft. Coldplay

Calum Scott - God Knows

Bruce Springsteen - Rain in the River

Rudimental,Khalid - All I Know (with Khalid)

Alesso,Becky Hill - Surrender

Dax - God's Eyes

Michael W. Smith - Arms Around The Sun

VLADA K,KALUSH - ДИВАКИ

Jelly Roll - Dreams Don’t Die

Marlon Williams,Lorde - Kāhore He Manu E

Volbeat - By a Monster’s Hand

Daði Freyr - I Don't Wanna Talk

Shaboozey,Myles Smith - Blink Twice

Kevin Olusola - Smile

The Warning - Hell You Call A Dream

The Royal Foundry - I Don’t Wanna Talk

KUILL - Every Version of You

Moon Taxi - Hall Of Fame

Kasabian - Italian Horror

OneRepublic - Invincible - from Kaiju No. 8

Coldplay,TWICE,Burna Boy,Elyanna,TINI,Little Simz - WE PRAY - TWICE Version

Peanut Butter Mosquito (PBM) - Do It Again

Lukas Graham - You You You

Fozzy - Fall In Line

Monotronic - Everything Moves

Tara Lily - South Bombay

KAJ - Bara Bada Bastu

BIA - Northern Lights

Erland,Yuerd - Utopia

TEN TIMES,Erlandsson,Leo Dante - The Other Side

Chris Harms - I Love You

FLAME - Read Em All

Alex Warren - Ordinary

Thunderstorm Artis - Stronger

AMH - Please Be Okay

Jon Bellion,Luke Combs - WHY (feat. Luke Combs)

Shawn Hook - Lie

Bryan Adams - Never Ever Let You Go

Drew Sycamore - Another Lovesong

Sons Of The East - Rescue Me

Lord Huron - Looking Back

Julia Michaels - Try Your Luck

Sam Ryder - OH OK

In Paradise - The Fighters (Synth Version)

Panda Strike - 4th of July

David Archuleta,Haylee Wood - Crème Brulée - Haylee Wood Remix

Hunter Brothers,Shantaia - Better Days

Tyson James - Twisted

Monocule,LEØN,Aeni,Nicky Romero - Now I See You

Gorgon City,Caroline Byrne - Run It Back (feat. Caroline Byrne) - Drum & Bass Edit

KALEO - Bloodline

Avicii,Elle King - Let's Ride Away

Dax,Maverick City Music,Nick Day - Lonely Dirt Road

Louane - maman - English Version

In Color - Headlights

Rachael Lampa - Superpowers

Crash Adams - New Heart

Alan Walker - Me, Myself and The Night

Ben Rector,Mat Kearney - Praying For Me

Michigander,Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Spitting Image (with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness)

The Offspring - Ok, But This Is The Last Time

Fastball - I'll Be On My Way

Yellowcard - Better Days

Styx - Build And Destroy

Ron Killings - When It All Adds Up

Anson Seabra - Peter Pan Was Right

Livingston - Nightlight

Olly Alexander (Years & Years) - When We Kiss

JJ - Wasted Love

Yuval Raphael,כאן - תאגיד השידור הישראלי - New Day Will Rise

Tommy Cash - Espresso Macchiato

Shkodra Elektronike - Zjerm

Zoë Më - Voyage

Claude - C'est La Vie

Tautumeitas - Bur man laimi

Abor & Tynna - Baller

Laura Thorn - La poupée monte le son

Sissal - Hallucination

Melody - Esa Diva

EMMY - Laika Party

Connor Price,Nic D - Too Easy

South Arcade - Supermodels

Sean Rodriguez,Disciple - It Is Finished - Radio Edit

Tophouse - The Mountain Song

Benjamin Dakota Rogers - Maggie

Dog Mountain - Frame

bRADFORd - Golden Pearls

Kati Holland - Deep Blue

Marshmello,Ellie Goulding,AVAION - Save My Love (with Ellie Goulding & AVAION)

Andy Grammer - Magic

Cheat Codes,Julia Church - Modern Tragedy

David Kushner - Love Worth Saving

Connor Price,Hoodie Allen - PULL UP

BANNERS - Fall on Me

Benson Boone - Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else

Mat Kearney - Is It Just Me

King Stingray - Milkumana

The Civil Wars - Dust to Dust

Smushie - Irv Ziegler (Gets a Hole in One)

Mac Saturn - Mr. Cadillac

yung kai - blue

The Black Moods - Daylight

Black - Wonderful Life

Michael Minelli - Memories We'll Never Make

sapientdream,Slushii - Past Lives

Johnnyswim - Alchemy

NF,Julia Michaels - GONE

Brand New Trash,Stefanie Clark Harris - Help Sometimes

Tommee Profitt,Stanaj,Staarz - Fix You

FIFA Sound,Pitbull,RedOne - We Will Rock You (2025 FIFA Club World Cup Theme Song) feat. Pitbull x RedOne

Shouse,Vance Joy - Wherever You Are

Jacob lodice,Benjamin Carter - Faith

Kevin Olusola - Hallelujah at Howard University

Natural State - Collide

JJ,CYRIL - Wasted Love - CYRIL Remix

Jasmine Thompson - Did I Miss It

DYSTINCT,Faouzia - BAYNA

Cesare Cremonini,Elisa - Nonostante Tutto (feat. Elisa)

Nathan Timothy - Back to Zero

Twenty One Pilots - The Contract

Mt. Joy - She Wants To Go Dancing

Actve Captve - Roses or Blood

Adam Chance,The Hound + The Fox - Hunting the Wren

John Oates,Lawrence - Enough Is Enough

Milky Chance - Passion

Matt Berninger - Bonnet Of Pins

Playing For Change,Christone  Kingfish  Ingram,Keb' Mo',Sierra Hull - Crossroads

The Darkness - Walking Through Fire

Matt the Electrician - The Ocean Knocked Me Down

Dustbowl Revival,Ivan Neville - Oh! Darling

Nathan Graham - Somebody Else

Buffalo Rose - Solid Ground

The Milk Carton Kids - Michigan

Willi Carlisle - Work is Work

American Aquarium - Before The Dogwood Blooms

Peach Fuzz - Push It Away

AWOLNATION - Found Atlas

Swedish House Mafia - Wait So Long

Daya - Demise

LO CLOUD - Medicate

Kalush Orchestra - Ностальгія

Noah Cyrus,Ella Langley - Way Of The World (feat. Ella Langley)

Declan J Donovan - Life Or Death

Steven Malcolm,for KING & COUNTRY,KB - Yes

Dean Lewis - Hurt So Bad

Scrawny - breathe.

Jervis Campbell - move on

AJR - Betty

Two Friends,Corbyn Besson - No One Else (Feat. Corbyn Besson)

In Paradise - Just Got Better

Darth Marley,Rev Theory - Not Today

Hardwell,Atmozfears,Jaimes - Hideaway

Miranda Lambert,Chris Stapleton - A Song To Sing

Robert Grace,Ryan Mack - Next To You

Scary Kids Scaring Kids,Emery,Toby Morrell - Aftermath

The Hives - Legalize Living

Muse - Unravelling

Bruce Springsteen - Secret Garden

The Fray - My Heart's A Crowded Room

Bleeker - Let's Go

Joint Operation - No Good

SONG #68: Vance Joy - Riptide

This song is another somewhat surprising entry on my list, specifically how quickly it made it into the hall of fame. After its release date.I'll be honest sometimes if I don't have some strong candidates in my mind for a hall of fame song.  , when it comes time to induct at the beginning of the month. I'll scan through my liyes. Add sometimes come to a gut decision. so the century may have a little recency by us to it. , but I still think it is a worthy entry into my hall of fame.  It was released in 2013. And I don't have the exact records of when I started listening to it. But.

I can't imagine it was much later from its release date.. Vance joy is a delight.  I really love his unique style of song. Writing the instrumentation on his songs which essentially.

Is a is Jay and Lynn. I don't know what that is to be accomplay. The artist. anyway. This is also an example of a song that I have no freaking clue what it's about.  . I really haven't taken the time to analyze or at the very least. Look up on Google the suggested meaning of this song PERIOD Maybe something about a girl who is captivating. Add is on the brink of fame like Michelle Pfeiffer whose name he drops. it really boggles my mind, and I'm not sure how reliable the lyrics actually are to the average listener. this is clearly an example of a very personal.  Song with the lot of inside meaning to him.But that's the mystery of music, that's such a personal song could be embraced by the average listener. we can still connect and relate to the emotion of a song and the.  Timber of a song at the general feel of the lyrics. and so that is really what's catchy to me. especially the refrain. He is just so incredibly passionate and.  That makes it such a listen to bowl song for me. I have no major memories of the song, except listening to it at a time when my family was almost complete with Ethan being 3 to 4 years old and Jonah just being born.  Perhaps down the road. I'll have additional things to say about this song as I listen to it even More but For Now, I just put it in the Hall Of Fame as a Beautiful song that struck my Heart made an impression on me for that. . of time after it was released.  .There are other Vance joy songs that I've listened to. And he is an artist that I hope has a very long career. And I'll be able to put another one of his songs in the hall of fame.

Song #60: Blessid Union of Souls - I Believe

Inducted on Dec. 31, 2016

The Teen Era 

Based on my "The Eras of my life" post, you can tell that a major transition point in my life came when I started ninth grade. There were no more grades for me to attend at St. John's Lutheran School, so I had to go into a public school. While it seemed like my other Christian School classmates did a good job of making the transition into 9th grade, I really flailed around. Three highlights come to mind right away.

First, the junior high had lockers with combination locks. I gave the combination lock a shot a few times and could never get it to work. I think I was so scared of standing out that once I had it in my mind that I was never going to get it open, I just stopped trying, so I ended up carrying ALL of my books in my book bag. On one hand, I think "why couldn't my parents have figured this out and helped intervene?". But now as a parent, I realize how little I truly know about what goes on at school with my kids, and for the sake of getting too philisophical, I'd just chalk it up again as "a product of sin" and having to separate from our family in order to "till the soil". So I don't blame my parents. I pray that my kids don't blame me so much as well, but I don't blame them if they do. Perhaps, if I was a blaming kind of guy, I would point fingers at administration, teachers, and/or counselors to identify me as someone who was having trouble transitioning to the school, but blaming them won't help anyone, that's for sure. 

The second highlight of my transition challenges involved the school cafeteria. There were too places to get your food. On one side of the cafeteria was the hot lunch area. To me, it was so intimidating.. it was where everyone lined up to get food. I guess in my mind, there was so much that could go wrong socially by lining up over there to get food. So I never went there. I don't even think I crossed the halfway point in the cafeteria towards where that Hot Lunch area was. Instead, I was on the East side of the caf., and ended up getting my food at the Snack Bar. It had chips, pop, and other goodies. I believe I sustained myself on a diet of coke, cool ranch doritos, and Little Debbie Nutty Bars. Lol. Pretty interesting, huh? Sadly, it speaks to a life of anxiety that I too often have lived throughout all of my eras. I don't blame teenage Josh for that, I just didn't have the tools to be assertive and advocate for myself as I should have. Thankfully, there were moments of grace. I have clear memories of my friend Jeff - from St. John's - sitting at my table occasionally, so I wasn't alone. Pretty sure Jenny from St. John's did as well. As I type this, I think I realize some of why I still wrestle today maintaining meaningful relationships. There's a lot of pain and fear from those teenage years that probably keep me from trusting others even now. Wow. 

This blog is truly an autobiography of my life wrapped around music. That's why I haven't even gotten to entry #60 yet. Well let's talk about the third highlight of my transition challenges. 
It's a little weird because I think a lot of my peers got chicken pox at an earlier age. But I got chicken pox somewhere in the middle of ninth grade. I think of late winter/early Spring. Maybe I don't know when that was specifically.. but there are a couple of pictures of me covered with chicken pox. I ended up Staying home from school for several days (a full week?) and I remember listening to this song, "I believe" a lot on the radio as I was recovering. I'm sure I listened to it before and I'm sure that I listen to it after. but my main association personally with the song were these days spent at home in bed. Once again, this is a song that tends to evoke feelings of loneliness and longing. And yet, at the core of this song was about hope, which was a goof thing for me to hear. I believe at the same time. Elton John's song believe without the radio. And so there were 2 songs about believing. If you happened to read all of these entries, you'll know a lot about what I love about this song. I'm a sucker for songs that prominently feature the piano, and the piano intro is a beautiful melody which drives most of the song.

The song and the theme of the song would fit what I would call "humanity" muic. You UM Ami.. just like type of taste.  , this category music makes me feel stop check and it's a pretty intense feeling. The lyrics about children dying drug use and all of that culminating with the verse about an interracial couple complete with t. End word cemma. You wrote a lot of different feelings inside me and still does. As I listen to It again.  . the ork the orchestra around. It really adds to the beauty of the song, but it still is a pretty stripped down song.

Musically, musically and sematically. I wonder, as I was taught as a young Christian boy, the whole. What goes in your head comes out. Your heart.. and so I wonder if listening to songs with this.  His name has had any influence on me. Politically or social lead.I think it was more of my upgrading. Bringing and learning about how Jesus love is for everyone. but we do know how the Christian church.  In some respects has abused that message in the past. so maybe just maybe some of the music I listened do impacted my views on important issues. it's just an interesting thought as we talk about a song with such a powerful social message.  . this will not be the last such song in my hall of fame. thank you and to be honest, some songs with messages are once that I don't agree with, but I appreciate that they make me think, and perhaps even challenge my existing police system.  . anyway, this song still holds up well. All these years later add. I love that it is in my song hall of fame.

SONG #59: Daft Punk - Get Lucky

Inducted on December 31, 2016
The Daddy Era

Wow, this would have to (currently) be a top 10 overall song as well. This song came out in the early part of my parenthood era. This album from Daft Punk is by far my favorites and solidified them as legends. And they're celebrating the anniversary of the album as I write this. The catchy beats and the bass riff starts the song off with a bang. They just push the song forward and make it such a catchy tune. Then you have Ferrell Williams singing, and he is really good on this track.  I mean, really, really good. The song is a little transgressive, and I'm here for it, I think it could be a testament to marital love, If you take a faith-based approach to it, but obviously not really the original intent of the song. It's funny. I had it on my ringtone on my phone. And one of my students was almost even offended that I had it set as a ringtone. I remember telling him that this is a song about my relationship my wife. I don't think he really but at all, To be honest, there is a bit sadness now, in that that there just isn't that type of romantic energy we really had in our relationship (and certainly not now). But it is what it is, and that's for a different blog. I think the other obvious elements of the song is Nile Roger's base playing. I was unaware of who Nile Rogers was until this song and this album from Daft Punk. And now he is someone I follow on Spotify and listen to any song he plays in a guest.  What a musical genius with a unique sound. He just has a way of laying down funky beats. Now that I've listened to him for a while, I'm often able to pick out songs he plays in without even knowing ahead of time, due to the distinctive sound/rhythms he uses. It's just hard to ignore for sure.

Again, this track is without a doubt one of my favorite songs all time. Daft Punk is so catchy.

And they know how to craft a good song. The electronic voices that they use rhythmically make me happy.  Add it's something I could listen to on repeat for a long, long time. I don't necessarily have any other memories with the song outside of it was the one incident with that student who thought it was inappropriate for me to have it as a ringtone. But honestly this song is a source of both whimsy and maybe even a little pain.. Because the naughty fun implied in this song has just not been a dynamic my wife and I have ever had.. especially in the last 10 years of our relationship. the physical side of our relationship has just really been a challenge and it was not much chemistry tperiod so.  I know that's pretty honest and blunt. And it's a feeling I experience when I listen to this song. But again, it also represents hopefulness as well. So this song obviously carries a lot of nuance to it for me. In reality it's nuance that makes life so interesting. 

I am so far behind in this blog that I can give you a sneak preview: This isn't the only song from the album that makes it into the Hall of Fame. Which again is a testament to the power of the album (Random Access Memories). Growing up, you had to think in terms of "albums" because you had no choice but to drop $10-$20 on an album if you wanted to hear the one song you really likes (yes, singles existed but not always practical for a kid). But even growing up in 80's/90's, I've been an "Ipod era" guy at heart. I love variety and seek the dopamine hit from specific types of songs. It was rare that an album would have more than 1, let alone 3 or 4 of those types of songs I was searching for. But this album did. Which puts it in elite company. Maybe I'll identify those other "rare" albums as we move forward. 

There are a lot of other Daft Punk songs that will most likely never make the Hall of Fame that still shape the soundtrack of my life ("Around the World", "Harder, Better Faster, Stronger", "One More Time" and "Da Funk", Thanks to this duo for crafting songs that evoke emotion.