For me, I have to say, music has been a part of my life from a very early age. I played the recorder in grade school like so many do, was pretty good at it, and was subsequently assigned the flute in grade 4. I sucked at playing the flute from grade 4 to grade 7, where I was subsequently told I would be much better at the clarinet...which I was. I played clarinet from grade 7 to grade 12, and I still play occasionally now. I also picked up tenor saxophone along the way in that gr. 7-12 stretch, but my primary instrument is still the clarinet. Because of that, not only can I read music pretty well, classical music is perhaps my favourite genre of them all. I have quite a few favourite genres, but classical is definitely the most calming/interesting of them all. Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Vivaldi...them and many more, I love listening to. Here are some of my favourite classical songs:
Beethoven's 9th Symphony (mvmt 4) (note: this is part 1/3, the youtube video was split into three different uploads, you can see the other two parts on the sidebar once you hit the link)
I posted this one, and I labeled it as the fourth movement, since that's my favourite. It's kind of a 'movement within a movement'; the beginning of the movement has the instruments 'trying out' the themes of the first three movements, with the piece somewhat...deciding that that's not what it wants, and trying out theme after theme, and 'brooding' on it, and at the end of each theme, you can hear the faint elements of what ends up as the main theme of the whole piece, which is the 'Ode to Joy' theme that so many people are familiar with as the 'Drink Milk, love life' commercial music. If you don't get what I'm talking about, listen to the piece (the whole piece)! It's truly fantastic.
'The Rite of Spring' by Igor Stravinsky (note: again, this is part 1/3, you'll have to go to the sidebar to get the last two parts thanks to the divisive nature of youtube video uploading rules.)
It's so chaotic! I love it. When this piece was first released, it caused a mini-riot in the theatre where it was released, as people either LOVED it, or HATED it, and the reaction was so visceral, fights actually broke out. Now THAT's a piece of music.
I think I'll move onto another genre of music, otherwise I'll be here all night typing about classical music...and as much as I love it, I also have other favourite musical types as well. Let's see...what's next...maybe...rap? =D
Rap is fantastic. I love the different styles that different rappers bring to the table. There are also SO MANY rappers. Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Three Six Mafia, Flava Flav, Ludacris, etc etc etc. I can't really put a finger on WHY I like rap, I just...do. I think it's the flow and rhymes that get me, they just click in a way that is somewhat difficult to explain. Even for songs that don't have rap in them, when I'm by myself in my car, driving home, I find myself making up songs about absolutely nothing just because I can. It's great! Here are some of my favourite raps:
'Ignition' by R. Kelly (alright, I cheated, this is really hip-hop, but man I love this song, it's great lol)
I mean, all that stuff is pretty mainstream rap. I like other type of rap too, but this is just great stuff. OH, I can't forget the best song ever: 'Gettin' Jiggy With It' by Will Smith! So. Awesome.
I'd probably say my third favourite genre is rock. Rock is such a broad term, though, so how does one even define that? For me, I'd limit it to 80s rock as well as Elvis Presley as well as The Beatles. I dunno what it is about 80s rock that is so appealing to me, I really don't. Maybe it's the new beats? The new sounds? The crazy guitar solos? The high pitched vocals? I have no idea, but it's awesome. Elvis as well as The Beatles are just unique sounds, and they both offer such different things. Here are some of my favourite songs from ALL of them (there's going to be a lot!):
'Jailhouse Rock' by Elvis Presley (note: I am aware of the fact that some of Elvis' songs were originally not made for him, but for other artists who, because of the colour of their skin, were not publicized properly, their works later made famous/immortal by Elvis. Still, he's highly entertaining, but I'm not giving all the credit to him, hehe.)
'Twist and Shout' by The Beatles (I think I'll stop here with The Beatles, otherwise I'll just end up listing their discography. Still, though...they're awesome, and Twist and Shout is probably my favourite Beatles song =P)
Now, for the 80s rock. I LOVE these next few songs, as they're fantastic. I hope you do too!
I also want to add Queen ('We Will Rock You', 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Don't Stop Me Now', etc.), but they're the 70s, albeit the late 70s. Still, I love them, so I had to add them here regardless.
I should also say, these are the songs of my childhood. I readily admit I was born in the 90s, and it's not as if I'm trying to hide that fact, but let's face it, the songs I listed (from the 80s) are insanely popular. I'm not listing obscure music; chances are you've heard most if not all of the songs on this list. Like I've mentioned before, I grew up with cousins who were born in the 70s and 80s, and as a result, that shaped my musical preferences. It's why I like Elvis, The Beatles, MJ, Stan Bush (or, really, that one song...w00t Transformers 1986 animated movie to which I know all the dialogue for!), Huey Lewis, Bon Jovi, Madness, Duran Duran, Queen, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, and Journey...and many others. I also should say, I don't like just these songs of these artists; I like all their music, these are just my favourites, as they are for so many other people. I don't like them BECAUSE they're popula, but just because I find them entertaining/pleasant to listen to. I understand, though, that some of them have been 'modernized', for lack of a better term, such as through the tv show 'Glee'. I've listened to the new versions, and to be honest, they're not bad, I just like the originals better. I mean, here's a version of Thriller from Glee; it's not BAD, it's just strange. It's definitely nice to listen to, but Thriller is fine on its own, IMO.
Anyway, those are my favourite songs, genres, what-have-you. I hope these songs entertain you as they have me for so many years! They are classics, songs that are not going to be forgotten any time soon, if ever. Music is a wonderful tool, and I think these songs are indicative of that. Anyway, enjoy!
Ah, this blog post is amazing! I like a lot of the songs you mentioned. Really cool classical pieces you chose, I approve =)
ReplyDeleteI think you would have enjoyed Rock of Ages, the musical I saw last May. It was all based on 80's music (including some of the ones you mentioned) and the story itself took place in the 80's. It was incredible and a lot of fun!
Ahhhh!!! I played the flute too!!!! For 5 years. I miss it. :(
ReplyDeleteOh man I love 99 Problems. One of my favourite rap songs ever!
And get back is obviously amazing as well. Hope they play it at highball.
I like the Beatles, but to be honest I'm not that big of a fan. I just don't want to be one of those people who say they love them just because everyone says they love them. I mean, they're great, but there are so many other bands/artists that I would rather listen to.
But Twist and Shout is a really good song. One of my favourites too.
I LOVE MJ!!!!! and when I say I love him, I mean, I LOVE HIM!!! I'm still in mourning for him. Obviously I love the songs you posted but The Way You Make Me Feel has got to be my absolute favourite song of his.
Yeah I prefer the original songs. Not that big a fan of covers...especially Glee ones. I mean, it's nice to listen to and watch them perform but when I sit in my room and listen to music, I like the original. Like the Don't Stop Believing cover that was done by someone 2 years ago and became insanely popular...don't like it. Prefer the original.