20 Reasons for Why I Am NOT Ashamed of My Music

So I was perusing Tumblr (because, please) and this one chick had a funny little post. It said this:

“You can learn a lot about someone by the music they listen to. Hit shuffle on your iPod and write down the first 20 songs. No cheating or skipping songs that are shameful. That’s part of the fun!”

Now, I am not thirteen and usually those types of posts are annoying. But you know what? I want to have a little fun and I actually agree! You CAN learn a lot about someone based on their chosen music, but you can learn even more by watching someone’s reaction to their music. The worst kinds of people are the ones who a) won’t let you see their iPod/playlists, or b) let you hit shuffle, but then apologize for every single song that plays. No one needs a reason to like a song! Let’s stop making excuses for what we like! (Am I the only one who has come across this? Seriously, tell me if I’m way off base here.)

The main reason I even want to do this is because I’ve had an iPod since I was in high school. It was precious little green Mini, if you must know. And since then, I have consistently had either an iPod or an iPhone, with every single song I have ever downloaded. I’ve never lost my music, or backed it up to my computer and forgotten about it. I have every song that I have ever loved currently in my iPhone right now. Thousands of songs could come up right now, you guys! This is going to be magical. I’ve liked so many different artists and genres, I’m giddy.

Okay so here is my list of the first 20 songs that played from my iPhone, with no skips and no cheats, as I listen to them live. I won’t completely bore you with a long dissection of each song, but whatever. This is my blog, douche.

1. Journey | “Don’t Stop Believing”

I find this very appropriate for the first song! Maybe my Shuffle feature knows me after all! Because as any true American will tell you, starting a game (even one as stupid as this) with a rousing Journey song is the BEST. It truly is the bee’s knees. Honestly, I should just mute my TV and play this while I watch the Olympics. It’d be hella more fun than listening to stupid NBC coverage.

2. Justin Bieber | “One Time”

I’m not even going to pretend like I’m not excited right now. I have some Biebz on my phone, but this is totally my favorite. I haven’t listened to any of his new stuff, save for his new single on the radio once or twice. So to hear my little baby Justin with his little baby voice is so fun right now. He sounds SO young here! This is before he KNEW he had a million tweens fawning over him, you know? It’s just a catchy pop song. Look how small he is! I still jam to this in my car, for sure.

And he makes the A sign. Because he recorded this in Atlanta (thanks Google). I mean come on, I LOL.

3. Norman Greenbaum | “Spirit in the Sky”

Okay so for awhile I was obsessed with “Remember The Titans.” Along with “The Sandlot,” it had one of my favorite soundtracks for a sports movie. Just hearing the opening riff gives me football chills. Nebraska Football, hurry up and get here!

4. Josh Gracin | “We Weren’t Crazy”

Again, very appropriate! I was wondering when a country song would blast through my headphones during this game. And here we are! So Josh Gracin was on the second season of “American Idol” and was this gorgeous piece of Marine Corps ACE. But I did love him and was so happy when this song made a killing on the charts back in 2008. But it’s also really reflective of my life because it represented my move to LA and how it was such an amazing experience to go through with my best friend in the world. I made Jersh a CD with this song on it, and told him to forget the lovey-ish lyrics, and just focus on the story: two people moving to California even though people thought they were nuts. I kind of want to cry a little bit right now!

Oh, and just listening right now after so long of not hearing it, I just picked up the harmony! To all my old choir girls, you know how exciting that can be. Thanks Ms. Pruitte, this one’s for you, gurl.

5. 30 Seconds to Mars | “Kings and Queens”

This song also makes me want to watch the Olympics on mute. It just reeks of bravado, and power, and musk. Like wouldn’t it be good with a Michael Phelps highlight reel? I don’t even care about the deep meaning of the lyrics; it just seems like it would work.

AMERICA!

6. Now It’s Overhead | “Wonderful Scar”

Woah, hey old school song from high school. This band came into my life during a time when I looked at the Omaha music scene and was like, they’re all so rad. They were a Saddlecreek Records band. And as someone who LIVED on Saddlecreek Blvd. my entire life, I felt a weird sense of ownership over every band they signed. In fact, I still love The Faint so much, I’m hoping they pop up on this list at some point.

7. Dashboard Confessional | “The Brilliant Dance”

Ohhh to be young and depressed again… I can still appreciate Dashboard, but this song isn’t my favorite, truth be told. Now if this was “Hands Down” or “Saints and Sailors,” I’d be pumped. I loved Dashboard back in high school and used it as my diary-writing music. Because… who didn’t, right? Oh and Chris Carrabba was fucking GORGEOUS.

Yum.

8. Snoop Dogg | “Drop It Like It’s Hot”

Awww shit son! This game ain’t no game unless there’s some Snoop involved. PS I refuse to call him anything other than Snoop Dogg, EVER, so he can just stop all that name-changing shit right now. Anna and I used to blast this song from her car back in the day, much to the chagrin of other drivers, I’m sure. But it was just too infectious not to like. And lest we forget the best lyrics EVER?! “I can exercise you, / this can be your Phys-Ed. / Cheat on your man, ma / that’s how you get ahizzead.” Thank you, Pharrell, you amazing, amazing man.

9. Rihanna ft. Jay-Z | “Umbrella”

SO HAPPY. So happy. Remember how much fun Rih used to be?! And we were all like, “Oh my God, she’s from Barbados and Jay-Z is her Poppa/Uncle, and nothing bad will ever happen ever, and the world is such a fun, pop-loving place!” At least that was my train of thought back in 2007. Such simple times, you know? Aside from our beloved Britney’s fall from grace, 2007 as a year was pretty bomb. But really, I could listen to this song all day.

10. Tyler Ward | “Somewhere With You”

I’ve posted before about my love of YouTube cover artists, with Tyler Ward being like #1 in my book. So I’m jazzed he turned up on this list! I’ve downloaded many of his covers, along with his original stuff. But he does this song so well. I’m not a HUGE fan of Kenny Chesney, so I was pretty much down the second I heard Tyler did it instead.

I love how he gets into it. Ugh. I’m such a sucker for men who can scream in their songs (i.e. Dashboard Confessional about three songs back).

11. James Morrison | “Wonderful World”

And my love affair with British music continues! I first heard James perform live a few years ago. I can’t remember if it was a music festival or a televised concert featuring him… But I remember seeing him on a massive stage with just his guitar and belting out this song (and “You Give Me Something,” which is also tops) and being SO impressed with how clear his voice was. And the message in the song is so refreshing.

He looks like he could be related to Chris Martin, funny enough.

12. Ludacris | “Fantasy”

Okay so I remember being in eighth grade and loving this song. Um hey MOTHER, did you even HEAR what we were listening to? Sometimes I swear our parents had no fucking idea what was on the radio at that time. Because it’s not like we didn’t know what it was about, you know? We aallll fucking knew how dirty and disgusting this song was… and we loved it. Like, y’all… just re-listening to the song as I type this, I feel like I need to take a shower. It’s gross. Love you, Luda!

13. The Lonely Island | “Dick in a Box”

SNL done got me good with this song. Again, if it has Justin Timberlake, I will listen to it. And like it and download it and blast it like a thousand times. Remember how great Justin used to be? He has that really high falsetto voice that just guts me. Sure, he can act and he’s funny. But it’s just not the same, JT. It’s not the same.

14. Kenny Chesney | “Beer in Mexico”

Well, this is awkward. I was just saying I’m not a huge Kenny Chesney fan and here he is. Yep, definitely don’t love him as much as Keith Urban and Blake Shelton. So I’m just going to change the song.

15. Brooks and Dunn | “Red Dirt Road”

Here we go! To keep up with my running Chip Latka Love Fest, he was the one who introduced me to this song. I distinctly remember being in ninth grade and asking a few people for music to download. I was bored with what I had and needed more of a variety. So I asked Chip and he came back to me with like, country music. I’m sure my first reaction to him was something like,

But look at me now! I love country music and he was right all along. This song makes me all nostalgic. It makes me miss corn fields and real dirt roads. It also makes me miss country boys and college, honestly.

16. Eminem | “Without Me”

Okay so to bring me back from my trip down memory lane, Eminem starts playing. He used to be so fun. I always appreciated how he in equal measure took himself way too seriously and then not seriously at all. He was quite the lyricist… “I’m back, I’m on the rag, and ovulating.” Indeed, sir. And he definitely used to call celebrities out on their bullshit, where we were all like, OH MY GOD!!! HOW BALLSY!!!

17. Death Cab for Cutie | “A Lack of Color”

I used to love this album! Totally forgot I even had it. Whenever I hear Death Cab, I want to be in a movie. Like I wish my life could be a real movie and have a real soundtrack. Because I envision this song playing as I take a contemplative walk, while thinking about a special someone, or drinking in a bar alone while thinking about past loves.

Yep, when I’m done with this, I’m going to go back and listen to this whole album.

18. John Mayer | “Say”

iPhone, get out of my head! Seriously. Speaking of a movie soundtrack, this song is what’s up. Sometimes when I hear songs, I don’t even necessarily see them playing during my real life, but during a movie in general. I constantly have ideas in my head for feature films, or even short films, and I immediately think a song would fit in them. I have had a specific movie idea in my head for YEARS and know exactly how the last scene would play out, with this song kicking in towards the end as it fades to black. And then BOOM, you’ll see “WRITTEN BY Emily Latka” pop up. Dream big, kids!

19. Usher | “U Remind Me”

Ursher. You are my homeboy. If this song came on while I was at a bar or club, I WOULD LOSE MY MIND. You know that reaction when every single person in a drinking setting, collectively at once goes, “This is my favorite song!!!!” This is one of those. I am literally dancing right now. I will never not like this song.

And OH MY GOD this song is from 2001. How old do you feel right now?

Okay, this next song is the last one…

20. The Wanted | “Warzone”

Again, how appropriate! Y’all know how balls deep I am for The Wanted and One Direction right now. I mean, come on. If you’ve read down this far to #20, you should know that I clearly am not the person to have a ton of DEEP music in my library. No. I go for the easy pop music. And I am so in love with boybands again (LOL “again”) and this song is one of my recent favorites. It was written by two of the guys in the band and the video is so Brit-Cheesetastic, I can barely handle it.

Don’t act like you don’t like it. Be real.

OKAY so that’s my list! Those were officially the first 20 songs to play, like it or not. Let it be known that I have thousands of songs and the way these were the first to play, is truly hilarious and amazing.

I’m just so happy to have rediscovered some of these songs. Excuse me while I go back and listen again.