Pump Up The Volume: Ten Songs For Anyone’s Playlist
What unites people better than a song? I have mentioned this before, but one of the greatest gifts my father gave me was an introduction to some killer music. One of these artists was Sam Cooke. We used to listed to his retro tunes as we road tripped from Wisconsin to Alabama, and to this day, every time I hear him croon, I am brought back to some of my favorite moments from childhood.
One day, about ten years past my father’s introduction to “She Was Only 16″ and “Everybody Loves To Cha-Cha-Cha,” I was browsing in the record store (back before our digital music file days) in search of a multi-generational musical fix…seeking some Sam Cook. While I searched the stacks, a man approached in traditional African dress. It turns out that he too was looking for the same tunes. We dished out thoughts of our favorite Cook legends and parted ways, each with a disc in tow. While it is likely he and I had nothing else in common…music had built a bridge between our two worlds.
Not only can music bring people from different backgrounds together, but those from different generations as well…the best way to come together may be over music. My dad and I love sharing some vino while serenaded by “The Bobs,” that’s Bob Dylan and Bob Seger; my Grams and I can rock out to good old Kenny Rogers or the classic Elton John; and my son and I share a moment each time we drive and sing our hearts out to “You Shook me all Night Long,” by AC/DC or “Dance, Dance,” by Fall Out Boy. Whether it is classic rock, slow seductive soul, or dance your heart out pop, music has a way of reaching out to us all. Here are ten songs that would make anyone pump up the volume:
- U2: “One”
- REM: “Loosing my Religion”
- Simon and Garfunkel: “Mrs. Robinson”
- Sam Cooke: “You Send Me”
- Bob Dylan: “Like a Rolling Stone”
- Guns and Roses: “Sweet Child of Mine”
- The Rolling Stones: “Satisfaction”
- Elton John: “Candle in the Wind”
- Jimi Hendrix: “All Along the Watchtower”
- Led Zeppelin: “Stairway to Heaven”
I have to say, I’ve only recently discovered you all, but I can’t even begin to describe the way your music has touched me. I’ve always been a fan of rock music, just as I’ve always been a fan of classical, and hearing your stunning combination of the two for the first time left me speechless. I showed a few of your compositions to my girlfriend, and she loves you as well. Now, I have heard that you’re open to suggestions, so I figured I would try my luck and make one. My girlfriend and I live in two different countries. But we see each other as often as we can. I plan on getting married to this girl, and there’s one song we both love, and it fits our situation perfectly. It’s called “Wait for Me” by Theory of a Deadman. I know there’s a lot of work in arranging even a single song, but I’m going out on a limb here and requesting it anyway. Know that, if by some astronomical chance you are able to arrange this song, it would mean the world to the both of us. Regardless of what happens, please continue to make wonderful music.