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:

1. U2: “One”
2. REM: “Loosing my Religion”
3. Simon and Garfunkel: “Mrs. Robinson”
4. Sam Cooke: “You Send Me”
5. Bob Dylan: “Like a Rolling Stone”
6. Guns and Roses: “Sweet Child of Mine”
7. The Rolling Stones: “Satisfaction”
8. Elton John: “Candle in the Wind”
9. Jimi Hendrix: “All Along the Watchtower”
10. Led Zeppelin: “Stairway to Heaven”