Top Five Songs Part 4: Pop

Ok, I have a question, can someone tell me what the hell a true "pop" song is?  I've seen everything from Metal, to rock to country on "pop" song lists.  To me it simply means cookie-cutter songs, that have a broad appeal and little depth.  They are usually forgotten quickly and replaced by more drivel.  Think about "Call Me Maybe".  Anyway, there are a few songs that appeared in this "genre" that have actually appealed to me for longer than a few seconds.  So here is my top five Pop songs.  Please help me!

#5 The Space Between by Dave Matthews Band:  I have to honest, I do not understand this song at all.  It made the list for one reason only.  The beat calms me down and helps me to visualize.  For a writer that is of utmost importance.  Just don't ask me to explain it.

#4 What It's Like by Everlast:  This song is very easy to understand.  It conjures images of hard times, and harder situations, and asks a very easy question.  The message in this song applies to us all, from the richest CEO to the poorest rural farmer and everyone in between.  Despite it's melancholy overtones, it reminds me of what I have, what I've earned and what I can stand to lose, either through my own fault or no fault of my own.  If you have a vivid enough imagination it could scare the hell out of you.

#3 When You're Gone by Avril Lavigne:  I'm not a big Avril fan, so I only found this song recently, but I immediately loved it.  The message about loss, anguish and love's triumph is powerful.  Anyone who as ever lost someone could easily relate to this song.  Just like What It's Like this song reminds me of all the blessings I have, and at the same time forces me to think about what would happen if they were suddenly taken away from me.  Once again, another song to scare the hell out of you.

#2 Time of Your Life Green Day:  I am well aware that this song has been beat to death in so many montages that it borders on absurd, but that doesn't change the fact that I still really do love it.  It's a good song to just sit and reminisce about the great times of your life.  In the end this song can put a huge smile on my face.  The older I get the more great memories I have and therefore have more to look back on with fondness.

#1 Here's to the Night by Eve 6:  If this song had been out when I was in high school, I would have bribed people to make it our class song.  This is the ultimate song to look back with especially if you are younger, about to graduate from high school or college, or getting married.  It reminds you of where you have been, but for it also reminds me of where I am going.  When one chapter of life ends, another begins.

               Those are it, it was hard for me to come up with this list, and to be honest I think I could have done better, but most Pop songs that held any special meaning for me have long been lost to me and I have unfortunately forgotten them.  I have no doubt there are others that hold a stronger meaning for me, maybe one day I will do an updated list for this.  For now though, let's move on to Country.

Top Five Songs Part 3: Love Songs

Ok, I'm going admit something right now, just to get it out there.  I like love songs.  There, I said it.  I always had a soft spot in my heart for love songs.  As pessimistic as I am, it's true.  I think it's because deep down I want someone to love, and to love me in return.  Who doesn't want someone they can call theirs?  Though I must admit the potion of love has often been a poison to me, but thankfully that has changed.  Obviously these kinds of feelings have a powerful effect on me, and they have been responsible for a lot of my work.  Most of it will never be seen, but there is one example of it in my first anthology book, but I do put my own dark spin on it.  Shall we dive into the mush, make sure you have wading boots.

#5 We Danced by Brad Paisley.  I love this song.  The way it begins sounds like something that can be so real that it just makes sense.  It's probably the one reason why I love it, because it is believable.  There's nothing like just holding your loved one close and just getting lost in the music and this is the perfect song for it.

#4 Please Remember by Leann Rimes This song is a great way to make your heart to sit up and take notice.  You can almost say to yourself "Hey stupid, look at what you had!"  Whether your relationship ended badly or simply because of reasons nether of you can control this song is a great way to look back and grab those memories.  Even of you are married, it can still make you think about what you have and be thankful for it all over again.  In that regard it can save you from a fate of having this song apply to you.

#3 Little Moments by Brad Paisley  I really tried to avoid putting one artist on the same list more than once, but I can't help it.  This song is exactly what it means to love someone.  The little moments.  The big moments are important, but let's face it the little ones are way more common, and whether they are good or bad they define your relationship.  This song is a great way to see those little moments often all in a great light and it drives home the point that they make the best memories.

#2 Faithfully by Journey  OK this song really does apply to me.  I'm not a musician on the road or anything like that, but I do work a lot, and I'm not as home as much as I'd like.  Despite that no one has ever turned my head, or even made me consider leaving.  This song is almost like a trophy to me.  I can honestly say I have always been faithful and I really believe without a doubt I always will be.  What can be better for love than that?

#1 Tangled Up In You by Staind  I know I'm beating the Staind horse (wow that could be taken out of context to easily) to death, but for some reason this band puts out songs that match my thoughts so close it's almost creepy.  This song could not sum up my relationship any more.  Just listen to it and you will understand.

That's not the end of the mush.  If I wanted I could probably make up a top fifty list, but I'm not going to do that, I think you would hate me by the end.  The mush does help me though.  When I listen to these songs I can lift my mind to an almost utopia, though I still tend to see the shadows lurking in the corners.  I can forget about all the B.S. in my life and focus on why I put up with all the B.S..

Next up, pop, don't groan there will be no LMFAO or Ke$ha on the list.

Top Five Songs Part 2: Depressed Rock

So, let's get a little more serious.  While it's very true that Metal gives me energy and puts me in a good mood, my writing usually comes the easiest to me when I am somewhere between depressed and thoughtful.  In order to completely tap into that state of mind I listen to what I like to call Depressed Rock.  You know the types of songs I mean.  The ones with a Rock beat, but the lyrics and tone make you want go see a psychiatrist so you don't slit your own wrists.  It's good stuff.

             5. Blurry by Puddle of Mudd.  This song isn't so much depressing as it is thought provoking.  Don't get me wrong it has its depression element, but to me it's more about a father wanting to simply be with his child and protect him, which I must admit is kind of sad, not that he wants to be a father, but that he is in a position where it has been made difficult.  He obviously cares for his child, but he isn't around much so he wonders about his child and what he is doing.  It makes me think, and when I think I write, a lot.

             4. Jeremy by Pearl Jam.  Do I really need to explain this song?  Good, it could not be any more self-explanatory.  I will say one thing about the protagonist/antagonist I can relate to him on some levels not the mass murder level, but some other ones.  I think in a way many people could relate to a tormented boy, who just wants to fit in.  Just don't go on a shooting spree, talk about solving absolutely nothing!  I prefer to just hide within my words; there I can do whatever what want, including shooting everyone.

             3. Nothing Else Matters by Metallica  This song was on the last album Metallica put out that could be considered Rock.  Anyway, the lyrics and the tone of the song often take me to a place in my mind where I find some of the more depressed ideas I get for writing.  Are you starting to see a theme develop here?  To be honest I'm not totally sure I even get the song on a conscious level, but it hits my sub-conscious like a Mack truck.

             2. Bother by Stone Sour  This is another I don't really need to explain, it is just dark.  The tone is dark, the imagery of the lyrics is dark.  The video, oh man, the video is the shadow of darkness.  I don't listen to this song much, for obvious reasons, but it still ranks high on my list because it is so dark and that's just how I roll.

1. Epiphany by Staind  This song is the closest I have to what I really feel when my mood crashes.  It simply is the way the I feel.  It's a powerful song with a tone that speaks to me on a level I cannot even begin to describe.  I hope one day that I can verbalize these feelings, when I can I believe I will have a best seller on my hands.

           So this is how it is.  Depressed Rock is how I tap into the region of my mind where my creative juices (I hate that expression) flow from.  Sometimes I wonder if it is good that so much of what I write ends up with so many dark tones, or comes from dark places, but it is simply the way things are.  I embrace who I am and who I am is, read my work and you be the judge.

           For my next list I'm going to get a little mushy, sorry.