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A couple of years ago I did a post and asked my fun readers this question:
If a song played every time you walked into a room, kind of like your entrance music, what song would you choose?
It got some really fun responses that you all should read.
At the time, I said that my “walk into the room” song was “Walkin’ on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves. And sometimes that is still my song. It’s happy and has a fun beat. And I’m happy most of the time. But other days, I think my song is “American Girl” by Tom Petty. It also has a nice beat for strutting and walking. And I just like the words.
I love movie soundtracks. I used to run out and buy the CD for every soundtrack that I loved. Some of my favorites are from Working Girl, The Big Chill, Dazed and Confused, Clueless, Now and Then, The Graduate, O Brother Where Art Thou, Garden State, and I’m sure there are so many more. I’m not even mentioning the countless soundtracks for movie musicals that I love so much. Or Glee! I’m obsessed with the Glee soundtrack.
If someone made a movie out of my life (which would never happen for obvious reasons, number one being that the audience would walk out because of boredom), I’d be more concerned about the soundtrack than who the casting agents chose to play me in the movie.
I thought I’d give you a rough draft of my soundtrack after about twenty minutes of thinking about it. These songs are songs that make me happy and some are songs that I loved at some point in my life. I didn’t put them in any particular order, but they’re all songs that I listened to over and over at some point in my life.
Everyday People by Sly and the Family Stone
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg by The Temptations
Building a Mystery by Sarah McLachlan
Baby, Now That I’ve Found You by Alison Kraus
American Girl by Tom Petty
Let The River Run by Carly Simon
Cecelia by Simon and Garfunkel
New Slang by The Shins
This Time of Year by Better than Ezra
Your Song by Elton John
Dreams by The Cranberries
Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Katharine McPhee (my favorite version ever)
Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac
Holiday in Spain by Counting Crows
St. Elmo’s Fire by John Parr
Small Town by John Mellancamp
I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston
If you had to make a musical compilation of songs that would end of being the soundtrack of the movie of your life, what songs would you include?
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
“Build Me Up Buttercup” by the Foundations. I dare you to not bounce around when you hear it!
I don’t know about a compilation, but James Taylor would sing almost every song on the list! I have an unnatural obsession with him.
I’m just going to claim anything by Matt Wertz, Richard Marx, David Nail, and Sarah McLachlan…not necessarily in that order.
Glad to see Elton and Fleetwood Mac on there! That’s how I remember Erin!
The soundtrack to “The Big Chill” is in my car, in CD form, as we speak.
At the present, I would say at least one of the songs would be “I Fought The Law” by Green Day (this is my favorite version) hence me being back in law school. I’m sure The Beatles, The Who, and some cheesy 90’s pop would make it in there as well.
LOVE this post… you have no idea how many times I’ve tried doing a blog post similar to this, but I can never hone in on a minimum of 20 songs–I am a music freak. love your list!
One song for sure would be John Lennon’s Imagine….
I have SO many in common with you – but would definitely add some James Taylor, MORE Temptations, Aretha, John Legend.. oh I could go on and on! I love this post, Erin!! So fun!
Can I add that I love that you have Better than Ezra on there – one of my all time favorites!!
Mine is pretty random…. but “I Believe” by Fantasia (her American Idol song) is my life theme song! It gets me pumped every time I hear it… it got me through the Bar exam and plenty of other obstacles in life thus far.
Random, I know!
Now you TOTALLY have “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” stuck in my head, HAHA!!! Love that song. Such a fun post!!!
Ah! I was just thinking something similar to this the other day, except I always have driving music. So depending on where I am going, where I’ve been or what kind of road I am on.. the music has to be juuusstttt right. Yesterday coming home from work it was the MIA song “Paper Planes” with my top down, driving around the curves on the back roads home I just felt like it was a song on my life soundtrack.
Hmmm, I don’t know! I’d need to have some Charlie Daniels Band, George Strait and Pat Green involved–yes, can you tell I grew up in the sticks and married a country boy? But what would be my all time must have in the movie of my life song? I have no idea!
I agree with Ally..I would def have some country twang in mine. For sure, George Strait’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends.” I love that song! And I also agree with Katie on “Paper Planes,” probably during my drug years (which are non-evident in my real life, but the movie has to be more interesting!). Also included: Run DMC “It’s Tricky,” Silversun Pickups “Lazy Eye,” anything by Clay Walker, something by Maroon 5, probably some sappy love song by Faith Hill or Martina McBride, and definitely Justin Timberlake.
I love this post and may be borrowing the idea if you don’t mind.
And a few of my go-to songs are “Heart of Glass” by Blondie, “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol, Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls”, “Carrie Ann” by The Hollies and Life is Wonderful by Jason Mraz.
I heart Alison Kraus. Glad to see she made your list.
What a great idea for a blog post (and a question I’m definitely going to be thinking about all day now!)!
Mine would be an eclectic mix of 90’s pop (New Kids on the Block, for sure) and rap (again, old school Dr. Dre style), with a little bit of Death Cab, Iron and Wine, and Carrie Underwood thrown in for good measure.
I would add “Ramblin’ Man” by the Allman Brothers, “Imagine” by John Lennon, and “Killer Queen” by Queen. I love your list. I would definitely include “American Girl” as it is my fave walk into a room song.
I have the 1st Glee soundtrack on my ipod touch and love belting those songs out in the car! Jade loves “Maybe this time”…I also love the soundtrack to Grease, Chicago, The Little Mermaid, Guys and Dolls and Father of the Bride! Great songs!!
Hey Big Spender, remember that song! I LOVE hearing you sing it!!
. I love the old school rap, & lots of the early 90’s pop!
My soundtrack would be made up of songs that somehow represent certain times of my life. Sadly, Baby Got Back would be in the mix, representing my 8th grade year. One of your songs, This Time of Year by BTE, would most definitely make my list. It represents pretty much all of my college years — I was slightly obsessed with BTE and saw them every chance I got (which, thankfully, was often, since they had frequent concerts in Oxford and at Ole Miss). Right now I hear white noise and Baby Einstein/PraiseBaby songs more than anything else, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
I am a big movie soundtrack person too! I have Dazed & Confused & Clueless sitting in a big pile of CD’s somewhere..
OH I love Your Song and New Slang! I think the Garden State soundtrack is my fave movie soundstrack ever!
Cecelia is a great song! I love it- nice pick! I think I’d definitely have to have “Spoiled” by Joss Stone on my soundtrack.
“Don’t Get Me Wrong” by The Pretenders. It described perfectly how I felt about my boyfriend when we were dating (‘I see neon lights/whenever you walk by’) and how I still feel now that I’ve been married to him for twenty years. (‘It might just be fantastic’).
What a fun post! I would def have some Elton John, Beatles, maybe “Linger” by The Cranberries or “Don’t Stop Believing”. What great song choices you picked!
I would so totally buy your soundtrack…its fab!
Even though I’m commenting so late – I loved that this post came up shortly after we discussed the virtues of “Let the River Run.” That song always brings tears to my eyes with its beauty. I think my room-entering song might have to be the song I named my blog after – which means a lot to me. Even though it’s Irish and I rejected that genre the whole time I was growing up and forced by my mom to do step-dancing and such!
I love to think that my life has a soundtrack! I started feeling that way in high school where they played songs on the loud speaker between class. It always felt just like a tv show playing different songs at just the right time. My Soundtrack would have to include John Mayers ‘Back to you’ though. Seems to be a reoccuring theme in my life.
You should hear me belt out “I wanna Dance with Somebody” in my car when I’m alone. One of my ALL TIME favorite songs!