Finding music that brings peace and hapiness to your life may take even more work than it did before itunes and digital radio. Across decades and genres inspiration and energy can be found if you're open to it and take the time to search. Listed below are tunes I've grown to love and culled from playlists of teachers, friends, associates, and family - great music is out there, go get it.
| Year | Artist | Song | Genre | Description | ||||||
| 1994 | Alan Jackson | Summertime blues | Country for everyone | Great cover of the Who’s classic by the man who made the Chatahoochee famous. | ||||||
| 2005 | Arctic Monkeys | From the Ritz to the rubble | Modern day classic | Another fantastic new british band, great vocals. | ||||||
| 1958 | Art Blakely | Moanin’ | Cross-generations | Great piano and drums, super cool tune - check out Ken Burn’s miniseries featuring Jazz greats. | ||||||
| 1994 | Beastie Boys | Sabrosa | Get your groove on | One of a few Ill communication instrumentals that keep you going when fighting ennui. | ||||||
| 2007 | Brandi Carlisle | The story | Modern day classic | Great modern song for those of us over 40, Janice + Patsy + Dire Straits. | ||||||
| 1972 | Commander Cody | Hot Rod Lincoln | Cross-generations | The original recorded in the 50’s, this version is one of the most well known and a great song for long drives. | ||||||
| 1959 | Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong | They can’t take that away from me | Cross-generations | Try to listen and not get carried away to the Gerswhin brothers tune originally performed Fred Astaire in 1937. | ||||||
| 1982 | George Winston | December | Get your groove on | December and Winter Into Spring both released in 1982 and went platinum. | ||||||
| 1993 | Israel Kamakawiwo’ole | Somewhere over the rainbow/ What a wonderful world | Cross-generations | The big man from Hawaii really made something special. | ||||||
| 1720 | J.S. Bach performed by Yo-Yo Ma | Unaccompanied Cello Suite No.1 in G Major | Get your groove on | Most likely composed around 1720, this arresting yet accessible melody was featured in “The West Wing” episode dealing with the assassination attempt. | ||||||
| 1987 | Los Lobos | One time, one night | Cross-generations | The East LA band loved by critics, anglos, and latinos still tours in smaller clubs and puts on a great show. | ||||||
| 1990 | Mary Chapin Carpenter | Down at the twist and shout | Country for everyone | Lived in Washington, DC as an early teen to age 18, playing clubs like the bayou in Georgetown. | ||||||
| 1995 | Massive Attack | Protection | Get your groove on | Great music when working late into the night, another song by the band can be heard opening “House” episodes on Fox and USA.. | ||||||
| 2006 | Michael Stipe w/ Coldplay | In the sun | Modern day classic | Launched by Michael Stipe, the foundation of the same name benefits gulf coast victims of Katrina and Rita. | ||||||
| 2006 | My Chemical Romance | Teenagers | Cross-generations | Teens and adults CAN listen to the same music. | ||||||
| 2004 | Neil Young | Harvest moon | Country for everyone | A modern song from the classic rocker. | ||||||
| 2005 | Shout Out Louds | The comeback | Modern day classic | A new song with a retro feel good for some inspiration. | ||||||
| 1980 | Squeeze | Another nail in my heart | Cross-generations | There actually was good music being made when peg leg jeans and lopsided hair was in fashion. | ||||||
| 1976 | Stevie Wonder | Sir Duke | Cross-generations | “Well there’s Basie, Miller, Satchmo, and the King of all Sir Duke, and with a voice like Ella’s....” - Duke Ellington a real Washington, DC original. | ||||||
| 2006 | Teddybears | Different sound | Modern day classic | The song’s title says it all. | ||||||
| 1991 | The Farm | All together now | Cross-generations | Teachable moment about the Christmas truce of 1914. | ||||||
| 2004 | The Libertines | Can’t stand me now | Modern day classic | What an awesome new british band in the tradition of the Clash and the Jam. | ||||||
| 2000 | The Strokes | Someday | Modern day classic | This is one of the best new American bands, from NYC, despite hype from the UK press and the hero’s t-shirt in the Transformer’s movie. | ||||||
| 1988 | The Waterboys | And a bang on the ear | Cross-generations | A good tune for St Patrick’s Day, and further proof that the 80’s were not a completely impotent era in art. | ||||||
| 1971 | The Who | Getting in tune | Cross-generations | A great song that will make you want to learn piano. | ||||||
| 2006 | Trace Adkins | Ladies love country boys | Country for everyone | The Lynrd Skynrd tribute will get your attention. | ||||||
| 1984 | U2 | The unforgettable fire | Cross-generations | Excellent tune for working out, the original album cover art featured a great ultra-violet photo.........shot on real film. | ||||||
| 1999 | Will Smith | Wild wild west | Cross-generations | Great use of Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish”, a real guilty pleasure tune. | ||||||
| 2005 | Yo La Tengo | You can have it all | Get your groove on | Melodic sound brings to mind the vocals of the Cowboy Junkies and the instrumentation of Yes. | ||||||
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