Today, while driving home from work, I heard "Sweet Caroline" followed immediately by "Crocodile Rock"* and I had this really embarrassing, but strangely compelling, thought. As the day has worn on, this thought has become a conviction. Don't judge. You know that sometimes you have shameful ideas too.
This is the thought: I think that I would really like it if there was a radio station that played nothing but Neil Diamond, Elton John and Billy Joel.
I'm not saying that I would listen to it all the time. I don't even know if I would pre-program it on my car radio, but I would like knowing that it was there, if I needed to hear those guys in continuous rotation. It would be comforting.
*This is probably my least favorite Elton John song, and I find it just barely more tolerable than "It's Still Rock n' Roll to Me" which is my least favorite Billy Joel tune.
8 comments:
I've taken over 24 hours to mull this over, and I just can't get behind the Billy Joel part. Almost-anything-by-Billy-Joel is quickly challenging Margaritaville for the number one spot on the list of songs that make me turn off the radio the second they hit my ears (with a sock full of nickels.) And to think -- I used to LOVE Billy Joel when I was seven. Weird. Other than that I give the idea a huge thumbs up.
That's pretty funny, Marcus.
Thanks for your thoughtfulness, Qwanty. First of all, you are right. Despite the fact (because of the fact?) that my mother thinks it is a GREAT song, Margaritaville is completely unlistenable. Even if you are really, really drunk. Second, I just heard "Just the Way you Are" today on the radio, and I was struck by how really beautiful Billy Joel's voice is. I mean, "New York State of Mind" and "She's got a Way"--they actually are really beautiful songs.
I know that they are cheesy, but I don't have to feel uncool about it, really, because I fell in love with those songs when I was little. So there is no shame in it.
But I respect your musical taste. You can choose someone else. Maybe the singing nun?
Even I can't get behind The Singing Nun as part of a round-the-clock radio triad.
Re: Margaritaville
What is it with that song and our parents? Mine also think it's GREAT. Is that just an eventual part of being a parent? Is this going to be part of MY evolution as a parent? Or is it even worse than that? Is Morrissey my daughter's Jimmy Buffet? Wow. I need a drink.
If you exchanged Gerry Rafferty for Billy Joel, Journey for Neil Diamond, and Lionel Richie for Elton John, then yeah I'd totally listen to that station. Could Jerry Levine be the DJ?
Qwanty: Yes. Morrissey is DEFINITELY your daughter's Jimmy Buffet. Poor Morrissey. This can be another thing that he can write sad songs about.
I've given this post more thought, and I've realized that I may need several heavy-rotation guilty pleasures stations. Because Journey would have to be on one. I'm thinking Journey, Heart and--um--maybe Pat Benatar? I think I would especially like that station if it also played "Sister Christian" a couple of times a day. (I don't want to hear a lot of other Night Rider selections though.)
Lionel Richie? Really? I couldn't handle that. "Hello" is a real emotional landmine for me.
Night Ranger are perhaps the most important band to have a member jump in on the Damn Yankees bandwagon. "Sister Christian" warms my soul.
Does "Hello" hit that special spot deep down inside because you, too, were a blind sculpture student who was stalked by your professor, Lionel Richie, only to find out that the bust you were working on in class was unwittingly Lionel Richie, even though you had never seen him?
Wow. It might be time to close the comments on this one.
1. A few points. I'm not blind. I am not artistic. I am much more likely to stalk a professor than be stalked by one.
2. This reminds me of the weirdest thing about the song "Hello" which is that Starburst commercial that aired a few years ago--the one where the guy makes a Starburst bust of girl while that song plays. Who the hell was that ad targeting? In order to get it you would have had to have seen the vid, and yet I don't think that people my age were actually the audience, given the fact that the kids in the commercial were, um, kids. Also, why make such a dated pop culture reference at all? IT WAS VERY STRANGE.
3. Yes, there have been a lot of comments on this post. That's why I'm going to write a new one continuing the topic. Sorry, Qwanty.
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