Sixteen Songs To The Tune Of 2014

I'm about two weeks late to the New Year's party here, but I've been sitting on this a while.

Last year I compiled a playlist of ten songs that I thought characterized 2013. By all rights it is a well-crafted list, and each song on it was chosen carefully to fit the narrative of my crazy year. But, when I tried to do the same thing for 2014, I didn't even know where to start. There were many songs and albums that characterized my year, at different points. It would be impossible to choose.

Turns out, last year I went through and culled a bunch of old posts from another of my blogs, and the first post on that blog is now dated January 1st, 2014. Throughout the year I would post a song from Spotify that I was listening to, or a music video, or a tribute to musician that I liked. There was no structure or timing to these posts, they just happened. But looking through my post history I realized that I wouldn't have to compile a song list for 2014 - I had already done it.

It's a pretty random list, and I was a little surprised when putting it together. Had I compiled a "real" playlist, most of these songs wouldn't make the cut. However, when I listened to it through the first time, I got a weird sense of déjà vu. Here's the funny thing: each of these songs had been stuck in my head at some point throughout the year, in chronological order. In most cases I can remember where I was or what I was doing when I was hearing the song. Crazy right? Turns out, I couldn't have made a better list if I had tried.

So, why I am I writing this? Why am I telling you? I don't really know, but maybe you'll listen to it and get a sense for the weird and amazing 2014 I had, and maybe you'll find something you like.

Sixteen Songs to the Tune of 2014
(Spotify link)

1. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
2. 905 - The Who
3. Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson
4. The Weight - The Band
5. Little Secrets - Passion Pit
6. In Brilliance - Hutch and Kathy
7. The W.A.N.D. - The Flaming Lips
8. Father and Son - Cat Stevens
9. Search and Destroy (original Iggy Pop mix) - Iggy Pop
10. Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits
11. You Are Your Mother's Child - Conor Oberst
12. I Found a Reason (Demo Version) - The Velvet Underground
13. Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) - The Rolling Stones
14. I'm Waiting for the Man (Live @ Max's Kansas City) - The Velvet Underground
15. Root Down - Beastie Boys
16. Louie Louie - Flamin' Groovies