Thirty One Songs That Changed My Life

Nick Hornby wrote a series of essays entitled "31 Songs that Changed My Life" in which he plays through the music that significantly affected his life. It's a personal journey explaining both the music and his life but importantly how the former changed the latter not about attempting to determine the "Best Songs Ever" because that list simply does not exist. Except here and here and here... Or perhaps here?

These aren’t the Best Tracks in the World Ever, (volume III). I'm not trying to impress anyone with the weirdest and most obscure tracks asking sarcastically how you could possibly have lived without experiencing and swearing undying allegiance for Crispy Ambulance, Kasule or Fat and Frantic? Nor is this about how my life changed with this music playing in the background. I had my first proper snog, ever, whilst Rod Stewart was “Sailing” but no, you won’t see that mentioned either. It simply about 31 pieces of music that altered my life.

I hate lists. And I hate people who make them. Probably because I don't agree with the lowly  ranking of something I love or because I can’t understand how they could have missed something I consider indispensable. Sadly, I think it’s more that I am seeking some sort of acceptance or confirmation that in fact I do have the best taste in the world and am disappointed to find that I don't. People will never agree about a list of greatest ever but for this blog that’s actually not a problem because this isn’t one of those lists; it’s my list of songs that changed my life and for this list, I am the expert.

Only 31 songs? How Nick Hornby ever managed to compile the short (sic) list and then pare that down to 31 I’ll never know but he must have had more fortidude than money. Or perhaps a deadline? I came up a huge list shortly after reading his book but keep tweaking and (sic) re-tuning it until I simply decided to commit it plastic and actually burn the disk with the 31 songs on it.

I had to bring the “one artist/one track” rule into play quite early otherwise the whole of “Hats” by the Blue Nile would have squeezed out some other life changing classics. I struggled for a while to figure out whether instrumentals counted as "songs" and then realised this was even more folly than I needed. My list; my rules!

So here they are; 31 Songs that Changed My Life. I hope you like them. I hope in their own way they change your life too even if it's only a little bit.  

Let me know what you think. I know the selection defines me as a man of a certain age. That's okay because I am that man and quite happy with that. As for stereotypes; they're your problem, not mine!

It is okay not to like some of the 31 straight away; true friendship after all takes time.

Enjoy.

1. Roxy Music. Dance Away

2. Genesis. Dance on a Volcano/Los Endos

3. Bob Dylan. Just like a Woman

4. Police. Can't Stand Losing You.

5. James Taylor. You Can Close Your Eyes

6. Dire Straits. Hand in Hand

7. The Cure. Friday I'm in Love

8. Radiohead. High and Dry

9. The Proclaimers. Then I Met You

10. Yes. Ritual

11. Lemon Jelly. Space Walk

12. The Blue Nile. Tinseltown in the Rain

13. The Barenaked Ladies. If I had a Million Dollars

14. Sinead O'Connor. I Believe in You

15. Blue Rodeo. Falling Down Blue

16. New Order. Blue Monday

17. Prefab Sprout. When Love Breaks Down

18. Joe Jackson. Be My no.2

19. Elvis Costello. Indoor Fireworks

20. Bruce Springsteen. I'm on Fire

21. St. Germain. So Flute

22. Pigbag. Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag.

23. Miles Davis. Freddie Freeloader

24. Norah Jones. Turn Me On.

25. John Coltrane. After the Rain

26. Dexter Gordon. I Guess I’ll hang My Tears Out To Dry

27. Athlete. Wires

28. The Eurythmics. When Tomorrow Comes

29. Trust. Antisocial

30. U2. 40

31. Stellastarr*. Sweet Troubled Soul