Mixed Tapes

By now it's no surprise that I'm a country music fan.

I grew up on country and classic rock (Garth Brooks, Billy Joel, Clint Black and Elton John were commonly on the radio in my house.)

Over the years, I would like to think I've developed a pretty eclectic and well-rounded music collection. Linus and I used to make mixed tapes of songs we heard on the radio.

Then, when the revolution of CD's came around, we created books of playlists for every occasion and burned them onto CD's for easy in-car listening.

Now, with iPods and other MP3 devices, music is so readily available that people don't come up with creative playlists.

We've really lost the art of the mixed tape.

So just like John Cusack in High Fidelity I'm going to make a "mixed tape" playlist of songs that have a significant place in my little musical heart.

From my childhood:

1. Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine - Conga

We had this on vinyl, so when I was a kid we'd put it on the record player and I would dance around my living room. This is without a doubt one of my favorite childhood memories.

2. Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart

When I was a kid, I made up a line dance to this song to impress my mom. We'd be on a playground, mall, grocery store and she'd ask me to do "the achy breaky" and I would break it down. Plus, that mullet deserves a shout-out.

3. Newsboys - Love, Liberty, Disco

I listened to a lot of Christian Rock when I was really active in my church. The Newsboys were going to be at a local Christian book store filming their newest video so my dad took me down there. For people who were dressed in 70's gear, they were going to put us in the video. {Ladies, supposedly, I am IN this music video, but good luck finding me! I'm in the crowd at 1:50. Oh, and I DO NOT still remember the dance, I swear!}

Pre-Teen and Teenage Years:

4. Amy Grant - Pretty much ALL of her songs!

I have every CD and loved them (still do!) Here is Lucky One, one of my favorites.

That's What Love is For is another great one!

And one of her later ones that I loved, It Takes a Little Time.

5. Backstreet Boys

Yes, we have reached the "o-mi-god-they're-so-cute" screaming teenager part of my life.

To be honest, I could NOT narrow down just ONE of their videos. I watched about 12 of them, from their various CD's. Here are two of my faves: I Want it That Way, Everybody (Backstreet's Back) {I was cracking up at the beginning of this one, when they're yelling at the bus driver.} and a few years ago when they came back out on the scene and released another album (two, actually, I believe) they put out Incomplete.

{Now that I'm thoroughly done embarrassing myself, I'll also confess that I met Nick Carter when he put out his solo CD in 2002. I'll do the math for you, I was 18 and graduating highschool. Some might say I was much too old to wait in line for 6 hours at the Mall of America, but in response I say, pppppfffffffttttt!}

6. N'Sync - God Must Have Spent (a Little More Time on You)

Even though I loved the Backstreet Boys a LOT more then N'Sync, the JT crew still deserves a shout-out. But it is only worth it if I get a video from before JT knew he was hot, otherwise it's a total waste. Yes, Justin, we get it, you're hot. Let's move on now.

7. The girls

I mean the girls that fill out the other-half of the Mouseketeers: Christina Aguilera (What a Girl Wants), Britney (Not Yet a Woman - from Crossroads) and I'll throw in Mandy Moore (Cry - from A Walk to Remember) although I'm not sure if she was in the Mickey Mouse Club or just came on the scene at the same time. I'm less embarrassed to admit that I really love most of their modern stuff too (Aguilera in the new movie Burlesque looks SO cool!)

The Iconics:

8. Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel; Man in the Mirror

You all know his greatest songs, from Thriller to Billie Jean, but these two are my personal favorites. He may have had a difficult life and made a lot of bad decisions, but he knew music and left us with a lot of it to enjoy!

9. Mariah Carey - Always be my Baby

Does it get any better than this voice? I think not. She's amazing in every way and any girl that can sing 8 whole octaves can never be anything but an icon! Sing it, Mariah. Nick Cannon is a lucky man!

10. John Denver - Country Roads & Colorado Rocky Mountain High

You might be wondering why this made the list, but it's pretty simple. Obviously, I mentioned that we listened to a lot of this type and genre in my home, but John Denver was especially important. During our summer trips with Oma and Opa up to Duluth, Minnesota, we would put John Denver on the tape deck and listen to him the whole way. Grandma would tell me all about him and his life and we'd sing along with all the songs. Then, a few years later he died in that plane crash.

Honorable Mentions:

11. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You

12. Aaliyah - I Miss You (Tribute Version)

13. Jewel - You Were Meant for Me

14. Michael W. Smith - My Place in This World

I really hope you enjoy this as much as I did in putting it together.

We had our first (actual) snowfall starting this morning and now I get to venture to campus for some class stuff. The warm-fuzzies I have from these songs will get me through!