Name ten songs you heard as a child/teen that changed your life, and tell a little background about each one:

My list:

1) The Wreck Of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot, 1978) - I heard this song on the radio one time at Grandma's House. It was a rainy winter day, just perfect for this song, and it was a song whose color I could see.

2) Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty, 1978) - same as #1, but the guitar and sax are endearing.

3) Southern Nights (Glenn Campbell, 1978) - I would seem to hear this song in the car while we were traveling to or from family gatherings. It's a happy, carefree song, of course, but it's also got a good groove in it.

4) Shangri-La (ELO, 1978) - I remember that this song, particularly the ending of it, made such an impression on me - it was the most mystical thing I'd ever heard, and I used to play this song over and over again. Funny thing about this song is that as an adult, I don't hear it the same, and I don't know what hooked me on it so much, I just know I was hooked.

5) Back In Black (ACDC, 1980) - I was in school one day and it was during recess. One kid who had a radio/cassette player, and when they pushed play, the raw, funky beat got my attention from the get-go.

6) Bette Davis Eyes (Kim Carnes, 1981) - I first heard this song while traveling with my Mom and sister to California by Greyhound. We stopped in St. Louis for dinner, and this song came on the radio. Her raspy voice, coupled with the lyric caught my attention, but the percussion in this song is what I remember most. Perfect song to beat your hands on the floor to.

7) Genius Of Love (Tom Tom Club, 1982) - it was summer and I had just moved to San Diego in the past winter, and my cousin Jessica was driving me, my sister and a couple of my cousins around. We were on our way to the Miller's Outpost in Pacific Beach, and this song came on the radio. We stopped in the parking lot once we got there and rocked the song til it was over. I musta looked for the song for years before I found it - on cassette.

8) Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' (Journey, 1980) - had just turned on my radio one summer day in my room and this song came on. Like Back In Black, but the na-na's got me. To this day, every time I hear the song, I have to sing the na-na's til the song is done.

9) I Am the Walrus (The Beatles, 1986) - I'd had some experience with Beatles songs, and liked Hey Jude a lot (my mother liked the early Beatles). But then one night at a neighbor's house, I put this record on the player, and it just blew me away - a total trip for a kid of 16 to hear. It's my favorite Beatles song to date.

10) Computer Blue (Prince & the Revolution, 1984) - my family had just moved to Northern California to be closer to family (didn't work out, we moved back to SD). It was my first day of school, and once again with my cousin Jessica, she had this song in the radio. This gritty, funky, nasty beat came pumping through the speakers and I think it was the first time I ever had a song take over my body. I was just starting to like Prince, and along with She's Always In My Hair), I think Computer Blue was what began to cement my liking Prince (tied with Dance On as my favorite.)

Don't really know if they changed my childhood but,
Ben
Desperado
Faithfully
Every Breath You Take
Total Eclipse of the Heart

(need to think about this actually)

The Pokey Little Puppy - I had the record.

Such a dichotomous story. Sometimes when you're a fuckup, you get rice pudding, sometimes you miss the strawberry shortcake.
[Edited 12/20/08 10:16am]

I'll take a stab at it;

1. Bridge over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel (1970) I remember asking my mother to buy this song for the longest. Aretha Franklin covered it but that wasn't good enough. I was about seven but I could understand the song, the simile, (No, I don't think I knew that word then lol).
2. Handel's Messiah - Growing up in church, this was an annual event that made church a pageant. It was usually the weekend before Christmas and as long as it was I never minded because I saw such beauty in the music and the lyrics. I loved my church for doing that every year.
3. Ben - Michael Jackson, (1972). I'd already been listening to the Jackson Five, but this song made me cry. I was eight, I remember that. I would just sing it over and over when I was by myself. Everyone else saw a song about a rat. I didn't.
4. Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty, (1978) Yes, the guitar and sax are endearing and that opened me up to exploring pop music. I grew up listening to R & B through most of elementary school years. Pop didn't enter the picture until about 1978.
5. The Rose - Bette Midler (1979) the first 45 I bought by a white artists. My siblings were not nice . . . . But the song was so beautiful and moving. About the time I began writing songs.
6. I Wanna Be Your Lover - Prince (1979) Nov. 7, 1979 at 7:am because of a girl I went to school with I became a Prince fan. This man was singing my pain. That afternoon I bought the 45 and then bought the album. I had no idea it would last a lifetime . . .
7. Funkytown- Lipps, Inc. (1980)- This song reaching the Top Forty I knew would change music, in a good way. All electronic, which I had resisted considering 'music' until now.
8. Head - Prince (1980) Here he was again singing about things I'm thinking and feeling. There were exactly three people I knew who also loved that album. One girl and one my good friends. Others couldn't understand what we saw, and we couldn't understand why they couldn't see that Prince was the future of R & B and Pop music.
9. Another Brick in the Wall - (1980 [ I know it was released in '79]) I began to see why music could be considered subversive. Banning it in Britain or attempting to got my attention but I hadn't heard it yet. Then living in Birmingham with its racial division and hearing black classmates knowing the song and singing it music wasn't about color or race. It hasn't been for me since then. I also realized that that probably worked both ways. (As in maybe Parliment wasn't just a black thing . . . )
10. Holiday - Madonna (1983) All my friends liked this song but I didn't. But I told them she was going to be a big star. I said she has the name and the producers. Although I didn't like the song, I bought the album. That reinforced my impression that she was worth watching. Still love 'Borderline' . . .
[Edited 12/20/08 10:56am]

ImAKawak said:

OMG, THAT IS SO EERIE !

I considered your choices except for Faithfully (I was leaning toward 'Lights'.)

Puff The Magic Dragon (Peter, Paul and Mary) ~ I use to cry when I would listen to it.

The Night Chicago Died (Paper Lace)~ The sirens in it use to scare me,especailly if I heard it a night

Ballroom Blitz (The Sweet)~ I still like this song. I think this was the first rock song that I liked.

Purple Rain (Prince)~ I would cry when I would hear it,it is the song the song that pulled me into the purple circle.

Darling Nikki (Prince)~ First racy song I ever heard.Since it was considered a "naughty song" and I was allowed to listen to it,and my friend wasn't even allowed to have the album,I thought I was SO cool

I Want Your Sex (George Michael)~ second racy song that I had ever heard,and was much more "in your face" sex wise. I would blush if it came on while my parents were in the room.

Thriller(MJ)~ I liked the song,but the video use to freak me out.

Somebody's Watching Me (Rockwell)~ Good song,but again,the video use to freak me out. Especially that mailman.

Take A Bow (Madonna)~ I still love this song. It's so beautiful.


I don't think any of them changed my childhood,but they are vivid memories.
[Edited 12/20/08 12:11pm]

1-Anita Baker: Sweet Love--A song I heard at age 2 and dad actually recorded my silly butt trying to sing it.
2-Prince: Scandalous--I heard this when I was 4/5. I didn't know who it was at the time, but, the eerie sounds of the song really caught my attention.
3-Nelly Furtado: Her album Whoa, Nelly--Something about the things she sang about in that unique voice of hers was incredibly attractive. Her music made me happy, comforted me when I was sad, and was the literal soundtrack to my Saturdays with the Sims.
4-Linkin Park: Crawling--I was 15/16, full of angst. I really didn't like much rap music and wasn't paying attention to trends. Because I was "different" I felt like an outcast. I felt really angry and sad and all that. I had nowhere to turn to until one day I saw them on MTV. As much as I can't stand to hear most of their songs now, I can honestly say their music helped me be more expressive.
5-Dj Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince: Summertime--this was the anthem of many Summers to come. But when it first came out, everyone on my block played it at their BBQs. You could not go 20 feet from this area without hearing it.
6-Madonna: Express Yourself--Keep in mind when she was doing her thing with the pointy bras and the nudity, I wasn't supposed to be watching her. Yet whenever I could sneak her in, I LOVED Madonna. I loved this video especially because it made her look so glamorous.
7-Janet Jackson: Love Will Never Do Without You-My dad played Janet to death in the car. So obviously I'd have her on my brain as a kiddo. But in this video, I thought she was pretty. The song itself was so positive and wonderful to hear. But at the time, I guess I was also seeing my mother in her for some reason. (My mom died in 1989)
8-Erykah Badu: Didn't Cha Know--Ahhh 14. I was 14 and into my hippie thing. I'd listen to this song while I did my homework. Or before dinner, or during a session with the old Windows 98 playing around with the settings of things. It was a mellow sound that made everything all right.
9-Outlaw Star (Japanese Animation...one of my favorites): Hiru no Tsuki--This is a soft, gentle song that I would lose my mind over every time I heard it. It was so touching and a little sad that I'd sing along and damn near cry over. Was about 14 when I heard it.
10-Sade: Anything of hers, actually. My dad was big on Sade. I thought she had a soothing voice. He'd play "Love is Stronger than Pride" to death. I ended up loving it without really knowing it. Ahh but thanks to him, I can't live without her sound. She's so cool and calm; kinda like me.

I can't think of 10 at the moment but Seasons in the sun and One tin soldier use to make me bawl like a baby

Touch Me by The Doors...I was so in love with Morrison since I was about 10. He changed my world forever.

Runaway Child by the Temps...guess why?

Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf...because I wanted to escape every day of my childhood.

Tears of a Clown by Smokey Robinson...I was an emo child before emo was popular. I cried a lot and thought of death and depression.

Riders on the Storm (Doors) The words to this depressed me even more.

Hush by Deep Purple...that beat started my childhood head-banging craze.

Midnight Confessions by The Grassroots...this was my sis' favorite song and I loved it too.

ONE and Easy to Be Hard by Three Dog Night...yes, I was lonely.

Come Together by the Beatles...loved it even more because it was "forbidden" to listen to. And I absolutely LOVED Michael's remake.

Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin...I had such a crush on her before I was even a teenager. She got me through tough times.

Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane...to this day I love to sing this song. This went well with my depression and angst.

What Does it Take? by Jr. Walker & The All-Stars

Hello It's Me by Todd Rundgren...I cried every time this played.

I Found Love by Quicksilver Messenger Service...I cherished that album. Bought it with my allowance.

White Room by Cream...this song blew my mind. It was just perfect and stuck in my mind my entire life.


There are too many to even name here. Music was all I had as a kid, and certain songs I can still hear with a child's ear.
[Edited 12/20/08 12:06pm]

1.)Madonna Express Yourself 1989 i was 8- my brother and I were watching MTV before school, and my mom had a rule no Madonna, no Prince, no heavy metal. Express Yourself came on I left it on the tv my brother went to get my mom. she came upstairs to and said it's too lat the damage has been done and she lifted the rule.

2.)Prince 7 1992 i was 11- i had saved up some allowance to buy the but my mom had a rule about no PA cds, and my mom and i got into fight over it in the store and i ended up winning by saying mom i hear worse everyday at school.

3.)Madonna The Beast Within Remix of Justify My Love 1993 i was 12- i had stayed home "sick" from a wedding so i could watch the Girlie Show Live on HBO. this song came on and it put on the screen the way i was feeling and made the connection to being gay

4.)Janet Jackson The Velvet Rope Album 1997 i was 16- i'm cheating on this one. this whole album is important to me because it was when i started coming out of the closet and dealing with my sexuality

5.)Spice Girls Wannabe 1996 i was 15- i was a sophmore and this song has for some reason just been my song since than

6.)Debbie Gibson Electric Youth 1989 i was 8 - i loved this song as a kid and it become the song that inspired me to buy my first LP Electric Youth

7.)NKTOB Hanging Tough 1989 i was 8- just reminds me of the summer with my brother and my baby sitter misty who would lock us out of the house so she could tease her hair to look like the guys in poison

8.)Culture Club Karma Chameleon 1983 i was 2 but it's been my favorite song since than my mom said my brother and i would cut off hte fingers of gloves so we could be boy george

9.)Skid Row 18 and Life to Go- i don't know just a favorite of mine

10.)AeroSmith Jane's Got A Gun- i think it's cause i relate to it some way

Mars23 said:

So did we!

WHerrrrre could the puppy. be.

1. what's love got to do with it--tina turner

2. time after time--cyndi lauper

3. i could never take the place of your man--prince

4. hangin' tough--NKOTB

5. welcome to the jungle--guns n' roses

6. get off--prince

7. purple rain--prince

8. flashdance movie soundtrack

9. signs--tesla

10. beat it--michael jackson

EmeraldSkies said:

I laugh only cause I use to cry watching this cartoon lol..

Flowers2 said:

Chaka Khan - What Cha' Gonna Do For Me - was always trying to hit those high notes in this, singing along lol ..

Smokie Robinson - 'Baby That's Back At Cha' - a jam I remember

Norman Connors - 'You Are My Starship' - this song just sounded sad, so I was too lol

Freddie Perren - 'Heaven must be missing an angel' - happy, cheery song.. made me think happy thoughts lol ..


Barry White - 'You're my 1st, my last, my everything' - matter of a fact, I can run down a whole 10 song list alone from Barry White - I remember all his stuff.. his voice alone you would remember..


Barry White stuff lol

'Can't Get Enough of your Love Babe'
'Never Gonna Give You Up'
'Love Theme'


there's more of him.. lol

letter edit
[Edited 12/20/08 23:10pm]

Flowers2 said:

That song was so depressing. Hard to believe it was actually a poem that was written by a 9 year old. I don't think I ever watched the cartoon.

Man, I can't follow instructions for shit.

Great thread! Gawd, I am who I am because of music.

Ok, roughly in chronological order, from the time I was old enough to operate a turntable, until I was about 12:

You Can Call Me Al . . . and the rest of the Graceland album (Paul Simon): my earliest sense of being able to choose what kind of person you want to be came from this song.

Innocent Man. . . and the rest of the album by the same name (Billy Joel): I developed some ideas about what grownup love actually is from this song, and album.

Fool on the Hill (Beatles): I knew I was a strange child, wise beyond my years, and this resonated with me.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (Beatles): this was ART to me; it put images in my head that felt like they came from someplace else, even though the input was auditory. I still love that about this song.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Judy Garland): I've always been lonely, and always felt out of place, and this song speaks to that. And to a hope that finding a home in the world is possible.

Man in the Mirror (Michael Jackson): Michael Jackson profoundly influenced the type of person I would become, and this song was a big part of that. Taking responsibility for oneself in the world. No small thing.

Will You Be There (Michael Jackson): This song did and does define an ideal sort of love to me. My ideas about what men are supposed to be, and my preference for guys who defy gender norms, are stirred in here.

Black or White (Michael Jackson): The video as much as the song . . . this one is hard to explain. I mean, I was very sensitive to race issues at the age I was when this came out. I guess it just struck me as cool that this weird morphy faggy guy was waving his freak flag and trying to tell other people not to judge.

Rhythm Nation . . . and the rest of the album by the same name (Janet Jackson): bitch was FIERCE, I loved the militant idealism, I loved that she was strong and girly at the same time. I still think it's a great album.

The Most Beautiful Girl In The World: this song was what made me notice Prince, and listen to the Purple Rain album, which crystalized my sex-positivity, as well as giving me another model of the type of men I appreciate to this day. In a broader sense, as another person who wears his freak on the outside, Prince helped me hang on to the type of person I want to be through adolescence. For this, I am eternally grateful.


I gotta give props to my parents, they steered me towards some good shit. Simon, Joel, and the Beatles were their stuff. And my mom bought Purple Rain and 1999 for me when I took a liking to Prince.

SUPRMAN said:

I love 'Lights' too.

ImAKawak said:

Last dance
Lovin You
She’s Gone
The Longest Time
Time After Time
I Shot the Sheriff
Emotions (by the Bee Gees)

Breezin' by George Benson
Just the Two of Us by Grover Washington
Most of the Beatles' catalogue
Hip hop from 1882 til about 1996...used to DJ back then....
Kind of Blue and Take Five


..I know the thread was looking for specific songs, but I couldn't pinpoint just a few songs....

Not all of these are from my childhood, but here goes...

I Can't Get Next To You/The Temptations...first record I ever bought.

The Impossible Dream...first song that ever made me cry.

Ave Maria...our church organist played it so beautifully that I fell in love with it.

Oh Holy Night...my favorite Christmas song. My grandmother used to ask me to sing it over and over.

You're Still A Young Man/Tower of Power...reminds me of my first crush on a guy named Tito.

International Lover...the song that hooked me on Prince. The album was a gift from the love of my life.

Peace Be Still/James Cleveland...it was my mom's favorite song.

The whole Superfly soundtrack.

Just about anything by WAR.

The Beautiful Ones...the first time Prince made me cry.

That song from Swan Lake whose name escapes me.

Lot's of songs by the Jackson 5

Oopsie...that's twelve.