Getting my life in 10 songs (or more) gives you a glimpse of how diverse my music
tastes are. Music is an absolute passion of mine. And I enjoy a variety of genres.
Hip Hop. Rock. Broadway. Pop. Rap. Native American. Celtic. Country.
Old style hymns and modern worship. Even some metal.
To narrow down a list that I would call the soundtrack of my life is not easy.
Concerts, musicals, oh my!
I think about all of the concerts I’ve taken in over the years.
Alabama. Clint Black. Garth Brooks. Sawyer Brown. Charlie Daniels.
New Kids on The Block. Vanilla Ice.
TobyMac. Newsboys (with and without Peter Furler). Manifest. Skillet.
The musicals…Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserable, Hairspray.
By no means an exhaustive list. I could easily list two dozen more acts.
So you see my problem, right? How do I pick just a handful of songs to represent my soundtrack?
I thought about the artists as well as favorite songs that really feel like they define parts of me.
My top 10 (or more) in no particular order…other than how I remembered them.
A portion of my life’s soundtrack.
“I Love a Rainy Night” by Eddie Rabbitt – country was my upbringing and this song always made me smile and dance.
“Some Girls Do” by Sawyer Brown – My absolute favorite country band ever! So hard to choose only 1 of their songs, but this particular one was an anthem to my teenage years. I followed them from when they were on Star Search… have been to dozens of their concerts, and I was super excited when I found out that lead singer Mark Miller is the producer for one of my favorite Christian bands, Casting Crowns.
“That’s My Job” by Conway Twitty – My father was a huge Conway Twitty fan and I cannot listen to the song without crying. I lost my father when I was just 25. And this song epitomizes the kind of man my Daddy was.
“I Cross My Heart” by George Strait – My wedding song. In honor and memory of my brother-in-law who died by suicide the year I got married. The day before my birthday that year in fact. Sometimes I listen to this with fondness. Sometimes I just can’t.
“Jesus Freak” by dcTalk – My introduction to Christian rap. And every 90s Christian kids’ battle cry. It felt a bit rebellious, and yet pointed straight to the Savior.
“Gone”, “Made to Love”, “Burn for You”, “Till the Day I Die”, “Move (Keep Walkin’) – OK, I know this is more than one song for the century but I am a huge, HUGE TobyMac fan!! I love the rhythm of his music, the diversity both and has a band physically as well as in the instruments utilized, and most importantly the words. I’ve been to dozens of his shows, Jesus freak cruise, and have every CD he’s ever made. His heart for God makes his music come alive.
“Phantom of the Opera” by Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford – My favorite Broadway musical. My senior prom song. We were drama and chorus geeks, what can I say?
“He’s Alive” by Dolly Parton – In my opinion one of the best worship songs ever written or sung. It absolutely gives me chills every single time. And every time I hear it I am reminded of the great sacrifice made and the love the Father has for me.
“Monster” by Skillet – Skillet my favorite Christian rock band. This song resonates as I often struggle with keeping the ugliness of my humanity at bay when I feel hurt or wronged. It lets me know I’m not the only one and that helps me feel more normal.
“Cry for You”, “Welcome to America”, “ Good, Bad, Ugly”, “Tell the World” – Okay, again I couldn’t narrow it to just one for this artist. Lecrae is a phenomenal rapper with a heart for the Lord and for marginalized people. And he isn’t afraid to talk (or sing) about it. He’s bold yet humble…like I hope to be.
So there you have it. Songs that resonate with who I am and seasons of my life that defined me.
What does your life sound like?
I’m afraid I don’t know any of these, except Phantom of the Opera. What a good exercise this would be. I love so many songs, as you said, it would be hard to narrow them down.
It was fun to remember and think in why these particular songs resonated with me so much! I’m glad you enjoyed reading it!