1. The Stranger – Billy Joel

When I was in middle school my friend’s mother gave me a record player. It was cool, but I hadn’t any records. My mother came to my rescue giving me a few awesome records which included The Best of the Doobies Volume 1 (The Doobie Brothers), Every Picture Tells a Story (Rod Stewart), and The Stranger. I listened to all of the records, but mainly just The Stranger.

The truth is, I took more of an interest in The Stranger because a girl I liked at school told me she loved Billy Joel. I picked a song on the record (Vienna) and listened to it over and over so I could know the song by heart. I could bring it up in conversation, “Oh that song Vienna…um, I think the song goes exactly like this…” As if that conversation would ever come up… Not to mention I picked practically the one song on that album that isn’t a single.

An unexpected thing happened when I listened to The Stranger over and over. I stopped hearing the music and started listening to it. I wrote the lyrics down and read them. When you are younger you just tend to hear whatever your parents may play in the car or what comes along with your cartoons. Yet when we grow up, we understand that songs are expressing a feeling. We can truly get to the point of the song and understand why we like it. In the case of The Stranger and “Vienna”: the song tells us that if we want something we have to do something about it and just go get it, before it is too late. I wanted to get the girl at the time and did something about it (expressed an interest in things she liked). I mirrored the song and in turn got laid. Ok ok, I was like 13. I got a kiss.

2. Something to Write Home About – The Get Up Kids

The Get Up Kids are my favorite band. I first heard the song “10 Minutes” while searching Napster for new music. I liked it enough so I started finding more Get Up Kids music. They had just released their first wide release album Something to Write Home About through Vagrant Records when I heard them. This album became so popular it gave Vagrant credibility as a indie label which could find quality bands (Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Alkaline Trio, etc.) and produce albums for the bands to break into main stream.

The Get Up Kids music became the launching pad for the term “emo”. Matt Pryor’s lyrics mixed with keyboards and driving beats make boys cry and girls melt. TGUK’s are able to produce upbeat fun songs as well as songs that make you want to lay in your bed and think about lost loves and beautiful dreams. This album doesn’t have my favorite song “Anne Arbour” on it, but it still represents everything I love about The Get Up Kids.

Without a doubt, my favorite concert ever was a Get Up Kids/Weezer concert in San Fransico with my buddy Joe. When TGUK came on stage: I sang the songs, I had my eyes fixed on that stage, and I prayed to God that they would never stop playing.

3. The Blue Album – Weezer

Not officially labeled with an album name, Weezer’s first album is known as The Blue Album because that is the color of the cover (later albums include other self titles known as The Green Album and The Red Album). I first received The Blue Album from my friend Jay Nelson on a cassette tape. He had the cd and recorded it for me when I was in the 6th grade. This album represents many albums and bands to me. It is my quintessential fun album. Rhyming any lyrics just to keep the song upbeat and lively, this sing-along cheers me up every time I hear it’s whimsical lyrics and keeps me tapping my toes and hands the whole way through. Who doesn’t recognize “The Sweater Song” when they here the casual guitar plucking and goofy banter? “Ah man, ah bro this is the best…” The Blue Album is an album that can usually be found “Only in Dreams”.

“Buddy Holly” Live…in Japan!

4. The Illusion of Safety – Thrice

By the time I was a freshman in college I had pretty much set my mind on a type of music. When a friend of mine ask me to listen to a new CD he got I couldn’t make it very far into the album. It was heavy, there was some yelling, and it seemed like chaos. I was stubborn at first and belittled the music saying there wasn’t thought behind it and that it was very amature like. And then I listened to The Illusion of Safety again. I was able to identify the individual instrumental parts from within the perceived chaos. Not only that, but when listening to lyrics I found them to be very intellectual and meaningful. Thrice is a band of musical and lyrical artists. The Illusion of Safety captures controlled chaos and the angst of a new generation.

If anything, this album will pump you up to get you through a tough workout or kill a man.

“To Awake and Avenge the Dead” Live

5. The Colour and The Shape – The Foo Fighters

It was around Christmas and I was in high school. I distinctly remember it being Christmas time when I received this album because I also received one of my all time favorite video games: Zelda: Ocarina of Time. A big reason this album is on my list is due to the connection it has with a great game like Zelda. One of my clearest memories is passing time to go over to my friend Adam’s house to hang out with my friends. I passed the time by playing a side game in Zelda where Link has to try and catch a record size fish. As I played this side quest I had “Hey, Johnny Park” (track 3) playing in the background. I ended up going over to Adam’s and having a fun night; but, I will always remember that short time before when I was playing Zelda, catching fish, and rocking out to The Colour and The Shape. Plus, Dave Grohl’s drumming on this album (Grohl, not Taylor Hawkins, recorded the drums on this album) made me appreciate drumming and love trying to myself.

“Hey, Johnny Park” Live