Greg and I both say we have the most eclectic — er, iClectic — iPods known to man. Therefore, I am now going to put my iPod on shuffle and discuss the first 10 songs that have been randomly chosen by Apple and predestined by Eros.
“MLB on Fox”
I’m a sucker for TV themes. I wouldn’t be surprised if another came up in the remaining nine songs. Fox’s theme for Major League Baseball is more adrenaline-rushing than its NFL counterpart, in my opinion. I even have the “MLB on Fox — Extended Rock Version” somewhere on the iPod, as well. The only downside — the song always makes me think of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.
“$25,000 Pyramid”
See? Told you another TV theme would come up. Did you know TV themes have subgenres? Well, game shows would be my favorite subgenre. And no game show has a more classic sound than Dick Clark’s $25,000 Pyramid, which has the same song as its $100,000 counterpart. However, were you aware the $10,000 Pyramid had its own theme, as well? There are similarities, but the $25,000 song prevails. Have you picked up my nerdom yet?
“Everything & Anything” — Peppers Ghost
From Peppers Ghost’s debut album, Shake the Hand that Shook the World, this song captures the essence of the entire CD. Peppers Ghost is a local band trying to make it to the big time. They played at the infamous Garnet Valley High School in 2005, which is where I became somewhat of a junkie. For more information, visit this Wikipedia page on what Pepper’s ghost actually is.
“Because You Loved Me” — Celine Dion
It’s the only Celine song I have on my iPod, I swear. The only reason I have this on here is because in third grade, the principal of St. Joseph Elementary School in Aston, Pa., announced she was leaving. Sr. Rosemary was a beloved figure at the school, and we had a celebratory mass at the end of her tenure. And we all sang this song in church. I’m not sure that’s technically permitted, but we made Celine proud. Apparently she never responded to the invite, so instead we had some eighth grader stand at the pulpit.
“3rd Rock from the Sun”
OK, now the TV themes are getting obnoxious, even for me. But you have to admit, 3rd Rock has a pretty good one, even though it’s only 27 seconds long. And it’s a funny show. John Lithgow and Jane Curtin are fantastic people.
“Viva la Vida” — PS22 Chorus
I’ll let the video do the speaking for this.
“A Better Man” — Clint Black
I actually don’t like this song, but I don’t like a lot of songs I have on my iPod. Why do I have these songs, then? Because whenever someone says, “Hey, remember that song by [long-lost band/artist]?” I can say, “Well, actually, yeah!” So this represents the country genre for those situations.
“To Be with You” — Mr. Big
Hey, remember that song by that long-lost band? Yeah, that one that says something like “I’m the one who wants to be with you / Deep inside I hope you feel it, too. / Waiting on a line of greens and blues.” Well, actually, yeah!
“Barbie Girl” — Aqua
For the record, I have every Now That’s What I Call Music CD from the original up to 20. The latter 12 or so I bought because I felt I needed to continue the tradition. So I stopped at a nice, even number. Therefore, most of the original Now happens to be on my iPod. But that is no excuse for not removing this song. Although it’s kind of fun to dance to when you’re alone in your apartment. Or so I’m told.
“Keep Your Hands off My Baby” — Little Eva
I had this class in my last semester in college called “American Music.” We had three tests the entire course, and these were the only grades we had in the class. Each test consisted of about 25 fill-in-the-blank questions (with no word bank!) and at least 15 “Name that Tune”-esque segments. The prof would play a song, and we would have to name the song and artist. The final exam was cumulative, so we essentially had to memorize nearly 300 songs for 15 “Name that Tune”s. This was one of them. I also have Little Eva’s “Locomotion” on my iPod, but that was not a song from this course. I just enjoy line dances.
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So that’s that. The shuffle let me down. We didn’t get to showcase the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, “Weird Al” Yankovic or Pianomusings. So, perhaps we’ll see what the shuffle brings in the future. For now, happy shuffling.
