Mood Music is a Real Thing

Are you a music lover? I am, without a doubt.  I'm named after a popular song from the 60’s, you know (and also a former Miss Arkansas, I think).  I also know that I inherited my love of music from my dad, who obviously helped choose my name and introduced me to the Beach Boys.  Dad had an entire closet full of records when I was a kid, and often took us to Memphis just to visit the record store.  You know he was serious about his music, because the record store was not in a part of town you’d want to go if you were just passing through.

I have so many memories of singing along to the Oldies station with my parents.  As corny as it seemed at the time, I know that helped set the tone for my appreciation of all types of music.  I am not a music snob; I love it all.  You name it:  country, rap, disco, Broadway musicals, hair bands and pop….not much I won’t listen to. My iTunes library is very confusing.

As a lot of you know, I worked in the radio biz for seven years after college.  That makes me sound so hip, no?  What’s ironic about that is that I’m a radio station’s worst nightmare.  Stations are rated on how many listeners they have and the length of time people listen.  Well, I’m a button pusher.  I don’t have a loyalty to any one station or genre.  What I stop on depends on my mood and/or which of my old buddies is talking.

For me, music goes hand in hand with my mood.  Just a few weeks ago, I was driving to Fort Smith for a meeting.  I was having a Debbie Downer kind of day, just stuck in a rut or something.  Then, one of my “happy memory” songs came on the radio, and changed my whole mood.  It was 1994’s “Stay” by Lisa Loeb (thanks Jim!), which brings back so many memories of fun times in college cruising around in my BFF Lisa’s tiny red Toyota Celica. We’d put that song on repeat and sing forever.  It made me think of her, and how much I miss her, so I turned it up and sang right along.  Later, I sent her an email just to let her know I’d heard it and thought of her.

 

 

And just today, on yet another trip to the Fort, music impacted my day.  It was a dark, cloudy start to the Monday morning and I just couldn’t seem to wake up. I happened to stop the button pushing on my friend Jon’s radio show.  He talked a bit, and then launched into Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”  People! This song rocks.  In fact, it would totally be my “walk up” song if I played baseball.  I cranked it up and rocked out, right there in my minivan.  By the end of the song, I felt like I’d chugged about a dozen cans of Mountain Dew.  Yes, a rockin’ good song can do that to a person.

 

So this got me thinking of some of the other songs I like to hear when I’m driving.  Do you have a list of favorite driving songs?  Leave me a comment and let’s discuss.  Since this post is getting long, I’ll share my list with you later in the week.  Come back again, and we can share together.