Year 5, Day 263

Hello. So today's song is Respect by Aretha Franklin.

I've already done a post on her career, so none of that today. I had a really hard time picking a song for this category because by definition if you can think of a version of the song besides the original that you prefer, it doesn't fit. And every song I thought of was like that. Finally I settled on this song because Aretha is a legend and everyone love this song, loves to sing along; and I have never heard a version of this that didn't make me want to listen to the original, so there you go.

Today is supposed to be a song that can never be improved upon. Which is a hard choice. Sammy and Will both chose the same song, which is Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, while my grandma went with Rocky Mountain High by John Denver and my mom chose Thank You by Johnny Reed. Anna went with a classic in I Want You Back by the Jackson 5.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 262

What's Up. Today I give you Wannabe by the Spice Girls.

Much like the Beatles who I mentioned a couple days ago, these girls broke records and smashed through what the music industry was to make a place for themselves. The group consisted of Mel B, Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Melanie C, and Geri Halliwell. But really they were known respectively as Scary Spice, Posh Spice, Baby Spice, Sporty Spice, and Ginger Spice. An ad was put in the papers in 1994 to get girls to audition for the group, and out of 400 who showed, four of the girls were found, along with one who didn't end up staying. They were originally called Touch (horrible name) and spent a couple months doing demos, one called Sugar and Spice. From that Geri changed their name, and Emma came in to replace the old member. The girls were pissed that they didn't have a solid contract, so they essentially did a tour for A&R Reps which made everyone want them. In 1995 they split from their management company and stole their master tapes with all their material before signing with an Entertainment company. They debuted in 1996 with this song, and as you can probably guess, it became huge, becoming the biggest selling single by an all-female group of all time. Their album came out the same year, and people put it on the level of the Beatles, dubbing it Spicemania, even leading them to break a record that The Beatles had set. They released their second album in 1997, and fired their manager which was a bold move at the time. The next year Geri quite the group, reasons ranging from exhaustion to dissonance in the group, and went solo for awhile. Her leaving kind of wrecked all the plans that had been in motion for the group and even led to a lawsuit with one of their sponsors, a case which is now a precedent in England. 1999 was the year of babies, with two of the girls giving birth. This was also the year that Victoria married David Beckham, which I only mention because it's pretty much become a meme now. Despite the personal changes, the worked on and released a new album in 2000 with a different sound that no one really appreciated. After that they went on hiatus indefinitely to do solo careers, but stated that they weren't breaking up. Which gave them room for their comeback which they did in 2007 for a year. After a tour they went back to their personal lives, but briefly emerged again for the Olympics in 2012 and to promote the Spice Girls musical in the works. As of 2016 they were back, but only three because Mel C has a pretty solid career on her own, and Victoria is busy with her own stuff. Of course that ended when Geri got pregnant. Although recent news this year says there will be another reunion so I guess we'll see.

Similar to yesterday, this one is a song from the 90's, which is kind of my go to. Will chose Walk by Pantera, Anna said No Rain by Blind Melon, and Sammy picked Skinnydippin' by The Vengaboys. My mom chose Right Now by Atomic Kitten. My grandma ends it with I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 261

Afternoon guys. So today's song is Girls Just Want To Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper.

She had a surprisingly hard life growing up, facing abuse from a stepfather and people who bullied her by legitimately throwing stones at her. She even damaged her vocal chords and was told she's never sing again before her fame even began.She started out singing covers in a bunch of bands before forming her own with a saxophone player she met. They were called Blue Angel's and despite labels offering her solo contracts, she passed until they would take the band as a whole. The album failed, they broke up, she ended up bankrupt and working at IHOP and singing in clubs before being picked up again as a soloist. She was given songs to sing, but she often changed them (which she did with this song), taking a misogynistic hit and making it a lady anthem. By the second album she was allowed to write her own songs and started doing some film work. Since then she released a lot of music that deals with hard issues, has done lots of activism for LGBT rights, done acting, collaborated with others, and built a good life for herself. She honestly deserves it.

These are our favorite 80's songs, which is hard for me because I love that decade for songs. Will made a face when I asked for this one, but he said One by Metallica. Anna settled on That's When I Reach For My Revolver by Mission of Burma. My grandma went with Karma Chameleon by Culture Club which prompted my sister singing that every time the name is said, then Sammy chose Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi. Then my mom has decided on We Got The Beat by The Go Go's.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 260

Hello everyone. Today's song is I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers.

These guys are actually just a duo, two brothers from Scotland who've been in the industry since 1983. They had released a demo, but they didn't start gaining much traction until a fan sent the demo to another band. The band invited them on tour in the UK and that earned them a pretty decent following. This song is one of their more popular songs, and they've actually released it twice, once for charity. They've continued to release music as recent as 2015, so if you like this, check out their other stuff. See if they've stood the test of time.

This is supposed to be a song from the year we're born. So going in order of age, we've got my grandma with Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah by James Baskett, then my mom went with Sugar, Sugar by The Archies. Thanks to meme culture, Will had the very well known Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley, Anna's was Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-lot, and Sammy's was Everything I Do (I Do For You) by Bryan Adams.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 259

Morning. Today I give you Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root.

These guys have been around since 1990 and are still active which was shocking to me because I figured them for a one hit wonder. The list of past members is ginormous, so we're just going to talk about the band as a whole. They formed in Pittsburgh and were a house band before they released their debut album in 1994. It became a huge hit because of this song. It's been used in a lot of stuff, but most notable (at least to me) is Matilda. It's the reason I equate this song with what I needed today.

Following the trend from yesterday, this song is one we remember from childhood. So basically younger than 13. My grandma chose Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley, my mom chose I Love A Rainy Night by Eddie Rabbit, and Will said Sinking Like A Sunset by Tom Cochrane. Anna went with She's Got The Rhythm (And I've Got The Blues) by Alan Jackson. Sammy's choice is also accurate for my childhood since we grew up together, and she went with I Like It, I Love It by Tim McGraw.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 258

Hello everyone. Today's song is Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus.

Yep. we're going here. Objectively this is a good song, but the fact that she was trying to be controversial and it became the identifier of the start of her kind of losing her mind for a bit, it makes me uncomfortable. The only good thing about this song is that Chris Hemsworth sang to it with his kids as a nod to the fact that it was written about his brother. That's funny, and makes knowing this one kind of bearable.

The criteria here is a song you wish you'd never heard. Also so many to choose from... Sammy went with Wavin' Flag by K'naan, and Anna decided on Bad Blood by Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar. Will chose Friday by Rebecca Black, and my grandma picked I Want A Hippopotamus by Gayla Peevey. My mom settled on Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under by Shania Twain.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 257

Hi. Today's song is Everybody by the Backstreet Boys.

I was having a conversation with my sister yesterday about 90's music and she wanted to issue the challenge to see who could listen to only that for the longest (which she would lose let's be honest). So when I saw this was a category I knew it would need to be something from that era. She also happened to give me shit for not knowing every boy band song so that pretty much solidified it. Hope you enjoy!

This is a song for your sibling. Made possible because everyone that's involved with this list actually has a sibling. Sammy picked Faith by George Michael. My mom chose Gangnam Style by Psy (because my uncle wouldn't shut up about how he liked it before everyone else did), my grandma went with Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town by Kenny Rogers, Anna said Tribute by Tenacious D, and Will decided on In Waves by Trivium.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 256

Hi. So today's song is Pop by *NSYNC.

These guys are my favorite boy band. Started in Florida, and were active from 1995 to 2002. Everyone knows at least one member from the group, but overall it was made up of Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, and JC Chasez. They actually formed when Chris missed out on being in Backstreet and convinced their soon to be manager to form another group. Chris brought in Joey, the manager found Justin who brought in JC and then a guy named Jason completed it. The name has two origins: it's an anagram of the last letter in everyone's names, and because Justin's mom said their voice were so in sync. Then Jason dropped out and Justin's singing coach found Lance. They technically had the shortest career as a boy band, but they sure gave Backstreet a run for their money, and they are always number one in my heart.

This has to be a song from our preteen years. So I'm thinking like around 13 years old is the general age. Sammy's song is Missundaztood by Pink, and my mom chose Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper. Anna decided on The Future Freaks Me Out by Motion City Soundtrack. Will went with Something Like That by Tim McGraw, and then my grandma chose Don't Sit Under The Appletree by the Andrew Sisters.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 255

Hello everyone. Today's song is Dr. Jones by Aqua.

These guys are a Danish-Norwegian band, so give it up for Denmark and Norway! They've been active on and off since 1989 and are made up of Lene Nystrøm, René Dif, and Søren Rasted (and Claus Norreen previously). They formed as Joyspeed, signed with a label and promptly left after their first single failed. After that they stated over, changing their name to Aqua, and started their signature bubblegum pop sound. It worked out for them and they were signed again in 1996. Their first two singles became huge, and their debut album was released in 1997. Next they released Barbie Girl (their most known song). I think my favorite fact about this band is the lawsuit that happened over that song where the judge's official ruling was to tell both sides to chill out. This song, was the follow up to that one (at least here). The group went on a hiatus when the lawsuit came around, but then reunited in 2008 doing a bunch of touring and a greatest hits album. They made new music in 2011, and added some people to the band for a bit until taking another hiatus. They came back again in 2016, but Claus didn't because he was kind of over that music type by then. As of this year they have a new single and are touring with Whigfield and Prozzak, so we'll see what happens next.

Now we need a song that reminds us of work. This one if for me because a girl I worked with used to play Aqua from my ipod for the whole shift, and I haven't been able to listen to it since. Sammy went with Locomotion by Little Eva (because any train song makes her laugh now). Will and Anna chose Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye featuring Kimbra, and my grandma picked Heigh Ho from Snow White. My mom decided on Working For The Weekend by Loverboy, which is a pretty generic work song along with my grandma's choice.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 254

Hey. Today's song is Le Freak by Chic.

This is an American band that's most notable for their Disco music. There are too many past and present members to list, and they've had a couple iterations of the group over the years. They started out as a rock band called The Boys, then expanded into the Big Apple Band before changing their name to Chic. They were inspired by glam rock, wanting to create a seamless whole, and recruited more people into the group. Their debut album came out in 1977. After a member shuffle, the next album came out in 1978 which is where this song is from. Fun fact: the chorus was changed because of the studio, so the "aaa, freak out" part was supposed to say fuck off. It became one of the songs that skyrocketed their career. The end of the 70's brought an end to disco, and after struggling to remain relevant the group disbanded in the 80's. They briefly got back together in the 90's to do touring for a few years, but their real come back came in the 2000's when they released new music. Since 2010 they've been playing festival, releasing autobiographies, compilation albums, and basically taking advantage of the nostalgia for their music genre. They've been teasing a new album for the last couple years, and it's set to release this year, but we'll have to see.

This one is a song that you need to be in a specific mood to listen to. There are a lot like that in my opinion. Anna went with First Days of Spring by Noah and the Whale, my mom chose Born This Way by Lady Gaga, and my grandma said It's My Party by Leslie Gore. Sammy said Against All Odds by Phil Collins, and Will picked Low Man's Lyrics by Metallica.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 253

Morning! Today I give you The Fox by Yvis.

These guys are Norwegian and have been a comedy duo since 2000. It's made up of Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker. The brothers had been performing together for six years before getting signed to a production company and hosted a radio show. By 2011 they created a tv sow, and when it got renewed for a second season, they made their own production company so they could retain the rights to their work. This song was released as a promotion for their comedy show. I don't know if most people were aware this was meant to be a sort of comedy bit, but I remember looking it up around the time this went viral.

This is where I justify bringing this song back up after it finally died off. We needed to pick a song we're embarrassed to like. And I like this song even though I should hate it. I don't know Anna's but she picked Bamboleo by Gypsy Kings. Will picked Barbie Girl by Aqua (which I am not embarrassed to love), and my mom chose I'm The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber. My grandma is riding the Cyrus wave with Achy Braky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus, and Sammy went with Show Me How You Werk by Nicole Arbour.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 252

Hiya. Today's song is Lost sung by Barrett Wilbert Weed.

As you probably noticed, this song is sung by Barrett, but written by Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen. It's part of a series of songs which is half Broadway play, half concert called Fugitive Songs and all the songs are about people on the run in some way. It premiered off-Broadway in 2008, but I only hear it when Barret Wilbert Weed performed it in 2013 at a hangout in New York for Broadway babies. I would love to go to 54 Below and am actually subscribed to their events promotions despite being in a different country. Barrett is a theatre actress and singer, best known for being Veronica in Heathers (which I'll show you eventually) and is currently playing Janis in Mean Girls (which I'll show you eventually). Anyway I think this song is hilarious and her rendition of it is on point.

All the songs today are very different from each other because a funny song you like covers a pretty wide range. My grandma apparently drew inspiration from Will yesterday and went with Gangnam Style by Psy. Anna decided on Rambling Through the Avenues of Time by Flight of the Concords. My mom went with Cake By The Ocean by DANCE, then Sammy chose a song called Genius by LSD featuring Sia, Diplo, and Labrinth. Will pulled from parodies and picked Another One Rides The Bus by Weird Al Yankovic.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 251

Hey everybody. So today's song is Tír na nÓg by the Celtic Women featuring Oonagh.

A little international day thanks to the fact that we needed a song we like in a language we don't speak. Relatively easy considering my family are all horrible people and only speak English. I can read enough French to get by (because Canada), know a couple Spanish words (because fan fiction), and flirted with learning Russian, but couldn't focus on the tapes. I may try again if I find the motivation, but for now Celtic music! This is a group from Ireland who have been active since 2004. It was created by David Downes who brought together five female singers and violinist and coined their name. The members have changed quite a bit, but currently the line up is Máiréad Carlin, Susan McFadden, Éabha McMahon, and Tara McNeill. Oonagh is the stage name for Senta-Sofia Delliponti. She's a German singer that was discovered on Star Search whose music has the same mythical quality I get from the Celtic Women. She joined them for some guest singing in 2015.

While I went with that for an unknown language, (and I know most is English, but not all so it counts) most of my family went Spanish. So we've got my grandma with Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee, Échame La Culpa by Luis Fonsi and Demi Lovato from my mom (so she was different than my grandma), and Sammy ending it with Bailando by Enrique Iglasias which we battled over once because we each knew different version of the song. Will apparently wanted to be different and went with Gangnam Style by Psy. Anna came last with Oye Como Va by Santana.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 250

Hello everyone. Today's song is Home by Michael Buble.

I know most people only associate Michael Buble with Christmas stuff, I mean there's a meme about him emerging from a cave for the holidays to release an album and then go away again. Now when he popped up I didn't buy into the hype and didn't try to listen to his music, but then Sammy bought his album and made me play it in my car the one day. It was really good. It's more her style than mine, but I can't deny that it makes me fell calm to listen to. I was lucky someone showed me this, so now I'm showing you too.

The criteria here is a song that someone else showed you. Mine was shown to me by Sammy, then Sammy went with Thunder by Imagine Dragons which Will showed her. Will chose Downfall Of Us All by A Day To Remember, Anna went with Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae, and my grandma picked Stay by Alessia Cara and Zedd (courtesy of me). My mom went with Mr. and Mrs. Beautiful by The Workday Release featuring Anais Nicole (also courtesy of me).

Peace.

Year 5, Day 249

Hey. Today's song is Blackbird by The Beatles.

This one was hard for me because I would sing a lot of things, but if you're singing to a child... wel you need something at least mildly innocent so you don't scar your children later. This seemed tame enough and soothing enough for a kid, so done deal. We all know the Beatles, English rock band, changed history, ten years of driving the world crazy, yada yada... So this is going to be quick. It was made up of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Together they led the British Invasion (of music). The group only lasted ten years, but they all did solo stuff. Two of them are gone now, but the other two are still active. They are the best-selling band in history and basically set every possible record there is. Only recently have people been surpassing them in some of those, which is quite the legacy let's be honest. Like I've said before, I don't really get Beatlemania, which makes certain people I know want to beat me, but I can appreciate what they did for the industry, and they great music...I'm just not a super fan. But if you are then today is for you. Enjoy.

This one courtesy of Anna is a song you would sing to your children. I don't remember being sang to, but these are the picks if they did. My mom chose the Teddy Bears Picnic by Anne Murray (which will never leave my brain now), and my grandma said Mary Had A Little Lamb. Anna went with Dream A Little Dream by Mama Cass. Sammy said Gimme, Gimme, Gimme by ABBA, and Will picked Just Like You by George Canyon.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 248

Hello. Today I give you Daddy's Little Girl by The Shires.

This is a duo from England who've been active since 2013. It's made up of Ben Earle ad Crissie Rhodes. They actually got together through Facebook, after Ben switched to country. They both are failed X Factor contestants so they had that in common. They were featured in a documentary about British country artists, since country is considered a predominantly American thing. After that feature, they were invited to the Country To Country festival in 2014. They went to Nashville to record their album in the same year, then spent 2015 touring with Ward Thomas. They released their second album in 2016, and that one went on to be the fastest selling UK country album of all time. This song came out in 2017 and is an ode to her late father. Currently they've been teasing their latest album which will probably be released later in the year.

Criteria today is a song where the lyrics ruined it for you. I know my choice is odd, but hey, daddy issues. My mom went with We Can't Stop by Miley Cyrus... probably something to do with the fact that I had to explain to her Molly is in reference to a drug. Sammy went with Cleopatra by the Lumineers, Will went with Diamonds by Rihanna because it's grammatically incorrect, and my grandma struggled, but chose Thriller by Michael Jackson. Anna picked Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke featuring Pharrell and T.I., and I think it's pretty obvious why.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 247

Hi guys. So today's song is Against All Odds by Phil Collins.

The songs I wanted to use have already been featured, so this is the next best one I have. So his full name is Philip David Charles Collins and he's not only a singer and songwriter, but also an actor, produce, and drummer. He started out in theater as a kid, playing various roles before music pulled his attention. In 1970 he joined the band Genesis. He spent five years as the drummer and doing backup vocals before a shuffle caused him to also be the lead vocalist. In 1979 in a break between work with the band, he started writing his first solo album, taking inspiration from his divorce. It became an international hit. He continued to release music both with the band and alone until officially leaving the band in 1996. his solo career kind of waned after that in popularity and in 2000 due to a viral infection he because partially deaf. He still rocked out after and in 2006 he worked with Disney on Tarzan which is where I first heard him from. As of now he has come out of retirement to make music again so there's quite the discography for you to look through. Best of luck.

Today's song is supposed to be a song that makes you think about life. It's a little heavier, and a little harder to decide on. My grandma went with a classic with What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong, and Anna chose Elephant by Jason Isbell. My Mom went with The Crazy Ones by Paloma Faith which I don't know, and Sammy went with a curious choice, but one she stuck with in Girl At The Rock Show by Blink 182. Will was the last to give up his song, and when prompted went with XIX by Slipknot.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 246

Morning. So today's song is In Hell I'll Be In Good Company by The Dead South.

These guys are Canadian, hailing from Regina. They started in 2012 as a quartet, but the banjo guy left and ended up being replaced by a studio musician. Two of the guys started out in a alternative grunge band which didn't work out and that's when they came up with this, referred to as rocking bluegrass or evil Mumford and Sons which... yeah. Accurate. Their sound is half bluegrass and half meant to be satire which creates a sound I'm never really found before. They have three albums over the span of four years, with the most recent out in 2016 so if you like what you hear, check out some more.

The criteria was to find a country song you like, and oddly we all settled on very different types of country. Sammy went with a song from our childhood in How Do You Like Me Now by Toby Keith, and my mom chose Pure Love by Ronnie Milsap. My grandma went old school with the Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash and Will took some time before picking Leave The Night On by Sam Hunt. Anna decided on Fist City by Loretta Lynn.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 245

Hey, so today's song is Don't Speak by No Doubt.

More pop punk than just straight pop, but there you go. They band started in 1985 with Eric Stefani and John Spence, slowly collecting members are forming up until 1987 when Spence committed suicide causing the band to break for a few weeks before reforming with so changes. By 1990 they were signed to Interscope who ultimately did not help them at all causing their CD to fail and not supporting the tour. Things continued going downhill with Interscope rejecting their ideas and forcing a producer on them, making Eric quit the band by 1994. The label ended up sub-licensing the group to a different label because they didn't want them, and the band decided to start releasing their own stuff on their own label, which is where they found success. Their song became hits, won them some Grammy's and the album this is from was certified eight times platinum. Their success continued, and Gwen Stefani started releasing solo stuff concurrently with being in No Doubt, quickly followed by other band members doing the same. With so much going on individually, the group has gone on a couple of hiatuses, but they always seem to come back together. I don't know if that'll continue to be the case, but we'll see.

Rolling with the genre specific choices, today we need a pop song we like. I don't know how pop this is, but my grandma went with Hot Dog by Elvis. My mom threw it back to Barbie Girl by Aqua, and Will chose Airplanes by B.o.b. and Hayley Williams which made Sammy want to strangle him. She absolutely hates that song. Her choice took awhile, but she finally settled on Solo by Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato. Anna's is I think the most modern with New Rules by Dua Lipa.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 244

Hi. Today I give you Push It by Salt n Pepa.

I decided to go iconic with one of the first all female rap groups. It's technically three people. Salt is Cheryl James, Pepa is Sandra Denton, and then there is Deidra Roper who goes by DJ Spinderella (who replaced a previous member name Latoya Hanson. Salt and Pepa met when they were both going to college together, and chose to get jobs together. Then a coworker asked to record them for his school project which ended up becoming huge. Originally they were going by Super Nature, but change it when they got signed in 1985. They were important to the genre because they literally changed it. At the time rap was considered a fad, and most women hated it because it was so sexist (for example listen to literally any rap song written by a man) and then these girls happened. They went in and owned their female power by openly talking about things considered taboo for women, and made history in their own way. Personally I was one of those people who scoffed at this group, but the year that my ipod committed suicide and I had to quickly fill it up with music, this was one of the CD's that was available from the library. So I gave it a shot... and now I know the lyrics to multiple songs by heart. Expand your tastes people, sometimes it goes well.

I needed a rap or hip hop song I liked. I went with a classic. Sammy went newer, with No Interruption by Hoodie Allen who I've featured before. Will and my mom chose the same artist, my mom going with The Real Slim Shady by Eminem and Will choosing Lose Yourself by Eminem. Anna chose a Nicki Minaj song called Chun-Li. Now my grandma had a really tough time with this category because as probably evident by her other picks, she does not listen to this genre. So I told her she could go with an R&B song instead. Rhythm and Blues is a little different than hip hop, but still within the wheelhouse so I think it's fine. Given that, she chose Shoeshine Boy by Eddie Kendricks.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 243

Evening. Today's song is Jukebox Hero by Foreigner.

This is another band with a long career spanning from 1976 to now. Along with the huge career, there is a huge list of current and past band members so I'm going to try and do a history without any of their specifics. The guy who started the band did so after his old band broke up and he ended up in New York. Their demo had the band name originally as Trigger which was the name of another band already, so instead they went with Foreigner because the band was made up of some different nationalities and wherever they went they would essentially be foreigners. Their debut came out in 1977 and by the next year they were playing for hundreds of thousands of people. Throughout the years there was more albums and a revolving door of members, but the band overall has survived. And unlike some others that are technically active, but silent; these guys have been actively around touring well into 2017. It's not a bad run honestly.

What I had to find for today was easy. All we needed was a rock song each of us like. Although rock spans a pretty big genre space now. Anna was predictable choosing Thickfreakness by Black Keys. Sammy and Will went the same route, with Sammy saying Bully by Shinedown and Will picking Sound of Madness by Shinedown. My mom went with Working For The Weekend by Loverboy and my grandma chose La Bomba by Ricky Valens.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 242

What's Up. So today's song is What We Live For by American Authors.

These guys are an American band who've been active since 2006, but have only been known as American Authors since 2012. Before that their name was The Blue Pages. It's made up of Zac Barnett, James Adam Shelley, Dave Rublin, and Matt Sanchez who met when they all were attending Berklee and started making music together. By 2010 they were touring with Cash Cash. The name change came when they signed with a record company and since then their songs have been featured in a lot of pop culture. They have two albums out if you're interested in looking up more.

Being July this category is just right. We need a song that reminds you of summer. The song that was chosen by my grandma is once again unknown to me. It's Sweet Memories by Andy Williams. Will went with Believer by Imagine Dragons, Sammy reached into the archive with Surfin' USA by the Beach Boys, Anna picked Electric Feel by MGMT, and my mom went with a childhood favorite of mine with Soak Up The Sun by Sheryl Crow.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 241

Hi everyone. Today's song is Any Way You Want It by Journey.

I feel like everyone knows this song, and while I love Journey the idea of now summing their career up in about six sentences is daunting. They've made fifteen albums throughout their career, which started in 1973 and has been going consistently apart from an eight year hiatus starting in 1987. They were originally named the Golden Gate Rhythm Section and were supposed to be a backup group, but that didn't last long. The band has had a huge problem of rotating people out. So many to the point that you can't even really say you like Journey without referencing specific members to know which iteration it is. The only person as far as I can tell who has been there the whole time is the lead guitarist Neal Schon. Even the singer has changed three or four times which as a vocalist is a pet peeve of mine. Personally I find the days with Steve Perry to be when Journey was at it's peak and you see that in this song.

Today is supposed to be a song that need to be played LOUD and I think I nailed it. Trying to prove me wrong is Sammy by going with Stop by the Spice Girls and Will going darker with Spit It Out by Slipknot. My grandma is keeping within her genre and going with Running Bear by Johnny Preston and my mom going with Feeling Good by the Sheepdogs. Anna chose one I don't know called Deceptacon by Le Tigre.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 240

Hi guys. So today's song is We Will Rock You by Queen.

You can never go wrong with Queen. I've already done an overview as far as I can remember, so no need for that today. I've added some more categories to this ask as requested by Sammy of all people so there's some new days I'm shuffling in between these posts. Which is why things are going to look a little wonky for a bit, bear with me. I should get everything back to normal within a week if these guys cooperate and give me new answers. Wish me luck.

This one is a song with a good beat. My mom chose Lonely Drum by Aaron Goodvin, Anna picked Land of 1000 Dances by Wilson Pickett, and my grandma said La Bomba by Ritchie Valens. Then Sammy said Sax by Fleur East, and finally Will picked Katana by Datsick featuring Mayor Apeshit.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 239

Hey guys. Today's song is Bust A Move by Young MC.

Again, another classic, but it was too perfect to pass up. His real name is Marvin Young and he's American, but he was born in England. He;s been in the business since 1989 when he earned a recording contract by rapping over the phone to the executives. This song was actually one of the very first, and got him enough recognition to help along his debut album. By 2009 he has released eight albums, and done lots of acting including full films and guest spots as himself. That's where his history blanks out, but he's still considered active in the industry so anything is possible.

The criteria for this one was a song that makes you want to dance. Sammy went the literal route and chose Shut Up and Dance by Walk The Moon, Will chose Shake It Off by Taylor Swift, and my mom picked Can't Stop The Feeling by Justin Timberlake. Then my grandma went with Magic Moments by Perry Como which I've never even heard of, but I feel like that's going to be a pattern. Last we had Anna with Work It by Missy Elliot.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 238

Hello. So today's song is Mustang Sally by Wilson Pickett.

I felt like bringing back a classic. I went to do a review of his career only to realize I did it last year. So now I have nothing to tell you about. My sister has doubled the size of the wedding pile currently existing in my room which is starting to drive me crazy, and I just helped her dye her hair so I'm rocking a bit of a contact high off the fumes. I'm also harassing everyone because the song ask list is still not fully done, but I have enough for a couple weeks to keep the flow going.

Today is supposed to be a song with a person's name in the title. Anna chose Me & Mr. Jones by Amy Winehouse. My mom decided to join me on the name with Lay Down Sally by Eric Clapton while Sammy went with Lola + Joseph by July Talk. The others went with short and sweet titles with Will choosing Angela by The Lumineers and my grandma choosing Diana by Paul Anka.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 237

Morning. Today I give you Paris by Magic Man.

This is an electronic rock group from the States that formed in 2010 by Alex Caplow and Sam Vanderhoop Lee. They fleshed out with more members for awhile, but were back to the original duo by 2015. The name for the group comes from a friend's stage name from a circus in France when traveling with the World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms group. They released an EP in 2013 then toured with Walk The Moon and Sir Sly who are both on deck to be featured. This song came out in 2014 a couple of month's before their debut album was released. Their third album was supposed to be released in 2016, but I don't think it was and as of 2017 the guys are on a hiatus so I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

Today's song criteria is one with a place in the title. My mom went for a vacation spot with the song I Took A Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner while my grandma stayed predictable and went with the double whammy choosing Tennessee Waltz by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Sammy's song is Amsterdam by Imagine Dragons, Anna chose Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash, and Will finally settled on Call In Baton Rouge by Garth Brooks.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 236

Hi. So today's song is 18 by Anarbor.

Today's song is supposed to be one with a number in the title. Either a physical number, or one typed out it doesn't matter. So for the typed out options we have When Two Hearts Collide by George Jones and Margie Singleton chosen by my grandma. Then actual numbers we have Vermilion Part 2 by Slipknot from Will and I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers from Anna. We also have songs based on years with my mom choosing 1994 by Jason Aldean and 1985 by Bowling for Soup from Sammy. 

So let's talk about my band. These guys are an American rock band that formed in 2003 and currently have three members: Slade Echeverria, Adam Juwig, and Danny Stravers. They released an debut EP locally in 2005, followed by another EP digitally in 2008 which cracked the top 100 of Amazon's Top Albums chart. After that they joined a label, and released four songs through them cracking the top ten of Billboard's Top Singles Chart. Their first full length album came out in 2010, followed by another EP the next year, and some singles the year after that. Then they went back to the album format to release a second one before the band took a hiatus. In 2016 they came back and released a new album with a bit of a change in sound then spent some time touring. While they've had a few past members of the group I want to take a moment to mention Tyler Hedstrom who was the drummer for the band. He committed suicide in 2017. I wanted to draw attention to it so I can take the opportunity to again remind you guys that if you feel overwhelmed and like you need help, to please seek it out before doing something drastic. A lot of the best things in my life never would have happened if I had given in to the worst moments. Stay strong, keep fighting.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 235

Afternoon. So today's song is Blue from Heathers: The Musical.

I'm going to do something a little different for the next two-ish months. I have a lot of songs saved for my blog. So many in fact that I find it really hard trying to decide which to use. Looking at the list is overwhelming. The other day I found a music ask which I decided to do since it helps narrow down my options, but I figured if I was going to do it for the blog I should one up the challenge. So every day of this ask you will not only be getting my entry for that criteria, but the entry for my mom, grandma, sister, and her fiance. Also I hope if you guys are interested that you'll comment with your own choices. We can get a master list going. Let's get started!

Today's song is supposed to be one that has a color in the title. Mine is from a musical, but I wont do it's history because I have other songs saved from it and I can do it later. My mom's song is Little Red Corvette by Prince, which is the only one today that I don't know, while my grandma chose a classic in Blue Moon by Tony Bennett. Anna went with Green Green Rocky Road by Oscar Isaac. Will chose Fade To Black by Metallica which is predicable, and Sammy's choice is one of my favorite answers with I'm Blue by Eiffel 65. What a selection, am I right? It was shockingly hard to think of a song that didn't use the color blue, apparently it's popular. Anyway, enjoy!

Peace.