Music is a very big part of my life, and it has been for as long as I can remember. I attribute much of this to the great music my parents played for me when I was very young, mostly in car rides and in the form of CDs. In honor of the recent two hour car ride I spent with my mom, during which we listened only to the tunes I grew up with, here are 10 of my favorite albums from my childhood.
Disclaimer: I have been told I had an unusual childhood in regards to media, since I never watched cartoons, so I'm not sure how #relatable this list will be to everyone else's childhoods. Regardless, these are great albums and I still listen to most of them today.
1. Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits (1972) by Simon and Garfunkel
Honestly, I wanted to start the list with the name that always made me giggle (I'll never get over Garfunkel), but when I went through the songs in this compilation album, I realized there were so many that I loved and remembered very well. I find their songs quite relaxing, and I think my favorite is either "The Boxer" or "Sound of Silence."
2. Songs in the Key of Life (1976) by Stevie Wonder
All I have to say about this one is YES! There is a reason why this man is a legend, and I absolutely love this album. I've been mistakenly saying that Stevie was my first concert (stay tuned to find out who my actual first concert was) but that's okay, because I'm seeing him again later this year and I'm beyond pumped. I adore every song, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be "Knocks Me Off My Feet."
3. The Immaculate Collection (1990) by Madonna
No throwback CD collection would be complete without Madonna, so don't worry, I'm giving you one of her compilation albums! Of all the versions of Madonna I've heard, I think this is my favorite, but I might just be biased since this was my introduction to her. Also, am I a cliche if my favorite is "Vogue"?
4. Greatest Hits (1981) by Queen
I think I'm noticing a pattern with my family and greatest hits albums. It's fine, though, because I love this Queen compilation. Their songs are so high energy and creative, and I'm pretty sure everyone in the world knows Bohemian Rhapsody, so that's pretty impressive. It's really difficult to pick a favorite song, but it's probably "Killer Queen." Or "Flash." Or "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."
5. Legend (1984) by Bob Marley and the Wailers
Sorry for putting on another compilation, album I swear this is the last one. I can't say I know a lot about reggae, or anything at all about reggae, but I do know quite a few Bob Marley songs and I really enjoy them. My favorite on this album is "Redemption Song."
6. Songs in A Minor (2001) by Alicia Keys
So remember how I've been going around saying Stevie Wonder was my first concert? It turns out that literally two days before that concert, I saw Alicia Keys, so not only was 12-year-old me somehow the luckiest person on the planet that week, but I've been living a lie, and I'm very sorry. It's fine, though, because Alicia is badass, and this CD was her best. I think my favorite song is "A Woman's Worth."
7. Falling Into You (1996) by Celine Dion
Please let us remember that Celine Dion had better songs than "My Heart Will Go On." Please. This album was my life. Whenever I was in the car, I would take the lyrics out of the CD case and made sure I could sing every word along with Celine. "It's All Coming Back to Me" will forever be my favorite, because I cannot resist belting that one out when I hear it.
8. Thriller (1982) by Michael Jackson
I don't know if I can consider myself a huge MJ fan, but you don't get the nickname "the King of Pop" for nothing, and I definitely did enjoy this album growing up. I think my favorite on this is "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."
9. Come Away With Me (2002) by Norah Jones
Let's get real for a moment, because this woman's voice is like butter and if you aren't already listening to her and crying about how angelic she sounds, you need to put whatever you're doing on hold and go play you some Norah Jones. Basically, I want to be her, it's casual. My favorite is "Don't Know Why."
10. Acoustic Soul (2001) India Arie
Last, but definitely not least, is probably one of my favorite artists ever. I had to decide between three of her albums because we had all of them. India Arie has such a soulful voice and incredibly beautiful messages in her songs. If I had to choose, I'd say my favorite is "Strength, Courage and Wisdom."
This was a musical list of my childhood, and while going through these albums, I realized many were actually albums my parents listened to growing up. It's interesting to take a look back at our first favorites, what inspired us when we were young, and appriciate how these things can connect us.
