Almost everyone listens to some form of music whether it is without instruments or without voices. People who listen to music most likely have a particular genre, artist, or band that they flock to; the one that people call their favorite. Favorite is defined by Webster as a person or a thing that is more liked than others. I asked some of my OVU Odyssey creators and my friends about who is their favorite band and why. I have several favorite bands too. I reflected upon my favorite artists and it came to mind to put them into categories. Since I haven’t done a listicle yet, I decided to do one this week and talk about the different qualities that make a favorite band.

1. A favorite band is your favorite band because they’ve been with you your entire life

My best friend Mara and I find ourselves bouncing music ideas off of each other. Mara is someone who I consider musically talented in all sorts of ways. She can sing, play piano, play guitar, and probably more that I don’t know about yet. Mara bounces off of me when she needs someone who listens to music really well. In addition, I have a vast amount of music in my library I am constantly showing her what I am listening to because I know she’ll appreciate it. Hence, why she gave me the nickname “Human Pandora,” and it has stuck. We both value each other’s opinions when it comes to music. I asked her about who her favorite bands were. She told me that one of them is Linkin Park because she has liked them ever since the beginning. She said it is like they have been with her for her entire life.

2. A favorite band is your favorite band because you have a lot of their music.

I understand that I am quite young, but I feel like I’ve been listening to music for a chunk of my life. The first CDs that I remember having were either the Backstreet Boys or Hanson. One of my favorite bands for this reason is Evanescence. On my iTunes, I have 63 Evanescence songs. I have all three albums and then also their older stuff. You probably did even know they had music before Fallen, didn’t you? Well, here’s an Evanescence history lesson for you. Ben Moody (their first guitarist) had recorded an album before Fallen got big and “Bring Me to Life” was a huge hit. It is called Origin. You can find most of the songs on YouTube (I researched it to make sure.) I appreciate that one because not very many people know about it and also it had very raw sound that they did not do in other albums. Of course after Fallen, Moody left the band and their sound wasn’t the same. However, they are still one of my favorite bands for lots of reasons. I could write a whole other listicle about why Evanescence is my favorite band, but no one wants to read that…or do you?

3. A favorite band is your favorite band because of something in their sound.

This reason is the most obvious to most people. The band has a great sound or something original. Among my OVU Odyssey creators, this was their reasoning. My new friend Gavin said that one of his favorite bands right now is The National. In his words “I can't describe Berninger's (the lead singer) passé baritone as anything short of sexy and while they don't do anything musically groundbreaking they're excellent at creating moods (or one mood, which is depressing). None of the individual parts draw attention to themselves; all the band members work very synergistically to make an atmosphere to fit the lyrics, which aren't just personal accounts or feelings. Like the different speakers in poems by the same author, Berninger crafts characters and sings from those perspectives.” That was such a beautiful way to describe a band and I thought it was appropriate, as I love them too and I understand exactly what he is saying. Another example I’ll use is my friend Kristen and fellow creator from OVU, her favorite band is Pentatonix. If you don’t know them, you’ve lived under a rock. They were one of the only big successes of The Sing Off, the all-a cappella music contest on NBC. They have six albums and one of them is all original songs. Kristen states the reason why she likes them so much is because of the covers that they do. They do their own original spin on them with a five part harmony.

4. A favorite band is your favorite band because of how they make you feel.

My sister Lydia and I shared a lot of music over the years. She has actually liked most of the bands like Emery, Underoath, and Alexisonfire long before I liked them. But as she has grown, so has her music tastes. She primarily listens to Christian music and her guilty pleasures on the radio here and there. When I asked her about her favorite bands were and why, she said that she likes worship music like Bethel and Hillsong. She likes worship music because of the truth and positivity that is spoken through those songs and it makes her feel good after her runs.

5. A favorite band is your favorite band because it is what you are listening to currently.

I am the queen of having “flavors of the week” when it comes to bands. I’ll discover something new and will be hooked…for the next week until I find something different and the cycle goes on and on. The Discovery Weekly feature is the one of the best features on Spotify. It has shown me so much new music. What I’m currently listening to right now is Bear’s Den. I’m listening to them as I write this article. They have a soft acoustic feel, like Mumford and Sons, but better (#sorrynotsorry.) They’re great, go check them out, especially their new album, it’s phenomenal.

Did I miss a reason? If so, leave me some feedback and let me know! I love discussing music with people! I could seriously talk about it forever. Feel free to talk to me anytime on Facebook or Twitter.