by Katherine Heneghan & Gabriella DePinho, Web Editor & Senior Writer
It’s undeniable that some incredible music is being writ- ten nowadays; however, many of us grew up listening to our parents’ or loved ones’ favorite songs and value them in a deep- er way. The music we love – and feel is worth recommending – stretches across decades and genres. This week, we’re dedi- cating this column to “dad” or “mom” music.
Katie’s Picks:
Mary Jane’s Last Dance- Tom Petty and the Heart- breakers
Some say this song refer- ences drugs, I say it’s a song about losing a relationship.
One thing is for certain –– this is a great song. Tom Petty is a rock and roll legend, with unique vocals and a distinct sound. It’s a perfect tune for this time of year, almost on the brink of summer, and ready for a change.
Rhiannon – Fleetwood Mac
How could you talk about classics without talking about
Fleetwood Mac? Stevie Nicks’ iconic vocals in Rhiannon make anyone feel like the main char- acter. It’s the perfect tune for walking to class, sitting down to write a paper or finally get- ting around to cleaning your room. I first discovered my love of Fleetwood Mac when I real- ized the song Landslide was in fact not written by The Chicks.
Wild Horses – The Roll- ing Stones
This is one of my Dad’s favorite songs, so when I get homesick, this is a perfect, re- laxing pick-me-up. The Rolling Stones changed rock music for- ever, and if you’re going to lis- ten to one classic rock band, it’s got to be the Stones. You might know them because of Paint it, Black or Satisfaction, but Wild Horses is a beautiful ballad that will surely remind you of warm- er weather.
With A Little Help From My Friends – The Beatles
In this second semester pandemic slump, we all get by with a little help from our friends. This song embodies friendship, happy days, and community camaraderie. I can’t recommend the album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” enough. Rolling Stone magazine calls it the greatest album of all time, and this song is one that makes the album
JASPER JAMS
come together. When record- ing this song, The Beatles sur- rounded drummer Ringo Starr and coaxed him into leading the vocals and stood by his side for moral suppor t. Even the greatest rock band of all time gets by with a little help from their friends.
Rock the Casbah – The Clash
It seems like every song on this list came out of the U.K, but this British rock band is a fan favorite. This song re- minds me of dancing around my kitchen with my Mom as a little girl, and I can’t help but dance ever ytime I hear it to this day. The song tells the fictional story of an Arab king banning rock music, and the people lis- ten and dance anyways. Some say it’s a political reference, I say it’s a great ballad to sing in the shower.
Gabs’ Picks
Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
When I was 10 or 11, I in- herited an original iPod from my sister loaded with 0.69 cent songs and free downloads of the week. This was one of the less than a hundred songs on the device and it quickly be- came one of my favorite songs, making me, what I believed to
be, a very classy middle school- er. This song goes hard and is still one of my favorites to put on to hype myself up.
Black Dog – Led Zeppelin
I did not have much of an education in classic rock before I came to Manhattan College, and it became apparent I need- ed to learn. So, as I worked in the Office of Admission typing up information in January of sophomore year of college, I spent each day listening to the discography of a band I felt like I should know better. So out of the whole day of Led Zeppelin, I present you with this one track that gets heavy playtime on my Spotify account.
You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC
I learned that I was more uneducated in the classics than I thought when I joined Players and became a member of the crew. As we built and painted sets, the music played switched between classic rock and coun- try. This was one of the few songs pre-self-education that I recognized without anyone having to tell me the band name or title.
Come On Eileen – Dexys Midnight Runners
This was one of the many classics I was taught about by my Players’ peers. The lyrics
are effectively about trying to convince a girl that sleeping with the singer and their mu- sic will somehow change their lives, which isn’t a compelling argument; however, the song is incredibly catchy.
Take A Chance – ABBA
So this isn’t exactly a clas- sic in terms of classic rock, but I had to add it to the playlist. Growing up, my parents played a mix of The Beatles, Angolan hits from the 1970s, and AB- BA’s Gold album — that’s it. So in terms of “dad” music or “mom” music, this is what it was for me. I was eight years old, in the backseat singing along to every ABBA song, without knowing what they meant; at 21, I’m still singing their songs with my mom.