Songs That Really Matter A Lot to Me!!

Monica's Tiki Lounge Music Blog

This is actually the first music playlist I wrote earlier this year, but had never thought of turning it into a blog. Now I have, and it has inspired me to create more of these with different genres, topics or chronological years. See how you like this one!!

"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" by Paul McCartney - This 45 played over and over in our back house. Just recently hearing this song after not hearing it for a very long time, gave me the chills. I turned into a 10 year old all over again. Music really is a time traveller. I remember dancing around the room when hearing this back then. I think my brother played it til the 45 turned white. I'll need to ask him why he played/liked this song so much. This is probably my earliest Beatles' memory.

"End of the Innocence" by Don Henley - Anytime something BIG happens in my life and I've been changed forever, I usually hear this song. It's the end of my innocence, graduating, getting married, moving away, the death of my father, family illnesses and the births of my nieces. This song makes me look at the rites of passage that I'm going through.

"Changes" by David Bowie - This song is similar to "End of the Innocence" but the difference is that its not as life changing. It's more like going through a personal change and learning a lesson: how to handle a situation in a different way, with new eyes.

"All I want Is You" by U2 - This hauntingly beautiful song makes me think of finding my husband/soulmate/best friend Steve. Everything that I had with him then and all that I have with him now. "From the cradle to the grave," all I want is him!

"Silver Wings" by Merle Haggard - I'd like to have this song played when I pass away. It's a beautiful song and I adore/admire the singer/songwriter, John Doe, who performs this version. I got to meet him once. I was lucky enough to do that, meet one of my musical idols.

"Summertime Thing" by Chuck Prophet - This smooth and relaxed-sounding song with a great hook, reminds me of a very retro summer vibe. I love Chuck's deep voice and the slide guitar.

"Summer Breeze" by Seals and Crofts - This song brings be back me to 1975, eighth grade and my lazy days of summer. The lyrics say it all, "Summer breeze makes me feel fine, blowin' through the jasmine in my mind." Those days going to Redondo Beach and pier with my family, especially memories with my dad. He loved that place! Or going to either Manhattan or Hermosa Beach with my mom and younger sister Carla. Those were the days!!

"Boys of Summer" by Don Henley - First of all, I will always remember this 198 very high rotation MTV video that shows a bunch of volleyball players diving for balls. To quote one line from the song, "I can tell you my love for you will still be strong after the boys of summer have gone." I like that part. It's another summer song that reminds me how so 80's this was in L.A.

"Surfer Girl" by the Beach Boys - I travel back into the summer of my high school years in the late 70's. My main memories involve my brother who relentlessly teased me about wanting to be a "little surfer girl" with me wearing my favorite Hawaiian shirt to high school all the time.

"Everlong" by the Foo Fighters - This song is a current favorite that makes me think about the lyrics, "If anything could ever be this good again." It makes me think of very special moments where you feel wonderful and almost high. But there are other moments that can be this good again. So the answer is "yes." I remember a lot of these great moments.

Music From My High School Years 1977-80

Monica's Tiki Lounge Music Blog

I've always enjoyed listening to music, even when I was in my pre-teen years. I was so drawn to listening to the radio at night before bedtime. I
even loved radio shows like Dr. Demento and countdown shows to the top 100 hits of the year too. So it's fun to compile 10 or so songs that are categorized by a theme, genre, year or a special time period in my life. Hope you enjoy reading about my musical journeys with these late 70's songs.


"Baby I Love Your Ways" by Peter Frampton - Peter Frampton was an international chick magnet back in the day in the year of 1976 with his curvy,long, blonde hair, high-rise bell bottom white pants and shirts opened up to his belly button. Even my cousin from Brazil who was visiting at the time knew who he was. She was lucky enough to go to his 1976 concert with one of my best friend's super cute, surfer, older brother.

"Walk This Way" by Aerosmith - Back in the day before the days of iPods and the Internet, it was a lot of work to get the lyrics of a favorite song. I had to wait to hear it every time it was played on the radio. Maybe that's why I love this song so much. I did finally get it all down on paper in my special three-ring binder with my other favorite 70's songs. My childhood friend named Fernando, loved this band so much, he's to blame for me liking them so much. Thanks buddy!! This is a very sexy song, lyrics wise. Okay, for you hardcore music fans, this song came out in 1974, but was reissued and made it as a big hit in 1976.

"I Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick - Besides the fact that the blonde hottie lead singer Robin Zander was totally good looking, this band had the 70's pop sound down with this 1977 mega hit. Every teen girl probably thought that she wanted to be wanted by the lead singer Robin. This song later was used as a commerical, not my favorite thing for such a great song.

"Come Sail Away" by Styx - This song, from 1977 sets me free in a 70's breeze. The lyrics were really cool "Free to face the life that's ahead of me." I feel like sailing back into the 70's when I hear this song.

"Life in the Fast Lane" by The Eagles - This 1977 song makes me think of life in L.A. in the late 70's all the money, alcohol and drugs, and running your life too fast and hard. Sometimes when I'm on the freeway in the fast lane rushing to be somewhere, I think of this song.

"Jamie's Cryin'" by Van Halen - This 1978 song had to be included in my high school playlist soley for its popularity, poppy vocals and crazy guitar riff/solos which is the part that's now more memorable for me now since that little guitar riff was later sampled in a song my brother Mario worked on called "Wild Thing" by a rapper Tone Loc.

"Magic Man" by Heart - This 1976 song has a very 70's sound, but with a twist. These are women singing and playing lead guitar. They are sisters Ann (on vocals) and Nancy Wilson (on guitar and back-up vocals). This song has a magical and moody sound because of the guitar and synthesizer used in it. I was so happy for women to finally lead a band, among all the male- dominated bands of the 70's.

"More Than a Feeling" by Boston - This was a number 1 album in 1976, so you know it was played constantly. I remember trying to draw or trace the logo of the band's name on all my folders. How Junior High of me, but a lot of kids were doing it too. This song was a very catchy rock power ballad.

"Long Way Home" Super Tramp - This band started out as a progressive rock band , but they got their greatest success when they released their poppier more commerical "Breakfast in America" album, where this great song appears. I love the way this song is fresh and uplifting and now when I hear it. It brings me right back to 1977. But now it usually hear this song on my way back home from driving somewhere, helping me bring myself back home.

"Aja" by Steely Dan - This jazzy sounding 70's band set the mood at a certain beach house party I went to in Hermosa Beach. To my delight, this whole album also called Aja was being played throughout the party. And to top it off, I got my first beer buzz in 1977, at 16 when I was a sophomore in high school. I hope mom isn't reading this.

Bonus Track:
"Space Truckin'" by Deep Purple - This song was not from my high school years for it came out in 1972. Who would have guessed that I liked heavy metal rock before I knew what it really was in the 80's. Of course, my music influencer in the 70's, my brother Mario, got me into this song. In high school, he owned a tricked-out black pickup truck with, get this with an 8-track player. So I clearly remember when we hit bumps in the road and our heads hit the cab of the truck listening and singing along to "Space Truckin" at full volume.