I’ve always been an album person. Even now that they’re in danger of going extinct, I get to know artists through whole albums and not just individual songs. The music I listen to, I listen to over and over again, rarely letting anyone new in. That’s just how we do it in my family. Here are some of the albums I’ve come to associate with certain periods of my life, because I listened to them on repeat for months on end.
This album was 8th grade for me. Semisonic was my first favorite band--the first that was all my own. I love all of their albums, but Feeling Strangely Fine was how I found them (it has "Closing Time" on it) and it's probably my favorite. I remember listening to it on my discman while riding the bus and walking home from school.
And then my growing taste in music basically got derailed for four years while I obsessed over NSYNC. After a really long wait for a new album, No Strings Attached came out in March 2000. Lisa and I saw them in concert that same month, our first concert ever. It was amazing and we ended up seeing this same concert another two times (and NSYNC a total of 6 times). After returning from one of the concerts where we had amazing seats, Lisa's mom said it looked like we'd seen Jesus. I knew then as I know now that there are some ridiculous filler songs on this CD, but it is still a pretty awesome pop album, the soundtrack to some of the most fun I've ever had. Don't think I wouldn't sell everything I own to see them on those puppet strings again.
I started listening to James Taylor in 2001. My Mom got his greatest hits album and everyone in the house was forced to listen to it as well. I couldn't resist for long. We saw him in concert September 16, 2001, and I can only describe that experience as a big group hug when everyone really needed just that. JT has been a comfort to me since. He was my best friend during that confusing time called figuring-out-what-to-do-after-high-school.
This album defines Summer 2003. It was the Summer after my first year of college. I'd started listening to Coldplay earlier that year, but not Parachutes. I have a really specific memory of driving around in my mom's car with the windows down, listening to this CD, "Don't Panic" especially. Coldplay is still one of my favorite bands, definitely my favorite to see live, and Parachutes is the perfect album to listen to when I'm feeling nostalgic.
I'd been listening to Travis a while before I got around to this album, but it is probably the one that sticks the strongest in my mind, defining 2004. "Writing to Reach You," which of course has special meaning to me, I always connect to December 2004, driving the streets of Tacoma in the dark, wanting something I didn't have.
I remember so specifically that I started listening to David Gray in January 2005, the month my life got turned upside down by my first theology class. This album had been sitting in my suggestions box from Amazon for years and one day I caved in and bought it. I don't remember loving another album so instantly and at a time in my life when I didn't know what to think about anything anymore. I love every David Gray album (he is my favorite lyricist) and as he's said himself A New Day At Midnight is probably not his best, but it has a special place in my heart.
I started listening to this album in November of my first year of grad school (2006). That was a horribly emotional year for me and this was just the depressing album to go with it. "9 Crimes" still breaks my hear every time I hear it and "Rootless Tree" is my go-to fuck you song. I remember a Thanksgiving trip to Spokane where I listened to this album on repeat and wrote my heart out in my journal.
Summer 2008. The Summer I started this blog, the Summer I was unemployed for a month (my longest stretch without a job), the Summer I wrote the novel, and the Summer I read all the Twilight books. I have to mention the Twilight connection, because it was an event featuring Stephenie Meyer and Justin from Blue October that made me start listening to the band in the first place. This album is the best thing I got out of that experience. And no one understands my love of "Congratulations" like @katieblogs.
I hate to repeat artists here, but I basically did not listen to any other album in 2009. "Battleships" is forever tied in my head to a certain adorable boy and "Big Chair" to walking the stacks late at night. This album fueled a lot of blogging.
Spring 2010. I love this album for its energy. It has matched my mood so much better this year than my normal depressing stuff. When I was in Arizona visiting my brother in March, I could hardly stand the minutes not spent listening to this album.
I had to leave some albums out. It seems the pop music especially got the shaft. And the truth is that every Semisonic, James Taylor, and especially David Gray and Coldplay album defines a time in my life.
What albums define a certain period of your life?
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I adore James Taylor and am envious that you’ve seen him in concert. Thats one show I’ve never seen.
While I don’t really have entire albums that define certain moments of my life, I do have songs that always take me back to certain places. Strawberry Wine by Deana Carter, to teenage love; Wide Open Spaces by the Dixie Chicks the summer between my junior and senior year in college; Take Me Home Country Roads by John Denver always puts me back on a hillside with my friends. I love defining songs like that!
I am so glad that there are others out there. :)
I love buying music CDs. If I think about certain albums I know exactly how I felt as I heard them back in the days. They are so involved with my Life and thats brilliant. I am sure I will never forget that. Its like a personal soundtrack to my Life.
Ashley,we have some of the Albums in common. I too have both of your TRAVIS CD’s, the COLDPLAY and the David GREY! :)
As I never have heard anything about James Taylor-I will switch to yoututbe to listen to some of his songs! :) Can you recommend any James Taylor songs???
Oh I LOVE that you have so many of my favourites on here. Travis, Damien Rice… Vampire Weekend… there’s something amazing about a well crafted album from start to finish. One of my favs is “Performance and Cocktails” from the Stereophonics from 1997 I think it was? Brilliant from start to finish.
The Man Who is definitely the Travis album that hooked me, though switch “Writing to Reach You” with “The Last Laugh of the Laughter.” And I think everyone gets a free pass regarding NSYNC. You were just ahead of the Justin Timberlake curve (who knew he’d become… the Justin Timberlake we have now!).
There are way too many albums for me to attempt to pick one here, and a lot of them would be U2 albums. But I will say that a lot of my freshman year of high school was spent listening to David Bowie and specifically The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars.
I’m an album person too, and thankfully most of the bands I listen to still cater for that. It’s interesting to me that you like artists such as Coldplay, Travis and David Gray. When they were first emerging, around the turn of the millennium, that kind of sound was very influential here, so there are plenty of other British bands in a similar vein that I could recommend, if you’re interested.
I really like ‘Parachutes’ as well. I didn’t listen to it until years later, but the singles must have had an effect on me, because it reminds me the time it came out, even though I was only young then. There are so many albums that remind me of particular times, but the last one that really took hold of me was Fleet Foxes’ debut, which I was listening to around Christmas and New Year. I don’t know if you know them, but they’re from Washington, so they might be of interest to you.
Yay! I love that you blogged about music. Damien Rice is so, so amazing. NSync & Semisonic are classic 90′s of course. I’ve actually never listened to Travis or David Grey, but I probably should check them out! Also, Parachutes is my favorite Coldplay album too. Vampire Weekend is super hipster of you. I need to send you the Ra Ra Riot album, because they sound super similar to Vampire Weekend (a bit better in my opinion).
Also, I’m an album person too. The artisit put it together for a reason & listening to the entire thing is necessary.
The one I can definitely identify with a certain stage in my life is a bit of a cliche, but it’s so true – “Jagged Little Pill” reminds me of being sixteen and trying to work out what boys were all about and who I was personally.
NSYNC! Oh, how I love that you have Nsync on here! They defined my middle school years. :)
I rarely just buy a song, I always buy an album. I’m also old school too because I like having the physical CD.
I LOVE this post. LOOOOVE
For me..
Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre have always been my lovers, haha. I have loved them forever and ever. Back when he was “Snoop Doggy Dogg..” and Dr Dre was bringing a squeaky voiced Eminem everywhere.
The Friends Soundtrack signifies 6th grade, cause I was just cool like that ;) lol. I don’t even remember exactly what songs were on that soundtrack, but I listened to it a MILLION times over and over and over again.
Middle School was used to listen to crappy pop.. like NSYNC, BSB, Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson. I have to admit I still listen to some Britney, and who doesn’t love Justin Timberlake now that his hair doesn’t look like shriveled spaghetti O’s?
3 Doors Down will always remind me of Junior year in High School. Where I first fell in love.. and then found out he really wasn’t my Superman.
The song I’M A SURVIVOR signifies Senior Year in high school. Not because I loved Destiny’s Child or anything like that, but because that’s how I truly felt about High School. I barely survived. That, and it was played at many a dance, and senior event as we Graduated.
My first try at College.. is symbolized by crappy Country Music that my roommate played. Yuck! And the Amy Grant Christmas CD reminds me of when I decided that I was depressed and unhappy at Dixie State College, and needed desperately to change something. I did. It just took me another month or so to do so.
My second try at college began with blasting U2 and Rihanna. At the same time. Aw man.
And now.. as I finally finish College, I tend to listen to a lot of rap and R&B. What does that say about me? Who knows.
Cheers! ;)