Mundanely Profound

I've wanted to do a list like this ever since I was stuck in a boring class and began to write down what I felt were my own personal 'timeless' songs.

Anyways, there are really good songs, really great songs, and absolutely amazing songs, but you have to admit that even some of the best wear off over the years and don't pack quite a powerful punch. But there are a selection of songs that, at least for me, transcend their place at a particular time when I first heard the song, purchased the album, etc., and give you the feeling when you listen of someting very intangible, beyond just wonderful music, but more of like painting your existence with bright colors. When I think of these songs now and in the future, even on miserable days in a sterile cubicle while I'm doing something mindless (or even engaging), I am really comforted in a completely encompassing way. The only way to really enhance that comfort (if I ever wanted to) would be to these share these songs with well-wishers and friends. Listing these songs online is a poor substitute for a personal method of hearing and listening with someone in the same room, but I'm doing this primarily for self-preservation.

The ironic thing is that a lot of these transcendent timeless ditties are powerful to me because they bring to mind personal memories directly or indirectly tied to the song. Unlike a CD I get tired of, these memories don't go away to the back of my CD stack. In fact, it's probably due to the songs that they are vivid memories.

Finally, another great thing about this particular list is that I wasn't listening to any music while I was making it, so there's no bias towards anything. It's just what I jotted down when I thought "Music" and "Life".

Is that enough Hippie language? I'm in a very good mood this weekend, for a variety of reasons, so let me be flowery about music at least!

And because the timelessness of a song is a characteristic and not a quality this list is unranked. I've made ranked lists of songs and albums before, so this is kind of different.

Here we go: it is so out of your duties as blog readers to go on, but I really appreciate your sentiments.

Frank Zappa - Yo' Mama
Frank Zappa - Inca Roads
Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
Beach Boys - God Only Knows
New Order - Blue Monday
Beck - Nicotine + Gravy
Beck - The New Pollution
Radiohead - The National Anthem
Nirvana - All Apologies
Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat
Fiery Furnaces - Here Comes the Summer
Godspeed you Black Emperor - Storm
Captain Beefheart - Ella Guru
Smashing Pumpkins - Hummer
Smashing Pumpkins - Rocket
Smashing Pumpkins - 1979
Miles Davis - All Blues
Sonic Youth - Unmade Bed
Sonic Youth - Theresa's Sound World
Sonic Youth - Cross the Breeze
nine inch nails - ruiner
Sufjan Stevens - Cashmir Pulaski Day
The Doors - Hyacinth House
Moody Blues - You Can Never Go Home
Smokey Robinson - Tears of a Clown
The Cars - Bye Bye Love
Beatles - A Day in the Life
Television - Marquee Moon
Strokes - The End Has No End
R.E.M. - Drive
Flaming Lips - Moth's Head in the Incubator
Iqu - Aluet
Iqu - Puka
Fela Kuti - Zombie
Postal Service - We Will Become Sillhouettes
The Go! Team - Bottle Rocket
Beta Band - Dry the Rain
Beta Band - It's Not too Beautiful
Gary Numan - Metal
Deerhoof - Milk Man

UPDATE: I'm trying to be as selective as possible, but I did come up with some more today...

The Who - Baba O'Reilly
The Who - Blue, Red, and Grey
Fugazi - Nightshop

More to come I'm sure.