Songs on My iPod

I’ve recently spent time downloading music from my CD collection to an iPod.  I have a large collection of CDs that I wanted to load onto my new iPod, and I have been dutifully adding songs and albums to my collection.  It has been a labor of love for me, revisiting music I haven’t listened to in years.

As I started the process of downloading music, I wrestled with the dilemma of adding single songs versus entire albums.  I didn’t want to waste precious space on my iPod with songs I knew I wouldn’t listen to, but some albums just demand to be heard in their entirety.  The solution was to proceed on a case-by-case basis, but it wasn’t an easy choice to delete songs from an album to be downloaded.  I still struggle at times with leaving even the least important tracks from an album off the iPod.

Some songs just had to be on my Apple iPod and were the first to be downloaded.  “Days of Future Passed” by the Moody Blues came first.  “Wish You Were Here” from Pink Floyd followed closely behind.  I soon moved on to greatest hits CDs by artists I enjoy, and this is where I am currently.  After this, I will add partial albums and then compilation CDs.  I still am uncertain about whether movie soundtracks or New Age music belongs.  I suppose I will need to see how much space I have left for this type of music.

What has most surprised me is how compelled I was to return to the music I listened to as a teenager.  My music list is well represented by ‘60s and ‘70s music.  Music from the last thirty years is included, of course, but not to the same extent.  Not even close.

Songs that had to be on my iPod include “California Dreamin’” by the Mamas and the Papas, “Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane, “Everybody’s Talking” by Harry Nilsson, and “Fortress Around Your Heart” by Sting.  I had to include powerful songs like Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s “Let it Ride” and U2’s “New Year’s Day.”  There are also some softer songs from Sheryl Crow, Alice Peacock and even Sonny and Cher.

There’s something magical about the ability to have the most important songs from my youth all contained in a small box I can fit in the palm of my hand.  I recall feeling amazement at the size of a CD—at least in comparison to an album.  For folks half my age and younger, it is not even worthy of consideration or comment; many young people have never known another way to listen to music.  For someone my age, however—it is special.  

The music I carry with me is mostly from long ago, with an occasional mix of tunes representing other eras and memories from more recent times.  These are the songs that bring back good memories and make me happy.

What is on your iPod?