A Writer’s Life

I’ve been wanting to do an easy post after a couple of heavy ones, so here’s one which has been a lot of fun to think about. It’s the soundtrack to my life - my ultimate playlist. It features two songs from every year since I’ve been born, one pop song and one rock/group song; my kind of music.

I knew there’d be a lot of songs to choose from, so this isn’t really a list of my favourite songs; instead it’s a list of the songs I can remember playing for significant moments in my life, or I’m told were around for ones I can’t remember (apparently I was walking to Into the Groove).

The list’s below and I put them all together over at Project Playlist as well; there are a few Australian singers some people might not have heard before - I definitely recommend Pete Murray and Missy Higgins. And if you’re wondering, I treat Project Playlist as a radio-library; I go there if I want to hear a new song, but once I’ve heard it I’ll buy it from iTunes. So that’s my way around any legalities.

1984
Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springstein
Here Comes the Rain Again - Eurythmics

1985
Into the Groove - Madonna
Don’t You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds

1986
True Colors - Cyndi Lauper
Livin on a Prayer - Bon Jovi

1987
I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston
Don’t Dream It’s Over - Crowded House

1988
Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle
Never Tear Us Apart - INXS

1989
Like A Prayer - Madonna
Sweet Child o’ Mine - Guns N’ Roses

1990
Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O’Connor
Janie’s Got a Gun - Aerosmith

1991
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You - Bryan Adams
Fall at Your Feet - Crowded House

1992
Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
Even Better Than The Real Thing - U2

1993
I’d Do Anything for Love (but I Won’t Do That) - Meat Loaf
Everybody Hurts - R.E.M.

1994
Chains - Tina Arena
Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden

1995
Hand in My Pocket - Alanis Morissette
Where the Wild Roses Grow - Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds feat. Kylie Minogue

1996
Always Be My Baby - Mariah Carey
Wonderwall - Oasis

1997
Torn - Natalie Imbruglia
Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve

1998
Crush - Jennifer Paige
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith

1999
I Try - Macy Gray
Ana’s Song (Open Fire) - Silverchair

2000
Graduation (Friends Forever) - Vitamin C
Beautiful Day - U2

2001
Thank You - Dido
Yellow - Coldplay

2002
A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carlton
The Greatest View - Silverchair

2003
Crazy In Love - Beyonce & Jay-Z
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes

2004
So Beautiful - Pete Murray
Somewhere Only We Know - Keane

2005
The Sound of White - Missy Higgins
Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day

2006
SexyBack - Justin Timberlake
When You Were Young - The Killers

2007
Rehab - Amy Winehouse
How Far We’ve Come - Matchbox Twenty