Some songs wear out their welcome. Others never do. From “Stairway to Heaven” to “Margaritaville,” I explore why I skip some old favorites and still turn up others. Includes a companion playlist.
Author: Jeff Marye
Still Happens Every Day
The Dirt Drifters made one album that became a favorite Mandy and I share. Years later, one of their songwriters turned our story into a song of our own.
45 at 45: Five More Albums for Classic Rewind’s 1981 Countdown
Five years after Classic Rewind’s 40 Cassettes Turning 40 countdown, I went looking for the albums from 1981 that didn’t make the list. After considering about 100 albums, I narrowed it down to 20 and picked five more to make it 45 at 45.
Revisiting Classic Rewind’s 1981 Countdown
Five years after SiriusXM Classic Rewind counted down its 40 Cassettes Turning 40 from 1981, I’m revisiting the albums, the songs they played, and a few selections I would change.
Hearing Aerosmith’s Rocks Again at the Listyning Room
Five listeners, one classic Aerosmith album, and a stereo system that revealed details I’d missed before. My first visit to the Listyning Room in Leawood offered a fresh listen to Rocks.
Who Told Us What to Listen to Before Algorithms?
Long before Spotify knew what I listened to, my family, friends, radio DJs and the guy behind the counter at the record store were introducing me to new music. The recommendations didn’t always work, but they usually came with a story.
The First Album I Ever Bought
Just after Christmas in 1978, I walked into Independence Center with some Christmas money and came home with the first album I ever bought. Almost 48 years later, I still have it.
The Jazz Hiding in My Rock Collection
I saw that today would have been John Coltrane’s 100th birthday. He died on July 17, 1967, just days before I was born. My dad had some jazz albums, but I don’t recall ever hearing him listen to them. I still have a few of them. I should pull them out and give them a… Continue reading The Jazz Hiding in My Rock Collection
My Best and Worst Concert Experiences
Some concerts are memorable because they were great. Others are memorable because everything went wrong. Here are a few of my best and worst concert experiences.
Classic Rewind’s 1986 Countdown: What They Got Right, What They Missed
SiriusXM’s Classic Rewind counted down its Top 40 Cassettes Turning 40 from 1986. I made my own list before the countdown, so how did theirs compare? Some choices surprised me, some matched mine exactly, and a few weren’t even from 1986.
