FEATURE:
Now That's What I Call Memories:
The Childhood Mix-Tape
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IT may seem like a self-indulgent trip down memory lane or a…
... bit of a fluff piece; but really this is very important: remembering the music and moments that inspired us as children. We are exposed to music at a young age and it can, for better or worse, mould our tastes and who we become in later life. It seems appalling that, in years to come, certain legendary artists may be overlooked and forgotten about: parents will negate them and our future generations will miss out on something hugely precious. I have been thinking about the songs that defined the key points of my early life: for good or bad stuck in my mind and began my fascination with music. Be warned: there are some cheesy, cringey moments. Among them, however, are some genuine gems that still feature in my regular playlist: exemplifying the mystical power that music holds. In true Now That’s What I Call Music style: I have compiled my own version; one song for every year of my life (33 for a 33-year-old)...
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C.D./Record/Tape 1
The Moment I Discovered My (What Would Become) Favourite Band…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uYWYWPc9HU&w=420&h=315]
The Song That Makes Me Think of My Aunt/The Happiest Days of My Early-Childhood…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAHQ-9Fniac&w=420&h=315]
That Track That Made Hard School Days Easier…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr-yQaMbQ3o&w=420&h=315]
The Song That Opened My Eyes to the (Musical) World Beyond England…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDXzLeFUkpc&w=420&h=315]
The Song That I Remember From the Saddest Time of My Life…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFHNoUOJhVI&w=420&h=315]
When Lyrics REALLY Spoke to Me…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYajHZ4QUVM&w=420&h=315]
My First (and Truest) Music Crush…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfNtPbHkp0U&w=420&h=315]
The Music Video That Scared the Crap Out of Me…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbBbFH9fAg&w=420&h=315]
From a Very Forgettable High School Prom: The Song That Sticks Out Most…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJyhZ-3Z8A8&w=420&h=315]
The One That Always Makes Me Think of ‘Her’…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N-qO3sPMjc&w=420&h=315]
When I Knew Music Would Dominate My Life…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8KlYc0xG80&w=420&h=315]
The First Song I Remember…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGCdLKXNF3w&w=560&h=315]
My First Real ‘Guilty Pleasure’ In Music…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc6v7OWq5Bk&w=420&h=315]
That Band That Made Me Feel ‘Cool’...
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eebfMFzJHNs&w=420&h=315]
The Song That, To Me, Defined the ‘80s…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBShN8qT4lk&w=420&h=315]
The Post-School, Pre-Football Warm-Up Jam…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MNqkc7E3w0&w=560&h=315]
The Song (Now and Back Then) That Always Put a Smile On My Face…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etviGf1uWlg&w=420&h=315]
C.D./Record/Tape 2
When I Understood the Power of Rap and Hip-Hop…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5AYMiAdqhQ&w=560&h=315]
My Favourite Song From Childhood…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMPM1q_Uyxc&w=420&h=315]
The Moment I Understood the 1980s Were Rather Special, After All…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB54dZkzZOY&w=420&h=315]
The First Song That Baffled Me (But I Always Hold Dear)…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T6e3GJCjow&w=420&h=315]
The First Music Video I Remember…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSoOFn3wQV4&w=420&h=315]
This Album Was Number 1 The Day I Was Born…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4d7Wp9kKjA&w=420&h=315]
My Favourite Song From My First Now… Compilation…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXqPjx94YMg&w=420&h=315]
The Song That Spiked My Love of Electronic Music…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syOK6zmpOe0&w=420&h=315]
The First Single I Ever Bought…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn-qE-h7s84&w=420&h=315]
That One That Always Makes Me Think of the ‘Good Days’…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDLiVwpv89s&w=420&h=315]
My Mother’s Favourite Song: The Person Who Started My Obsession With Music…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=falI0baGhBQ&w=420&h=315]
Why I Truly Fell For My Music Icon, Jeff Buckley…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8AWFf7EAc4&w=420&h=315]
The Song That Makes Me Think of My First Crush…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwC-GUHL2gU&w=420&h=315]
When Britpop Ruled the World…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpuh1WE-RVw&w=420&h=315]
When My Parents’ Music Collection Started to Have a Profound Effect…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRJ9_yHiNmg&w=420&h=315]
The Song That Was Number One The Day I Was Born…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR8D2yqgQ1U&w=420&h=315]
... it is good to look back and think about the songs that defined my childhood; fostered my hunger for music and all it holds. So many different genres and sounds: each special for their own reason. That is the thing about music: certain songs can hit us for very different reasons – all deeply personal and unimpeachable. It would be good to hear others’ choices and what, in their minds, defined their childhood music collection. When you get started; it is really quite good fun...
