I currently have 776 songs on my iPod. I would gladly pare this down, but iTunes is so non-intuitive that I am afraid of erasing my entire library. To sync or not to sync, that is the question. Besides, it would take forever to sort through every song and uncheck the undesirables, and even if it did work correctly, I would probably second-guess my deletions. (I knew I should have kept that obscure Paula Abdul song!)
Speaking of embarrassing songs on my iPod, I’ve got plenty. Admit it; we’ve all got them. Sure, I’d like to be hip and cool, casually mentioning that I’m currently listening to some little-known band that I “fell in love with” while travelingEurope. However, it’s more likely that I will be belting out the Glee soundtrack or Hanson’s “Mmmm Bop”. I’m not embarrassed to admit these guilty pleasures. It’s really a mixed bag when I hit shuffle mode. One moment it could be Dr. Dre, the next it is Broadway musicals, and after that some Ray LaMontagne.
I am, however, embarrassed by a few songs that fall under the category of “What Was I Thinking?” For example, what possessed me to actually purchase the song “Laffy Taffy”? Was I drinking that night? And speaking of, it is not always a good idea to purchase entire albums based on what you heard in a bar. Songs are always funnier and cooler in a bar. Just listen to my selections from Richard Cheese’s “Lounge Against the Machine” and you’ll know what I mean. If you like to hear lounge singer renditions of tunes like the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right”, then this is the album for you.
The thing is, music is very much dependent on your mood. Take the time I was casually perusing Barnes & Noble. Those folks at BN know just what to play while patrons are in mellow book-browsing mode. That day they piped in Barry Manilow’s “The Greatest Songs of the Fifties”, and I was hooked. I have since come to loathe those songs, simply because the shuffle feature consistently chooses them every single time I play my iPod.
I say let your freak flag fly and embrace all of those embarrassing songs on your iPod. Crank up the boy bands as you do dishes. Sing your heart out to show tunes. You love Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection”? If it makes you happy, go for it. Just be prepared for some good old-fashioned teasing if somebody gets ahold of your iPod.
Annapalooza 