I was at a friend’s birthday party a few months ago, where I struck up a conversation with a fun girl named… um… I forget. Anyway, she works in the music business and her get-to-know-you conversation start-up question was: “If you were on a desert island and could have 5 music groups or artists to listen to for the rest of your life, who would they be?”
Since I’m hella awkward in high pressure public situations, I stammered for a bit while I tried to remember what was on my current iPod playlist, and just rattled off 5 completely ridiculous answers.
But now that I’ve had time to think about it in the quiet of my own room (which is where I prefer to be at all times) I’ve come up with a solid answer. They are as follows:
1. Jewel – I just love her. Always have. Always will. My favorite Jewel song of all time is Morning Song from her first album. In the perfectly romantic world inside my head, this song represents the way I spent the rest of my life with my one true love.
2. The Beatles – I wouldn’t consider myself a huge Beatles fan, so this choice is strictly for practical purposes. I mean, they have so many albums and songs. Who knows how long I’ll be on that deserted island?!
3. Red House Painters – These are the songs I relax to. Especially Have You Forgotten. It never fails to de-stress me. I’m sure after a long week of boar hunting, I’ll need to kick back with a few coconuts and listen to them for a while.
4. John Williams – And what better way to prepare myself for a wild boar hunt than to listen to the theme from Indiana Jones, Star Wars, or Superman? Although my favorite score of his is from Jurassic Park, I’m not sure if listening to that on a deserted island is such a good idea. I might freak myself out and start imagining dinosaurs everywhere!
5. Madonna – Finally, I needed something to dance naked to for times when I go absolutely bat shit crazy and need to dance. It was a tossup between Madonna and Britney Spears, and while I think I like some of Britney’s songs better, I had to go with Madonna for practical purposes. She has a lot more albums! And we all know what her best song is, right?
So who would you guys pick?
1. Madonna
2. Bjork
3. M.I.A.
4. Mika
5. Courtney Love
Aside from interesting music, I would have lots of intra-rock star drama to keep me entertained for years!!
First one is so easy…
1. Bob Marley–I hope there is some killer weed growing on that island
2. John Coltrane–gotta have some jazz
3. Yo-Yo Ma–I’m not insulting Craig’s mother, I need some classical and there is nothing more beautiful than the cello
4. Hamell on Trial–can never get enough
5. The Beatles–always sounds good when you hear them…
**I reserve the right to come back and make changes….
when i first glanced at this post i thought it was asking which bands/artists we would have with us on the island. how cool would that be?
1. The Kinks
2. Talking Heads
3. Shostakovich
4. Love
5. The White Stripes
Interpol
Arcade Fire
Mahalia Jackson (in case I’ll be stuck over Christmas)
Joy Division
Rihanna (in case I need to go bat shit crazy dancing, and I’m only talking about that ridiculous song Umbrella)
1) Bjork – because I’m gay
2) Tori Amos – because I’m gay
3) Madonna – because I’m gay
4) Goldfrapp – because I’m gay
5) Portishead – because I’m pretentious
1. Madonna–Too many great songs not to take along.
2. The B-52′s–For when Madonna runs out.
3&4. Have a Nice Day: Super Hits of the 70′s Collection and New Wave Hits of the 80′s Collection–Because so many bands and solo artists have great songs but who wants to listen to the rest of the album they’re on?
5. Armin Van Buuren–For when dancing with wild, reckless abandon needs to be taken to the next step.
FDot – I hate to break it to you, but I think your 3&4 choice is cheating.
1. The Beatles
2. Bob Dylan
3. everything by Chris Cornell
4. don’t laugh… Dolly Parton… but how cool is she? She put Amy Sedaris in her latest video!
5. Sufjan Stevens (although I’d gladly give up everyone on the list for him to join me on that deserted island!)
1. Indigo Girls
2. James Taylor
3. Stephen Sondheim (he’s an artist so he counts, but I’d want all the original cast recording cuts of his songs, not him singing them)
4. Carl Orff
5. Kate Bush
I’d need stuff I can wail away with, and I gots ta have my showtunes. And what is life without Carmina Burana?
I can’t believe no one’s mentioned them yet…
1. U2!
2. Sam Cooke
3. Ella Fitzgerald
4. Journey
5. Madonna
And as much as I hate to admit it, I do agree with your best Madonna song ever.
Your favorite John Williams score is from Jurassic Park? No way.
Avitable – Yes it is! This might be a good debate topic. Jurassic Park is also my favorite movie of all time.
Miss Britt – Take note of MammaLoves’ comment! Boo ya!
Holy…. You listen to Red House Painters?? I thought I was the only person in the world who had bought anything by them! You so cool.
My list:
1. Aimee Mann
2. Sam Phillips
3. Michael Penn
4. Pet Shop Boys
5. Duran Duran
Craig: Cheating you say? Very well….
3. Robbie Williams–He was the best part of Take That and I could listen to “Angels” over and over and over….
4. Abba–This could easily be Queen but whereas I don’t know all the words to Killer Queen I do know the words to Fernando.
Ok…..’tis better?
Much, thank you
This is high pressure, and I’m already alone at home. I can only do one without tons of thought, b/c this is really important after all. Aretha Franklin.
My high pressure situations are jokes. And I’m a fairly intelligent person. But something shuts off in my brain when someone starts to tell a joke and I start thinking, crap, I’m not going to get this. And then I start practicing my laugh in my head. And then I don’t hear the joke so I really can’t get it. And then I do my fake laugh.
1. Ben Lee
2. The Samples
3. NSYNC (hey, I didn’t laugh at *your* picks.) (well, okay, maybe I did…)
4. Bullet Jones
5. B-52s
Um, Dave? Aren’t you straight?
Oh fun!
1) Morrissey/The Smiths
2) Bjork
3) Duran Duran
4) Ladytron
5) Air
runnerups: freezepop, suede, blur, le tigre, elastica, interpol, belle & sebastian, pinback
now i feel like making a compilation for someone :}
1. Pink Floyd
2. Jethro Tull
3. Linda Ronstadt
4. Talking Heads
5. Warren Zevon
…This is not fair. I am an old lady. I am on at least my fourth generation of musicians. Can’t I get an elder statesman status or something? Otherwise I have to leave out all the music my kids introduced me to.
>>Um, Dave? Aren’t you straight?
Yes, I’ll come out of the closet and say with pride: “I am an NSYNC fan!”
Damn. That’s liberating. Hmm…I wonder if Columbus has an NSYNC Pride parade…
(oh, and the best Madonna song ever: “Don’t Tell Me.” Hands down.)
1. Rolling Stones – For music from the 60′s
2. Fleetwood Mac – For music from the 70′s
3. Morrissey/The Smiths – For music from the 80′s
4. Stone Temple Pilots – For music from the 90′s
5. TV on the Radio – for music from the current decade
Well there’s a selection from each decade I have lived in. Now I’m going to go cry in a corner over what an old-fart I am now.
In alphabetical order
Badly Drawn Boy
Good Charlotte
Garth Brooks
Jack Johnson
Linkin Park
Close calls: New Found Glory, Moby, John Williams (Jurassic Park is totally the best)
1. Fiery Furnaces
2. Helium/Mary Timony
3. Dolly Parton
4. Magnetic Fields/Stephen Merritt
5. Madonna
p.s. not only is Borderline the best Madonna song, it’s undeniably the best pop song ever written. yeah, I’m a total fag.
1. Michael Buble
2. Enrique Iglesias
3. Erasure
4. Queen
5. Pink Martini
I am going to pick one that I would take, if I had to choose from each person that has commented…
Craig: John Williams
Josh: Bjork
halo: Shostakovich
kari: joy division
Brett: Portishead
Fdot: B52′s
Colleen: Dylan
MommaLoves: Journey (flashback to feeling up girls in the basement of John Eustace’s basement way back when….)
Howard: Duran Duran
Sue: I am going to cheat and pick Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull, wanna smoke together and listen to Thick as a Brick?)
Ex Astris: Stone Temple Pilots
Justin: Jack Johnson (of course there will be surfing on this island, perfect choice)
Paul: Magnetic Fields
anyone care to join this game….
Hmm, am I the only person who prefers Stephen Merritt’s other projects other than Magnetic Fields? Future Bible Heroes… anyone?
I never would have taken you as the hopeless romantic type. Jewel’s Morning Song? How are you not taken already?
Craig – please don’t say “Hella” anymore…it’s very High School – not to mention sooooo 5 years ago
But the characters on “Achewood” say hella all the time… If that strip is high school, I fear for our children.
Robert – You got me feelin’ hella good so let’s just keep on dancin’!
FUN..
1. The Beatles
2. Cake
3. Gwen Stefani / No Doubt (in case I feel like dancing)
4. Barenaked Ladies
5. Duran Duran
1. Snow Patrol
2. Norah Jones
3. Billy Joel (Yes, I’m actually listing Billy Joel. It’s a little guilty pleasure of mine.)
4. The Fray
5. John Mayer
1. Phish
2. Widespread Panic
3. Rolling Stones
4. Beatles
5. Bob Marley
Done and done.
2 things:
1. John Williams?!? You’re such a nerd! Hahaha… love it.
2. How do I get an avitar? I want my mug to show up like yours.
In no particular order
Goldfrapp: dancability
They Might Be Giants: humor
The Innocence Mission: quiet moments
Aqua (fingers crossed for a 3rd album):there is SO much more than Barbie Girl
Tanya Donelly/Belly: and favorite.
Nevermind…got the avitar to work!
My list:
1. Rufus Wainwright
2. George Gershwin
3. Diana Ross
4. Madonna
5. Carole King
led zeppelin
jimmy buffett
the beastie boys
rush
gwen / no doubt
maybe eminem instead of rush…hmmmmmmmmm…
1. Madonna (of COURSE)
2. Keane
3. U2
4. Barenaked Ladies
5. Led Zeppelin
I’m curious though…how are we gonna listen to these, if we’re on a desert island? Don’t think we’ll find many electric outlets on a desert island. maybe I’ll sacrifice Led Zep and have 4 different artists and a portable, solar powered generator?
HUGS…
Damn. I totally forgot to include Kid Rock. I’ll have to boot The Samples…
I like Luke’s idea of picking from other commenters, but there are too many lists here that don’t include anyone I know. Because, as noted above, I’m an old lady. And Luke, thanks for the kind invitation. Assuming that the smoke you are talking about is what I think, I have to confess that I am the only person of my generation that never actually tried the stuff. So, just like in the old days, you smoke and I will get a contact high. Your choice of album is perfect.
My first thought was “John Williams is good, but he gets repetitive.” But I totally forgot about Jurassic Park! I can’t begin to pick my five, that would take me forever. ABBA maybe…
Don’t worry Sue, I am an old man and it is never to late to try new things. When we are done listening to Thick as a Brick we’ll throw on Songs from the Wood.
Hey! My list never posted!!
Sorry David! It got stuck in my spam folder. I de-spammed it.
Maybe because you said Bush, and it thought you were porn?
1) Stevie Nicks – my all time favorite singer and I NEVER get tired of hearing her
2) ABBA – they got a bunch of albums – they were the uber pop music band – so many hits
3) Susanna Hoffs/Bangles – love her voice and she always puts me in a good mood
4) Lucy Woodward – not many people know her but she has had 2 great rock/pop albums -reminds me of Kelly Clarkson
5) Aerosmith – one of the best rock n’ roll bands – got a ton of albums
Ah! I love how you love “Morning Song,” one of my favorite Jewel songs ever that most people don’t really know of. And I loved 0304 for the record. lol.
1. Maria Mena
2. Taking Back Sunday
3. The Goo Goo Dolls (and they have SO much to listen to!)
4. Regina Spektor
5. Britney Spears of course!