talking about playlists

I was just tasked with coming up with a playlist of songs that fit with my alma madre, the Thunder. Which made me think about how much I enjoy making playlists. But the more I thought about it, the more questions I had. Is there a universally understood number of songs on a playlist? Should it cover a specific amount of time (say, 90 minutes, regardless of the number of songs)? Is my affinity for playlist construction the 00's version of Rob Gordon (John Cusack's character in High Fidelity who reorganizes his vinyl record collection every time a new mood comes upon him)?




I don't really have answers for these questions, beyond my own personal experience. Generally, my playlists consist of every song I have that fits a particular mood or activity--going to the gym, reading at home while its raining, or walking down the street feeling like a million bucks. In my case, as I have nearly 7,000 mp3's, these lists end up being several hundred songs in length, and I take advantage of the "random" feature on the playback device (Winamp, iTunes, iPod, or Sansa).

It is quite possible, however, that playlists are supposed to be much shorter, drawing on the idea of a "mix tape" from the 80's, and the burned CD of the 90's. Playlists following this format would be much shorter, somewhere between 60 and 80 minutes.

As for any comparison between me and Rob Gordon, I leave the final decision up to you. In my defense (and arguing against such a conclusion), I will say that I am generally a much happier person than he was, and, I'd like to think, much less of a loser.

Lastly, for your own musical sampling, should your interest be piqued, allow me to offer you a few short playlists. The songs are mentioned in no particular order. First, the one that prompted the whole conversation about playlists in general--songs that focus on thunder:

1. The Thunder Rolls by Garth Brooks, from the album No Fences
2. Thunderstruck by AC/DC, from the album The Razor's Edge
3. Thunderball by Tom Jones, theme song for the James Bond film of the same title
4. Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen from the album Born to Run
5. Vocab by I.R.A.T.E. (they were the big band on campus my freshman year--this song in particular worked in several references to our mascott) And honestly, those are all the songs I know that are about Thunder.

Best Christian music of the 1990's:
1. The Hui by The W's on the album Fourth from the Last
2. Company Car by Switchfoot on the album New Way to be Human
3. Supertones Strike Back by the O.C. Supertones on the album Supertones Strike Back
4. Smug by Steve Taylor on the album Squint
5. Zzyzx Scarecrow by Stavesacre on the album Absolutes
6. Love, Salvation, and the Fear of Death by Sixpence None the Richer
7. Jimi Hendrix Bathtub Song by Sheesh
8. Chimes by Project 86 on the album Drawing Black Lines
9. Blue Raft by Common Children on the album Delicate Fade
10. Rail by Poor Old Lu on the album A Picture of the Eighth Wonder
11. Struck by the Chord by Plankeye on the album Commonwealth
12. Lost the Plot by Newsboys on the album Take Me to Your Leader
13. Hollywood by P.O.D. on the album The Fundamental Elements of Southtown
14. Hey Johnny by Johnny Q. Public on the album Extra Ordinary
15. The Hunted by The Insyderz on the album Fight of My Life
16. Ooh Ahh by GRITS on the album The Art of Translation
17. Spice Drops by Ghoti Hook on the album Sumo Surprise
18. Third World Think Tank by Five Iron Frenzy on the album Upbeats and Beatdowns
19. Jesus Freak by DC Talk on the album Jesus Freak
20. Bloom by Audio Adrenaline on the album Bloom

Songs when you want to kick the crap out of someone:
1. F*$& Off by Kid Rock on the album The History of Rock
2. Sabatoge by the Beastie Boys on the album Ill Communication
3. Motherf#&$er by Xzibit on the album Weapons of Mass Destruction
4. Bullet the Blue Sky by P.O.D. on the album The Fundamental Elements of Southtown
5. The Slam by Toby Mac on the album Welcome to Diverse City
6. Kick Out the Jams by Rage Against the Machine on the album Renegades
7. Murder, Murder by Eminem on the Slim Shady LP
8. The Gambler by Xzibit on the album Man vs. Machine
9. No Hard Feelings by The Bloodhound Gang on the album Hefty Fine
10. Violent Pornography by System of a Down on the album Mesmerize
11. Between Angels and Insects by Papa Roach on the album Infest
12. I Hope You Die by The Bloodhound Gang on the album Hooray for Boobies
13. Dragula by Rob Zombie on the Matrix Soundtrack
14. This Is the New S#$^ by Marilyn Manson on the album The Golden Age of Grotesque
15. No Love for Me by DMX from the album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
16. Fist of Rage by Kid Rock on the album Devil Without a Cause.

Songs of cultural indictment:

1. Rockstar by Nickelback on the album All the Right Reasons

2. *Bullet the Blue Sky by P.O.D. on the album Fundamental Elements of Southtown

3. Beautiful America by Five Iron Frenzy on the album Upbeats and Beatdowns

4. America by Vigilantes of Love on the album VOL

5. Popular Americans by All Star United on the album International Anthems for the Human Race

6. LaLa Land by All Star United on the album All Star United

7. Sing for the Moment by Eminem on the album The Eminem Show

8. What Its Like by Everlast on the album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues

9. Most Likely to Succeed by Five Iron Frenzy on the album Our Newest Album Ever

10. Handlebars by Flobots on the album Fight with Tools

11. Reader's Digest by Johnny Q. Public on the album Extra Ordinary

12. Everything Is Average Nowadays by Kaiser Chiefs on the album Employment

13. There's a Reason These Tables Have Numbers, Baby, You Just Haven't Thought of It Yet by Panic at the Disco on the album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

14. Magazine by Pedro the Lion on the album Control

15. Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers on the album Californication

16. Paralyzed by Sixpence None the Richer on the album Divine Discontent

17. We Say by Stavesacre on the album How to Live with a Curse

18. Sin for a Season by Steve Taylor on the album Now the Truth Can Be Told

19. Smug by Steve Taylor on the album Squint

20. Company Car by Switchfoot on the album New Way to Be Human

*The POD version is preferred over the original U2 because its angrier, and, in the words of my sister, "Sonny doesn't sound nearly as gay as Bono does when he sings it."

Have a great weekend.