I started a playlist project well over two years ago at this point I’ve entitled “Great Loves”. Here’s the snippet of journaling that spawned it, followed by some updated thoughts.
Thanks to social media I often find myself looking back in time wondering…was I the asshole? All those people that show up in my ‘you might know’ section on Facebook are like a knife at times.
Awhile back I started an entry to discuss how music is so entwined with emotion and memory for some. For me, it led to thinking about a song that I could associate to the ‘great loves’ of my life. That eventually spawned into a playlist now containing upwards of 100 songs, each very clearly tied to someone I have held affection toward at some point in my journey across this great big rock.
I initially started this project as a way to remember the people I have held romantic inclinations toward. Ultimately though I’ve expanded it to include the folks I have considered soulmates at one time or another on my path through this little garden of life.
As new songs enter my life, or old ones revisit thanks to a road trip I happily add minute after minute of other people’s words to that list. Each note pulling at the heartstrings of my past, sometimes bringing warmth to the chest or to the eyes.
I thought I’d share that list here from time to time, because I like having backups of my backups, really.
| The Scratch | 7 Year Bitch | Viva Zapata! |
| Say Something (feat. Christina Aguilera) | A Great Big World | Is There Anybody Out There? |
| Whataya Want from Me | Adam Lambert | For Your Entertainment |
| Turning Tables | Adele | 21 |
| Rumour Has It | Adele | 21 |
| Everything | Alanis Morissette | So-Called Chaos |
| Head over Feet | Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill |
| You Oughta Know | Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill |
| Would? | Alice in Chains | Dirt |
| Back to Black | Amy Winehouse | Back to Black |
| Consider This | Anna Nalick | Wreck of the Day |
| Bleed | Anna Nalick | Wreck of the Day |
| Wreck of the Day | Anna Nalick | Wreck of the Day |
| Suckerpunch | Bowling for Soup | Let’s Do It for Johnny! |
| The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows | Brand New | Deja Entendu |
| Marry You | Bruno Mars | Doo-Wops & Hooligans |
| Leave a Trace | CHVRCHES | Every Open Eye (Special Edition) |
| Paper Boats (feat. Ashley Barrett) | Darren Korb | Transistor (Original Soundtrack) |
| Gypsy Bitch | Devil Doll | The Return of Eve |
| King of Brooklyn | Devil Doll | Queen of Pain |
| You Are the Best Thing and the Worst Thing | Devil Doll | Queen of Pain |
| St. Christopher | Devil Doll | Queen of Pain |
| Sparkle & Shine | Econoline Crush | The Devil You Know |
| Ex’s & Oh’s | Elle King | Love Stuff |
| Good Girls (from the “Ghostbusters” Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Elle King | Good Girls (from the “Ghostbusters” Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Single |
| Tiny dancer | Elton John | Greatest Hits 2003-2004 |
| Good Enough | Evanescence | The Open Door |
| Call Me When You’re Sober | Evanescence | The Open Door |
| Stay With Me | Finch | What It Is to Burn |
| You’ve Got The Love [*] | Florence + the Machine | Lungs |
| Kiss With A Fist | Florence + the Machine | Lungs |
| We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe) | Fun. | Some Nights |
| Wicked Ways | Garbage | Version 2.0 |
| Tell Me Where It Hurts (Orchestral Single Edit) | Garbage | Tell Me Where It Hurts |
| Tell Me Where It Hurts (Guitars Up Single Edit) | Garbage | Tell Me Where It Hurts |
| Control | Garbage | Not Your Kind of People |
| Queer | Garbage | Garbage |
| Sex Is Not the Enemy | Garbage | Bleed Like Me |
| Why Do You Love Me | Garbage | Bleed Like Me |
| Untouchable | Garbage | Beautiful Garbage |
| Because the Night | Garbage | Because the Night – Single |
| If I Lost You | Garbage | Strange Little Birds |
| Wondering | Good Charlotte | Young and the Hopeless |
| Dance Floor Anthem | Good Charlotte | Good Morning Revival |
| You Don’t Own Me (feat. G-Eazy) | Grace | Memo – EP |
| Last Night On Earth | Green Day | 21st Century Breakdown |
| Worry Rock | Green Day | Nimrod |
| Here’s To Us | Halestorm | The Strange Case Of [Deluxe Edition] |
| Colors | Halsey | BADLANDS (Deluxe) |
| Ghost | Halsey | BADLANDS (Deluxe) |
| Drive | Halsey | BADLANDS (Deluxe) |
| Hold Me Down | Halsey | BADLANDS (Deluxe) |
| Wicked Little Town (Reprise) | Hedwig and the Angry Inch | Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Original Cast Recording) |
| Wicked Little Town (Reprise) | Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Original Broadway Cast | Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Original Broadway Cast Recording) |
| The Long Grift | Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Original Broadway Cast | Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Original Broadway Cast Recording) |
| Sugar Daddy | Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Original Broadway Cast | Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Original Broadway Cast Recording) |
| Lips of an Angel | Hinder | Extreme Behavior |
| Better Than Me | Hinder | Extreme Behavior |
| Take Me to Church | Hozier | Hozier |
| I Love It (feat. Charli XCX) | Icona Pop | This Is… Icona Pop |
| Demons | Imagine Dragons | Night Visions [Best Buy Exclusive] |
| The Way I Am | Ingrid Michaelson | Girls and Boys |
| Love Interruption | Jack White | Blunderbuss |
| Love U Forever | Jenny Lewis | The Voyager |
| Slippery Slopes | Jenny Lewis | The Voyager |
| She’s Not Me | Jenny Lewis | The Voyager |
| Circle The Drain | Katy Perry | Teenage Dream |
| Teenage Dream | Katy Perry | Teenage Dream |
| Hot N Cold | Katy Perry | One of the Boys |
| Thinking of You | Katy Perry | One of the Boys |
| Waking Up in Vegas | Katy Perry | One of the Boys |
| I Kissed a Girl | Katy Perry | One of the Boys |
| Never Again | Kelly Clarkson | My December |
| Addicted | Kelly Clarkson | Breakaway |
| I Want You | Kelly Clarkson | All I Ever Wanted |
| I Do Not Hook Up | Kelly Clarkson | All I Ever Wanted |
| My Life Would Suck Without You | Kelly Clarkson | All I Ever Wanted |
| Yoü and I | Lady Gaga | Born This Way |
| Perfect Illusion | Lady Gaga | Perfect Illusion – Single |
| You Don’t Own Me (Single) | Lesley Gore | 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Lesley Gore |
| My Immortal | Lindsey Stirling | My Immortal – Single |
| Supernova | Liz Phair | Whip-Smart |
| Good Love Never Dies | Liz Phair | Liz Phair |
| Para-Noir | Marilyn Manson | The Golden Age of Grotesque |
| Through With You | Maroon 5 | Songs About Jane |
| The Sun | Maroon 5 | Songs About Jane |
| Tangled | Maroon 5 | Songs About Jane |
| Back at Your Door | Maroon 5 | It Won’t Be Soon Before Long |
| Can’t Stop | Maroon 5 | It Won’t Be Soon Before Long |
| Won’t Go Home Without You | Maroon 5 | It Won’t Be Soon Before Long |
| If I Never See Your Face Again | Maroon 5/Rihanna | It Won’t Be Soon Before Long [US Deluxe Edition] Disc 1 |
| Dear Future Husband | Meghan Trainor | Title – EP |
| Sippy Cup | Melanie Martinez | Cry Baby (Deluxe Edition) |
| Cough Syrup (The Voice Performance) | Melanie Martinez | Cough Syrup (The Voice Performance) – Single |
| I’m the Only One | Melissa Etheridge | Yes I Am |
| End It on This | No Doubt | Tragic Kingdom |
| Don’t Speak | No Doubt | Tragic Kingdom |
| Ex-Girlfriend | No Doubt | Return of Saturn |
| Counting Stars | OneRepublic | Native |
| If My Heart Was a House | Owl City | Ocean Eyes |
| Walk of Shame | P!nk | The Truth About Love |
| Slut Like You | P!nk | The Truth About Love |
| True Love | P!nk | The Truth About Love |
| Just Give Me a Reason | P!nk | The Truth About Love |
| Leave Me Alone (I’m Lonely) | P!nk | I’m Not Dead |
| Glitter in the Air | P!nk | Funhouse |
| It’s All Your Fault | P!nk | Funhouse |
| Mean | P!nk | Funhouse |
| Crystal Ball | P!nk | Funhouse |
| Please Don’t Leave Me | P!nk | Funhouse |
| I Don’t Believe You | P!nk | Funhouse |
| Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off | Panic! at the Disco | A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out |
| Hallelujah | Panic! At The Disco | Death Of A Bachelor |
| I Caught Myself | Paramore | Twilight (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |
| Decode | Paramore | Twilight (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |
| Still Into You | Paramore | Paramore |
| Ain’t It Fun | Paramore | Paramore |
| The Only Exception | Paramore | Brand New Eyes |
| Because the Night | Patti Smith Group | Easter |
| Easy Lover | Phil Collins | Hits |
| 1, 2, 3, 4 | Plain White T’s | Big Bad World |
| Erotic City | Prince/Revolution | The Hits/The B-Sides |
| Like a Friend | Pulp | This Is Hardcore |
| Stand By You | Rachel Platten | Wildfire |
| Under The Blacklight | Rilo Kiley | Under The Blacklight |
| Silver Lining | Rilo Kiley | Under The Blacklight |
| Bullet Proof | Rilo Kiley | Take Offs and Landings |
| Portions for Foxes | Rilo Kiley | More Adventurous |
| Does He Love You? | Rilo Kiley | More Adventurous |
| Living Dead Girl (Subliminal Seduction Mix) | Rob Zombie | American Made Music To Strip By |
| Toxic | Rumer Willis | Toxic – Single |
| What I See | Serial Joe | (Last Chance) At the Romance Dance |
| Unintended | Serial Joe | (Last Chance) At the Romance Dance |
| Silently Screaming | Serial Joe | (Last Chance) At the Romance Dance |
| Completely | Serial Joe | (Last Chance) At the Romance Dance |
| You’re Mine | Sinomatic | Sinomatic |
| Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart | Stone Temple Pilots | Tiny Music…Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop |
| Unglued | Stone Temple Pilots | Purple |
| Still Remains | Stone Temple Pilots | Purple |
| Wicked Garden | Stone Temple Pilots | Core |
| Mine | Taylor Swift | Speak Now (Deluxe Edition) (CD1) |
| Style | Taylor Swift | 1989 |
| Wildest Dreams | Taylor Swift | 1989 |
| Out of the Woods | Taylor Swift | 1989 |
| I Just Wanna Be Mad | Terri Clark | Pain to Kill |
| Love Song | The Cure | Disintegration |
| Nothing Better | The Postal Service | Give Up |
| Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now | The Starting Line | With Hopes Of Starting Over |
| Strange Hellos | TORRES | Sprinter |
| Habits (Stay High) | Tove Lo | Queen of the Clouds (Blueprint Edition) |
| Moments | Tove Lo | Queen of the Clouds (Blueprint Edition) |
| Cool Girl | Tove Lo | Lady Wood |
| YOUTH | Troye Sivan | Blue Neighbourhood (Deluxe) |