Oldies

The convoluted history that has led to this entry:

Autumn, 1991: I board the school bus for the first time, off to the first day of kindergarten at Stonebridge Elementary School. The bus driver is a nice lady named Sue. She will be my primary mode of transportation to and from school for the next seven years. Each year on the last day of school before Christmas break, she will give me a candy cane. Each year on Valentine's Day, I will return the favor with a trendy paper valentine.

Each school day for the next seven years, I will board Sue's bus. Each school day for the next seven years, Sue will be listening to KOOL 108, the Twin Cities' premiere oldies station. By the time I reach the third grade, I know pretty much every song by heart.

Autumn turns to winter, winter turns to spring, and spring means the end of the school year and a summer away from Sue. But still the golden hits of the past haunt my dreams. I will be whistling them all summer, until the next autumn, when the cycle will begin again...

Thursday, March 3, 2005: Flash forward to the present. I am walking back from class on the Washington Avenue Bridge, chatting with a friend. We meander along, in no particular hurry, and our conversaton ambles with us. The conversation eventually turns to the subject of music. I hang my head and confess to her my shameful secret: I am a former oldies addict.

The words are out before I even know it. I'm so ashamed. I look up expecting to see a glare of reproachment and betrayal. Instead, I see the most beautiful smile.

Saturday, March 5, 2005: It is my roommate's birthday. Partly because of this, but mainly because I will do anything to avoid doing my homework, I decide to do him a favor. I decide to clean my side of the room and clean the bathroom. I fire up Rhapsody and choose a selection of golden oldies. The minutes fly by. Time flies when you're having fun. Good times, great oldies.

So, without further ado, here are a baker's dozen (that's 13 for all you non-bakers out there) of the greatest oldies ever. These are songs that will never die. They are part of all of us, as much a part of American history as Betsy Ross' Old Glory. This is not an all-inclusive nor an exhaustive list. It is not in any particular order. These are just some great songs.

The Mamas and the Papas, "California Dreamin'"

The Righteous Brothers, "Unchained Melody"

The Everly Brothers, "Cathy's Clown"

The Beach Boys, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "I Get Around"

The Crystals, "He's a Rebel"

Jimmy Ruffin, "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?"

Percy Sledge, "When a Man Loves a Woman"

Elvis Presley, "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "Suspicious Minds"

The Left Banke, "Walk Away, Renee"

The Four Tops, "Baby I Need Your Loving"

And, of course, the Muhammad Ali of oldies, the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time):

Sam Cooke, "A Change is Gonna Come"
Possibly the greatest song ever written.

"There's been times that I thought I couldn't last for long,/But now I think I'm able to carry on/It's been a long, a long time comin', but I know/A change gon' come. Oh, yes it will."

--Sam Cooke

Posted by smit2174 at March 6, 2005 1:05 PM