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Wednesday Musical Chairs: I'm Guilty

This week's Wednesday Musical Chairs theme is: Guilty Pleasure Albums.

I had to think long and hard about this one. I mean, if I'm going to purge myself of a musical sin, I may as well make it a good one, right? Just put it out here so everyone can make fun of me, ridicule me, mock me, whatever.

So I went through a mental list. And I realized something about myself. I am guilty as sin. I came up with at least 25 albums I own and listen to that I consider a guilty pleasure. A few I gave weight to and discarded for one reason or another:

Kid Rock - Devil Without a Cause
Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
Def Leppard - Pyromania
Any Broadway musical soundtrack
Air Supply's greatest hits
Journey - Infinity

And the list goes on. Yea, so I was listening to Skid Row the other day and liking it. And yea, I like Neil Diamond. And the Bee Gees. That's right, I listen to some disco. Emo? I've got tons of it; Dashboard Confessional, Taking Back Sunday, Hawthorne Heights, the list goes on. Pop punk? Yep, I love Blink 182 and All American Rejects. Then there's Abba and 70's bubblegum pop and ODB. One of my favorite songs ever is Sister Christian, for chrissakes! Kelly Clarkson! YES, I LISTEN TO KELLY CLARKSON. And NSYNC. My GOD, I am absolutely PURGING here, yes I listen to NSYNC, I dance to Bye Bye Bye, I absolutely adore It's Gonna Be Me and while we are here I may as well confess that I also like Backstreet Boys' Larger Than Life Guilty, guilty, guilty.

So what could I possibly listen to that would be worse than any of that, that would be leave me feeling so guilty that I feel in the very pit of my soul that I've done something so wrong, so very, very wrong that I need to recant my atheism and go back to church just to confess to this very sin and even then, bathing in a sea of Hail Marys wouldn't help me?

lp.jpg

Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory.

The odd thing is, I have no idea why this makes me feel so guilty. Maybe because so many people think of Linkin Park as the band that made nu-metal radio friendly (a bad thing). Maybe because, when it comes down to it, they are nothing more than NSYNC with guitars and without the dance steps. Maybe because they are so reviled, so hated in so many music fandom circles or because they are known as the band kids listen to when they are curled up in a ball in their bedroom closet, wishing away the world and crying that nobody loves them and life isn't fair. Whiny, angsty, melodramatic rock. Kind of like Nirvana without teeth.

So why do I like it so much? I have no idea. I don't know what pulls me into listening to Hybrid Theory. I just like it. A lot.

Go ahead, mock me. But the rule is you are not allowed to mock me without leaving your own confession.

Comments

Wow, that has got to be about the worst selection of music EVER.

(ABBA is the exception only for sentimental reasons)

ABBA alone should get you a jail sentence as for some of the others - people, lets gather: We need an intervention here.

My confession is that I think that Talking Heads are the greatest band ever and very few people join me in that opinion. Everyone looks at me real funny when I tell them that. It may make me a late 70's/early 80's dated retro geek, but I can live with that and I love it.
I also love telling people that "Genius Of Love" is a Tom Tom Club song, not something that skanky Mariah Carey thought up.

Interesting topic of discussion Michele.

I grew up in Montana where if you didn't own a pick-up truck and have the obligatory gun rack properly mounted in the cab you were considered a commie pinko and someone who couldn't be trusted. As musical preferences went, my dad listened exclusively to C&W (none of that hippie screaming crap for him by God). I spent many a road trip in said pick-up with Conway Twitty, Tammy Wynette, and George Jones crying in their beer singing about cheatin' and bein' broke and dogs dyin' and such.
One thing I learned early on as my musical awareness began to develop--and much to my dad's chagrin--I absolutely detested C&W. One day I was waiting in the truck while my dad was paying for gas or buying a six-pack and I changed the station to the local rock station. Returniung to the truck, my dad's ears were assailed by the sounds of Mick Jagger belting out Jumpin' Jack Flash. He looked at me, calmly changed the radio back to the C&W station, and said with a faint smile on his face, "Touch the radio again and I'll break your arm."
Before long I had a collection of Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Alice Cooper and Led Zeppelin records which I listened to on my shitty little GE record player complete with plastic stereo speakers.
As I said, I hated C&W, but there was one record my dad had that I really liked. (drum roll please).

Marty Robbins Gunfighter Ballads and other trail songs. I don't know what it is, but Marty's voice combined with the beautiful guitar work of Grady Martin is wonderful to listen to. I have that CD in my collection which certainly seems out of place amongst the likes of Tool and Faith No More and Metallica. What can I say? Bless me father for I have sinned.

As long as you like it, who cares? No need to feel guilty about anything you listen to if you ask me.

I am equally at odds with Hybrid Theory. It's good music, but then you listen to the lyrics and you're like: Oh my God. Who are these pussies?

I can't believe I'm going to type this in public.

sigh

Vanilla Ice's nu metal cover of his own song. "Too Cold" is my musical guilty pleasure.

I am suitably ashamed.

We have many of the same guilty pleasures, Michele. The one(s) that leave me most plagued with guilt are the hair bands, though. On the outisde I appear to be the cool punk rock mom, but on the inside I'm the queen of 80's hair bands. Poison, Motley Crue, Ratt, Whitesnake, Cinderella, Dokken....this list goes on.

Confession really is good for the soul. Thank you, I feel much better now.

I'm with mrbandw on this--you shouldn't feel guilty about liking any band, any kind of music. Music is out there to be enjoyed, and you're just doing your part!

When I first heard "Since You Been Gone" my first thought was, "Wow, an Avril song I can stand that isn't Skater Boy." Then I found out it was KC and actually felt better about it.

I like Linkin Park myself but I was late to the party. Picked up Meteora based solely on "Breaking the Habit" and wound up using it as one of my workout records so it's kind of ingrained in my head.

I must also confess to liking "Larger Than Life". A great pop song, even though it's by BSB.

I usually cleanse my palate with a little Ramones afterward.

I too very much like Hybrid Theory (and Meteora, for that matter), but not too many people know about it.

I usually have to listen to Master of Puppets or KMFDM afterwards, just so I don't feel as dirty.

Gulp.

I don't actually own this anymore (the vinyl was eaten by my sister's ferret when I was in 6th grade), but I wish I did. I've considered buying it on CD, but haven't had the nerve.

Ok, here it is:

The Partridge Family Album

(The one where the cover looks like a photo album).

Sigh.

Growing up during the 80's, I was a hard rock, heavy metal fan. I detested most of the new wave, pop music coming from England but I secretly loved Duran Duran's Rio. Never in a million years would I have admitted it at the time but one day a mate caught me singing along to the video on MuchMusic when I thought I was alone. He was as much as a metal head as I was and to my shock and amazement, he started singing along as well. It was our secret quilty pleasure song, we bonded over Rio.

Now, I reckon I am similar to you Michele. Mostly listen to dif types of rock but I like to throw in songs by Joss Stone, Abba, Jamelia, Wheatus, Kylie Minogue, Sugarbabes, Killers, Charlotte Hatherley, KC and Sunshine Band into the mix as well. They have all done great pop tunes that I love to sing /dance along with.

I really love the Brady Bunch "Sunshine Day" song. People get pissed when I put it on their mixtapes.
I'm also a fan of the music from the movie "Pete's Dragon" and I sing along to the soundtrack like it was a rock album.

I also think the Justin Timberlake Solo Experience is really really rad.

Artful Dodger-Honor Among Thieves. Yeah, it's meaningless fun, but at least it's fun. Combine Rod Stewart vocals with Raspberries instrumentals and there you have it...Artful Dodger.

I've defended Linkin Park here before. Musically their albums are really good, lyrically, not so much. I think they have a great sound. Nothing's wrong with liking well made music.

**except country, there's just something inherently wrong with you then ;)

One of my frend is a D.J. and used to host a Metal show upstate. If I were to ever mention this around him, he'd probably kill me rather than live with the knowledge that, whenever one of their songs is on the radio, I listen to Nsync. Damn you Justin Timberlake, damn you straihght to Hell!

That and Bluegrass, I loathe C&W, but for some reason love Bluegrass. Damn folksy goodness gets me everytime.

Yep, my best bud and I have been known to do the seated car-version of the ByeByeBye dance on occasion. Yep, I listen to Kelly Clarkson, and I must have an angsty, hateful teen inside me somewhere because Linkin Park is one of my very favorites. But the thing I feel most guilty for?

Mariah Carey. There, I said it. I dig the old-school Mariah, and the newest Mariah, not so much the crap in between. I dunno, I guess she lets me bring out the inner diva, especially in the car when no one can hear me. Heh. Interesting topic!

Dammit...you'll never get me to admit I sometimes listen to Karen Carpenter...err..dangit...so what if I do!!??

Guiltiest of pleasures for me though is when the first warm days are closing in and things are just starting to turn a bit green and I BLAST three different groups/acts as a sacrifice to the warm weather Gods in hopes that I can put away the long underwear.

1) Jimmy Buffet
2) The Beach Boys
3) Pablo Cruise

OK, here goes.

Hootie and the Blowfish
Spin Doctors

Don't ask me why. Part of my brain is just wired that way. Too much sugar as a child maybe.

Part of the Spin Doctors thing may be because a hot woman I was trying to date liked them.

Although I don't consider it a guilty pleasure, many around here obviously would: C&W, mostly older stuff but some modern Country as well. This probably stems from this being the dominant music of my childhood, so many good memories asscoiated with it.

I'm probably one of the few people who here Rhinestone Cowboy and think about Star Wars. It was playing on the radio on the way home from seeing the movie.

here = hear. Dammit I hate when I do that.

Oh, and the entire Top Gun soundtrack.

You know, I'm not nearly as cool as I thought.

Okay if Garrett can cop to Hootie, I have to add...sigh...Maroon Five. Crap rock, crap jazz, but I just like them.

I just heard Kelly Clarkson's new song (well, they said on Oprah it had been at the top of the charts for a YEAR, so I guess I'm behind), anyway, just heard for it for the first time and...I liked it! Against my better judgement.

YAY KELLY!

As for Neil Diamond...I would like him so much better if he could deflate his ego a smidge. His very early stuff was great, before the rot of his Id set in later.

i love that song by the village people YMCA! and yes when my husbands out i actually do the YMCA actions and sing it really loud and i know all the lyrics, we're talking word for word here people. i just can't help it, it just makes me happy, i know its wrong, i know its cheesy but dammit "its fun to stay at the yyyyyyyyyy emmmmmmmm ceeeeeee aaaaaaaaaa!"

I like Hybrid Theory as well.

Now my confession: I hit a homeless dude with my car and fled the scene yesterday. I think he's dead.

Phew, I feel better already.

Is he still on your windshield?

Well, just part of him.

Fire up the grill, then!

I must admit to listenning to the Bee Gees. However I have to admit it's one thing to cruise down the highway with the top down in my jeep at 75mph listening to them but something about pulling up to a red light makes me instantly turn it down so no one else can can hear me.

Does this mean I don't have to put my windows up any longer when sing along to Crawling?

Humiliating admission? I've listened to Marty singing Mr. Brightside on the INXS website more than once. I'm so ashamed.

I like Barry Manilow. The Live album. I've committed it to memory since I can't bring myself to replace the old 8 track. I'm surrounded by music snobs, so I haven't heard it for twenty years.

Starland Vocal Band - the flip side of Afternoon Delight - Aint it the Fall? I still have the LP. Everything by the Kingston Trio. And a bunch of late 1970s Japanese Pop singers you never heard of - remember Pink Lady? Enough, I may never live this down.

Humiliating admission? I've listened to Marty singing Mr. Brightside on the INXS website more than once. I'm so ashamed.

I DOWNLOADED it.

Marty? Really??

Christ! Doesn't everyone know J.D. was the ONLY viable choice?

I mean, vocally. His appearance needs some tweakage.

-m

Bill, I've been fighting that urge for weeks. Really, though, once you've downloaded Buffy the musical- is anything off limits anymore?