I’m so glad music is part of life. Aren’t you? I’ve always been open minded when it comes to various genres of music. I can groove to Oldies, enjoy the mastery of classical compositions or head-bang with some great rock-n-roll. If you caught Part 1 of this series, you know I’ve been listing the top 10 vinyl era albums that had a significant impact and musical influence on me in my youth. If you missed the first post, you can find it here.
My hope is that you’ll play along with this nostalgic game. Either list your top 10 albums in the comments or create a post on your blog or social media page. If you do that, link back to this post (or Part 1), and also leave a link in the comments so we can find your post as well. Alright, without further ado, let’s continue our trip down my personal memory lane with numbers five through 10 of my favorite albums list:
Jesus Christ Superstar, one of the first rock operas
This album blew me away when it came out. I remember my dad being upset about the movie and the musical score. He thought “they” were trying to “hippie-ize” Christ’s Passion. I mean, on one hand, he was right, but on the other, this album and film would go down in history as one of the first ever rock operas. I suppose, because I valued my dad’s opinions so much, I always felt sort of guilty when I watched Jesus Christ Superstar or listened to the album. My dad didn’t prohibit me from doing either, so there’s that. I sang along with Yvonne Elliman’s “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” song countless times as a young, teenage girl, wondering what life, love and faith were all about.
Albums from my dad’s generation
I don’t want to give the wrong impression about my dad and his approach to music. He may not have cared for the hippie version of the life of Jesus as a rock opera, but he loved a vast array of music. He knew musical talent when he heard it. I can still remember the day he pulled into our garage after we had gone somewhere together, and asked me to stay in the car for a minute. Then, he BLASTED a cassette version of this album, “The Greatest Hits, Shirley Bassey, This is My Life.” I was hooked. From “Big Spender” and “If You Go Away” to the unforgettable title track, “This is My Life,” my dad and I enjoyed Shirley Bassey music together for years. It’s a memory I cherish.
Top albums must include this one
Linda Ronstadt. From “Tracks of My Tears” to “That’ll Be the Day” and “You’re No Good,” this was definitely one of my favorites in high school. I don’t remember if “The Sweetest Gift” was on this particular album or not, but it’s another of my Ronstadt favorites. It tells the story of a mother who goes to visit her son in prison. She didn’t bring him parole or pardon, but she brought the sweetest gift — a mother’s love. In my impressionable youth, as a girl who was always a champion for the underdog and one who dreamed of one day raising children of her own, that song melted my heart. It also sparked my social consciousness on a certain level, thinking of mothers and sons and people making poor choices in life, and the consequences of those decisions.
Rainy days and Mondays
Karen and Richard Carpenter were a brother/sister music team. I still listen to songs from this album today. In addition to loving the soft, soothing sound of their melodies, the Carpenters had a great impact on me in my youth for another reason as well, that is, Karen did. Sadly, she died at a young age from complications of anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder. That’s when I learned about such things, and I can remember feeling so sad about her death and sorry that she had suffered from such a debilitating condition. It also made me very afraid of eating disorders and dieting, so I never went that route as a young, teenage girl.
Last but certainly not least, my list of albums wouldn’t be complete without The Eagles!
I still get excited whenever I hear an Eagles song. I never got to see them in concert but man, I LOVE their music. The Eagles have a unique sound, and I was always a sucker for great harmonies. They’re the kings of soft rock and this album definitely helped shape my tastes in music. There you have it — the Top 10 vinyl era albums that made an impact on me as a youth! Okay, now, don’t be shy! I hope you’ll play along! Leave your list or a link to your list in the comments!
