I was recently asked this question, and I had a hard time answering it. In reality, I don’t think there’s an answer–that is, I didn’t have <i>one</i> favorite song. Indeed, I don’t have one all-time favorite song. It seems like an impossible question to answer.
And yet, I wanted to try and answer this, so the best song I could come up, within a relatively short time, was Toto’s “Africa.” Really, I think I could probably think of a better song to mention, but I was pressed for time.
But I’m not pressed for time now, so I want to see if I can find a better pick–i.e., a pick that comes closer to my favorite song–or, one of my very favorites–during the intermediate years.
What’s you favorite song during intermediate school years?
This one is super easy, because I first heard it during the summer right before seventh grade and it became my favorite song when I heard it a few more times. It remained my favorite song until well into high school, perhaps even through graduation. “The Best of Times” by Styx.
Wow. I’m a little surprised this was easy for you; and that you have a clear-cut favorite. I know you liked that song, and I’m not surprised it’s one of your favorite songs, but the fact that you have one favorite song, above others, is a bit surprising.
I’m pretty sure I didn’t have one song that I liked above all others. I should probably just try to choose a collection of favorite songs, which would be hard enough…I can definitely think of songs I liked, but then to move on to the ones I liked most, that would be challenging.
Let me try and brainstorm a list:
“I’m So Exited”–the Pointer Sisters. I loved playing basketball to this song, and I also liked the “NBA is Fantastic” commercial that used this song.
“Pyromania”–Def Leppard
Aside: Writing this makes me realize something: In making this list, I have to separate the songs that I still like from that time period versus songs I liked then, but no longer do. I select the former, when that it really not appropriate. That is, I may not dislike or feel indifferent toward my favorite songs in 7th-8th grade.
As an example, I think many of the songs would be mellow/romantic songs. Something like Sergio Mendes’s “Never Gonna Let You Go” might be an example.
More later
Which song from Pyromania? And be honest. You loved it while you were in intermediate school? Because I remember me and my friends liking it while everyone else thought it was terrible. Then it got popular and THEN everyone liked it.
I thought the song was called “Pyromania,” but I guess I’m thinking of “Rock of Ages.”
As far as when I liked this, I could be wrong about liking this in 8th grade; maybe I started liking this in 9th grade? At this point, it’s all a blur. I do remember buying a tape of this album, though.
I’m not being snarky, but can any song be your favorite song if you don’t know the title?
I guess that’s a valid point…I’m having real difficulty identifying favorite songs–especially distinguishing favorites from songs I liked. I may have to give up on this.
This is absolutely not to judge anyone on how he or she listened to music when we were kids. But my memory, beginning in elementary school, is of most people’s favorite songs being something popular at the moment. When those songs slid off the chart, they had new favorite songs. This held true when I was teaching, too. When students asked me what my favorite song was, I had to ask, “Do you mean my favorite right now, or my favorite ever?”
I was never like that for some reason — I held on to favorite songs for a year or two at a time. My first favorite song was “Saturday Night” (1975) by the Bay City Rollers; then it was “Stayin’ Alive” (1977) by the Bee Gees, then “All Out of Love” (1980) by Air Supply, then “The Best of Times” (1981).
When people ask me what my favorite song is now, I usually say, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
On the first or second day of eighth grade in Alg I class, our classmate Derek H sat next to me. He asked me who my favorite bands were. I said, “Styx, Air Supply, and the Bee Gees.” He was appalled. “Styx is cool, but Air Supply?!” he said. This has been pretty much the theme of our friendship ever since. 🙂
I think I fall into this category as well, although I’m still having trouble thinking of songs in terms of “favorites” (at least during the intermediate years.)
(For some reason, I can think of favorites in high school. For example, I think Starship’s “Nothing’s Going to Stop Us Now” or The Whispers’ “Rock Steady” were favorites. Also, in 2nd grade, I think I could say that Captain and Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together” was a favorite of mine. Then again, all of these could just be songs that I really liked, rather than songs I’d label as favorites.
As for right now, I wouldn’t have any favorite songs. Maybe I’m not interested in choosing any song, partly because there doesn’t seem to be one song that really stands head and shoulders above the rest. If forced to choose, I might pick Miles Davis’s “MIles” or what’s called “Milestones,” off the album Milestones.)