Musical Nostalgia

Good morning, good morning, good morning fellow blog readers, music-lovers, lonely people, and social media fanatics! Rachtheblog here with literally my first ever Literal blog post. Crazy right! Here’s our weekly affirmation, something that you can think of at 11:11, or, of course, when you need a daily reminder of love:

“I am constantly changing for the better”

Bad things happen all the time. There’s no stopping them, but we can overcome them. Happiness is a spectrum, with temporary fluctuations that stoop low or high. Nothing is permanent.

Another affirmation that I felt needed to be spotlighted:

“I believe I can have unlimited happiness in my life”

This is sweet, yes, but what does unlimited happiness even mean? It can’t mean that there’s no sadness, and it definitely can’t mean that everything is perfect. One must experience the dark times to recognize the light. Unlimited: limitless, everlasting, never-ending. I only agree with the first synonym. Happiness is limitless— it can be present whenever, it’s immortal. Being devoid of happiness doesn’t make it limited in your life, it just means it’s going to come back again.

Speaking of happiness, is there a universal happy song? Whenever I think of happy songs I think of the 50s: Dion and the Belmonts, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra. Spending a night dancing to jazz music with no other care in the world. According to a list created by Preston & Steve from 93.3 WMMR Rocks!, songs from the 70s and 80s are regarded as happy songs. However, I asked around and came up with a very different popular list of songs that happily resonated with individuals:

I Think I’m Gonna Kill Myself by Elton John

Okay, bear with me…

Renai Circulation by Lizz Robinett

All I Want is You Barry Louis Polisar

Polly by Dora Jar

Jessica by the Allman Brothers

I Break Mirrors With My Face in the United States by Death Grips

Pocket Crocodile by Kero Kero Bonito

Come Meh Way by Sudan Archives

Homemade Dynamite by Lorde

As time passes, music preferences continue to evolve, but I will always have a love for the classics. This sense of nostalgia is prominent in many people’s lives, as they attempt to hold onto the memories of the past. One of my professor’s once said, “We are prisoners of the present.” We either try to forget the past or keep hanging onto it. Meanwhile, we covet for the future while also being uncertain of it. Songs from the past nurture these unsettled feelings and provide a nostalgic experience for those who haven’t let go yet. Branching out is an uncomfortable thing to do, even when it comes to music. But to call back our wonderful affirmation from before, if we’re all constantly changing for the better, so can our music taste.