Be honest—you thought my favorite year in music would be 1971 or 1991.
But let me tell you something—aside from my hair, clothes, and mindset, I live on the cutting edge of pop culture.
So when the former editor of Plethora of Pop—Buddy Gott—asked for submissions to his new publication, I viewed it as an opportunity to let my true colors shine.
The publication is called PubBeat, and the challenge was simple: Pick a year that contained a lot of music you love and then write a piece in which you share multiple songs from that year.
Yes, 1971 did give us “Stairway to Heaven” and “What’s Going On.” The year did also capture the sounds of the decade of my birth. But who do you think I am—some sort of Rust Belt nostalgia guy?
Then there’s 1991, which gave us “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Losing My Religion.” But the years of teenage angst are long gone. Do I look like the type of dude who would give up his day job to blog or something?
No, the only year that fits, the one that captures the new joyful me, is 2014.
By that year, I was fully entrenched in the culture of suburbia, talking playsets, weed killers, and grill covers. I was…
“Happy” by Pharrell Williams”
Granted, the decision to grow roots in Upstate New York had raised a few eyebrows, particularly among the coastal elites I had left behind. But my wife and I knew that in stumbling upon Rochester, we had found a…
“Dark Horse” by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J
Life was a little slower and a little simpler. It seemed like we were surrounded by people who had collectively decided no more counting dollars, we’ll be…
“Counting Stars” by OneRepublic
Of course, the fact that the only thing outsiders knew about Rochester was lake-effect snow did get irritating at times. Eventually, however, I learned to…
“Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift
Because deep down, I had an inkling the snide comments were coming from the…
“Jealous” by Nick Jonas
And that’s why 2014 is my favorite year in music.
