There are some songs I just simply cannot get out of my head. This isn’t your average earworm, or your classic “quick sing another song so I can get ‘I Really Like You’ out of my head once and for all!” No, this is that times a million, where even in the midst of listening to other music, it is still there. Heck, I wake up in the morning singing some of these songs. I’m gonna come clean and say I’m making this playlist in hopes I will finally let these songs go, but then again, I might have just jinxed myself again…
1. Iron & Wine – “Flightless Bird, American Mouth”
If you’ve been a friend of mine for a long time, you will know that quite literally a day does not go by when I do not sing this song. Regrettably, most of my friends hate this song now, but hey, I still think it’s awesome. It’s not even my favorite song! But lead singer Samuel Beam has such a delicate voice and he makes the beginning of the song so tempting to sing nonstop. Also, the lyrics are fun to sing and written in a way that the rhyming schemes make them easy to remember. Who can blame me when I get to say, “fat house cat?”
2. Amy Winehouse – “I Heard Love Is Blind”
Maybe it’s because I can sing every word of this song, or maybe it’s because I’ve always got Amy on my mind, but this song is another one where for some reason it’s always been in my brain. The song is only 2 minutes long, but within that time Amy is able to tell an entertaining story that’s not so fun, but her powerhouse voice has the ability to make it one. It’s from her early Frank album where her sound was young and innocent, and this emotion can be heard quite well in this song.
3. Tame Impala – “’Cause I’m A Man”
Tame Impala’s “Cause I’m A Man” is a relatively new one, but I’m still singing this one as much as ever to make up for lost time. This track is from Tame Impala’s yet-to-be-released album, but they’ve been releasing a few songs before the debut and this was the first track to showcase. It’s got groove and it’s got a sick bass line, so I’m all about it. Unfortunately (for everyone who has to listen to me), singer Kevin Parker can hit some pretty high notes, but I will sing along nonetheless and will follow with singing the guitar riff afterwards.
4. Geographer – “I’m Ready”
This is also from a 2015 release, Geographer’s Ghost Modern. When the chorus hits and the lead singer sings “I’m Ready,” he stretches out the word “ready” for so long, that it doesn’t even sound like the word anymore. This makes it easy to sing along to, you don’t even need to know the words! “You’ve been staring/ at the ocean/ like it’s a language you could learn” is such a fun part to sing, not to mention some beautiful writing.
5. Donny Hathaway – “A Song For You”
Alright I can’t sing the piano solo at the beginning that sounds like a trip down the rabbit hole, but the first line is something I definitely sing diva-style in the shower. Donny Hathaway is a legendary blues and soul singer, seriously one of the best in history in my humble opinion. So I feel like he’s a fair artist to have in your head 24/7. The soul comes out in “A Song For You” and it’s simple but it’ll make the tears flow.
6. The Beach Boys – “Kokomo”
This is one that people won’t get mad at you for singing. Once you start singing the first lines, everyone knows the rest and just let the chips fall where they may. I’ve definitely put this in the minds of unfortunate others. But does anyone really make it to the awesome sax solo? Blow your friends away with that party trick.
7. Le1f – “Boom”
“Boom” is always in my head, but it’s only because I know every word to this song, as I trained myself to memorize it. It’s too cool to not be able to just spit out. Le1f is a catalyst rapper in queer hip-hop and he has some serious skill, so no, I can’t rap as good as him. He’s not just skillful because he’s one of the few in his genre that is recognized, but he writes his music and has a very distinct style that’s new and creative. This song is addicting and has an awesome beat to it.
8. Glen Check – “Pacific”
This one you can’t sing along too probably because most of the song is instrumental and the lyrics are almost completely inaudible but it still plays in my head all the time. It’s kind of background music for me when I’m walking. It’s cheery and the intro is super catchy. Glen Check is a Korean band that has an aura of Justice to them; they said they take a lot of inspiration from them. All their music is in English, so when you can understand what they’re saying, you can even sing along.
9. Panic! At The Disco – “Northern Downpour”
Okay, before you denounce me for taking songs from my 7th grade self, this song has some history. Not only is it from one of the greatest albums of my time, but also it’s a simple and well written song. So what I’m trying to say is it’s okay to have preteen song stuck in your head, because this one has been in mine since 2008.
