A year to the day from when DNTO brought up the subject of a Pop Culture Blind Spot, recent conversation has indirectly reminded me of the subject again. I have many, but one that bugs me is pop music. When somebody asks me what my favourite band or singer is, I always draw a blank. I can’t even articulate what my taste is.

Part of the problem is that I’m never up to date on current music. I don’t have MTV or Much Music and the only radio I listen to is CBC Radio One (thus the DNTO reference). If CBC plays it and I happen to both hear and remember the name of the artist or song I like by the time I get to my computer I’ll make a note of it. Otherwise, even if it’s at the top of the charts, there’s a good chance I haven’t heard of it, or if I have, that it doesn’t appeal to me.

I have no particular loyalties to genres or artists. And while I tend not to like Pop or R&B, there are still a few songs that catch my ear. But even if I love a song there’s a good chance I won’t know who sings it or be able to identify anything else of theirs. My taste change so much that there’s no point in even trying to say what they are. I have a few favourite Top 40 type songs when I’m in the mood for them, but I’m just as likely to put on some Disney songs or a Dvorak Symphony.

I did try, though. I went through my playlist of about 2650 songs and, although I like all of them from time to time, I picked out the top 5% or so that really are my favourites, or that I at least have a reason for enjoying. They come with a disclaimer: I reserve the right to not like any of these songs at any time, and there may also be many that I love but just didn’t feel like tolerating today when I made the cut. So, for the record:

Anastasia – Reminiscing With Grandma
Anastasia – Finale
Cats – Mr. Mistoffelees
Evita – You Must Love Me
Jesus Christ Superstar – Heaven on Their Minds
Jesus Christ Superstar – Pilates Dream
Jesus Christ Superstar – King Herod’s Song
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Joseph Megamix
Julian Lloyd Webber – Variations 1-4
Marti Webb – Tell Me On a Sunday
The Phantom of the Opera – Think of Me
The Phantom of the Opera – Angel of Music
The Phantom of the Opera – Masquerade / Why So Silent
Arrogant Worms – I Am Cow
Avenue Q – It Sucks To Be Me
Avenue Q – Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist
Avril Lavigne – I’m With You
Avril Lavigne – Why
Julie Delpy – An Ocean Apart
Julie Delpy – A Waltz for a Night
Ben Folds – Fred Jones, Part 2
Ben Folds – The Luckiest
Ben Folds Five – Brick
Ben Folds Five – Evaporated
Ben Folds Five – Kate
Ben Folds Five – Magic
Ben Folds Five – Steven’s Last Night in Town
Blink 182 – Adam’s Song
Blink 182 – I Miss You
Bob & Doug McKenzie – Take Off
Christmas In The Country – Good King Wenceslas
John Denver & the Muppets – The Christmas Wish
John Denver & the Muppets – The Peace Carol
John Denver & the Muppets – When the River Meets the Sea
The Muppet Christmas Carol – It Feels Like Christmas
Cirque du Soleil – Alegria
Cirque du Soleil – Rain One
Anton Dvorak – I. Adagio
Anton Dvorak – II. Largo
Anton Dvorak – III. Scherzo
Anton Dvorak – IV. Allegro con fuoco
Beethoven – Sonata Pathetique – 2nd Movement
Beethoven – Symphony No. 7 – 2nd Movement
Debussy – Clair de lune
Edvard Grieg – Hall of the Mountain King
Eric Satie – Gymnopedie I and II
Gustav Holst – I. Mars, The Bringer Of War
Gustav Holst – IV. Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity
Johann Pachelbel – Canon in D
Rachmaninov – C Sharp Minor Concerto
The Magic Flute – Queen of the Night Aria
Aladdin – Friend Like Me
Aladdin – Prince Ali
Beauty and the Beast – Belle
Hercules – Go the Distance
Hercules – Zero to Hero
Hercules – I Won’t Say I’m in Love
Hercules – The Gospel Truth
Lilo & Stitch – He Mele No Lilo
Mulan – Be a Man
Newsies – The World Will Know
Pocahontas – Steady As The Beating Drum
Pocahontas – Just Around The Riverbend
Pocahontas – Savages (Part 1)
Pocahontas – Savages (Part 2)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – The Bells Of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Out There
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Heaven’s Lights Hellfire
The Lion King – Circle of Life
The Little Mermaid – Poor Unfortunate Souls
Dragon Ash – Grateful Days
Dragon Ash – See You In A Flash
Dragonheart – Finale
Enya – Flora’s Secret
Fraggle Rock – Let Me Be Your Song
Fraggle Rock – Our Melody
Fraggle Rock – Goodbye
Fraggle Rock – Sunlight And Shadow
Fraggle Rock – Why
Fraggle Rock – Bring Back the Wonder
Fraggle Rock – Friendship Song
Fraggle Rock – Follow Me
Fraggle Rock – Here to There
Glay – WE ALL FEEL HIS STRENGTH OF TENDER
Goldfinger – January
Goldfinger – Tell Me
Great Big Sea – Boston and St. John’s
Great Big Sea – The Mermaid
Great Big Sea – Wave Over Wave
Green Day – Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
HUSKING BEE – The steady-state theory
High School Musical – What I’ve Been Looking For
Jimmy Eat World – hear you me
Jimmy Eat World – if you don’t, don’t
Josh Groban – Remember When It Rained
Les Miserables – At The End Of The Day
Les Miserables – Who Am I
Les Miserables – On My Own
Liz Rigney – If You Were Mine
Liz Rigney – Kerry Dancing
Liz Rigney – MacPherson’s Lament
Liz Rigney – Red Petticoat
Lord of the Dance – The Lord Of The Dance
The Fellowship of the Rings – Concerning Hobbits
Donald Swann – Bilbo’s Last Song
Donald Swann – I Sit Beside the Fire
Man of La Mancha – I Don Quixot
Man of La Mancha – It’s All the Same
The Mikado – I am so Proud, If I allowed
The Mikado – On a tree by a river a little tom tit
Moulin Rouge – Closing Credits Bolero
Moulin Rouge – Come What May
Moulin Rouge – Elephant Love Medley
Moulin Rouge – The Show Must Go On
Moulin Rouge – Your Song
Julian Lennon – Cole’s Song
The London Metropolitan Orchestra – An American Symphony
The Prince of Egypt – Deliver Us
The Prince of Egypt – The Plagues
Regina Spector – Apres Moi
Rent – Seasons Of Love
Rip Slyme – 135BPM
The Rocky Horror Picture Show – Science Fiction Double Feature
Savage Garden – Two Beds and a Coffee Machine
Dana Glover – It Is You (I Have Loved)
Jason Wade – You Belong To Me
Shrek – True Love’s First Kiss
Sowelu – Rainbow (original mix)
StudentRick – Meet You Halfway There
The Corpse Bride – Tears To Shed
The Corpse Bride – The Piano Duet
Titanic – Hymn To The Sea
Treble Charger – Just What They Told Me
Yann Tiersen – Le moulin
Yann Tiersen – Sur le fil
Yanni – Aria
Yanni – Reflections Of Passion
the flaming lips – yoshimi vs. the pink robots
HY – AM1100
Jon Brion – Over Our Heads
Of Montreal – Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games
Andrea Boccelli – Conte Partiro
Audrey Hepburn – Moon River
Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton – You Don’t Own Me
Bill Withers – Lovely Day
Britney Spears – Toxic
CBC – Hockey Night in Canada (2000)
CBC Television – Olympic Theme
Cat Stevens – Morning has Broken
Charm – Diamond Song
Douglas Adams – Titania’s Theme
George Westerholm – Trevor
Hawksley Workman – A Moth is not a Butterfly
Hot Hot Heat – Talk to Me, Dance With Me
Incubus – I Miss You (Acoustic)
Irish Decendants – Barretts Privateers
James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover
Jeremy Fisher – High School
Kermit The Frog – The Rainbow Connection
N.E.R.D – She Wants To Move
Nelly Furtado – Powerless (Say What You Want)
Original Cast – Open the Window
PDQ Bach – Beethoven’s 5th Symphony
SHS Concert Choir – In Flanders Fields
Sarah Mclachlan – When She Loved Me (Toy Story 2)
Sufjan Stevens – Chicago
The Go! Team – Ladyflash
Wuthering Heights – Main Theme (Piano Version)