10 Songs I’m Not Ashamed to Admit That I Like

I previously noted the 10 Songs I’m Ashamed to Admit That I Like. It’s a pseudo-hipster rejection of a bunch of popular songs, both recent and from decades past. I’ll cop to trying to cultivate a persona of someone with taste. I’ll display my Pavement and Built to Spill albums. I’ll discuss Aphex Twin and the best Tribe Called Quest album (it’s The Low End Theory). But even with this defense mechanism of snobbery, there are some songs that have slipped through the cracks that I simply like a lot. They also are not guilty of being especially commercial or poppy or for tween girls, so, they didn’t make the shame list.

Yes, these are the other songs. They’re generally the only song I know or like by a particular artist and don’t fit in with the rest of my musical tastes. These are the songs that I look up on youtube and spotify to listen to and, frankly, I don’t care who knows it.

Give Me The Night

How on earth did I discover song? I don’t remember. All I know is that I’ve been in the car a couple of times and heard “why aren’t you changing the channel?” when this song comes on.

Reba

I left my jam band days behind me years ago and I don’t smoke pot. Like all Phish songs, the lyrics are just plain stupid. But the guitar solo is dreamy and amazing and floors me every time.

West End Girls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVkN0VhOuZ0

I’m not an androgynous teenager in London in 1984, so, this song shouldn’t really appeal to me. But it’s amazing and it inspired a pretty great parody by Flight of the Concords.

With One Look

I don’t know who Rupert Hine is but this is the music playing during the credits of Better Off Dead and it’s just a great 80’s pop song.

Ghostbusters

Huey Lewis, you can take the settlement money for the theft* but this is still the superior song. I also can’t possibly imagine the selection criteria for the cameos in the video.

Return of the Mack

The phrase “this is my jam” gets thrown around willy nilly. People often declare a song to be their jam without truly respecting the concept of jamness. But, frankly, this is my jam.

Oh Sheila

It’s like a Prince song without having to listen to Prince sing about sex. Everybody wins.

Easy Lover

So, you’re ashamed of liking Don’t Lose My Number but not ashamed of liking Easy Lover? Yes. That’s correct. They’re my lists. Philip Bailey was in Earth, Wind, and Fire and that’s just awesome.

Freedom ’90