Top Five Friday #7

My Writing Soundtrack

Music is always a great motivator for really anything you choose to do. It inspires, influences, illuminates, and encourages. I am, by no means, an authority on the subject (if you’re looking for one, check out my friend Adrienne’s blog – Nosferatune), but I do know that listening to music as I write definitely makes it that much more enjoyable. Many ideas for stories or new viewpoints have occurred to me while listening to certain songs or albums. However, I do play favorites with my records when I write, and without further ado, here are my top five favorites, in no particular order:

“Soul ‘69” by Aretha Franklin – There really is nothing or no one better than Aretha Franklin to make you feel like a tough, empowered lady. This particular album is one of my favorites of hers because it has a beautifully covered Sam Cooke song (“Bring it on Home”) and my all-time favorite Aretha song “Tracks of My Tears”. I honestly could listen to this record every day and never get sick of it because it’s so damn good.
Must Listen to Track: “Tracks of My Tears”
“Sam Cooke at the Copa” by Sam Cooke – Does anyone have a more beautiful voice than Sam Cooke? I don’t think so. He’s been one of my favorites since I was a preteen and we listened to his greatest hits in the car on road trips. This live album is extra fun because it has a great selection of songs and his banter with the audience is very cute. Sam’s music makes me so nostalgic and puts me in a good state of mind to put my thoughts on paper.
Must Listen to Track: “Frankie and Johnny”
“Rumors” by Fleetwood Mac – An essential classic for any record collection, “Rumors” is a fantastic album to write to. The melodies and lyrics are so smooth that they don’t distract from the task at hand. It always leaves me with a calm, creative vibe that makes me much more productive. The range of emotion throughout the album also serves as a great inspiration for stories.
Must Listen to Track: “The Chain”
“Beyonce” by Beyonce – Listening to this record gives me an instant confidence boost. I love love love this whole album for its perspective and girl power vibes. I always feel very capable when I listen to it, like “yes, I got this”, so thanks for backing me up B. Plus, you can’t really beat that voice. Queen Bey could sing nonsense words for two hours straight and she would still have my full attention.
Must Listen to Track: “Haunted”
“The Best of The Guess Who” by The Guess Who – The Guess Who are honestly the most underrated band of the 1970’s. This is another one that I’ve loved since my mom still had to drive me everywhere. She had this CD in her car, actually (and probably still does!). All the songs on this album are classics and are so dang catchy. I love writing while listening to The Guess Who because they just make me very happy, and happy writer is a good writer. Right? Right.
Must Listen to Track: “These Eyes”