AND NOW FOR THE SINGLES...

     My previous post listed my albums in an attempt to discover my favorite music period (un)scientifically. I left out my compilation CDs and other assorted singles. Now I've gone through the remainder of my collection.

     I tallied up my collection of singles. Since compilation CDs tend to include some songs that you don't like, I have only chosen to note those singles which I like. In total, I have collected 875 singles that I like ranging from 1935 to 2009. The very oldest ones tend to be Christmas songs (like "Silent Night" by Bing Crosby [1935]) and some old swing-era tunes (like "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller [1939]) and the newest ones represent MP3s that I have recently begun downloading (like "40 Day Dream" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and the subject of my months-long search "Greeting Committee" by The Pillbugs).

1935 - 3      1957 - 21      1972 - 20      1987 - 11      2004 -  2
1937 - 1      1958 - 23      1973 - 19      1988 -  5       2005 -  1
1939 - 4      1959 - 13      1974 - 16      1989 - 12      2006 -  4
1940 - 2      1960 -   6      1975 - 18      1990 -  3       2007 -  3
1941 - 1      1961 - 17      1976 - 27      1991 -  5       2008 -  2
1942 - 3      1962 - 11    1977 - 32   1993 -  3       2009 -  4
1944 - 2      1963 - 33      1978 - 25      1994 -  2
1945 - 1      1964 - 42      1979 - 27      1995 -  3
1947 - 1      1965 - 50      1980 - 20      1996 -  6
1948 - 1    1966 - 54   1981 - 27      1997 -  1
1949 - 1      1967 - 39      1982 - 26      1998 -  2
1953 - 1      1968 - 32      1983 - 27      2000 -  1
1954 - 2      1969 - 33      1984 - 30      2001 -  1
1955 - 4      1970 - 16      1985 - 19      2002 -  4
1956 - 7      1971 - 20      1986 - 22      2003 -  1

1966 is the clear winner with 54 songs (I'm not listing them).

1963-1969 is clearly my favorite period on the basis of singles with 1976-1986 being the second most popular period. Songs I intend to buy come not only from those periods as well but from recent times as well. The music I've been hearing today hasn't lent itself to me wanting to get their albums although I've been impressed by Little Joy and Sara Bareilles.

I wonder how this list might change as I add to it over the years?

And let me take a moment to thank the advancement of technology. I can't imagine lugging around the massive collection of 45s, EPs, and LPs that a collection such as this would require. Album art issues aside, that shit got real heavy real fast. Viva las CDs y MP3s!

(originally posted in That Other Journal on August 18, 2010)