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Our Musical Time Capsule: Creating the Yearly Soundtrack of our Lives

Submitted by Joel on Fri, 01/19/2024 - 07:03

Bethany and I share a love for the open road, where the simple joy of cruising is accompanied by the shared delight of jamming to our favorite tunes. Unfortunately, the radio seldom aligns with our eclectic tastes. So, equipped with a trusty flash drive, we embarked on the journey of curating the soundtrack to our shared life experiences. This creative endeavor, which was Bethany's ingenious idea, gave birth to a tradition that encapsulates the spirit of each passing year – our yearly playlists. And now, we've decided to open the door and share not just our idea but the actual song lists (coming soon) with you! While we've covered 2021-2023 so far (keep an eye out for those posts!), this will be an overview of the concept and what goes into crafting our musical time capsules. Now, I understand that music is deeply personal, and our tastes may not align with yours. However, perhaps you'll discover something here that resonates with you – maybe it's the enjoyment of creating a yearly musical time capsule or stumbling upon a shared favorite. Now let's go deeper into how we blend these ingredients into our musical mixing bowl.

A Symphony of Tastes

Crafting a playlist for the year proves to be a nuanced undertaking for us. Like most people, our musical inclinations traverse diverse landscapes, although our preferences avoid most forms of rap, jazz, opera, or classical genres (among others). Bethany's musical roots are firmly entwined with the twang of country melodies, a genre I must admit I have little appreciation for. She's been a Taylor Swift fan since way back in 2007 when she saw her open for another act. While I can appreciate many Swift songs, my admiration falls short of reaching 'Swiftie' levels. As a fan of heavier rock, I encounter a challenge since Bethany doesn't share the same enthusiasm. Consequently, only the rare electric guitar riff manages to secure a spot on our playlist. Our common ground resides in the pop and indie rock genres, yet even here, subtle distinctions emerge – Bethany leans towards pop, while my inclinations veer more towards the rock spectrum. Also, I like a nice melodic love song, while Bethany's taste leans more towards angry breakup songs. Essentially, I find myself in the role of the discerning curator, meticulously evaluating songs for mindless repetition, clunky lyrics, or lackluster tunes.

My Musical Recipe

The Basic Ingredients

Putting together a playlist is very similar to making a good mix tape. Moderation and timing are crucial – too many songs by the same artist can be overwhelming. However, if an artist significantly influenced the year, a few of their tracks might find a place (ensuring they're strategically spaced). Challenges arise when an artist dominates the charts, like Taylor Swift achieving all ten of the Top 10 spots. Using songs from a single source, such as a soundtrack, is simpler as they offer diversity. The aim is to diversify genres, searching for new sounds while avoiding repetition in mood, message, or style. Play order is meticulously considered; slow ballads don't pair well with energetic dance tracks. 

Gathering the Contents

The first step is to add songs to the year's folder on the flash drive. If either of us kinda like the song, we add it. At the beginning of the year, the justifications are pretty relaxed. It doesn't need to be released that year, just discovered (or rediscovered) that year. We need to start somewhere! Catchy song from a commercial? Top charting hit? An earworm Bethany saw on a video? A suggestion from a friend (MORE OF THESE, PLEASE!) Let's add it! Eurovision actually helps a lot with this process, as does the Super Bowl (hooray for fun commercials!). Spotify suggestions also add a lot, which is why the same artists pop up in multiple years. Since we don't listen to the radio often, I periodically go through the Billboard Hot 100 and listen to snippets to see if we might like a song. I'll add it to the list and see what Bethany thinks. We also have a fondness for songs that focus on (or at least mention) the end of the world. We include at least one every year, so searching for those can add to the list. As the year progresses, we have dozens of songs and soon we have to start cutting.

Trimming the Fat

To earn a spot, both of us must genuinely appreciate the song. In this creative process, neither of us wields unchecked control. Veto power is a shared privilege – if a song becomes a habitual skip for one of us, it's swiftly ousted from the playlist. Further, unless there is some other significance of the song, at least one of us must really love the song. What might be significant enough for us to keep a song that isn't quite 'loved'? Some songs get through that are just cultural milestones. "Remember when this song was EVERYWHERE?!" Obviously, we have to still hold the song in a positive light. Since we rarely listen to the radio, how do we know what's popular? Maybe it was played as the backdrop to a million video shorts or just talked about online constantly. The end of the year Top 100 can also have a little influence. Popular Eurovision songs can fit in here or maybe an older song (or a cover) featured in a movie or series we enjoy. Or maybe it just happened to be playing during an important part of the year. If it is a reminder of the year we had, a song might make the final cut even if it's a "like" more than a "love".

Final Preparation

The resulting playlist maintains a delicate balance, hovering around 23-25 songs. Purposefully curated to avoid overcrowding with mere likes, the goal is to capture the essence of our year through genuine favorites rather than diluting it with songs we merely fancy. As the year goes on, we'll keep adding songs to the year's folder and we'll see which we tire of and which are put on repeat listening. The list starts solidifying and the order starts becoming more important. Some songs work together, and some don't. At the end of the year, the playlist is finalized. And we start the new year listening to the playlist on repeat! Until, of course, new songs start becoming a 'must listen' and the process starts over again.

What do you think of our idea of making a yearly musical time capsule? Maybe it's something you might consider doing. Stay tuned for specific posts about each year's musical feast for the ears!