August 14, 2015 marks my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. About a year and a half ago my brother, sister-in-law, and I started talking to Mom & Dad about how they wanted to celebrate. We’d thrown them a surprise family picnic for their 40th – a fairly last minute kind of thing that was really the brain child of my aunt Diane. Mom said she didn’t want a big fuss and another picnic would be perfect. Dad was fine with whatever Mom wanted. (Hmmm… maybe that’s part of the secret?) In order to try to make sure we could have as many family members attend, we decided to hold the picnic in late July so as to not run into early starting school dates for the youngest generation.
Once we got the dates and details together for the picnic, my brother called me and said “We’re going to put you in charge of the music.” While I should have expected that assignment, I was a little unprepared. Fortunately, since I’m a geek of the highest order, I have a collection of books covering popular music from 1960-2009. That will cover most of what I need and, as luck would have it, I have one older book that covers 1958-2008. Perfect – Mom & Dad met in 1958.
I sat down and pulled out my 1960s Billboard charts and checked out the songs for 1965. I laughed to myself more than once as I saw all kinds of classic rock songs that were completely NOT what my parents were listening to in 1965. No “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, no “Mr. Tambourine Man”, no “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”, no “Positively Fourth Street”, no “Get Off of My Cloud”, no “Turn, Turn, Turn”, and absolutely no “Satisfaction”! Sigh. There’s classic Motown that might work, there’s always The Beatles who though they really weren’t what Mom & Dad were listening to (much) at the time, they definitely listened. Fortunately the 1965 charts are also filled with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Peter, Paul & Mary, Barbra Streisand and the like. I found some stuff from that year that would definitely work.
Then it was combing through the pop singles book and going artist by artist. Yep, nope, nope, nope, maybe, yep…
I picked songs from 1965, the year they were married. I picked songs from 1958, the year they met. Then I picked song after song after song that I remember listening to as a kid in the '70s. Mom and Dad played a lot of records back then. If we were home, it was likely the stereo was on playing something. There are lots of things I remember listening to that I wonder if Mom and Dad remembered playing over and over back then. When I was finished, I had an 11 page list written out. I stopped by my parents’ house and said “I’m in charge of the music, so I need to borrow some of your CDs.” I left with about two-thirds of them! And I still had to download a bunch (which resulted in downloading entire albums in some cases because I wanted them for myself!)
The first pass of the playlist had 367 songs and a running time of over 19 hours. The picnic was only scheduled to last 5 – gotta trim somewhere! So, I hit “play” on my iTunes and listened to everything I picked out. I discovered I’d added a couple of songs by the same performer twice, so I eliminated those. I also remembered other songs while I was listening, so had to add those to the list.
I printed out a copy of the playlist and marked each song “Yes”, “Maybe”, or “No” as they played. Some songs were automatic “Yes” songs regardless of my personal opinion of them. Some songs got “Maybe plus” and some got “Maybe minus.” Not a whole lot got an automatic “No” and the ones that did either were truly stupid/insipid songs from the 1950s or ones that just didn’t quite fit the vibe of a 50th anniversary. Any song that made me cry got an automatic yes. We’ll see if they make Mom cry (I’m guessing yes, but probably not at the picnic while people are talking and visiting and not listening closely.)
In the end, I wound up with 139 songs lasting 7 hours and 21 minutes. I’m pretty pleased with it and thought I’d share the final list (not necessarily in order) and a quick comment or two about why I picked it.
The Quick Picks
1. I Left My Heart in San Francisco, Tony Bennett
• This was the easiest of the bunch, it’s their song.
2. The Long Hot Summer, Jimmie Rodgers
• Theme song from the movie. It was their first date.
3. All I Have to Do Is Dream, The Everly Brothers
4. Let It Be Me, The Everly Brothers
• The first was the #1 song the day Dad took Mom to his Senior Prom, and the second is also a 1958 hit. When I took Mom and Dad to see Simon & Garfunkel a few years ago, the Everly Brothers were part of the show and Mom said she was more excited about them than Simon & Garfunkel. There ya go then.
5. Twilight Time, The Platters
• The #1 song the day they met.
6. Tequila, The Champs
• The #1 song on their first date (and, okay, one of my favorite old time classics.)
7. I Got You Babe, Sonny & Cher
• Not really their thing, but the #1 song on the day they got married.
8. Daniel, Elton John
9. Older Sister, Carly Simon
• Both songs remind my folks of an older sibling. “Daniel” for my dad’s older brother Dan (for whom *my* brother is named) and “Older Sister” for my mom’s older sister Pat. Dan was killed in a car accident in 1960 and Dad bought the Elton John album “Daniel” was on when it came out back in the 70s. Pat passed away in 2007, and Mom always said “Older Sister” reminded her of Pat. (And, interestingly enough, it reminds Mom’s youngest sister of her.)
10. Girls in Their Summer Clothes, Bruce Springsteen
• This is probably the most incongruous song on the list, and definitely the most contemporary, but Mom asked me if I would put it on, so I did.
Songs from 1958 (more or less)
11. The Twelfth of Never, Johnny Mathis
12. Chances Are, Johnny Mathis
13. Wonderful! Wonderful!, Johnny Mathis
• A bunch from San Francisco’s own, Johnny Mathis. Like many of the songs to come, chosen because they’re ones I like by someone Mom & Dad played a lot.
14. Little Things Mean A Lot, Joni James
15. There Goes My Heart, Joni James
• One of
16. Rockin' Robin, Bobby Day
17. Johnny B. Goode, Chuck Berry
18. It's Only Make Believe, Conway Twitty
19. Good Golly Miss Molly, Little Richard
20. Put Your Head on My Shoulder, Paul Anka
21. Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream), The Crew Cuts
22. Fever, Peggy Lee
23. It's All in the Game, Tommy Edwards
• Picked solely because of when they were released and fairly well known in 2015.
Songs from 1965
24. My Girl, The Temptations
25. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch), The Four Tops
• Had to include some Motown! (Okay, “My Girl” is technically 1964, but close enough!)
26. Summer Wind, Wayne Newton
27. What's New Pussycat?, Tom Jones
• I thought these would be fun.
28. Dear Heart, Andy Williams
• When I stumbled on this one in the reference books, there were about three different versions and I was trying to figure out which one to pick. Mom & Dad don’t use a whole lot of endearments, but “dear heart” is one I remember hearing over the years. When I told Mom I was working on this playlist, she said “Well, I put together an anniversary list a couple of years ago” and showed it to me there was the Andy Williams version. Yep, I know my parents!
29. Here I Am, Dionne Warwick
30. Make the World Go Away, Eddie Arnold
31. What the World Needs Now Is Love, Jackie DeShannon
32. California Girls, The Beach Boys
33. Do You Believe in Magic?, The Lovin' Spoonful
34. King of the Road, Roger Miller
35. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, The Righteous Brothers
• Again, songs picked mainly because they’re from the same year Mom & Dad got married and are still pretty well known. (Perhaps the Dionne Warwick one less so, but I know she’s someone Mom & Dad liked.)
The Frank Sinatra Collection
36. Theme from New York, New York
37. Love's Been Good to Me
38. Tell Her (You Love Her Each Day)
39. Fly Me to the Moon
40. The Best Is Yet to Come
41. Autumn in New York
42. Come Fly With Me
43. All The Way
44. I've Got You Under My Skin
45. You Make Me Feel So Young
46. Love and Marriage
47. I Get a Kick Out of You
48. They Can't Take That Away from Me
49. I've Got the World on a String
• The whole playlist could have been Frank Sinatra tunes. I think of all the music my parents played when I was growing up, by far the artist I heard the most was Frank Sinatra. As a kid, I really didn’t appreciate it much. It was “that sappy music” that made me roll my eyes. Picking which songs to include was tough. Mostly they are ones I know and like best (and know Mom & Dad played a lot.) “Tell Her (You Love Her Each Day)” is one I picked solely based on it being released in 1965 and being a good fit for a 50th Anniversary playlist.
The Rest of the Rat Pack (and similar)
50. Everybody Loves Somebody, Dean Martin
51. You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You, Dean Martin
52. I've Gotta Be Me, Sammy Davis, Jr.
• Gotta include Frank’s pals of course. There was more Dean Martin than Sammy Davis played when I was growing up, but had to include both.
53. That Old Black Magic, Louis Prima/Keely Smith
54. Jump, Jive, an' Wail, Louis Prima
55. Just a Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody, Louis Prima
• Louis Prima was one of Dad’s favorites. I can not explain just how traumatized I was when David Lee Roth covered “Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody” in 1985 and had a huge hit with it. The lead singer from Van Halen is singing Louis Prima?! That was wrong in so so many ways! I handled Brian Setzer’s cover of “Jump, Jive, an’ Wail” in 1998 much better.
56. Beyond the Sea, Bobby Darin
57. Mack the Knife, Bobby Darin
58. Hello, Dolly!, Bobby Darin
• Bobby Darin was another favorite, so went with the two biggest hits and one from 1965.
59. I Wanna Be Around, Tony Bennett
60. The Best Is Yet To Come, Tony Bennett
• Two of my personal favorite Tony Bennett songs.
61. Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart, Judy Garland
• From her Live at Carnegie Hall album. One of Mom & Dad’s favorites, it was hard to pick which song(s) to choose and being a live album, they didn’t all work well in a mixed playlist, so I went with the one that seemed right for a 50th Anniversary.
The Barbra Streisand Collection
62. Evergreen
63. Memory
64. People
65. Why Did I Choose You?
66. Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf
• There was a lot of Barbra Streisand being played when I was growing up. I picked a couple favorites. “Why Did I Choose You?” was a 1965 tune and fit the 50th Anniversary theme. “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” is one I remember hearing a lot as a kid and loved it. (Who didn’t love the Three Little Pigs?)
The Peter, Paul, & Mary Collection
67. Leaving on a Jet Plane
68. The Song Is Love
69. I'm in Love with a Big Blue Frog
70. I Dig Rock and Roll Music
71. Kisses Sweeter than Wine
72. For Baby (For Bobbie)
• Mom & Dad played a lot of folk music too. None more than PP&M. These are just some of my favorites.
73. Puff (The Magic Dragon)
74. Going to the Zoo
75. The Marvelous Toy
• These three are all from the Peter, Paul, & Mommy album that Danny and I probably made Mom play 1,000 times (a week.) We liked the “Zoo Side” better than the “Toy Side,” but it’s still one of my all time favorite records. Over the years I’ve given many copies of it to friends and family when they have their first child.
76. Wedding Song (There Is Love)
• Technically, this is just Paul Stookey solo, but I think it’s one of the loveliest songs ever written. It probably got over played to death at weddings in the 1970s, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
The Other Folkies
77. M.T.A., Kingston Trio
78. Scotch and Soda, Kingston Trio
79. Tom Dooley, Kingston Trio
• The Kingston Trio was probably the second most popular folk act Mom & Dad played after Peter, Paul, & Mary. Picked a couple of their best known songs (and personal favorites.) I never did understand why Charlie’s wife never put that extra nickel in with the sandwich she gave him in “M.T.A.” though.
80. Blowin' in the Wind, Chad Mitchell Trio
• This album is and was played every Easter due to the song “Easter Morn.” That song didn’t fit the theme, so picked the Dylan classic. (Yes, Dad did like Bob Dylan, just, ya know, not when Dylan was doing the singing.)
81. Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
82. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy), Simon & Garfunkel
• Simon & Garfunkel were pretty popular too. I know I listened to the Bridge Over Troubled Water album a ton growing up – and that was before the summer I spent in Alaska babysitting my two younger cousins who kept asking me to “play the bridge song” over and over and over!
83. Baby the Rain Must Fall, Glenn Yarbrough
84. That's an Irish Lullaby (Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral), John Gary
• Glenn Yarborough and the Limelighters were another bunch of folk albums Mom & Dad would play. I picked “Baby the Rain Must Fall” as it was another 1965 hit. Every St. Patrick’s Day, out would come the various Irish folk songs by the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem and this John Gary album. Couldn’t fit everything in, but those songs (along with Chad Mitchell) are a sure fire sign of Spring to me.
The Musicals
85. Miracle of Miracles, Leonard Frey (from The Fiddler on the Roof)
• Mom & Dad listened to A LOT of musical soundtracks. Fiddler on the Roof was one of their favorites, but the thing I will always remember is my dad and his brother Jerry dancing in the living room to this song after the 49ers won Super Bowl XVI!
86. Try to Remember, Jerry Orbach (from The Fantasticks)
87. The Impossible Dream (The Quest), Richard Kiley (from The Man of La Mancha)
• Dad has walked around the house singing one or the other of these songs pretty much every day for as long as I can remember; how could I not include them?
88. If Ever I Would Leave You, Robert Goulet (from Camelot)
• This is from the Broadway production, not the movie. Mom always said the Broadway album was better.
89. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke
90. The Sound of Music, Julie Andrews
• The first from Mary Poppins, the second from the movie of the same name. Both were hit songs in 1965. And favorite family movies.
The 1950s & 60s
91. I'm Yours, Elvis Presley
92. Can't Help Falling in Love, Elvis Presley
• Had to include some Elvis! “I’m Yours” is a 1965 single. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” fits the theme.
93. Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair), Harry Belafonte
94. A Hole in the Bucket (Live), Harry Belafonte
• Mom & Dad would play a couple of Harry Belafonte albums when I was a kid. I chose this version of “Scarlet Ribbons” over the Kingston Trio one because I liked the feel. “A Hole in the Bucket” was a song I loved as a kid – lots of humor.
95. I Can't Stop Loving You, Ray Charles
96. Come Rain or Come Shine, Ray Charles
• Like Elvis, couldn’t leave out Ray Charles. These are just two classic songs that are of the time and fit the theme.
97. You Were Made For Me, Sam Cooke
98. You Send Me, Sam Cooke
99. Having a Party, Sam Cooke
• The first two are circa 1957-58 and timely for when Mom & Dad met. The third… well, duh, we were having a party!
100. Michelle, The Beatles
101. Yesterday, The Beatles
102. Help!, The Beatles
103. Hey Jude, The Beatles
• The first three were all 1965 hits (and “Michelle” – duh!) “Hey Jude” was the #1 song when I was born (again, duh!) I probably could have included more Beatles tunes, but that would have been more about what I listened to than Mom & Dad.
104. Rise Herb Alpert
105. This Guy's in Love With You, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
• Somehow, Mom & Dad wound up with a lot of Herb Alpert albums due one of those old Columbia House record memberships, so I thought I’d include a couple of his biggest hits.
106. What a Wonderful World , Louis Armstrong
107. Save the Last Dance for Me, The Drifters
108. Lemon Tree, Trini Lopez
• Just some songs of the era, and there were a couple of Trini Lopez albums around the house. “Lemon Tree” was another 1965 tune.
The 1970s
109. (They Long to Be) Close to You, The Carpenters
110. Everything Is Beautiful, Ray Stevens
• Carpenters albums were among the most played when we were kids. “Close to You” is the song Mom & Danny danced to at Danny & Stacy’s wedding. I assume Mom sang it to him when he was a baby. “Everything Is Beautiful” was the #1 song when Danny was born.
111. You've Made Me So Very Happy, Blood, Sweat & Tears
112. Spinning Wheel, Blood, Sweat & Tears
• Another favorite album from childhood. Picked my two favorite tunes.
113. Mockingbird, Carly Simon/James Taylor
114. Beautiful, Carole King
115. I Feel the Earth Move, Carole King
• Mom played Carly Simon’s Hotcakes and Carole King’s Tapestry a lot! Had a hard time picking which songs from Tapestry to pick – such a classic album!
116. Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, Jim Croce
117. Time in a Bottle, Jim Croce
• Another oft played album. “Time in a Bottle” seemed a great fit for a 50th Anniversary playlist.
118. Poems, Prayers and Promises, John Denver
119. Take Me Home, Country Roads, John Denver
• Dad used to play the heck out of John Denver. Two of my favorites.
120. Song Sung Blue, Neil Diamond
121. Play Me, Neil Diamond
• I probably could have included more Neil Diamond; he was pretty popular back in the '70s! Just a couple more favorite/oft played tunes growing up.
122. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, Paul Simon
123. Still Crazy After All These Years, Paul Simon
• “Still Crazy After All These Years” of the album of the same name was an apt choice for the playlist (as well as being another oft played tune.)
124. Just the Way You Are, Billy Joel
125. New York State of Mind, Billy Joel
• A couple more for Mom and for Mom & Dad’s upcoming trip to the East Coast which includes a couple of days in New York.
126. You and Me Against the World, Helen Reddy
• I remember Mom playing this album a lot and I probably hadn’t heard this song since I was a kid, but started crying as soon as I listened to it again. Instant add.
127. You Needed Me, Anne Murray
128. Drift Away, Dobie Gray
129. Laughter in the Rain, Neil Sedaka
130. Times of Your Life, Paul Anka
131. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack
132. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You), James Taylor
133. You've Got a Friend, James Taylor
• Some songs of the era that I thought would be a good fit by artists Mom & Dad like.
The Country Phase
134. She Believes in Me, Kenny Rogers
135. Always on My Mind, Willie Nelson
136. On the Road Again, Willie Nelson
137. Heroes and Friends, Randy Travis
138. Mountain Music, Alabama
139. The Devil Went Down to Georgia, The Charlie Daniels Band
• Sometime in the 1980s or so, Mom & Dad went on a bit of a country kick. The Kenny Rogers and Willie Nelson made some sense as they were pretty popular outside of the country scene. The other three all come from CDs in Mom & Dad’s collection that I totally forgot they owned. They did go to an Alabama concert sometime in the late 80s/early 90s. I think I may even have a t-shirt from that show!
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