Everybody has their own specific music taste, but we all have a song out there that (if given the opportunity), we would show a song that we truly believe everybody should listen to at least once in their lifetime. Whether that be a song you grew up with, something that changed your taste permanently, or just an absolute earworm, that song exists for all of us. This week, the music directors share their song that they feel that everybody should take the time to listen to.

---

ABEL: PLASTIC/TAPE 4 BY SIX IMPALA

I don’t think hardly anyone out of the entire human population would enjoy this song, I think some of them probably wouldn’t even consider it a song. I just think it would be very funny to imagine every living person being forced to listen and pay full attention to what is essentially 9 minutes of a fourth wall-breaking skit at the same time.

DAVIS: WEEKEND BY CLUBHOUSE

I have hundreds of hours of music that I think everyone should listen to. That might be why I am so stingy when it comes to who gets to play music when I’m driving… I always have a new jam to introduce to my friends. The one song that stands out to me, however, is Weekend by Clubhouse. Now, this might not be my “favorite song of all time”, but it is certainly up there. I can’t remember if I found this song through my ex-girlfriend, or if I found it while building one of my many playlists.

Clubhouse only has an average over 328 some-odd thousand monthly listeners, but every one of their songs are sooooo good, and Weekend is no exception. Muffled vocals sing about true and undying love. Lyrics like “need you all the time, sweet paradise” and “I’m in love, feels like taking drugs” ring out to me, as I have felt those lyrics with my heart and soul. I also particularly relate to the lyrics “I think you notice I talk too much“. As a very vocal person, I tend to run my mouth with compliments and scenarios to the ones I love.

This modern love song has a catchy beat with an invigorating synth-like piano accompaniment. I’m sure most of us could groove out to this song, while also being mindful of the true and beautiful lyrics.

GAVIN: ASK G4 BY G PERICO AND DJ DRAMA

G Perico is one of the best rappers on the West Coast right now. He has been consistently dropping quality bodies of work since 2016. Perico is bringing back the old-school 90’s west coast sound so well and he has been collaborating with hip-hop legend DJ Drama. This song is the latest he’s dropped and the beat, Perico’s flow, just EVERYTHING about this song is so infectious. G Perico next up.

ASHLYN: HEAVEN’S ONLY WISHFUL (EXTENDED VERSION) BY MORMOR

TAKE THE EXTRA MINUTE AND LISTEN TO THE EXTENDED VERSION OF THIS SONG!

This was MorMor’s first release as a musician, and this song feels almost as amazing as opening the window on a cool breezy day in the spring. This song is synth indie pop at its finest and truly holds everything you could ever wish for in a song. I remember playing this song on repeat when I first started listening to it in 2018 just because it’s genuinely an earworm; once you start, you really can’t stop. The chorus, the bridge, everything is genuinely so perfect in this song and I cannot emphasize that enough. When it comes to songs that you should be playing in the car with your windows down, singing at the top of your lungs, and feeling on top of the world in those short 5 minutes, this is the song I’d pick first. Best fit for a nighttime drive with someone you love in the passenger seat, this is my Perks of Being a Wallflower moment. I almost guarantee if you’re a fan of indie pop, synth, and memorizing vocals, you’ll love this song upon your first listen (money back guaranteed).

DANIEL: WATERMELON MAN BY HERBIE HANCOCK

Watermelon Man isn’t just a song, it’s a journey. Throughout this journey, you will truly learn what music is. It starts with some weird sounds you probably haven’t heard before, only loosely held together by a trivial rhythm. Then slowly, one by one, the instruments come in and then BAM; you have music. But not just any music, the single most beautiful collection of sounds you will ever hear. From the funky bass line that holds it all together, to the sexy sax that perfectly highlights the vibe, you will soon realize that this song is the definition of a masterpiece.

CHLOE: END OF THE LINE BY TRAVELING WILBURYS

I think everyone should listen to this song because I genuinely cannot think of a better feel-good song. Something about the song is extremely comforting and can always put me in a good mood. The repeated lyric in the song, ‘Well it’s alright,’ could not be a more comforting phrase to hear. Easily, my favorite line in the song would be ‘Well it’s alright, remember to live and let live,’ which, in my opinion, are extremely important words to live by. Additionally, Traveling Wilburys is comprised of some of the greatest rock artists, like George Harrison of the Beatles and Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra, as well as Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison. How could you not want to listen to a song from all of them?

GARY: GOING TO CALIFORNIA BY LED ZEPPELIN

One of the most important aspects of music is its ability to communicate emotions far more profoundly than words and pictures are ever capable of. While a poem alone can convey a remarkable amount of emotion and significance, the tasteful combination of a poem and the appropriate melody creates a significantly more remarkable piece of art. Nowhere is this more aptly displayed than in Going to California, by Led Zeppelin. Robert Plant’s wistful vocals vividly present the tale of a man searching for a new beginning, and, more importantly, a new spiritual awakening. The lyrics expertly capture the mysticism of the American West, and, more specifically, the “Californian Dream,” as the speaker leaves his old home with “an aching in [his] heart” to search for “a girl out there / with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair,” which are lyrics that are easily related to by those well-acquainted with the poignant desires of life. To insure that the poetic vocals remain the highlight of the song, they are accompanied only by an astoundingly gorgeous combination of interwoven fingerpicked guitar and mandolin parts, which masterfully enhance the already enchanting vocals. As the song details the story of traveling to a far away land in search of a new beginning and a new love, it speaks directly to the heart of every listener, reminding us of the remarkable sensation of dreaming, both of mythical imaginations of the future yet to come, as well as the incredible and beautiful stories that have lead us to where we are today, and that we have been lucky to experience. Everyone who listens to this impeccable song is sure to find that it inspires an emotion that is uniquely theirs, full of the memories and dreams that belong to them alone, although that are exceptionally beautiful all the same.

DAYTON: WHAT’S UP? BY 4 NON BLONDES

When I read this question, I interpreted it as “What’s a song you think everybody should listen to RIGHT NOW?” What song would I play for the entire world to listen to at the same time? The answer to that question is What’s Up? by 4 non blondes. This song expresses the artist’s frustration with the patriarchal institutions that many people around the world can relate with. Beyond that Linda Perry, the lead singer, demonstrates an impressive vocal range that’s catchy and makes you want to sing. The phrase “what’s going on” is repeated many times in the chorus, and I bet more than half the people on earth are wondering the same thing right now. What is going on?

PETAR: BANGARANG BY SKRILLEX (FEAT. SIRAH)

Bangarang was the first song that came to mind upon receiving this prompt. This song gives me life. No other song itches my brain and stimulates me like Bangarang. When I listen to this song it feels like it’s affecting each and every cell body. This song is to me what laser pointers are to cats. At every function I go to, I spend the entire time trying to play this song. If I could go back in time, I would play this song to a Victorian child. Bangarang gets me through the darkest of times. When I die, play Bangarang by Skrillex and pour one out for me.

ISAK: TIMES IS HARD BY NICOLA WINCENC

People should listen to this song because it is a great example of pushing the envelope in the music space. Wincenc is defying two separate styles of music that doesn’t necessarily exist without him. Sure, we have seen rock and metalcore spaces use heavy synths before but this is different. We have an intro that is reminiscent of Tron and then it goes into Deftones? There are other things I’d like to touch on especially the ending but I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise. Seriously, this song is capable of pleasing the ears of both edm guys and metalheads alike (unless you’re a metal elitist). This song is just good and I can’t stop admiring it of it’s creativity and it’s hard hitting style and composition. Wincenc only has two singles out right now; Times Is Hard is one of them. I can’t wait to see what comes out next of this artist. I know I’m going to keep an eye out for sure. As always, listen to this song with the volume up!

JUSTIN: ADIÓS AMOR BY CHRISTIAN NODAL

As I grew up, I was introduced to the genres of Corrido and Bolero by some of my friends with Latin American roots. I absolutely fell in love with this kind of music, as the pure emotion in every song, and the meaningful lyrics draw me in, much in the same way big band music of the 40s and 50s did as well. This song in particular is a bolero with some of the most beautiful horn arrangements I’ve ever heard. The song details how a lover has lost their feelings for the singer, and the singer resolves that it’s simply easier to leave them forever rather than staying together and make them more unhappy. This song could soundtrack your next breakup, or it could turn into what it did for my friend group, which was an almost ironic reminder that we would be there for each other no matter how far we traveled from each other. Check it out even if you don’t speak Spanish. Lord knows I don’t and I just scream broken Spanish at my dashboard until the chorus comes sweeping in to save me.

CADEN: MONSTER BY SKILLET

its a head banger