I Hear Dead People: The Playlist


 

If one thing doesn’t need to be said about 2016, it’s that we lost a lot of GREAT MUSICIANS.

David Bowie, Prince, George Michael — I started listening to all of their songs together and realized, you know what? This is objectively a GREAT PLAYLIST.

And then, Oh my God, Chuck Berry just passed away this weekend! Like a lot of you, I started listening back to his music (like the one from Pulp Fiction um LOVE IT)!

But of course, we can’t forget other departed legends like Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson! Once I started thinking about it, I realized there are so many… Amy Winehouse! Kurt Cobain!…that a proper playlist was in order.

 

You know, I actually did my research? And spent an entire evening reading about musicians’ deaths and causes of death. Strongly recommend you click that Wikipedia link, it’s really educational. Of course, I didn’t include EVERY song from EVERY dead person, as with all playlists, this one leans heavily to my own tastes.

Want to play along? Here are the rules, because Rules Make Fun More Fun (buy the t-shirt!):

  • Have to have been a rock/pop star who
  • died after 1950 (sorry, no dead baroque composers. Them’s the rules). And —
  •  band can only be added if more than half of the members (see: Mamas & Papas, The Bee Gees) OR the lead singer (Queen, Nirvana) is dead.

 

But Meghan, you’re asking, why would you make a playlist about dead people? Isn’t that creepy? Oh yes, I think so. But what purpose could this possibly serve?

See, while you’re focusing on the “death” aspect, you may not have noticed that this is a really sweet, kickass party playlist. The ideal scenario would play out like this:

You put on my playlist at a gathering or small fete. Everyone’s singing along, wiggling to the sweet jams, and you’re just silently sipping your beverage. A joyful reseller turns to you and says something lovely along the lines of “wow, I haven’t heard this song in FOR-EVER! This is a great playlist!” You cast your eyes downward and swirl your drink in your glass. “This is (identify artist),” you sigh. “They’re dead.”

Now, a horrified pall falls over the gathering, allowing you to drop your voice to low whisper and add: “they’re all dead.”

 

CLICK HERE to be taken to my playlist, “I Hear Dead People!” Who am I missing? Tell me about it in the comments, then tell me which musician you’re still mourning from this list!

image of Whitney Houson memorial mural at 5 Pointz via Wikimedia Commons…because 5 Pointz is also dead. RIP.


5 responses to “I Hear Dead People: The Playlist”

  1. I totally understand. I’m a little strange and actually communicate with dead people on occasion, so a playlist like this makes perfect sense to me. (Side note: I fought being a medium for close to twenty years, but I’ve begun to embrace it. Having died and gone to the other side, opened the veil up a little.) Music has always been a way to embrace the past, embrace creativity, and even embrace the bridge between this life and the afterlife. Good post, and sounds like a great playlist!

    • I love that! I’ve been leading ghost tours for 6 years and although I consider myself an atheist, I have definitely taken a selfie with a ghost. I also had a feeling that one of our ghosts was toying with me or trying to get my attention years back, but she’s stopped after I drew attention to it. I’ve smelled hauntings, too. I love my ghost tours and we also talk about murder a lot, so my sense of humor is very “gallows humor” which can be abrasive to some at first but I think I’m charming enough to pull it off 🙂

  2. This playlist is killer! 😉 But really, I’m digging it. Reminds me I need to start listening to The Carpenters again. I would add something from the Eagles probably. Hotel California was always a favorite for me. Roy Orbison is also someone I’ve always listened to a lot and whose songs I never tire of, no matter how many soundtracks they’ve been on. I loved when he was with the band the Traveling Wilburys; now that was a cool band! I have these migraine glasses I have to wear from time to time, and I swear they make me look just like Ol’ Roy. If I put them on, slick my hair back, and sway back and forth while singing In Dreams, you could never tell us apart.

    • PUN ALWAYS APPRECIATED!! I’m researching The Eagles now to make sure they meet the criteria, and I notice on their Wikipedia page that I love all their songs! Holy damn, great suggestion!

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