Watercooler Wednesday: Musical guilty pleasures

We've all got 'em.  Those bands we listen to at full volume and then hide the CD when somebody else is getting in the car.  We go to the show and our friends scratch their heads.  You know - the things that make you go...huh?

For me, '80's metal would be almost too obvious.  I rock, it rocks.  I play guitar, they feature over the top guitar solos.  So that's out for me, but it might work for you...

For me, country music is out.  Too easy of a target.  As a Southern Caucasian male, it is part of my psyche.  Try it sometime:  go up to a white dude from the South, even if they're wearing a Devil Wears Prada t-shirt and tattoos, and start talking about Clint Black or Kenny Chesney.  They may not actively listen to it, and they may even want to fight, but they know it enough to carry on a conversation.  Not to mention that it kind of rules.  So that's out for me, but it might work for you...

So here are a few artists that DEFINITELY cut the bill for me:

1. The Bee Gees:  As a rocker, it is my duty to hate disco.  And I do, most of the time.  But the Gibbs are among the finest songwriters ever.  I think they were the second band I really got into as a kid (right after KISS), so there's a nostalgia thing there, too.  You should be dancin, yeah.
2. Lionel Richie:   Again, probably one of the greatest living songwriters.  I had a friend when I was in the fifth grade whose dad had a convertible.  I remember going to White Water in the convertible and listening to Lionel Richie.  "We were runnin' with the night!  Playing in the shadows!"  Good times...
3. Kenny Rogers:   Go watch Six Pack and you'll get it.  A little trivia for you:  two of his biggest hits, "Islands in the Stream" and "Lady", were written by #1 and #2 respectively.  Hmmmm...
4. Milli Vanilli:  Say what you want, I don't care.  Milli Vanilli made some of the most fun music EVAH.  I don't care that they didn't sing it.  SOMEBODY did, and it's amazing.  A little bit of trivia: their album is the only gold-selling album in history to be out of print.  You have to buy it on eBay.  I think I will!
5. John Denver:  Love, love, LOVE me some John Denver.  I don't know about you, but sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy.  You got a problem with that?

Alright.  I opened up the closet and aired out some ugly but awesome secrets.  Now it YOUR turn!  What are some of your "musical guilty pleasures"?

This post is a part of the awesomely amazing, educational and informative, Watercooler Wednesday series, hosted by one Randall Elrod...

Comments

[Janelle]

Well, since I'm coming in late I see that I don't really have to be embarrassed because my groups are all being listed by at least one other :)

Nothing like dancing to Stayin' Alive to embarrass my teens though...works like a charm.

Elton John is on the top of my list of "people I'd love to meet".

John Denver - can't beat his music.

And for Kenny Rogers Trivia, since you mention Six Pack. Did you know the wedding scene was filmed right there "back home" in Powder Springs at McEachern Methodist? My mom, aunt and I were in the crowd (that they don't show of course...) cheering on cue. The house they show at the end of the movie was also in the area, it used to be out on Villa Rica Road but they've moved the roads around so much now I'm not sure which road it's located on anymore. Guess I should go home more often, huh?

[Christy]

Ditto the Milli V. I have made that same statement before and no one gets it. Now, my next comment is none of any brilliance and simply cancels the first one. I still love the music of New Kids. Not even afraid to admit it!

[Heather]

I listen to a lot of '80's metal, which is really surprising if you know me well. My favorites are Poison, The Eagles, The Who, and REO Speedwagon. I have been listening to this music since I was...well, since before I can remember, which is interesting because some of the lyrics are not all that appropriate for little kids. But anyway, that's my music guilty pleasure :)

[Bari]

I have several and as I type them my face is turning a little red.
1. The Baby's
2. Billy Idol-I loved White Wedding and the cover of mony, mony
3. The soundtracks to Lion King and Tarzan.
4. Tears for Fears-Songs from the Big Chair. Did they look like they both should be UK Osmond Brothers or what? They both had HUGE teeth.
5. Do they know it's Christmas-BandAid-I'm sorry but I love it.
6. Journey
7. Flock of Seagulls-Just the song "I Ran."
8. The BeeGees-Completely remind me of my Father.
9. The Outfield-They had a great sound.
10. Elton John Saw him live when I was very young He came on stage in a coffin. This was when the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album came out.

Now I would like to borrow that paper bag-

[Cristy]

People are surprised to see these in my iPod: The Greatest Hits of...Air Supply, Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond and of course John Denver, also know every word. Also surprised to see Barbara Streisand - A Star is Born soundtrack, The Cult - Electric, and Styx - Anthology.

Yes MrsJason, I had a John Scnheider album (I'm 39) and Wendy, I was SO in love with Shaun Cassidy that I named all my stuffed animals Shaun and my first concert was a date with my dad to see Shaun Cassidy when I was 9!

[Candace]

LOVE the Gibb fellas, I had an Andy Gibb 8-track when I was small...
However, my goal in life until I was about 7 and decided to be a vet,(that lasted not too long)I wanted to be DONNA SUMMER! I LOVE me some Donna Summer!

[Kevin]

Funny how Neil Diamond, George Michael, Bryan Adams and Andrew Lloyd Webber all came up and were all on American Idol this season. I agree with all of those and Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, Roxette and actually might still have my Debbie Gibson concert t-shirt. I'll add C&C Music Factory, especially "Keep It Comin'", echo Milli Vanilli, especially "All Or Nothing", and Ace of Base and Real McCoy, especially "The Sign" and "Another Night". That's just 80's and 90's. The list from this decade is scary (boy bands, Ashlee, etc.)

[Kelly]

Yay...someone said it *ahem*mmmbop*ahem* before me!

Aside from that, I have to say, I don't really have any...with my dad being a musician, I was raised on bands like the Beatles, Eagles, ZZ Top, Tom Waits, Mamas and Papas, Tom Petty etc...so I'm not ashamed to admit I like them! And I was never ashamed to admit that I owned 9 Nsync CDs - and yes that includes imports! And Happy Holidays is still, to this day, on my list of the top holiday songs!

I would have to say though, that my musical guilty pleasure is the way I dance to some of this music in private hehe. There's nothing like locking the door, throwing on some Tom Petty, grabbing a hairbrush, and jamming along!

[BJ]

Beatles
Grateful Dead
The Kinks
The Eagles
James Taylor
Yes
Jethro Tull
It's A Beautiful Day
New Riders of the Purple Sage
Leon Russell
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee
Little Feat
mmm mmm mmm

[dwight watson]

Vindication! Bryan Adams on American Idol! Little care that it was a lackluster performance, at best.

[Tracy]

Hey, nobody puts the Bee Gees on mute! I listen to them all the time. No guilty pleasure about it. (I am not even embarassed to dance in the grocery store when I hear the Bee Gees.....)In fact I will have to say IMHO only Milli Vanilli should be a guilty pleasure.

I have to agree with Jason on Air Supply. I have two CDs and I rarely play them when others are in the car. But I love them. Brings back memories of roller skating in elementary school.

My guilty pleasure right now is Acappella. I come from a non-instrumental church background and this group was really popular at youth gatherings. I recently bought all their albums on iTunes and one of their songs came up on my worship rotation during Bible study at my house. One of my friends looked at me and said "You still listen to them?? I thought you loved Christian music." :)

[Lisa]

That's too funny...The BeeGees are at the top of my list for this too. If they've been in the CD player and I drive the lunch group, I hit the button to throw it over to XM as soon as I start the car so I don't get caught! I don't even know why I like them, but I do. I usually can't stand men singing falsetto, but for Barry Gibb it works for me. And they wrote all kinds of stuff for people that most people don't even know about.

Also on my list are:
1. Music involving Muppets. Could be a soundtrack from a Muppet movie or Sesame Street music. I have a 3 disc collection of "Songs From the Street" that has stuff from the last 35 years or so. Why's this a guilty pleasure? I'm 29 years old and I have no children. But I still love my Muppets, including the Sesame Street ones. They can make me smile even when I'm having a really crummy day.
2. New Kids on the Block - I have their greatest hits (if you can call them that). I get nostalgic for music from my childhood and I loved them when I was 10 years old.
3. Debbie Gibson - see above explanation. Also, I think it's really cool that not only did she sing when she was 15, but she also wrote and produced most of her music. Not too many of today's bubblegum pop stars can legitimately say that.
4. Disney soundtracks such as Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, etc. Kind of for the same reason as the Muppets. Some would think I'm too old to listen to this stuff, but I think Disney music and movies are timeless and ageless.

[Elby]

My husband dies of embarrassment when he has to tell people that he actually bought me a ticket to a Barry Manilow concert! Of course, the one I truly laugh about tells my age. I have several 8-track tapes, and an 8-track player that STILL WORKS!. The artists:
Aretha Franklin (still gets my R-E-S-P-E-C-T)
Gladys Knight and the Pips
Air Supply
John Denver (I too know every word by heart)

The truth be told, my hubby fell in love with me the day I played "Annie's Song" for him. It's still his favorite song for me to sing!

[Heather]

Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, NKOTB (I will NEVER live that one down), maybe some Rick Springfield, Pat Benetar, and gotta round it out with a little Garth Brooks, George Straig, Johnny Cash.

[stephanie]

Is it bad if I don't think your list is embarrassing? O.K. - I'm not going to touch Milli man but I can groove out to some Bee Gees.

oh, and the person who posted on Neil D, baby - right on
"Neil! I wanna party with you!"

Mine are:
1)John Cougar Mellancamp
2)Garth Brooks - yeah, I know
3)The Outfield (yeah they weren't out there long...)
and can I get some love for...
4)Kenny Loggins

[Audra Krell]

Bay City Rollers rocked man. Another secret pleasure was the "Hope Floats" soundtrack. Gordan Lightfoot's "Gords Gold." Waylon and Willie's "The Outlaws."

[Paula]

1. The Monsters of Sesame Street (on vinyl)
2. Dr Hook's greatest hits (also on vinyl)
And here's the ultimate cringe factor:
3. Jimmy Swaggart: One More Time - Live! (Again, on vinyl)
I still have them, but safely away from me at my parents!

[jason (jabob)]

-Honeymoon Suite: Canadian Soft Metal Rules!
-Andy Taylor: Solo work by Duran Duran's guitarist.
-The Monkees: I still maintain Mike Nesmith helped create alt country with "Papa Gene's Blues" and "What am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round".
-Wayne Newton: I'm not even going to try to explain.
-Air Supply: Back in 7th and 8th grade; I had all of the tapes; I have the guts to admit it.
-One of my all time favorite songs is SUGAR SUGAR by The Archies. I break out in song and dance any time I hear it. (That's right; I simply copied what my wife said).

[Paula]

I HAD the soundtrack for riverdance, which i conveniently left at my parent's when I moved out :)
The soundtrack for the movie 'Now and Then' which heavily featured The Archies, The Monkees and The Jackson 5.
I have a cd that has around 20 Veggietales silly songs on it - does that count? (Fyi i'm 26, with no kids!)
I also HAD an album by the guy who wrote Amy Grant's 'Every Heartbeat'. I'm actually ashamed about that.
Three of my favourite albums when I was growing up were: (continued...)

[dwight watson]

1. Usher, particularly "Yeah". Maybe it's just my homesickness for the ATL, but I can't resist cranking it up sometimes.

2. Sarah McLachlan - I know, you can't get a stronger dose of estrogen than from the founder of Lilith Fair, but I love me some Sarah!

3. Bryan Adams - still one of my favorite songwriters

4. Journey - I'm clearly in touch with my feminine side.

5. Phil Collins - have you seen him on a drum set? Enough said.

[marina]

Just placed a paper bag over my head.
1. Elton John
2. Billy Joel
3. The Monkees
4. Barry Manilow
5. The BeeGees
6. Christopher Cross
7. The Ventures
8. The Beach Boys
9. Earth, Wind & Fire
10. The Mamas & The Papas
Oh yes, there's more. Much, much more.

[MrsJason]

Okay, show of hands, 30-something girls. Who else had the John Schneider records? I loved that guy! I played that vinyl every day, over and over.

Tom Jones. Enough said.

One of my all time favorite songs is SUGAR SUGAR by The Archies. I break out in song and dance any time I hear it.

I know every word to every John Denver song.

And finally, I have CW McCall on my iPod.

[MrsJason]

Okay, show of hands, 30-something girls. Who else had the John Schneider records? I loved that guy! I played that vinyl every day, over and over.

Tom Jones. Enough said.

One of my all time favorite songs is SUGAR SUGAR by The Archies. I break out in song and dance any time I hear it.

I know every word to every John Denver song.

And finally, I have CW McCall on my iPod.

[Wendy]

Hey I like the BeeGee's...I believe I was in love with Barry at one time.

I'm still in love with Shaun Cassiday. My good friend Bari :) sent me his GH cd and it sits proudly in my car!

Prince....yes he is a genius IMO.

Barry Manilow...another genius

Neil Diamond

Does Andrew Lloyd Webber count? I can listen to anything he composes!

[Tim]

All the old '70s stuff.