I love music. Specifically, I love soundtracks and cast recordings. Growing up I can recall watching the episode of Head of the Class where they performed Grease and then finding the Original Cast Recording of Grease in my mother's cassette collection and listening to that over and over. My sister and I would stage performances of Grease outside on this huge mound of dirt that was in our backyard after they dug the foundation for the house my parents built on our farm circa 1986. I'm sure it was quite the sight to behold as back then we had NO clue what Grease was about, but that music was awesome.
As I got older and went to movies with my high school sweetheart, I was tuned into the music. I used to be able to identify the greats like Hans Zimmer, Michael Kamen and John Williams within seconds of a movie starting. It wasn't unusual for me to immediately go out and by the soundtrack for a movie shortly after seeing it. And in turn, listen to it non-stop for hours on end. I used to prep for my dramatic duo piece about the Holocaust before performing it in a speech competition by listening to the haunting violin theme from Schindler's List. (It was the last track on side one of the cassette.)
As time went on, I started really listening to the music that started showing up in some of my favorite television shows. It wasn't stuff I heard on the radio and conveniently enough soundtracks were issued for some of my favorite shows like Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs, House and Bones. Recently, as many of my readers know, I have started watching Supernatural. My good friend, Erin, also loves Supernatural. She has been a long time fan and often laughs when I make some offhanded remark about the Winchester boys because she knows where the show has been and I don't. I've discovered that there's some great music in that show. Dean definitely knows his classic rock. Erin has also noticed the excellent tunes and while there is an official Supernatural soundtrack, Erin created her own and passed the playlist on to me. There's actually a Volume I and II right now.
You see, for me, music, like books, creates this spark in me. It draws me into a scene, a memory, a feeling. There are songs that make me choke up, or roll the windows down in my car for my own personal car concert or dance around the room at home. It's visceral. I love that thrill of knowing all the words to a song and letting the notes wash over me and understanding exactly what the musician is feeling as he/she sings and/or plays a song. It's magic.
Now, sometimes the commercially produced soundtracks capture that emotion and sometimes they are a let down. How could a Supernatural soundtrack not include "Carry On My Wayward Son" or at least one song by Led Zeppelin? So Erin scoured the Supernatural Wiki and created the following playlists.
Links below direct to Amazon.com
- Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas
- Back In Black by AC/DC
- Wheel In the Sky by Journey
- Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Burnin' for You by Blue Öyster Cult
- Long Train Runnin' by The Doobie Brothers
- Hot Blooded by Foreigner
- (Don't Fear) The Reaper by Blue Öyster Cult
- Renegade by Styx
- Ramblin' Man by The Allman Brothers Band
- House of the Rising Sun by The Animals
- Bad Company by Bad Company
- Highway to Hell by AC/DC
- Fire of Unknown Origin by Blue Öyster Cult
- Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
- Slow Ride by Foghat
- Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi
- More Than a Feeling by Boston
- Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf
- Cold As Ice by Foreigner
- Ramble On by Led Zeppelin
- Travelling Riverside Blues by Led Zeppelin
- You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC
- Lonely Is the Night by Billy Squier
- Spirit In the Sky by Norman Greenbaum
- Rooster by Alice In Chains
- Knockin' On Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan
- Run Through the Jungle by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Heat of the Moment by Asia
- Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon
- Road to Nowhere by Ozzy Osbourne
- Rocky Mountain Way by Joe Walsh
- Peace of Mind by Boston
- Don't Look Back by Boston
- All Right Now by Free
- Hells Bells by AC/DC
- Crazy Circles by Bad Company
- Ready for Love by Bad Company
- Long, Long Way from Home by Foreigner
- Thunderstruck by AC/DC
- Can't Find My Way Home by Blind Faith
You know what's awesome about these playlists? They are perfect for summer driving. I've been cruising around town blasting this from my little black Honda, windows rolled down, sunroof open and laughing that my car wouldn't be cool enough for Dean to step foot near. Now all I need is a bumper sticker that says, "Hunting with the Winchester Boys" and all would be right with the world.
How about you? Do you have your own favorite soundtrack(s) or playlist(s) for your favorite television show, movie or book(s)?