Favorite Singers/Groups Growing Up

Music can be most powerful to the minds of many (and not just humans). The origins of music are still debated but the theory that I think makes the most sense is that music made it easier to communicate messages before the massive expansion of written language. Another compelling argument is that it is similar to the mating calls of many animals – designed to attract suitors. Some refer to this as “Musician Effect”, which is linked to prehistoric days. The argument was that if a man had the time to be creative, it meant that they were so talented at basic survival skills they had chance to create art at their own free time, making them extra attractive. I can attest to this theory as we all know some less than handsome singers, who seemed to attract many potential partners.

As someone who enjoys studying, analyzing, and reflecting on information, I went through and identified ~400 of my favorite songs growing up. I then went through these songs and identified which singers and groups were mentioned the most. The results of my top 20 are below. Springsteen (#1) and Elvis (#2) stood out significantly among the rest. The number of their songs I identified as some of my favorites are in parenthesis after their names.

Making these selections is a visceral process for me – one of the few times I can let my heart guide my head. As you review the list, you can tell the influence of my parents with the selections of ABBA, Peter, Paul, & Mary, and Roger Miller. Although there are many female musicians I enjoy, only two soloists made it on this list (ABBA was half female also). I have not seen any of the 20 below perform live (I am not a big fan of really loud music).