This is a playlist I made in iTunes years ago. It covers a lot of ground. I am not exactly sure where I first got into Al Green or Marin Gaye but we used to listen to them a lot after going to basement shows around Minneapolis.
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"Stir It Up" is my favorite Bob Marley song. So that had to make it to an Essentials playlist.
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I believe that I got into Curtis Mayfield by discovering that the Beastie Boys sampled him on 'Paul's Boutique'. I think that Superfly is a near perfect album. 'Curtis Live!' is a classic live record as well.
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A friend of mine got me into Buddy Miles back in Junior High. I had a dubbed tape of 'Them Changes' and I wore that thing out on the school bus.
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Sam Cooke is one of my all-time favorite singers. His 'Live at the Harlem Square Club' is a perfect live record. It has such a fun sound to it.
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I love the Beach Boys. Dustin Perry taught me to go deeper than the hits with them and to check out some of their more forgotten albums. But 'Pet Sounds' is a perfect record.
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My brother had 'Licensed to Ill' by Beastie Boys on cassette and I think we must have worn that tape out. I think I still know it word for word.
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The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy is a record that was way ahead of its time. Its a record that goes very deep lyrically and has a great dark feel to it. I followed Michael Franti into Spearhead after this record and continue to listen to what he puts out today.
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Ice Cube, Ice-T, and N.W.A were some of the first hardcore hip hop I ever got into. I still follow Ice-T to this day and especially his work with Body Count.
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Support Ice-T Here
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I got into Wu-Tang in High School from my friend Andy Broder. I have been a fan since and still follow them to this day as well as their solo records. GZA's 'Liquid Swords' record is a perfect hip hop record.
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My brother and I listen to this Def Leppard album on repeat when it came out. There are likely better Def Leppard records but I love the memories that this record brings back for me.
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Meat Loaf's record 'Bat Out Of Hell' is near perfect. His voice is so good and these songs are so catchy. My Dad took my brother and I to see him live on the 'Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell' tour when Meat Loaf was at his absolute biggest. It was a great show. And Fury in The Slaughterhouse opened for him. Another band I continue to listen to. R.I.P Meat Loaf
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I don't like Rush. I LOVE Rush. My cousin Brian gave me 'Signals' and 'Hold Your Fire' on CD and I fell in love with both those records. I celebrate their whole catalog now and got to see them live a few times before Neil Peart passed away from a brain tumor in January 2020. R.I.P. Neil Peart.
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My brother had Bob Seger's 'Greatest hits' when he was in college. So many great songs on that CD. I later dug in deeper and got into the earlier Bob Seger System years too. Note that I love Bob Seger but I HATE the song "Old Time Rock & Roll" I had a ticket to see him on his last tour but it got postponed and rescheduled to after we moved to CO so I never got to see him live.
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At the same time when cousin Brian gave me Rush 'Signals' and 'Hold Your Fire' on CD he gave me Ted Nugent's 'Double Live Gonzo' This is a great live record and I still listen to it frequently. Politics aside and if you can tune out Ted's banter between songs he is absolutely awesome live and I have seen him a few times.
Ted is a polarizing figure and I don't agree with his politics if you want to support Ted feel free to google to his website.
Here is a link to the SPLC instead.
My dad and I used to listen to "Love Reign O'er Me" by the Who over and over again in his Ford Explorer. The vocals on this song are so strong.
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My brother got me into Gear Daddies while he was in college. These records are so good. I saw them years later and was shocked at how crappy the crowd was. Lots of drunk meatheads. More than any metal or punk show I have ever been too. But the Gear Daddies were fantastic that night.
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I think I got into 10,000 Maniacs from seeing the videos on MTV. Natalie's voice is so great and these songs are so catchy. I really enjoy their older material as well.
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I got into Dave Matthews Band in Junior High and followed them for their first 4 records or so. Then they lost me a bit. But I still really enjoy everything thru 'Before These Crowded Streets.' I hope to see them live someday.
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Morphine was so great. Such a unique band with their own sound. Unfortunately Mark Sandman passed away before I could see them live. R.I.P. Mark Sandman.
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I got into Pavement from a mixtape my brothers friend Mike Rice made me. Then I bought the 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain' album on CD. This was one of the first CDs I ever bought. I was a long time holdout with cassettes and it took me a long time to switch.
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I got into The Mighty Mighty Bosstones from my brother when he was in college. We saw them in First Ave on this tour and it was great. I saw them a few time again after that show too.
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I first heard The Goo Goo Dolls on the mixtape that Mike Rice made me. "Up Yours" is actually the first Goo Goo Dolls song I ever heard. This record 'Jed' is so good. I had the tape which I think I bought at the Ridgedale Cheapo. I still listen to Goo Goo Dolls and enjoy the records that made them huge as well.
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This Pegboy song was also on the mix tape Mike Rice made me. I bought this cassette and I loved it. I followed them until they broke up and even got to see them in First Ave with Arcwelder.
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