Do you ever associate books with certain songs/perf. artists?

Cafe Society
1

For movies, this makes sense…but for books? Usually, not so much. But sometimes.

For me, there are a lot of 70s rock bands and songs that I think of when I think of Stephen King. “Don’t Fear the Reaper” is linked up to “The Stand” (I think he quotes it in the Stand), and “Hotel California” with the Shining. Partly because of all the quoting he does but also because I used to listen to a lot of these bands when I read Stephen King books.

Can’t really think of any other examples at the moments. Do you guys have any?

2

I tend to associate the Heechee novels with Madonna’s Material Girl because it was being played constantly while I read them.

3

Ah, interesting. I associate ‘Bad Moon Rising’ with that book.

4

Actually, the weird thing is when I was writing about Stephen King in the OP, “Bad Moon Rising” started up in my mental boombox. But I figured I was just having a weird moment and confusing Stephen King with “American Werewolf in London.”

5

Only when I listen to certain music while reading a book. I read Primal Fear in junior high when I liked…Korn. Yeah. So if I ever hear Korn’s album Life is Peachy, I think about the book because I played it on repeat while reading it. Thankfully I realized Korn sucked after junior high so I rarely hear them anymore.

6

In the fall, I was reading The Malazan Book Of The Fallen (all eight of them), and I was also listing non-stop to the two songs I liked on the fourth Shalsheles CD. Somehow, I mixed up one of the songs, Kel Hakavod, with one of Erikson’s characters, Korbolo Dom. My mind still links them.

7

I was listening to a Top 40 radio station (through headphones) reading Larry Niven’s The Integral Trees before going to sleep at night; at that time “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House was getting a lot of airplay, so that song wil forever be associated with that book.

Similarly, Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” and “All Through the Night” go with H. Beam Piper and Michael Kurland’s First Cycle.

8

Lord of the Rings and Stairway to Heaven, of course.

Author Joyce Maynard wrote a book and actually included a list of songs you should listen to while reading her book, chapter by chapter.

9

The Wizard of Oz and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon… :wink:
Actually, I’ve never watched/listened to this. Someday…

10

Michael Moorcock wrote lyrics and performed with Hawkwind, so there’s a lot of deliberate associations between his work and their music.

Hawkwind also has songs that refer to several other sf/fantasy authors.

11

You stole my post! I saw the Subject Line and immediately thought of “Don’t Fear The Reaper” and The Stand. Then after I saw you beat me to it, I thought of “Bad Moon Rising” for The Shining, but Kal got there first too.

Gah, I have nothing else to add. I have certain songs I associate with Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, but they wouldn’t mean anything to anyone but me.

12

The first time I read The Lord of the Rings, I listened to Nic Kershaw’s The Riddle a lot (I was young!); so if I ever hear that song, my mind is filled with images of a grey clad wizard, hobbits, dark woods and mysterious black riders.

13

Did you see the miniseries?