Inspired by this thread, and somewhat by theOnion AVClub’s Random Rules section, I decided to put my entire library on shuffle and see what comes up for the first 25 tracks without skipping artist or album repeats.
Here’s what came up for me, warts and all. Although it looks like iTunes was pretty merciful - none of my kids’ High School Musical crap came up.
(presented in song - artist - album format)
Return of Jackie & Judy - Tom Waits - We’re a Happy Family Ramones Tribute
B-Boys Makin’ With the Freak Freak - Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Moment’s Notice - John Coltrane - Blue Train
Scattered - Green Day - Nimrod (their best album)
It’s So Easy - GitoGito Hustler - Love & Roll (check 'em out on iTunes or eMusic - sweet Japanese girl-punk)
You Won’t See Me - The Beatles - Rubber Soul
High Plains Drifter - Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique
Fondle Rock - The Poets of Rhythm - Discern/Define
Drug Me - Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Shining - Mad 3 - Teen-Age Delinquent!
Drinkin’ Wine - Beastie Boys - The In Sound From Way Out
On the Sentimental Side - Louis Armstrong - Priceless Jazz
Rawhide - Dead Kennedys - In God We Trust, Inc.
Brain Stew - Green Day - Insomniac
Right Around the Corner - Detroit Cobras - Life, Love and Leaving (dayum this is a kickass song!)
Spin the Black Circle - Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
Ulu Niu Ke’eke’e (The Crooked Coconut Tree) - George Kahumoku/Kekuhi Kanahele - Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters Collection, Vol. 2
Standing - Anthony Stewart Head - Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Once More With Feeling Soundtrack”
Tarzan - Cadillac Jones - The Big Takedown
Rockin the Free World - Pearl Jam - 7/20/06 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, PDX
When You Touch Me - Reigning Sound - Too Much Guitar
One Last Pitch - Harry Connick Jr. - Lofty’s Roach Souffle
Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley, Your Tie’s Caught In Your Zipper - Incredible Bongo Band - Bongo Rock
Mothers Talk - Tears for Fears - Tears Roll Down, Greatest Hits (this one’s my wife’s)
Carolina Drama - The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
I’d highly recommend checking out most of these artists/albums if you’re not familiar with some of them.
Feel free to post yours - 10, 15, 20, doesn’t matter. Only rule is, you have to post everything that shows up, without omitting anything out of embarrassment.
And if you feel the compelling need to name-check any artists that didn’t come up, but you feel are worthy of mention, feel free. I’d love to uncover some cool music.
Some stuff that didn’t come up for me, but I feel like giving free press to - Heartless Bastards, King Brothers (from Japan), Budos Band, Menahan Street Band, Jay Reatard, Bantam Rooster.
The Best - … and You Will Know us by the Trail of Dead
I Palindrome I - They Might Be Giants
The Going Price for Home - The Prize Fighter Inferno
One Slip - Pink Floyd
You’ll Never Walk Alone - Gerry and the Pacemakers
Wasted Youth - As Fast As
Fearless - Pink Floyd
Shine on you Crazy Diamond, pts 6-9 - Pink Floyd
Paintbox - Pink Floyd
Young Alumni - Maritime
Nine in the Afternoon - Panic at the Disco
Time Consumer - Coheed and Cambria
Thief in the Night - Anam Cara
Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off - Panic! at the Disco
Sky’s the Limit - Authority Zero
Pidgin English - Elvis Costello
Bleeder - Hot Water Music
So What - The Cure
Hide and Seek - Park
13th - The Cure
Aluminum - White Stripes
Your Eyes Open - Keane
Never Enough - The Cure
I can’t believe there are 5 bands that are repeated (Prize Fighter Inferno is a sideproject of Claudio Sanchez, singer for Coheed and Cambria, so I count that as a repeat. Which I recommend by the way, if you like his writing and singing and also like low-fi 80s folky synth rock.)
I mean, the Floyd is my favorite band but it doesnt represent 1/5 of my collection!
On the other hand, I also tend to import entire albums into my WMP, and usually by now a song I don’t particularly like will come up that I just automatically imported, and there wasn’t any of that that I could see.
Birmingham Blues - Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue
Woad to Ruin - Hans Zimmer - King Arthur soundtrack
On the Road Again - Willie Nelson - Willie Nelson Live
The Rebel Fleet - End Title - The London Symphony Orchestra - Empire Strikes Back soundtrack
Star Wars (LP Version) - Meco - The Best of Meco
King of the Slaves - Sinfonia of London- Stargate soundtrack
Hold On Tight - Electric Light Orchestra - Time
King of Pain - Police - Synchronicity
Mary Jane’s Last Dance - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Greatest Hits
A Still Life Franchise - Less Than Jake - In with the Out
Way Down - Elvis Presley - Elvis: 30 #1 Hits
Running Scared - Roy Orbison - Crying
No Myth - Michael Penn - March
Twice As Hard - The Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker
The Moisture Farm - The London Symphony Orchestra - Star Wars: A New Hope soundtrack
Everyday is a Winding Road - Sheryl Crow - Erin Brockovich soundtrack
10538 Overture - Def Leppard - Yeah!
Peter Gunn Theme - The Blues Brothers - Blues Brothers soundtrack
Pressure - Billy Joel - The Nylon Curtain
Feeling That Way + Anytime - Journey - Infinity
Angels Would Fall - Melissa Etheridge - Greatest Hits
Leave It (Single Remix) - Yes - 90125
First five are quite a mix. The only one I’m a huge fan of so far is April March, who I absolutely adore. You should check her out if you like indie female singer-songwriters and/or ye-ye music. She’s amazing.
PJ Harvey - 66 Promises
The Beatles - In My Life
Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way
The Animals - Talkin’ 'bout You
Shonen Knife - Burning Farm
This is a bit more indicative of my taste. I’m a genuine fan of all these but Shonen Knife, who I like, but not a huge deal.
Clinic - Welcome
Pretty Balanced - Clinic
Holly McNarland - When You Come Down
Sarah Slean - Sweet Ones
Butterfly Boucher - Life is Short
Even more representative. Mostly indie female singer-songwriters. All great artists.
E.S. Posthumus - Caarano
José González - Remain
Neko Case - I’m an Animal
Tegan and Sara - More for Me
Ani DiFranco & Tori Amos - Silent All These Years
Another great example of my tastes. All the women here are amazing, and E.S. Posthumus is great cinematic instrumental music.
Jet - Cold Hard Bitch
The Smashing Pumpkins - Rhinoceros
Nine Inch Nails - I’m Afraid of Americans
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Cast - Something to Sing About
Billy Joel - Only the Good Die Young
Look! I listen to rock, too! Also TV musicals and Billy Joel
Here are the last 25 tracks that I heard today. Funny how many artists appear twice–the two Hendrixes, the two Alice Coltranes, and the last two Zappas are even from the same albums.
Friend of the Devil - Grateful Dead
If I Needed Someone - The Beatles
Strawberry Mind - Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians
Nobody Home - Pink Floyd
Click Clack - Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band
One Rainy Wish - Jimi Hendrix Experience
My Little Girl - Roxy Music
Half Day Closing - Portishead
Up from the Skies - Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Clearout - Jack Bruce
She’s Too Much for My Mirror - Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
Garden of Eden - New Riders of the Purple Sage
My Back Pages - Bob Dylan
Uncle Sam Blues - Hot Tuna
Say Please - Frank Zappa
Janis - Focus
2120 South Michigan Avenue - Rolling Stones
This Train - Alice Coltrane
Kink Kong - The Kinks
Queen Elvis - Robyn Hitchcock
Uncle Remus - Frank Zappa
Jagadishwar - Alice Coltrane
Far Alaska - Jethro Tull
Spider of Destiny - Frank Zappa
Naval Aviation in Art - Frank Zappa
ETA: The typo in #19 is quite Freudian. I’ll let it stand.