Surprise! I Managed to KEEP One of My 2015 Resolutions

Tonight is New Year’s Eve, as I assume you know. As this year closes, I’m able to report something I’ve never been able to say before. I KEPT one of the resolutions I made at on January 1st. This is sort of a miracle. No, this IS a miracle. What did I manage to do this year? I expanded my musical horizons. I made a vow that I would listen to new music, stuff from different genres, from different generations. I had a rule. I would listen to each album twice. Once to get a general sense of it, and a second time to really listen to each song and see what moved me. I listened to old and new stuff. I got classic albums and recent hits. I tried to dig into new areas. I couldn’t do it all. I did listen to some R & B, but I did not get into Hip Hop. Nor did head banging Heavy Metal make the list, but I did manage to stretch. I even kept a list of the artist and albums listened to. Here are the records of 2015:

Joe Coker: Ultimate Collection (he had just died and I wanted to hear his voice again)
Zac Brown Band: You Get What You Give
Pharrell Williams: GIRL
Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers
Aimee Mann: Whatever
Tony Bennett & Lady GaGa: Cheek to Cheek
Eric Clapton: Slowhand 35th Anniversary
Beatles: Let It Be
Feist: The Reminder
Pirate Radio Soundtrack
Steve Earle & the Dukes (& Dutchesses): The Low Highway
Beatles: Rubble Souls
Rolling Stones: Tattoo You
Beatles: Meet The Beatles!
Ellie Goulding: Halcyon Days
Traveling Wildburys, Volume 1
Fifty Shades of Gray Soundtrack
Beatles 65: Beatles
Guardians of the Galaxy, Awesome Mix Volume 1 Soundtrack
Jonny Lang: Wander This World
The Decemberists: The King is Dead
Ariana Grande: My Everything
Ani Difranco: reprieve
Nashville: Season 2, Volume 1 Soundtrack
Bette Midler: It’s The Girls
Dave Matthews Band: Crash
Etta James: The Best of Etta james
The Clash: London Calling
Bruno Mars: Unorthodox Jukebox
Dolly Parton: Those Were the Days
Carole King: Tapestry
Beatles: The White Album
Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight-The Very Best of Patsy Cline
Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key of Life
Beatles: Revolver
Bruno Mars: do-wops & hooligans
The New Basement Tapes: Lost on the River
Mumford & Son: Babel
Dolly Parton: Blue Smoke
Marvin Gaye: Live At The London Palladium
Aretha Franklin: Lady Soul
REM: Out Of Time
Lady Gaga: The Fame Monster
Green Day: dookie
Beatles: Magical Mystery Tour
Fleetwood Mac: Rumors
Ed Sheeran: +
Joe Jackson: The Best of Joe Jackson
Bob Dylan: Blond On Blond
Foo Fighters: Echos, Silence, Patience & Grace
Faith Fill: Breath
Beatles: Abbey Road
Bob Dylan and The Band: The Basement Tapes
Willie Nelson and Sister Bobby: December
The Decemberists: The Hazards of Love
Neil Young: Prairie Wind
Rosanne Cash: The River & The Thread
Joe Jackson: jumpin’ jive
Ed Sheeran: X
Brad Paisley: Moonshine in the Trunk
Begin Again Soundtrack
Cold Play; Parachutes
Katy Perry: Teenage Dream
One Republic: Nature
Dr. John, the night tripper: GRIS-gris
Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard: Django and Jimmie
Stevie Wonder: Talking Book
Tim McGraw: Reflected, Greatest Hits Volume 2
Ingrid Michaelson: Everybody
Justin Timberlake: the 20/20 Experience
Punch Brothers: Ahoy!
Florida Georgia Line
Eagles: Eagles
Patty Smith: Horses
Regina Spektor: begin to hope
Justin Timberlake: Justified
Glee: The Music Volume 4
Ingrid Michaelson: Lights Out
Jonny Lang: Long Time Coming
Wow. Not bad at all. I’m going for 100 in the coming year. Why break the streak now?

What did I discover? Well, I have a few new favorites. I fell in love with the Decemberists and Ingrid Michaelson, The Clash and Steve Earle. The Rolling Stones are not, so far, to my taste. Neither is Patty Smith. Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson are two I have a deeper understand of. They are far more versatile than I ever gave them credit for. Love Bruno Mars, not so much Ariana Grande. Most of all, I discovered I have an ear for far more types of music that I ever gave myself credit for. In 2016 I plan to continue. I have a list of 33 albums culled from best of lists that I’m going to give a listen to. Most of all, I’m going to do more of the same. My life is richer for having done this, and in the arts, one can never be too rich.