Your Music Favorites = The Next Journey Playlist

As long as I can remember, listening to music was, and continues to be, such an important part of everyday life…

Growing up, my parents would start each morning blasting Ronny Milsap (“I’m having daydreams, about night things, in the middle of the afternoon…”) on the record player at 33rpm.

I remember at my Aunt’s and Uncle’s house shoving an 8 Track tape of Hall and Oates (“Private Eyes — They’re watching you!”) into the player and cranking up the volume so loud, the front windows on the house began to rattle when no one else was there.

Driving cross country with my family, the cassette player played an exceptionally eclectic mix from Kenny Rogers (“You gotta know when to hold them…”) to Michael Iceberg (When synthesizers were so cool!) to Whitney Houston (“I believe that children are our future”).

In 1990s, on a trip to Europe as we wound through the seaside cliffs of Italy, it was Poison’s “Ride The Wind”, and lounging by the pool during summers in Lewiston, it was Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under The Bridge” on repeat for 2 straight weeks.

These days, I scour the internet radio stations looking for anything and everything to add to the music playlist I call “The Soundtrack of My Life”.

Have you ever heard a song that changed your mental outlook?
A song that provided a pump of acoustic adrenaline?
Music that you would admit to singing in the shower, humming without caring, or that must be on your iPod at all times?
Songs that can turn the regular hustle and bustle of the world into an instant music video?
Or complement any road trip as you wind your way from one adventure to another?

Today we launch our first reader-inspired challenge:
Be a part of the journey by sending us one or two (or ten!) song titles/artists that are on high rotation from your personal playlist to help us create a new and diverse soundtrack that will be played on 14 hour plane flights, day long drives in Australia and New Zealand, and everywhere in between.

Post your ideas here in the comments section, (check the “subscribe” box if you want to see other responses too)!  Drop a few entries on The Next Journey Facebook page, or pass along a song or two on Twitter (@tnjdotcom).

Couple of Notes:
1)  Nearly any/all genres are welcome and encouraged!  (Please no death metal, hard core rap, or anything that will require Tylenol!)
2)  If you need a “theme” to inspire you, simply ask yourself what you would want to listen to on your next great adventure!

All suggestions will be accepted and incorporated into “The Next Journey Playlist” as long as they are received by Thursday, July 28th. So send them along and we’ll let you know how this little experiment turns out in August!  Thanks in advance!