Most-listened to songs of the past year

I love this feature on my ipod...certain songs like La Winehouse were obviously added later, but have still managed to crack the top 5.

1. This Modern Love - Bloc Party
2. Back to Black - Amy Winehouse
3. Get Together - Madonna
4. #41 (live) - Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds
5. The Scientist - Coldplay

Trying to look for links (can you tell I'm studying for the LSATs?) I'd say with the exception of "Get Together" - which is my going out song as well as my working out song, the beat on that song is just incredible - these are pretty sad songs, both the melodies and the words. And I'm basically a pretty happy person, so that's interesting. I've always thought there were two forces within me - I love being sad, I think it makes me more creative, I look at the the world in a different way, even see it in different colors, my thinking is more vivid; but I can't shake an unwavering optimism that I've always had. I suppose that's a good thing, because I can be sad and wallowy when it's proper and not have to lock up the knives or anything, but it's very interesting that this past year or two is the happiest I've ever been, but I love me a good musical sob.

If we go into top 10, things get a little more colorful:

6. Voodoo Child - Jimi Hendrix
7. Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash - (can't get enough of that hook!)
8. Mellow Mood - Bob Marley and the Wailers
9. Sophisticated Lady - Ella Fitzgerald
10. Love is a Losing Game - Amy Winehouse

There, I'm a little out of the "college kid with slightly above average music tastes and a lot of time on the Internet" phase and into a little more variety. I used to prefer Billie's version of Sophisticated Lady - and no matter who sings it, it's a favorite - but Ella's musical creativity and the way she dances around the melody just perfects it. Voodoo Child, the best exercise in dissonance I've ever heard, is another winner - although I have to admit I'm surprised it beat out other Hendrix gems like Castles Made of Sand - again with the sadness! The last one, Love is a Losing Game, has shot straight to the top in the past two months or so - I love the nostalgia of Motown throughout the background, I love the simplicity of the words, and her voice, which is really restrained here, is lovely.

The other thing this makes me realize is that when I like a song, I like the hell out of it. I remember listening to This Modern Love about 15 times in a row one afternoon. Thankfully, I live alone.