15 songs.

Recently, the drummer from my favorite band, (Jake Bundrick from Mayday Parade) compiled his life into ten songs. After listening to it I was tempted to try it myself. I had a few more then ten, but I think I got everything big. So, here's my life in fifteen (diverse) songs:

1. Vienna- Billy Joel

I first heard this song watching 13 going on 30. It's always been one of my favorite movies and it has the greatest messages. I always remember everything I learned from this movie when I hear this song. 

2. Jessie's Girl- Rick Springfield

When I was still young and impressionable, my mother decided to live her life-long dream and write a biography about Rick Springfield. There was never a time his music wasn't playing. We went to concerts to see him. She traveled a few times to do interviews. It was constant for what seems like years in my mind. At the time, I didn't understand "80's popstar" or "17 top 40 songs". He was just Rick. And his music will follow me for the rest of my life. 

3. Vegas- All Time Low

 

This song is my entire driving music playlist. I first heard So Wrong, It's Right in spring of 2008. I had never heard of All Time Low at that point and I fell in love. I have since gotten all of their releases the week they came out (if not the day) and gotten all their old EPs and such. But through the 70 some songs I have, this one has always spoken to me and will always be my favorite. 

4. I Kissed A Girl- Katy Perry

I heard of Katy Perry before most of my friends did. She wasn't always auto-tuned and over produced, she used to be kinda indie, but when this song surfaced, not one of my friends could stop singing it. Mostly the guys. This song holds so many memories of crazy times in junior high and how we used to amuse ourselves. 

5. Firefly- Breaking Benjamin 

This song was on the soundtrack to one of the Smackdown vs. Raw video games. My dad always used to play them when I was a kid and I still play them now. I have found over the years that it brings back so many memories of my family just going on with our lives, and when I remember things I find if I listen hard enough I can hear this song playing in the background. I just associate it with family. I did also learn the words and I fall in love with the song all on it's own. The memories are just a bonus.

6. Just Friends- The Jonas Brothers

I had my Jonas phase. I was 12. It happens. And as I've matured and gotten space, I still maintain that Nick Jonas has a lot of talent (best used in theater, not gonna lie), but I could be biased. This is my absolute favorite song of theirs. I love the sound of it and I love the story. Every time I hear it I get to be a boy band obsessed preteen again and pretend that this song has something to do with my "Future Mrs. Jonas" shirt. 

7. Ocean and Atlantic- Mayday Parade

"We don't all need a home but just a place to sleep." A Lesson in Romantics is my favorite album. Literally. And although there are 12 amazing songs on this album and it's impossible to choose a favorite, this is the song I have always gravitated towards. Whenever I start to think I'm losing, I hear this song in my head and it reminds to keep running, no matter what. 

8. Whenever You Remember- Carrie Underwood

My mothers motto has always been "Change is Bad", but the biggest thing I've learned is everything changes and it's not really a bad thing. This song always reminds me of all the old friends, houses, plans and general different lives I've lived. Every time something changed, something else to get attached to showed up, but I still like to remember. 

9. We've Got a Big Mess On Our Hands- The Academy Is...

One of the greatest bands I can think of, this song gives me the best ideas. I have thought multiple times about throwing my phone in a public pool. The line "I always put myself in destructive situations" is one of the truest things I have ever heard. I never get to far from this song because it's like a best friend you tell all your problems to. I've always got it on an iPod or CD or phone somewhere.

10. Everything's An Illusion- Mayday Parade

Just a few weeks after this album came out, a good friend of mine I hadn't seen in quite a while died. I didn't find out until after the funeral, so I never really got a goodbye. This song spoke to me instantly and I played it constantly. It was on repeat in my house all day. I wasn't all that surprised to find out that the song was written about a friend of Jake's who died. It made perfect sense to me that this was the song I chose to get me through because it turned out he had also missed the funeral and felt like he hadn't had a proper goodbye. 

11. Soundtrack to Your Life- Ashley Parker Angel

In 7th grade my show choir went to Disney World. We flew from Chicago to Orlando and I listened to this one song the whole flight. It plays into the "life's to short" outlook nicely. It always makes me think "How do you want to remember this?" And it's very fitting to the show choir trip. I'm pretty sure I had an explosive fight with every person I was friends with at that time and hope(d) that I won't see any of them again, but Disney was one of my favorite memories. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

12. Metalingus- Alter Bridge

As I mentioned before, the WWE has been a big part of my life. I believe I was 3 or 4 when I first saw Edge. He was on in my house a lot growing up even though my dad's favorite was Undertaker. When my dad moved Wrestling was never on anymore. Not for any particular reason, it was just that he hadn't turned it on. Then one day about 4 years ago I was flipping through channels and landed on Smackdown. The wrestlers were a little older, some of them unfamiliar faces, but I fell right back in. This song was Edge's theme music then and until the day he retired. This song reminds me of the first time I saw Edge and all the matches I've seen since. 

13. Therapy- All Time Low

I had an immediate connection to this song. First time through the record I picked up on it and I understood. I had no idea that in the next few months things would change drastically and this song would become my life raft. Thankfully, it kept me afloat long enough to get to the next ship and I owe ATL a lot for it. 

14. Skyway Avenue- We The Kings

My first We The Kings song back in 2008, 3 albums later I haven't found a song of theirs I don't like. I could probably list any song here, but every time I hear this song I remember the first time I heard them. Then seeing them on the End of the World tour, I'm pretty sure they moved into my top 5 favorite bands. This song is one of my favorites. I can't lie, I came to this band for Travis Clark's hair, but I stayed for the music.

15. Miserable At Best- Mayday Parade

Another song off A Lesson In Romantics, this song always comes out on a rainy day. I had heard of Mayday Parade quite a while before this song was a single, but I had never really followed them (what was I thinking?) until I heard this song playing on the computer at a friends house one day and recognized the singers. I was obsessed of course and followed them closely, I knew every tour they went on and every song they released. They have set me straight so many times. Their music is truly important to my life. It can be argued that without them, I wouldn't have a life right now. This song will always remind me of my first rock show, the End of the Word 2012 tour. One of the greatest days of my life.

So there you have it. My life in fifteen songs. :]