According to us (by way of Wikipedia), a meme is a unit of social information.
To me, there is nothing more social – thus – meme-y, than music.
And in the global age, where media gets passed in real-time, music memes are more meme-y than ever.
This list features five “Meme Songs,” pieces of music that have transcended themselves to become so much more. It’s not a list of “viral videos” (barf) but rather a countdown of songs that have stuck within pop culture.
The source: me. It’s my list. Feel free to make your own list in the comments section.
5) Susan Boyle – I Dreamed a Dream: This performance on “Britain’s Got Talent” touched the world. A middle-aged “never been kissed” woman from the British countryside delivered a stunning rendition, bringing tears to countless people. Music is about emotions, and Boyle combined almost all of them into just a few minutes. This is the ultimate “you won’t believe this” song clip:
(No good versions of the video are embeddable, but click here to watch it)
4) Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline: Can we just go ahead and call this the theme song for good times? From sporting events to bar mitzvahs, this song, written about Caroline Kennedy, is synonymous with fun!
3) John Lennon – Imagine: The former Beatles star wrote and recorded several songs about a better, more peaceful world. But nothing, nothing, nothing compares to how “Imagine” has become a global anthem of hope. It’s more than a song…it’s a way of life.
2) Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’: Journey was one of the biggest bands in the world in their heyday in the late 1970s and into the mid 1980s. Their music lives on, but their song, “Don’t Stop Believin’” has crossed to another generation. From being the song that ended “The Sopranos” to being the song that helped launch “Glee,” it’s truly resonated for decades.
1) Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up: The biggest online meme of all time is “Rick Rolling,” telling someone you are sending them a video of ANYTHING, but when they open the file, it’s Rick Astley’s hit song. No clue where it started, but, man, it’s still funny! It works because it’s a true guilty pleasure. Everyone loves the song (secretly), including me.
One of the most popular bands on the planet in the 1970s and early 1980s was Journey.
They had hit after hit after hit. And the songs ranged from soft ballads like “Open Arms” and “Faithfully” and to rock anthems like “Don’t Stop Believin‘” (the top-selling catalog track on iTunes…ever!) and “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).”
Without a doubt, the most identifiable part of their sound was the one-of-a-kind voice of lead singer Steve Perry.
The band took a hiatus in 1984 and the most famous lineup didn’t get back together until 1995, releasing a well-received, but not THAT well-received album.
A hip injury derailed a tour in the mid-90s, and he split with the band for good.
Journey continued to tour and record, churning through lead singers for the next decade. Nobody filled Steve Perry’s void.
And it all changed when founding member and lead guitarist Neal Schon was surfing YouTube one day in 2007.
He saw clips of veteran Filipino rocker Arnel Pineda covering Journey songs…and hired him to be the new lead singer!
Pineda went from being a relatively well-known singer in an Asian band “The Zoo,” best known for their cover songs, to being the face of one of the biggest bands in the world…all because of YouTube.
The success was instant, as Journey’s next album was a major hit and their 2008 tour brought in over $35 million.
Journey, to borrow from their lyrics, rolled the dice just one more time on a lead singer discovered via social media, and it paid off BIG time by revitalizing their career. Arnel Pineda truly took a Social Media Journey all the way to the top.
And Pineda is GOOD. Take a listen to him performing “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” and “Don’t Stop Believin.’”
For the past few months, I’ve tweeted “Stuck In Your Head” songs of the day. These are the tunes that somehow get stuck between your ears and hang out there for an eternity. You may HATE the song, but it’s there. Nothing you can do about it. So just enjoy the music and let is play, constantly, endlessly, eternally looping. On the other hand, some of these songs are ALL-TIME favorites!
I’ve assembled here for you the ULTIMATE Stuck-In-Your-Head Mixtape. You’re welcome, in advance!
1) Lionel Richie – Hello
2) Ace of Base – The Sign
3) Mr. Big – To Be With You
4) Hall and Oates – You Make My Dreams Come True
5) Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
6) Heart – Alone
7) Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight
George Michael – Careless Whisper
9) The Fratellis – Chelsea Dagger
10) Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
11) Extreme – More Than Words
12) Michael Jackson – PYT
13) Bon Jovi – Livin on a Prayer
14) Soft Cell – Tainted Love
15) Lionel Richie – All Night Long (Yes, we started and ended this list with Lionel Richie – got a problem with that?)
OK, so, removing the Preamble entry, this is the 100th post on The Buzz!!
Thank you to everyone who has read, shared, inspired, and commented here. It’s been an absolute thrill to get to know you (or know you better!). I try to provoke discussion, so I definitely appreciate people who tell me I’m wrong!
I gave a lot of thought on what to do for the big 100th post, whether it be a list, a retrospective, etc. As you know, we cover a lot of different ground here, from PR, social media, sports, pop culture and more.
Music, however, is very important to me. I was a bar mitzvah DJ when I was in high school, and transitioned to radio while I was in college.
I’ve always been fascinated with a concept I call “The Soundtrack of My Life.” The jist is, you pick 18 songs that MUST be included in a biopic movie about your life. No other rules apply. Any piece of recorded music is fair game. I made several CDs trying to capture this essence, and every one of them was different. Of course, the 18 songs will change as you have new experiences, are exposed to more music, have more life to cram into 18 tracks, and so on. This IS not a favorite songs list. This is music to be played in your life story. Some of them are included for instrumentals, others for lyrics, and most, hopefully, for both.
I hope you will place your 18 songs in the comments section!
One more thing: Here are my personal favorite posts!
George Michael – Careless Whisper
