Author: Ria

I’ve had this post knocking about as a draft for a while, but after the release of 1989 yesterday I feel it was appropriate to finally open up a bit about the music that made me. Music is a topic I don’t often talk about on the blog, mainly because I feel like a bit of a n00b talking about it because I’m definitely no expert in this field. I often attribute specific songs to specific times in my life, but very rarely does an album come along that I really get behind, which is why this set of five of my favourites mean quite a bit to me.

Taylor Swift, 1989 (2014)

McFly, Wonderland (2005)

Fleetwood Mac, The Very Best Of (2002)

Fall Out Boy, From Under The Cork Tree (2005)

Kate Voegele, Don’t Look Away (2007)

Taylor Swift – 1989 | Favourite track: Clean

The most recent addition to this list and the first album I’ve listened to in a while in which I’ve loved every single track. I don’t know if it was partly the release build up or my sheer love of the woman, but at this point I’m so emotionally invested in this album already. Taylor has a habit of releasing albums just when I need to hear those particular lyrics, and 1989 was no exception. Full of tracks about finding yourself, living and loving life, the timing of 1989 in line with everything going in my life has me thinking this will be one of those albums that I’ll refer to as ‘the soundtrack to my early 20’s’.

McFLY – Wonderland | Favourite track: I’ll Be Ok

Those who know me well may find it surprising it was actually McFLY’s second album that became my McFLY album. For me it was less of the Beatles tribute that was ‘Room On The Third Floor’, the one that defined their sound, and became the the soundtrack to my teenage years. The songs from it hold the most vivid memories of the first time I ever saw them live, has the song I used to listen to in an angsty emotional state, and had the song that gave me hope as a kid still trying to figure it all out.

Fleetwood Mac – The Very Best Of | Favourite track: Rhiannon

My first memories of listening to Fleetwood Mac were of my Dad blasting ’Tusk’ in the car as he dropped me off on the school run. I never understood the impact of Fleetwood Mac on the musical landscape until much later in life and though this is just a compilation album, it is an album of their greatest masterpieces. Musically, I don’t think there will ever be a band that will ever come close to them and no one will ever quite capture the power, passion and pain behind their lyrics the way they did.

Fall Out Boy – From Under The Cork Tree | Favourite track: 7 Minutes In Heaven

This was one of the first CD’s I actually bought all on my own and I was a victim of getting into Fall Out Boy during the hype of the release of Dance Dance. But as soon as I got this album I pretty much burnt my way through every single track during my commutes on the bus to and from school, during lunch times and after school/on weekends whilst doing homework.

Kate Voegele – Don’t Look Away | Favourite track: I Get It

One of the most underrated albums from a truly underrated female singer-songwriter. You may know Kate Voegele’s work from One Tree Hill, but I found her in my Myspace days – amongst other singer-songwriters like Joe Brooks and Sia at the time. It’s always a joy rediscovering this album on my iPod and one listen to one of her songs is usually followed by a week or two of having Don’t Look Away on repeat constantly. Lyrically I think Voegele’s a bit of genius and I love seeing life through her perspective.

Let me know which albums ‘made you’ too? Would love to see some recommendations and comparisons in the comments.

Ria Xx