I can remember my dad walking into the lounge when I was about 12 and heavily engrossed in my weekly dose of Top of the Pops. He started doing his 'dad dance' in front of the TV and saying 'Hey Ju, who's this?'. I remember thinking; 'How can he NOT know who is Number One?'. I also remember vowing never to lose touch with the latest hits as it seemed to be directly related to losing the musical plot.
Several years on I can report that for some time I have not had a clue who is Number One. This may be no bad thing, but neither does it mean I have developed an eclectic taste in underground tunes. It just means I have lost the musical plot. I can't blame my kids for that one but they do seem determined to stop me getting getting back in touch with the real musical world that lies somewhere out there. This probably stems from me indulging their musical tastes from a very early age with various CDs of lullabies, sing & sign, and souped up remixes of 'Old McDonald Had a Farm' whenever we went anywhere in the car. The words 'rod' and 'back' spring to mind because now if I dare so much as switch on the radio when we are in the car it is met with a caterwaul of 'But muuuummmm - we neeeeeed our CD on'. In a last ditch attempt to break free of the 'Wheels on the Bus' I started to compile my own CDs with some songs that we could all enjoy. It's been a long journey. These are the ones that have proven most popular with kids and endurable (even enjoyable) with adults, as tried and tested by my 5 year old, 2 year old and various friends we have ferried around with us.
1. It's a Kind of Magic, Queen
2. Mamma Mia, Abba
3. Mah-Na Mah-Na song from the Muppets
4. Jump, Van Halen
5. We are Family, Sister Sledge
6. Celebrate Good Times, Kool & the Gang
7. You've Got a Friend in me, Randy Newman
8. Poker Face, Lady Gaga
9. It's Only Natural, Crowded House
10. Groove is in the Heart, Dee Lite
OK, so it may not be EXACTLY what I would choose to listen to myself but after 5 years of 'Old MacDonald' it's a step in the right direction. Who knows, I may get my finger back on that musical pulse eventually. If you can add any more songs that your kids like and which you can tolerate over and over again it would be great to share them - let's see if we can get a Top 20!
