Chamy Countdown

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This week The Current (our local public radio music station) did a countdown of the Top 893 Essential Artists. The list was compiled based on Top 10 lists sent in by listeners. I didn't participate, but can't stop thinking about and talking about their list.
Who would be on my Top 10? I'm thinking purely in terms of who was essential to Amy becoming Amy, and not worrying about who was essential to all of music, and I'm stymied. Essential when and for what? 
So since it's our anniversary weekend, I decided to make the question a little easier and limit it to artists who have been essential to Chamy over our 28 years (22 married) together. I'm not claiming Chad would agree with all my choices, but hey, it's my blog.
Top 10 Essential to Chamy Artists (in no particular order)

  • The Hold Steady
  • Bruce Springsteen 
  • John Hiatt
  • Jason Isbell
  • The Indigo Girls
  • Counting Crows
  • Willy Porter
  • The Sudden Lovelys 
  • Ben Glaros
  • The Muppets
Hmmm, are we singing to or yelling at each other?
Is there a difference?
How are these artists essential? Without going into too much detail (I could write a separate post about each artist and someday I might have to about the Muppets) these are the core artists that, to use a cliche, have provided the soundtrack to our years together. We've sang along to them together over and over in the car (attempting to harmonize) and seen them in concert (not The Muppets, since there, you know, fictional...).
Sometimes we're hooked by the lyrics of a song and think, "Hey, that must have been written just for us. That's OUR story!" These artists frequently capture in their music what we otherwise can't quite put to words. More frequently, it is the shared experience of discovering and loving these artists together (and trying to figure out what in the hell Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows is singing about) that makes them essential to us. 
Ben Glaros is in a category all by himself, because not only do we love his music, but he's our music teacher who's responsible for getting us into playing music and being in bands as adults, certainly an important chapter in the History of Chamy.
The only major discrepancies between the Chamy list and the Amy list is that my list would HAVE to have Paul McCartney (and The Beatles and yes, even Wings) on it. It is amazing that after 28 years I haven't converted Chad to Team Paul, although he's certainly not Anti-Paul. But I guess some things I just get to keep for myself (like artichoke hearts and glitter...which sounds like a really cool song title.)

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