For five straight years, from 2011-2016, I dedicated the entire month of June on this blog to the #30DaySongChallenge. Each day, I would select a song in response to a daily prompt, and then post it here along with some (long or short) account of why I chose that song for that day’s prompt. Music has always been, and continues to be, a huge part of my life. The #30DaySongChallenge gave me the opportunity to think more seriously not only about my musical likes and dislikes, but also about the many and varied ways that music shapes, mediates, reflects, informs, and sometimes disrupts who “I” am. The Challenge was one of the the things I looked forward to every summer, and it was some of the most enjoyable writing I’ve ever done.
Then, in 2016, I kind of tired of it. I found myself getting behind and having to catch up on several days’ worth of posts at once. I was repeating selections from earlier years. The Challenge was starting to feel like a chore. In fact, I didn’t even make through the whole month of June that year. (I quit on Day 23.) And so, last year (2017) was the first year that I didn’t do the #30DaySongChallenege at all.
Turns out, I just needed a break.
This year, I’m bringing the #30DaySongChallenge back to this blog for the month of June. I’ll be using the prompt-list below, which is a bit of a mash-up of several lists out there on the internet. As I’ve done in the past, I will post a link to my picks each day on my Facebook and Twitter feeds. And, also as I’ve done in the past, I invite everyone to play along. You don’t have to write an explanation of your picks (like I will) and you don’t need a blog (like this one) to participate. You can just add your pick in the comments here each day, or you can post your pick on your own Facebook or Twitter feeds.
If you’re new to this blog, you can see my selections for the previous years by clicking on the following links:
2011 #30DaySongChallenge
2013 #30DaySongChallenge
2014 #30DaySongChallenge
2015 #30DaySongChallenge
2016 #30DaySongChallenge
DAY 01: a song with a color in the title
DAY 02: a song with a number in the title
DAY 03: a song that reminds you of summertime
DAY 04: a song that reminds you of something you’d rather forget
DAY 05: a song that needs to be played LOUD
DAY 06: a song that reminds you of home
DAY 07: a song that makes you want to dance
DAY 08: a song to drive to
DAY 09: a song about drugs or alcohol
DAY 10: a song that makes you happy
DAY 11: a song that breaks your heart
DAY 12: a song from a band/artist you hate
DAY 13: a song that is a guilty pleasure
DAY 14: a song you love from the 80’s
DAY 15: a song you want played at your wedding
DAY 16: a cover song that’s better than the original
DAY 17: a song that you sing at karaoke
DAY 18: a song by an artist with a voice you love
DAY 19: a song from the year you were born
DAY 20: a song to listen to when you’re angry
DAY 21: a song that is personally meaningful
DAY 22: a song you wish you had written
DAY 23: a song you with a person’s name in the title
DAY 24: a song that motivates you
DAY 25: a song with utterly mysterious lyrics
DAY 26: a song that is an “earworm”
DAY 27: a song by a band you wish was still together
DAY 28: a song from your childhood/teenage years
DAY 29: a song you want played at your funeral
DAY 30: a song that reminds you of yourself