- Emily Stoll
- Friday, January 04, 2019
With 2018 in the rear view mirror, Richland Library is looking back over the last year at what was trending among our library card holders.
To compile our "best-of" lists, we took the top 10 music titles that our customers checked out or downloaded in 2018. They were as follows:
1. Hamilton by Original Broadway Cast Recording
2. Reputation by Taylor Swift
3. Ultimate by Prince
4. Kidz Bop. Greatest Hits! by Kidz Bop Kids
5. Now That's What I Call Disney 3 by Various Artists
6. The Definitive Soul Collection by Otis Redding
7. Beauty and the Beast by Alan Menken
8. Moana Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Mark Mancina
9. 4:44 by Jay-Z
10. Lemonade by Beyonce
After claiming the top spot two years in a row, I am really curious to explore the hype around Hamilton. It seems as though everyone who I speak with has either seen or heard this Broadway production.
But I have a confession to make. I have not listened to any of the music titles that made the list. My "go-to" playlists consist of Oldies but Goodies, Bossa Nova and Christmas Classics.
Growing up, I can remember looking out the bay window of our home and waiting for the bus to come. While looking for a flash of yellow to round the corner, my mom used to play hits from the 60s and 70s on a record player. We would sing these songs over and over again - until I learned all the words, but it was really a time to bond with my mom. Going to the Chapel of Love by the Dixie Cups was a favorite of ours. We had a whole dance routine while belting out the lyrics.
Bossa Nova is something that I recently discovered, thanks to former Richland Library Artist-in-Residence Miles Purvis. When I stopped by her studio one afternoon to ask a question, she had it playing in the background. She said it helped to inspire her. I found the music very soothing, so now, when I get a little stressed at my desk, I just put in my headphones and click the play button.
Lastly, the Christmas Classics playlist has to be my favorite. I grew up in a household where family was the center of our holiday celebrations. We would travel to Maryland or Illinois to spend time with my grandparents. While it was wonderful to see them, I always enjoyed hearing about my grandfather's traditions and seeing his excitement. He LOVED Christmas! On Christmas morning, my brother and I would rush to the top of the stairs, and we would have to wait until my grandfather went downstairs to start breakfast, turn on carols and check if Santa arrived. When my grandfather died five days before Christmas, I started to turn to Christmas carols for comfort. It was my way of coping with his passing that still rings true to this day.
Whether listening to the titles, listed above, or marching to the beat of a different drum, music truly has a way of making us feel specific emotions or remembering personal experiences.