#fhistory

The radio station I listen to in the car, WYEP, has for the last few years collected listener's picks with each song entry gaining one vote. Then they crunch the numbers and order the favorite songs for a week long count down to the top ten.

It's the station's fiftieth year. I remember when the station began because I lived in the neighborhood where the studio was located. "Studio" is probably a bit grandiose, the space was a slightly converted two-car garage. The theme this year is : best songs of the last fifty years.

I'd be a terrible DJ. I'm not sure any of the twenty songs I've contributed to past countdowns ever made the list, which is saying something because the list of songs numbers over a thousand. I do admire the DJ craft. And I liked the notion of thinking about music of the last fifty year. It's the music of my adult life.

One thing about being old is knowing a lot about bad habits and ruts. Trying to avoid obvious habits, I decided to make a list of songs by women artist and order the songs according to decade. Then I picked fout songs from the five decades to make a list of twenty songs. I mixed up the songs to make the playlist as I used to do with mix tapes.

Here's the list (The link is to a YouTube playlist of the songs):

My Adult Life

She's a Rainbow Molly Tuttle (2021)

I'm Digging You (Like Old Soul Record) Mechell Ndegicello (1993)

If I were a Boy Beyonce (2008)

I Can't Make you Love Me Bonnie Raitt (1991)

Sharkey's Day Laurie Anderson (1981)

On and On Erickah Badu (1997)

Rapture Blondie (1981)

Makeba Jain (2015)

Pull Up to the Bumper Grace Jones (1981)

Fast Car Tracy Chapman (1988)

Deeper Well Emmylou Harris (1995)

Sea Lion Woman Fiest (2007)

People Have the Power Patti Smith (1988)

Black Myself Amythyst Kiah (2021)

Revelator Gilliam Welch (2001)

I'd Rather Go Blind Black Dub-Trixie Whitley (2010)

I Used to Love Him Lauryn Hill (1998)

You KNow I'm No Good Amy Winehouse (2006)

Chuck E's in love Rickie Lee Jones (1979)