#BestSongIHeardToday • Volume IX

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The #BestSongIHeardToday series is often centered around hearing great songs while exercising. These posts will tend to drift into health related topics but will always come back to the music that brought you here. This particular series is probably more about a self journal to help me stay on the path of healthy living that includes, listening to old and new tunes. If you're looking for a great mix playlist of 25-30 songs, just click on one of my Volumes above.

This is part of a text thread I recently had with an old friend of mine. Personally, I think
RollingStone magazine lost its way in the 1990's trying to be all things to all music listeners.

First issue cover, 11/9/67

Rolling Stone started in 1967 when rock 'n' roll songs dominated the Billboard 100 popular music charts. It quickly became the gold standard for rock journalism and nurtured a dedicated following of readers. You knew you were in a rock fan's house if you saw Rolling Stone mags on the coffee table, if not in the bathroom.

Today, Rolling Stone still covers popular music it's just that now rock 'n' roll is not center stage. The magazine's name sake, the Muddy Water's Blues song Rollin' Stone is now a distant memory from the current magazine's musical focus. 

Is rock 'n' roll dead? NO, it's very much alive and even kicking along with– Folk/Americana, Blues and R&B new music releases coming out every month. The difference now is that you actually have to look, even dig a little deeper on the Internet to find it.

Rolling Stone still covers all the genres that sprang from the Blues to keep that older reader, but current pop music is a completely different animal in the 21st century, and thus my friend's text comment to me. 

February, 2021 issue cover

So with that in mind, I thought it would be fun to see if Rolling Stone's The 50 Best Songs of 2021 is anywhere close to YOUR personal tastes in music. I've often said, "Best" is a strong opinion when talking music and you'll see that I use the word, "Favorite" in making my lists. I would encourage you, younger or older, to click on their link above and check it out. Personally, I found only three songs that I have featured this year on my new release playlists - #29 Bleachers, Stop Making This Hurt; #23 Kacey Musgraves, Breadwinner; and #5 Lucy Darcus, VBS (Vacation Bible School). 

Next week, I'm going to present my Favorite Songs of 1971 to wrap up a year's worth of my Fifty Years of Music series.

In two weeks, I'm going to present my Favorite Songs of 2021 to wrap up a year's worth of my #NewMusicMonday series.

Now Rolling Stone as a brand is a powerhouse, but I think you'll find my Monday Monday Music™ 'the little rock 'n' roll engine' alternative if you're feeling neglected as a rock 'n' roller or folkie. 

For this week, I'm going to wrap up my #BestSongIHeardToday series for 2021 with a variety of songs that grabbed my listening ears recently that are indicative of my taste in music and hopefully yours too! Thanks for your support this year, and hey I'm only two weeks away from writing a blog with a playlist for every single Monday of 2021! 

Enjoy my friends & Happy Festivus...
for the rest of us!