Left to my own devices

Some of you (let's be honest, probably none of you) may have noticed that my annual 'Top 10 Songs of the Year' posts have been absent. The last one I did was for 2021 . The lack of a yearly reflection on my favorite songs has been down to a couple of factors: 1) last year was... distracting for me, for a variety of reasons, and it was difficult to concentrate enough to think about making a list, and 2) honestly, I haven't been all that jazzed about recent music -- at least, not enough to warrant a Top 10 list for each  year. But, I still love music, and listen to it. A lot. So, the thought occurred that I could definitely comprise a list of ten favorite songs of the decade... so far, at least. We are in the fifth year of the 2020s, so there's definitely been enough time for several songs to tickle my fancy. In fact, it was a bit difficult to whittle things down to just ten tracks. Here, then, are my Top 10 Favorite Songs of the 2020s, so far....

For the uninitiated, I've been keeping a ranked, running tally of the concerts I've been to over the years. The most recent one was from May and, during the intervening months, I've gone to three more live music events (plus, Ashley reminded me after reading the last published list that'd completely forgotten the Culture Club/B-52s/Thompson Twins concert we went to in 2018, so that's thrown in here, too). With that, here is the newest edition of Matt Ranks the Concerts He's Been To .

People who know me have often heard me say that 1993 was the best year for music . That's only a half-joking statement. Subjective? Yes. Truth? Probably. Regardless, a lot of my music choices at that time came from listening to the radio, or watching MTV, VH1, or Friday Night Videos . That began to change once I graduated high school in 1994. A new world opened-up. I started attending the local community college, and began going to the local LGBT nightclub, where there was all sorts of music played across the booming speaker system. So many sub-genres of dance music. Being exposed to that every week was eye-opening. I ended up meeting a lot of different people at the club, many of whom were varied and interesting, and had eclectic tastes in music. Not all of it interested me. There was one guy I met while out one night whose apartment I visited a week or two later -- purely on a friendship level -- and whose CD collection was so humongous that it rendered me numb. It was too much t...

We're late - later than we've ever been - in putting out a 'top 10 songs of the year' list. Of course, that's usage of the royal we. It's me - I'm late. Music has been an important part of my life for nearly four decades. As long as I've had this blog, I've shared what my favorite songs of each year have been. So why am I dragging my feet on doing it now? I dunno, reader. It's been a weird year, hasn't it? Sometimes, not even the music can help. But, I don't want to lose a tradition, so, here goes... 

Have we done the review of my favorite songs from last year yet? No? Right, here we go...

F or better or worse, I associate certain songs and genres of music with being gay. Or at least with me being gay. This goes to having gone to the local LGBT club after coming out in the 1990s, and enjoying the music and atmosphere there. I've never lost my penchant for synth/dance music during the intervening years, and that's the sort of stuff I listen to during LGBT Pride months. It's PrideFest weekend in my hometown, so of course I've been listening to a self-curated playlist of songs that put me in mind of the joys, sorrows, ups and downs of being an out and proud gay man. Here are a few music videos of those songs, should you care to take a gander into the world of Matt's Pride Playlist. Hope you enjoy.

We've arrived at our #1 favorite album of all-time. Thank you for taking the time to read about this, and the other nine albums that comprise my Top 10. It's been fun to revisit these gems, and it's compelled me to start re-listening to them throughout each day. Here, then, is # 1 : Pet Shop Boys / Very (1993) A friend once relayed a conversation he'd had with someone about me. The someone, knowing I was biracial (Caucasian and African-American), asked my friend: "Do you know if Matt considers himself white or black?" My friend replied, "I think that Matt considers himself gay." I'm relaying that conversation just now because, though humorous, it is true that coming out and living my life as an out gay man has probably been more defining that most other aspects of my life, and the album Very came along at a crucial juncture in that regard. Very was, in many ways, like a rudimentary therapist. Listening to it (over and ov...

This weekend, Ashley & I saw the British synth pop group  Saint Etienne in concert at Park West in Chicago. Ashley got me into the band back when we first met. Having only been familiar up to that point with their club hit He's on the Phone , I soon became a fan listening to their back catalog. Their live performance was, to say the least, memorable and impressive. Having such a great concert experience with Saint Etienne got me to thinking of all the other live performances I've seen over the years. By my count, it's been about nineteen concerts in a little over twenty years. It feels like a lot, though I know for some it barely scratches the surface of their concert-going experiences. As it stands, I've enjoyed most of the shows I've been to. Some more than others. Of course, you know I had to list and rank them.

Dance clubs are a funny thing. They contain within their walls a life force and vibrancy sometimes unmatched anywhere else. When dusk settles and the lights come on, people will flood the dance floors to gyrate to music with hypnotic beats and songs about love, lust and fun at the disco. At gay bars, this sort of scenario usually increases ten-fold. It isn't for everyone, but for many it is a respite from the harsh realities of the real word. It is a place that isn't just a structure, but a sanctuary where folks -- minorities in their own communities -- can take shelter and unwind with abandon, at least for a few nighttime hours. As someone who benefited greatly from such an aforementioned gay dance club, you can imagine my dismay at  news of the closing of Chester Street Bar. In business for over three decades, gay-owned and operated, there was a time when C-Street (as it was known by most) was the only haven for those in the LGBT community, near and far, to enjoy the...

What a difference a year makes. Most of the time, I have trouble narrowing down the favorite songs of the year into a list of just 10, and typically delay publishing the list until late January or February. Not so with 2016. I pretty much had this list done by October, though kept a flicker of hope alive that the last two months would bring some miraculous onslaught of good tunes. Alas, it was not to be. Here, then, are my picks for the Top 10 songs from 2016, for whatever it's worth....

Long time readers of this blog, as well as those who know me personally, are fully aware that I love music. Along with music, I'm also partial to the odd music video (whenever one comes along these days). They're a dying art form, but one that, if done well, can be just as exquisite as a painting. What better way to celebrate the music video than to present my 10 favorite ones? Note: another list of truth is to follow. Here we go!

2013 was a good year for music. True, the Top 40 Singles and Hot 100 Albums charts were filled with a lot of crap, as usual, but if you just take the time to look, you'll find some hidden gems. So much of the best music out there these days doesn't chart as highly as other stuff (or at all), so a little exploration can be a beautiful thing. Here, then, are my picks for favorite tracks of 2013 (granted, two of them come from a # 1 album, but then there always exceptions to the rules):

It was a pretty solid year for music. Nothing too extraordinary, but lots of consistent goodness. When it came time to compile my list of favorite songs from 2011 , it felt as though I had to perhaps stretch it a bit in order to come up with ten tracks. With 2012, I'm leaving things on the cutting room floor. It is with great pleasure therefore that I present to you my favorite bits of music from the recently-departed 2012. Hope you find something you like!

I love music. Many different types: classical, operatic, film scores, rock & roll, R&B, pop, electronic, etc. etc. For the purposes of this blog post, I'm going to focus on pop music. You know, music + lyrics. Songs. So many of them out there, so many of them satisfying, for so many reasons. Pop songs can take us into a plethora of emotionally-sensitive territories. Today, I want to discuss a favorite aspect of pop songs: the contradictory lyric.

Those of you who know me well are aware of my love for the British music group the Pet Shop Boys . But do you know where that love came from? Or, to be more specific, how I was first introduced to them? It was all down to my friend, Jeff. He was the first gay man I met after officially 'coming out' of the closet, and I cherish the time spent with him to this day.