10 Songs That Have Affected My Life (For The Better)

I know I haven't done this.

Now, a few days ago I did a post about my top 20 favourite songs EVER. Well, I saw a post today while I was working on campus and I saw a post from Fall Out Boy saying '15 songs that have affected my life' or something similar. I gave that some thought and, well, it turns out not all of them were my top 20 favourite songs. So I thought "sod it, I'll do a blog post". because it's my blog. And I can.

So here's 10 songs that changed my life. Or at least heavily affected my life in some way before now. Here goes.

10: 'Welcome Home' by Coheed & Cambria

I first heard this back in 2010 while I was watching heavy music channel, Scuzz, and I immediately fell in love with it. I'd never heard anything like it and I was completely encapsulated by it. I immediately went to learn it and managed to fairly soon after. We've covered it numerous times in Against The Tide despite the fact I can't really sing it to save my life. But it affected me greatly because it caught me on one of my worst creative lows and it kick-started my love for rock again. Without this song, I don't think my life in ATT would've continued.


9: 'Stockholm Syndrome' by Muse

This is the first Muse song I consciously remember hearing. And I remember being blown away by it. I remember my friend, Ben, had tried to introduce me to Muse before but I wasn't keen on it (because it wasn't a 1960s song) but then I heard this (on Kerrang! I think) and I fell in love with Muse. I can play most of this on guitar as well but it affected me because I suddenly found myself loving a band that my mum wasn't keen on. It was the first time that'd happened in a number of years and Muse still remain my 2nd favourite band to this day. Fun fact, I was playing this song when I wrote the riff to the Against The Tide song 'Within Me'.


8: 'Suspicious Minds' by Elvis Presley

When I was young, I had a PlayStation 2. I also had a game called SingStar. From what I remember, Suspicious Minds was the first song I ever sang on it and I remember loving it. SingStar was kind of a piss-take karaoke but it was the first real experience I remember of singing something in all seriousness. And I loved doing it. So I kept doing it despite numerous protestations. Without this song I don't think I'd have wanted to start seriously singing.


7: 'Save Me' by Queen

So when I was with my first girlfriend, our song was 'Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)' by Green Day. However, soon after Valentines Day the relationship started to fall apart and we didn't see much of each other for about a month. Eventually, I was convinced that it was time to end it due to the fact it wasn't helping either of us. So I did. However, not having really done that before, it was quite emotional. I started walking home quite upset when, half way, I turned my mp3 player on and this song was the first one on shuffle. I totally forgot I had it on there but it came on and I just stopped for the  whole song. At that moment, that song made total sense and it felt like it'd been written for me. Every other time I've been in that situation of either ending a relationship or having a relationship ended on me, I put this song on as it always perks me up slightly when it happens. Strange I know, but it works so...


6: 'Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad' by Meat Loaf

Although I love Meat Loaf, I hated him for a number of years. My mum used to put him on in the car even though I didn't like it. But then, with songs you hate, you learn the lyrics. Anyway, I only remember a few songs from the early days. I remember Bat Out Of Hell and Heaven Can Wait, but we never got as far as this song. But one day, we did. And that's when I started to enjoy Meat Loaf. I loved the lyrics in this story despite not knowing what they meant but it just worked in my head. I loved it and, since then, I kind of loved rock music.


5: 'She's A Mystery To Me' by Roy Orbison

I remember hearing this for the first time while I was in the bath listening to the radio. I knew it was Roy Orbison but I had no idea what the song was. However, I fell in love with it. It's a beautiful song from Roy's later years and, I personally think, one of this best. I heard it around the time I was with one of my ex-girlfriends too so it seemed to be relevant at the time. I think it's one of those songs that you ought to sing at a wedding. Maybe that's just me. I don't know. But it eventually led me to write one of my most heartfelt songs. So I have something to thank Roy, Bono and The Edge for. (The Edge and Bono wrote it).


4: 'The Long And Winding Road' by The Beatles

When I was finishing school at 18, I got a bit emotional. Because what was effectively my life for 7 years was about to come to an end. And, being ASD, change is more scary. But, as usual, I find solace in music. And, out of all the songs I tried to use, this one worked the best. Because, for me, it reflected exactly how I felt at that moment and, suddenly, what happened next didn't seem so scary. So thanks, boys!


3: 'Love Of My Life' by Queen

It's often the case that someone's favourite song has affected them in some way, and mine certainly has. This song has affected my life in so many ways, mainly due to Freddie's passion within it. No matter how many times I hear I always associate it with happy memories because, for me, the loves of my life are my friends and my mum. I have a number of close friends who I have mostly fond memories of, same with my mu. So whenever I hear this I think of those fond times with both my friends and my mum. Which is nice. So when I cry listening to it, it's definitely happy tears. Except when I saw Queen+Adam Lambert live in 2012 where they brought Freddie on stage in video form singing it. I was an emotional wreck at that moment.


2. 'Halo' by Machine Head

This is thanks to my friends, Tom and Joe. I wasn't really into this kind of music during my early teenage years but when we went to the local youth club, they continually requested it. Eventually, I started to enjoy it too and started to sing along to it with them. There weren't many nights when Halo wasn't played and we'd sing it. I still have a video somewhere of Tom moshing out to it. But it still reminds me of random nights at the youth club when we'd just hang out because it was fun. And this is the song I always associate with it. We still listen to it now. Normally when Tom and I are driving somewhere and we have it rather loud as we sing along...badly...sorry Tom.


1. 'Heaven and Hell' by Black Sabbath (w/ Ronnie James Dio)

This song I think sums up my most recent heavier songs rather well. I first heard this last year after Mum played it to me on YouTube but I absolutely loved it when I heard it. Although I'm not a huge fan of him generally, I respect Dio immensely as a metal musician and this song is no different. But it also led me to try and write more melodically challenging songs of late. My cousin said to me the other day that the song I wish to release next, 'The Truth To Life', is Sabbath-esque and I guess that was kind of the idea. This song made me realise what kind of music I want to strive for for the moment. No doubt I'll end up doing what feels right at the time but this'll be the template for many of my future songs I would imagine.


So yeah. That's mine in case you're interested.

Until next time!