Melomaniac: a term used for a person with great enthusiasm and passion for music.

As people who can’t go on with their day without listening to music, we would consider ourselves music fanatics and extreme melomaniacs. We are constantly listening to songs we have heard, but we also experiment with many tracks that are new to us on a daily basis. Through this process, we are able to find some of our favorite songs that take us to a whole new world. Music soothes the soul.

By listening to music virtually all day, there are many songs that stand out to both of us for different reasons. We each chose five of our favorite songs that we’ve been listening to on repeat this month. We included a short background and evaluation on each of the tracks.  

Cali’s Picks:

“I’m Gonna Crawl” by Led Zeppelin, “In Through the Out Door” (1979): As the closing track on Led Zeppelin’s final studio album, this song encapsulates the different phases the band has gone through over the years as well as incorporating the distinct sound heard on the rest of “In Through the Out Door”. This song serves as a musical coup de grâce for both Led Zeppelin’s career and music as a whole, as we saw the further emergence of synthesizers and hair bands in the 80s. Mainly composed by bassist John Paul Jones, this number was inspired by Wilson Pickett’s “It’s Too Late”. The song is driven by Jimmy Page’s mellow guitar playing and Robert Plant’s exuberant vocals. Page plays one of his most emotional guitar solos that fit perfectly with the progression of the track. The song serves as a mighty farewell to the successful yet tumultuous years Led Zeppelin had gone through and promotes the legendary and illustrious status of the band.

“Where Boys Fear To Tread” by the Smashing Pumpkins, “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” (1995): With its feedback-riddled intro, heavy riff that carries the song, and pounding drums, this track starts the second side of the double-LP “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” with a bang. The song displays the harder side of the Smashing Pumpkins that was previously unheard of by many listeners. Billy Corgan’s dynamic vocals give the tune life as he ranges from soft whispers to screams throughout the song. The song has no concrete chorus, but has many repeating lines that convey how Corgan was feeling during the production of this song and album.

“Milk It” by Nirvana, “In Utero” (1993): This track incorporates the quiet verse, loud chorus style that Nirvana learned from the Pixies with its softer beginning and hard-hitting choruses. The song starts off with two soloing guitars that are quickly followed by driving power chords. The verses are filled with meaningless yet meaningful lyrics and the choruses contain some of Nirvana’s signature distorted melodies accompanied by Kurt Cobain’s glorious wails. Dave Grohl heavily contributes to this track’s energy with his heavy and rhythmic drumming. This song simply exuberates the word “grunge” with its punk-rock-like power chords, nonchalant solos, and screaming vocals.

“Dig” by Mudvayne, “L.D. 50” (2000): As the second track on Mudvayne’s sophomore album, “L.D. 50”, this song simply screams heavy. It kicks off with a disoriented slap-bass and raucous scream courtesy of vocalist Chad Gray. Many would consider this song to be Mudvayne’s first hit, as it peaked the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts in the U.S. at number 33 when they were a band that was almost entirely unheard of. The song is driven by the ripping guitar riffs provided by Greg Tribbett. There are many short vocal and guitar breakdowns that are tantalizing to any headbanger or metalhead. The unique and mind-warping music video was the first song to ever win a MTV2 Award at the MTV Music Video Awards in 2001. The song still serves as one of Mudvayne’s biggest hits and is an essential nu metal track.

“Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley, “Grace” (1994): The second single off of Jeff Buckley’s first and only studio album, “Grace”, this song tells the story of a man ending a relationship with a woman even though he still loves her. This ballad is a vital staple in Buckley’s song catalog and it exhibits his rich and breathtaking vocals. The song begins with a blues-like slide guitar section that is soon accompanied by the whole band as it transitions into the verse. With lyrics like, “You gave me more to live for/More than you’ll ever know,” and “Kiss me out of desire, baby, not consolation”, this tune stirs up emotions for the listener. Although the matter of the song is melancholy, the track provides a moderately upbeat and truly heartfelt way of saying goodbye through music.

Brianna’s picks:

“Love Buzz” by Nirvana, “Bleach” (1989): The first single released in Sub Pop Singles Club, “Love Buzz” is a Nirvana cover song, originally recorded by Shocking Blue in 1969. The song opens with an isolated bass played by Krist Novoselic, then Chad Channing with the drumbeat, and shortly followed by Kurt Cobain’s guitar riff that eventually accompanies the bassline. Nirvana was able to take a song, cover it and make it their own. Which in turn, made it far superior to the original. The bass is by far one of the most underrated instruments as it doesn’t usually carry the melody. The bass is a support instrument so it’s always amazing to hear it secluded and not buried underneath percussion, vocals, guitar, and any other noises or sounds that artists might include on a track.                                                                                                                                                               

“Debra” by Beck, “Midnite Vultures” (1999): Contrasting to Beck’s ultimate hit “Loser”, “Debra” displays a genre of electronic, soul, and funk rolled into one. This song illustrates the story of a man wanting to “get with” JCPenney worker, Jenny and her sister Debra. Whether or not the listener relates to the song, it’s an interesting experience to listen to Beck’s out-of-the-box lyrics that occasionally make sense and occasionally don’t. Music is for the listener. This song also features Beck’s falsetto range that thankfully does not overpower or take away from the instrumental. Beck is a fantastic storyteller and creates an interesting story that leaves the listener wanting to know the true ending of Jenny and Debra’s story. 

“No More Sorrow” by Linkin Park, “Minutes to Midnight” (2007): The eighth track, “No More Sorrow” is the most hard-hitting song off of the album and features Chester Bennington screaming throughout the chorus. It also includes a breakdown, giving some of the instruments throughout the song’s solo parts. Overall, “No More Sorrow” is a driving rock song and very up beat, making it one of the best songs off of their third studio album. “Minutes to Midnight” is one of the band’s more faint albums but “No More Sorrow” makes up for it. 

“Learn to Fly” by Foo Fighters, “There Is Nothing Left to Lose” (1999): Although it is one of the many top hits of the Foos, “Learn to Fly” really stands out of the crowd with the help of the music video. Paying homage to the movie “Airplane!”, the video features Foo Fighters band members Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, and Nate Mendel playing various characters such as numerous passengers on the plane, the pilots, stewardesses, and an FBI agent (Grohl). The music video highlights the literal meaning of the song however, lyrics such as “I’m looking for a complication/Looking because I’m tired of lying”, provides a deeper meaning of the internal battles of one’s self and what one can do to mend it. All in all, “Learn to Fly” is memorable, catchy, and has one of the most iconic music videos. 

“Regulate” by Warren G, “Above the Rim” (1994): Hip-Hop/Rap was in its prime in the 90s. This song features Nate Dogg and the song is highly driven by the bass line hence the lyric “The rhythm is the bass and the bass is the treble”. Many things make this song stand out from the broad genre of 90s hip-hop and G-Funk. During the lyric “Where rhythm is life and life is rhythm”, Warren G’s vocals are moved to the left speaker and are slightly muted. This is significant because the left ear is processed by the right hemisphere of the brain (the artistic, and philosophical side of the brain that controls feelings, emotion, music/art awareness, etc.). The song also features Warren G, Nate Dogg, and Snoop Dogg’s group, 213, which refers to the original area code of L0s Angles. “Regulate” may not be relatable to some however, the song has one of the best instrumental and collaboration for its genre.