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Songs to Put a Smile on Your Face as the World Burns Down Around Us
We might as well enjoy the descent into Hell
It is not breaking news that there hasn’t been much to smile about lately. It’s been an equal opportunity beating of a year so far in that there has been something to anger/depress/terrify just about everyone. It’s reached a point that the 2020 pandemic lockdowns look like the good old days.
Being the grumpy old bastard that I am, it would normally be the perfect time to give you a Rate-A-Record installment with something morose, angry, or both (think Smiths and Judas Priest). However, recent events (both national and personal) have bummed me out to such a degree that I feel compelled to venture into unfamiliar territory: songs that will make you feel better, if only for three minutes. At this point, anything to smile about is a good thing.
As I’m sure you know by now, give the songs below a listen and then rate them in the comments using the Terry Barr/American Bandstand scale of 35 to 98. And do yourself a favor: to paraphrase Billy Joel, turn off social media and disappear for a while. On to the tunes.
“Vacation” — The Go-Go’s
