What Are We Listening To? (All-Time)

This list hasn't changed too much, mostly just a slight shuffling. More of Ben's favorites making it onto the list.



1. Bye Bye Bye - *NSYNC [1] - This is still way ahead of anything else.

2. Who Says You Can't Go Home - Bon Jovi (feat. Jennifer Nettles) [3]

3. Wacko's America - Animaniacs [5]

4. I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles [7]

5. Bugs are Really Swell - Jack's Big Music Show [13]

6. Here with Us - Joy Williams [2]

7. Jack's Big Music Show Open - Jack's Big Music Show [17]

8. Closer to Fine - Indigo Girls [6]

9. Bottle Of Sunshine - Milkshake [new]

10. Ancient Words - Michael W. Smith [8]

11. Hey, Soul Sister - Train [4]

12. The Cheap Seats - Alabama [10]

13. Waiting for My Real Life to Begin - Colin Hay [9]

14. Linus and Lucy - The Vince Guaraldi Trio [new]

15. My Savior My God - Aaron Shust [16]

16. You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi [11]

17. Girl You Know It's True - Milli Vanilli [14]

18. You Might Think - The Cars [12]

19. Keep the Candle Burning - Point of Grace [15]
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20. In Christ Alone - Adrienne Liesching (feat. Geoff Moore) [18] (there's a second copy of this, combined might push it up to the top)

21. You Are Holy (Prince of Peace) - Michael W. Smith [22]

22. Dialogue: "Oh, Dang" - Mystery Men (Greg Kinnear) [23]

23. Music is the Best - Jack's Big Music Show [new]

24. Lean On Me - Club Nouveau [21]

25. Grumpy - David Weinstone, Music for Aardvarks [new]

Previous: December 2013, January 2013, July 2011

What Are We Listening To? (The New Class)

So this truly is the Pentatonix show. Giving Lori all five CDs for her birthday means they rule the charts. But what of #2? A funny scene from a movie I enjoyed.

Visit Pentatonix on YouTube

1. O Holy Night - Pentatonix

2. Cuddly Toy - Roachford



3. Starships - Pentatonix

4. Standing By - Pentatonix

5. Angels We Have Heard on High - Pentatonix

6. Carol of the Bells - Pentatonix

7. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) - Pentatonix

8. This Christmas - Pentatonix

9. Go Tell it on the Mountain - Pentatonix

10. Papaoutai - Pentatonix feat. Lindsey Stirling

11. Somebody That I Used to Know - Pentatonix

12. Aha! - Pentatonix

13. Natural Disaster - Pentatonix

14. Love Again - Pentatonix

15. Valentine - Pentatonix

16. Hey Momma / Hit the Road, Jack - Pentatonix

17. I Need Your Love - Pentatonix



18. Problem - Pentatonix

19. On My Way Home - Pentatonix

20. La La Latch - Pentatonix

21. Rather Be - Pentatonix

22. See Through - Pentatonix

23. O Come, O Come emmanuel - Pentatonix

24. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Pentatonix

25. Winter Wonderland / Don't Worry, Be Happy - Pentatonix feat. Tori Kelly

Not on the top 25, but my favorite. I listened to this a lot during the final days of my last job when I was praying desperately for a way out.



Previous: December 2013, January 2013,

What Are We Listening To? (Christian Music)

So just now getting around to wrapping up stuff from 2014. So here's my belated annual look at what we're listening to. As I mentioned yesterday, not sure if I'll continue these posts next year - I'm not running very music (listening to less music), I have a much longer commute (mostly listening to audiobooks), our primary phones aren't iDevices (lots of plays don't update play counts) and we're using Pandora and YouTube much more for our music.

Not a lot of change from last time which seems like confirmation of that change in listening habits.  I would be surprised if In Christ Alone was ever dislodged from the #1 spot.  It's so far ahead of the others.  Because I really like it.



1. In Christ Alone - Adrienne Liesching (with Geoff Moore) [1]

2. Here With Us - Joy Williams [2]

3. Ancient Words - Michael W. Smith [3]

4. My Savior My God - Aaron Shust [5]

5. Keep The Candle Burning - Point of Grace [5]

6. You Are Holy (Prince of Peace) - Michael W. Smith [6]

7. Back Home - JJ Heller [7]

8. Dive - Steve Curtis Chapman [8]

9. Christ the Lord is Risen Today - Ashley Cleveland [9]

10. In The Light - dcTalk [12]

11. Secret Ambition - Michael W. Smith [7]

12. Indescribable - Chris Tomlin [14]

13. Say The Words (Now) - dcTalk [15]

14. In Christ Alone - Newsboys [17]

15. We Humble Ourselves - Paul Baloche [13]

16. We - Joy Williams [16]

17. Lord, I Life Your Name On High - SONICFLOOd [18]

18. Wonderful, Merciful Savior - Selah [12]

19. Keep You Safe - JJ Heller [19]

20. Can't Go On - Group 1 Crew [22]

21. I Want To Know You - SONICFLOOd [23]

22. Live Out Loud - Steven Curtis Chapman [24]

23. What Do I Know of Holy - Addison Road [21]

24. The River - Brian Doerksen [23]

25. Who I Am Hates Who I've Been - Reliant K [new]

Previously: January 2013, July 2011,

What Are We Listening To? (Christmas Music)

2014 was quite a year. January 2015 is nearly over and I'm just now getting to my end-of-the-year posts. I had wanted to do posts at the end of each month, but those kind of went to the wayside as well.

So this year we listened to a lot of new Christmas music. Not enough to break into this list, but so much that this list didn't change much. We also listened to a lot more Pandora this year as well as music transferred to our non-iDevices (so no play counts). But here's the our top 25 Christmas songs (not counting stuff in Ben's lullabye list).



1. Here with Us - Joy Williams [1]

2. Linus & Lucy - Vince Guarld Trio [new]

3. Christmas Lullaby - Mannheim Steamroller [new]

4. Jingle Bells - Barenaked Ladies [2]

5. Away in A Manger - Mannheim Steamroller [new]

6. I Saw Three Ships - Mannheim Steamroller [new]

7. Stille Nacht - Mannheim Steamroller [new]

8. What Child is This - Toby Bresnahan [new]

9. In Dulchi Jublio - Mannheim Steamroller [new]

10. Song for the King - Michael W. Smith [new]

11. Let It Snow! - Dean Martin [3]

12. Let It Snow - Celtic Woman [7]

13. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Bing Crosby [7]

14. Let It Show! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Frank Sinatra [8]

15. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Jaci Velasquez [6]

16. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Matthew West [9]

17. when Love Came Down - Point of Grace [10]

18. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow/Sleigh Ride - Point of Grace [11]

19. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings - Barenaked Ladies feat. Sarah Maclachlan [13]

20. All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey [14]

21. Christmas at Hogwarts - John Williams [12]

22. Christmas Hymn - Amy Grant [15]

23. Emmanuel, God With Us - Amy Grant [25]

24. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Martina McBride [17]

25. Angels We Have Heard On High - Sara Groves [19]

Previous posts: December 2013, January 2013, January 2011, July 2010

Looking ahead...

I don't think "simplify" was entirely successful. I didn't apply it regularly and it was a little vague.

A new year was time for a new approach anyhow. So I've struggled about how to approach this. My typical M.O. was to start making a list. It was starting to become a complicated list. And that's absolutely the wrong approach. So I threw it out and made it a much smaller list.

If I want serenity, simplicity, serendipity, I need focus.

2014 = focus.