The Ultimate Dad Playlist
How an introduction to my dad’s music taste developed my deep connection to the classics
Illustration: Keira Sainsbury
Music has always been such a prominent feature in the relationship I have with my dad. From the moment I was born, my Dad and I have always been best friends. During my mom’s pregnancy he would sing to her belly with me in it, and as a result the term ‘music lover’ runs in my veins. Let’s treat this as a thank you note to my dad for introducing me to the world of appreciating music.
I want to do a deeper dive into some of the songs and artists that remind me of special moments with my dad. When my little brother and I were younger we had matching chairs propped up in front of the TV and we would watch the Live Aid concert where Queen performs their song, Radio Gaga. If you know the song, certain parts contain clapping noises, and in the Live Aid version, the crowd claps above their heads. So naturally, my brother and I would follow suit and this became a trend in which anytime we heard the song we would clap above our heads. Even now, my whole family keeps this tradition alive anytime we hear the song.
As a kid I had a really hard time falling asleep, but my dad had a solution! Every single night without fail my dad would carry me to bed and sing me to sleep, and when I got too big to carry he would sit by my bed and sing to me. Songs by Simon and Garfunkel, Bon Jovi, One Direction, and Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin were his main picks. He would even make up his own renditions to songs when he had exhausted the rest at the end of his nightly queue.
We both love 80’s music and have found it to be a great way of bonding. My dad even made me a new wave 80’s themed playlist that I often find myself listening to especially when I miss him away at school. For my 13th birthday my dad bought me a vinyl record player and my family took me downtown to a record store in Toronto. I ended up buying the Hatful of Hollow album by The Smiths because while browsing in the store, my dad showed me the record and a guy who worked there paused and told me that this album would change my life. We knew then that we had to buy it and it’s still a go-to record for me to listen to on vinyl.
When it comes to which song is our song, I can only say that it would have to be Chicken Fried by the Zac Brown Band. My dad grew up in Dallas, Texas so country music was always on and is definitely a top three favourite music genre for me. When I was little, I would stand on our ottoman in the living room so that I could somewhat reach my dad’s height to dance with him when this song came on. We would stop whatever we were doing to share that 4 minutes singing and dancing together.
Every morning when I was in elementary school my dad would wake my brother and I up by blasting music throughout the house. Even now, every Sunday morning – or if we have to get up early for an event, my dad plays music to wake everyone up. It was the best because it always had me in a great mood at the start of my day. It’s become a ritual for me and now being on my own in university, I still play music when I wake up and make my breakfast to keep that little bit of home with me everyday.
Throughout my entire life my dad has shown and taught me so many things using music. It has become a huge part of our relationship and how we communicate our affection to one another. My takeaway would be, listen to a couple songs your dad has to recommend. Who knows? You may like them more than you’d think.