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I Shoulda Learned to Play the Guitar: Songs from When MTV Taught Us to See the Music
August 1, 2026, marks 45 years since MTV first went on the air. Yet there’s more than a little irony in marking that anniversary just seven months after several of MTV’s remaining music-only channels went dark. It feels less like a birthday and more like a bookend. MTV Music chose “Video Killed the Radio Star” as its last video — the same video that had launched MTV in 1981. You…
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Nothing Ever Lasts Forever: Songs for the Last Days of Summer
Summer doesn’t really end all at once, does it? The days are still hot, and no one has put away the swimsuits or lawn chairs just yet. But the telltale signs have begun to appear. School-supply lists are posted online…
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‘Cause There Ain’t No Doubt I Love This Land: Songs for Independence Day
The Fourth of July arrives with its own familiar rhythm: flags lifting in the summer air, music spilling from open windows, brisket shared with friends, and pool parties stretching lazily toward sunset. It’s a holiday made for big sounds —…
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But All I Really Want is Some Room to Breathe: 13 Songs for Saying “No”
Some “NOs” arrive like thunder. Others arrive cool, clear, and long overdue. This playlist leans into both: the theatrical refusal, the bright pop shutdown, the stylish brush-off, the final curtain. Most of these songs live in the world of romantic…
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We Can Be Heroes, Just for One Day: Stranger Things in 13 Songs
The Stranger Things finale landed on New Year’s Eve 2025, closing a story that began on July 15, 2016, and captivating viewers of all ages with a decade of bikes, flashlights, mixtapes, malls, and monsters. If the show’s impact on…
