You Don't Have to Try So Hard: Songs for When You’re Tired of Being Strong
Have you ever heard someone described as “the glue”? Everybody knows someone like that, even if no one’s ever actually called them the glue. Maybe it’s the person in your…
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Here It Goes Again: This Is the True Story of How MTV Entered the Real World
The very first season of “The Real World” debuted on May 21, 1992. The cast was made up of Norman Korpi, Andre Comeau, Julie Oliver, Rebecca Blasband, Heather B., Eric Nies and Kevin Powell, who lived together in New York City. Let’s catch up with some of the cast: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage/Getty Images
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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….
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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,…
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Pack the Good and Leave the Rest: 13 Songs for a Comeback
Sometimes, a comeback isn’t loud. Sometimes, it doesn’t announce itself or arrive on schedule. Sometimes, it comes after time has passed … after things have shifted, stretched, or quietly fallen…
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Beautiful, The Mess We Are: 54 Songs to Comfort a Troubled Heart
I almost didn’t post this. Oh, who am I kidding? I almost didn’t even write this post. I’m not really sure why, but this one was a hard one to…
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You Might Feel a Shaft of Light Make Its Way Across Your Face: 16 Songs Perfect for Celebrating an Achievement
So, yeah, the title probably gives it away. I buried the lede, as they say. Unrelated but fun fact: As I post this article, it occurs to me that I’m…
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You Can Blow Out My Candle, But You'll Never Put Out My Fire: 42 Songs About Persevering to Achieve Your Goals
With all due respect to Britney Spears, oops! I did it again. I left you hanging. In my very first post, I said I wanted to try to write one…
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Have I the Courage to Change?: 14 Songs to Inspire You to Set Goals
A few weeks ago, I did a crazy thing. No, I’m not talking about clicking “Publish” on the first Songbird Soundtrack post, although I’m sure some would call that crazy,…
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Soundtrack 1, The Bonus Tracks
Find all the songs I mentioned or alluded to in Soundtrack 1 in this playlist.
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Ain't It Crazy What a Song Can Do?: Soundtrack 1, Side B
Welcome to the B-side. Well, I’ve already been unable to achieve my goal of writing a post a week. That’s actually only partially true, as I’ve been working on this…
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Let the Music Play!: Soundtrack 1, Side A
So here I am … one week later, and the Songbird Soundtracks — the playlists I’ve been building — officially begin. An admission: I’ve been working on the first playlist…
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Put Your Records On: Welcome to the Songbird Soundtrack
Here I am, “putting my records on,” as the song says. But why? Why a Soundtrack? Like many of my stories, this is not a short one. (Yes, I’m painfully…
