Parsons Playlists: “Hope is the thing with feathers …”

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library Associate Melanie and features some songs that make her feel hopeful. 

Hope is the thing with feathers  … 

Things can feel pretty overwhelming (especially lately) so we have to find things that can help us get through.  Music is often good for that, so here’s a playlist of some songs that make me feel hopeful on bad days. (The title of this playlist was taken from an excellent Emily Dickinson poem that’s worth a read, btw.)  What would YOU add to this playlist?

urple flower growing on crack street, soft focus, blank text

Paul McCartney – “Hope of Deliverance”

Moon Taxi – “Say”

Johnny Nash – “I Can See Clearly Now”

Bill Withers – “Lovely Day”

New Radicals – “You Get What You Give”

The Beatles – “Here Comes the Sun”

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”

The Impressions – “Keep On Pushing”

The Stone Roses – “Waterfall”

Des’ree – “You Gotta Be”

Jackie Wilson – “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher”

Billy Joel – “The River of Dreams”

Sting – “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You”

Labi Siffre – “My Song”

Bruce Springsteen – “Hungry Heart”

Ella Fitzgerald – “Blue Skies”

Ben Folds – “Still Fighting It”

Nat King Cole – “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”

Stevie Wonder – “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing”

The Traveling Wilburys – “End of the Line”

Electric Light Orchestra – “Mr. Blue Sky”

Sly & the Family Stone – “Stand!”

The Beatles – “Dear Prudence”

Fred Astaire – “Pick Yourself Up”

Simon & Garfunkel – “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)”

Tears for Fears – “Sowing the Seeds of Love”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zex3pi–z07ZHsysqvGRHKpE&si=H6l2GX5-sUsVraBm

And here it is on Spotify:

Parsons Playlists: Back to the Future

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Griffin (class of 2027). It features a mix of new and older songs.

Back to the Future

back to the future

Recently, I’ve been listening to mostly old music as well as whatever new releases were coming out, so I thought, why not combine the time differences into one playlist? Listening to them all, it’s interesting to listen to the common themes from each period and how the sound has evolved into what we enjoy today. Listening from old to new, new to old, or shuffling the list gives light to new experiences as well.

Sampha – “Dancing Circles 2.0”

JPEGMAFIA – “either on or off the drugs”

Mustafa feat. Daniel Caesar – “Leaving Toronto”

KAYTRANADA feat. Childish Gambino – “Witchy”

The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless”

Clairo – “Juna”

MAXO KREAM X TYLER, THE CREATOR – “CRACC ERA”

FKA twigs – “Eusexua”

Denzel Curry ft. Ty Dolla $ign & Juicy J – “COLE PIMP”

The Temptations – “The Way You Do The Things You Do”

Ben E. King – “Stand By Me”

Sly & The Family Stone – “Family Affair”

The Flamingos – “I Only Have Eyes for You”

Bobby Hebb – “Sunny”

Paul Simon – “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”

Stevie Wonder – “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing”

Ray Charles – “What’d I Say”

Bob Dylan – “The Times They Are A-Changin'”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZezTVskBwAUxuXEeauYQTMFG&si=2Sv6jGo_Mymlm_Ki