What is a playlist

The term playlist originally came about in the early days of radio in the 1950s. Stations would compile their top 40 lists and then publish them. Listeners then knew where their favourite song would be played.

Many years ago— I mean many years ago— I had a cassette recorder. Now, before Spotify, Amazon, and all, some people used to record songs from the radio. I had cassette tapes of albums, comedy shows, and yes, I tried to record things. Not a success. Some people did make their own playlists. But sometimes tapes got chewed. The attempt to remove a tape from a player, the splicing kits brought, and tapes fixed. It was very high-tech for the time.

Then came the iPod.

The techno jump

Ok so I have jumped a few things: the Sony Walkman back in 1979, boomboxes, VHS, and Betamax. All helped us make sorts of recordings we wanted. Until, of course, the tape got snagged in the machine.

The iPod, however, was a revolution we did not know we wanted. Alongside iTunes, which came out in January 2001, the iPod was a jukebox of 1,000 songs in the palm of your hand. Now you could create your own playlists. You could buy digital songs, download CDs, mix what you wanted. But it was just for you. Still, it was a new type of playlist. I created my own playlists of sorts; it was okay, crude but fine. Now you could carry even more in your pocket.

Why make a playlist

IIn 2008, Spotify came along, which increased the range of music available. iTunes had grown, but Microsoft had not done so well. For me, I had started to create song lists of sorts. I never thought of them as playlists. Like many, I could put together my favourite songs, grouped them into rock or soundtracks. 

As time moved on, playlists became more popular, and with technological inventions, they became more personal and yet more accessible. We allow people to see the music that drives us, smoothes us, and motivates us. But why? I myself have posted links to my birthday list starting as I turned 60. It was a challenge I set to prove I could find 60 songs. I also wrote a blog for that. I did admit I sort of cheated; I got 50 songs and 10 albums, which meant I could include things like War of the Worlds. How could I not pick all the songs from that? 

Although I completed my own challenge, it did make me change my plans for the next one. Once I had started, I knew I would do more, and why not share? Friends could listen and try to understand what was going through my mind. Each of the past four years showed something, but I won’t give away what. Some was easy to understand, like songs to dance to. They were not always so easy to spot, however, and some people may not guess the style.

Who or what makes a list?

Well, that’s the point. Who or what is on anyone’s list? Anything really. Playlists are personal, private insights into their feelings, their celebrations, and even their sad moments. Not everyone will like all the songs in someone else’s playlist. Some will introduce others to new songs, new bands, and new styles of music. Playlists have wandered into our lives without really trying. It’s very much like a book list, also personal but gives another insight into a person. 

My last four lists have all had a theme; my 60th was, as I said, 60 songs for 60 years. Easy to understand. The 61st was the most difficult one as it had no real theme other than 61 songs. The theme for the 62nd was the year of my birth, 1962, mixed with a few dance songs. I only publish my birthday ones; the others remain private, like TV themes I enjoy or my own mix of rock songs. 

Playlists can be both public and private; maybe the real ones are those never seen by anyone but yourself. Why would you want to let everyone into your soul? Some very close friends perhaps, maybe only one other, and maybe no one. 

Time to list

You might never have made a list up to now. You might be tempted to start your own, and why not? Music is for everyone, and everyone has their own ideas of a list. And is that the final point of a playlist? You play with a list, you edit it, increase it, copy it, and replace it. Then you just play it. Morning, noon, on the train, on a walk, or just to keep you company.

So go and try one or listen to one. You never know what you might create or find.

Tagline – ‘Feel the music’