Music That Makes You Think of Your Dad
Noah: Earth, Wind & Fire
It's his favorite band to dance to!
Andrew: John Cougar Mellencamp, "Cherry Bomb"
"A seminal part of my childhood was spending time driving around with my dad. My mom never learned to drive (I don't think she really wanted to, and my parents could only afford one car anyway), so I have many, many memories of driving to the store with my dad, to hockey practice with my dad, and to pick my mom up from work with my dad. As an 18 month old, that meant listening to my dad play "Cherry Bomb" over and over on our car's cassette deck, to the point where my first complete sentence was singing "When a smoke was a smoke" from the chorus that my dad--who gave up smoking when I was born--loved to yell along to. It wasn't until the last month that I was informed it's actually "When a sport was a sport." I refuse to ever tell my dad this info."
Nick: The Doors
"It was his favorite band, and it became one of mine. They have a sound that is unique and the song writing is artistic and fun. It takes me back to riding in the car with him while "Love Her Madly" played."
Santina: Elton John, "Candle in the Wind"
“When I was little, my dad had a Saturn and kept an Elton John cassette inside. Ever since I first heard that song in the car with him, I fell in love with it and without fail would always request it to be played by expressing "Dad, play the candle song!!!" and he always did."
Lydia: George Thorogood and the Destroyers
"Apparently, my dad toured (cough cough...partied) with them for a few weeks around the Midwest during his time in college - and LOVES telling everyone about this brief period of his life. He also loves to blast the song "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" whenever he has control of the aux cord."
Nick: Billy Joel
"Some of my earliest memories are singing to my dad’s Billy Joel CDs. Growing up on Long Island, NY, Billy Joel is a part of your DNA. My dad and whole family loves his music and the stories they tell. As I am to become a dad myself this year, I can’t wait to show his music to my son. Thankfully my wife loves him as much as I do, in our family it’s All About Joel!"
Ethan: Luke Combs, Fathers and Sons
“I've been lucky enough to have an outstanding role model and friend all built into my dad. The album brings back so many memories of our adventures to Georgia, multiple Bronco games, and numerous others. "Front Door Famous" is definitely my favorite on the album, but if you decide to listen make sure to have some tissues ready!
Chris: Any Old Classic Rock
"My dad was a drummer who couldn't read sheet music. I always think of older rock music as as place my Dad would thrive and love - where we didn't have this 2026 perfectionism behind making a track and we just had the feeling the music gave us to let us know it was ready for the world to hear."
Scott: Roy Buchanan, Malo, War, Don Williams, Floyd Cramer
"I was blessed with a dad, a stepdad, and a grandfather who exposed me to all kinds of music. My father was a big blues fanatic. I remember at an early age probably elementary school when he handed me a Roy Buchanan tape, When the Guitar Player Plays the Blues, before I went off to summer camp. I listened to that tape I think until it wore out while on my summer break. I loved the beginning of the title track and still love it! He introduced me to some awesome guitar harmonica, and Hammond organ music, and really inspired me to fall in love with all sorts of blues music.
My stepdad came into my life when I was in junior high. Him being a Latino from Southern California exposed me to all sorts of new music. Southern California Latino influenced funk and soul really was something that I ended up falling in love with and ultimately had a big desire to play that kind of music in a band growing up.
My grandfather was a big Country guy. I remember sitting outside with him on fishing trips and listening to music with him just waiting for the song 'I Believe in You' by Don Williams to be played. I don't remember most lyrics of songs, but this one I love to sing along with. My grandfather was really proud of me that I could play piano. He told all of his friends that I was gonna be the next Floyd Cramer. That kept me going with the craft. I was never able to play piano like Floyd, but I loved listening to him with my grandpa and grandma together."
Amy: Meat Loaf, Bat out of Hell
"My dad was born in 1943, so his musical tastes leaned toward artists like Neil Diamond, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and a mix of 1950s and 1960s rock n' roll oldies. We listened to those cassette tapes on heavy rotation during our annual road trips from Indiana to my grandparents’ house in Florida, along with every side trip in between.
On one of those trips, when I was about 14, he picked up Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf on a whim at his favorite truck stop diner. I think he'd heard “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” once and was convinced that “you kids are gonna love it.” That cassette quickly became the most-played tape in his collection and stayed that way for the rest of his life.
Its over-the-top, operatic sound and my dad’s willingness to step outside his usual musical comfort zone left a lasting impression on me. That album became so intertwined with my memories of him that when Meat Loaf passed away 12 years after my dad, it hit me harder than I expected. It's truly remarkable how music can become inseparable from the people and moments we love most, bringing them back to us so effortlessly."
On one of those trips, when I was about 14, he picked up Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf on a whim at his favorite truck stop diner. I think he'd heard “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” once and was convinced that “you kids are gonna love it.” That cassette quickly became the most-played tape in his collection and stayed that way for the rest of his life.
Its over-the-top, operatic sound and my dad’s willingness to step outside his usual musical comfort zone left a lasting impression on me. That album became so intertwined with my memories of him that when Meat Loaf passed away 12 years after my dad, it hit me harder than I expected. It's truly remarkable how music can become inseparable from the people and moments we love most, bringing them back to us so effortlessly."
Lake: Classic Rock, New Wave, Soft Rock
"I grew up listening to his vinyl collection of all this music."
Allie: Paul Simon, "You Can Call Me Al" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones
"I'm lucky enough to have two dads, with two distinct set of music memories from my childhood. One taught me about the fundamentals of music - music theory, all the classics, how to play guitar and piano. Paul Simon always brings me back to belting songs in the car with him, especially "You Can Call Me Al" (you cannot but my dad can).
My other dad taught me how fun music can be - he used to play "Mambo Italiano" for me and my brother every single night for dance parties. We danced to "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones at my wedding and everyone sang along - it will forever be one of my favorite memories.
Luke: Jazz, and Jingles and Advertisements
"It's what he always listened to when he was working at home."
