🎵 The Music Playlist of Life

If there’s one thing that’s been the soundtrack to every season of my life, it’s music. I’m an avid music listener — always have been. Music calms me, gets me hyped, helps me process life, and sometimes even pulls me back to places I forgot I remembered. And if you’re anything like me, your playlist has probably changed right alongside your own story.

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s, I was all over the place musically — but honestly, who wasn’t? Those decades had some of the best music we’ll ever hear. Pop was everywhere, but the stuff we weren’t supposed to listen to was half the fun. It felt like a rite of passage to crank up the Beastie Boys or Run-DMC, even though I knew my parents weren’t exactly fans. Metallica, AC/DC… they were in heavy rotation too.

Then there was Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good,” which I played so many times the tape literally got eaten by my tape player on the way to Six Flags Magic Mountain. Honestly? Worth it. And even though I loved all the loud rebellious stuff, I still had room for country — probably because my grandparents enjoyed it so much. California road trips to the beach demanded The Beach Boys. It just felt right.

When I moved to Illinois, the playlist came with me, but the people I hung out with shaped it too. Not long after arriving, I found myself heading to a Tom Petty concert, soaking up every minute. Before that, back in California, I’d gone to so many country concerts — Clint Black, Travis Tritt, Randy Travis, Reba, The Judds, Alabama — all artists who shaped my appreciation for storytelling through song.

Then I met my wife, and the soundtrack took a turn toward the romantic. Suddenly, Garth Brooks was the voice of our early relationship. Songs like “Unanswered Prayers,” the auctioneer song (“Sold!”), and “Watermelon Crawl” all became part of our shared playlist. And then, of course, our wedding song:
“I Will Be Here” by Steven Curtis Chapman.
Those lyrics still hit me — not just as a memory, but as a promise. To her. To our kids. To our family.

When our oldest was a baby, I didn’t get much opportunity to sit while holding her — she preferred the bounce-and-stand method — so Garth Brooks and I spent many nights tag-teaming bedtime. As the years went on, our playlist shifted again toward Christian Contemporary. We’ve been to more TobyMac, Third Day, and MercyMe concerts than I can count. Those shows feel like mini revivals, and they have a way of rejuvenating your soul.

These days at work, you’ll usually find me tuned into Teddy Swims, Chris Stapleton, and other low-key but soulful artists that help keep me steady and focused. Music still moves me — sometimes literally, sometimes emotionally.

Because music isn’t just background noise.
It’s memories.
It’s moments.
It’s emotions wrapped in melody.
It’s the soundtrack to all the chapters we’ve lived… and the ones still being written.

And I don’t know about you, but I plan to keep adding to that playlist for as long as I can.

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A nostalgic and heartwarming reflection on how music becomes the soundtrack of life — from 80s pop and rebellious teen anthems to country road trips, wedding songs, Christian concerts, and soulful workday playlists.