There comes a time during each and every summer where I reach a breaking point.
It is inevitable. I mean, I can only handle so much in one season.
No, I’m not talking about one too many trips to the pool
Or unfair carpool shifts
Or bickering
Or tattling
Or even the oppressive Chicagoland heat that has browned my lawn to a third-degree crisp.
No.
I’m talking about Played Out Summer Radio Anthems, my friends. It happens every single year. One song or another gets such an inordinate amount of airtime that it goes beyond general ear-worminess.
It incites an insuppressible rage within me.
In 1988 it was Richard Marx with Endless Summer Nights. *groan*
In 2010, Katy Perry did it with California Gurls. *primal scream*
And this summer?
It is not just one song.
Oh, no.
It is a plethora of them.
Normally, The Cherubs and I do not see eye-to-eye on the topic of music. But this summer’s airwave assault of Played Out Anthems has been so immense…so intense…that just the opening strains of one of these little ditties is enough to have us all at one anothers’ throats in matter of milliseconds.
Think I’m kidding?
We challenge you to listen to any one of these Top Ten Played-Out Summer Anthems of 2012 without clawing at your eyeballs or pulling your hair out at the roots.
10. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe.” From Twin B: “I get a headache trying to decide what’s spunkier, her song or her name.”
9. The Wanted – “Glad You Came.” From The Small One: “Wait. Is that an ACCORDION I hear?”
8. Justin Bieber – “Boyfriend.” From Twin A: “Even *I* don’t want The Biebster to be my boyfriend. (Sheepishly) “Umm, anymore.”
7. FUN, “We Are Young.” From Twin A: ”I used to want to set the world on fire…but FUN took all the fun out of it with that one song.”
6. Nicki Minaj, “Starships.” From Twin B: “You know what this song reminds me of? Alvin & The Chipmunks…Only faster.”
5. One Direction, “What Makes You Beautiful.” From The Small One: “Hey, Mom! Where do all the guys with the worst hair go?” (pause) “In ONE DIRECTION! Haha! Get it?”
4. Anything by LMFAO
3. Anything by Katy Perry
2. Anything in which Flo Rida makes an appearance
1. The Oompa Loompas- “Somebody that I Used to Know.” – My children refuse to recognize Gotye as a band and give full credit for this xylophone-dominated song to Willy Wonka’s plucky band of minions.
Did we miss any, friends? What Played Out Summer Anthems of 2012 drive you to drink?
Inspired by a prompt from Mama Kat’s Writers’ Workshop: ”List 10 things that make you angry.”
How can you be so mean to the “Fun’ guys? They are the cutest thing ever! True, that song is on every station known to man but still, I love it! I only “liked” it and then I saw them on a video and fell in love! So stop bein’ a Hater!
I was trapped on a bus for three hours with 10,000 girlscouts on a trip to DC in June. And they played the New Direction movie(yes there is one) over and over and over again. I felt like jumping out the window! Still, the song is catchy!
m.
p.s. I’m sure I’m way to young to remember this Richard Marx dude you’re talking about. ha!
A New Direction MOVIE? Oooooh, Lordy.
And you probably *are* to young to recall Richard Marx. I date myself all the time in Blogland. It’s depressing. As is the fact that I used to love that dang song of his until it got played out.
You covered them all. No one wants to call Carly Rae after that song. Also, what exactly is Flo-Rida singing about in Whistle?? It concerns me greatly. Maybe.
Did you just morph references to Carly Rae and Flo Rida together right there at the end of your comment? How clever! Maybe.
See, this is why I refuse to listen to radio. So much so, I barely know half of these people – win!!
The One Direction joke is awesome though.
I don’t do the radio much either….got my one go-to classic alternative station. But now that The Twins are old enough to ride shotgun? They’re ALL up in my business, messing with the preset buttons and adjusting the volume. I’ve decided that I need a fly swatter when I drive.
I don’t listen to radio much, and definitely not pop radio (but I don’t judge!), so I hardly know any of these songs. But I am SO SICK of We Are Young. I keep hearing people talk about that Call Me Maybe song, but I have no idea what they’re talking about.
But nothing makes me change the radio station faster than Maroon 5. NOTHING.
As horrified as I am with pop radio these days, I sort of have a soft spot for Maroon 5. Awww, heck…I have a soft spot for ADAM LEVINE.
Does this mean that we will never drive in a car together, Leigh Ann?
You just became my new best friend. I HATE MAROON 5 WITH THE WHITE HOT RAGE OF A THOUSAND FIERY SUNS.
That’s why we listen to CDs instead.
You? Are a genius. And I would also venture to guess that:
(a) Your Cherubs don’t mess with the radio control buttons,
or
(b) If they do, you have a REALLY good fly swatter.
I congratulate myself on not having heard any of those songs except “Someone I Used to Know” and Cookie Monster’s version of “Call Me Maybe,” which is AWESOME. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qTIGg3I5y8
“Me look at you and me tell…you may have snick-er-doo-dle.”
You’re right. That’s OUTSTANDING.
Agreed, on all accounts. I’m starting to fear the radio and have found myself digging out the cds…yes, cd’s people. Because charging an iPod takes time and I’m that lazy. But my kids have now been subjected to Mariah Carey for the last two weeks, so they’re just gonna have to deal.
Mariah Carey??? Did that come with the “new” van? xo
Wait. What? I’m a Handflapper, not a Handf!
Isn’t that your nickmame? Like, when people call me SpinCy? Ain’t no thang.
Since you apparently don’t listen to country, you are missing out on loads of earworm material! This summer for me it’s “5-1-5-0″ (somebody call the po -po…). Seriously, that’s the lyrics. And “Something bout a Truck “. (Nope, not luck.) It’s the ones that are fun and easy to sing along with at first that in the end drive you insane…
Oh, my.
The po-po?
That put me over the edge. Somebody fetch me a bucket.
And this is why I started listening to a Christian radio station…that and I figured I could use all the help I could get.
I have to say, as soon as you mentioned summer anthems, Katy Fu$%ing Perry jumped into my head, and now I’ll be humming “Fireworks” all the live long day. Thanks for that ~banging head against keyboard~
Ooooh…sorry for the Fireworks in your head, girlfriend. But LOVE that you’ve found Christian radio. Jars of Clay = my absolute fave, Christian or otherwise. xo
I agree with you, kinda. I am SO sick and tired of Katy Perry but the rest of them… I like. Especially, Call Me Maybe.
I know, I know, I’ll expect the hate mail now.
Jen – I *almost* deleted your comment on grounds of musical blasphemy. You’re lucky I already like you…
Bahaha…you are sooo right!
Mmmm hmmmmm. How do we parents survive the summer…really?
Back in the old days this posting would have been a great fit with the “The Spin Cycle” . Although the world is digital now the Pop Top song burnout is still the norm. Thank God for 186 stations on satellite and for Pandora.
Curt! A comment *on* my site! Look at YOU!
Also – Grooveshark beats that pants off of Pandora. Just sayin’.
what a fun idea for a post–and Summer around this house sounds like it is at the same point yours is. kaye—the road goes ever ever on
It always comes to this…for all families with children…does it not, Kaye?
Call Me Maybe and What Makes You Beautiful. Are about to make me scream. I hear that 1D album in my sleep. Yes, I said ‘album’. Say something. Anything and I’ll hit you with my cane.
I am so sick of Nicki Minaj. I can’t even look at her. UGH. I am nobody’s feminist, but come ON!!! If you want respect start b respecting yourself. What a terrible stinking role model.
I had no idea how I felt until I read this post.
See, Maggie? This kind of catharsis is good for you. You’re welcome.
This is just so funny! I love your kids comments, especially the one about Carly Rae Jepson.
All my years of giving The Cherubs a quarter for each correctly identified, TASTEFUL musical selection are finally paying off, Julia.
I don’t care about the others.. for me it was all about We Are Young by FUN
All about as in you LOVED “We Are Young?” Or all about as in, “If I hear that stinkin song one more time, I’m going to hurt someone?”
Again, having a daughter … I can sooooooooo (is that enough O’s?) relate. She has 4 songs on her ipod. Yes, four. And they play over and over … and over.
1. Starships
2. Payphone
3. Call me maybe …
(These are all Kidz Bop versions)
… and then of course there is:
4. Boyfriend by the Beibs
Thank goodness you added the last one or I was going to have to do it. However, I do find that I need Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger to get my aged bones up the major hill in the ‘hood. Sadly the radio (yes it is still that dinosaur for me even if it is coming at me from my Droid or MP3) doesn’t always figure out where I am when they play it!
Just found your blog and I think I love you. HAHAH this is HILARIOUS!!