Music Bucket List ✔️

 I don't know about most people, but I have a Music Bucket List. This is a short list of 5 Songs and 4 Artists. My list was started as a teenager and included the first 4 songs/artists, and the last 1 was added as a newly married woman in my twenties. The last one on my list was the first one checked off.

My husband and I met in 1981 and married in 1983. In 1983/84 a Bryan Adams song came out that became our song, "Heaven". I fell in love with the lyrics and it became our song immediately. After we were married in Ohio in 1983, we moved to California and went to see Bryan Adams' "Reckless" tour. We are on the lawn at an amphitheater at the Orange County fairgrounds and heard Bryan sing "Heaven" live. I still remember that night so clearly, sitting on a blanket up on the grass hill, with my wonderful husband, I think I was over 5 months pregnant, listening to one of my favorite singers singing our song. How could I ever forget that experience? We heard him sing "Heaven two more times in  on his "Bare Bones" tour. The first with just me and my husband, and the second time was in 2013  with the daughter I was pregnant with in 1984, and she was pregnant with our first grandchild. How cool is that? Music Bucket List #5 ✔️.

In 1973 Billy Joel released "Piano Man" and it instantly became one of my favorite songs. I loved Billy Joel's music then and still love it today, but "Piano Man" could not be topped. Is there a human on this planet that does not know, and love that song? I think not! Just less than a year later in 1974 Elton John came out with "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me."  I would be hard pressed to pick which one of those songs was my favorite. They are songs that you turn up loud and sing even louder no matter where you are. I was singing one of them the other day in a store and did not care who heard me. As a matter of fact I am sure there were other people in that store singing with me. You just can't stop yourself. In 2009 Elton and Billy were touring together and my husband and I went to the concert in Indianapolis, IN. Elton sang "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" the 3rd song in the set and Billy sang "Piano Man" the 36th song in the set. They did not disappoint. To go to a concert with two of the best Music Artists of all time, at the same time, and who entertained us for 3 hours was truly one of the best concerts I have ever attended. Music Bucket List #3 and #4 ✔️

Elton John

Billy Joel 

Now for numbers #1 and #2. I was born in 1960 and have 5 siblings that were older by 7 to 15 years. So you better believe I was raised on Beatles music. I had two brothers that were in bands in their teens, and for every teenage band in the 60s and 70s  Beatles songs were standards on their set list. My husband loves the Beatles, and so do my kids. I even think my grandkids love Beatles music. I watched the "Get Back" documentary a few months ago and it revived my love of their music. Last week my Husband and I went to see Paul McCartney in Fort Worth. First, I never in all of my life thought I would ever be able to see any of the Beatles in person. Let alone Paul, who in my opinion was the most talented of the group. Then to see him at the age of 79 and 11 months still rocking was AMAZING. This man played/sang 36 songs, and played the acoustic guitar, bass, ukulele, mandolin and piano without missing a note or forgetting a word. He told the best stories of his music experiences, paid tributes to John and George his departed friends and shared his music from the Beatles, Wings and his newest work. Then it happened, song #28 on the play list, "Let it Be". I was in tears! My favorite song of all time was being sung by Paul McCartney. At first I couldn't even sing with him because I was so awe struck. I did video him and about a verse into it I got a grip and started singing along. Best music moment ever!

Paul playing "Let It Be"

After "Let it Be", and the crowd calmed a bit, Paul started to play "Live and Let Die", great song, but not a bucket list song. What we didn't plan on, being scared out of our wits, lol. Just after he sang, "Live and Let Die" there was an explosion and fire balls shot up from the front of the stage and then the back of the stage and then indoor fireworks went off. Holy Mother of Pearl it was loud and Awesome! My husband turned to me and said, I have never been scared at a concert before. 🤣

First loud explosion and fire after he sang "Live and Let Die"

Fire and fireworks during the music

After that great music spectacle was over Paul went to the piano and started to play "Hey Jude". This song lasted over 7 minutes and we all got to sing with Paul McCartney! It was so much fun that everyone in that arena was singing the  na na na na's. So, I not only got to see Sir, soon to be Lord, Paul McCartney, but I got to sing with him. Music Bucket List #1 and #2 ✔️

Although there are other songs that I love and Artist I would love to see, these have always been the must see for me. Music is such a huge part of my families lives, and I always have a song in my head. Even though my Music Bucket List is complete, I will never be done listening for that next great song.