The occasion: A “Rock Star” practice for my daughter’s softball team, the Lucky Charms.  Her assignment:  Team DJ, tasking her with creating an iPod mix to play on a boombox at practice.  The girls could dress like rock stars, dance, and play some softball while they were at it.

Her team has played together for three years, and watching them serves as a reminder of all that is good about being a young girl, and being on a team.  They are sweet and funny and do lots of silly cheers, but make no mistake – they are hitters and will run you down when necessary.

So she and I sat down at the computer, going through my iTunes library, with her giving a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to each song I suggested.  We’ve been down this road before; both of my kids have created lots of mixes (“I’d Choose Creme Brulee”).  For their own use, they have talked me into songs that would never have otherwise made their way into my iTunes — yes, Katy Perry and “Party Rockers” LMFAO, I am talking about you.

For this occasion, she had specific criteria in mind.  Some of her usual favorites were rejected as being too slow or too “embarrassing” (what?), and at least one song was selected because “it’s so weird, my friends have to hear it!”  Predictably, any song with “girl” in it made the cut, as did anything by Michael Jackson.  I was proud of her for adding The Beatles’  “Eleanor Rigby”, and while she does love that song, I’m guessing she added it as tribute to her friend of the same name.

Marrying my husband has made me appreciate bands like AC/DC, Bon Jovi, KISS, et. al.  I never listened to those bands back in the day (in fact, I was scared of the KISS album covers that the older neighbor boys had), but it is the music of my husband’s youth.   And when you merge your lives and your CD’s, eventually you acquire a taste for the music of your loved one.   [Well, within limits – I’m still never listening to Pink Floyd.  (“Heaven From Hell…..Guess Which This is”)].

“You MUST put some AC/DC on there”, my husband said.   And he had a good point.  Think about it – what was the song that got people on the dance floor at your prom?  Or at a wedding with an otherwise lame DJ? (All the more reason to not have dancing – “The Beginning of the Soundtrack”).  Or, in recent years, at your kids’ school auction?  (WW’ers….you know who you are).

That’s right – AC/DC’s “Shook Me All Night Long” is always a sure thing.  Obviously I’m revealing my 1980’s/40-something demographic here, but really – try it and you will see what I am talking about.

I played the iconic opening guitar riff of that song.
Her blue eyes widened……”YES!” she said.
And so it begins.