Welcome to Wash U, incoming freshman! You are about to be thrown into a pressure cooker of arts and entertainment, surrounded by culture 24/7. And some of that taste is more highly valued than others. Make sure you grab your place in the musical hierarchy early on with these simple playlist suggestions:

10. Any of the bands the Gargoyle has booked.
The Gargoyle, Wash. U.’s on-campus venue, boasts a number of great shows throughout the year. Their supernatural taste in bands—just check the lineup for Lollapalooza: Five of the bands played Gargoyle shows last year alone—guarantees you some major bonus points.

9. Songs with related dances.
The “Single Ladies” dance, Soulja Boy, Stanky Leg, *hell*, even the “Macarena.” Getting everyone up and moving is a great way to get to know people.

8. Blink 182 reunion
There’s something about Blink 182 that takes us back to sixth grade sans Ritalin. Their reunion tour has been cause for great excitement, which is always an easy way into the musical hierarchy. Make sure to check them out in St. Louis on Sept. 3.

7. Queen/Journey (great sing-along songs).
You know how it is—there are certain songs that just bring people together. “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Don’t Stop Believing” are the epitome of bonding songs.

6. A cappella songs
You are entering a rare stage of your life where everyone seems to like it. Don’t let these four to seven years go to waste.

5. Songs from summer festivals
Summer is a great time for music festivals—Bonaroo, Coachella, Summerfest, Pitchfork, and Lollapalooza, to name a few. If you had the chance to get to any one of these, it’s an awesome conversation starter. Everyone loves a good concert story. Even if you couldn’t make it to one of the festivals, you can still read the reviews and fake it!

4. Vinyl
In the pantheon of music, vinyl is king. The dedication it takes to actually maintain a record player at school, as well as to amass the vinyl collection, speaks to a profound love of music. Set that needle down and watch the accolades roll in. (Shameless plug: StudLife runs a weekly blog called “Rare Finds at Vintage Vinyl.” If that’s your speed, check it out online.)

3. Disney songs
College students love Disney songs. It’s pretty much an irrefutable fact. Also, there’s nothing quite like singing, “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” in a group of people you barely know. Instant friendship, I guarantee it.

2. Girl Talk
Greg Gillis’ infectious mashups are almost universally loved and are sure to garner a high place in the musical hierarchy. Bonus points for spreading the Girl Talk Tasering story that occurred on campus long before your time here. Just ask an upperclassman about it.

1. In the immortal words of T.I., whatever you like.
College is a place to assert yourself. Want to listen to the Jonas Brothers nonstop? Go right ahead. Chances are you’ll find people with similar interests no matter what your tastes are.

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Tags: a cappella, blink 182, disney, girl talk, journey, Music, queen, soulja boy, the gargoyle, vinyl

This entry was posted on Friday, July 10th, 2009 at 1:27 pm and is filed under Cadenza, Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through this feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.