[Applerill]

In case you guys don't know, there's a lot of "Radio Disney" style stuff that I love: Early Miley Cyrus, Avril Lavigne, Vanessa Carlton. That kind of stuff.

But when someone shows me a newer Radio Disney star, such as Demi Lovato, or even something like Kelly Clarkson's new album, I feel sorta indifferent about it. And I realized something: A lot of the reason I love this "girly pop" is because of nostalgia. Take away that, and I find it to be dumb again, just like you guys would.

Bringing that further, I realized that, if done right, "summer singles" can be a great experience long-term. One of the reasons I love Avril Lavigne's third album so much is because of all the fun I had with my friends the summer of 07. Wherever we went, we heard "Girlfriend" (along with a bit of "When You're Gone", "Hot" and "One of Those Girls"). Whenever I listen to the album, my mind comes back to those days. While not as much so, I think in the same way with Katy Perry's One of the Boys and Miley Cyrus'Breakout for 2008.

Is this what makes a "guilty pleasure" the way it is? Do you guys feel that way with anything? Discuss!

[mikeyskywalker]

Uh, a guilty pleasure is something you're afraid to admit you like that you do actually like, and in your case you're definitely not afraid to admit it.

So what's the question?

[thomas697]

You definitely take guilty pleasure to a new level .. in a good way though!
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Having a family is the kind of thing that could be held against a person

[40footwolf]

Oh totally. Me and my dad would drive around and just listen to the most heinously cheesy rock and roll you could imagine when I was a little kid. Golden Earring, The Scorpions, Kansas, Motley Crue...if it was hard rock, we listened to it, and soaked it in.

To this day, "Carry On Wayward Son" brings back a flood of nostalgia every time I hear it. It's totally corny and completely indefensible, but I love it still.
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I love all music. It makes you feel like living. Silence is death.

-John Cassavettes

[SquishypuffDave]

I will further this concept by saying I get this feeling with songs that are not even connected with a nostalgic memory. Case in point: The Logical Song - Supertramp. When I first heard it I immediately identified with it as the fond cheesy memory of many other people much older than me, and although I was not around when it came out, I felt exactly the same thing I feel when listening to the cheesy nostalgic canticles of my own childhood.

[Bork]

You're probably right that certain songs will hold a higher place in your mind than what they should have based on only the musical qualitites, due to the memories connected with them. I am guessing most people have a couple of songs from growing up that seems to always stick. Bryan Adams 'Summer of 69' is one such for me, although it's not really bad enough to be a guilty pleasure. My guilty pleasure song would be Billy Ray Cyrus' 'Achy Breaky Heart', even though I'm too old to actually worry about the guilty part anymore. In the end noone else worries about those little things with other people, only with themselves.

[thomas697]

One of my biggest guilty pleasures is "Roxette - Joyride" I remember hearing it for the first time on a road trip from Brisbane to Melbourne when i was 4, and everytime i hear it, it brings that whole trip back to me .. and by all rights its probably an awful song
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Having a family is the kind of thing that could be held against a person

[dp39]

I'm not sure if the question is 'What's a guilty pleasure' or if you're asking us about albums we like because of memories.

A guilty pleasure is obvious, I think 'Love.Angel.Music. Baby' by Gwen Stefani is for me.

As far as albums and memories, pretty much every one I listen to has some sort of sentimental value. Mostly 'Grace' b/c when my Girlfriend met it was the popular album of choice for the upcoming Summer, our last summer together in College and we made love under the stars as Hallelujah played.
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And I stare at the sun.
And it leaves me Blind.

[purple]

there's a guilty pleasures thread already, but to repeat my most obvious guilty pleasure is Night Ranger's Sister Christian; it's a little ridiculous how much I love listening to that song at any time of the day.

As far as memories connected to music, of course that's why people enjoy the music they do. Old farts enjoy jazz cos that's what they grew up with and connected memories to, 60s fucks enjoy 60s shit because that's what they grew up with and connected memories to, I enjoy Lust for Life so much because I listen to it in the mornings when I'm still drunk from the night before (and those are the best times).

[dp39]