About
Hi - I’m Johanna and this is my Life in Music. One track released for every month I’ve been alive.
This is the soundtrack of my life.
1980
October
November
December
Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
ABBA - Lay All Your Love On Me
Dolly Parton - 9 to 5
I was born in October, and that only happens Once in a Lifetime. Clearly a workaholic from an early age 9 to 5 was definitely my jam, and that song was nominated for an academy award to boot. If you haven't seen the film, pour yourself a cup of ambition and fire up your DVR.
1981
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Weird Al Yankovic - Another One Rides the Bus
Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
Kim Carnes - Bettie Davis Eyes
Pretenders - Brass In Pocket
Blue Öyster Cult - Burnin' For You
The Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed
Rolling Stones - Start Me Up
The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Billy Idol - Mony, Mony
Joan Jett and The Blackhearts - I Love Rock 'n' Roll*
Stevie Knicks - Leather and Lace
The Stray Cats' rockabilly sound had my young self convinced they were from England not Massapequa (that's on Long Island for those not in the know). But Billy Idol eked them out covering Tommy James and the Shondells' Mony, Mony. What toddler doesn't want to ride their pony?
1982
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
David Bowie & Queen - Under Pressure
Toni Basil - Hey Mickey
Toto - Rosanna
Men At Work - Down Under
The Clash - Rock the Casbah
Fleetwood Mac - Hold Me
Billy Idol - White Wedding
Dexys Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
Peter Gabriel - Shock the Monkey*
Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Culture Club - I'll Tumble 4 Ya
Rock the Casbah had politics, jet planes, and words I couldn't completely understand. But oh could I feel it. Laser effects mean business and 1983 awakened my love of electronic, synthy sounds. It also introduced me to the idea of Vegemite and a world beyond my little borders. I wanted to go to a land Down Under.
1983
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
New Order - Blue Monday
Michael Sembello - Maniac
Talking Heads - Burning Down The House
The Police - Walking in Your Footsteps
Madonna - Borderline
UB40 - Red Red Wine
Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time
Cyndi Lauper - All Through The Night
Pat Benatar - Love Is A Battlefield
Culture Club - Karma Chameleon
My vegetarian self was behind The Police's message that the mighty brontosaurus had a lesson for us: dinosaurs are awesome. But Cyndi Lauper defined this year. Later, me, my brother & cousins used to dance our hearts out playing this album on a Fisher Price record player down in the basement. Cyndi was our music.
1984
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
Nena - 99 Luftballoons
The Cars - Drive
Limahl - NeverEnding Story
Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
Bananarama - Cruel Summer
Prince - When Doves Cry
Van Halen - Panama
The Pointer Sisters - Jump (For My Love)
U2 - Pride (In The Name of Love)
Bryan Adams - Summer of '69
Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed the World)
My uncle had to stop the VHS of the NeverEnding story when Artax drowns in the mud because I lost it. If only someone had told me he comes back in the end. My sensitive heart was even more moved by the real world work of Band Aid - an effort to raise money to combat starvation in Ethiopia. I tried hard to help Feed the World.
1985
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Phil Collins - Sussudio
Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me)
'Til Tuesday - Voices Carry
Miami Sound Machine - Conga
Dire Straits - Money For Nothing
A-ha - Take On Me
Talking Heads - And She Was
Talking Heads - Stay Up Late
Starship - We Built This City
John Parr - St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)
Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love
Heart - These Dreams
My mother used to always sing Stay Up Late to me because (as I stated in a 1st grade report) her favorite thing to do was "play with me". I loved to stay up late watching ground-breaking videos with crazy advanced CGI that taught me solid lessons about how to get Money For Nothing and chicks for free. Still working on the former.
1986
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
The Bangles - Manic Monday
The Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian
Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone
Billy Joel - Matter of Trust
Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes*
Genesis - Invisible Touch
Run–D.M.C. (feat. Steven Tyler & Joe Perry) - Walk This Way
Paul Simon - Under African Skies
Cyndi Lauper - True Colors
Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life
Beastie Boys - (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)
Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer
If I could've become Susanna Hoffs (the cutest Bangle), I would have. But ultimately her tiny awesomeness would tear the band apart with jealousy. Contrarily, Phil Collins exploded into the role of leader of Genesis bringing them their only number one hit. And P.S. that's Linda Ronstadt making Paul Simon sound so beautiful.
1987
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name
The Cure - Just Like Heaven
Guns N' Roses - Welcome To The Jungle
Los Lobos - La Bamba
Aerosmith - Dude (Looks Like A Lady)
Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal
Belinda Carlisle - Heaven Is A Place On Earth
INXS - Need You Tonight
George Michael - Faith
George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You*
The Bangles - Hazy Shade of Winter
Belinda Carlisle echoes the Go-Go's track from '81 (she was the lead singer), and George Michael already had a moment in '84 with Wham! I was unaware that my taste was coming on strong and full circle, but The Bangles' driving rock version of Simon & Garfunkel's classic sealed the year. That epic riff, that cowbell. I say no more.
1988
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man
The Sugarcubes - Birthday
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
Paula Abdul - Opposites Attract
Enya - Orinoco Flow
The Beach Boys - Kokomo
Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry, Be Happy
New Kids on the Block - You Got It (The Right Stuff)
The Bangles - Eternal Flame
Mike + The Mechanics - The Living Years*
R.E.M. - Orange Crush
Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy
Now it's starting to get strange. '88 marks a turning point. My taste won't ever be homogenous. Enya, Tracy Chapman, Paula Abdul and Bobby McFerrin? It's like a Benetton ad. But it is harmonious - so if you want the best of "weird" or "world" music I'm Your Man.
1989
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Tone Loc - Funky Cold Medina
Indigo Girls - Closer To Fine
Madonna - Like a Prayer
Pixies - Here Comes Your Man
Tom Petty - Free Fallin'
Faith No More - Epic
The B-52's - Roam
Aerosmith - Love In An Elevator
Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire
Billy Joel - The Downeaster "Alexa"
Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise
Technotronic - Move This
The next generation of rock slammed into techno-dance, collided with rap and sideswiped folk. The frenetic energy of We Didn't Start The Fire symbolized the everything that was happening all at once in the world. I learned there were bigger things. The Berlin Wall came down, and I felt aware. I was a part of all this.
1990
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
They Might Be Giants - Birdhouse In Your Soul
They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole
Go West - The King of Wishful Thinking
Billy Idol - Cradle of Love
Madonna - Vogue
Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart
Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
Bette Midler - From A Distance
Suzanne Vega & DNA - Tom's Diner
C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat
As I hit double digits, nerd rock giants build a little Birdhouse In My Soul while "mother of the MP3" Suzanne Vega unleashes the a cappella track that would earn her the title and put Seinfeld's future diner on my map. I win a rap battle by reciting more lyrics to Ice Ice Baby than any of my peers, while under pressure.
1991
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Marc Cohn - Walking In Memphis
R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
Richard Thompson - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
EMF - Unbelievable
Smashing Pumpkins - I Am One
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Toad The Wet Sprocket - Walk On The Ocean
Pearl Jam - Jeremy
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the Bridge
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
The KLF (feat. Tammy Wynette) - Justified and Ancient*
Enya - Ebudæ
Rock in its metal, alternative and grunge forms. Guys with guitars. Head banging gives me a headache, but it must be practiced, out in the woods. Growing up in the country side will do that to budding rockstar. On balance, March's track is the number one requested song on NPR of all time. So there's that.
1992
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Sir Mix-a-Lot - Baby Got Back
Tori Amos - Silent All These Years
En Vogue - Free Your Mind
Kris Kross - Jump
Annie Lenox - Walking on Broken Glass
Barenaked Ladies - If I Had $1000000
Pearl Jam - Yellow Ledbetter
Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealousy
Blind Melon - No Rain
R.E.M. - Nightswimming
Soul Asylum - Black Gold
Snow - Informer
Non-sensical rap, unintelligible Eddie Veder, and songs about the sweet and strange. The Barenaked Ladies write the K-car, a nice reliant automobile, into songbook history and foreshadow the car I will be gifted by my Grandpa, that I will use to drive around this town and listen to the Gin Blossoms in. My life is pretty strange.
1993
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Letters To Cleo - Here And Now || Belly - Feed The Tree
Belly - Slow Dog || Radiohead - Anyone Can Play Guitar
Cranberries - Dreams || Janet Jackson - If
Björk - Human Behavior || Smashing Pumpkins - Today
Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm || Billy Joel - The River of Dreams
Breeders - Cannonball || Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box
Counting Crows - Omaha || Aerosmith - Eat The Rich
Mazzy Star - Fade Into You || Laid - James
Salt-n-Pepa - Shoop || Pearl Jam - Daughter
Pearl Jam - Elderly Woman... || Sarah McLachlan - Possession
10,000 Maniacs - Because The Night || Crash Test Dummies - Afternoons & Coffeespoons
Ace of Base - All That She Wants || Enigma - Return to Innocence
I, teenager, declare my musical taste so expansive that this year, nay the next 4 years, shall be double albums! With ample spare time, no driver's license, and a 28.8 baud modem, I become one of the most important bootleg traders of concerts for the band Belly. I buy VHS and Maxells in bulk. No one in the network know I'm a kid.
1994
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl || Green Day - When I Come Around
Kristin Hersh - Sundrops || Kristin Hersh & Michael Stipe - Your Ghost
Cake - Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle || Juliana Hatfield Three - Spin The Bottle
Beck - Loser || Soundgarden - Spoonman
Offspring - Come Out and Play || Live - Lightning Crashes
Senser - States of Mind || Weezer - My Name Is Jonas
Pretenders - Night In My Veins || Beastie Boys - Sabotage
Warren G - Regulate || Portishead - Wandering Star*
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah || Blues Traveler - Hook
TMGB - Sleeping In The Flowers || Liz Phair - Supernova
Dave Matthews Band - Satellite || Cranberries - Zombie
Veruca Salt - Seether || Pearl Jam - Corduroy
High school starts. The Pretenders turn up again. The confusion sets in. My bootleg swapping (that proves I was there, that I heard of them first) earns me an English internet friend, who's actually my age. But everyone says that's weird. Adults are concerned. Still, I get British mixtapes in the mail. They don't.
1995
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Moloko - Fun For Me || Deep Blue Something - Breakfast At Tiffany's'
Throwing Muses - Bright Yellow Gun || TM - Shimmer
Belly - Super-Connected || PJ Harvey - Down By The Water
Better Than Ezra - Good || Lebo M - Busa*
Radiohead - Just || Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Elastica - Stutter || Hum - Stars
Björk - Hyperballad || Björk - Army of Me
Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know || Ani DiFranco - Shy
Letters To Cleo - Demon Rock || Garbage - Queer
Rancid - Ruby Soho || Skunk Anansie - Weak
No Doubt - Just A Girl || Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight
Smashing Pumpkins - Zero || Asian Dub Foundation - Rebel Warrrior
Tanya Donelly, who previously helped her step-sister Kristin Hersh to form Throwing Muses, and later left to join Kim Deal, ex-Pixies bassist, to form The Breeders, performed a duet with Thom Yorke, while Radiohead was touring as a support act for her band, Belly. Music is Super-Connected. I admit to using the phrase "riot grrrl".
1996
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Lodestar - Iliac Crest || Lamb - Gorecki
Tori Amos - Talula || Fugees - Ready or Not
The Refreshments - Banditos || Barenaked Ladies - The Old Apartment
Rage Against The Machine - Bulls On Parade || Cranberries - Salvation
Dave Matthews Band - Two Step || Skunk Anansie - She's My Heroine
Ani DiFranco - Untouchable Face || Mighty Purple - Brother
Beck - Where It's At || Placebo - 36 Degrees*
Sublime - What I Got || Republica - Ready to Go
Throwing Muses - Ruthie's Knocking* || Cake - Nugget
Weezer - The Good Life || Fountains of Wayne - Radiation Vibe
TMBG - James K. Polk || Belle & Sebastian - Like Dylan In The Movies
DJ Shadow - Building Steam... || Tanya Donelly - Bum
Life, liberty and the pursuit of live music come in the form of a driver's license (and a K-car). Still under 18 (and not able to pass for an adult today), I'm restricted to all-age shows and outdoor festivals. I'm in the pit at every one. I begin learning guitar and form a band, Artie's Revenge.
1997
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Daft Punk - Around The World
Veruca Salt - Volcano Girls
Ben Folds Five - Battle of Who Could Care Less
Ani DiFranco - Both Hands
Radiohead - Let Down
Wyclef Jean - Guantanamera
Sarah McLachlan - Building A Mystery
Tanya Donelly - Breathe Around You
Fleetwood Mac - The Chain
Björk - Jóga
Loreena McKennitt - The Mummers' Dance*
Erykah Badu - Tyrone
I declare myself disenchanted. Working as a barista at the only place to get cappuccino in the country side and driving to Boston (with my Mom) to sit on the stage Tanya Donelly is playing on, I am as cool as I possibly can be. I focus on my art and begin writing my own songs. We have a 4-track.
1998
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Propellerheads - History Repeating
Mary Lou Lord - His Lamest Flame
Pearl Jam - Given To Fly
Ani DiFranco - Gravel
Madonna - Frozen
Morcheeba - The Sea
Massive Attack - Teardrop
Tori Amos - Spark
Smashing Pumpkins - Ava Adore
Hooverphonic - Renaissance Affair
Placebo - Pure Morning*
Alanis Morissette - Thank U
Artie's Revenge plays at our high school graduation to a packed auditorium of our roaring fans. A mosh pit breaks out. Nuns get angry. We become legends. I leave for Boston to attend college. Start as a math major, switch to philosophy, then double up with CS. My fellow nerds and I set up music sharing servers on the LAN.
1999
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Ani DiFranco - Angry Anymore
Blondie - Maria
Blur - Tender
Fountains of Wayne - Red Dragon Tattoo
Moby - Honey
blink-182 - All The Small Things
Bree Sharp - David Duchovny
Rahzel - If Your Mother Only Knew
Tom Jones (feat. The Cardigans) - Burning Down The House
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Ain't No Sunshine
Counting Crows - Hanginaround
Aimee Mann - One
I start busking in the streets of Boston, but I'm far too shy. I meet amazing musicians, kids at Berklee, and realize I've got a long way to go. Playing takes a back seat to listening. Artie's Revenge breaks up. Y2K looms. And as a horseman of the apocalypse, David Byrne returns in the form of Tom Jones to Burn Down The House.
The Fine Print
What are the rules?
I've chosen one song to represent each month I've been alive, and that song had to be released in that same month. For example, the July track in the 1984 playlist was released in... July of 1984! Sometimes I based the selection on the release date of the album, other times, the single. Most importantly, it wasn't about picking hits or the most famous songs. I selected the tracks that defined each year, the songs that play in my memories.

What are the asterisks (*) for?
Some tracks are currently not available on Spotify (here's looking at you, Peter Gabriel and The KLF), but I didn't want to compromise the integrity of my list, so you'll just have to Google those.

Who are you?
I'm Johanna Brewer (@deadroxy): designer, developer and doctor (the PhD kind). I spend my days (and nights) as the CEO of the live music discovery startup frestyl.

Where are the naughties and the... the whatever-this-decade-is-ies?
Patience grasshopper. They remaining years will go live along with the full app.