We all have them. Even when it comes to music. A song that you know you shouldn’t like. On principle alone you should hate it. It’s cheesy or twee or just universally reviled. At least the cool kids don’t like it- with their Raybans and Members Only jackets and weight vests (sans shirt). And though you’d never admit it – you love it. Secretly. Deep down inside. You. Love. It.

I’m sitting here building a playlist for the F3 Gala Saturday night. It’ll be background music. Most of you will know (and like) 85% of the tunes. They’ll be peppy enough to maybe get a foot tappin’ and keep the 2nd F flowing. Some might even get the occasional closed-eyed-head-bob of the white-man’s-overbite. Then mid-conversation a song will pop out that you didn’t expect. A song you don’t think anyone even likes. One no one could like. But you like it. You know you do.

So here are a few of my own guilty pleasures. For someone who often finds himself deep down an indie/alternative/obscure musical rabbit hole, this is bit soul-baring. I don’t just like these songs. I LOVE these songs. And I aint skeered to admit it. Deep breath…here goes:

“Steal My Sunshine” – Len
– This is just pure sugarpop joy.

“Good” – Better than Ezra
– Ok, maybe not a guilty pleasure in the sense BTE is necessarily cheesy or lame, but I did think I was going to get the boot when the rest of The Balsa Gliders heard me declare my love for the album Deluxe.

“Sailing” – Christopher Cross
– Yes, this might be the musical equivalent of a L10 UA. But it’s oh so chill. Sailing. It takes you away.

“Easy” – The Commodores
– Only guilty because once Lionel Ritchie went down the “Hello” road there was no going back. His whole catalogue was tainted. And I can air guitar this solo note-for-note. Don’t tempt me. I will. Oh, I will.

“She’s Gone” – Halls n Oates
– OH – AHH…you better learn how to pray…

“Paper Bag” – Fiona Apple
– While Fiona might claim some indie-cred, she’s basically Bizarro F3. 

“Midnight Train to Georgia” – Gladys Knight and the Pips
– When I was little I wanted to be a Pip when I grew up. Woo-ooo.

“Breakaway” – Kelly Clarkson
– She might be a little chunky. She might even wear comfortable shoes. But she can sing. Oh, she can sing.

- Pretty much anything and everything by INXS circa Shabooh Shoobah through Kick. Those Aussie where cooler than you remember. All it takes is one autoerotic asphyxiation gone wrong to spoil it for everybody.

- Pretty much anything and everything by Big Country.  They should have been the Scottish U2. Instead they were the one hit wonders of, well, “In a Big Country.” There’s another Sweepertee to be written on this. 

- The entire Les Mis soundtrack. And two of the funniest actors out there love it, too. So there.

Barney Stinson LOVES Les Mis

And as a child of the ’80s, here are a whole slew of songs I will always love (and not in some ironic way). The War Babies of F3Nation might have zero clue about these. Trust me. They’re rad/boss/gnarly. Go get the 45s and a turntable.

“Our Lips Our Sealed” – The Go Gos
– People forget how badass these chicks were.

“No One is To Blame” – Howard Jones
– Why? Because Phil Collins is on the drums. Yes, that Phil Collins (he of oh so many GPs himself).

“Stand and Deliver” – Adam and the Ants
– He was the dandy highwayman the Yorky’s scared to mention and the Ants had TWO drummers (fun fact: one drummer went on to form Bow Wow Wow…yes, another GP).

“Your Love” – Outfield
– “Play Ball” was a masterpiece. Josie might still be on a vacation far away.

“Bette Davis Eyes” – Kim Carnes
– All the boys think she’s a spaz…wait, no, a spy.

“Africa” – Toto….yes, Toto. Nothing else to say.

Last, but not least, from 1998 (really? Almost twelve years ago):

“Closing Time” – Semisonic
– You know what? EVERYBODY loves this song. You do, too.

So there they are. I could go on, but this covers the highlow-lights.

Now let us see yours. Don’t be afraid. This is the COT. Just stand up and say: “My name is Dredd and I love Simon and Garfunkel.”

Post em below. I’m finishing out the mix for the Gala, I bet a few will make the cut.

One day more to revolution,

Sweeper Boy