Houston Matters Listeners Pick Their Favorite Love Songs for Valentine's Day
Houston Public Media asked its audience to name the love songs they cherish most, producing a 17-track community mixtape ranging from Etta James to Raffi.
By Kendra Konchanuk ·
As Valentine's Day arrived on Tuesday, Houston Public Media invited its listeners to share the love songs that mean the most to them. The responses became the latest edition of the Houston Matters Mix Tape, a community-built playlist that pairs songs with the reasons people treasure them.
Seventeen listeners contributed selections, and the range of styles is wide. Classic standards sit alongside rock, country, pop and even a children's favorite. Audio clips of some of the submissions accompany the original story, in which contributors explain what their chosen songs mean to them.
Among the older and more traditional picks are "At Last" by Etta James, submitted by Kim Crosier, and "A Kiss to Build A Dream On" by Louis Armstrong, chosen by Janna Diderich. Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love" was submitted by Jarrod Carroll, while Lisa Trimarchi selected Lou Rawls' "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine." Don Geraci picked Teddy Pendergrass' "Turn Off the Lights."
Several listeners opted for rock and pop. Kimberly Tyler chose Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes," and Josh Adams named "Beautiful War" by Kings of Leon. Liz Ehrhart selected "Beast of Burden" by the Rolling Stones, and Mary Ann Marucci picked Lisa Loeb's "Stay." Julie Marinucci contributed Taylor Swift's "You Are In Love."
Country and contemporary songs also made the list. Anjuan Simmons submitted "The Bones" by Maren Morris, and Lori King Brown chose "The Song Remembers When" by Trisha Yearwood. Gretchen Gettelman picked Michael Franti's "Life is Better With You."
Some selections were less expected. Jodi Mackay submitted Tom Waits' "Picture in a Frame," and Kathy Butler chose "Yolanda" by Silvio Rodríguez. Andrea Greer's pick was "Girls with Glasses" by The Dishes, and Megan Freemantle offered "Love Bug" by the children's performer Raffi.
Houston Public Media said listeners can take part in future community mixtapes through its free Houston Public Media News app, available from the Apple and Google Play app stores. After opening the app, users select "open mic" from the menu and press record. They then have 60 seconds to name the song and explain why they love it.
Once the recording is finished, participants press "send" and email their comments to the station, which says it will handle the rest.
Source: Houston Public Media
