How many times?

[skepticaloptimist]

The question at hand is, how many times can you listen to a single song consecutively before you decide, "I think I'd rather listen to something else now..."  And the secondary portion of this question is, what song specifically can you listen to the most before you grow tired of it?

For the record, Kanye West "All Falls Down" has been on repeat for about 5 cycles right now and I'm nowhere near sick of it yet (and I've had the album for months).

The same could be said of Rufus Wainwright, "Movies of Myself" if I was listening to it right now (which I'm not, but maybe I will be when I grow tired of young Mr. West).

[skepticaloptimist]

Also:  while listening (through headphones sitting in a coffeeshop) I occassionally have a tendency to flow along with Kanye and gesture wildly, and then I become aware that the employees are likely staring at me and are potentially offended by the lyrical content.  And, honestly, I don't care.

[sarah.c]

I have been known to listen to 'so long Frank Lloyd Wright' by Simon and Garfunkle quite a few times in a row. Also, I can listen to 'setting sail' by the Dumdums many many times without getting bored because it is beautiful.

I used to listen too 'Mmbop' by Hanson over and over. and over. and over. but then again I was 14 at the time so perhaps it is forgivable. Perhaps.

[Nathan]

I'm doing pretty good with "These Words" by Natasha Bedingfield. But I don't listen to the radio very much, so I think that helps. I think the last massive pop album I bought was Thriller, but I'm not sure if that counts cause my dad bought it.

The song I've recently had on repeat for the longest amount of time is Cable Car by the Fray. It made it even better when Zach told me it was about brothers, not a girl.

[anna]

Great thread… I love it, really got me thinking… Now, I know over time there have been many songs which I’ve had stuck on repeat for hours, seemingly never tiring from them… equally albums - but that’s a totally different thing, in fact even more so with albums (most recently “Hope and Fears – Keane”)

Now, which song specifically can I listen to the most without tiring… this is a hard one… and on reflection, not necessarily the same as choosing my favourite song… but here are two contenders:

All time: “Wide Open Space – Mansun”
Recent: “Dream – China Curtis (Kent)”

[Iris]

Anna, I'm right there with you on the China Curtiss (Kent) songs on repeat. My particular favorites are "Silver" and "Gamma Gray." My fascination with this particular artist might be just a tad prejudiced, since I'm now related to her.   Also "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell and "Songbird" by Eva Cassidy.

[anna]

"Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell... I'm welling up right now just thinking about the scene in "Love Actually" where Emma Thompson breaks down in private at the dawning of her broken marriage, whilst putting on a brave face for the sake of her family...    

[Iris]

Yes...that's a tear-jerker moment for sure. I loved that movie! I didn't expect to. People kept giving me very blah reviews of it, but I rented it anyway and then was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  

[unknownperson]

film! take care not to get off course here.

I just heard the latest from one andy fitts (actualy called a band name here Airport Cathedral) and there are about 8 songs on there I could listen to over and over. the whole thing realy.

[nixmcp]

Great question...I love it too.

Although I may be losing credibility with many of you, I have to be honest here....Anyone who's been around me at any party, wedding, etc knows that I can listen (and dance and dance and dance) to the song "Dancing in the Moonlight" made "popular" by the A Walk to Remember soundtrack. It makes your body move like no other song and can brighten up any moment. Take it out for a testdrive.

In a effort to regain some points, I also agree with anna that Keane's album is an entire barrage of songs worth keeping on repeat.

[Zooey]

"How to Dissapear Completely" by Radiohead.  You can listen to this song on repeat until you dissapear, but then you must put on "Dirty" by Christina Aguillera.  So that you can reappear and dance your butt off.

[Zooey]

Nathan recently got me onto "Title Track" by DeathCabForCutie, and I listen to that whenever I remember to.
lyric loved best by Nathan and I: "I could taste your lipstick on the filter."

I've also been listening to "Run" by SnowPatrol an awful lot, because as far as I can make out, it is a love song, yes, but a love song with a sense of urgency and tension that makes it almost otherworldly.  Dramatically -- perhaps even overdramatically -- it rivals the love stories of fairy tales in its immediacy and danger, and brings to mind pictures of the couple who was always in love, and yet always matched against evil adversity, against the looming shadows animated by the falling of night.

[unknownperson]

because as far as I can make out, it is a love song, yes,

you can make out?

[Nathan]

For a few months there, all I ever wanted to listen to was Death Cab For Cutie.

As a side note, does the way that we end up listening to digital music get under anyone's skin?
Sometimes I go to the pod and I want to listen to something, but I can't tell what. I haven't developed what my uneasiness is, exactly. Just wondering if there was anyone else having this problem, and how, if you did, you solved it.

[anna]

no ipod, no problem!