10 Of Johnny Zhivago's Guilty Pleasures

Is Lent over yet? Has it even started? I don't know...shockingly it's a ritual that I never participated in. We all have our guilty pleasures that we love to indulge in once in a while and it's no different when it comes to music. You know what I mean. You're hosting a party or having mates over and a song comes on your playlist that you forgot was there. Everybody stops dead in their tracks and gives you that "Explain yourself" look. Here's 10 of my musical guilty pleasures. Don't Judge Me!

1. "Back For Good" - Take That

I decided a while ago that there is no use in complaining about boy bands that seem to pop up in clusters every five years or so. As long as there are 14 year old girls in the world, these groups will be around. Take That was Britain's answer to NKOTB and The Backstreet Boys, reaching their peak in the mid 90's. Take That were intended to be more focused on musical abilities rather than spinning dance moves and hair-styles. (though that stuff was there too). "Back For Good" was the band's biggest hit and was actually written by one of the group's members. This is also where Robbie Williams got his start...watch for him pretending not to care about being in this video...

2. "Viva Forever" - Spice Girls

From boy bands to girl bands. I thought I was gonna go through life simply hating everything the Spice Girls did. Up until they released "Viva Forever" it was real easy. I tried to dislike this song, but it refreshingly didn't feature all the typical "ra ra girl power" themes of their earlier work. Also it was tinged with the Spanish flavour that swept the pop music scene in the late 90s...which I have a soft spot for.

3. "My Sacrifice" - Creed

I suppose I can understand why people disliked Creed. The videos were full of self-indulgent religious imagery and their songs tend not to be too adventurous. The band didn't help with their off-stage antics either. The bass player was fired for saying Eddie Vedder wished he could write songs as good as Scott Stapp (the band's front man) and Stapp himself was known for many acts of public, drunken, douchebaggery. I tend to let the songs speak for themselves and they have some good ones "My Own Prison", "Higher" & "What's This Life For". I singled out "My Sacrifice" because it was released near the end of Creed's initial run and one had to be careful who's company they played it around.

4. "Cry Me A River" - Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake has certainly redeemed himself in recent years. With his acting roles and showcasing his sense of humour on SNL, a wider audience has warmed up to the former Mouseketeer. Back when "Cry Me A River" was released though he was fresh off his "OMG FOR REALZ" relationship with Britney Spears and was still known as that N'Sync kid. So being the tough, brash, punk I was back then...it was shameful that I actually liked the song....I felt guilty....heyyyyy

5. "Old Man & Me" - Hootie & The Blowfish

This one I don't really feel to guilty about. Hootie & The Blowfish were on the receving end of some serious (and undeserving) hate in the mid 90's. After having one of the biggest albums of the decade they were public enemy number one by the time Fair Weather Johnson was released in 1996. Why? Why was it such a punchline to admit you liked them all of a sudden. Rucker's got one the best voices in Alternative (and now Country) music and their album Musical Chairs is a near masterpiece. I blame the name of their band and their involvement with the TV show Friends. Also anything that gets too big is bound to be labelled by the hipster crowd as 'lame'. Back then a band couldn't rely on the internet and if radio stations and tv music thought you were lame....well bye bye audience.

6. "Ghost" - Fefe Dobson

Though i'm not much of a fan of her other songs "Ghost" definitely makes my toe tap. IT MAKES YOURS TAP TOO! DON'T DENY IT!!! Besides i'm supporting homegrown talent. The young Ms. Dobson was born in Toronto, Ontario.

7. "Pocket Full Of Sunshine" - Natasha Bedingfield

Yeah....I dunno. Some songs are just well written and well executed, and it doesn't matter who performs it. I'm a grown man and shouldn't be rocking out to a bubblegum, pop song like this. At least that's society's opinion. Not only is this not the type of music people expect me to like, it's been used in all kinds of shows and movies who's audiences fall well outside my own demographic. (Degrassi, Desperate Housewives and The Hills)

8. "Photograph" - Nickelback

Perhaps the winners and sole nominees of  the "Most Hated Band On The Planet" award. Seriously. It doesn't matter what crowd you're in or what you're talking about throw Nickelback's name out there and just watch the negative reactions. Most people will claim they hate Nickelback, but if you ask them i'm sure they can't tell you why beyond "Uh, cuz they suck!" Somehow it became cool to hate Nickelback, many radio stations even promote a "no Nickelback guarantee" Jesus! In my opinion it's herd behaviour. "I better say I hate Nickelback so I i'm not singled out and made fun of...even though I don't mind a few songs" Sure, many of their songs follow the same themes. False macho-bullshit-posturing. Fucking whores and slamming beers. Which can be tiresome, but they have some shining moments. "Photograph" is a very relatable song and there's no denying "How You Remind Me" deserves praise. I wish Nickelback would get into new territories and go back to releasing interesting music...but they are no where near my most hated band. nor should they be.

9. "I'd Do Anything" - Simple Plan

This one is on a slippery slope for me. Sometimes I'll get sick of it halfway through the song. I think at the time it was released I was young and dealing with pretty much exactly what the song is about, so I was drawn to it Mark Hoppus' blink-and-you'll -miss-it cameo helps this song too. I've never like a Simple Plan song before, nor have I liked one since....this one is self-induced guilt. Not much static comes from my peers when this one gets played.

10. "It's Just My Luck" - V.I.P

I have no words for this one. I just...I sicken myself....

I'm not proud

I've pulled back the curtain a bit here!

What have you got to show me??

JZ