An Intro to Quarter Notes

A series dedicated to the music resounding within society’s walls a quarter of a century later

As I write, a metronome clicks in my head. Tick-tick-tick-tick. Four beats. Four quarters of a whole, measuring time and space and reminding me of the rhythmic nature of life. Life in 4/4 time is constant, always pulsing forward at a steady pace. No matter how many or few notes (or life experiences) fit within its confines, those quarter beats remain immovable milestones. This year, I’ve reached that first quarter note by reaching the age of 25 (assuming I live to 100, which, given my excellent care of body and mind, should be obvious…*eats Swiss Cake Roll*). 

In the last 25 years, the world has changed quicker than ever in history, and this year especially feels like an endless roller coaster drop with no respect for the concept of maximum velocity. For once, I’d like to slow down and try to catch up on everything I’ve missed.

As a 25-year-old nerd, completionist, music fan, and world-curious person, I want to discover the music that has informed the world around me from the year of my birth to now. And while I’d love to just write about everything I listen to all the time, I’m dedicating this series to the songs, albums, and artists whose notes have continued to resound within society’s walls for a quarter of a century, beginning in 1995—the year of liquid swords and wonderwalls, dust bowl ghosts and fake plastic trees.

In a perfect world, I would have begun this journey in January, or at least on my 25th birthday in February. But good ideas rarely come at opportune moments. So here I am more than halfway into 2020, ready to cram in a year’s worth of music into a few months and take some personal notes along the way.