Most Listened To Albums

In the world of music, occasionally there is an album that will come along and strike such a chord with me that I can listen to this CD over and over and over again, never tiring of the songs.  These types of albums are special and every time I hear them, I experience something different.  This is a lot like what David Hodges has spoken of when he says that he strives to create songs that every time you hear the song, it's as though you are hearing it for the first time.  The following albums (whether new or old) I have listened to over and over again.  I absolutely LOVE these albums, and they are some of the most cherished in my possession.  Most of these albums I have been listening to for a year or more!  So I have had time to really enjoy them and listen to them so many times any sane person would be sick.  But I still love these albums!!  Do enjoy!

#1
Album: "More Than This"
Artist: Trading Yesterday
Year Released: 2005 / 2011
Buy: iTunes or David's Official Site
Why I love this album: Because this album changed the way I viewed music.  Before I discovered this band (and album) I was stuck in a bit of a rut between genres.  I had just come off of a hard rock high (yes, that was high school) and had started listening to some christian rock bands (which, in my opinion, was an improvement).  Then I discovered Trading Yesterday and fell in love.  I was so thrilled when David Hodges announced the *official* release of this album (prior to this, you could only get bootlegs or rip it off YouTube).  I have since purchased the album from David's website and have a hard copy of the CD on my shelf.  Truly my favorite album.  Too bad this band split in 2005... *sigh*  But David lives on!!! <3

#2
Album: "Kings & Thieves"
Artist: Arrows to Athens
Year Released: 2011
Buy: iTunes or David's Official Site
Why I love this album: This album is simply phenomenal!!  It's more of an alternative than the soft piano like in Trading Yesterday.  However, I heard a couple songs on iTunes when it was released last October, and immediately knew it was going to amazing.  I have not be disappointed.  Definitely a 5-star album!  I would highly encourage you to go out and purchase this CD!  This is one of the CDs I put in my car and listen to when I need to drive and think.  It's such a fun album.

#3
Album: "The December Sessions, Vol 1"
Artist: David Hodges
Year Released: 2012
Buy: iTunes or David's Official Site
Why I love this album: This is a collection of songs that David helped write with other artists that never made it on the album.  These songs are beautiful and touching.  "A Song For Us" is my most listened to, followed closely by "Icarus" and "Never Thought to Look".  Amazing lyrics weaved in with perfect harmony.  Who couldn't want more?  Love it!!

#4
Album: "Who We Are"
Artist: Lifehouse
Year Released: 2007
Buy: iTunes or Amazon
Why I love this album: Back in the day, I loved Lifehouse's "No Name Face."  I had also purchased "Stanley Climbfall" but I didn't really get into the music of this CD.  Well, fast forward several years and viola!  I stumbled across a couple songs on YouTube I really enjoyed and discovered they were both on this album.  Decided to preview the songs and decided, What the heck?  Holy cow!  I don't know why I didn't buy this CD sooner!!  The songs apply DIRECTLY to my life in SOOOOO many ways!  From the opening "Disarray" to the closing "Storm," I fell in love all over again.  "Storm" is such an amazing inspiration song (I'll probably post a video with lyrics in the future).  This song helped me get through some of the most difficult times in my life.  The entire album was on repeat for a good month before I finally swapped it for a different CD... but then returned to it shortly thereafter. ^-^

#5
Album: "This Loud Morning"
Artist: David Cook
Year Released: 2010
Buy: iTunes or Amazon
Why I love this album:  David's previous album was alright in my opinion.  I'll admit, it wasn't my favorite.  However, I was sooo happy I purchased this CD.  David's style really matured and his music seemed to flow together with the lyrics in a cleaner way than his debut album did.  On top of that, I just found out (tonight) that David Hodges helped write a lot of this album!!  I knew Hodges helped on a few songs ("Hard to Believe" being on his 2009 EP), but I didn't know he helped write the album!!!  Anyway, the songs on this album are fantastic.  I love driving down the road, blaring his CD.  It's so much fun!

#6
Album: "Get Your Heart On!"
Artist: Simple Plan
Year Released: 2011
Buy: iTunes or Amazon
Why I love this album: Simple Plan is my guilty pleasure. There's something about them that I absolutely love.  Perhaps it's because the music makes me feel carefree, as though I can do anything in the world!  It's been so fun to watch their themes grow from I-just-want-to-do-it-my-way-and-I-don't-care-what-you-think to the I-just-had-my-heart-ripped-out-by-the-girl-I-love.  Hooray for growth!  I just love these guys, and this album is my favorite of theirs (I have all their albums and listen to them often).  The biggest thing I love about this album is that when the last album was released, the self-titled "Simple Plan," I was a little sad because their sound was different.  It wasn't the jump-up-and-down music I had fallen in love with years ago.  But this album brought all those old feelings back.  They had several artists that starred in this album, so some songs are quite different (like "Summer Paradise") but then you get songs like "You Suck At Love" which screams Simple Plan to me.  My favorite song however, is "Astronaut."  Such an amazing soft song.  LOVE it!!

I do realize that all the artists I listed here are guys, but these albums are what I listen to the most.  I am listening to Kelly Clarkson's Stronger album, but it hasn't quite made this list yet.  Perhaps in the future.  In other words, I do listen to music by girls, they just aren't in my top listened-to right now.