This week’s topic has thrown me into a bit of an identity crisis. Confessing it outright, I’m more of a mild-mannered guy than a true rebel, more likely to be found tuning a guitar than revving a motorcycle. It’s a slightly embarrassing admission, especially considering I’ve always fancied myself a bit of a bad boy at heart. Growing up, while other kids were humming along to bubblegum pop, I was drawn to the raw energy of rock and roll and the swagger of the anti-hero.
In my teenage years, the realization dawned that if I wanted to impress anyone beyond my immediate family, a change of image was needed. Chess club had to go, a (pretend) smoking habit was adopted, and an 8-track player became essential car accessory. The goal was clear: cultivate an air of nonchalant cool, making sure everyone noticed how little I cared about being noticed. The punk rock explosion from the UK provided the soundtrack and the fashion cues – ripped clothes, safety pins, anything that screamed rebellion. Personal restrictions at home meant literal piercings were off-limits, along with any actual damage to clothing. However, I found other, less explicitly detailed (and perhaps legally questionable, depending on the statute of limitations) ways to establish my “bad boy” credentials.
This journey, or perhaps misguided attempt, into rebellious territory brings us to this week’s playlist. My self-proclaimed authority on all things “bad” was often asserted at the local record store. Anyone caught purchasing disco, saccharine pop singles, show tunes, or anything with a hint of bossa nova rhythm was met with my audible scorn. Ironically, many of these very genres find their place on our curated A-list of “Bad Boys Songs,” because, well, they simply belong. A truly committed bad boy might have drawn firmer lines, but musical rebellion, it turns out, is a broad church.
Despite my own questionable “bad boy” status, the resulting playlist truly delivers.
