How many songs do you keep in your head?

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Haydn · #1 Post by **Haydn** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:55 pm

I'm sure I remember seeing someone on this board refer to the number of songs that the average person can keep 'in their head' at one time.

Although I spend a lot of time collecting old music, and carry my iPod almost everywhere, I quite often hear a tune I really like, but can't remember the name. It's particularly frustrating when I've heard a song a lot, learned the name of it, put it on my iPod etc, and then someone plays it a dance and the person I'm dancing with asks "what's this song called" and I can't remember

- even though I know the song.

For the purpose of DJing, I think it would be quite useful to know how many songs I can keep in my head. By 'keep in my head', I mean be able to quickly recall the tune, feel, name and artist.

How many do you keep in your head?

dogpossum · #2 Post by **dogpossum** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:14 pm

I can keep maybe three in my head. CJam Blues, Lavender Coffin and Apollo Jump.

I wish that was a joke. I have a terrible, terrible memory for names, so I can never identify a song (other than the truly iconic and overplayed) just from listening. I can often guess at the artist and era, but I'm crap with names.
I think it's because my brian is stuffed full with other things...

Haydn · #3 Post by **Haydn** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:49 pm

dogpossum wrote:my brian is stuffed full with other things...

Is brian happy about that?

trev · #4 Post by **trev** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 9:02 pm

dogpossum wrote: I think it's because my brian is stuffed full with other things...

I think you'll find that Brian in Melbourne is stuffed FULL of jazz knowledge!

Surreal · #5 Post by **Surreal** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:41 pm

Ugh, I can't do names either. I can be singing along to the tune and still blank on the title. I couldn't even name Stompin' at the Savoy the other day

dogpossum · #6 Post by **dogpossum** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:22 pm

trev wrote:
dogpossum wrote: I think it's because my brian is stuffed full with other things...
I think you'll find that Brian in Melbourne is stuffed FULL of jazz knowledge!

And it's not just historical stuff, either - I asked him for a list of Sydney jazz bands worth hiring for a dance and he sent me an email with an exhaustive, fabulous list of dozens. It was amazing.

...if only I could remember their names...

tornredcarpet · #7 Post by **tornredcarpet** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:19 pm

I think it grows on you, like people's faces or names.
I don't know how many songs I can keep in my head, I will always recognize them when played, oftentimes even which artist played it, but sometimes I won't be able to conjure them up off hand.