Rock-tober: Day 16

For a song to make this esteemed list, there has to be some connection between it and me. Sometimes it's profound, sometimes it's pretty simple. This is the latter.

I was driving home back when I was in high school. It was getting dark early, but I still had my windows rolled down so it must have been fall. In the neighborhood, someone was throwing a party that spilled out into their front yard. I remember looking over and one of the guests was playing the base line to this song. I thought it sounded really cool and that's all it took.

"Don't Stop Believin'" has been described as the perfect rock ballad. After its initial release in 1981, the song seemed to take on a life of its own. Re-released and covered countless times, sung on Broadway, included on the soundtrack of at least a half dozen big screen releases, and making multiple appearances on the small screen, from the pilot of Glee to the finale of The Sopranos solidify this claim.

Not enough street cred for you? How about this: Not only was it featured as a download for the video game Rock Band, it spawned and is the subject of countless memes - today's gold standard of cultural inclusion.