Crucial Track for January 21, 2026

"Lump" by The Presidents of the United States of America

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Share a song that changed your perspective on music.

Music was never important in my house. My parents didn't even always turn on the radio in the car and never listed to music at home (but the TVs were always on) so I didn't "get" music. Some huge hits (U Can't Touch This) got to me but I had no idea what my peers were listening to or why. The only things I listened to on purpose were Weird Al and TMBG (who I discovered via Tiny Toons) but they weren't on the radio so why bother with the radio? The only stations I even knew of were the adult contemporary and oldies ones my parents listened to.

Then in high school a friend had me listen to Lump when it came on. He ended up giving me a tape with PUSA on one side and Foo Fighters on the other and introduced me to the alternative/modern rock radio station and I realized there was something to this music thing after all.