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Rate-A-Record: Classic TV Show Theme Song Cover Versions Edition
I think I’m addicted to this prompt
Most of the prompts/writing challenges you’ll find on this site are one-offs; you accept the challenge, publish, and move on to the next article. The very nature of most of them dictates that they’re a one-time thing; for example, I can only write once about my favorite songs from the year I turned 16. Even so, there is an exception to every rule, and the exception that has grabbed me and will not let go is the Rate-A-Record prompt that Terry Barr started back in June.
If you’ve yet to encounter any of the numerous stories written in response to the prompt, Terry’s Rate-A-Record concept is based on an American Bandstand segment of the same name. A panel of teens would listen to two songs and rate each on the odd scale of 35 to 98. We do the same thing with the songs we present.
I said before that the idea “grabbed” me, but that doesn’t really describe what’s happened. Basically, I’m hooked on the idea now, mentally rating every song I hear on that strange 35 to 98 scale (except for Springsteen, of course; his scale is 90 to 175). I’ve written three articles using the prompt so far (enough to create a list, though I haven’t go that far yet): my first response, one on cartoon theme songs, and one on the worst novelty earworm…
