Why It Matters

Playlists are no place for controversy, but I’m going to go ahead and say it: Circles–and this is just my opinion–are the roundest of all of the two dimensional shapes. “What about the hexagon?” you’re thinking. “What about the triangle?” You make a good point, but I’m sticking with the circle for no other reason than its lack of corners.

It’s that lack of corners that make circles such great fodder for lyrics. That endless loop conveys our anxious minds, our endless arguments, and our fulfilling relationships. It’s also the shape of a record, or a CD if you prefer, or even the reels of tape that go around and around inside your cassette deck (or 8-track, or reel to reel player). All of that music coiled up, waiting to be unwound. Yep, it’s circles for me. Sorry, rhombus.

“Circle,” Siouxsie and the Banshees.

“Circles,” Paul Weller.

“Green Circles,” Small Faces.

“Perfect Circle,” R.E.M.

“Turning Circles,” Judas Priest.

“The Width Of A Circle,” David Bowie.

“Will It Go Round In Circles,” Billy Preston.

“Circle Rock,” Lloyd Copas.

There you have it: Eight songs that go round and round. What did I miss? I’m listening.