Ryan Seacrest: “God, Was I Teased”
THE ALBUM THAT MADE ME DJ FOR A LIVINGBruce Springsteen
Born In the U.S.A.
Columbia, 1984
“This was one of the first CDs I ever purchased. I’d lock myself in the room and pretend to be on the radio, introducing each song. There were so many hits off that album, nearly half the songs were played on America’s Top 40, which is the show I host now, so my life has come full circle. This album stands out because it was the first time I understood what it meant to be a DJ and thought it was something I wanted to do.”
THE ALBUM THAT PROVED TO BE PROPHETIC
Paula Abdul
Forever Your Girl
Virgin, 1988
“I have some ultimate cheese in my collection. The surreal thing is, the other album I mixed into fake radio spots was Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl — ’Straight Up’ had a 20-second intro I could talk over. I have always been a massive pop fan. That’s not always the coolest thing for a guy to admit, and I definitely got teased for it. But I remember thinking Paula was hot. That’s when I realized I liked girls.”
THE ALBUM THAT CONJURES OLD HOLLYWOOD
Frank Sinatra
Portrait of Sinatra
Columbia, 1997
“I came around to Sinatra later in life and I just find peace listening to him. I picture Hollywood at that time, all the stories. Obviously I never got to see the place when Sinatra was in his heyday, but I think all of us in this business wonder what it was like then. As you grow older and wiser, your appreciation for music becomes a little broader and deeper. I probably play this a couple times a week in the evening, perfect for sunset.”
THE ALBUM THAT REMINDS ME OF BARBECUE
Four Tops
Greatest Hits
Classic World, 2000
“Growing up, my parents listened to a lot of Motown, so when I was a kid, it was a lot of Smokey Robinson and the Four Tops around the house, not a lot of rock & roll. ‘I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)’ — the song just reminds me of a Friday night in Dunwoody, Georgia, with my dad coming home from work and firing up the grill. I’ll always remember seeing how happy my parents were when these songs came on. It’s a good memory to have.”
THE ALBUM THAT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A HONKY
50 Cent
Get Rich or Die Tryin’
G-Unit/Aftermath/Interscope, 2003
“He was on my show a while ago and when I went to hug him, he had the bulletproof vest on. I asked him if he had any G-Unit stuff in small, but everything comes in XXL so you can fit layers over the flak jacket. The Massacre’s huge right now, but this was the record that was guaranteed to get people onto the dance floor. And I find his story really interesting. His reality is very far from mine, but this is a great party record.”
THE ALBUM I FIRST MADE OUT TO … WITH A GIRL!
Def Leppard
Hysteria
Mercury, 1987
“Peachtree Junior High prom, first slow dance, first makeout — ’Love Bites.’ Hands on hips, swaying slowly and awkwardly, for 5 1/2 minutes, wondering if I was going to try and kiss this girl. I put a watermelon Jolly Rancher in my mouth so I’d have good breath, just in case. It’s a great album; it’s got ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ too. Some songs may not be the most brilliant pieces of work, but they put you right back into certain moments in your life.”
THE ALBUM THAT THE DUNWOODY WILDCATS LOVED
Eagles
Their Greatest Hits
Asylum, 1976
“I played football in high school, believe it or not, despite my lack of girth. And this was the disc our bus driver played going to and from games to get us fired up. Especially ‘Take It Easy,’ the first song on the album. You have that sick feeling in your gut, the adrenaline’s rushing as you pull up to the stadium. And win or lose, we’d listen to the same album on the way home, although we’d listen to ‘Desperado’ if we lost, on the verge of crying.”
THE ALBUM THAT MAKES ME CRAVE ITALIAN
Sting
All This Time
A&M, 2001
“I was a Police fan, but I love Sting’s solo stuff. He recorded this on September 11, 2001, at his place in Tuscany — he was struggling with whether or not to go ahead with the show, and you can feel him going through that process. Plus, Tuscany is probably my favorite region in the world; I try to go there as often as I can on holiday. I love the landscape, the food, the wine.”
THE ALBUM THAT MAKES ME ACT LIKE A GROUPIE
Dave Matthews Band
Live at Red Rocks
Bama Rags/RCA, 1997
“I really like Dave’s live albums, and this is my favorite. I’ve seen him every single time I could —Dodger Stadium, small theaters, different cities — and I step out of being in the music business when I’m at one of his concerts and just become a true fan. I became a fan while I was at the University of Georgia, before he broke mainstream. He really built a buzz playing college towns.”
THE ALBUM THAT GUYS LIKE … BUT I DON’T
Led Zeppelin
IV
Atlantic, 1971
“Antithetical to most guys, I never got into it and I don’t miss not getting into it. Every one of my friends swears by that album and I always hit skip in the disc player when it comes on at their houses. Maybe I’m completely naive, but they’re one of those bands I just never connected with. Same with the Beatles even, I just couldn’t care less. And I hated Metallica growing up, although I’ve started to come around a little recently. God, was I teased.”
