What great!!! responses to this thread, and I agree with all your answers.

Don, you struck it right when you mentioned honesty, as that's certainly an element for me which I hadn't considered when I started the thread.

Annap, your wonderful contribution speaks volumes, and others have echoed these sentiments. What does it for me as well is the feeling and emotion that the song generates. A song will grab me even though I can't describe why at the time, and often not even later.

'Spaw, I've often experienced what you described, a song that's been around for a long time and suddenly, 'bang' it jumps up and bites me. Maybe it's the right timing, I've matured (or regressed *BG*), or I've heard a different interpretation of the song by another singer, I've never figured out (or tried to) what suddenly attracts me.

I've even developed a habit of listening to a new CD a couple of times, and if it doesn't interest me, I'll store and come back to it a year later. Then, if it still doesn't do anything for me, I'll throw it out or give it away.

I also have a head full of songs that I wish would go away, but that belongs in the 'bad' song thread.