Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run is one of the greatest rock and roll records ever made, and its 50th anniversary is an amazing milestone. For me, it’s an album that has kept me in very good company for years, but its anniversary got me thinking about something more personal: the art of making a great mixtape.

Before streaming and playlists, music was a hunt. Besides the radio, cassette tapes were how I engaged with music for the majority of my youth. To save money, cause I was broke, I would keep a blank tape on hand, ready to hit record whenever the right song came on the radio. I even had one strictly for Bruce Springsteen that I played so much the tape warped. To this day, the playlist order is one I still use on Spotify.

This led me to think about the art of the mixtape. I use the word "art" because that’s exactly what it was. It was a creative act, a calculation of tempo and flow, a deliberate sequence of songs meant to tell a story. You had a finite amount of time on each side of the tape, and you had to make every second count. I loved making them for myself, and I loved making them for others.

There was a unique, tactile aspect to it as well. No one else had that exact tape. It was an original, a physical piece of who you were at that moment. Sharing it wasn't just about sharing music; it was about sharing time and showing someone who you are.

The takeaway? Go out, make a playlist, even if it’s not on a cassette tape. Share it with a friend or just for yourself. The experience is almost always fun!

"This is my mom's tape. I don't listen to it to remember her. I listen to it to remember me." - Peter Quill