As long as valuable cargo has been shipped across bodies of water, pirates have existed. The first documented pirates are the Sea Peoples, who plundered on the Mediterranean in the 13th century B.C. Although pirates have existed all over the world the most romanticised version are the pirates who did their worst in the Caribbean from the late 1500s until the mid 1700s. People are still entranced by the pirate mystique as has been seen by the blockbuster success of Disney's Pirates Of The Caribbean film series. We love the clothes, the adventure and the pirate dialect has even inspired an annual International Speak Like A Pirate day.

If you love pirates be sure to check out this playlist of pirate songs.

Pirate Songs  

1. Mingulay Boat Song - Richard Thompson

2. Jolly Roger - Roger McGuinn

3. The Ballad of Ó Bruadair / Out on the Ocean - Dan Milner

4. Don't Forget Your Old Shipmate - Pirates For Sail

5. Ten Thousand Miles Away - Gallant Sons of Erin

6. All For Me Grog - Joey

Journey has been a guilty pleasure of mine for a long time. It's actually kind of funny. I had a label send me a ton of reissues a couple of years ago and I ended up receiving some duplicates. I tried to GIVE them away and none of my friends would take them. I kid you not. It was a bit upsetting, but somehow this band's cheesy reputation has made people afraid to admit they like the music. Well, I won't be afraid! I will stand up, confident in my masculinity, and say it loud, "I like Journey". Steve Perry has a technically brilliant voice, the band can play and the melodies stick with you for a lifetime. I think it's just the incessant sappy love stuff that has given them a bad wrap. And... well... just look at those pants. If you're like me and have a soft spot for sensitive chick bands you may enjoy this playlist. It includes every song, in order, that appears on Journey's Greatest Hits album, but as performed by other artists. Artists who are not only unafraid to admit Journey as an

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm gearing up for a long overdue vacation with my wife. Just the two of us. Both sets of grandparents are coming up to take shifts watching the kids while we're gone (believe me, I know how lucky I am). We'll be touring 8 cities -- some are favorites we are returning to and others will brand new experiences. I thought I would see what kind of playlist I could put together by selecting a single song named for each of the eight cities on our itinerary. Just like the vacation itself, some of these are old friends and some are new to me. And by all means, if you have any tourist suggestions for these cities, let me know!

An 8 City Eurafrican Vacation Playlist

1. Madrid Song - Julian Plenti

2. We're From Barcelona - I'm From Barcelona

3. Rome - Phoenix

4. Grandma Went To Athens, Once - Too Much Joy

5. In the Land of Ephesus - Joe Lovano

6. Alexandria - Beny More

7. Fire In Cairo - The Cure

8. Valletta - Kevin Call

Follow what Robert is listening to

Another year is almost over and I've been spending many hours putting together this list of the very best albums released in 2010. After much deliberation I've selected what I feel are the top 100. I freely admit that I've probably missed some that deserve to be here. As is true for all people, I have a finite amount of time available. So even with listening to upwards of 400 new albums each year, I simply can't hear them all. So please add your own favorites to the comments if you feel I have overlooked something deserving. All I ask is that you review the whole list first and tell us WHY your favorite album should have made the cut. A comment like, "What! No Eminem!" or "Arcade Fire sucks!" is not an valid argument and will promptly be laughed at and ignored. Additionally, pointing out that you have not heard something automatically disqualifies you from having an opinion about it.

I've provided the highest chart positions and Metacritic score for each of my selections. Obviously,