I have always been torn about the concept of "Earth Day". On one hand it brings environmental issues to the forefront and gets the message out to those who may not have been paying attention. But on the other hand it cheapens environmental responsibility by compressing what should be practiced all year into a single day. And driving to an Earth Day event to consume and create trash once a year doesn't exactly get to the heart of the matter.

Earth Day was founded in 1970 and falls on April 22nd in America each year. It has grown in popularity over the decades and is now even celebrated by "light green" environmentalists who may volunteer for a clean up, donate to an environmental cause, or simply make a renewed pledge to live more gently.

Being that artistic types tend to be more in tune with environmental issues than the population at large, it's no surprise that many environmental songs have made their way into the popular culture. Musicians have been selling green since the 1960's

Pachelbel's Canon In D Major is one of the most popular songs played at weddings across the nation and the world, second only to the Wedding March. There's no denying that the composition's simplicity and memorable repetitive hook help classify Pachelbel as the original "one hit wonder."

Originally composed by Johann Pachelbel in 1680 as a piece of chamber music meant for a string quartet -- Canon in D Major has since been rearranged for a wide variety of ensembles, the work's instantly recognizable and heavenly chord progression has even been re-worked successfully in rock music.

Some would say too much. 

This playlist starts with a traditional recording of Pachelbel's Canon and is followed by 9 songs which are based on the Canon or sample it. Surely there are more popular songs that steal heavily from the Canon, so please add any you are aware of to the comments.

Songs Based on Pachelbel's Canon In D Major

1. Canon In D Major - Various Artists

2. Paris - Delerium

3. All Together

Being that Ireland is surrounded by the sea, it's no wonder that the seafaring life has inspired a myriad of Irish songwriters. This playlist looks at Celtic music about, or inspired in some way by the ocean. From tales of immigration on cramped ships, to working the sea for survival, to general ocean-centric odes and sea shanties. This 20 track playlist features both traditional and contemporary Celtic artists -- including The Chieftains, The Pogues, Boys Of The Lough, Planxty, The Clancy Brothers, The Dubliners, De Dannan, Sharon Knight, Altan, The Irish Rovers and more.

There is something appealing about the old salt who faces enormous hardships working on ships at sea for months or years at a time. The reality is however, no matter how beautiful the ocean is, a life at sea is a hard one -- unless you're working on a cruise ship. I will choose to keep my romanticized version of the sea and this playlist is a good start.

Celtic Sea Songs

1. Over The Sea to The Skye - James Galway

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I've been wanting to do a playlist like this for a long time, but the time required has kept me from jumping in. Well, I finally threw caution to the wind and built my first "road trip playlist". It's not merely a group of songs about the road, but is instead a collection of songs that synch up with a planned route. In this case, the route is one I take often between my new home and my old one. The 3 hour drive from Charlotte, NC to Charleston, SC. The songs in the playlist are timed against the route and will tell you something about the area you happen to be driving through at the time.

I make the assumption that you follow the route as drawn by Yahoo! Maps and that your speed is about 80 miles per hour, which seems to be the accepted number on I-77 and I-26. Of course, I do not promote going over the speed limit, so the fast forward on your subscription ready device will come in handy if you're not a law breaker.

We start our playlist in uptown Charlotte, NC. After you get into