The Sounds Of Taco Bell

Nobody eats at Taco Bell more than I do. At least I hope not.

On average, I give business to the Taco Bell in Twin Falls, ID once every 10 days. This is not very healthy, but it is very cheap. I can suffice my hunger for under $4! But you must understand that although eating at Taco Bell may not be a financial sacrifice, you sacrifice many other things:
Your dignity.
Your functioning arteries.
Your taste in music.

That's right. Not only do I always order the same things at Taco Bell, but I hear the same songs. I don't get out much, but between the Twin Falls and Jerome Taco Bells, I'm convinced that the Taco Bell experience is soundtrack'd by the same XM Radio station. I cannot imagine sinking my teeth into a Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito without modern Adult Contemporary chart-topping music being played in the background.

These are the songs I've heard the most while eating at Taco Bell. These songs define the Taco Bell experience. The music acts as a quality-defining metaphor. Much like the fast food restaurant itself, this is something we always come back to, but never know why. It's always there; always there for you to consume. So here we go...

~ The Sounds Of Taco Bell ~

#10 (tie) Daya Hide Away + Shawn Mendes Treat You Better
You can walk into any single college kid's house in Utah and one of these songs will be bumpin' in the background. Both singers longing for morality at an obnoxiously desperate expense, it's hard to choose which track to stick with... much like the $1 Cravings Menu.
#9 Charlie Puth One Call Away
Charlie Puth is such a nice guy, right? He's just such a loving man. He's easily the voice you want to hear serenading you and your sweetheart over a couple Chalupa Supremes.
#8 Rachel Platten Fight Song
"Fight Song" basically became the campaign song for 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (in case you didn't know who she was). Does this mean her campaign was also sponsored by Taco Bell? Obviously not. That would have tripled her votes.
#7 Andy Grammer Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah)
As I hear his charming voice sing "Good to be alive right about now!" I look into my Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco like "You took the words right out of my mouth, Andy..."
#6 Calum Scott Dancing On My Own [Robyn cover]
I'll never forget my first time hearing this song. Sitting alone in the Jerome Taco Bell late at night, I hear a barren piano topped by this melodramatically depressive British white guy's voice, then I hear the words... Oh gosh. This really is... it's a cover of Robyn's 2010 Euro-hit "Dancing On My Own!" I bet the people who have only heard the lame cover version of this song have probably only eaten at Taco Bell and never eaten real Mexican food too!
#5 Lukas Graham 7 Years
Ugh, this song drives me nuts. It's like the minor key stepchild of "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter. Oddly enough, I always pay close attention to its lyrics just in case I get in a conversational jam during a bad date night. (Ex: "Scott, why are we in a Taco Bell?" >> "Let's change the topic. You know that '7 Years' song by Lukas Graham? That guy smoked pot at age 11. Isn't that sad?")
#4 Maroon 5 Don't Wanna Know [ft. Kendrick Lamar]
Apparently Kendrick Lamar is in this song, but I've never noticed. It's like how it wasn't until my 10th purchase of a Loaded Potato Griller that I noticed there was bacon in there!
#3 Train Play That Song
The fall of Train has been hard for me to listen to. The singles get worse every year. I won't go into too much detail here, but I can only imagine this track sounding uncomfortably fitting as the alarm clock ringtone for folks who eat breakfast at Taco Bell every morning. The song plays as the smile on your beaming face orders a Sausage Flatbread Quesadilla... America wakes up for this.
#2 Ben Rector Brand New 
This song is the Taco Bell special. This is the real #1 on the list, because I hear it every time I walk into Taco Bell, guaranteed. I've heard it there so much, I assumed that this was some popular radio song. But no. It apparently has only reached #82 on the US Billboard chart. Ben Rector and The Bell, man. They got a thing going on.
#1 Ed Sheeran Castle On The Hill 
I could have easily given this top spot to Ed's super-hits "Thinking Out Loud" and "Shape Of You." But I just want to address to the world that there is a literally a part of this song where he says "Me and my friends have not thrown up in so long." And THAT, my friends, is the unnecessary additional imagery you already have in mind when you stare down your $5 Triple-Double Crunch Wrap Box. Oh goodness, what have I done? It's too late to turn back! You're in Taco Bell. You're in Ed Sheeran's world now.