From Wikipedia: “Eighteen is a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9. Three of these divisors (3, 6 and 9) add up to 18, hence 18 is a semiperfect number. It is (also) a heptagonal number, and as the sum of the first three pentagonal numbers, it is a pentagonal pyramidal number. It is also the sum of the totient function for the first seven integers. 18, aside from 0, is the only number that equals twice the sum of its decimal digits.”

Moreover, the number holds much significance in world religion:

- The Hebrew word for “life” is חי (chai), which has a numerical value of 18. Consequently, the custom has arisen in Jewish circles to give donations and monetary gifts in multiples of 18 as an expression of blessing for long life.
- There are 18 chapters in the Bhagavad Gita, which is contained in the Mahabharata, which has 18 books. The Kurukshetra War which the epic depicts, is between 18 armies (11 on the Kuru side, 7 on the Pandava).
- In Norse mythology Haldan has 18 sons and Odin knows 18 things.
- The number is sacred to the Sufi mystics known in the West as the Whirling Dervishes, and their custom was for a guest to bring gifts in multiples of 18.

Most importantly for us, eighteen is a rarity in the musical world. The number is rarely seen on albums of any kind when it comes to tracklistings. Think about it… very few albums reach above fifteen tracks. Which makes hitting song number eighteen on any given record is a special feat worth celebrating. Party! It’s even more rare when track eighteen shows up and turns out to be one of the better songs on the record. Below you’ll find a mix that features a selection of great songs that appear as track eighteen on their respective albums (greatest hits collections included).

Listen to this week’s muxtape HERE.

Join EAR FARM’s Community for a link to download the entire extended mix as a ZIP. It’s twenty four songs long and clocks in at 1:18 - that’s an hour and eighteen minutes of great eighteens!

EAR FARM’s Muxtape #18: Great Eighteens
1. “Trampled Under Foot” by Led Zeppelin
2. “No Hands” by Echo & the Bunnymen
3. “Lady Stardust” by David Bowie
4. “Wan Light” by Orange Juice
5. “25 Minutes To Go” by Johnny Cash
6. “Professor Booty” by Beastie Boys
7. “7″ by Prince
8. “Happy Jack” by The Who
9. “Devil Town” by Daniel Johnston
10. “Date Rape” by Sublime
11. “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)” by Talking Heads
12. “Back To The Old House” by The Smiths

*above photo from HERE
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A Muxtape is a simple way to create and share mixtapes. We create and share a brand new one each week on Friday morning. That’s all there is to it. Feel free to share your own mix in the comments. Check out all of the EAR FARM Weekly Mixes HERE.