The Awesome Mix 1.

Is this an ancillary prop? Absolutely not.

Peter Quill would not be Star-Lord without the Awesome Mix.  These songs were his link back to Earth, to his childhood. These songs influenced him growing up. These were the songs he listened to during the most important moments of his life. These were the songs he learned to dance to.

Constellation sums up the Awesome Mix 1 perfectly on the-artifice.com:

Music both influences our perception of Peter and directly affects his path toward self-definition. Some of the tracks which accompany scenes that demonstrate this include “I’m Not in Love”, “Come and Get Your Love”, “Hooked on a Feeling”, “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)”, “Fooled Around and Fell in Love”, and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” Together, they represent the culmination of Peter’s efforts to free himself from his ravager identity and the trauma of losing his mother. Awesome Mix Vol. 1 provides great insight into Peter’s developing identity as Star Lord, not in an explicit story told through lyrics but in his reactions to it within context.

Therefore, I feel like I wouldn’t be properly channeling Star-Lord without this tape.

So here it is, fresh out of the mail!

The label is an exact replica of the movie label. Now here’s the sad part: it doesn’t actually play. No songs on this cassette tape. It will serve, though.

If you are interested in how Peter’s music is a reflection of his personality, you should read Constellation’s post, “Becoming a Guardian of the Galaxy: Star Lord and the Importance of Music.”  It goes through each song, describing how it contributed to Peter’s evolution into Star-Lord. An excellent piece written by a creative writing student.

Now to find a walkman to put the tape in…

And I’ll leave you with this meme: