When I am driving in the car for 30+ minutes and I usually listen to one of my playlists. I rarely listen to music. Sometimes when I do some chores. Sometimes in the car. Other than that it is a rather musical free household. However every once in a while – especially in the car – I love to turn up the volume and sing along. The louder the better. And shuffling through my playlist, songs pop up that remind me of specific moments and seasons in my life. It felt a bit like listened to a soundtrack of my life.
I am sure the music aficionados among you will roll one or two eyes reading through the list. I still put it out there.
And fair warning: I rarely listen to the lyrics – heck let’s be honest I know none of the lyrics. It is all about the feeling and the melody for me. It could be that the lyrics completely contradict the situation I have them associated with.
The Sign by Ace of Base
Time Period: Early 90’s | Release date: November 1st, 1993 | Genre: Techno-Raggea, Europop | Watch here
This band was the first one I really listened to that wasn’t a kids band. I remember being 6th grade and talking about this song in the gym locker room.
Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson
Time Period: The 90’s | Release date: August 31, 1987 | Genre: Pop | Watch here
Shortly after Michael Jackson entered my life. I admit to have (still am) a big Michael Jackson fan. I remember sitting (early 1990’s) at the computer with my sister and dictionary and we meticulously translated each song. What work… and we hardly understood it because you can’t just translate it word by word. I specifically remember doing it for Man in the Mirror. And ever since that time I wanted to learn English. Look how far I’ve come.
Other all time favorite songs are: In the Closet, Liberian Girl, Blood on the Dancefloor, Who is it, Bad, Jam and more
One Sweet Day – Mariah Carey
Time Period: The 90’s | Release date: November 15, 1995 | Genre: Pop, R&B | Watch here
Around the same time as Michael Jackson entered my life so did Mariah Carey. Specially this song got me hooked to her. Back then I shared a room with my sister and our musical taste did not align (her music was techno and alternative rock) and I was never “allowed” to listen to MC when she was a round. I have collected all her CDs and her music is dear to my heart. The Christmas album will play every year to this day. However she gotten a bit weird in later years but her (new) music like Butterfly is still pretty good.
Cowboy Take Me Away by The Dixie Chicks
Time Period: 1999/2000 – my year in the US | Release date: November 9th 1999 | Genre: Country | Watch here
When I came to the US I had no idea what country was. And I wasn’t particularly fond of it in the beginning. But this song was played every single time at 5am on the radio when my guest sisters got up for bible study. I always woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. So I listened to this song. It got ingrained in my brain. Call it brainwashing because by the end I bought the CD and this song will forever be associated with my time in Idaho. And it did open the door for me and country music – but only when I was back.
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
Time Period: Summer 2000 | Release date: May 31st 1982 | Genre: Hard Rock | Watch here
This song is always taking me back to summer 2000 (and maybe 2001). I took my first unofficial driving lessons in an old mustang that had an 8-track and this tape was stuck in it. So whenever it pops up I am immediately taken back to the dirt roads, the heat, rolled down windows and teenage fun.
Black Velvet by Alannah Myles
Time Period: Junior Year 2001 & Senior 2002| Release date: July 26th 1989 | Genre: Country Rock | Watch here
This song was introduced to me by a friend during junior & senior year here in Germany. She sang it on all school performances and it was just so cool. I admired her for doing it as I was not able to pull this off. Ahhhh high school the last two years was fun.
Dilemma by Nelly feat Kelly Rowland
Time Period: summer 2002 | Release date: June 25th 2002 | Genre: Hip Hop, RnB | Watch here
Ahhhh the summer after graduation. The in-between time. I was working a summer job at Subways. There were a gang of dudes coming in regularly. We ended up hanging out that summer, playing basketball and flirting and dancing on the streets at midnight. This song was always on their lips. I had a crush on one guy. But he didn’t. His friend had a crush on me though but I hadn’t. Careless and lighthearted days.
Whenever Wherever by Shakira
Time Period: 2003 -2005 | Release date: August 30th, 2001 | Genre: Latin Pop | Watch here
I was never a huge club goer. However during my time as advertising apprentice we often did Thursday After Work Clubbing. We often had free tickets from somewhere (perks of working in the events department). My now best friend just started working in our company and I remember dancing the night away with her. This song always pulled us to the dance floor. I had one specific outfit that I wore week in and week out. It was a red neck holder and my fake Armani jeans that made my butt look the best it ever has.
Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani
Time Period: Summer 2005 | Release date: March 22, 2005 | Genre: Hip Hop | Watch here
The husband and I don’t really have a song. This is the closest one. It was playing a lot on the radio when we started dating (July 2005) and it will always be matched to that time., that energy, the nights out with our friend group.
On another note Gewn Stefani has the coolest clothing style.
Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z feat Alicia Keys
Time Period: Fall of 2009 | Release date: October 20th, 2009 | Genre: Hip Hop | Watch here
I liked this song the minute it came out. For some reason my boss at the time decided I had a crush on Jay-Z. So this became bigger than necessary. When I went to take my state exam she send me a package to the hotel with Jay-Z buttons and party items as of even he was cheering me on. Later that year she surprised the company (we were about 5 people read girls) to tickets to the MTV Europe Music Awards. We had a VIP booth and you will not believe but in the booth next to us sat Jay-Z and Beyonce. No photos but I nodded at them and they nodded back. Anyways this song is capturing this crazy time of me being a full time event manager while simultaneously doing night courses at university and getting not one but two diplomas.
Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon
Time Period: 2008-2011 | Release date: August 11th, 2008 | Genre: Alternative Rock | Watch here
Ah this song is my ticket back to being an event manager. It was always played as the soundcheck song from the technique crew. And if we were fast and things moved quickly this one guy would make it a life performance. It was just a highlight in setting up a huge convention and before we all went to bed before the big day… There is a special dynamic in event crews and this transports me right back.
Bonfire Heart by James Blunt
Time Period: December 2013 – January 2014 | Release date: October 6th, 2013 | Genre: Pop Rock, Folk Rock | Watch here
This song captures a very small time frame. I worked at a fashion label and we organized the January Fashion Week. This song blasted through the office multiple times a day, when we rode in the car and during lunch. Mainly because my boss loved it and so I came to love it too.
Writing this post and watching the music video for the first time I thought it looked like Idaho. So I googled and they really did shoot it in Norther Idaho. Who knew. (And if you don’t know yet way I am “obsessed with Idaho” read here.)
Sanctuary by Charles Esten with Lennon & Maisy
Time Period: current | Release date: 2017 | Genre: Country | Watch here
I am adding this song even though I can’t quiet pinpoint it to a certain time period. But it is one of the songs that really spoke to me in the recent years and has some meaning. It might have made me cry too.
Researching all these songs has given me so much more background info now. I still like them all. For some of these songs I have never watched the videos. For some they are just pop culture of course.
It is interesting though, that in the last decade the music is not so entirely connected to certain situations, moments and phases in life. I wonder why that is.
Now let me know a song from your soundtrack of life? Is there a song that is also on your list and we we share? What was the first band you really liked and can you get behind them now? Is there a song you love but feel cringe about when looking at the lyrics?
28 comments
What a wonderful happy list of songs & memories! Although I feel a silly kind if pride that you start off with a Swedish band! LOL.
I’m like you, I often forget to listen or turn on music, mostly because I also like silence or I’m listening to an audio book, but when I do listen to music I Love it SO much.
HaHa yes I did start with a Swedish band but they were on fire back then, worn’t they.
I appreciate silence too. Specially when crafting. The husband often comes in and ask if he should put some music on and can’t understand that I rather sit with myself. I listen to a lot of podcast and audiobooks too – mainly when walking or doing chores. Music is rare. The husband turns it on we he is folding laundry sometimes. For me music is mainly car rides and since I never us the car it’s rare. And I have no idea about today’s music.
PS is the commentLUV plugin working for others? It say “Error. Parsing JSON Request failed” to me. :(
Oh interesting. Yes, please let me know if it works. I see it on some older blog posts but I was wondering why no one is using it anymore.
I love Nelly- he and Celine Dion feature on a playlist I have called Guilty Pleasures. I told this to a hair dresser once and he thought it was a hilarious juxtaposition of artists. One of my regrets is missing a Nelly show in Japan in favor of a California burrito in Kanazawa. It was a group decision. The burrito was pretty good though.
Oh now that sounds like an interesting paring. Hunting it down right now…
mhm can’t find it. (insert sad face)
I understand the regret. I do regret never been to a Michael Jackson concert.
I don’t listen to a lot of current pop music, but I definitely have songs that bring me back to certain times of my childhood and teenage years. The one song that popped out at me from your list was “Eye of the Tiger” because we played an arrangement of that for marching band in high school. Whenever I hear that song, I have the memory of a high school marching band rendition, hah!
Oh that sounds like a great interpretation of that song I bet it was fun being part of that. What a great memory connected to that song.
While I love me a good lyrics, as I do love to sing, and do love to play music at home (mostly) when my OH is at work work, and not in the home office. I’m one of those who the neighbours probably moan about, depending on what type of music I’m playing. But I do play a lot of opera and classics. So maybe that’s not so bad?
Ha, my husband would complain if someone would play opera all the time.
I like to listen to some classical music mainly piano music when I have to do some focus work or have a micgraine and need to draw out other things. It can be calming – depending on the piece. Could also be very annoying.
Honestly, I listened to a LOT of Shania Twain in my teen years and she does not hold up. It’s kind of sad, really, but I usually turn off a Shania song. The Chicks music does hold up, though. Lots of their songs are on my playlist!
Yes I do have some Shania Twain in my list too. I could not say if she hold up or not but I trust you here.
what a great idea! do you have them in Spotify list? I love Shakira’s songs, strong female voice from latinamerica.
They are in my music library from apple music as I don’t use Spotify.
I do like Shakira too. When she was become famous in Europe my husband started laughing because she was old news for him (are up in the Dominican Republic).
I love the image of you driving a Mustang (in Idaho, I assume?) with Survivor stuck in the 8 track recorder. That definitely takes me back, to when 8 tracks were cool (I was just a kid then) and to when Eye of the Tiger was on the radio all of the time. Not a great song, but such a specific memory, I might have it on my playlist if I were you, too.
That Ace of Base song is great for dancing, as is Shakira. My daughter LOVED Shakira when she was little. My husband took her to a concert when she was 6 or 7. Lucky kid. He also likes to have music on all of the time, whereas I like it quieter.
We could sit in quietness for a time together and then find a great song to listen to before we opt for quietness again. I’ll be up for that. I agree dancing is fun with those two. Lucky daughter your to have seen Shakira live.
I must love Swedish music because I love Abba, Roxette, and Ace of Base! I have all their CDs stashed away in a drawer. I haven’t listened to them in a while. There are only a few songs on your playlist that I don’t know. We’d get along great by riding in a car and listening to music together!
Well, Michelle that is a good start. Who know when that car right will happen. I’ve never been into Rosette when they were cool but some song are not to bad after hearing them muh later. Abba is a classic and floats around here and there.
I could get behind of “Eye of the Tiger”. I still remember that I used it when I had to do my PE class warm up in Highschool (not my fondest memory but still a good song).
One of my earliest memories songs is “99 Luftballons” by Nena. I had to keep it a secret since liking Nena was not in at the time but it was the 80s after all. I am not even sure anymore what was cool.
Great idea by the way!
I can see why it is a warm up song. Glad you have fond memories of it even though you didn’t like PE.
I think I really heard Nena’s song the first time when I was in the USA. Funny, right?
That’s a great list for your soundtrack. I do that a lot too, listening to existing playlists (or whatever the Youtube algorithm decides in its wisdom to throw at me while I have it playing in the background) while I work or commute. I guess in a way these playlists, especially the ones we keep around for a long time, are a kind of time capsule into our pasts, full of memories and just music we’ve loved. A few of those are on my lists too, including your first two, but some of these were new to me or ones I hadn’t heard for a while. But how they impacted us and the memories we associate with each of the songs is truly unique to each person, although it’s still interesting to see how you can still feel something about another person just by listening to their music. I guess that means music speaks to all of us on some unconscious level.
Music is definitely a time capsule. Absolutely agree. And even though I say I am not a music person it is interesting what certain titles trigger. The human brain is fascinating that way. And then same song but different memories.
I always think back to the songs that were playing when I was at uni. So Black Box (Ride on Time, Fantasy), Love Shack by the B-52’s, Kylie Minogue, Hudu Gurus.
Isn’t it fun to look back through songs. Instantly know how you felt, the atmosphere the people. Such a fun time travel thing.
Oh so fun, you definitely have some ‘ear worm’ material on your playlist! I love it. :) Almost all Michael Jackson songs are classics!
My first musical love was “A-ha” and I still can get behind them now. I was too young to see them in concert when they were popular in the 80s but I ended up seeing them at a festival years later (in the 90s) and it was so cool to finally see them live :)
Oh yes, they were good too and definitely sing-along worthy.
I would have sworn you mention NSYNC though.
This is so fun. I’m amazed that you looked up all the words to Man in the Mirror. You have come a long way – look at how great your English is. I cannot believe you got to attend the music awards and Jay-Z was sitting there. That’s so wild. Good stuff.
I started reading this yesterday and got sidetracked. I am notorious for knowing NOTHING about music. I hear a song while driving, get out of the car, try to tell someone the great song I just heard. Can’t remember the name, the words, or the beat. I’m hopeless. It’s like I’m missing a chip.
But! I like Prince. I grew up loving U2 and they are still one of my favorites. John Denver songs take me back to my childhood, because my mom always listened to him. I do like Eye of the Tiger when I need to get pumped up.
“I’m hopeless. It’s like I’m missing a chip.” this is me too.
Oh and how did I forget Prince? Back then it was either MJ or prince but I secretly liked them both. Specially 1999.
That night at the awards was wild in many ways but so fun too.
I did come a long why since that time sitting on the computer and trying to type out a translation. So hard to find conjugated verbs in a dictionary.