Compared to this current decade, the years 2000 through 2009 seemed like a much simpler time; though this is largely due to the fact that I was younger and had less responsibilities. I think I speak for every college student when I say I wish I appreciated being a kid more when I was younger. Even though we cannot travel back in time, we can listen to some great songs from this time period to take us back and relive some good times. After all, they are just a YouTube search away. Here are some songs that I hope bring back good memories for you in the order of most recent to oldest.

1. "Umbrella" by Rihanna (2007)

Before subsequent hits like "Take Care," "Diamonds," "The Monster," and "Work," there was an "Umbrella." This song set the tone for Rihanna’s career to really take off and it highlights how despite this song being nearly a decade old, she has not changed that much during this time period. And that’s a good thing, because there’s no reason to fix what isn’t broken. Her catchy music and choice of lyrics have been mesmerizing people for years, starting with this hit song.

Key lyric: “When the sun shines we shine together, told you I’ll be here forever. Said I’ll always be your friend, took an oath Imma stick it out til the end.”

2. "High School Never Ends" by Bowling for Soup (2006)

It’s been three years since I graduated high school, and I can honestly say Bowling For Soup was absolutely right. High school never ends, and that has its positives and negatives. There are some aspects of high school that I did enjoy, but mentally there are some people that are still stuck in high school. Thankfully it’s easier to avoid those people. But even those of us who have grown up (to various degrees) are still getting into debates over which video game, sports team, and celebrity is better and I don’t think people will ever stop caring about their appearance.

Key lyric: “And you still don’t have the right look, and I still have the same three friends, and I’m still pretty much the same as I was back then, high school never ends!”

3. "Excuse Me Miss" by Chris Brown (2005)

While Rihanna has managed to maintain the same effective and catchy music style that has kept her fan base happy for so long, Chris Brown has undergone a large scale metamorphosis. Usually metamorphosis turns a caterpillar into a butterfly, but in Chris Brown’s case he went from floating like a butterfly to stinging like a bee (I don’t have to go into details, do I?). This song was very sweet and perfect for the slow dances back in middle and high school, and every girl wanted to be approached to dance in this way.

Key lyric: “I don't know your name but excuse me miss, I saw you from across the room, And I got to admit that you got my attention, You're making me want to say yo!”

4. "Beautiful Soul" by Jesse McCartney (2004)

Here’s an idea that I think is being shot down a lot this current decade when it comes to writing love songs: how about call a different aspect of someone besides their body beautiful? All human beings are beautiful and it has much more to do with our personality, ideology, and the way we live our lives and bond with people than just our physical traits. I also remember Jesse McCartney’s cameo appearance in Suite Life of Zack and Cody, where the female characters were as infatuated with them as girls would come to feel about the likes of Zac Efron and Justin Bieber in later years.

Key lyric: “You’re the one I want to chase, you’re the one I want to hold, won’t let another minute go to waste, I want you and your beautiful soul”.

5. "Simple and Clean" by Hikaru Utada (2002)

I’m not the biggest Kingdom Hearts fan, but when I heard this song in a Kingdom Hearts commercial for the series installment's first every game, it gave me goosebumps. The emotion, the vibe, and the purity in that song was a beautiful combination. It was the perfect introduction to a game that would combine video games with some of the most iconic cartoon characters from Disney to begin a great series of role playing games.

Key lyric: “Simple and clean is the way that you’re making me feel tonight, it’s hard to let it go”.

6. "Remix to Ignition" by R.Kelly (2002)

Sequels are rarely better than the original, but both R.Kelly and later Usher proved to be exceptions to the rule this decade. This song came out around the end of one of Rap and Hip Hop’s golden era, several years before the torch would be passed to the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Fetty Wap, Drake, Tyler the Creator, and others in a much different era for the genre. To this day it’s still a really fun song to dance to and enjoy listening to.

Key lyric: “It's the remix to ignition, Hot and fresh out the kitchen, Mama rolling that body, got every man in here wishin’”

7. "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne (2002)

Here’s another theme that gets lost in translation these days in making songs. Even I, someone who takes pride in being the nerdy imperfect jack of all trades, master of none, has lost that and tried to be someone I am not at some points in my life. Whether to impress a new group of kids after switching schools or trying to get a girl to like me out of fear that she wouldn’t like the real me, it helped to remember this song. Those people who matter will love you for who you are and are disappointed when you become someone else. That’s why this song is important to me.

Key lyric: “You've become Somebody else 'round everyone else, You're watching your back like you can't relax, You're tryin' to be cool, You look like a fool to me”

8. "Live and Learn" by Crush40 (2001)

This song accompanied the release of Sonic Adventures 2, but it really got famous through its inclusion in the Super Smash Bros Brawl soundtrack 6 years later. It was used in the trailer announcing Sonic’s inclusion in the third installment of the Super Smash Bros franchise, which was one of the greatest and most popular video games. It was a big deal when Sonic, who was once Mario and Nintendo’s biggest rival, joined forces with Nintendo’s all stars to appear in Super Smash Bros Brawl. Live and learn, aside from providing a meaningful message, was also a fitting song to go with Sonic’s personality and get you pumped up.

Key Lyric: “Live and learn! Hanging from the edge of tomorrow! Live and learn! From the words of yesterday!”

9. "Super Smash Bros Melee intro instrumental" (2001)

Another huge moment involving the Super Smash Bros series. The opening sequence for this game may go down as one of the best openings in video game history. On one hand, it may have opened up the Pandora’s Box of sequelization. Before Melee, we did not expect there to be another Super Smash Bros or another of any series of games and we just took what we eventually got. Now, everyone expects every major series like Smash Bros, Pokemon, Zelda, and Kirby to continue to make more games, and the lack of those games for series like Earthbound, Starfox, and Metroid have been lamented. However, this song will always have a special place in my heart as well as many other gamer’s as a reminder of some early and special video game memories shared with friends as well as in times when we needed to be alone.

Only Lyric: The famous announcer shouting “SUPER SMASH BROTHERS MELEE!”

10. "In the End" by Linkin Park (2000)

Not enough can be said about this masterpiece of a song. Say what you want about Linkin Park and what it became post Transformers era, but this is an iconic song for deserved reasons. Linkin Park was a pretty unique band and one that many people found supporting despite preferring different genres. In a sense it was a crossroads or common ground for a lot of people, regardless of gender identity, age, or preference. The themes of trying your hardest against unfavorable odds and making the most of the time we have are also very powerful.

Key Lyric: “Time is a valuable thing, Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings, Watch it count down to the end of the day, The clock ticks life away, It’s so unreal”

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed reading this list even if I left off some songs you liked from this period.