Nostalgia is a powerful thing. One minute you’re going through an average day when something brings back a memory and all you can do for the rest of the day is replay said memory nonstop. I’ve found that, hearing an old song tends to bring on nostalgia. These songs are ones that we associate with a specific event, time, or group of people that reconnect us to old memories.
Everyone has certain songs that, no matter how long it’s been since the last time he or she has heard it, they can remember every word. Here’s a list of those types of songs that we will always have memorized regardless of whether or not we actually like them. Disclaimer, by “we,” I mean anyone who could reasonably considered a young adult, which can be interpreted many different ways.
“Wonderwall” - Oasis
Did you honestly think this list would start any other way?
“I Want Candy” - Aaron Carter
This song was my what I used as my morning alarm far more recently than I’m proud to admit.
“Bye Bye Bye” - *NSYNC
Look at Justin Timberlake’s hair. There are no words.
“I Want It That Way” - Backstreet Boys
It’s only right to follow an *NSYNC song with a Backstreet Boys one.
“Wannabe” - Spice Girls
You might not even like this song, but you definitely know every word.
“Basketball” - Lil Bow Wow
Like Mike was a memorable movie, I guess.
“All Star” - Smash Mouth
“She was looking kinda dumb with her finger and her thumb in the shape of an L on her forehead.” Top 10 music lyric of all time (probably).
“Hey Ya” - OutKast
It’s impossible to not sing at least the chorus whenever this song comes on.
“Stacy’s Mom” - Fountains of Wayne
This song came out 12 years ago, so if you meet a lot of newborns and young kids with the name Stacy, you know why.
“Hey There Delilah” - Plain White T’s
This was pretty much the go-to for the slow dance in middle school.
“Chasing Cars” - Snow Patrol
Apparently Snow Patrol has other songs outside of this one.
“Move Along” - All American Rejects
I’m pretty sure this was the top song on iTunes for an absurdly long time.
“Bad Day” - Daniel Powter
What’s the over/under on the number of bad jokes made about a guy with the last name Powter making a song about having a bad day? I’m gonna say infinity.
“She Will Be Loved” - Maroon 5
The lyrics in this song can still be found all over Facebook.
“Time of Your Life” - Green Day
This song is what we’d sing in an effort to put passing third grade in perspective.
“Beautiful Soul” - Jesse McCartney
I will never not love this song.
“Sk8er Boi” - Avril Lavigne
“He wanted her, she’d never tell, secretly she wanted him as well.” And they said Romeo and Juliet was a tragic love story.
“1985” - Bowling For Soup
Remember when the M in MTV stood for music? Yeah, I actually don’t either…
“Hollaback Girl” - Gwen Stefani
This song is literally the only reason I can spell the word “banana.”
“Sweet Caroline” - Neil Diamond
There’s nothing more awesome than hearing thousands of people yell out the chorus together.
Bring on the nostalgia.
