If you're in college now, you were probably in middle school between 2006-2011. It was definitely an interesting time for music. Every now and then, I'll hear a song and think about how I danced to it at my graduation dance, sang it at a karaoke party in seventh grade or blasted it in the car with my sixth-grade friends. Some songs just sound like middle school, which may sound unappealing, but try listening to these songs without smiling.
1. 2006
In 2006, a ton of new artists were coming out. and our generation was making them popular. Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus and Rihanna were just getting started. Look at them now!
"The Best of Both Worlds" by Hannah Montana
"Bad Day" by Daniel Powter
"Temperature" by Sean Paul
"Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado ft. Timbaland
"You're Beautiful" by James Blunt
"Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira ft. Wyclef Jean
"Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield
"SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake
"S.O.S." by Rihanna
"Gold Digger" by Kanye West
2. 2007
2007 was relatively chill. The music was mellow with more R&B influences and acoustic songs. Most of these songs were sweet and romantic.
"No Air" by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown
"Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat
"The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani ft. Akon
"Apologize" by OneRepublic
"Love Song" by Sara Bareilles
"Umbrella" by Rihanna
"No One" by Alicia Keys
"Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis
"Fergalicious" by Fergie
"Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's
3. 2008
Music in 2008 was relatively innocent, but crossing the line a little more with risky hits like "I Kissed a Girl" and "Low." Chris Brown was really popular this year—before he hurt Rihanna.
"I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry
"So What" by P!nk
"Forever" by Chris Brown
"I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz
"Low" by Flo Rida ft. T-Pain
"Kiss Kiss" by Chris Brown
"Pocketful of Sunshine" by Natasha Bedingfield
"With You" by Chris Brown
"Hot N Cold" by Katy Perry
"Take a Bow" by Rihanna
4. 2009
2009 was a pretty feel-good year in music! Hip-hop was tied into pop a little bit more, and it was awesome. Ke$ha, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus were just getting started.
"Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas
"Hey Soul Sister" by Train
"Just Dance" by Lady Gaga
"One Time" by Justin Bieber
"I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas
"The Climb" by Miley Cyrus
"Down" by Jay Sean
"You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift
"Poker Face" by Lady Gaga
"TiK ToK" by Ke$ha
5. 2010
In 2010, the songs were equally pop-ish and hip-hop-like. This was the year where a lot of pop stars and rappers would collaborate and everyone would go insane.
"Not Afraid" by Eminem
" Baby" by Justin Bieber
"I Like It" by Enrique Iglesias
"California Gurls" by Katy Perry
"Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars
"Empire State of Mind" By Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys
"OMG" by Usher ft. will.i.am
"Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum
"Billionaire" by Travie McCoy ft. Bruno Mars
"Fireflies" by Owl City
6. 2011
We ended 2011 with a bunch of artists who are kind of popular now. They had their moment, but obviously we've moved on from LMFAO and Taio Cruz.
"Look at Me Now" by Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes
"Rolling in the Deep" by Adele
"Firework" by Katy Perry
"Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO
"Give Me Everything" by Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer
"Till the World Ends" by Britney Spears
"Forget You" by CeeLo Green
"Born This Way" by Lady Gaga
"The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars
"Dynamite" by Taio Cruz
It's so interesting to see how far music has come through the years. Listening to this playlist was like being in middle school—without the bangs and the braces.
