The other day, I was listening to my old iPod touch that almost never left my hands from 6th grade up until I got my first iPhone sophomore year of high school. I found that I was growing tired of the current playlist I had had on repeat for weeks and decided to mix it up by putting the old iPod on shuffle.

I forgot that this iPod contains every song I have ever put on my master playlist, and boy, was I thrown back with some of the songs that came on the shuffle. Take a trip down memory lane with me…

1. “Buttons” by the Pussycat Dolls

The burlesque dance troupe turned music group had plenty of hits that impacted popular radio, such as “Don’t Cha” and “Wait A Minute,” but my personal favorite was always “Buttons.” Granted, this probably wasn’t something I should have been listening to at age 11, but I turned out fine! Sort of. Despite the fact that Nicole Sherzinger sang pretty much all the lead vocals in their songs… and almost all the background vocals too… and is kind of the reason the group split up... this track is still a certified bop!

2. “Endlessly” by The Cab

The Cab never really released a hit that would come even close to topping “Endlessly,” but this one-hit-wonder is alright by me. The promise of everlasting love and devotion backed by crashing instrumentals and soothing vocals makes this a feel good track that can lift you up no matter how long it’s been since you last heard it.

3. “Summer Love” by Justin Timberlake

Ah, Justin Timberlake: the king of leaving the boy band that made you famous to pursue a solo career before it was cool. Zayn may have created waves with “PILLOWTALK,” but hits like “Summer Love” and “Sexy Back” carried Justin’s career long after he established himself as an independent artist. My favorite part of this song is the beat that I can’t help but nod my head to.

4. “The Way I Are” by Timbaland, Keri Hilson, and D.O.E.

No one quite dominated the club scene like Timbaland did. His impressive roster of musical collaborations includes Keri Hilson, Justin Timberlake, Onerepublic, Katy Perry, and more, but nothing compares to “The Way I Are.” Once I was able to get past the cringeworthy grammar of the chorus (“can you handle me the way I are?”) and title, I was grooving to this song just like I used to back when I was a youngin’.

5. “S.O.S. (Let The Music Play)” by Jordin Sparks

The American Idol and queen of ballads and love songs took a stab at dance-pop music with “S.O.S. (Let The Music Play),” which samples the lyrics and melody of Shannon’s “Let The Music Play.” I wish this song had blown up more when it was first released, because this is one of the songs I’ve been blasting through my speakers for days now. Sassy lyrics, a good beat, and killer vocals… what more could you want from a dance song?

6. “Damaged” by Danity Kane

Danity Kane is the actual definition of releasing a song and then disappearing off of the face of the Earth forever. They even released a third album, “DK3,” that followed their second studio album, “Welcome To The Dollhouse,” featuring the eternal jam that is “Damaged,” but both gathered little to no mainstream attention. Even though the video was ridiculous and actually made me sort of uncomfortable -- why do they look so happy singing about a broken heart?! -- the song still goes off anyways.

7. “Ghost” by Fefe Dobson

Okay, so picture this. I’m 12-years-old, and I’m sad because my crush likes another boy. And then Fefe Dobson hits me with “Ghost” out of NOWHERE, and, suddenly, I have a song to sing (scream) at the top of lungs that helps in purging out my preteen “angst” and “heartbreak.” I couldn’t even relate to the song really at all—I was twelve; what did I know about being cheated on?!—but it made me feel better nevertheless.

8. “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” by Green Day

The infamous emo/pop-punk band is most remembered for their album “American Idiot,” with standout songs including “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and “Holiday.” Though I never really got deep into the band’s music, I really enjoy listening to “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams,” especially when I’m in one of those moods where I can’t quite figure out what’s wrong.

Music has a nostalgic power like no other. As I listened to these songs again for the first time in years, I felt like I was back in middle school jamming out to the songs that made my chores bearable and got me through some rough emotional patches. I highly recommend you dust off the old CD shelf or pull that old iPod out from the drawer sometime—you won’t regret it!