ninetys nostalgia

I love '90's music.

Well, let me clarify: I love '90's rock and alternative music, not Michael Bolton-ish stuff or R. Kelley. (sorry, fans of those guys... all 7 of you)

I've been listening through the '90's music that I have on my iPhone today, and riding the wave of memories. The '90's were a good decade for me; I became a teenager in 1991, got braces and my first crush in 1992 (and danced in the Carson City 4th of July parade with my youth group! haha) developed lifetime friends, made definitive life choices, got asked out for the first time in 1994 (I refused), got my driver's license in 1994, moved from my childhood home in 1995, started my first home business in 1996, cut my waist-length hair to my chin in the summer of 1996 (much to the chagrin of my older, hot, British tennis teacher), learned to snowboard in the winter of 1996, went to EXCEL in January of 1997, got my first speeding ticket in 1997, went snowboarding 3 days a week in the winters of '96, '97, and '98, turned 20 and started leading my church's children's ministry in 1998, turned 21 in 1999, and of course filled several diaries with teen angst over the course of the decade. So yeah, the '90's hold a ton of my growing-up memories. And the songs that came out of that time were the "soundtrack of my life".

I'm going to list the '90's songs that I particularly love, and the memories they bring up, if any.

Wonderwall by Oasis
Reminds me of driving our big, "beautiful", banana-yellow 1978 Lincoln Continental that someone gave us. I hated that thing, but man, did it have power! (hence the reason I got my first speeding ticket)

Song 2 by Blur
happy, happy, happy song! It makes me think of flying down a run at Mt. Rose on a gorgeous day, listening to it blast over my Diskman headphones.

Santa Monica by Everclear
another happy song. I don't have any particular memory, just like it.

I Will Buy You A New Life by Everclear
I think of driving up to Mt. Rose in my parents' old Caravan, and it breaking down. My pal Jesse sang me this song to lighten the mood.

Walkin' On The Sun by Smashmouth
This brings up memories of my brother David and his best friend Jesse fighting over a line of this song that each heard differently. Silly boys.

Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls
C'mon... who doesn't like this song? It's absolutely quintessential for any child of the '90's. I've listened to it so much that it has no single memory.

No Rain by Blind Melon
Reminds me of David singing. hahaha

The Freshmen by The Verve Pipe (not to be confused with The Verve)
Love this song. It reminds me of working at Nevada Lynn's, a little roadside store, with my brothers. Also driving Jesse's little Toyota Tercel up to ride Mt. Rose.

Sex and Candy by Marcy Playground

If You Could Only See by Tonic
This was the song David sang to his first girlfriend, Brenna, who had blue eyes.

Baby, Baby by Amy Grant
Dancing with Hannah in her bedroom!

Mambo #5 by Lou Bega
What a dorky song! I think of driving too Reno with Erica, blasting the part that says "a little bit of Erica..."

The Impression That I Get by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Ugh, ska. Not my favorite. Moving on...

So What'cha Want? by the Beastie Boys
hahaha, this song makes me laugh. sometimes when my brothers and I would ask each other what we wanted, we'd sing it just like this song.

Whoomp! There It Is by Tag Team
Another lame one. I remember this song because everyone and their brother would always say "whoomp, there it is" for various reasons

Glycerine by Bush
I remember this as one of the first songs that David learned to play on his bass guitar that wasn't a "worship song" :)

All I Wanna Do by Sheryl Crow
this song makes me think of sun-drenched vacations in Santa Barbara where I spent all day at the beach then hit the thrift stores and the ice cream shop. Happiness.

Ironic by Alanis Morissette
This reminds me of Hannah and Jesse fighting over who wrote it- Han thought it was Sheryl Crow, and Jesse thought it was Alanis. It's a great song.

I Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie and the Blowfish
Laaaaaame song. It was ubiquitous, which is probably why I didn't really like it. And I couldn't relate; I didn't have a boyfriend.

Only Happy When it Rains by Garbage
Dude. I loved this song! It was dark, but gosh I liked it. :)

If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow

Follow You Down by Gin Blossoms

I Love You Always Forever by Donna Lewis
Seriously cheesy, but who can forget Kristi Yamaguchi skating to this one in the... olympics? Okay, apparently a lot of people can, but I always remember that.

Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind

Tubthumping by Chumbawamba
I remember this song being on a section of a snowboard video where they showed all the wipeouts. Haha, very clever.

Banditos by The Refreshments
crazy, funny, cool song. We listened to this one a lot while snowboarding; it gives you that "spring" in your... glide?

Head Over Feet by Alanis
gosh, what an awesome song. I must have sung this one with Hannah a gagillion times. It was my introduction to Alanis, and I've been hooked ever since.

How's It Gonna Be by Third Eye Blind
This is another of my absolute favorites. It instantly takes me to the snowboard park on the Slide side of Mt. Rose on a super-snowy day. There were speakers blasting this song as I rode through, floating over the fresh powder in time to the music. Such a good memory!

Fly by Sugar Ray
another awesome bouncy snowboarding song

Where Have All The Cowboys Gone by Paula Cole
Hannah. This song makes me think of Hannah and our sleepovers where we'd read each other's diaries and lament about not knowing any cool guys. Heh.

Brimful of Asha by Cornershop
I have no idea what they're talking about, but I like the song

Angel by Sarah Mclachlan

Dream by the Cranberries

Zoot Suit Riot by Cherry Poppin' Daddies

Scar Tissue by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

All Star by Smashmouth

Someday by Sugar Ray

Every Morning by Sugar Ray

Better Days by Citizen Cane

Good Riddance by Green Day

Clumsy by Our Lady Peace
This is another one that makes me think of Hannah... she claimed this as her "theme song" because she thought she was clumsy and no one noticed her. Ha, if she only knew.

Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve

Mr. Jones by Counting Crows

Long December by Counting Crows
Quite possibly my favorite song of the decade. I have so so so so many memories attached to this tune! But the original and best is the memory I have of sitting on a chairlift early one stormy morning in the winter of 1997 with David and Jesse, looking at a skier with hot pink goggles on the run below us, and David calling down to him, "Hey- it's one more day up in the canyon!" and the dude just looking up at us like we were crazy (which we were). Thereafter "one more day up in the canyon" was our codespeak for "let's go snowboarding!" Goooood times. "there will never be another '97", huh guys?

3am by Matchbox20 (before they were Matchbox Twenty)
one of the songs that can bring back memories the strongest; I think of driving up or down the mountain whenever I hear this one (and the other Matchbox20 songs, too)

Push by Matchbox20
heh, David used to sing this "at" me when he was mad at me for whatever reason

Real World by Matchbox20

Whew. I think that's about all I have steam for right now. I listened to some country music in the '90's too, but I'll have to save that for another post or come back and edit them in later. Or something.

What are some I missed? :) What are your favorites and why?