As for calling boys during middle school to play them songs thank god my friends and I weren’t the only ones doing that. I also used to call and sing songs on the phone with my girlfriends while we listened to the same radio station. Man, I’m glad I stopped being such a geek…uh oh…nevermind…

I love your list! I have an entire CD of songs that are my “pump me up” music (also from years in locker rooms) choices. I listen to them at the office and in my car driving to appointments. Definitely gets me in the right frame of mind to kick some butt. The songs are all through my MP3 running list too, of course.

I can think of each distinct song to remind me of ex boyfriends. Some make me smile, some make me sad and mostly, nostalgic as time passes.

Bob Sinclar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn5xf-TxRRI World Hold On and Love Generation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0NSeysrDYw distinctly remind me of my entire time living abroad. Always makes me smile and skip around happily.

It’s good to reflect on those certain songs and that’s why I LOVE my mix cd’s. They take me back to different times in my life where we don’t hear those songs with regularity anymore, but I can pop in summer of 2004 mix and laugh! Good post and good idea, Elisa.
.-= Grace Boyle´s last blog ..Friday Linky Love =-.

Elisa: I love this post! How fun and how true that things such as music, movies, books, etc can have such a lasting affect on us, drawing us back to where we were, the point in our lives when we first experienced it.

Stairway To Heaven will always remind me of my first boyfriend (and first love). It was his favorite song and during the summers when he was around (semi-long-distance relationship), I remember it always playing on the drive to and from seeing each other. Glad I can still think about it with a smile.

Billy Joel’s Vienna had a huge impact on me when I first heard it and it’s been one of my favorite songs ever since. I think I first heard it back in high school, but it really did help me get through the past few years with subtle, lyrical reminders to “slow down, you’re doing fine/you can’t be everything you want to be before your time.” Awesome.

There are so many songs that I hit the repeat button on, but only recent ones really come to mind: Rob Thomas’ “Let It Go” is one of my favorites now because of the same inspiring lyrics; David Cook’s “Permanent” reminds me of my grandfather’s passing. As far as the past — I think I’ll always remember “borrowing” my brother’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” tape; sitting on the floor of my room and wondering what the hell Weezer’s “The Sweater Song” really meant, and my mom showing me her Beatle’s memorabilia as we listened to the albums.

Suddenly I also remember playing Ace of Base over the phone to a crush when I was in middle school.

Maybe some things are better left in the past Awesome post, Elisa! Thanks for sharing!
.-= Susan Pogorzelski´s last blog ..Celebrate Good Times, C’mon! =-.

El Aire De La Calle – Los Delinquentes: This is my ultimate defining/remembering/need to listen to song. I left the states, moved to Spain a second time to small town nowhere, knew no one, and met some friends who are the most amazing people in the world. They turned me on to Los Delinquentes, who are one of my favorite bands of all time The song is all about going out without a care in the world, singing, dancing, and just living it up, which we did every day. (Our rendition showing our love for the song. Complete with real live Spaniards http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPBEuve69j4)

The Dance – Garth Brooks: The day my dad passed away from Cancer when I was 14, they called at 3am to tell us to get to the hospital before it was too late. We got in the car and this song was on the radio, and it pretty much summed up what my mother was feeling. And I can’t listen to this song without getting a tear in my eye because it reminds me of that lonely car ride on August 2.

Put Ya Hands Up – Jay-Z: Defines my entire varsity Basketball career as it was our opening song for our mixtape coming out of the lockerroom. Every year before I play in the Gus Macker 3v3 basketball tournament I have to pull out the old Jay-Z CD and have a listen about 10 times to bring me back when I was the same height and weighed about 30lbs less! (and I’m skinny enough now)

Sleep Now In The Fire – Rage Against The Machine: This song is my all time pump up song, before anything, it just gets me in the mood to…well, win I guess.

Picture This – Jim Brickman: I have to sleep with music on, and the first time I slept at my fiancee’s apartment, I asked her if she had any good sleep music. She pulled out a Jim Brickman CD and we listened to that CD every night before we went to bed. When I lived in Spain and came home for Christmas, I bought her tickets to see Jim Brickman play a solo in concert when I was back Stateside. He played all sorts of songs, but his last song was Picture This, and the only song on the album that we listen to every night. I remember we both looked at each other and I shed a tear. One of the best moments of our relationship.

Estrella Morente – Volver: In Spain, when someone sings/dances pure Flamenco, the feeling it conveys is called ‘Duende’. The ‘translation’ is magic or charm, but it doesn’t come close to what it conveys. Hearing Morente sing ‘Volver’ gives me goosebumps. It’s pure ‘Duende’ to me. It takes me back to sipping drinks on a patio in Sevilla, listening to some street singers and guitarists.