The Class of 2020 is joining us this week, so let’s listen to the songs that have defined the lives of those freshman, from the day they came out the womb to high school graduation.
Warning: this playlist was designed to rocket launch you into an emotional black hole of nostalgia and awkwardness. Street is not responsible for any cringing induced injuries or related costs of therapy and counseling.
1997–1999: Infancy
Realistically, your parents had Baby Mozart on for you 24/7.
1. Wannabe, Spice Girls. #10 in the charts, #1 in our hearts. (Something About the Way You Look Tonight by Elton John was #1 but nobody’s played that at any pregame I’ve been to.)
2. No Scrubs, TLC. A scrub is a guy who thinks he’s fly and is also known as a Buster, obvs. And no, not the library loving BFF bunny of your favorite cartoon.
3. … Baby One More Time, Britney Spears. I must confess, I still believe (still believe)... that this song is iconic.
2003–2004: Kindergarten
You were probably still listening to the Wiggles and Sesame Street, but meanwhile, the early ‘00s produced some JAMS.
4.In Da Club, 50 Cent. Kindergarten classrooms: the OG downtowns?
5. Ignition (Remix), R. Kelly. How old were you when you finally understood all the innuendo?
6. Hey Ya!, Outkast. What’s cooler than being cool? Not even having to reference the lyrics when performing this song at karaoke. Ice cold!
7. Milkshake, Kelis. Did you ask your parents to go to Johnny Rockets every time you heard this song, too?
2008–2012: The Formative Years
Fifth through eighth grades: the golden era of middle school dances and phenomenal awkwardness. Teachers breaking up grind lines? Wearing five pairs of shutter shades? I don’t recall any of it either, it’s all repressed in my memory.
8. Airplanes, B.o.B., Hayley Williams: #Fakedeep but you were unironically into it.
9. BedRock, Young Money, Lloyd: Your sixth grade physical science teacher was tired of this song before it hit the air.
10. Single Ladies, Beyoncé : Iconic in its own right, but also the inception of #Swiftgate
11. Don’t Stop Believin, Glee Cast: Glee was a middle school phenomenon that kept it real and made a cappella cool again. NEVER FORGET. #gleeks5eva
12. Super Bass, Nicki Minaj: Shoutout to all the white girls that still know all the words to this one.
13. Baby, Justin Bieber: Be still, your young, Tiger–Beat subscribing heart.
14. What Makes You Beautiful, One Direction: Before there was ZAYN there was One Direction; before Pillowtalk and #feminism, there was What Makes You Beautiful. Here’s the shout-out you’ve been waiting for, closeted #Directioners.
2012–2016: High School
The fact that kids from ages 14-18 are all crammed into the same building is crazy. The fact that they all went to the same school dances is just kinda gross.
15. Harlem Shake, Baauer: You were in at least one Harlem Shake video. Never let it resurface.
16. Happy, Pharell: Be honest, did this song make you happy? Really? Really??? I still don’t believe you.
17. Royals, Lorde: Lorde is such a #relatable #teen whose lyrics just totally spoke to you on another level. @Lorde wya with this new music yo.
18. Drunk in Love, Beyoncé, Jay-Z: Elicits memories of Soph Hop, dingy gyms, streamers, and Four Loko, probably.
19. Thinking Out Loud, Ed Sheeran: Slow dancing at prom anyone?
20. 7 years, Lukas Graham: Relatable because we are all 7 years old once, I guess? Likely the song in your senior video. Yes, it’s tacky for you to cry when it comes on. No, we’re not judging you.
