Honeymoon Avenue by Ariana Grande- Alison

From Grande’s debut album “Yours Truly” (2013.) This came out my sophomore year of high school. The entire album reminds me what I consider to be the best year of my high school experience.

Soul Meets Body by Death Cab for Cutie-Tessa

This song, off Death Cab for Cutie’s 2005 album “Plans,” reminds me of my second year in college. In 2007 I began a job at a restaurant where I met and became close friends with someone who introduced me to countless new artists. After every night shift we would listen to her playlists while cleaning the restaurant and talking about our weekend plans. This person was incredibly important in my life and this song not only takes me back to the days of dancing in an empty restaurant, but also sparks the beginning of a lifelong friendship.

Ooh La La by Faces- Joey

Somewhere between a dream and a confabulation….Sepia-tinted images framed like a vermouth stained Toulouse-Lautrec. The words that could have moved us to tears were always left unsaid. The sweetest moments in life lost to passivity and a shy smile. And so our secrets refract to fragile memories – Waiting to be awakened by song. And the unrequited beat of life drums on….Ooh La La

Hey Ya! by Outkast -Madison

From family road trips to jamming in the car alone, “Hey Ya!” by Outkast is one of my go to jams. The upbeat rhythm and audience shoutouts never fails to get an entire car of people pumped up and in a great mood. No matter where or when I’m listening, I can never help shouting, Yaaaa, when artist André Benjamin and Dré Patton call out ‘Hey Ladies’ in the chorus.

Age of Consent by New Order-Reanna

This song brings me back to the winter of my senior year of high school, just a few months before I was going to graduate. I would soon be starting a new chapter of my life, and I wasn’t sure what the future was going to hold. This song was an omen to a new life: new friends, new interests, new challenges and an entirely new me. I can picture vividly driving in my car with the people who I now consider my best friends listening to this song, discussing our uncertainty, but hopefulness for the future.

Bicycle Race by Queen -Lindsay

My childhood consisted of loads of car rides with my two older brothers and our dad. Classic rock (Queen, AC/DC, Korn, Metallica, Etc..) was embedded in my brain because of the stash of CD’s my dad had. I have a very vivid memory of me being filled with joy when this song came on during a car ride because I was just learning to ride my bike at the time. Queen is still one of my favorite bands, and the nostalgia has a lot to do with it.