By Yamini Gaur
Every piece of music ever created represents a memory. It could be a mind-boggling/life-altering/nerve-wracking series of events or maybe just a regular, lazy, Sunday afternoon spent in blissful isolation away from the casual humdrum of the world. Nevertheless, everyone associates music to one thing or the other. It is an unavoidable predicament, a strange and almost unconceivable function that the human brain performs.
Every piece of music ever created represents a memory. It could be a mind-boggling/life-altering/nerve-wracking series of events or maybe just a regular, lazy, Sunday afternoon spent in blissful isolation away from the casual humdrum of the world. Nevertheless, everyone associates music to one thing or the other. It is an unavoidable predicament, a strange and almost unconceivable function that the human brain performs.
To implore those experiences of the past, we often and inevitably turn to music and songs that we associate to a certain time.
And hence *exquisite drum roll*, I bring to you, a brief list of songs and bands that bring to front, your inner junior high school alter ego. Songs that remind you of school, old friends, tiresome afternoons, basketball courts, blazing sun and of course, home.
1. Every single song by Linkin Park.
Remember those sad ‘uncool’ kids still stuck on the unnerving songs of the latest Salman Khan movie while your awesomeness quotient escalated ten times when you announced to the world that you listen to Linkin Park?
I remember CD’s being exchanged, with fervent exclamations of “Bhai, listen to ‘Fade Away’ and ‘In The End’. They are so killer.”
Every single time these songs play at some beat down restaurant or on one of my still- unable- to- move- out- of- my- seventh- grade-pallor friend’s phone, this sudden wind of nostalgia washes over me.
And hence *exquisite drum roll*, I bring to you, a brief list of songs and bands that bring to front, your inner junior high school alter ego. Songs that remind you of school, old friends, tiresome afternoons, basketball courts, blazing sun and of course, home.
1. Every single song by Linkin Park.
Remember those sad ‘uncool’ kids still stuck on the unnerving songs of the latest Salman Khan movie while your awesomeness quotient escalated ten times when you announced to the world that you listen to Linkin Park?
I remember CD’s being exchanged, with fervent exclamations of “Bhai, listen to ‘Fade Away’ and ‘In The End’. They are so killer.”
Every single time these songs play at some beat down restaurant or on one of my still- unable- to- move- out- of- my- seventh- grade-pallor friend’s phone, this sudden wind of nostalgia washes over me.
2. Californication- Red Hot Chilli Peppers
This song is the boss of ‘Old School’. It is probably the one song that made RHCP what they are today. ‘Californication’ was overplayed and beat down into a well deserved obscurity to such an extent that the rest of the songs by the band were a mere reflection of how legendary this track was.
3. Hotel California- Eagles
If this song hasn’t been played on a constant repeat by school bands/hapless men stuck in a studious disarray in damp corridors with a knack for guitar and of course, girls, then I don’t know what has. ‘Hotel California’ always has been and always will be every student’s anthem to step into the world of sheer, epic coolness.
4. Gives You Hell- All American Rejects
Gives You Hell was probably my best ninth grade find. Not only is this song a notch higher than your everyday Alternative Rock, but it is a vengeful tirade against love and coping with rejection in an “I don’t give a damn about the world” way. Now who understands this better than a 14 year old?
This song is the boss of ‘Old School’. It is probably the one song that made RHCP what they are today. ‘Californication’ was overplayed and beat down into a well deserved obscurity to such an extent that the rest of the songs by the band were a mere reflection of how legendary this track was.
3. Hotel California- Eagles
If this song hasn’t been played on a constant repeat by school bands/hapless men stuck in a studious disarray in damp corridors with a knack for guitar and of course, girls, then I don’t know what has. ‘Hotel California’ always has been and always will be every student’s anthem to step into the world of sheer, epic coolness.
4. Gives You Hell- All American Rejects
Gives You Hell was probably my best ninth grade find. Not only is this song a notch higher than your everyday Alternative Rock, but it is a vengeful tirade against love and coping with rejection in an “I don’t give a damn about the world” way. Now who understands this better than a 14 year old?
5. One Love- Blue
Blue was practically sensationalized overboard with this song. I don’t know what it was that made it peak the chartbusters overnight but it sure as hell got its very own ‘desi feel’ imposed all over it like a... let’s see... cherry on top of a cake?
And just when we thought that nothing in this world could get any worse than this, Abhishek Bachchan was featured in the earth shattering remake. Like I said, Cherry on top of the cake.
I don’t know about the present day, but ‘One Love’ in our good old days was one of the most overplayed and of course, kick-ass old school songs.
6. Complicated- Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne was an untainted sixteen year old rebel in loosely fitted cargo pants and pink streaked hair, singing about intolerance for disloyalty in relationships and just how complicated they can get.
Her brilliance factor was magnified tenfold when she was seen horsing around with a couple of ‘punk kids’ in a skateboard as the sun set in the background.
Blue was practically sensationalized overboard with this song. I don’t know what it was that made it peak the chartbusters overnight but it sure as hell got its very own ‘desi feel’ imposed all over it like a... let’s see... cherry on top of a cake?
And just when we thought that nothing in this world could get any worse than this, Abhishek Bachchan was featured in the earth shattering remake. Like I said, Cherry on top of the cake.
I don’t know about the present day, but ‘One Love’ in our good old days was one of the most overplayed and of course, kick-ass old school songs.
6. Complicated- Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne was an untainted sixteen year old rebel in loosely fitted cargo pants and pink streaked hair, singing about intolerance for disloyalty in relationships and just how complicated they can get.
Her brilliance factor was magnified tenfold when she was seen horsing around with a couple of ‘punk kids’ in a skateboard as the sun set in the background.
Avril Lavigne was every girl’s idol in the eighth-ninth grade. Not only were her songs a tad different from what other female singers used to sing, she reintroduced the industry to punk and rock intertwined with catchy lyrics and of course, glossy videos. Her songs were fun; her lyrics signified contempt at the lack of understanding of people; her dressing style was highly and unpredictably eccentric.
‘Complicated’ was of course, her first hit with many more to come.
7. Pieces- Sum 41
Bands like Sum 41, Simple Plan and Hoobastank constituted a huge part of the alternative rock scene of 2008-09. They sang of love and losing love; they won hearts with devastating good looks(wasn’t that obvious now) and laments at being cheated on or not being paid enough attention to by Vogue Models; whilst crying their heart out in a dirty garage in downtown New York.
‘Complicated’ was of course, her first hit with many more to come.
7. Pieces- Sum 41
Bands like Sum 41, Simple Plan and Hoobastank constituted a huge part of the alternative rock scene of 2008-09. They sang of love and losing love; they won hearts with devastating good looks(wasn’t that obvious now) and laments at being cheated on or not being paid enough attention to by Vogue Models; whilst crying their heart out in a dirty garage in downtown New York.
‘Pieces’ by Sum 41 was one such song and gained tremendous fame on its release in 2005. I, personally, refer to these songs as ‘8th-grade-rock’ but till date, they contribute a significant part of my playlist.
8. Summer of ’69- Bryan Adams
Summer of ’69 is practically the background score of everything capable of breathing and moving out there. Not only has this song catapulted men of all ages into a strange, drunken, highly unattractive dance routine but has also been emitted like projectile vomiting out of karaoke machines so often that today, even cockroaches have memorized ‘Those were the best days of my life’.
8. Summer of ’69- Bryan Adams
Summer of ’69 is practically the background score of everything capable of breathing and moving out there. Not only has this song catapulted men of all ages into a strange, drunken, highly unattractive dance routine but has also been emitted like projectile vomiting out of karaoke machines so often that today, even cockroaches have memorized ‘Those were the best days of my life’.
Nevertheless, this song is again, one of the most legendary songs ever written and regardless of the fact that Bryan Adams is talking about his sexual prowess as a youngster, it is perhaps timeless.
9. Boulevard of Broken Dreams- Greenday
9. Boulevard of Broken Dreams- Greenday
Boulevard of Broken Dreams quite literally lassoed Greenday into stardom. The song is catchy; the video is fairly depressing; Billie Joel Armstrong’s kohl is gothic and unconventionally bizarre; his trademark red tie is fluttering in the wind of the lyrics “I walk alone and I walk alone...”
Even the most musically uninterested person would know at least some part of this song.
Today Greenday has had innumerable hits but this track still remains as one of its best pieces of work.
10. Wonderwall- Oasis
I said maybe
You’re gonna be the one that saves me
And after all
You’re my wonderwall...
Even the most musically uninterested person would know at least some part of this song.
Today Greenday has had innumerable hits but this track still remains as one of its best pieces of work.
10. Wonderwall- Oasis
I said maybe
You’re gonna be the one that saves me
And after all
You’re my wonderwall...
‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis is a thing of sheer, unadulterated beauty. This song is raw and pristine; a reflection of innocence and tragedy in love. It is difficult to express the number of emotions conveyed in a song with lyrics so simple and yet, convoluted.
The popularity gained by this song is very well deserved and it remains to be a bare necessity on everyone’s playlist, no matter how old/overplayed it is.
Word of Caution/Advice.
The aforementioned playlist has been laid out, keeping in mind the ‘general public’ and their hormonally deranged music preferences. While a selected few out of you might be banging your fists/tropical-dense forest-y head to Deep Purple/Def Leppard or maybe The Doors when you were 14, the rest of the world was oppressed under the musical tyranny of mainstream alternative rock.
Or maybe it was just me.
So yes, reader indiscretion is required.
PS : An article featuring the classics will follow. Look out.
Now that the juices are flowing, read here about beautiful music that Violins and Cellos.
PS : Features a Game of Thrones cover