Listen here.
“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” – Green Day
This song is everything you need it to be. A pick me up, a break up song or even a commencement song, “Good Riddance…” proves its timelessness each time you hear the opening strums of Billie Joe Armstrong’s guitar.
“Kiss Me”-Sixpence None the Richer
This song is the auditory equivalent of feeling fine on an autumn day. It’s the sound Honey Bunches of Oats would emit if they reacted to milk in the same way as Rice Krispies. No but seriously, that chorus is a sticky acoustic trap of pure nostalgia.
“Bye Bye Bye”- NSYNC
No matter what side of the NSYNC-Backstreet Boys divide you found yourself on, you can’t help but sing along to this catchy throwback. With its relatable theme of a breakup gone bad and a chorus that’ll be stuck in your head for hours, this track commands the attention of all who give it a listen.
“Every Other Time”-LFO
This song’s relentless stupidity can be ignored in favor of searching for this treasure trove of a lyric: “Sometimes we swim around/just like two dolphins in the ocean of our hearts.” Rad, am I right?
“Lose Yourself” – Eminem
If you had one song or one hit jam from the early aughties to sum up everything you ever loved about hip-hop, in one playlist, would you rock out to it or just let it skip?
“Ignition (Remix)” – R. Kelly
This is quite possibly one of the smoothest slices of pop song to ever sidle on up close to the radio. It was also quite possibly one of the first songs your parents chided you for singing out loud.
“Jesus Walks” – Kanye West
“Jesus Walks” was one of West’s first masterpieces as he got out of his producer chair and stepped into the booth as a rapper. It was praised for the way it discussed religion and was even classified as a gospel song by the New York Times.
“1985”- Bowling For Soup
Originally recorded by rock band SR-71, “1985” wasn’t popularized until Bowling For Soup’s cover weaseled its way into our ears and hearts in 2004. While it never topped any charts, the fact remains that the song is a staple for any throwback playlist.
“Vertigo” – U2
This rare U2 banger was the poster song for a fancy new music service in the early 2000’s: iTunes. What could be more worthy of a Throwback Thursday than that?
“Year 3000” – Jonas Brothers
Even though the Jonas Brothers have gone their separate ways in the music industry, this song for some reason was a hit that brushed up against everyone’s inner popstar. Whether you were in middle school, a Disney dork, a Nickelodeon nerd or absolutely hated the fact that they even existed as a band, this funky beat will still pull you right back to that mid-2000’s summer.
