Music transcends generations. A lot of us like to put music in a box and say that this music is from the 80’s or this is from the early 2000’s, but music deserves so much more respect than that. When I was growing up, I remember listening to a song that had came out a year or two before, and someone heard what I was listening to and told me that the song I was enjoying was old. As if it was this real negative thing to be listening to an old, out of date song.
As a result, out of middle school insecurity, I stopped listening to songs that were seen as old and out of style and just stuck to mainstream music.
Overtime, I realized how silly this was. Music is incredible no matter which era and it deserves to be revisited from time to time. Here is a list of songs from varying genres and eras that I put together. I tried my best to evenly pull songs from each decade. To me, these are songs that truly reflect the time in which they were most popular, but they still are songs you can listen to now. In my humble opinion, these are all great songs that you should listen to even if it’s not from the era you grew up in or the genre in which you prefer.
- Born in the USA: Bruce Springsteen 1984
- She’s Everything: Brad Paisley 2005
- Basket Case: Green Day 1994
- American Pie: Don Mclean 1971
- Paint Me A Birmingham: Tracy Lawrence 2004
- So Sick: Neyo 2006
- With or Without You: U2 1987
- Bohemian Rhapsody: Queen 1975
- Gold Digger: Kanye West 2005
- Carrying your Love With Me: George Strait 1997
- Jump around: House of Pain 1992
- Suit and Tie: Justin Timberlake 2013
- Hips Don’t Lie: Shakira 2005
- Walk this Way: Aerosmith and Run DMC 1986
- Don’t Take the Girl: Tim McGraw 1994
- Fooled Around and Fell in Love: Elvin Bishop 1976
- Empire State of Mind: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys 2006
- Hey Jude: The Beatles 1968
- Find Your Love: Drake 2010
- Renegade: Styx 1978
- Smells like Teen Spirit: Nirvana 1991
- Little Lion Man: Mumford & Sons 2009
- The Chair: George Strait 1985
- Crazy in Love: Beyonce 2003
- Everybody Wants to Rule the World: Tears for Fears 1985
- Boston: Augusta 2005
- How’s it going to be: Third Eye Blind 1997
- Chicken Fried: Zac Brown Band 2008
- Take me Home, Country Roads: John Denver 1971
- Wanted, Dead or Alive: Bon Jovi 1986
- To Save a Life: The Fray 2005
- Wonderwall: Oasis 1995
- Surfin’ USA: The Beach Boys 1963
- No Love: Eminem and Lil’ Wayne 2010
- Message in a Bottle: The Police 1979
- Yellow: Coldplay 2000
- Forever: Drake 2009
- He Stopped Loving Her Today: George Jones 1980
- Who’s That Man: Toby Keith 1994
- Time: Hans Zimmer 2010
- Man! I feel Like A Woman: Shania Twain 1997
- The House of Rising Sun: The Animals 1964
- My Heart Will Go on: Celine Dion 1997
- All-Star: Smash Mouth 1999
- Ride: twenty one pilots 2015
- Closing Time: Semisonic 1998
- Apologize: OneRepublic 2007
- She Will Be Loved: Maroon 5 2002
- Can't Help Falling in Love With You: Elvis Presley 1961
- Closer: Chain Smokers 2016
- Love In This Club: Usher 2008
- Meant to Live: Switchfoot 2003
- Dynamite: Taio Cruz 2009
- Africa: Toto 1982
- Say My Name: Destiny’s Child 1999
- Lose Yourself: Eminem 2002
- Billie Jean: Michael Jackson 1982
- I Gotta Feeling: Black Eyed Peas 2009
- Staying Alive: Bee Gees 1977
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door: Bob Dylan 1973
- How to Love: Lil’ Wayne 2011
- Rocket Man: Elton John 1972
- Fight For Your Right: Beastie Boys 1986
- My Girl: The Temptations 1965
- Long Cool Woman: The Hollies 1971
- Carry On Wayward son: Kansas 1976
- Clocks: Coldplay 2002
- Piano Man: Billy Joel 1973
- Free Fallin’: Tom Petty 1989
- Nothin’ On You: B.o.B and Bruno Mars 2010
- My Way: Frank Sinatra 1969
- If You Could Only See: Tonic 1996
- Tik Tok: Ke$ha 2010
- The Message: Grandmaster Flash 1992
- Dixieland Delight: Alabama 1991
- Umbrella: Rihanna 2007
- Don’t Stop Believing: Journey 1981
- Sweet Caroline: Neil Diamond 1969
- Poker Face: Lady Gaga 2008
- Your Love: The Outfield 1985
- (I Cant Get no) Satisfaction: The Rolling Stones 1965
- Stairway the Heaven: Led Zeppelin 1971
- Thunderstruck: AC/DC 1990
- Promiscuous: Nelly Furtado 2006
- The Middle: Jimmy Eat World 2001
- Breakeven: The Script 2008
- One Dance: Drake 2016
- Bennie and the Jets: Elton John 1973
- Yeah!: Usher (Feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris) 2004
- Ms. Jackson: Outkast 2000
- What a Wonderful World: Louis Armstrong 1967
- Bust a Move: Young MC 1989
- Not Afraid: Eminem 2010
- Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang: Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog 1992
- UpTown Funk: Bruno Mars 2015
- Somebody that I use to Know: Gotye 2011
- Another One Bites the Dust: Queen 1980
- I will Always Love You: Whitney Houston 1992
- Let Me Love You: Mario 2004
- I Heard it Through the Grapevine: Marvin Gaye 1968
Music doesn't expire, so don't let the radio loop of the current top ten let you think those are the only songs out there.
