A lot can happen at college parties, but the song choices are generally pretty consistent. Here's a list of some of the most commonly played songs at college parties, including some hits that came out in our elementary school days.
1. "Mr. Brightside" The Killers
Now I'm falling asleep / And she's calling a cab / While he's having a smoke / And she's taking a drag / Now they're going to bed / And my stomach is sick / And it's all in my head / But she's touching his chest / Now, he takes off her dress / Now, let me go.
There's a Twitter joke that everyone is just born knowing all the lyrics to this modern classic. This would certainly be true if it didn't come out when I was six years old. There's nothing like scream-singing the words to a song about being cheated on with a bunch of friends and strangers at the end of the night.
2. "Fake Love" Drake
I've been down so long it look like up to me / They look up to me / I got fake people showin' fake love to me / Straight up to my face, straight up to my face.
This song has pretty simple lyrics, but it's a crowd favorite to drunkenly sing along to the chorus while bouncing to the beat.
3. "Jumpin' Jumpin'" Destiny's Child
Ladies leave your man at home / The club is full of ballers and their pockets full grown / And all you fellas leave your girl with her friends / 'Cause it's eleven thirty and the club is jumpin', jumpin'.
There's nothing like a throwback about getting lit in a club to make college students go wild.
4. "Sweet Caroline" Neil Diamond
Hands, touching hands / Reaching out, touching me, touching you / Sweet Caroline / Good times never seemed so good / I'd be inclined / To believe they never would.
Perhaps it's the fact that I attend one of the Five Colleges in Western Massachusetts and this song is famously played at Fenway Park, but whenever this song starts, shouts ensue, people begin holding hands, and the chorus is sung in a very load, bad manner.
5. "Shape of You" Ed Sheeran
I'm in love with the shape of you / You push and pull like a magnet too / Although my heart is falling too / I'm in love with your body / And last night you were in my room / And now my bedsheets smell like you
Whenever this song comes on a playlist while hanging out with friends in our rooms or just driving around, it causes people to scream and turn up the volume. The same is true when it plays at parties.
6. "Stacy's Mom" Fountains of Wayne
Stacy's mom has got it goin' on / She's all I want and I've waited for so long / Stacy, can't you see you're just not the girl for me / I know it might be wrong, but I'm in love with Stacy's mom.
Even though this song could be seen as a little weird or even creepy, it has been played at and sung along to at every college party I can remember.
7. "Love on the Brain" Rihanna
And babe I'm fist-fighting with fire / Just to get close to you / Can we burn something babe/ And I run for miles just to get a taste / Must be love on the brain / That's got me feeling this way.
This is a favorite for a lot of people, and tends to cause a lot of intense singing from partygoers.
8. "Party Monster" The Weeknd
I'm good, I'm good, I'm great / Know it's been a while, now I'm mixing up the drank / I just need a girl who gon' really understand / I just need a girl who gon' really understand.
As the name implies, this is about letting loose and having a wild night. Most college parties aren't quite this intense, but it's still a fun tune to dance to.
9. "Style" Taylor Swift
You got that James Dean day dream look in your eye / And I got that red lip classic thing that you like / And when we go crashing down, we come back every time / Cause we never go out of style / We never go out of style.
This song portrays a party very different from one The Weeknd would attend, but maybe that's why college kids play it. It makes things seem a little easier than hookup culture allows, as we sing and dance sweatily and scantily clad.
10. "Pon de Replay" Rihanna
Come Mr. DJ song pon de replay/ Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up/ All the gyal pon the dancefloor wantin some more what/ Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up
Maybe it's because the title of this throwback means to play a song again (upon the replay), but it's a staple at parties, even if it's only played once a night.
11. "Gold Digger" Kanye West
Now I ain't saying she a gold digger / But she ain't messing with no broke broke / Now I ain't saying she a gold digger / But she ain't messing wit no broke broke / Get down girl go head get down/ Get down girl go head get down
People do as their told with this song, and get down pretty low as they belt out the chorus and dance.
12. "SexyBack" Justin Timberlake
I’m bringing sexy back / Them other boys don’t know how to act / I think you're special, what's behind your back? / So turn around and I'll pick up the slack.
This song came out when I was in elementary school and I remember the radio playing it constantly. I didn't particularly like the song then, but it's played so often at weekend at events that it's hard not to take to it.
13. "Toxic" Britney Spears
With a taste of your lips / I'm on a ride / You're toxic/ I'm slipping under / With a taste of poison paradise / I'm addicted to you / Don't you know that you're toxic / And I love what you do / Don't you know that you're toxic.
This wicked throwback of a song is so dramatic and loud that it's hard not to love it and sing along whenever it makes an appearance.
14. "Crazy in Love" Beyonce and Jay-Z
Got me looking so crazy right now, your love's (oh love) / Got me looking so crazy right now (lookin' crazy) / Got me looking so crazy right now, your touch / Got me looking so crazy right now.
Years later, people still go crazy over this song at parties. Enough said.
15. "Promiscuous Girl" Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland
Promiscuous girl/ Wherever you are/ I’m all alone/ And it's you that I want/ Promiscuous boy/ You already know/ That I’m all yours/ What you waiting for?
As my generation is a fan of early 2000s hits that came out when we were little and are all about sex, this is posed as a conversation between a man and a woman who are looking to go home with someone for the night, and gets a lot of play time at parties.
16. "Don't Cha" The Pussycat Dolls
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me? / Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me? / Don't cha? / Don't cha? / Don't cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me? / Don't cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me?
A great question to use when looking for attention from a potential partner, it's no wonder this song is played so often.