Read on Twitter
I have never written a self indulgent thread before but this morning I have been decorating and let the apple algorithm decide what I listened to under 90s. I have spent the last couple of hours reminiscing about my childhood and early adulthood. I wonder if others feel the same
For context I was born in 1979 so secondary school and uni was during the 90s. I grew up in a small south devon village and we were comfortable. I went to a comprehensive in the local town - totnes. Virtually all songs had memories..
Backstreet boys “I want it that way” - second year at uni and everyone loved singing to this song even if they did not admit it. By the late 90s I was happy to admit I loved singing to such songs. A strong start.
Britney Spears “hit me baby one more time” I had never had mtv until my second year at uni. My housemate Adam summoned the other five of us to the lounge “you have to see this” and for the next few weeks TVs in pubs were magnets for eyes when this came on.
Gangsta’s paradise - coolio. 1995. why as a kid who had just done GCSEs in rural devon did I love this so much? I still know most of the words now. My childhood could not have been less gangster. I played golf and wore a Pringle jumper with chinos.
I’ll be missing you - puff daddy. 1997 just after my A levels and maybe I loved this so much because I would be missing my friends? Obviously another one that had zero relatability to my actual life but it was a hit of the best summer of my life.
Dreams - Gabrielle 1993. I remember loving the song and there were lots of discussions about the eye patch she wore. We didn’t have the internet in 1993 to find out why she wore it and I still have no idea and won’t check as I like the mystery.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s - 1996. This was a great track. My brother tried to learn it on the guitar but he struggled with it somewhat. He is alright at guitar now though. A song my kids know because it has cropped up on playlists.
Torn. Natalie imbruglia 1997. Hang on a second. BETH FROM NEIGHBOURS CAN SING. She finally shook that deadbeat Brad Willis and now she was free to sing her way even further into this teenagers heart. Loved her in neighbours and loved her singing.
Wonderwall - Oasis Nov 95. Brit pop was the thing in the mid 90s. Virtually all my school mates loved it. For reason I was not into it as much as them at the time but love it now. Blur vs Oasis was the argument and if pushed I was team Oasis. Loved this track though.
Mysterious girl - Peter andre 1996. Awful track then and awful track now. He had amazing abs in the video though. It featured on Now 34 which was the summer soundtrack for a brilliant holiday with my cousins’ - tennis, swimming, go karts, table tennis, scraps with my brother.
Wannabe - spice girls 1996. I heard this for the first time towards the end of my due of Edinburgh walk. Colin Luscombe carried a transistor radio in his roll Matt so we could listen to music as we strolled around devon. We all heard the song dancing along and called a hit.
Brimful of asha - cornershop 1997. This was number one about the time Diana died and just before I started uni. It was an awful song and felt like it was on commercial radio every third song. Terrible. I think I ended up buying the single. No idea why, I didn’t like it.
Mmm Bop Hanson 1997 - a massive hit from these long haired brothers. One of the catchiest songs ever written and even the cool kids could not help singing along (I wasn’t one of them).
Smells like teen spirit - nirvana - 1991 - only 12 when this hit charts. Lots of shouting and angry people and I was confused. My mate @delBosco1976 from the village was 3 years older and he looked like he was in nirvana and even had the tee shirt. I Like it now but scared then
Never ever - all saints 1997 - released early in my time at uni. In halls it seemed like it was always on. I remember a chap called nick loving the song but he couldn’t remember it’s name “that one with talking at the beginning” everyone had to pick a favourite all saint.
All that she wants - ace of base - 1993. My sister loved this track and got the album on cassette and we listened to it on car journeys - much better than mum sticking on cliff Richard again. I grew to love it too.
No scrubs - TLC. April 99. Nothing from me on this. It just made no impression on me.
Bitter sweet symphony - the verve - 1997. I loved this track and it was when I started appreciating Brit pop a bit more after missing oasis and blur somewhat. Everyone who didn’t have poster of Louise nurding on their wall at uni had the urban hymns album cover instead.
Ironic - allanis - 1996. Yes we all knew it was annoying not ironic, Even at my school. Great track though and one that everyone my age will still singalong too.
Boom boom boom - outhere brothers - 1995. Following hot on the heals of wiggle wiggle, boom boom boom was an equally inappropriate song that 16 year old me didn’t really understand but really loved singing. Hearing it again I reflected in how naive I was!
Keep on movin - five. 1999. This song is perfect cheese and memories of dancing at Ikon plus of course the Planet in Coventry. Stu doing his thing, avoiding dancing near Lee (who was good), @larkinwa with his funny legs , loving @CLIFTY127 bouncing shoulder (he still does that)
Rhythm is a dancer - Snap - 1992. The first song I ever heard on CD. The Oldfields in my village showed us the CD player but I had not heard this song before and Loved it. It was my entry song to dance music which eventually dominated my a level years. My parents hated it
Believe - Cher- 1998. Back to second year at uni which means it is back to @CLIFTY127 and his bouncing shoulder.
Don’t speak - no doubt - 1997. Until this point I had never really had a long term girlfriend (although at the time they happened early in secondary school I thought I was with Sarah T and later Clare H) so I am not sure why I loved this song about breakup so much
All the small things - Blink 182 - oddly 2000 but it played. This song makes me thing of American pie. I assume it was in the film because that is all I can think of.
Underworld - born slippy - 1996. A brilliant track and soundtrack to “trainspotting”. I spent that summer working with @DickieSmalls at woodlands and it was on the radio lots. I got a love letter from a visitor saying I looked like sicknote (I don’t see it)
Genie in a bottle - Christina Aguilera - 99. Time to pick a team again. Britney or Christina. I was team Britney but this was a very good singalong track.
C’est le vie - bewitched - 98. A brilliantly awful song that was a surefire floor filler. We had all watched riverdance so therefore we were all sensational at Irish dancing. Looking back, I am not sure we were.
Would I lie to you? Charles and Eddie 1992. Back to early 90s and I remember this song very well because it was high in the charts when I used to “tape them” every Sunday pausing the chat between songs. Anyone who has got this far into this thread definitely also did this.
Angels - Robbie Williams - 1997. A classic singalong for my generation. None of us could sing it well but we all sang it for all we were worth. Butchered for the next 10 years on various talent shows.
It’s like that - run DMC featuring Jason Nevins - 1997. This was undoubtedly song of the Italy hockey tour of my uni first year. Dance offs with @MelanieDean12 (who became a professional dancer while I have two left feet) but I had a simple little step that after 
were 
were
And then I was finished with decorating. A lovely trip down memory lane for me and congratulations for getting this far. The paint will be dry now so time to see if it needs a second coat.
