New music is obviously great because it keeps things fresh, but sometimes there is nothing like hearing those throwback songs come on iTunes or Pandora. We all have that moment of “OMG remember when we danced to this at that awkward middle school dance??” or “this is that song from that movie I really liked a long time ago!!” Some of the songs on this list are far throwbacks (to before our time) and some are more recent ones that have gone unnoticed for a while. Here’s hoping this list brings you happy nostalgia and a trip down memory lane!
1) Collide – Howie Day
2) Suga Suga – Baby Bash
3) Leave (Get Out) – JoJo
(Also: Too Little Too Late)
4) Island in the Sun – Weezer
5) 1985 – Bowling For Soup (serious throwback to elementary school)
6) Stacy’s Mom – Fountains of Wayne
7) Breakaway – Kelly Clarkson (Princess Diaries 2 anyone??)
8) Hey Ya! – Outkast
9) Toxic – Britney Spears (really Britney’s prime)
(Also: …Baby One More Time, Oops!…I Did It Again)
10) Hey There Delilah – Plain White T’s
11) A Thousand Miles – Vanessa Carlton
12) Two Princes – Spin Doctors
13) Say My Name – Destiny’s Child (before Beyonce went solo)
14) Bye Bye Bye – NYSNC (yas Justin)
(Also: Tearin’ Up My Heart, I Want You Back)
15) My Own Worst Enemy – Lit
16) American Boy – Estelle
17) Semi-Charmed Life – Third Eye Blind
18) Santeria – Sublime
19) Mr. Jones – Counting Crows
20) Bitter Sweet Symphony – The Verve
21) The Reason – Hoobastank
22) All The Small Things – Blink-182
23) It Wasn’t Me – Shaggy (turns out it really was him)
24) Ignition (Remix) – R. Kelly
25) Beautiful Soul – Jesse McCartney (tb to The Suite Life of Zack and Cody)
26) Mr. Brightside – The Killers
27) Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Green Day (tbh they were always kind of weird)
28) Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and The Waves (also see the version by Aly and AJ)
29) Complicated – Avril Lavigne
(Also: Sk8er Boi, Girlfriend, My Happy Ending, I’m with You, When You’re Gone)
30) Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield (remember 13 Going on 30?)
31) Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
32) What Dreams Are Made Of – Hilary Duff (if we only we could all become Italian pop stars like Lizzie McGuire)
(Also: Why Not, So Yesterday, Come Clean)
33) C’est La Vie – B*Witched (the female answer to the Backstreet Boys? Also featured in the Disney Channel movie Smart House!)
34) I Want Candy – Aaron Carter (disclaimer: apparently this song is about a girl and not actual candy…)
35) Absolutely (Story of a Girl) – Nine Days
36) Crazy For This Girl – Evan and Jaron
37) All Star – Smash Mouth
38) Who Let the Dogs Out – Baha Men (not a “quality” song, but definitely a throwback)
39) Ocean Avenue – Yellowcard
40) Dare You to Move – Switchfoot
41) I’ll Be – Edwin McCain (From A Cinderella Story when Chad Michael Murray almost finds out he has been talking to Hilary Duff!)
42) Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfeld (featured in the movie we were all so inspired by: The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants)
(Also: Pocket Full of Sunshine)
43) Breathe (2 am) – Anna Nalick (any Grey’s Anatomy lovers out there?? This one’s for you)
44) Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol (it may remind you of Denny, but this is also for the Grey’s lovers)
45) Everywhere – Michelle Branch
46) Year 3000 – Jonas Brothers (Nick Jonas alone just isn’t the same, let’s be honest)
(Also: SOS, Burnin’ Up, Lovebug, Kids of the Future)
47) Wannabe – Spice Girls
48) Beautiful Girls – Sean Kingston
49) Soak Up the Sun – Sheryl Crow
50) Apologize – Timbaland (feat. One Republic)