The High School Playlist

Locked in the throes of a nasty bout of writer’s block while trying to write another epic trip report for my beloved site, I of course was looking for any distraction to divert my already-wandering attention. My wish was granted when a certain song that came up in my Winamp playlist, one that hearkened back to our high school days and got me thinking. Thinking about a “high school playlist:” the songs the DJ played (did we have a DJ?) at the dances, the songs we blared on our car stereo tape players, the soundtrack of our lives, as it were.

The song was Stone Temple Pilots’ “Interstate Love Song,” which came out in 1994 (that’s 15 years ago!). My, how time flies. Anyway, my attention was diverted long enough to come up with the following playlist, which I may just burn to a CD for a “high school dance” party I will be hosting next weekend at the Boys & Girls Club in East Aurora, NY!

Okay, not really, but I may at least burn the CD.

Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song
Live – Lakini’s Juice (or Selling the Drama)
Rage Against the Machine – Bulls on Parade
Nirvana – Heart-Shaped Box
Cake – Going the Distance
Eve 6 – Promise
The Breeders – Cannonball
MC Hammer – 2 Legit 2 Quit
The Tea Party – Heaven Coming Down
Our Lady Peace – Clumsy (or Naveed or Starseed)
The Cranberries – Dreams
Ace of Base – The Sign (Bob Toft’s favorite song?)
Pearl Jam – Jeremy (you knew I couldn’t leave a PJ tune off this list)
U2 – One
Better Than Ezra – Good
Weezer – Undone (The Sweater Song)
Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun
The Tragically Hip – Little Bones
Oasis – Wonderwall
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under the Bridge
The Smashing Pumpkins – Today
Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl
NWA – Straight Outta Compton (okay, maybe not)
Beastie Boys – Sabotage
Dave Matthews Band – Ants Marching
Collective Soul – Shine
Silverchair – Anthem for the Year 2000
The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony
The Wallflowers – One Headlight
Notorious B.I.G. – N.O.T.O.R.I.O.U.S.
Tupac Shakur – California Love
Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life
Beck – Where It’s At
Radiohead – Paranoid Android
R.E.M. – Losing My Religion
Bruce Hornsby – The Way it Is (yeah!)
Billy Joel – We Didn’t Start the Fire (music teacher Mr. Hensel’s favorite song)
Soul Asylum – Runaway Train (Mr. Hensel’s second favorite song)
Jane’s Addiction – Been Caught Stealing
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
Fiona Apple – Criminal
Sheryl Crow – If it Makes You Happy
The Fugees – Ready or Not
Duncan Sheik – Barely Breathing
No Doubt – Spiderwebs
Sublime – Santeria
Counting Crows – A Long December
Garbage – Only Happy When it Rains
The Goo Goo Dolls – Name
Alice in Chains – Rooster
Everclear – Santa Monica
Nine Inch Nails – Hurt
Filter – Hey Man Nice Shot
Green Day – When I Come Around
Sarah McLachlan – Building a Mystery
Fatboy Slim – Praise You
Eric Clapton – Tears in Heaven
Blind Melon – No Rain
Toad the Wet Sprocket – All I Want
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly

Ah, memories. Upon further consideration, I may not burn a CD because I’ve heard the majority of those songs enough to last a lifetime. That said, what would you add to this list?