PRINTSingular sensations of the ‘90s
Ubiquitous melodies attach themselves to listeners’ memories
Photo illustration
Remember these cool covers?
November 16, 2006 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Songs can stick with you for decades. Just as the smell of Juicy Fruit gum evokes images of sleepovers in elementary school, hearing an almost-forgotten song can trigger almost-forgotten memories.
Michael Budds, MU music professor, pegs the strong associations created by music on the emotional nature of teenage years. “The music listened to during youth is among the most profound attachments made during that very exciting time in one’s life,” he says.
Related LinksBut there is also a science behind why certain songs bring back fond — or not-so-fond — memories. MU psychology professor Nelson Cowan describes events as a series of memory cues. The brain then matches memories to those cues. “So when a similar cue is triggered,” he says, “the memory is recalled.” In other words, if you break up with someone and Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road” plays as you drive away, the song can bring back a sudden recollection of the relationship — even years later.
Cowan also says if you think of memory and emotion as two systems that work well together, it’s easy to understand why songs are cues. “Songs carry emotions with them,” he says. “So you can have a memory of the song itself or a memory of the emotion that is linked to the song.”
This holds true for local music lovers, who shared their memories of some of last decade’s No. 1 Billboard hits.
Believe, Cher
This hit was the highlight of Cher’s much-hyped comeback album Believe. Cher was 52 when the song topped the charts. MU junior Steph Musto, 20, recalls her first crush, David Irwin, singing this song when they were in eighth grade. She thought it was cool at the time but now wonders why he chose to sing Cher.
The song reminds Bill Bellinghausen, 29, employee at Shattered and 9th Street Video, of the time he spent in Europe. “I heard it in the discothèques and clubs,” he says. “I only like it because I was in Europe.”
Sheehan Lorenz, 23, a Hilton Garden Inn employee, remembers hearing the song on the radio and learning about Cher’s singing and acting abilities from her mom. They rented Moonstruck and watched it together.
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You, Bryan Adams
This sappy hit became a classic thanks to its inclusion in the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The song makes Robin Griswold, 23, an employee at Uprise Bakery and Ragtag Cinemacafé, remember watching the film when she was 11 and crying because, “It was my favorite movie, and I wanted to be a boy.”
For others, memories of the song have nothing to do with the film. Corey Glenn, 26, remembers the time his sixth- grade class sang it to a science teacher who was leaving.
Gangsta’s Paradise, Coolio
Coolio’s rap hit originally appeared in the movie Dangerous Minds, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, and was later spoofed by “Weird Al” Yankovic in the song “Amish Paradise.” But it is better remembered by Columbians for significant firsts. For MU senior Mitchell Casteel, 22, it brings back memories of sneaking out at night to make out with his first girlfriend, Natalie, who lived down the street.
MU grad student Rebecca Dunham, 27, remembers the song playing at a high school party. She was a freshman at the time and was playing Truth or Dare. “It was the first time I kissed a black guy,” she says. “It seems like such a monumental moment in your teenage years.” The kiss turned into her first interracial relationship.
Hold On, Wilson Phillips
This was the first track on girl group Wilson Phillips’ self-titled debut album. For Kristen Launius, 27, a stay-at-home mom, Wilson Phillips was her first CD. “I got really excited to listen to it on a CD player,” she says.
Army specialist Corey Glenn, 26, loved Wilson Phillips mainly because he had a crush on the “curly one,” Wendy Wilson.
Britches manager Patty Holmstrom, 22, remembers the group for Wendy’s sister, Carnie, before gastric bypass surgery. “I remember being, like, 6 and watching VH1 and thinking ‘Why is one girl wearing a suit and all the others get to wear cute dresses?’ ” she says.
Candle In The Wind, Elton John
This song — with lyrics about Marilyn Monroe — first came out on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in 1973. Following Princess Diana’s death, Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin rewrote it, and today the song is remembered for Princess Di’s funeral. MU junior Kara Stumpe, 21, first heard it when she watched the entire funeral, although she didn’t know who had died.
Rebecca Dunham, 27, had the opposite reaction. It was the middle of the night when her mom came to tell her about the accident. But she didn’t really care and just wondered why her mom woke her up.
Paul Zacharias, 39, manager at Uncle Paulie’s, thinks of the mock tribute song he and his band wrote to Prince Charles titled “Goodbye Floppy Lobes.”
The Sign, Ace of Base
The Swedish dance-pop group was often compared to ABBA, but Ace of Base accomplished what ABBA never did: It scored the No. 1 album in America. This song got the band’s foot in the door, but in Columbia it is remembered for controversy. Rebecca Dunham, 27, recalls an issue with one of the members’ political beliefs: “He used to be a skinhead, and it was such a big deal, it overshadowed the music they were making.”
Emily Lewis, 18, a freshman at MU, remembers another controversy surrounding the song: whether the lyric was “I saw the sign” or “I saw the sun.”
