Taylor Swift is currently on top of the charts. Jessie J., Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj “Bang Bang” their way to the airwaves. Meghan Trainor and Ed Sheeran currently enjoy the limelight. While these artists deserve their success, several others induced last song syndrome way before them. So, before we even forget, let us sing and recall how much these songs from the late 90s to the early 20s made us smile at one point in our life.
“Cry” by Mandy Moore Before Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters became popular, we have Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan. Released in 2001, “Cry” helped A Walk To Remember achieve box-office success. The song also defined the career of Ms. Moore all across Asia. Did the song also change you? Did you find all your feelings deep inside in places no one will find? The song told us how passionate love could be possible. Truth be told, it also paved the way for several romantics to express their feelings. Surely, the song also carried a part of you when you were on your teenage years experiencing your first love.
“The Real Slim Shady” by Eminem The rapper is probably the most hated still exponentially loved of them all. The song is all catchy and bubbly. It also carried several nuances that criticized other artists. Definitely, whenever you remember the very popular Christina and Britney rivalry, Eminem also crosses your mind because of this song. Part of the success of the song could be attributed to the rapper’s fearlessness in the face of popularity. Of course, the song carried some derogatory undertones. However, no one seemed to care about the lyrics at all, as it reached the top ten of several charts all across the globe.
“Your Body Is a Wonderland” by John Mayer When it was released in 2002 as a single from Room for Squares, it quickly became everybody’s last song syndrome. It’s all over the radio and all over music channels. However, the song’s charm today relies on people’s collective memory of how genuis a musician John Mayer is even on his earlier years.
“Love Fool” by The Cardigans In 1996, Romeo + Juliet would never be the same without this song. The signature tone of Nina Persson’s voice made the song even more special. It was dreamy and seductive at the same time. Likewise, Cruel Intentions would also not be the same if the song were not included in its soundtrack. Yes, it’s addictive. Yes, it’s mesmerizing. But no, we are not fooling. We are going to love the song even in the years to come.
“What A Girl Wants” by Christina Aguilera Oh, the glory that was pop! Before she danced “Dirrty”, Ms. Aguilera was the sweet girl dancing in front of her guy. She showed him how thankful she was for giving her time to breathe. The song does not only carry a legacy of good music from Christina, it also brings with it a decade of good pop hits that did not need to be overly saturated by unnecessary autotune.
“Complicated” by Avril Lavigne When, in 2002, everybody’s doing bubblegum pop, Avril redefined the trend by introducing a fresh punk approach. Clad in her trademark necktie, Ms. Lavigne showed young girls how independent they could be. When everybody’s singing about their crushes, the “Complicated” singer questioned the need for pretentions. Similarly, while other females in this period danced in their highschools, Avril proved that she is way too cool for school.
“Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia In 1997, Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia covered this Ednaswap original. 17 years after, the song still proves its relevance by being a favorite cover song for reality show contestants. Cassadee Pope, Juliet Simms and Holly Henry of The Voice have all covered it. However, no cover came close to what Ms. Imbruglia did with her version. It was raw as it was vulnerable. It was catchy yet still edgy. Most importantly, it stays on your head for a long period of time.
“Livin’ La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin This massive hit paved the way for the rise of Latin Pop to the world. It just made you want to dance. It was severely addictive when it was released in 1999. The record sold eight million copies, which only proves how big its influence was. Now, don’t you miss the good old days of Latin Pop as exemplied by this song? The radio misses such sprightly tune, for sure.
“2 Become 1” by the Spice Girls Who did not like this song before? Boybands were famous in the 90s, and so were girl groups showing some kind of flower power. This international hit released in 1996 featured the Spice Girls in their trademark sultry yet spunky attitude. The melody of the song is uniquely captivating that the aftermath of the listening experience leaves someone coming a bit wiser while getting it on. Didn’t we all feel needy of love like we never really had before after listening to the song?
“I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys In 1999, boybands was such a huge phenomenon everywhere. Arguably the most popular is the Backstreet Boys. This song, nonetheless, was one of their signature tracks that solidied their status in the pop world. Who can resist the charm of this song? It has a smooth rhythm with a feel good vibe to it. Clearly, this song helped define the direction of pop music even in the years to come. If the present has One Direction, Backstreet Boys is the response of the previous generation.