Blue (Da Ba Dee) - Eiffel 65
- This was the first song I remember liking. It was 1999 so I was about 7 at the time, and it just perfectly encapsulates my childhood. It's weird, goofy, dumb, catchy, and fun which pretty much sums me up as a little kid back then.
I'll Be There For You - The Remembrandts
- The theme song from Friends. My family used to watch this show religiously as I was growing up. It was one of the few things that we all could enjoy together. This show had such a long run that I wasn't sure where to place it on my list so around the turn of the century was roughly when I remember joining in.
Dream On - Aerosmith
- My parents were huge classic rock fans so I grew up listening to that more than my own generation's music at the time. I got introduced to this song after hearing Train perform a cover of it during a tv tribute. To this day it is still my favorite song, and the one I try to live by. "Dream until your dreams come true."
Across the Stars - John Williams
- Star Wars was everything to me as a kid so I naturally had to pick something from it for this list. It was a tight race between this and Binary Sunset, but I grew up during the prequels era and this was it's highlight track to say the least. It got burned into my mind with how overused it was in Star Wars media at the time. I still catch myself whistling it without realizing to this day. This is also the music that got me to appreciate film soundtracks more.
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
- 'Memba the PSP commercial? Oh, I 'memba! This was the point in my life where gaming started becoming more of a passion than just a hobby for me, and this song started appearing in so many games from Guitar Hero to various sports titles I played. This song introduced me to alternative/indie rock which has become my genre of choice ever since.
Christmas Eve / Sarajevo - Trans Siberian Orchestra
- The holidays were huge to me growing up because my birthday was the day after Christmas. As I got older and life started taking more negative turns, this seemed like the only time of year where I was in a genuinely good mood. I could've picked any holiday song for this slot, but I chose this one because I love how it's a tad bit more edgy than the rest which fits me better.
Never Forget - Martin O'Donnell
- Halo had roughly the same effect in my teenage years that Star Wars did in my childhood. It was my primary form of escape from life at the time. Like an oasis in the desert and it perfectly fits one of the most beautiful and peaceful tracks from the series. I remember the hype to 3's release was so big that my high school actually played the theme through the halls between classes. These games got me through so much, and it's music helped me appreciate game soundtracks more.
Party in the USA - Miley Cyrus
- Most would assume my life was like a party by reading this, but I hate this song to the core of my very soul, and that is why I cannot pick a better choice to represent this time of my life. In 2009, post-9/11 'Murican nationalism is as high as ever, Transformers is topping the box office, and Call of Duty is shattering sales records. I was in high school at this time and hated every fucking second of it, like this song.
Pure Imagination - Gene Wilder
- After leaving the hell hole that was my middle/high school life to prepare for the real world in college, I started becoming very nostalgic about my childhood at this time which is perfectly summed up by this song from Willy Wonka. I wanted that joy back in my life again that I had lost somewhere along the way. That desire influenced the career path that I chose at the time.
Royals - Lorde
- In 2014, my local Royals went on a pretty insane Cinderella playoff run to the World Series. It was pretty special to be a part of as someone who followed them their entire life. Local radio stations were treating this song like a rally cry through the whole experience that lasted until they won it all the following season.
Where Is My Mind (cover) - Maxence Cyrin
- The now-famous piano cover of the song from Fight Club. I picked it because life was going oddly well for awhile at this point, and this song has a peaceful angelic quality to it. I got introduced to it from watching Mr. Robot which was not only my favorite show, but helped me finally recognize that I had a mental health struggle of my own. This was a year defined by me facing my problems, and my life started improving greatly because of it.
Help! - The Beatles
- To say that the second half of 2016 was the worst time of my life would be an understatement. I graduated school, couldn't find a job, lost my girlfriend, lost my friends, my future was looking bleak for awhile, and that was on top of all the shitty world events that happened this year. I had always loved Beatles music, but it became my primary source of coping through this year, and this track just perfectly describes what I was feeling.
