1. Easy by The Commodores: I learned how to skate on Saturday mornings at Skate King in East St. Louis from an instructor only known as Red. I tried to skate backwards forever and finally mastered it one Saturday while The Commodores played in the background.
2. Master Blaster (Jammin') by Stevie Wonder: 5th grade Girl Scout Jamboree in the basement of Lily Freeman Elementary. All I really remember is that it was hot and when Stevie sang, "It's hotter than July," I agreed with him.
3. Silent Night by The Temptations & This Christmas by Donny Hathaway: I can't remember a holiday season without these songs and the season doesn't officially start for me until I hear them. I know I'm not alone when I say that if either song pops up on my iTunes mid-summer, I sing right along like it's Christmas Eve.
4. Our House by Madness: When cable arrived in our house in the early 80s, my brother and I would watch videos non-stop. This was one of our favorites and every time I hear it, I think of him.
5. Jack and Diane by John Cougar Mellencamp, anything by Journey & Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard: Every one of these songs reminds me of 7th and 8th grade at Zion Lutheran Grade School
6. Out On A Limb by Teena Marie: Seems like it played on repeat while a group of neighborhood girls helped an older neighbor get ready for prom. I had to get back to my street before the street lights came on, but those that stayed behind told us the next day that her date never showed up and she played that song all night.
7. Cher Chez La Femme by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band: College parties and my first intro to house and deep house music. Yes, I know this song came out in the 70s, but no college party was complete until it was played.
8. Real Love by Mary J. Blige: For some reason I had access to a university vehicle the year this came out and was often sent on errands. My partner in crime and I would ride through the back roads between Champaign-Urbana and whatever podunk town we were headed to blasting the whole What's the 411 tape. Yeah, I said TAPE!
9. 261.5 by Tony! Toni! Tone!: Actually the whole Who tape had it going on. We played in for hours straight on a last minute road trip to another university for a party. We also played it in the parking lot in the early morning hours once the party was over and we discovered our friend's rust bucket of a car had a flat.
10. You Ought to Know by Alanis Morrissette: Is an explanation really needed?
So what songs bring you fond, or not so fond, memories?
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