Here at The Nostalgia Diaries, we’ve been having a great time celebrating summer. Over the past few months, we took a trip down memory lane with Becky Mollenkamp’s 5 Songs that Remind Me of Summers by the Pool and our own Nostalgic Summer BBQ Playlist. We encouraged you to get a little more sunshine, but also reminded you to wear sunscreen when doing so. And in case you may have missed it, all the way back in February we brought you our Sunshine & Summertime playlist, which featured 17 Songs to Ease Your Wintertime Woes (check it out—these songs are perfect for lazy, hazy days!)
We think all this talk of summer goes to show you can never get too much of this season, especially when it comes to nostalgia. Because who isn’t nostalgic for this time of year, the one where fun times were always around the corner, just waiting to be discovered?
Today’s Music Monday playlist is brought to us from Alleyn Harned (a pretty rockin’ college friend of Corey’s), and we’re totally digging his awesome throwback Summertime Mix-Tape. We think you will, too, so crank these tunes up—they’re sure to get you in the groove today.
Check it out and then let us know: What would be some of the songs be on your summertime mix-tape?
Summertime Mix-Tape | Alleyn Harned
Summertime is a nostalgic time of year, bringing back memories of hot summer nights and glorious times. In the summer I find myself walking and biking more and more to destinations like back in the day. Please, join me on a journey into summer glory.
1)
I remember when I walked everywhere. The memory is refreshed daily but back in the day I would walk with a purpose one step at a time. Whenever I had on my tunes through huge goofy headphones I was hotstepping, and going with style.
2)
Summer is about basketball and games outdoors and feelings of inadequacy for those minutes when you were off the team. Summer is a dream of a 1964 Impala and basketball glory.
3)
I feel like the Kool-Aid guy is going to break into this house right now and help me chill out. This is a celebration with your crew and your friends coming together to get your hands in the air and roll out enormous ear to ear smiles.
4)
This party classic is demands respect. Also, this song always reminds me of 1990’s era summers of video games because of those slick background samples.
5)
I also always will remember welcoming in a new school year rocking out this song line by line in college with friends on a piano. I don’t play the piano, but I love the vocals.
6)
Really this whole playlist could be replaced by 90’s Snoop and Dre. Summer is time to chill with your best buds.
7)
Summer is always a party. You need to lay out a strong backbeat, add in constant high-hat drums, and rock the energetic fingers dancing on the keyboard to make for a great time.
8)
I think it is worth noting that while Ice Ice Baby and MC Hammer’s You Can’t Touch This emerged in the same era, Ice Ice Baby brings me nostalgic joy on a far deeper level. I have powerful loving memories for neon colors, and for awful and amazing awkward dancing. Fun Fact: This song is a historic marker identifying the transition from 1980’s to 1990’s.
9)
This song consistently makes me want to fly like a bird, jumping like a lunatic. All. Summer. Long.
10)
Have to close off this list with the final classic chill tune. Time to sit back and unwind.
As a frequent traveler, Alleyn loves music and the energy in the beat. He remains nostalgic for those terrible over-the-ear headphones packaged in 1990’s Sony CD players.
Alleyn works for Virginia Clean Cities where he does his best to save the world fighting climate change and supporting decisions that reduce our dependence on oil.
* * *
Thank you, Alleyn!
Want to submit your own song or playlist to be featured on a Music Monday post? We can’t wait to hear your own nostalgia-inducing tunes.
At The Nostalgia Diaries, our goal is to help you simplify, enhance, and engage your lives by focusing on the most important things: remembering, appreciating, believing, and becoming. It’s all about celebrating the past to create better days today.
P.S. Don’t forget to follow our colorful, creative spaces on , and . We’re fun and happy and whimsical and nostalgic over there, too. Pinky swear.
Your blog is just so wonderfully-evocative and entertaining in ways I can’t say enough about…I love the variety of posts that all encapsulate the incomparable joys of nostalgia. Thanks for sharing your gifts/giftedness 🙂
Boy! These certainly are Summertime-mix tapes! I know have “ice, ice baby” stuck on my mind! 😂 The “Jump around” song also makes go LU-NA-TIC! Big time! It gets me all hyped! Thanks for sharing this super Summerish list! Loved it! 🙂
Love this list! It certainly brings back memories! That you for sharing!
“Ice Ice Baby” – such a fun tune! (I remember Jim Carrey’s “satire” on it too 🙂
I’m sending this to my husband. He is a fan of 90’s hip hop and would love this list!
I love a good mixed tape! I’ll have to check some of these tunes out. Thanks for sharing 🙂 Happy summer!
Skee-lo I wish is one of my all time favorite songs ever. You have some great jams on here!
Thank you – I needed this little reminder to relax, listen to some music & enjoy the summer – it goes by too fast!
This brings me WAAAY back! Awesome list. I’ll be adding some of this to my own Spotify playlists 🙂
OMG, I feel like I’m in high school ; )
I love to play songs from when I was a teen to my kids…..They think it’s so funny when I start dancing around and singing….
Awesome playlist! Some real old school tunes perfect for chilling in the sun!
Dani x | http://www.flourishingfreelancer.com
This is so great, I love this blog!! My favorite summer song from the early 2000’s is Summer Girls by LFO
Love fun playlists! I know almost all of these songs. 🙂
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
Adding this to my songs of summer spotify list.
I just love coming to your blog; it’s a trip down memory lane each time. I was a teenie-bopper in the late 90s, so my mix tape woudd be filled with Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, Spice Girls…and maybe even MMM bop (hanging head in shame) 🙂
I’d keep this sucker on repeat until the neighbors called the cops. Good stuff. Summertime and early bedtime are a bad mix.