I’ll be 30 on 25th August – despite my protestations about not being done with my 20s yet. Anyway, the other night I made a playlist of songs that hold memories for me in my life so far. These are not necessarily favourites (I haven’t listened to Cher for a while, I have to say), but ones that take me back to a particular time and place. I hope you find a song you really like here, and look out for the links that look like this – clicking on them will give some extra information about what I’m banging on about.
SNAP! – Rhythm Is A Dancer
The number one single in the UK on the day I was born, 25th August 1992.
Scatman John – Scatman (ski-ba-bop-ba-dop-bop)
My mum won a hifi system in a radio competition, the kind that would have been way out of our price range, and somehow it ended up in my bedroom. I remember listening to this song on it and being fascinated by it.
Cher – Believe
Brings back memories of being driven around Norwich by my mum with this blasting out very loudly.
Cartoons – Witch Doctor
Hearing it now, this song is completely ridiculous – but I can definitely remember hearing it at home, where we had it on CD. Some people had Abbey Road… I think it sounds a bit like Scatman John in terms of playing around with mouth sounds, so there could be a link there.
Dario G – Carnaval de Paris
Originally released for the 1998 World Cup, though I have no memory of that tournament (2002 was the first one I can recall). This was actually used by Sky Sports as the theme tune to their Premier League coverage in the early 2000s, and that’s where I remember it from.
Heather Small – Proud
We all sang in this in the school hall on our last day at Norman First in July 2000. Corny? Yes. Memorable? Definitely.
U2 – Beautiful Day
You’ll notice a trend of songs I remember from being theme tunes to TV shows. This was what ITV used for their highlights programme The Premiership, when they briefly held the rights away from the BBC’s Match of the Day in the early 2000s.
MIKA – Grace Kelly
A massive hit in 2007, this seemed to be on the radio every morning on the way to school. I was surprised to see MIKA turn up as one of the hosts of this year’s Eurovision – I’d not heard a peep from him for years.
The Killers – Read My Mind
I remember listening to this a lot when I was at sixth form – 2008 to 2010. Seeing The Killers perform it live at Carrow Road in June this year was a special moment.
Arctic Monkeys – Brianstorm
There will be a lot of Arctic Monkeys on this list – after all, they’re my favourite band. The first album of theirs I actually owned on CD was their second, Favourite Worst Nightmare. This song was track one.
Arctic Monkeys – I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
Their first single and the Arctic Monkeys song I reckon most people will have heard of.
Alex Turner – Piledriver Waltz
My Arctic Monkeys obsession led to me discovering Submarine, which is my favourite film. Arctics frontman Alex Turner did the soundtrack and this is my favourite song from it.
Arctic Monkeys – Black Treacle
Reminds me of driving backwards and forwards between Norfolk and Essex when I was at university. This is from their 2011 album Suck It and See.
Pulp – Do You Remember The First Time?
I can’t remember the first time I heard this song but it always stops me in my tracks when I hear it. Makes me feel nostalgic and sentimental. It’s between this and Babies for my favourite Pulp song.
Arctic Monkeys – Cornerstone
Probably my favourite of all Arctic Monkeys songs and one that reminds me of an unrequited love.
Depeche Mode – Just Can’t Get Enough
Was played a lot at Carrow Road during the years Paul Lambert was manager (2009 to 2012). Some of the happiest and most successful times Norwich City have had in my lifetime.
Grandaddy – A.M. 180
The theme tune to Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe, a programme I have seen many, many times over and still go back to now and again.
Harvey Danger – Flagpole Sitta
The theme tune to Peep Show. I first saw the sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb in a Media Studies lesson at school, oddly enough, but I loved it and have seen every episode more times than is healthy.
Morning Runner – Gone Up In Flames
Another TV theme tune – this one is from The Inbetweeners. The sitcom about four lads and their time at sixth form was broadcast exactly when I was at sixth form myself and, I can tell you, it was very realistic.
The Wombats – Anti-D
I spent a fair bit of time as a uni student being miserable – this song was released around that time and I can remember listening to it in my more self-indulgent moments in the room I rented in a lady’s house a short walk from the college.
Cage The Elephant – Shake Me Down
Another song I can remember hearing a lot during my time at uni.
Underworld – Caliban’s Dream
I watched every minute of the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics and can remember being spellbound by this song. They were a great Olympics and they happened just a month or so after my mum and I moved to a little terraced house in Dereham. Happy times.
Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?
From the fifth Arctic Monkeys album AM, released in 2013. An absolute banger – I saw them live in their native Sheffield in 2018 and this sounded amazing.
Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks
For a little while, I taught my friend to drive in the empty Sainsbury’s car park after work on a Sunday. Our musical tastes were very different. This is one of the only songs we both liked so we played it a lot while she was driving around.
Arctic Monkeys – One Point Perspective
Arctic Monkeys finally released a new album in 2018, their first for five years. This masterpiece is my favourite track from it.
Joe Cocker – With A Little Help From My Friends
As I mentioned before, I saw Arctic Monkeys live at Sheffield Arena in 2018. This song was played over the speakers just after the gig had finished and the audience were filing out. It reminds me of the complete euphoria of seeing my favourite band in the flesh for the first time.
Talking Heads – Take Me to the River
A more recent memory, I can recall driving around listening to this song, just driving for the hell of it and lost in thought.
Blossoms – Your Girlfriend
I first heard Blossoms in 2016, when their single Charlemagne was played a lot on Radio X. I really got into them when I heard this song for the first time, sitting in my car at work during my lunch break a few years ago. They are now one of my favourite bands and I’ve got tickets to see them live in Norwich this November.
The Rolling Stones – She’s A Rainbow
During the first Covid lockdown, the Wednesday night trip to the pub was replaced by drinks and music in the living room. This song was one of the highlights.
The Turtles – Elenore
Another lockdown discovery, and in my opinion the funniest love song ever written.
If you’ve got this far, thanks very much! This was just a bit of fun for myself really. If you want to carry these songs around with you, I put them in a Spotify playlist.
LEE PAYNE 